Scare Crow's live mock...
Enes Kanter C Turkey...they draft the best C prospect thus creating a great collection of big men(Love, Kanter, Randolph, Darko and Beasley playing spot minutes at Pf...) Kaun is going to draft as if he has his Pg, Sf and Pf of the future, Darko and Randolph compliment the Trio of Beasley, Love and Kanter nicely with their athletism and versatility...maybe adding another highly regarded euro prospect makes Minnesota more appealing to Ricky Rubio...
Jan Vessely F Czech Republic...the Jazz have a way of making shocking moves that normally work out very nicely...so with the Russian machine gun likely signing with New Jersey in free agency the Jazz select the next great Lock down Sf/Pf with athletism and range to boot, they pass on Williams and Knight for a special European prospect that perfectly fits their system and long term plans with Favors/Jefferson and Millsap...Harris and Hayward will be a nice backcourt with Vessely, Jefferson and Favors playing in the frontcourt...Williams and Knight would be throw on a team that has a system and style in place and likely wouldn't live up their potential in Salt Lake...building around Favors and Jefferson(momentarily) adding a do it all Sf with great size and skill makes perfect sense...
The Cavs select Derrick Williams F Arizona...pairing The "census" 1 and 2 BPA going into the draft, team need(Minnesota) and team chemistry(Utah) give Cleveland a home run draft...Williams gets to play Sf, and play for the city he campaigned to be drafted by # 1 ...Ye should have a nice chip on his shoulders and have something to prove to Minnesota and Utah as well...hoping next year pans out as planes they'll add the Sg of the future...
With Calderon and Bayless on board at Pg(Jose's contract is super ugly and likely untradable and Bayless has loads of potential) the Raps pass on 3 great scoring point guards, pass on drafting a high risk Sf with the great crop coming out next year and select the best C available and finally slide Bargnani back to Pf...although they leave talent on the board and their fan base will riot they fill a need at C and stay in the Top 5 hunt for the 2012 bonanza...
Pg check, 2 young scorers double check, they have a hole at Sf but with next years crop and Washington likely to be at the bottom of the east again why not take a high risk high reward big that at the very least makes Blatche and Mcgee work harder in practice, adding a great rebounder and defender with offensive potential can't hurt, the emergence of Serge Ibaka has people looking at Bismack with an open mind...Kemba and Brandon again snubbed for a foreign prospect...
The Anti Wall/Rose slides a few spots and lands on a team with 2 other stud wildcats...he's the perfect off guard to combo with Evans, either can play the lead dog on the break, Brandon has a good catch and shoot game, Kings luck out in a deep International draft, The fact that most teams drafting before them didn't need point guard over other positions...another high pick next year(Terrence Jones, Mike Gilchrist or Anthony Davis???)
The Pistons keep the U Conn connection going with the selection of Kemba Walker, they likely lose Tayshuan through free agency and Sign and trade Stuckey for a few role players...starting over with Kemba at point guard, The Rip/ Big Ben combo, Charlie V and Greg Monroe at F plus whatever they net for Rodney Stuckey in the off-season(hopefully a C and one year starter at Sf...) Kemba brings a great competitive spirit to the floor and he and Ben can be flat out deadly at times , though they will give up some points too...they are on rebuild mode and can afford to grab Kemba and play for a top 5 pick in next years draft...
Chris Singleton F Florida State...with Joel likely to leave to a contender in free agency the Cats may not want to run Kwame or Diop at C for the start of another year, although that need is glaring they may not want to take a risk on any C with the 9th pick, they also lost a lot of heart, soul and namely defense and athletism after they traded away Wallace to the Blazes, so the add the best defender and pure athlete arguably in the draft and a bonus he's got potential on offense...
Yes they traded Dirk for the late Tractor Traylor, yes they drafted a 7 footer with similar size and skill with Yi when the Yi camp wanted no part of Wisconsin, yes they drafted a kid that needed more time in college in Joe Alexander and yes I have them taking a highly gifted offensive player from Lithuania to complete the International domination of the top 10...in all seriousness Donatas has some holes in game especially on D and rebounding but with guys like Bogut,Mbah Moute and Larry Sanders on board he just needs to hit that jumper and play in the low post area consistently...if can be a good compliment to Bogut down the line, your taking a marginal risk on at worst a role player pick anyway...
With Curry and Ellis scoring points in bunches and a glut of rebounding/defensive bigs adding a long versatile wing that plays both ends of the floor and can guard both Sg's and Sf's...he also has nice potential and played close by...this may be a teach for him, but he has a lot more offensive potential than Leonard and is far less selfish than Jordan Hamilton...he'll fit right in and could be a pleasant suprise...
