Each week, my good friend Jason and I spend an absurd amount of time talking about the NBA draft - talking about the players, the teams, the stories, and perhaps most importantly, the future of the NBA. How high will these guys go? Who will get them? How will things pan out? From Kevin Love's waistline to Bill Walker's knee, we spend hours on end discussing this stuff. So, when I decided to do the first mock draft in the history of this blog, I wanted to bring Jason on board to join in the fun. We'll be mapping out the whole first round, but here are our projections for the top 10.
#1: Chicago Bulls
Dave: Derrick Rose. While Michael Beasley would make the most sense on the court, they'll go with hometown kid Rose. He'll step in as one of the best point guards in the east and will free up Gordon and Hinrich for more shots at the shooting guard position. His size at PG will help overcome their lack of it in the two spot.
Jason: Michael Beasley. There is a major clamoring for the Bulls to select uber-point guard Derrick Rose with this pick. While Rose and Beasley are both elite prospects and the Bulls can't really go wrong either way, the Bulls have been looking for a scoring big man for years and are still looking. First in 2006, they gave away Lamarcus Aldrigde for the "upside" of Ty Thomas. In 2007 they selected Joakim Noah, certainly not known to possess much of an offensive game. The Bulls finally get their man in Beasley, the most complete player in this and many recent drafts. Beasley will be able to score from all ends of the court, lead the Bulls in rebounds, and give them the much needed toughness they've missed inside for a long time.
#2: Miami Heat
Dave: Michael Beasley. While Dwyane Wade will have Heat management give OJ Mayo a look here, they'll eventually go with Beasley. He will provide a dominant, long-term front court presence for Miami and Wade will rid him of any of the character issues people might be worried about.
Jason: Derrick Rose. There have been rumors that the Heat have been looking to move this pick if Rose isn't available. Well, in my mock draft Rose is available. Rose is far from a complete player (needs to work on his jump shot and free throw shooting), but he is an excellent point guard prospect. He is a penetrator and distributor and is the type of player that will make those around him better. Teaming with Dwyane Wade will give Miami one of the most formidable backcourts in the NBA. The Heat still have a ways to go before they are competitive again but a 1,2,3 of Rose, Wade, and Marion will go a long way.
#3: Minnesota Timberwolves
Dave: OJ Mayo. If Miami takes Beasley, the Wolves will follow suit with Mayo. He's the best player on the board and has as much upside as anyone in this draft. He may be the best natural scorer to enter the NBA since the loaded 2003 class and has the personality and talent to immediate become the face of a franchise that lost its marketing ability when Kevin Garnett left for Boston. Wolves fans should beware that Kevin McHale might try to immediately trade him to Boston for Brian Scalabrine.
Jason: OJ Mayo. I can see the Timberwolves going one of two ways here being as they have two major needs. First would be O.J. Mayo to fill their major need at the 2 (unless you consider Marco Jaric or Rashad McCants as starters), or they could go for the top center prospect in the draft Brook Lopez, allowing Al Jefferson to play his natural 4 position. I think Mayo is the only player of the two to be a worthwhile selection at number 3. Mayo is an excellent scorer who has the ability to become a lockdown defender. A 1,2,3,4 of Foye, Mayo, Brewer, and Jefferson is a good building block for the future
#4: Seattle SuperSonics
Dave: Jerryd Bayless. In the Sonics' quest for young talent, they'll add Bayless to their roster of Kevin Durant and Jeff Green. Once this core gels together, this backcourt can compete for years to come.
Jason: Jerryd Bayless. The Sonics still have a lot of needs, but after last year's selections of Kevin Durant and Jeff Green they are set at the 2 and 3 but have questions everywhere else. To make this offense work, this team needs an explosive guard to push the ball up the floor with the ability to attack the rim at will. Bayless fits the bill. While at this point it remains to be seen if Bayless can ever be a true point guard, he has the explosive athleticism and offensive skills to give the Sonics an uptempo, high velocity offense.
# 5: Memphis Grizzlies
Dave: Kevin Love. Brook Lopez is a great option here and might be the best one. But Kevin Love will step in as the face of this franchise and is a captain-type to build a team around. His basketball IQ is higher than anyone in this draft and his stock will only continue to rise until draftday. He has reshaped his body, lost weight, and is further from the knee problems and conditioning issues that scouts initially cited as reasons not to draft him.
Jason: Kevin Love. Memphis has many needs at this point in the draft. They are loaded with young but unproven point guards, and while Rudy Gay was more than a nice suprise they need to address their dearth of big men. I am between Kevin Love and Brook Lopez at this pick. While neither of these players scream "upside", this team needs a proven commodity more than it needs a high ceiling player. My choice here is the fast-rising Kevin Love who has allegedly shed a lot of his excess weight and is showing much better athleticism. Love is an excellent big body at the 4 position who can bang down low while also being able to step out and hit a 3 from time to time. He will also enter the league as one of the best passing big men, a skill that should not be overlooked in a rebuilding team.
