Insider Help (Chad Ford mock 5.0)

I would, if you were a more active on this site.  4 posts?

I would like to see Ford’s latest mock shaft, I mean draft…

If you create your own mock draft on ESPN.com it will show you Chad’s and Sportsnation’s 1st round picks after you submit it.

With the June 13 date to withdraw from the NBA draft and the adidas Eurocamp behind us, we are now just a week from when the selections will be made.

The draft remains fluid at this point. Teams are still engaged in the workout process and are beginning to narrow down their lists, but the final draft order is still far from certain.

“Good luck with your mock draft,” one GM said to me as he was departing Treviso, Italy. “I’ll be interested in seeing who we are taking since I still don’t know.”

Here’s our most informed take, after talking to numerous NBA team sources, about how the draft might play out June 23.

PICK TEAM PLAYER VITALS

Cleveland
(via L.A. Clippers)

Kyrie Irving

Position: PG
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 191 pounds
Age: 19
School: Duke
Analysis: There have been a lot of interesting theories floating around the past week about why Cleveland won’t be taking Irving No. 1. I still don’t buy it. The Cavs have been shopping Baron Davis and Ramon Sessions hard in the past week.

Williams is still in the picture here at No. 1 in part because the Cavs feel they could get a very good point guard (either Brandon Knight or Kemba Walker) at No. 4 … but sources continue to stress that it’s Irving’s to lose.

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Minnesota

Derrick Williams

Position: PF
Height: 6-9
Weight: 249
Age: 20
School: Arizona
Analysis: Still hearing that the Wolves are hoping they can get a great offer for the No. 2 pick. But if they don’t they’ll just take Williams and work out the rest this summer via trades. If they get Williams, Michael Beasley could be gone by the time next season starts.

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Utah
(via New Jersey)

Brandon Knight

Position: PG
Height: 6-3
Weight: 177
Age: 19
School: Kentucky
Analysis: Brandon Knight and Kemba Walker are both possibilities at guard. Enes Kanter, Jonas Valanciunas and Jan Vesely will also get a look here. The Jazz have a huge workout on June 15 when Walker and Jimmer Fredette are expected to work out for them.

Knight will come in at some point too, though he still seems to be refusing to work out with Walker or Fredette. While it’s still possible the Jazz go big with this pick and select either a player like Kanter, Valanciunas or Vesely — they’re likely to try to select a franchise point guard if either Knight or Walker blows them away. If Fredette wins the battle on the 15th … that could push the Jazz to go big here and try to nab Fredette with the 12th pick.

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Cleveland

Jonas Valanciunas

Position: C
Height: 6-10
Weight: 230
Age: 19
Country: Lithuania
Analysis: I’ve had Kanter in this position since Mock Draft 1.0, but it’s time to make the biggest change I’ve made to our board. From what I gather, the Cavs appear to be cooling a bit on Kanter and warming to Valanciunas.

Vesely and Leonard are in the picture too and would both be good fits. But this may be the Cavs’ only chance to draft a legit 7-foot center. Valanciunas is raw, but he has big upside.

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Toronto

Jan Vesely

Position: PF
Height: 6-11
Weight: 240
Age: 21
Country: Czech Republic
Analysis: Bryan Colangelo could go a number of directions here. He has strong interest in both Brandon Knight and Kemba Walker. If Knight is on the board, I think he doesn’t get past here. If just Walker is here, the question for Colangelo is what to do with Leandro Barbosa and Jerryd Bayless. Both players are similar to Walker.

The Raptors could go with an international player such as Kanter, Valanciunas, Vesely or Bismack Biyombo. Of the four, sources say, Vesely is the highest on their board.

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Washington

Enes Kanter

Position: C
Height: 6-11
Weight: 260
Age: 19
Country: Turkey
Analysis: The Wizards know they aren’t taking a point guard — not with John Wall in the fold. So the questions are: Who’s the best player on the board and what do they need? The Wizards are very high on Vesely, but in this mock he’s off the board.

Kawhi Leonard is an option. He brings toughness, defense and versatility to a team that can use all three attributes. But the Wizards are really looking for rebounding help up front and Kanter is a very good fit here. He’s tough, he isn’t afraid to be physical and he has good size. Tristan Thompson is a dark horse here as well.