Jimmer and the Jazz are a perfect fit, though people may hate his height and hand size,his ability to break down defenders and hit 3's will quiet all doubters...this is also a Very good PR and Team Chemistry pick, the Jazz add the most notable Collegiate athlete and prolific scorer...though he may not look like the guy who can take over a game and defeat championship caliber players and teams, hut neither did JJ Barea...Jimmer is a bigger and better Barea and will be a starter in the Utah System, if he loses some weight to add quickness and takes about few leasons from Jazz great John Stockton, he be just fine, having Jefferson, Favors, Millsap, Harris, Hayward and Vessely will not a young point guard, and he'll help them spread the floor with his trademark " Jimmer Range "...
With Hill and Carter likely to move on the Suns will be left with holes in their starting 5, Childress and Dudley are good back up wings and Leonard's defense and athletism could mirror Shawn Marion at times, at this point in Nash's career he could go for one last run or be traded to a contender in a complete shocker, having Brooks only complicates things as he could be signed and traded in the off season for the pieces Nash needs to make one last run(yes I still believe in the Nash)...If Brooks is kept as the long term Pg then you might as well surround him with defenders and rebounders, something Leonard does well...
Yes they have a hole at C with Yao's injury crisis, Brad Miller is likely to move on and Thabeet may or may not be able to play a lick of basketball, the second question is simply this " is Kevin Martin the answer at Sg, can Budinger step up and be a full time starter and will Terrence Williams ever live up to his potential"...since there are too many questions as the comic book villain the Riddler said you might as well roll the dice on a great scoring wing who happened to play in Texas...if Jordan is one of the prospects that goes boom GM Morey looks like a genius...
UYes they may have a high energy guy at Pf in Pyscho T but they could still use a full time starter, Tristan may not be ready yet but in time he could be a high value pick...he's an aggressive shot blocked, he can run the floor and finish, if he adds some strength and q consistent mid range jumper he'll be a very good player for years...at this point you add great potential and athletism...Hibbert could use two very active Forwards around him...Tristan and Tyler would be just that...
The Sixers need toughness and size on the inside with this pick choose a hometown kid that played very aggressive behind his more offensively gifted twin at Kansas, the defense and interior grit Markieff provides plus the inch in height makes him the choice over his twin brother, Markieff also provides more energy than the ever fading Speights, hopefully Markeiff Morris could develop into Brand's successor at Pf, something the Sixers need as bad as a true C and Turner to become our scoring Sg, two things we Sixers fans will wait for until we find it...
I don't think the Rockets would go for another swingman. They already have multiple guys that can play the G/F position with Budinger, Lee, Martin, and Williams. I think they would go big, even if it's for an international guy or a reach. The Rockets will eventually trade up or trade down in this draft, I can bet on it.
The more offense of the two twins goes to a place where offense is King...in the big Apple Marcus will be behind both Melo and Amare but he can fill in for both at times...he'd be the ideal 6th man and with some development could even be an heir to Amare once injuries and time catch up, he'd be put in a role similar to Boris Diaw minus the passing and defense plus on 3 point shooting and offensive aggression...the Twins will play on Division Rivals for the next 5 years and only time tell who is truly better...the defensive Markeiff or the offensive Marcus, either way Mama Morris will be proud come draft night...
They are not as set at Sf as many people think, Chase could be a great 6th man but I'm not sure about him as a full time starter, Williams seems like he's not determined to play up to his ability, Martin is a Sharp shooter with a hefty contract plus I can see him traded, Lee is another guy that has a lot of value in the trade market for contenders like Chicago and Dallas(Asik, Haywood or picks)...I'm sure they want a big man but they may have to wait a while on Thabeet or Center X...
The Bobcats do have DJ Augustin at Pg and Gerald Wallace at Sg in place long term buy they could use a combo guard to spell them both, at 19 this is a safe pick, and the Charlotte brass get a glue guy...Nolan can D up and hit the open 3...rounding out their 1st round with Singleton and Smith and going defense and athletism at Sf/Pf and Pg/Sg
Timberwolves selected Kanter to play C full-time and now draft Burks to play both guard spots, he's may sleeper pick and Kaun will finally get one draft right if he gets Kanter 2nd and Best wing player at 20 in this case Burks who falls a bit do to teams needs and situational circumstances...Alec can be a very good guard and paired with Beasley and Johnson OJ the wings will provide great length and athletism...if Rubio ever comes over he'll now have a solid team around him...Burks may not blow people but he will be nice addition to any roster...
With the first pick the Of the 2011 draft the Cleveland Cavs draft Kyrie Irving...Classic no brainer, they get the best point guard in point guard's league, thinking ahead the Cavs own the 4th pick this year and a high pick in deep class in 2012, they can always get a scoring F down the line...