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With less than 10 days remaining before the draft, here’s our latest look at the first round with explainations of each pick.

1.

Blake Griffin

Some have compared this year’s draft to the 2000 draft with Griffin being similar to K-Mart at the top. This draft is a little better and so is Griffin. Martin has had a great work ethic throughout his career, but always loved to party. Griffin appears to be more focused off the court, although he’s more raw offensively than Martin entering the league.
2.
Hasheem Thabeet The Grizzlies have made some solid picks in recent years (Gay and Mayo), however the odds appear stacked against them this time around with a lot of uncertainty available at the #2 pick. Harden actually provides the most stability, but it would take some guts to draft him (due to lack of perceived upside with him). Chris Wallace isn’t known for making gutsy decisions.
3.
James HardenPresti appears to have his mind set on Harden at 3. Harden’s workout numbers and measurements were especially impressive. When combined with his play, leading an undermanned Sun Devil team all year, those numbers are even more impressive. He fell apart in the tournament, but Harden has proven to be a winner in AAU (beating a Michael Beasley led team in the battle of camps game).
4.
Ricky Rubio Rubio is suing his Spanish team to try to lower his buyout. There has to be some fear surrounding his ability to play in the NBA next year. Rubio has as much intrigue as anyone but comes with a lot of risks. The Kings are in a position where they can afford to gamble on him.
5.
Jordan Hill While Jordan Hill makes sense for Washington, he may ultimately be taken here except by another team. Washington has a number of players with overblown contracts and they are said to not like the players available here at 5. If they keep the pick, Hill makes sense for them.
6.
Stephen Curry Tyreke Evans actually works better with their current team than Curry. But like Washington, the T-Wolves may look to move out of this pick. A number of teams are enamored with Curry and there’s speculation he won’t last until the Knicks pick at 8. If a team is willing to part with an established veteran, this pick can likely be had.
7.

Jonny Flynn Golden State will likely go with a point guard. Flynn, Jennings and Teague are all possibilities. Flynn had the strongest finish to the season and is seen as the most ready to contribute. However, he lacks the upside of Teague and Jennings. But Nellie may not be willing to wait around for upside. Golden State would be smart to buy a 2nd rounder to grab local player (St. Mary’s) Patty Mills.
8.
Brandon JenningsThe Knicks could look to make a deal to move up and flop picks with Sacramento. The Kings like Rubio but if New York sweetened the pot with someone such as David Lee, it would be tough to turn down. Then again some feel that Lee is more valuable than Rubio or Jennings.
9.
Gerald Henderson Toronto has Derozan coming in for a workout on Tuesday. Apparently he is attending the workout but not thrilled with the idea of playing across the border. The Raptors may be forced to look for someone who is, and Henderson might be the guy for them.
10.
Jeff Teague The Bucks are enamored with Teague and feel that he can be their point guard for the future injecting some talent into a cap-shackled team. Teague is an upside pick and for a team sputtering at the end of the lottery each year, just what they need.
11.
DeMar DeRozan The Nets appear to be in great position to grab a player that falls, similar to last year when nobody wanted Brook Lopez and he fell into their laps at 10. DeRozan could go as high as 5, but concerns exist about his readiness and maturity. He has a chance to be one of the top 3 players from this draft.
12.

Tyreke Evans Like Derozan, Evans could go a lot higher as teams are enamored with his upside as well. His ability to get into the paint with a quick first step and his combination of length and body strength make him intriguing. If Evans falls into the late lotto area, he’ll have a much better chance of living up to the hype.
13.
DeJuan Blair For teams searching for toughness, Blair offers a very intriguing option. Bird went for immediate results with his two picks last year (Rush and Hibbert). Though just a sophomore, Blair is one of the more solid, ready to contribute players out there.
14.
James Johnson With a Shaq trade potentially looming this summer, the Suns may be ready to start over and go with a long term replacement in Mullins. Robin Lopez hasn’t yet shown that he can be the ultimate replacement. Johnson would give them a more NBA ready option and with Kerr’s seat warming up, a long term type of pick might not be in the cards.
15.