#6: New York Knicks
Dave: Russell Westbrook. His workouts have been phenomenal and he's the best point guard in the draft from here down. I am very worried as a Knicks fan about his lack of experience. Unlike DJ Augustin, we really haven't heard anything about this guy until he stepped in for Darren Collison midway through this season. But he's a fast, 6'3" point guard who can run Mike D'Antoni's offense in the way that Derrick Rose could in a perfect world.
Jason: DJ Augustin. I may be crucified for this selection but this is the best case scenario for the Knicks with the talent available. The Knicks have needed a pure point guard for years and Russel Westbrook and Augustin are considered the top two prospects at this juncture. While Westbrook is considered to be a high upside point guard prospect with great athleticism and defensive prowess, Augustin is the best fit for Mike D'Antoni's offense. While the biggest knock on Augustin is his small stature, he is an excellent distributor with high basketball IQ and legitimate NBA 3-point range, musts in D'Antoni's offense. Augustin is also a known commodity who carried a Texas team with little other talent in a competitive Big 12
#7: LA Clippers
Dave: Eric Gordon. If Gordon could run the point, the Knicks would have taken him. But he's primarily a shooter and his bulky physique make up for his 6'3.5" height in the SG position. He's used to attention and will thrive in LA and should anchor this backcourt for the foreseeable future.
Jason: Eric Gordon. The Clippers find themselves at a crossroads this year. It is unknown at this point whether or not Elton Brand will stick around and it is also unkown whether or not Shaun Livingston will return from his devastating knee injury. The Clippers made a good selection in taking an NBA-ready scoroer in Al Thonrton last year, and should select another NBA ready scorer this year in Eric Gordon. Gordon has top 3-5 level talent but fought through injuries and had to deal with the Indiana scanal, both marring his production this year. When healthy, the freshman still averaged more than 20 a game. While not the ideal height for a 2-guard, Gordon has extremely deep shooting range which can help clear space for Chris Kaman and Elton Brand if he returns.
#8: Milwaulkee Bucks
Dave: Anthony Randolph. One of the best talents in this draft. He could go 5,6, or 7th but since the Clippers already have Chris Kaman and Elton Brand and the Knicks desperately need a point guard, I think he'll fall to #8.
Jason: Danilo Gallinari. It seems the Bucks are always here in the lottery, and with a roster fairly devoid of talent it's plain to see why. At this point in the draft the Bucks are faced with a difficult choice. The top three players available on most boards would be Lopez, Gallinari, and Randolph, but Randolph brings to the table similar characteristics as last year's choice, Chairman Yi, and Lopez doesn't bring much more to the table than Andrew Bogut. For that reason I choose Gallinari, who is a versatile scorer and can bring more versatility to an offense than Lopez or Randolph can at this point.
#9: Charlotte Bobcats
Dave: Brook Lopez. It's either Lopez or Kevin Love here and I think Love will end up in the higher spot. Lopez is a great offensive center, a dominant seven-footer and a guy who will respond well to a tough coach like Larry Brown. He'll allow Emeka Okafor to shift to his natural position at 4 and will thus enhance the young team at two positions.
Jason: Brook Lopez. The Bobcats seem to fall in love with players from NCAA championship teams every year, but I don't see any Kansas players being selected here. The Bobcats have functional starters at the 1,2 and 3 spots in Felton, Richardson, and and Gerald Wallace, but they have Emeka Okafor playing out of position at the 5. Brook Lopez is a back to the basket big man with a scorers mentality, and while we won't be able to carry an offense by himself, he is NBA ready with good scoring ability and will allow Okafor to move back to his natural 4 position.
#10: New Jersey Nets
Dave: Danilo Gallinari. Gallinari is an explosive forward, with a good shot and a high basketball IQ to boot. This pick will land him near New York, which is where he reportedly wants to be, and he could add some depth behind Richard Jefferson. The Nets desperately need a center here, as it will be tough to contend with Josh Boone as their starting big man, but I think they'll go for the best player here and take a center later with the 21st pick.
Jason: DeAndre Jordan. The Nets are a team that, with the trade of Jason Kidd are now lacking an identity. You never know what you're going to get out of Vince Carter, nor do you know how long he can keep going. They have some good young pieces in the underrated Devin Harris, Richard Jefferson, and last year's human highlight reel Sean Williams, but they're not going anywhere for a while. That is why they make an upside pick here of DeAndre Jordan. Once considered a top 5 if not higher selection, Jordan has fallen out of favor with a number of scouts due to a lackluster year in college. But Jordan still has the talent to one day develop into a top Center, and the Nets would love to have somebody other than Josh Boone be their center of the future. Don't forget, a young center named Andrew Bynum was selected in this spot only three years ago.
(More to come...)
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