NBA Mock Draft (Draft Night)

1. Los Angeles Clippers - Blake Griffin, PF (Oklahoma)
2. Memphis Grizzlies - Ricky Rubio, PG (Spain) (Traded to Knicks for David Lee, #8, and cash)
3. Oklahoma City Thunder - Hasheem Thabeet, C (Connecticut)
4. Sacramento Kings - Tyreke Evans, PG (Memphis)
5. Minnesota Timberwolves - James Harden, SG (Arizona State)
6. Minnesota Timberwolves - Stephen Curry, PG (Davidson)
7. Golden State Warriors - Jordan Hill, PF (Arizona)
8. New York Knicks - Jrue Holiday, SG (UCLA) (Traded to Grizzlies for #2)
9. Toronto Raptors - Demar Derozan, SG (Southern Carolina)
10. Milwaukee Bucks - Johnny Flynn, PG (Syracuse)
11. New Jersey Nets - Ty Lawson, PG (North Carolina) (Traded to Pacers for Jarrett Jack and #13)
12. Charlotte Bobcats - Gerald Henderson, SG (Duke)
13. Indiana Pacers - Terrance Williams, SF (Louisville) (Traded to Nets for Bobby Simmons and #11)
14. Phoenix Suns - Earl Clark, SF (Louisville)
15. Detroit Pistons - James Johnson, PF (Wake Forest)
16. Chicago Bulls - Jeff Teague, SG (Wake Forest)
17. Philadelphia 76ers - Brandon Jennings, PG (Italy)
18. Minnesota Timberwolves - Eric Maynor, PG (Virginia Commonwealth)
19. Atlanta Hawks - Austin Daye, PF (Gonzaga) (Traded to Pacers for TJ Ford cash)
20. Utah Jazz - Tyler Hansbrough, PF (North Carolina)
21. New Orleans Hornets - BJ Mullens, C (Ohio State)
22. Portland Trailblazers - Omri Casspi (Israel)
23. Sacramento Kings - Sam Young, SF (Pittsburgh)
24. Dallas Mavericks - Taj Gibson, PF (Southern California)
25. Oklahoma City Thunder - BJ Mullens, C (Ohio State)
26. Chicago Bulls - Toney Douglas, SG (Florida State)
27. Memphis Grizzlies - Nick Calathes, PG (Greece)
28. Minnesota Timberwolves - Jonas Jerebko, PF (Italy)
29. New York Knicks - Jack McClinton, SG (Miami)
30. Cleveland Cavaliers - Patrick Mills, PG (St. Marys)

2009 NBA Mock Draft (Lottery Edition)

1. Kings - Blake Griffin, PF from Oklahoma

Why?: They have a good inside-outside big man in Spencer Hawes but they need a more powerful low post presence. Granted they drafted Jason Thompson last season but having two outside oriented offensive big men along with shooters already in the backcourt and on the wing leaves for a much crowded outside. Drafting Griffin would also be beneficial for Kevin Martin and Andres Nocioni as they will see more open looks from the perimeter as defenses now need to collapse to defend Griffin.  A player that would also benefit is a player coming off of an off year, after getting a nice payday is Beno Udrih, who would also enjoy having a guy who can score consistently inside. Also defensively, this also helps as Griffin is pretty solid on defense for a young big man. This should definitely be great for him and the Kings.

 

2. Wizards - Ricky Rubio, PG from Spain

Why?: Because they have to. He is the second best player available and although Wizards don't need him right now, extra media pressure and possible scrutiny upon passing on Rubio is too great. They don't need Thabeet or Hill, two other projected possible #2 overall picks so they might take Rubio and sit him for a couple seasons or try and trade back. Ideally they hope they don't get the #2 selection and get something around between picks 6 through 10 and target Tyreke Evans or Demar Derozan as backup SG although Nick Young has progressed well. A longshot possibility is reaching for Jordan Hill and grooming him to becoming the PF of the future but that's highly unlikely.

3. Clippers - James Harden, SG from Arizona State

Why?: Although they did draft one of the better shooters in last year's draft in Eric Gordon, he's still only 6 foot 3. They already have a need at backup SG as Fred Jones isn't the solution and Harden is a great compliment due to his slashing ability. At 6 foot 6, he's more of a prototypical SG. He should benefit coming off the bench as a 6th man covering both the backup SG and SF duties right away as well. Althought Hasheem Thabeet and Jordan Hill are possibilities, their frontcourt is already crowded with Randolph, Camby, Kaman, and the ever promising yet developing Jordan. I know this won't be the most popular pick by readers and analysts but I think it's the most logical selection as it helps with the scoring woes Clippers had last season while also improving their perimter defense and also allows Gordon to focus more on the offensive side, his stronger suit, which in turn will make him a more efficient scorer as he won't have to worry so much about defense. This also gives them possibilities as they can alternate Al Thornton and Harden on the wings when giving Gordon a break. Another possibility is Tyreke Evans as well but I think he might be a bit of a reach as of now. 