BJ Mullens Trading away Billups was essentially giving up trying to win for a few years, but the team is in tremendous cap shape now and can start to reload for the future. Joe Dumars can afford to look for a long term player here. Rumors swirled around Daye and this pick, however Dumars is too smart for that. Mullens is the type of guy whose career may be affected by the team that he lands with. Detroit would be a great situation for him.
16.
Earl Clark The Bulls are in a position where they can grab upside with one pick and a more NBA ready guy with the other. One of this draft’s enigmas, Clark struggled to fulfill his potential in his junior year but maintains a lot of intrigue. At 16, in a weak draft, the damage isn’t quite so devastating if he completely flames out.
17.
Chase Budinger Budinger makes sense at Philly since he’s one of the better shooters in this year’s class and the Sixers were one of the worst shooting teams in the league last year. They also may opt for a point guard such as Eric Maynor, with Andre Miller aging.
18.
Jrue Holiday Holiday has somehow managed to eclipse his prep hype with his draft hype. Scouts remain high on him and mention Westbrook and Mbah a Moute as why he’ll be good in the league, explaining that they also were covered up in the UCLA system. They also mention the fact that he proved he can play the point guard position in workouts, which is curious as well.
19.
Wayne Ellington The Hawks can use some long distance firepower to help out Joe Johnson. Ellington’s inability to create for himself has some scouts concerned, but his ability to spot up and hit shots will make him an effective scorer in the NBA.
20.
Tyler Hansbrough With Boozer likely on the way out, Hansbrough would provide an excellent replacement to their new inside stud Paul Millsap. Hansbrough helped his cause measuring and testing nearly identical with Blake Griffin.
21.

Eric Maynor With New Orleans, it’s possible they will sell this pick for cash as they did last year. It seems every time a team sells a pick it ends up being a very good player (Rudy Fernandez and Rajon Rondo being two examples).
22.
Terrence Williams The Mavs are still holding onto championship dreams with Dirk as their #1. Whether or not he has enough left to get them there is another story. Terrence Williams should provide some instant contributions and will work well given the right responsibilities. A PG to eventually replace Kidd is also a possibility.
23.
Omri Casspi Casspi has done well in workouts and should find a spot in the early 20s. Sacramento makes sense as they’re essentially building from scratch without much talent on the roster. Casspi would add toughness and hustle, something every team covets.
24.
Derrick Brown The Blazers have a number of quality players at each position. With an emerging Nicolas Batum as well as Travis Outlaw, this team doesn’t need a small forward. But their philosophy is to draft for talent instead of need and let the chips fall where they may. They should be able to address their PG need in the 2nd round with a heavy PG class and four picks.
25.

Ty Lawson Lawson could go a little higher based on the Heels national championship, but teams are wary of his size and ability to get shots off. He could make for a nice back up to Russell Westbrook and play alongside him, at times, pushing Westbrook over to the 2 spot.
26.
Sam YoungThe Bulls could go in a number of directions here but teams were impressed with Young’s willingness to fight through his arm injury and continue to work out. After taking Clark at 16, a more NBA ready guy like Young would make sense. Young is a warrior and though he lacks upside or an aesthetically pleasing game, he’s effective and should be a solid role player right away.
27.
DaJuan SummersSummers could provide a nice back up to Rudy Gay. He has good strength and solid athleticism. Memphis could also look for someone to challenge Conley here assuming they take Thabeet or someone other than Rubio with the 2nd pick.
28.
Austin DayeDaye has not impressed in workouts and could easily fall into the second round. He does have a top agent (Bill Duffy) which will help him find a spot in the first round. But without much strength, his ability to contribute anything for a few years is highly questionable. With three first rounders, Minnesota could also look at someone like Victor Claver to stash away in Europe for a few seasons.
29.
Marcus Thornton Coming off of their championship, the Lakers will look to repeat and improve by adding someone with immediate returns. Thornton may lack the upside of some other prospects but he’s a great outside shooter and with four years of college under his belt and the experience to help out instantly. He has also looked good in the purple and gold at LSU.
30.
Taj Gibson The Cavs would love to see a player like Gibson available at their spot. Frontcourt depth is a real area of concern and while they can make a run at players like Carlos Boozer this offseason, another young energy guy like Gibson would be a solid addition.
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23 Comments

