where........Lets hope the Clips dont blow it this time....
#1 LA Clippers-Blake Griffin PF-Oklahoma- If the Clippers screw this one up then they are in fact the worst franchise in all of sports......If they do what everyone thinks they should (me included) and draft Griffin they will be adding a monster athlete into their front court to go along with an above average center in Chris Kaman and a blossoming scoring guard in Eric Gordon and freak athlete on the wing in Al Thorton.....now if only they could move Z-Bo out of town.
#2 Memphis- Ricky Rubio PG Spain- Now I know his agent has came out and said that he does not want to play in Memphis which really does not make too much sense to me since Marc Gasol his teammate from Spain is already on the team and Memphis has a very talented young team
with Mike Conley, Rudy Gay, Oj Mayo, Gasol, and even Darrell Arthur and Hakim Warrick have shown some flashes of being solid NBA players.....I picture a draft and trade move here ala Portland and Minnesota a few yrs back or Memphis and Minnesota last yr.
#3 Oklahoma City- Hasheem Thabeet C UConn- This is as much as a lock as the #1 pick he will fit perfectly which all of the sudden looks like a team that could be on the verge of competing for a playoff spot in the next couple yrs.....they have it all a dynamic young PG in Russel Westbrook, a killer scorer in Durant, solid defenders/role players in Jeff Green and Nick Collinson. All they need is a big inside to block shots and rebound and that is what Thabeet does best if he can contribute 8 pts, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks in his first yr he will meet expectations and be a perfect fit.
#4 Sacremento- Tyreke Evans G Memphis- This is where the draft is gonna get fun because its alot more wide open after the top 3.....and god can I just say that I feel bad for Sacremento they could have had a franchise changing big in Blake Griffin instead they lose the lottery and get the #4 pick....with that being said they will have a chance to pick up some very good players and as much as I like James Harden I think they go after Evans an explosive player who can play both the PG and SG much the same as Russel Westbrook from last yr now I dont think he is quite as athletic or as good a defender as Westbrook I do think that he is a better scorer and has a better handle.....and lets be honest he if he does anything he will be a ten fold improvement over Beno Udrih.
#5 Washington- Jordan Hill C Arizona- Now I am not sold on Hill to say the least.....let me just say that before saying that he does make some sense going to the Wizards he is a high motor big man that can make plays on defense and in transition....for his size he moves extremely well but something is missing oh yeah basketball IQ and any semblence of post moves or mid range shot....Stromile Swift anyone??? and I dont think he is near the athlete Swift was coming out of LSU.....I could be wrong and he could be the next David Lee or I could be right and he could be the next insert big man bust here...
#6 Minnesota- James Harden SG Arizona St- My favorite player in the draft not only because I love his game which is cold blooded and soooo smooth but my god have you seen that beard thats a thing of beauty....I am gonna go out on a limb and say it right now he will be the steal of the draft much the same way Brandon Roy was I see there games being very similar in that coming out of college you ask what is his strength ???? and is he athletic or big enough to go against the elite wing players in the league.....well Roy proved that knowing how to play the game trumps freak athleticism and yeh he will still bang on your head from time to time...here's me saying Harden will fit nicely with Randy Foy, K-Love, and hopefully healthy Al Jefferson and Corey Brewer.
#7 Golden State- Earl Clark F Louisville- To me this is easy a do it all player with great tools and athleticism....yep sounds about right for a Don Nelson led team.....hopefully Clark can put it all together cus he has the skills.
#8 New York- Stephen Curry G Davidson- Will be a nice fit along side the offense liability that is Chris Duhonand can hopefully can some of his minutes as well the Ice Water that runs threw his veins will not be tested by the pressure of playing in NY.
#9 Toronto- Chase Budinger G/F Arizona- I fought between him and Gerald Henderson but ulitmately I went with Chase because of his overall skill set.....and given the the fact that Toronto doesnt play D anyway his lack there of will not be that much of a problem.
#10 Milwaukie- Brandon Jennings PG Italy- It has been a wild ride for Jennings but I think he will find a good home with the Bucks who have solid veterans to help his transition to the league and really arent that far away from being in the playoff race in the East.....with Redd, Richard Jefferson, Charlie V, Bogut and Rammon Sessions this team could get into the mix. Don't look for him to start right away due to the way Sessions finished the season but if he can learn from him and Ridnour he could very good with his quickness think Aaron Brooks.
#11 New Jersey- Gerald Henderson SG Duke- Will add some defense to a team that again doesnt look too far away with Devin Harris and Brook Lopez as its two young pillars. then again he is from Duke so he could be a total bust.
#12 Charlotte- James Johnson SF Wake Forest- Ahhh the Bobcats a team that I always think is gonna make that next step they seem to have all the things needed to be a good team.....but something is just missing maybe its experience maybe its a go to scorer.....they addressed the expierence issue with Raja Bell and Boris Diaw so hopefully James Johnson's smooth game and multi scoring options can help them push into the playoffs because their roster is one of my favorites in the league....damn I wish either the Blazers or Celtics had Gerald Wallace.
#13 Indiana- Eric Maynor PG VCU- TJ Ford just cant catch a break and although I like his game his lack of jumper continues to plague him.....and I think the Pacers take a chance on Maynor as the PG of the future with Jarrett Jack as the steady back up. Maynor is a smart player who has all the skills to be a good PG in the league he is not the quickest but makes up for that with good size and high basketball IQ.