4. Thunder - Hasheem Thabeet, CT from Connecticut

Why?: The easiest pick to make since the Griffin selection. The Thunder can definitely use a big time shotblocking presence downlow to spell Krstic. Although Thabeet is offensively challenged as of now, Durant along with Green and sophomore Westbrook should handle the scoring. Krstic isn't exactly an intimidating presence downlow so picking Thabeet should help spell Krstic on the defensive end. At 7 foot 3, he should be able to guard some of the better big men in the West. I definitely see this as an ideal pick in the same breath as the Griffin pick.  An outside possibility of another option is Jordan Hill but he really doesn't help with the Thunder's weaknesses and positional need. They don't need another shooting big man with Krstic on board especially one who won't contribute on the defensive end right away in order to make the jump into a playoff contender.

5. Timberwolves - Tyreke Evans, PG/SG from Memphis

Why?: They had their complementary wing to Jefferson last season in OJ Mayo but messed that up (Good old Kevin McHale!). Now it's time to make right by selecting what could be the second coming of Derrick Rose. Although Telfair came on strong, no one has any idea what he will be like this season. As of now, the selection of Evans will probably allow him to start out at PG with a possible move to SG depending on Telfair and Foye's progress looks coming off an injury albeit he played at the end of last season. With Foye and Evans in the backcourt they have two great interchangable parts that definitely bring all-around talent to the table, but Foye is oft-injured. As of now look for a starting lineup of Evans/Foye/Miller/Love/Jefferson. This is a great young and potent lineup that can make some noise in a couple seasons but Kevin McHale is still running this team so look for them to make an odd selection otherwise. He might even reach for Ty Lawson or even Johnny Flynn for all we know. Hopefully he won't pick Jordan Hill in hopes of another big man crave of his.

6. Grizzlies - Jordan Hill, PF from Arizona

Why?: Because they have no choice in this position. Hill is benefitted by a lack of superior big men early in the draft behind Griffin. Although selecting Brandon Jennings or Demar Derozan also makes some sense here as well, they need some big man depth at PF. Granted they took Darrell Arthur last season but what do they expect from him? At least Hill will bring in some offense and much needed rebounding along with solid defense since Gasol can't be the only one hitting the glass and defending the low post. This pick is more of a best player available meets depth kind of p aick. Look for them to trade down and possibly target DeJuan Blair for his width and toughness which this frontcourt desperately lacks although I think that would be a bad pick.

7. Warriors - Brandon Jennings, PG from Italy

Why?: They need one. They have absolutely no one who can handle the ball and spread the ball around. Crawford and Ellis are definitely not PG's. This pick is an ideal pick, as Jennings isn't a scorer but rather a passing type of PG which is perfect next to guys like Ellis, Crawford, and Jackson who love to score. With Jennings on board they can finally run a better and more efficient fast break offense along with Wright and Randolph benifitting with a guy whose able to get them the ball. Also an efficient offense needs to be able to pass the ball more then 3 times every offensive set so Jennings definitely fits the bill. This is a great pick for Nelly and the Warriors.

8. Knicks - Ty Lawson, PG from North Carolina

Why: The Knicks finally learned why Duhon never really had a shot to start in Chicago like he wanted to--because he simply can't. After looking like a nice steal for the Knicks early on, he slowly started to fade. Lawson looks to need a year or two to develop so this is an ideal situation for the Knicks. By the time Lebron James mania comes around, Lawson should be a nice PG next to James. I think considering all this, this pick will come down to Lawson or Johnny Flynn, depending on who D'Antoni likes better. My money is D'Antoni liking Lawson more.  This pick is not so much for next season but rather after the 2009-10 FA class comes around when they choose to go for the two of the following three: James, Wade, and Bosh.

9. Raptors - Demar Derozan, SG from Southern California

Why?: They have no heir apparent to an already old and average Parker. Derozan has the potential to score from all spots on the court and is athletic for their uptempo offense, although not offensively polished yet. He is also defensively challenged as of now but he is very coachable and will sure learn it quick. I'm not sure if he can unseat Parker as the starter this season but he will definitely be starting the year after. He fits real nicely next to Calderon and Bosh and maybe Marion if he still is around. This is the kind of move that will also help appease Bosh and his desire to win as Derozan will be a stud before his free agency comes around. Look for Colangelo to like Derozan falling into his lap, albeit where he belongs to be picked. I think this is another good situation for both sides.