23 Comments

  1. Aran
    Hates TWill and Jrue Holiday… lol

    I can’t see either falling to the Wolves at 18, and if either does, I WILL BE ECSTATIC….unless of course we pass on both for someone like Hansbrough.

    they’re reporting over on Draft Express that GS isn’t going PG because they promised Monta as such. They mentioned Hill or James Johnson at 7

  2. BJ Mullens To Detroit
    I am one of those guys who thinks BJ Mullens will be next in a long line of gifted athletes who were big on potential, but never made it in the NBA.

    Nonetheless, putting aside my personal opinion on Mullens, I would think the last team who would want to draft this long term project is Detroit. I’m sure Joe Dumars has vivid memories of the Darko Milicic selection and doesn’t want to make the same mistake twice.

  4. Where Is Victor Claver?
    Yesterday this website posted a headline stating Victor Claver was staying in the draft. I never saw him play but I understand he is one of the top European players. He is apparently 6 ft. 10, a great leaper, and a guy with a decent 3 point shot. Everything I read about him indicates he could actually be a top flight player or possibly even a star in the NBA.

    Anyway, much to my surprise I don’t see his name listed in the 1st or 2nd round NBADraft.net mock.

  5. Aaran hates Austin Daye
    The other two big draft sites espn and that we don’t speak of has him moving up the boards as high as to the pacers #13. What is it about his guy you hate so much?

  6. Terrible Bulls picks!!!
    Why would they take 2 small forwards in the draft despite the fact that they have 2 on their team(salmons and deng) who are their 2nd and 3rd options once Gordon leaves. Did you think that through at all man?????? Terrible terrible terrible. please explain this to me!

    • TERRIFIC BULLS PICK!!!
      I am deeply enamoured with Earl Clark going to the Bulls and I hope it happens. A 6’10 combo forward who could pick and pop with D-Rose, is quick enough to get up and down the floor on the break, a potential shot blocking presence… what’s not to like? He’s everything Paxson wished he had when he took Ty Thomas who at 6’8 would rather take jumpers which he’s not good at, then use his freakish athleticism. I’ve lost all hope in Luol Deng as well and hope they trade him (hopefully with a signed BG7 for Bosh), which would then make perfect sense as Clark can play both spots. Also, Sam Young would give them a potential lock-down guy on the wing to come off the bench. I see them selling that though. I also wouldn’t mind Marcus Thornton if available (26) to pick up some off bench scoring for Gordon.

  7. Mock of a Mock Draft
    i’m sorry but there was NO thought put into this mock draft…

    1. Det. is not thinking about drafting mullens

    2. No way the raptors take Henderson if t. evans/d. derozens and e. clark are still on the board.

    3. Phil. is not going to take a spot up shooter when they just traded for a jump shooter… they have to best player or point guard… and c. budinger is not that!

    and i could go on but i will stop

  9. Terrible
    This draft was terrible. It was like they just put people in without thinking about the team or even if they were the best. I can not even explain their thought process.

  12. Hey TheFeldie, Race Has Nothing To Do With It
    I didn’t make those comments about Joe Dumars because Mullens is white. It’s only relevant in this draft because Mullens is at best a LONG TERM PROJECT, just like Milicic was. Dumars is a very smart GM and he doesn’t want to go through never ending criticism while he waits 2-3 years for BJ Mullens to develop. As a little footnote, I think Mullens will be a failure, even 2-3 years from now.

    By the way, I’m one of those guys who hasn’t given up on Milicic. I still believe that if he gets in the right situation, and with all of that talent, he could develop into an excellent NBA center.

  14. Knicks
    Sorry but restricted free agents such as David Lee and Nate Robinson cannot be traded until July 9, 2009. So if the Knicks do trade up it will be using Mobley expiring contract or something like that.

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