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Sacramento

Kawhi Leonard

Position: SF
Height: 6-7
Weight: 228
Age: 19
School: San Diego State
Analysis: If the draft plays out this way, the Kings could go in three different directions. They could go with Leonard, who would help solve a major need at small forward or they could choose between Walker and Fredette at the point. We’ve had Walker in this position for weeks, but mostly because we’ve had Leonard off the board.

Fredette, as we’ve been writing for the past two weeks, is the dark horse here. The Maloof brothers love him and he’s probably a better fit in the Kings’ backcourt than Walker. If Leonard is off the board, Fredette could be the pick.

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Detroit

Kemba Walker

Position: PG
Height: 6-1
Weight: 184
Age: 21
School: UConn
Analysis: For the past few weeks, we’ve had the Pistons taking Valanciunas, but with Valanciunas now going No. 4, it looks like the Pistons will be down to three prospects: Kemba Walker, Tristan Thompson and Bismack Biyombo.

Walker is the safe pick, though he doesn’t actually fill a major need. Thompson has upside. And, from what I gather, the team is still very high on Biyombo. The Pistons know how to develop a defensive stopper like him and I’m told their trip to Spain to see him went well.

Still, at the end of the day, I think the Pistons draft the best player available, Walker, and look at moving Rodney Stuckey to the 2.

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Charlotte

Marcus Morris

Position: PF
Height: 6-9
Weight: 230
Age: 21
School: Kansas
Analysis: The Bobcats haven’t been the greatest drafters the past few years. Michael Jordan is determined to change that. The thinking in Charlotte is to not take big risks. To go with a proven product. To aim at the double instead of the home run.

Morris, with his versatility, toughness and Kansas pedigree is a very good option. Klay Thompson, Chris Singleton and Jordan Hamilton are all in the mix as well.

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Milwaukee

Klay Thompson

Position: PG
Height: 6-7
Weight: 206
Age: 21
School: Washington St.
Analysis: I think this pick likely comes down to Thompson and Alec Burks. They play the same position, but have different strengths. Thompson is a shooter, Burks is a slasher.

With the Bucks telling me pretty strongly that they’re holding on to Brandon Jennings as their point guard, and with the team making a strong drive to get back in the playoffs, I think Thompson is a better fit.

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Golden State

Bismack Biyombo

Position: PF
Height: 6-9
Weight: 243
Age: 18
Country: Congo
Analysis: Jerry West is a fan of Klay Thompson and would likely select him if he’s still on the board. But if he and Marcus Morris are off the board, the Warriors could be the team that takes a chance on Biyombo. The team desperately needs to improve its defense, shot-blocking and rebounding. Biyombo has the tools to do that right away.

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Utah

Chris Singleton

Position: SF
Height: 6-9
Weight: 230
Age: 21
School: Florida State
Analysis: We’ve had Singleton here for weeks and we’re not moving him unless the Jazz draft a forward with the No. 3 pick. With Andrei Kirilenko heading into free agency, the Jazz are going to want a defensive stopper who can guard multiple positions.

Tristan Thompson, Jimmer Fredette and Alec Burks are all possibilities here too.

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Phoenix

Alec Burks

Position: SG
Height: 6-6
Weight: 193
Age: 19
School: Colorado
Analysis: The Suns are in that awkward spot between pushing for the playoffs and rebuilding. Lon Babby says the team will be emphasizing defense and Tristan Thompson could be a solid direction to go.

But if Burks is on the board, he may be very hard to pass up on. He has star potential if he ever learns how to shoot. With Vince Carter likely out of the picture in Phoenix, Burks also fits a need.

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Houston

Nikola Vucevic

Position: C
Height: 7-0
Weight: 260
Age: 20
School: USC
Analysis: Could Vucevic really go this high? That’s the word among a number of NBA GMs who are raving about his workouts. Some have argued that the differences between him and Enes Kanter are very slim.

With the Rockets in desperate need of some size in the paint, Vucevic could be the answer. He’s not the world’s greatest athlete, but he is skilled, has an NBA body and is ready to play now.

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Indiana

Jimmer Fredette

Position: PG
Height: 6-3
Weight: 196
Age: 22
School: Brigham Young
Analysis: The Pacers could go a number of different ways here, but for the third straight week I think Fredette will be their man. There’s a good chance that Jimmer is off the board when they draft, but if he’s here, he’ll be very hard to pass up.

Tristan Thompson and Markieff Morris are all also serious options here as well if both are still on the board.

