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:Common Sense:
In the words of Public Enemy...Don't believe the hype..or do you?
Keep in mind, this mock is done on NEEDS and GMs these days hardly seem to draft for their needs.
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| Greg Oden |
1. Greg Oden,
Center, Portland:
Now everyones talkin ALOT
about him bein the next big thing since sliced bread. I'm not sure if I see it. While at a decently athletic 7'0 his potential
IS pretty much limitless, but he'd have to be in the right position AND not be expected to do anything amazing for a few years.
Defensivly hes already above average but his offense doesnt extend much farther then garbage dunks that his guards drop off
to him. Hes not going to over-power you like shaq OR hit you with a variety of post moves ala Duncan. With portland getting
rid of Z-bo and getting channing frye too core of brandon roy, martell webster and Greg Oden can do some damage...5
years from now.
NBA
Comparison: Dikemebe Mutombo
2.
Kevin Durant, Power Forward, Sonics:
Now the first good sign
of of the NBA age limit. Kevin Durant said himself hes happy he went to college because he wouldn't have known what to do
with himself in the NBA. So what has he done in college? Oh nothing much other than set himself up to possibly win player
of the year. While hes kind of on the weak side and not as athletic as everyone makes it seem, Durant is easily one of the
most offensivly well rounded players we've seen in a while. The Oklahoma game completely summed it up (although he lost).
On the sonics, a team in COMPLETE REBUILDING phase, Durant is already expected to be team leader and hes only a rookie. Not
really a good sign
NBA
Comparison: Rashard Lewis
3.
Joakim Noah, Power Forward, Bucks:
I'll try to
keep this as bias as possible since I'm not a big fan of him and think hes COMPLETELY overrated. This of it like a very
skinny Alonzo Mourning.He gets most of his point on dunks,
offensive rebounds and in transition with no jumpshot to speak of. On a team that can hide his major flaws, say dallas or
the suns he could be fine but on a team like the hawks or bucks where he'd be expected to carry the defense,
I don't see him doing much. He will need to add some bulk to play in the NBA and also must extend the range on his jump
shot. The bucks don't have a good history of drafting forwards. I'd trade the pick for a star
NBA
Comparison: Anderson Varejao
4. Brandan
Wright, Power Forward, Bobcats:
Now Wright is a interesting
option here. Hes tall and lanky, athletic with a good basketball IQ. The question is, how much of a upgrade is he from Sean
May? Hes taller and has a longer wingspan than May not to mention in shape and doesnt seem to have the injury bug. But
as a offensive upgrade theres dunks and a lefty hook. While that might seem like enough for now but on a already young
bobcats teams with no go to scorer outside of Matt Carrol, a offensive minded forward who can get you 12 points, rebound
and block shots can go along way.I do remember the bobcats hoping to take a guy like that the last time they had
a high draft pick..hmm what was his name..
NBA
Comparison: Dwight Howard
5. Acie Law,
Point guard, Suns (from hawks):
Now while this probably
wont happen, its a no brainer to me. The suns most OBVIOUS weakness is when nash goes to the bench, the team falls into quick
sand. Having a experienced clutch guard coming in for him would probably fix that. Law can shoot and run a offense, so hes
already a upgrade from marcus banks, and that also leaves Barbosa to play SG and wreck havoc. Also hes not afraid to take
the big shots, just ask Durant. Law carried Texas A&M pretty much by himself to the big dance, imagine what he could do
with Marion and Amare. $5 says hes getting MVP votes by his second year.
NBA
Comparison: Chauncey Billups
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| Julian Wright |
6. Al Thornton,
Power Forward, 76ers:
Ok, its time for philly
fans to accept it. Dalembert, isnt going to help much, Korver cant do anything other than shoot 3s and Iverson has left the
building. Drafting Al Thorton can help ease the pain alittle. With a lineup of Miller, Iggy, Korver, Thorton, and Dalembert,
the Sixers have the blue print for a poor mans version of the nets with Igoudala being Jefferson and Thorton playing the role
of K-mart. Its common knowledge that Andre Miller can find a open man. Combine that with how athletic Thorton is and AI2 coming
into his own as a all around scorer, the team could be pretty nice next year.
NBA
Comparison: Early Kenyon Martin
7.
Julian Wright, Forward, Supersonics:
(says he wont enter the
draft but we'll see)
With Rashard Lewis possibly
leaving for Orlando or somethin like that as a free agent,Julian can possibly fill the void. Wright isn't near the shooter
Rashard is but hes around the same size give or take a inch and just as versatile. The team has tons of raw centers and Ray
Allen only has a few handfull of Jesus years left, so they have to get someone who can help right away. Julian can give you
alittle bit of everything and once he becomes more consistant he could be scary.
