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With just over a week before the draft, things are beginning to become a little clearer at the top. Expect another trade filled evening with plenty of unexpected moves and excitement. Here’s a look at how we see the draft playing out, for now…

1.
John Wall 6-4 196 PG Kentucky Fr.
Unlike the NFL, when an NBA team has decided on a player, as the case is here, they are asked not to make it public as it supposedly retains more drama for the draft. But for all intents and purposes the Sixers are on the clock as John Wall is the Wizards pick. The big question with adding Wall is what now with Gilbert Arenas. Agent 0 would be shipped out of town if it weren’t for the ridiculous contract he has. The team’s only option may be to try playing Wall and Arenas together and seeing what happens.
2.
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Evan Turner 6-7 214 SF Ohio St. Jr.
It’s hard to argue against the fact that Derrick Favors has more upside. But for a GM on the hot seat like Ed Stefanski, taking a player other than surefire Evan Turner makes little sense. Favors could be the right pick in 3-4 years, but it could easily be a new GM reaping the benefits from him. Turner is a guy that will fit in well with anyone and should add stability to a young team as the most NBA ready player in this draft. The team is pleased with the progress Jrue Holiday showed late in the year, and Turner should be an excellent compliment to him at the 2 position.
3.
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Derrick Favors 6-10 245 PF Georgia Tech Fr.
New Jersey is in an excellent position to form one of the league’s most formidable young frontcourts for years to come. Brook Lopez is one of the top handful of centers, and Derrick Favors has a great chance to become one of the league’s premiere power forwards. They should ultimately work extremely well together, with Lopez’s offensive skill, and Favors’ athleticism on the boards and defensively.
4.
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Wesley Johnson 6-7 210 SF Syracuse Jr.
Wesley Johnson gives them a reliable scorer and athlete on the wing. If not for off court concerns, DeMarcus Cousins would be the rational choice. But now it appears Cousins won’t even work out for the team making his selection highly unlikely. The Jefferson/Love combination may not be the answer, but taking Cousins and moving one of the two no longer appears to be an option. Johnson is a safe pick that would be an instant upgrade over Corey Brewer, who suddenly has some trade value.
5.
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monroe
Greg Monroe 6-11 247 PF Georgetown So.
Though not a freak athlete, Greg Monroe has the versatility to make those around him better, which is rare from a bigman. The C-Webb Kings were known for being a tremendous passing team, and adding Monroe would give them a chance to assemble a similar style of team. Unlike Cousins who uses his length and strength to overpower guys, Monroe plays a finesse game with his tremendous passing ability and versatility.
6.
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Al-Farouq Aminu 6-8 218 SF Wake Forest So.
The trouble with taking DeMarcus Cousins for the W’s is that they don’t have the right organization in place to facilitate the development of a problem child. Granted the team’s sale is imminent and they could be a completely different organization by next season. A better call would be to target a player such as Patrick Patterson or Paul George and move down 5 spots or so (dumping a contract or adding an additional pick) with a team looking to move up.
7.
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DeMarcus Cousins 6-11 280 PF/C Kentucky Fr.
Detroit would be ecstatic to see Cousins fall into their laps here at 7. Cousins is the big mystery of this year’s draft. His draft position will be directly related to psychological evaluations by teams, which he’s received mixed reviews on. He’s a talent but it will take the right situation with a coach and team that is able to get him to stay focused and doing the right things on and off the floor to be successful. Despite their mini-collapse since the Billups trade, Joe D has made this a long standing winning organization known for stability, which is exactly what Cousins needs.
8.
babbitt
Luke Babbitt 6-9 218 SF/PF Nevada So.
The Clippers are in an excellent spot with so many quality small forwards in the draft and a real need at the position. If either Wesley Johnson or Al Farouq Aminu somehow fell to them they would be ecstatic, but Johnson should be long gone, and possibly Aminu as well. Luke Babbitt, Paul George or Gordon Hayward should all be considered here, or the team could trade down a few spots to target one of them and add another piece. Babbitt proved to be bigger (6’9 in shoes) and more athletic than he appeared at the draft combine.
9.
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Cole Aldrich 6-11 250 C Kansas Jr.
Utah will have a number of options here. Cole Aldrich also makes sense with Okur beginning to show his age (injuries). They could also look to shore up their backcourt with Xavier Henry, a player they are high on. Despite the fact that we see him as a reach here, Davis is a real possibility.
10.
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Ed Davis 6-9 220 PF North Carolina So.
Indiana went with a power forward from North Carolina late in the lotto last year and could very well do it again by taking Ed Davis at 10. While in our opinion Davis is a little overrated, teams are high on him and there’s a good chance he will find a spot in the top 10 picks. He didn’t play to his abilities before going down with a season ending wrist injury. He did test out well in the combine however. Would this team give up the pick if Denver offered Ty Lawson for it?
11.
Paul George 6-9 214 SF Fresno St. So.
George stands a great chance of going in the lottery. Scouts were wary of him early in the season due to playing in the WAC and in such a helter skelter system. He has blown teams away with his length and athleticism in individual workouts and going top 5-6 is not out of the realm of possibility. He would look very nice on the receiving end of some Chris Paul back door ally oops.
12.
Patrick Patterson 6-9 240 PF Kentucky Jr.
With Zach Randolph quickly morphing into Pablo Escobar, the Grizzlies suddenly have a need for a power forward. Patterson lacks the elite level length and athleticism of a Derrick Favors, but his skill level and toughness should allow him to come into the league and be better from the start. He’s not an NBA difference maker, but he can become an excellent 3rd of 4th cog on a contending team.
13.
bradley
Avery Bradley 6-3 185 SG Texas Fr.