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Philadelphia

Tristan Thompson

Position: PF
Height: 6-9
Weight: 228
Age: 20
School: Texas
Analysis: Thompson could go as high as No. 5 or No. 6. But he also could slide. Just about every team I spoke to likes him a lot, but I’ve yet to find the team that’s fallen in love. I doubt he slips further than this though. The Sixers need more size, toughness and rebounding. Thompson provides all three. Jordan Hamilton and Markieff Morris are also options here.

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New York

Marshon Brooks

Position: SG
Height: 6-5
Weight: 195
Age: 22
School: Providence
Analysis: The Knicks are really hoping that either Klay Thompson or Jimmer Fredette fall to them. But if they don’t, watch out for Brooks. He had a great workout in New York, has the sort of swagger that Knicks guards need and the Knicks were wowed by his ability to pass the ball too.

Brooks, at 22, doesn’t have the upside of a guy like Josh Selby, but his size advantage is big and so is his ability to step in and play right away.

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Washington
(via Atlanta)

Jordan Hamilton

Position: SF
Height: 6-9
Weight: 229
Age: 20
School: Texas
Analysis: Hamilton is often compared to Wizards small forward Rashard Lewis. Both are big men with sweet strokes that can catch fire. But with Lewis on the back end of his career and the Wizards actively shopping him, I don’t think the team will shy away from adding another scorer to put around John Wall.

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Charlotte
(via New Orleans)

Markieff Morris

Position: PF/C
Height: 6-9
Weight: 241
Age: 21
School: Kansas
Analysis: The Bobcats have needs just about everywhere and Morris should be a good fit. He’s strong, he’s defensive minded, he rebounds and he blocks shots. He’s a bit undersized to play the 5, but his ability to stretch the floor will be welcomed.

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Minnesota
(via Memphis)

Donatas Motiejunas

Position: PF
Height: 7-0
Weight: 220
Age: 19
Country: Lithuania
Analysis: The Wolves have the best group of international scouts in the NBA and if Motiejunas falls this far, I think they’d snap him up here. He’s an aggressive scorer and has size — two things the Wolves could use in the post.

Marshon Brooks, Kenneth Faried, Nikola Mirotic and Charles Jenkins are also possibilities.

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Portland

Kenneth Faried

Position: PF
Height: 6-8
Weight: 225
Age: 21
School: Morehead State
Analysis: The Blazers fell in love with Faried last year before he withdrew from the draft. If they are fortunate enough to get a second chance at him this year, they’ll grab him. His relentlessness on the boards is a nice complement to LaMarcus Aldridge’s more offensive-minded style.

Markieff Morris, Tobias Harris, Darius Morris, Reggie Jackson are other players to watch.

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Denver

Tobias Harris

Position: PF
Height: 6-8
Weight: 223
Age: 18
School: Tennessee
Analysis: Harris may be one of the more underrated players in the draft. He can play both the 3 and 4, and he has a very high basketball IQ and an NBA body. Harris doesn’t do any one thing at an elite level, but he is one of the most well-rounded players in the draft.

Charles Jenkins, Iman Shumpert and Tyler Honeycutt are other possibilities here.

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Houston
(via Orlando)

Darius Morris

Position: PG
Height: 6-5
Weight: 190
Age: 20
School: Michigan
Analysis: We have the Rockets going big with pick No. 14 and we have them going big again at No. 23. Morris is a different kind of big. He’s a point guard who towers over the competition. If he were a better shooter he’d be going much, much higher in the draft. But at this point he’s a steal.

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Oklahoma City

Nikola Mirotic

Position: SF
Height: 6-10
Weight: 226
Age: 21
Country: Serbia
Analysis: Sam Presti is an opportunist, and he is patient — two critical traits in a great GM. Mirotic, based on talent, is a lottery pick. But a massive buyout means he won’t be playing in the NBA anytime soon. Mirotic shocked NBA teams by deciding to stay in the draft.

It will likely take him three years to actually make it to the NBA, but given the talent level, the Thunder could be getting a major steal down the road. If Mirotic is off the board, Davis Bertans and Bogan Bogdanovic are possibilities.

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Boston

Jeremy Tyler

Position: C
Height: 6-11
Weight: 263
Age: 19
Team: Tokyo Apache
Analysis: The Celtics are going to start rebuilding soon and they need to hit a home run again the same way they did with Rajon Rondo. Tyler could be that guy. If he had played in college, he might have had a chance to be a top-10 pick with his talent.

