NATEOAK10 MOCK 4 (with explanations)

Pretty good mock. A few things:

1) The Nets need a SF more than SG. I could see them trading down for Damion James or Wes Johnson (he can play SF) if they don’t get the 1st pick

2) I don’t think Donatas slips to the 9th pick. I see him picking up a lot of hype in the months leading up to the draft.

3) Hornets will not draft a PF, especially not one as frail as Davis.

I like your idea of using the lottery machine to pick your slots, it gives another dimension to you picks cuz they aren’t gonna be in the order everyone else is having them in. I agree with all your picks up until Bradley. I think he’s way to small to play the 2 guard effectively with Jennings and they would find the potential of Xavier Henry and his size too much to pass up. I think Bradley will drop slightly due to his size and the fact that so many teams solidified their PG needs during the past few drafts. I do think trading up from him becomes a possibility though. Nice Job.

* Only other thought could be a swap between the Piston’s and Jazz’s picks (not a trade just swap the 2 guys) if Donatas does indeed pick up steam.

I would take Henry over Bradley.

Pretty dece’, a couple of things different:

3. I’m honestly starting to believe the Wolves would take Whiteside over Johnson and take an athletic SF like Robinson, Harris, or Pondexter with one of their later 1st rounders, Kahn had an interview the other day with members of the national and local media and he was saying something about the fact that they needed an athletic C that could step out and guard face up, athletic 4s and 5s, supposedly Whiteside can, although I haven’t seen Whiteside play yet, and he plays cupcakes for the most part and has trouble with more prominent teams, that’s definitely a bad sign, but after Wall, Turner, and maybe Cousins if you consider him a 5, who else would have more potential that’s not a 4 or Wes Johnson, who I’m not sure has that much more potential than say a guy like James or Robinson? Here’s what David Kahn said about the draft:

Q: How good is this draft?

Kahn: I think it’s turning out to be a really good draft. It seems like every week there is someone new emerging. I also think it’s a pretty good draft for what we are looking for – big or a wing. I think that there are a lot of them.

Q: Will you draft for position or best player available?

Kahn: I think that when you’re drafting at that top spot you have to do best player available and then just try to figure it out. I would hate for us at this early of a stage in our development to feel locked in. I think maybe later in the draft, as we did last year with Wayne Ellington, then you can kind of go by position.

Q: On possible assets this team will have?

Kahn: Yes, no matter what, we will. I hope we are starting to accumulate talent that will hopefully be with us on a long-term basis, but if not it will provide other opportunities for us down the road. I don’t think you can hurt yourself if you take somebody who allows you some flexibility to make further moves down the road.

Q: Best player even if the guy is a power forward?

Kahn: Yes, but I think this year that won’t be the case.

Not considering Wes Johnson, and if Wall and Turner are gone, who does Kahn take Cousins or Whiteside?

1.Indiana:Wall

2.New Jersey: Favors, is Yi really their long term PF, I’ve read scouts saying he has one of the worst basketball IQs in the League, who else do they have at PF, will they try to sign Amare, could Cousins work with Lopez?

3.Minnesota: Turner, no brainer, they get their bail out guy for the Triangle, work the ball around till about 5 seconds on the shot clock, pinch post to Turner, and one.

4.Golden State: Johnson, could definitely see Cousins, although I do think he may be a bit slow for Nellie’s teams, Aminu, or even Motiejunas here

5.Sacramento: Cousins, right on, they need somebody tough in the middle

6.Pistons: Whiteside, not sure of how good he is, but getting a rim protecting C is key for any future front court plans, if what people say is correct regarding his skills, I think he could be a good compliment to Charlie V, Daye, Jerebko.

7.Wizards: Donatas, could see Aminu and Aldrich here too, I don’t see Flip passing this 7 foot PF up, I don’t think he sees McGee in his plans, obviously Haywood is gone too. Could definitely see Monroe here too.

8.Philly: Aldrich, not the pick with the most upside, but still somebody that could compliment Brand well and would allow Dalembert to be moved without having to regress at the C spot, Sammy D could be a nice little chip next season when his contract expires. I like Aminu here too for value, but wouldn’t he kind of fill the role Thad Young already fills? How much potential does Young have?

9.Jazz: Aminu, wouldn’t the Jazz just love to get rid of AK47’s contract? Not going to happen any time soon, but here’s a guy that can at least fill the role Ronnie Brewer will have left when he leaves in FA and hopefully be an athletic influece on the 4 spot once Boozer also leaves, could really see Greg Monroe here too, does Aminu have more potential than Monroe?

10.LA Clippers: Monroe, I think they do need a SF, but I see this as being the best player available and a need now that Camby will be gone after the season, besides Kaman, the extremely inconsistent DeAndre, and the hopefully healthy Blake Griffin, who else in their front court will they have under contract next season? None, I think they go with value here and go with a guy in Monroe, who could make Griffin’s life much easier in the post, Kaman’s too, makes for a pretty solid frontcourt rotation of Monroe, Griffin, and Kaman.

11.Milwaukee: Davis, Skiles breath easy, you got your guy, a defensive, hustle type of PF that you thought you drafted in Tyrus “T-Time” Thomas when you were with the Bulls. That’s a pretty menacing frontcourt defensively in Davis and Bogut, can either one dribble more than three times and not turn it over, that’s the question, could see Patterson here too, although I do think Davis will have a much bigger impact defensively.

12.Memphis: Robinson, I like Patterson here too, but I think they like what they have in a frontcourt rotation in Randolph, Gasol, Thabeet, and hopefully Arthur, once he’s healthy, would they not draft Patterson because they still wanted to see what Arthur has? I think Robinson is a better athlete than James, but James is a much more advanced defender at this point, I realize Robinson has really only this year started to show he has consistent range, but James never has, even though he’s been his team’s main scoring option for the last three years, I don’t see that being a very good sign, although I do think he has a much better ability to take the ball to the hoop with either hand. I think the fact that James is so intense and seems willling to lay it all on the line might make him better, but I think fans, as well as execs and scouts fall in love with breathtaking athleticism, and that’s what Robinson has, a possible replacement for Mr. Gay if the Grizz don’t wish to match.

13.Hornets: James, the Julian Wright project is over, at this point Peja is completely one dimensional, wasn’t he always? Posey is still dece’, but outside of Marcus Thoronton, who else at either swingmen positions shows any kind of potential? None, West and Okafor are more than capable of holding down both frontcourt spots, they need talent.

14.Houston: Alabi, I like Patterson here for value, but they have two hustle type of PFs in Landry and Scola, financially what would be best is to sign and trade Landry and hope to god Patterson becomes the second version of him, but how realistic would that be? They get a future rim protector, but how much will he play now?