Bradley is one of a few players the Raptors are considering here. Bradley could team with Derozan in an extremely dynamic backcourt. A dark horse for this pick is Devin Ebanks who the team worked out and remains very high on. 13 however seems too high. The team is also looking to add a pick around 20 with him likely as one of their targets.
14.
davisGordon Hayward 6-8 211 SF Butler So.
Hayward impressed folks in Chicago at the combine and has done well in workouts. He’s seen as a legitimate possibility for the Pacers at 10 and could go as high as 8 to the Clippers. Houston doesn’t have a huge need for a small forward and could look to grab a shot blocker such as Udoh or Whiteside but they also could be moving this pick in a deal for a veteran.
15.t
Xavier Henry 6-6 220 SG Kansas Fr.
Michael Redid isn’t getting any younger coming off his second knee injury. If Henry falls to them at 15, he’ll be extremely difficult for Milwaukee to pass up. Henry would help shore up the backcourt, alongside Brandon Jennings, for years to come.
16.
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Ekpe Udoh 6-10 237 PF Baylor Jr.
Udoh showed surprising offensive development after transferring from Michigan to Baylor. He has a real shot to go in the lottery, but there are some concerns with him after having such a standout year following a number of less impressive seasons. He’s also older than the average senior.
17.
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whiteside
Hassan Whiteside 7-0 235 C Marshall Fr.
Whiteside has the talent to go much higher, but his lack of maturity and readiness could knock him out of the lottery. His lack of confidence is apparent in interviews and it’s obvious he will need time to adjust to being a professional and developing a professional mind set to perform night in and night out. As a true 7-footer with shot blocking ability and touch, he’s got major upside, but will take time. Whiteside would be in a great situation backing up Joakim Noah and playing with a premiere young point guard such as Derrick Rose.
18.
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Daniel Orton 6-10 269 PF Kentucky Fr.
Despite averaging just over 3 pts and 3 rebs per game, Orton shows more maturity, polish and readiness than you would think. He needs time to grow into an NBA contributor, but his strong frame and length makes him intriguing. The Heat could use some beef in the post and Orton can provide that.
19.
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James Anderson 6-6 208 SG Okla.St. Jr.
If they keep the pick, the Celtics will likely look for a player that can bring something right away as they still have a window of opportunity with their current core in range of a title. Despite suffering an injury a couple weeks ago, Anderson isn’t likely to fall too far. He could back up Ray Allen and provide a possible eventual successor at the 2-guard spot.
20.
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Elliot Williams 6-4 180 SG Memphis So.
After missing the draft combine due to injury, Elliot Williams is one of the draft’s big sleepers. Some feel he will ultimately slip into the second round on draft night, but he showed enough during his two years in college to get taken in the early 20s.
21.
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Devin Ebanks 6-8 208 SF WV So.
Ebanks has worked out well for teams. The concerns about his shooting ability are not as apparent as they were at the end of the season. He appears to be a great fit for a team looking for a defensive and rebounding minded wing.
22.
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Craig Brackins 6-9 229 PF Iowa St. Jr.
Portland can look to add depth to a talented roster. They are in good shape at all positions so taking the player they consider the best talent makes sense. Brackins struggled in his junior year and many began to question his toughness. But he was considered a possible lottery pick before the season and his length and scoring ability is tough to ignore.
23.
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Larry Sanders 6-10 222 PF VCU Jr.
Minnesota continues their quest for defensive minded bigmen adding Sanders to their early choice of Udoh at 16. Sanders shows a lot of upside but could take some time to realize it.
24.
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Armon Johnson 6-3 190 PG Nevada Jr.
Atlanta Assistant GM Dave Pendergraph has said he would like to add a player that can be a factor defensively in the back court for this team. Armon Johnson makes a lot of sense here as a player that could spell Mike Bibby and Jeff Teague when the team needs defensive stops. Don’t be surprised to see Armon Johnson go before Eric Bledsoe despite the East Coast bias/hype.
25.
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Eric Bledsoe 6-1 192 PG Kentucky Fr.
Eric Bledsoe was at one point thought to be a potential lottery pick but is now seen as a likely late first to early second rounder. Memphis continues to wait on Mike Conley, who has yet to fulfill his 4th pick overall expectations. While this draft lacks many point guards, the problem for Bledsoe is how few teams are really in need of a point guard after last years 10 PG first round.
26.
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Gani Lawal 6-9 233 PF G.Tech Jr.
For a young team such as Oklahoma City, adding a talented PF like Lawal late in the first round would be an excellent move. Lawal appears willing to be a guy that does the dirty work as a contributor off the bench.
27.
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Damion James 6-7 227 SF Texas Sr.
New Jersey should be able to grab a quality 3 or 4 here. James is getting looks in the late teens with teams such as Boston looking for a defensive-minded combo forward. If not for the fact that James struggles to fit a pro position, he would go much higher, and might anyway.
28.
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Terrico White 6-5 203 PG/SG Mississippi So.
Memphis interviewed Kevin Seraphin in Treviso and will likely consider him here but with so many talented American players available late in the first round, there’s a good chance no Europeans get in. White would add depth to the backcourt with a lot of upside to his game.
29.
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Dominique Jones 6-4 216 SG Florida Int. Jr.
For a contending team, Jones makes sense as a ready to contribute draft pick. He could challenge JJ Redick in the role of scorer, with less shooting ability but more defense and strength.
30.tTrevor Booker 6-7 236 PF Clemson Sr.
The Wizards have a pick 5 spots later so they will have to consider who they really want and balance that versus who they think might be there at 35. Booker worked out extremely well at the group workout in Minnesota and despite being just 6-7 is the type of workhorse and freak athlete that can make it as an undersized 4.
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27 Comments