#14 Phoenix- Patrick Mills PG St. Marys- Is this the deepest PG class in forever or what it was tough for me to take Mills over Johnny Flynn but Mills has something about him that screams NBA he is not that big but neither is Steve Nash and hey they both played in the WCC so they have that in common hopefully Nash can teach him a thing or two......clearly it wont be defense though.
#15 Detriot- DeMar DeRozan SG USC- I am not giving up on Stuckey yet cus I have seen him go off at every level and think that he has a solid NBA career ahead of him I just dont think that he is the answer at SG or PG for Detriot and will be better suited coming off the bench as a change of pace guy.....and with DeRozan Detriot gets a dynmaic athlete to build around along with Prince who should be kept around to bridge the gap.
#16 Chicago- Bj Mullens C Ohio St.- Is it just me or did Chicago look very very scary down the stretch this season and into the playoffs getting Luol Deng back will help a ton.....as will adding a inside scoring option and Mullens despite being extremely underwellming in college has all the skills to do just that.
#17 Philly- Ty Lawson PG North Carolina- No I did not forget about Johnny Flynn I just think that Lawsons blinding speed will fit perfectly with the high tempo 76ers can you imagine him running with Iggy on one side and Thad Young on the other thats scary....but damn is this a deep PG class.
#18 Minnesota- Wayne Ellington SG North Carolina- I dont think Mike Miller will be around by the time the season is over a contending team will move on him and that will open a glaring need for shooting and thats what Ellington does best.
#19 Atlanta- Johnny Flynn PG Syracuse- Flynn finally comes off the board with Bibby being a free agent and I dont see him wanting to stay in Atlanta going young seems to be the right move to go along with Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, and Al Harford.
#20 Utah- Jeff Teague PG Wake Forest- Another PG.......Utah is a very close team that just needs a little athleticism and scoring punch to push them over the edge that and if they can stay healthy they can play with anyone in the NBA. Teague is a freak athlete that can handle the ball, attack the rim and shoot relatively well just needs to commit to defense and play to his ability all the time.
#21 New Orleans- Dejaun Blair PF Pitt- The Hornets seemed to be the sexy pick for the finals this yr but something didnt quite work out and now this yr there seem to be more questions then answers....well adding Blair will address one of those which is inside toughness and scoring....with David West standing out at 15 ft shooting jumpers and Tyson Chandler having only slighly more offensive skills then the team trainer. Blairs muscle and touch with either hand inside will a welcome addition.
#22 Dallas- Jrue Holiday PG UCLA- No where near the athlete Westbrook was last yr leaving UCLA but he might have more skills and with Kidd nearing the end its time to address the need for a PG of the future and dont talk to me about Jose Baria cus he is not nearly the answer.
#23 Sacremento- Sam Young SF Pitt- I am not a huge fan of Sam Young I think he was a product of being a extremely deep team while in college, but one thing that he can do is hit the open jumper and he will do all the little things to help a team win which is exactly what the Kings need as they continue to grow as a young team with Kevin Martin, Spencer Hawes, and Jason Thompson.
#24 Portland- Jeff Adrien PF UConn- A team that has been in the lottery the past few seasons is all of the sudden very very close to being mentioned with the legit contenders......their front office will be on edge hoping that either Blair or one of the upper level PG's fall to them but they dont the Blazers will go after the next available inside muscle guy and in my opinion that is Adrien he is solid mass of muscle who can defende and rebound inside and finish around the rim.....sure there is more talented players still on the board (Pendegraph, Heytvelt, Dozier) but they dont need a skill player they need a guy to do the little things in the mold of Paul Misap and Carl Landry.
#25 Oklahoma City- Taj Gibson PF USC- Never lived up to what his skill and athleticism would suggest he should have done in college but he has all the tools to be a solid NBA player and could be a very solid bench player for what looks like an up and coming team.
#26 Chicago- Josh Heytvelt PF Gonzaga- The Bulls seem to be two deep at every position so I look for them to take a chance on Heytvelt who could be a very good player with his size, skill, and athleticism if he can manage to put it all together.
#27 Memphis- Dajuan Summers SF Georgetown- I like to stay away from guys who seem to never have more then a couple good games a season....but he has an NBA body and has a high basketball IQ which would a solid assest off the bench for Memphis which is loaded with athletes and potential but in need of role players.
#28 Minnesota- AJ Price PG UConn- Its official Sebastian Telfair is a bust even as a backup PG due to the fact he cannot play defense and his jumper is suspect......so with the large # of PGs in this draft and Minnesota having a need for a backup AJ Price's toughness and big shot making ability will be a welcome fit.
#29 LA Lakers- Darren Collison PG UCLA- Fisher is Old Farmar is inconsitent as anyone I can remember so the hometown kid will be allowed to develop behind those two and if he doesnt pan out it wont really matter but if he does it would be a great pick.
#30 Cleveland- Dionte Christmas SG Temple- A high risk high reward guy who has been a proven scorer in college his whole career, and a scoring weapon is exactly what Cleveland needs but the question remains will he be Adam Morrison or will he be Kevin Martin?