He’s long, athletic and raw, but if he succeeds, he could be a major pickup for the Celtics. JaJuan Johnson, Justin Harper and Jon Leuer are also possibilities.

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Dallas

Josh Selby

Position: PG
Height: 6-3
Weight: 195
Age: 20
School: Kansas
Analysis: The Mavs have won the title, but now it’s time to begin thinking about the future. While the Mavs may have one more long run in those veteran legs, it’s unlikely. Selby, like Tyler, could be a home run if he’s developed right. His ability to get to the basket is really unmatched.

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New Jersey
(via L.A. Lakers)

Reggie Jackson

Position: PG
Height: 6-3
Weight: 208
Age: 21
School: Boston College
Analysis: Yes, the Nets have Deron Williams. But he’s not a sure thing to stay in New Jersey after next season. Even if he does, Jackson would be a terrific backup and a player who could play off the ball in certain situations.

Had he not had a knee injury when the predraft process began, he could’ve gone much higher. He’s great value here. Justin Harper, Tyler Honeycutt, JaJuan Johnson and Jeremy Tyler are all options here too.

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Chicago
(via Miami)

Justin Harper

Position: PF
Height: 6-9
Weight: 228
Age: 21
School: Richmond
Analysis: Harper was one of the best stretch 4s in college basketball last season. He also has size and is a pretty good athlete. The Bulls need perimeter shooting and Harper should be able to give them some.

Charles Jenkins, Tyler Honeycutt and Jeremy Tyler are also possibilities.

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San Antonio

Davis Bertans

Position: SF
Height: 6-10
Weight: 210
Age: 18
Country: Latvia
Analysis: The Spurs have done a good job over the years of finding young international players and stashing them overseas for a few years until they’re ready.

Bertans showed he can be a big-time shooter at the Nike Hoop Summit and adidas Eurocamp. At 18, he’s worth taking a flier on and seeing what he can accomplish after another year or two in Europe.

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Chicago

Tyler Honeycutt

Position: G/F
Height: 6-8
Weight: 188
Age: 20
School: UCLA
Analysis: The Bulls need scorers in their backcourt and ultimately need to find a backup for Derrick Rose at point guard. Honeycutt wasn’t a dominating scorer in college, but his versatility should make him a nice fit in Chicago.

Next Five In: JaJuan Johnson, F, Purdue; Charles Jenkins, G, Hofstra; Nolan Smith, G, Duke; Jordan Williams, F/C, Maryland; Chandler Parsons, F, Florida

Kanter at 6? I don’t think so…

I say wow! Even though I’m quite a fan and think the Rockets should not go past him at 23, I think having him at 14 is kinda too high. The Rockets should rather be looking at Chris Singleton or Tobias Harris at 14…

"the Warriors could be the team that takes a chance on Biyombo. The team desperately needs to improve its defense, shot-blocking and rebounding. Biyombo has the tools to do that right away."

Is that a cut and paste from the argument for the Warriors drafting Ekpe Biyombo last summer? What is the difference between the 6’9" 240 lbs. shot blocker from Baylor and the 6’9" 243 lbs. shot blocker from Spain?

"Nikola Vucevic at 14 I say wow! Even though I’m quite a fan and think the Rockets should not go past him at 23, I think having him at 14 is kinda too high. The Rockets should rather be looking at Chris Singleton or Tobias Harris at 14…"

Brook Lopez went 10th. Look at Vucevic at USC and Lopez at Stanford, then tell me what is the difference other than pace of play and the schools’ listings of their heights and weight.
 

Udoh is already on board, and they drafted him very high at that, why draft Bismack 11th, I don’t get that either…And I’m very intrigued by your Vucevic/Lopez comment, are you saying Vucevic has the ability to step in and play a huge role at C one day, if so he should go higher than anyone here has him going, he should be a top 10 lock in that case, maybe he is a hugh sleeper and we’re all being distracted by the Other international bigs…

 I could honestly see Vucevic going as high as the warriors. And selby’s unmatched ability to get to the rim is easily matched. By RODDY BEAUBOIS! Not to mention selby doesn’t attack nearly as much as he should and isn’t quite the finisher as he he getting there.