  1. The Hawks
    Seriously???

    Why would the Hawks draft a combo guard (other than Avery Bradley, who won’t be there at #24)?

    They have enough guards who aren’t that good (Bibby, Teague, West).

    They would be better off drafting Lawal (a true PF) or trading the pick to the Raptors or someone else who needs a pick.

    I wish we could give Teague, 24th pick, and next year’s first round pick to someone to move up and take Bradley.

    He fits perfectly with Joe Johnson (has to have the ball to be effective). Joe would no longer have to guard the other team’s PG because Bibby can’t play any defense.

  2. The Wolves will never take
    The Wolves will never take Johnson outright, they really are on their last straw in regards to building a fan base again and unfortunately Johnson wouldn’t help that. They need to find a way to trade for Turner and if they don’t take Cousins and trade him to the highest bidder. Glen Taylor has lost over $60M the last three seasons combined, it’s make or break time for the franchise, yet you think they’ll take a player in Wes Johnson who can’t create his offense and will most likely never be better than a 3rd option on offense. Who would create his offense for him, Flynn? Sometimes this site just has no clue.

  3. I like this mock. The only
    I like this mock. The only real thing I disagree with is that I think Memphis will take a wing or pg…other than that it’s a great mock

  4. Does anyone actually think
    Does anyone actually think the kings would pass up Cousins for a third pf? I personally like Monroe and think hell be a solid starter in the nba but Cousins is the perfect pick for that team and fills the biggest need.

