I am proud to present our 1st mock draft. How we did this was Brandon and I alternated picks. For instance, Brandon started with number 1 and I had #2, etc. This mock draft isn't necessarily based on who we think the team should take, but who we think that team will take, with considerations to who they should take. But the main driving force behind this mock is who we think they are going to take. I have seen over 10 mock drafts and not one is even remotely similar. This draft is one of the weakest drafts I can ever remember, (not as bad 2000) and to be honest no one really knows what these teams are thinking, including myself and Brandon. So, here....we....go.
1. Clippers - Blake Griffin (Oklahoma) - He is the consensus top pick. This makes the Clips better immediately. As Steve Buschemi says in Big Daddy, “No more questions!” (B-Law)
2. Grizzlies - Hasheem Thabeet (Connecticut) - Memphis desparately needs a center and especially a shot blocking center. Since Rubio has made it public he does not want to play in Memphis, this seems like the logical pick. Most likely Memphis trades out of this pick, even though GM Chris Wallace is extra careful with trades these days, since the Gasol debacle. (JoeyF)
3. Thunder - Ricky Rubio (Spain) - OKC could have really used Thabeet, who would have filled that Tyson Chandler-turf toe void. But luckily for OKC, Rubio works just as well. He will shift Westbrook to the 2 and running their opponents off the court. (B-Law)
4. Kings - Tyreke Evans (Memphis) - Evans is a big combo guard, that does have the ability to handle the ball. This pick will help the Queens...ahem...Kings immediately. He is the ultimate slasher and will create many scoring opportunities for Kevin Martin and Co. (JoeyF)
5. T'Wolves - Stephen Curry (Davidson) - Minny sneaks up and grabs the fifth pick today from the Wizards. Curry would fit in very nicely for an inside-outside game with Big Al and the silky smooth Kevin Love. Dare I say the Love-Curry era? Now if only they had another pick to grab a legit SG, oh wait....(B-Law)
6. T'Wolves - James Harden (Arizona St.) - Since the wolves just traded Randy Foye and Mike Miller for the #5 pick, they have room for a wing. And Harden certainly fits the bill. Surrounding him around Al Jefferson and Kevin Love gives the Wolves a deep threat, who can also create off the dribble. (JoeyF)
7. Warriors - Jordan Hill (Arizona) - Do the Warriors need Jordan Hill? Absolutely not. They have Brandan Wright and Anthony Randolph at the potential 4. Randolph, however is smooth enough and versatile enough to be the 3 of the future (think Lamar Odom). I’ve also heard rumors of them trying to move Wright anyways. Hill is the best available player at this point and athletic enough to thrive in Nelly Ball. Amare 2.0. (B-Law)
8. Knicks - Brandon Jennings (Spain) - Jennings might have the fastest first step in this years draft class (think Allen Iverson). He has incredible end to end speed and can create off the dribble as well as anyone. He might also have the highest ceiling in this draft as well, but has many short comings (too much like Allen Iverson at times). Maybe Mike D'Antoni can sprinkle some of that magic on him as well. Johnny Flynn is a possibility here as well. (JoeyF).
9. Raptors - Demar Derozan (USC) - Toronto has to be pretty excited to land Derozan at nine. He has top flight potential and could be the wing Bosh needs to be successful, assuming they can retain Bosh in the offseason (insert Canada sucks joke here). Gerald Henderson is a possibility here as well. (B-Law)
10. Bucks - Jrue Holliday (UCLA) - So far Jrue has been very unimpressive in most of his workouts so far and seems almost star struck. Holliday is still very young and has all the tools to be successful. How many college guards have averaged less than 10 ppg and been a top 10 pick? Exactly, and if we look back at the Bucks recent draft history (Bogut, Yi and Joe Alexander), this pick would not surprise me. (JoeyF)
11. Nets - Earl Clark (Louisville) - Huge upside with this pick. Nets need a big guy in the front court to slide next to Big Brooke Lopez. Who better to fill that role than Clark? He can hit the outside shot when Lopez eventually draws double teams. Other possibilities are bruisers Dejuan Blair and Psycho T. (B-Law)
12. Bobcats - Gerald Henderson (Duke) - A rugged wing player who plays the game the right way. He works hard and has a great all around game as well. He will fit in perfectly with Larry Brown and be the wing of the future for the Bobcats. Could also see them taking Terrence Williams here as well. (JoeyF)
13. Pacers - Dejuan Blair (Pitt) - The Pacers realize that the NBA draft is on a little too late and just take the biggest man in the room, regardless of his knee issues. All seriousness aside, he adds a lot of much needed toughness that left after the Malice in the Palace a few years back. (B-Law)
14. Suns - James Johnson (Wake Forest) - From what it sounds like, the Suns really want to stick with Steve Nash and give it a go one more time. With Johnny Flynn still on the board, it would be very tough to pass him up. However the Suns did commit millions of dollars to Goran "Tragic" Dragic and the Suns need more help up front, especially if and when they trade the Big Shaqtus. Johnson is a bit older and may be able to help immediately. He does have many character issues, but his versatility may shine in the desert. (JoeyF).