I think the fact that Vucevic was underlisted by USC impacted how he was perceived. For his first two years, USC listed him at 6′ 10" 220 lbs. This year it was 6′ 10" 250 lbs. When they actually measured him at the combine, he was 7′ 0" 260 lbs. What kind of program short changes a seven-footer his actual size? If Vucevic was 6′ 10" 220 lbs. I could understand the concern about his athleticism. I can’t be upset when a 7′ 0" 260 lbs. man has the athleticism of a 7′ 0" 260 lbs man. If he wasn’t 7′ 0" and possessing a 7′ 4 1/2" wingspan, I might care about him not being a leaper. None of that is the case, and his college production and measurements stack up comparably to Lopez. Will he get the same featured treatment in the offense on the team that drafts him? I don’t know. I think he could probably get into a starting role for the Bobcats rather quickly and have a big impact there and the Warriors might want a more traditional style now that they are abandoning Nellie-ball and that could open the door to Vucevic possibly finding a nice role early on, but probably not. Thais said, even if he goes to a competitive team he is capable of getting on the floor and helping.

Any team looking for size and skill would be best served making this guy over certain unknowns ….

Disclaimer time; I am an SDSU alum, but prior to this year hadn’t watched an Aztec basketball game since I graduated in 1978. I spent the next 25 years as a naval officer and so didn’t watch much sports at all, spending a lot of that time at sea. However, I’ve spent the last ten years living in Phoenix becoming reacquainted with NBA basketball, a game I avidly watched since Bill Russell’s final season, via the Suns; all of which is a long way around the barn to come to this point. I have read and heard many “experts” debate the virtues, or lack of them, of Kawhi Leonard, and more than a couple of people, some knowledgeable, some not so much, saying they have a hard time coming up with a current NBA player whose skill set is or was similar to Leonard’s at any point. Some think he’s too short at 6’7” to be a power forward, not a skilled enough shooter to be a small forward, or a shooting guard, and not skilled enough as a ball handler to play the point. So where does he fit? Who is he most like? Well, in my ten years of Sun watching, I spent eight of them watching a guy who just won his first NBA championship ring the other night, finally playing the position he should ideally have been playing his entire career: Shawn Marion.

It’s just my opinion, and everyone has at least one, that the parallels between Marion as a potential draftee from UNLV and Leonard are all too obvious. They are virtually the same size, and while try as I might, I couldn’t find any numbers on Shawn’s wingspan, I have to believe that at nearly 7’1” Leonard has to be somewhere in the ballpark. No numbers on Marion’s hand size either but I’m going out on a limb here by saying that Leonard wins that one, pardon the pun, “hands down”. I’ve never seen mitts like his on a man his size, although I saw legendary Cincinnati Reds catcher Johnny Bench’s paws up close and personal once and they were pretty scary for a six footer. Regardless, Marion and Leonard are both “long” for guys “only” 6’7”, have that same pogo stick leaping ability to recover from the first ball fake and still get the block; routinely out-rebound much larger players on both ends; both run the floor like gazelles; and both, at this same stage, had suspect outside shooting games. Marion’s has improved over the years, although it is still streaky at times; but here’s another way in which he and Leonard are very similar; if one aspect of their games isn’t working, they just work harder at other things, especially on the defensive end, to help their teams out. Again, both can guard the 2, 3, or 4 positions with equal alacrity.

Now here are a couple of ways in which I think Leonard’s game is ahead of Marion’s AT THE SAME STAGE IN THEIR RESPECTIVE CAREERS (sorry to shout, but I don’t want someone coming back at me and saying there’s no way that Leonard is as good as a seasoned pro, blah, blah, blah, yadda, yadda). Leonard is a much better ball handler than Marion at this point. He often brought the ball up the court against pressure, something Marion couldn’t do at UNLV and you wouldn’t see him doing now either. Such are his passing and ball handling skills that Leonard often functioned in the Magic Johnson-esque “point forward” role for SDSU. Raw shooting ability aside, he creates his own shot; again, something Marion has long been accused of not doing well. Without a point guard the caliber of a Steve Nash or Jason Kidd to set him up, his offensive game suffers. Will he have the odd 40-point game like Marion? Who knows? He hasn’t in college, but that doesn’t mean anything one way or the other. Only time will tell.

OK, I’ve beat this one to death, but I believe the team that takes Leonard is getting a deal because while he’s working on improving his shooting game over the next couple of years, he will help his team immediately with defense, rebounding, and offensive presence around the hoop. I really believe that like Marion, this kid is going to be around, and very useful, for a long, long time.