  5. Forget Noah, I think Rose’s
    Forget Noah, I think Rose’s handling of Whiteside sounds more persuasive. Both, Rose and Whiteside, seem like the introvert types that’ll click from day one. In saying that, I hardly walk away from this template with the idea GM’s GarPax will sell themselves on him. They will probably go with the common echoing: James Anderson.

    http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/hoops-in-view/

  6. great… id dookie a shooter
    great… id dookie a shooter if cousins fell to detroit… but i can actually see that happening… monroe is gonna be really good and id be sastified with either player..

  7. In the Pattrick Patterson comment
    With Zach Randolph quickly morphing into Pablo Escobar, the Grizzlies suddenly have a need for a power forward.

    What does this mean

    • Randolph
      Zach has been investigated in Indianapolis,as a possible drug money supplier/dealer. I’m sure they are saying his off court woes,could eventually keep him off the court and in court.

  8. Who better 2 get your weed
    Who better 2 get your weed from Then Zach Randolph 😀 lol but i heard he was cleared of all charges. Can someone clear that up for me

  9. Wolves
    I agree w/ BlancoDiablo. The Wolves will do everythig they can to make a trade on draft night if not before. I understand you have to put a player at the 4 slot in your mocks but there is no way they will settle for Wes Johnson, not w/ Corey Brewer on the roster and to say that Johnson would be “an instant upgrade over Corey Brewer” is a stretch. Also, I know the Wolves need a shot blocking presence and they have a tendency to stockpile players at the same position but taking Udoh, Sanders, and Varnado is rediculous.

    http://twitter.com/hagem050

  10. WTF
    Do you guys hate the W’s or something? They wont pass on CUz, who cares if this is not the right environment for a “problem child”. that is only your opinion and a terrible way to base your draft pick off of.Cuz would be the pick easily, Larry Riley has said he wants to win now, thats why were so so high on Wes Johnson. I highly doubt we take another development project since he knows this FO time is running out. Plus if Ellison is the owner by draft day he will want the best overall player there and thats Cuz.

  11. Hawks
    As stated by someone else, why would Hawks take another combo guard? They already have 3 of those in Bibby, Crawford, and Teague. Bibby is a shooter, Crawford is a scorer, Teague is suppose to be able to get to the rack and play better on ball D because of quickness but he can’t shoot as of now. Johnson would duplicate Teague’s skillset even the bad and just be a little taller and more athletic. Considering he and Babbitt could not even get Nevada to the NCAA tourney he is already a underachiever, coupled with the fact that Hawks already have 3 combo guards why would you give a guaranteed contract to this guy?

    The Hawks draft board should look like this:

    Whiteside
    Ed Davis
    Brackins
    Xavier Henry
    Faroq
    Babbitt
    Stanley Robinson
    Varnado
    Booker
    Terrico White
    Armon Johnson
    Mikhail Torrance

    Meaning the guy they have Hawks selecting should be at bottom of there list due to need and skillset. They will be able to get someone who is more of a need and better player for there team. The Hawks should consider trading down if the top 5 I listed above are all gone, especially if they can get 2 picks, for instance trade the 24th pick and there 2nd round pick to Wizards for #30 and Wizards second round pick which is #31

  12. someone will trade up for cousins at #4
    utah will not take aldrich at #9
    indiana will trade their pick or take xavier henry
    ebanks does not have an nba skill – 2nd round
    terrico white – 2nd round
    seraphin will get snatched in the 20s – he has too much promise to slide out
    someone is gonna like d. jones a little higher
    gani lawal is not a 1st round talent

    all of the above IMO

  13. i would put money on daniel
    i would put money on daniel orton being a bust. i would hate to be the team that drafts him and finds out that the guy doesnt really have any of the tools that you need to be an impact post player in the league. if calipari wasnt such a salesman he would have never declared for the draft and nobody would have thought twice about it.

  14. Chicago Bulls taking
    Chicago Bulls taking Whiteside is a complete joke he’s a 7 foot power foward with a mid range jumper we need a real post guy if not that a damn shooter @17 i see George,Henry, gone so no hope there i see patterson,aldrich, gone no hope there so where do u go from there..?? for some reason im not feeling James Anderson.

  15. Yellow Dunker
    The way you see Whiteside is similar to how Joakim Noah was thought of after his freshman year in college. The Bulls would be fortunate to add a player that far down in the draft that can block/alter shots and rebound when Noah needs a break. The Bulls should have enough large leads next season where Whiteside could get plenty of garbage time in hope of developing.

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