15. Pistons - Austin Daye (Gonzaga) - Detroit is fullsteam in rebuilding mode and have only declared allegiance to Stuckey. Daye, if he develops, could be a taller and possibly more skilled Tayshawn Prince (possibly being the key word). With the ‘Stones ability to sign uber free agents this offseason (Boozer and Ben Gordon), I see them taking a big "potential" guy over the likes of Psycho T or BJ Mullens. (B-Law)
16. Bulls - B.J. Mullens (Ohio St.) - Huge upside pick here. The Bulls don't really have any pressing needs, but aren't really set anywhere as well, minus the PG position (Rose). Mullens could give them that much needed low post presence they have been seeking since they mysteriously traded away Elton Brand. Brad Miller is not the answer long term, so this pick could end up being very good down the road. (JoeyF)
17. Sixers - Johnny Flynn (Syracuse) - The 76ers would set the record for fewest seconds ticked off the clock in between picks if Flynn is still there (though I find it hard to believe he will- but hey someone has to slip). Losing Andre Miller won’t hurt so badly with the ultra athletic Johnny Flynn as a consolation prize. (B-Law)
18. T'Wolves - Terrence Williams (Louisville) - This would be a great pick for the Wolves. He would easily be the best player available and can give them an excellent option at the 3, since they just traded Mike Miller. He is a fabulous all around defender and can rebound the ball at a very high rate as well. (JoeyF)
19. Hawks - Jeff Teague (Wake Forest) - This pick came down to Lawson or Teague for me. The Hawks were already burned on a big name college PG in Acie Law, so I think they go for the smaller name/higher potential distributor in Jeff Teague. Hey Bibby can’t play forever. (B-Law)
20. Jazz - Tyler Hansbrough (North Carolina) - Easiest pick of the Mock draft. Will fill the void left by either Boozer or Millsap. Can rebound at a high rate and be effective in the pick and pop. This guy has Jerry Sloan written all over him. (JoeyF)
21. Hornets - Sam Young (Pitt) - The Hornets need some toughness in the front court and a guy who is NBA ready. They’ve been waiting patiently for Julian Wright, but that doesn’t seem to be paying off. Sam Young is already almost 30 years old (24 actually), so he is physically mature enough to step in and contribute right away. (B-Law)
22. Mavs - Ty Lawson (North Carolina) - Lawson would fit in very well with the Mavs. Lawson has great north/south quickness and can push the tempo when need be. He can also shoot the ball very effectively as well. Can step right in and make an immediate impact with a veteran team already. (JoeyF)
23. Kings - Omri Casspi (Israel) - The Kings seem set in their back court, power forward and Center for the future. So they set their sights on the 3. I feel Chase Budinger lacks the grit they need and may end up only playing the 2 anyways. Casspi brings a long limbed, aggressive rim attacker that the kings could use. Plus there would be no pressure for him to contribute right away. (B-Law)
24. Blazers - Jonas Jerebko (Italy) - The Blazers have an abundance of young talent and the last thing they need is another rookie. GM Kevin Pritchard will most likely be moving this pick like he always does, but if they keep it, Jerebko would be a smart pick. They can stash him overseas and bring him over if they choose. He plays extremely hard, with a great all around game (think Nocioni). Victor Claver is another very strong possibility here as well. (JoeyF)
25. Thunder - Chase Budinger (Arizona) - OKC needs an outside scorer and Chase brings a scorer and slasher in one body. If he could continue improving his motor and toughness like we saw in the second half of the season last year, this could end up being one of the steals of the draft. (B-Law)
26. Bulls - Wayne Ellington (North Carolina) - This would be a great pick for the Bulls if he can fall to them, especially if Ben Gordon leaves via free agency. Ellington is the best pure shooter in this draft. He is a good sized guard who can knock down big shots. (JoeyF)
27. Grizzlies - Eric Maynor (VCU) - Maynor slipped quite a bit, but could find a home in Memphis. I can see the Grizzlies shipping out Conley to Portland this offseason finally. Maynor, one of the rare four year players, would be able to help the ailing franchise right away. He is one of the only point guards in this draft that doesn't have one glaring weakness. (B-Law)