10. Bucks - Johnny Flynn, PG from Syracuse

Why?: Luke Ridnour can't play. Ramon Sessions can't play defense. Enter Flynn. He's not really ready to play big minutes yet which sucks for the Bucks since they have playoff caliber talent all around in Jefferson, Bogut, and Redd. I think Flynn has some ability to make an impact but I doubt he will be able to get them over the hump to make the playoffs in his rookie year. They could also possibly reach for a SG like Stephen Curry or Gerald Henderson but that's highly unlikely since neither will help them with no competent PG on the roster. 

11. Nets - Earl Clark, SF from Louisville

Why?: They desperately need a SF. So why not take the best SF prospect in the draft? Although not offensively polished he does have some ability to score. I see him having Lamar Odom kind of potential since he can also handle the ball at 6 foot 9. With good coaching under Pitino, he should fare well on the next level on a team where he is the missing link and is allowed to be a compliment. Nets fit the bill since they have the scoring with Harris, Carter, Jianlian, Anderson, and Lopez so Clark won't be asked to score right away which should benefit both him and the Nets. I think this pick defintely helps both sides out and probably will be one of the more common picks for most readers and in years down the road this will show it made sense. I think as the draft nears this pick comes between two players--Clark and Gerald Henderson. 

12. Bobcats - Gerald Henderson, SG from Duke

Why?: The 'Cats stay local with this Dookie product. Raja Bell is 33 going into this season and doesn't seem to be a long term fit at SG for them. Drafting Henderson and keeping him on the bench for a couple seasons will do wonders for them. Augustin and Henderson should become a great backcourt duo someday but as of now 'Cats draft for depth since they have starters at all other positions. Although a PF wouldn't hurt no one is worth taking here at 12. 

13. Pacers - Jeff Teague, PG/SG from Wake Forest

Why?: He will come in and prove to be a valuable scorer off the bench. With Ford handling the ball more and being more of a passer and Jack being moroe of a hybrid with no true identity, Teague will have a Monta Ellis-like role in his rookie season coming off the bench as a big time scorer. Although they lack interior scoring they can also settle by getting a nice scorer off the bench who can play both guard spots. I had Pacers selecting Patrick Patterson before he opted to go back to Kentucky for his junior season and allowing him to become a Top 8 pick next season.

14. Suns - Terrence Williams, SF from Louisville

Why?: Although a glaring need for a PG exists in case Nash leaves in a year, Suns still have an option they can pick up on him this season. I say they pick up the option for one year and draft a SF and the following year they should take a PG. I think this is an awkward pick for the Suns in that either way since no PG is worth even selecting right now. Williams will bring some offense and defense to this team on the wing and will learn a lot under Grant Hill and should take over following this season.

NY Knicks: 5 Years of Bad Decisions

The Knicks are the laughingstock of the NBA. It didn't always used to be. They used to be really good, now they're really bad. The state of the team has been steadily declining since Isiah Thomas has taken over. Troubles have hit the team with various FA signings not being useful. One, Jerome James. Two, Jared Jeffries. Then there was those oh so wonderful trades. Eddy Curry, Zach Randolph, Jamal Crawford, Stephon Marbury, Malik Rose, Quentin Richardson, Steve Francis and Maurice Taylor. In all fairness, Crawford has been decent to above average most of the times. Curry and Randolph are very similar players, overweight offensive powerhouses who are lackadaisicalal on defense. Always something every team wants in their starting power forward and center. Of course this isn't the only time he has made a move in trading for a similar player to that currently on his roster. Steve Francis! Marbury, known to be a bad shooting, non passing ballhog, would only leave fans to believe, Steve Francis is the perfect backcourt mate for Marbury. Francis is only the same exact player as Marbury! Why not have redudancy all over the court, right? Then Marbury, that's self explanatory. Richardson, when healthy has been useful, which lies the problem. He's not healthy for a long time. Only bright side on Isiah's reign has been the draft. He's drafted a handful of useful players in Nate Robinson, David Lee, Renaldo Balkman, and Wilson Chandler. He traded Trevor Ariza away for Francis. Ariza, is now currently playing for a ring with the Lakers.

So after a horrible reign of Isiah, him and Bush know a lot about bad, illogical decisions, Knicks hired Walsh to run the team and D'Antoni to coach it. D'Antoni is famous for creating the exciting Suns offense. Great displays of passing, shooting, fastbreak, and uptempo style of basketball. D'Antoni has publically said some of the Knicks players he doesn't like. Now he has a whole team of players who don't fit any type of mold in which D'Antoni likes. It's safe to say, D'Antoni has a lot of work to do along with Walsh running stuff upstairs. It will take about 3-4 years for the Knicks to be on top of the basketball world and in the upper echelon of other teams. Good luck Mr. Walsh and Mr. D'Antoni!