28. T'Wolves - Victor Claver (Spain) - This would be the T'Wolves 4th draft pick in the 1st round. There is no way they want to spend that kind of money this year. Claver is a nice player who they can store overseas or package in a deal. (JoeyF)
29. Lakers - Nick Calathes (Florida) - I know I’m gonna get a lot of grief for this pick, but think about it. The Lakers are one of the rare teams who truly don’t need anything (assuming odom and ariza come back). They have the luxury of being able to stash a player overseas to develop for a year. Let Calathes work on his jump shot for a year and you’d have a smart, brand new 6’5” PG that Phil Jackson covets (Ron Harper anybody?). (B-Law)
30. Cavs - Dajuan Summers (Georgetown) - At the beginning of this season he was projected to be a top 10 draft pick. He has really fallen out of favor with many of the scouts and GM's around the league. The Cavs really need to strengthen their front court, especially with Varejao opting out and the aging Ilgauskas and Ben Wallace. Summers is a very nice interior scorer, who can also stretch the court a bit as well. (JoeyF)
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6 comments:
With as many friends we have rooting for different teams, you could have made it really funny...just something to think about in the future...like "my buddy orlov would be pissed at me for saying that the bulls would select mullens and ellington, and if the bulls do that he may kill himself"...you know, funny lil diddys like that
solid work fells. only observations, johnny flynn wont fall that far and neither will Maynor, he's the man.
I agree with both of the above posts...mostly. I had Flynn to the suns, but thats how it goes with alternating picks. Its not easy if you don't have the same draft mapped out.
Maynor on the other hand, has a good chance of slipping like that. While he is a great college PG, there is a plethora of guys ranked above him. With Rubio, Evans, Curry, Jennings, Flynn, Teague, Lawson, etc ahead of him, there may not be anough teams that need a PG.
Jrue Holliday is another pick I don't agree with, but i know he will go top 10-12. He hasn't shown much of anything, but teams still seem to like the potential he had going into UCLA. He seems like a headcase to me who gets down on himself about any failure. I know he's better than Goran Dragic, but that was his problem the first 3/4 of the season, which severely impeded his development. If holiday is on a bad team and he contributes to the failure, I foresee a problem in his development.
Post other comments, I'll offer my rebukes
Dejaun blair is a beast. The suns need to hope on him..... And Lakers need to draft the Omri "The Israeli Assassin" Casspi!! He is the next European sensation. Good overall mock draft. I'm already calling Chase B. the ROY and the 6th man of the year!
As a suns fan...no way to Blair. Its coming out now that he's really only 6'5", and only one player in recent history that short who plays PF and was successful comes to mind (sir charles). Blair has also been fighting off rumors about his bum knees. As a suns fan I'd much rather take Tyler Hansborough if i'm going for a bigger, physical hustle player.
BTW, I'm really surprised I haven't gotten yelled at for the Lakers pick.
The Lakers aren't going to take this guy from Florida B-Law. The Lakers need to draft some European that is sick and shoots and again, is, SUPER sick. I'd love for the lakers to take a European that loves Mexican food and wears high priced aviators to bring out his badass mustache. Like porn star mustache. That was the Lakers can have "badass mustache night" promotion. Just like when the Mariners had Jay Buhner night and everyone shaved their head. And this European that the lakers draft will drive in high priced convertibles to this arena in the summer, with the top down of course, and all photographers will yell at him in his native European language when he drives by eating his favorite food (Mexican). And when this guy gets on the floor, everyone will yell and scream for when he hits shots that Kobe couldn't hit on his best day. When the game is over and reporters ask him how he made those shots....He won't give himself credit, he won't give God credit, but he will give sole credit to his mustache. His European badass mustache. That is my hope. That is my dream for this draft.
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