NBA
Comparison: Richard Jefferson
8. Corey Brewer,
Small Forward, Trail Blazers:
Last year the Blazers had
one of their better drafts in a while netting Aldridge and "ROY". Sources in the team say Darius Miles will be back next year
but I'll believe it when I see it AND they weren't that much better when he was 100% since hes a head case. Hence, Corey Brewer
comes into play. Hes smart, athletic and does alil bit of everything so he can step in at small forward and become the teams
defensive stopper ala Ruben Patterson. At Florida he got alot done without many plays being called for him so this wouldnt
be a big adjustment. He would compliment Brandon really well and bring another mellow winning attitude to the team trying
to get rid of the bad boy image.
NBA
Comparison: Athletic Shane Battier
9.
Jeff Green, Forward, Timberwolves:
Now this pick is completely
up in the air. With the usual thought that KG might leave in the summer through trade or Free agent if he opts out, this could
either be a pick to help him Or a "screw it were rebuilding" pick. Not to mention the team could have Rashard McCants back
next year.They have Randy Foye and Craig Smith coming back so that leaves the SF and PG spots open (not counting ricky davis
of course) Green isn't the kind of person who will blow you away averaging 50 a game like durant, but thats not what the team
needs if KG stays. They need athletic people who know how to play. Green has a high basketball IQ, is a leader and would fill
the gap on the team.
NBA
Comparison: Josh Howard
10. Roy Hibbert,
Center, Nets:
Finally, the nets can get
some height. Hibbert isnt the most athletic big, but hes 7 freakin 2. Compare that to 6'11 Jason Collins and 6'9 Josh Boone.
He can come off the bench for Kristic, keeping some size on the court, and clean up the boards. Not to mention, since hes
already on the nets, he wont be just another 7 footer vince dunks on. He still has to watch out for Josh Smith and Desmond
though. Still needs to get alittle more aggressive though, maybe dunk it every now and then.
NBA
Comparison: Zydrunas Ilgauskas
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| Al Horford |
11. Brandon
Rush, Shooting Guard/Small Forward, Hornets:
As odd as it may seem, the
Hornets aren't too bad considering they play in the west and pretty much rebuilt the team from the ground up. They have B
list stars or young up and comers at almost every position, they just need a stronger bench since their injured
umm always? Right now I say the weakest spot is SF. Now I'm a huge fan of Desmond Mason, but his shot is funky and with Peja
getting hurt alot, there isn't much depth at the 2 or 3. Rush can play both of those. He can shoot, is a slasher, and can
be a spark off the bench. Hes got length to defend and his overall game would be a good switch to Peja 3 point only game and
Desmonds game.
NBA
Comparison:Andre Igoudala
12. Rudy Fernandez,
Shooting Guard, Warriors:
Now Rudys name has been
on mock drafts for like the past 3 years, so theres no promise he'll even stick with the draft this years. The Warriors are
pretty solid in the front court with Harrington, and young guys and the PG position has B-Diddy and Monta "its me" Ellis.
So until J-Rich is 100% or Stephen Jackson isn't pulling guns on people, the weakest ling is SG. I havn't seen Rudy play other
than the Olympics (Ha I'm not high profile enough in the mock draft game to go overseas) but I do kno he is a euro player
and considered athletic. So that says a few things. 1) Chances are he can shoot. 2)While hes a supreme athlete in greece,
the adds up to an average athlete by nba standards. 3) He'll take time adjusting to the speed and toughness of the nba. Now
if your looking for a star here, I don't see it, but he could be a very good role player.
NBA
Comparison: Manu
13. Al Horford,
Power Foward, Kings:
The Kings have been goin
with scoring guards the last 3 years trying to look for that "next peja". So far they've ended up with Kevin Martin, who turned
out to be pretty darn nice, oh and francisco Garcia and Quincy Douby. The last 2 havn't shown that much yet and can't seem
to keep up with the speed difference of the nba compared to their college years where they were pretty much clutch spot up
shooters.Kenny Thomas isn't gettin any younger, big nasty hasnt been nasty for the lsat 5 years and Brad Miller is downy bear
soft. So the kings should look to draft a banger. Horford is tough, athletic and has no problem doin the dirty work. Hes got
good size to play the PF and he can get up and down the court. Plus, unlike brad miller, hes already showed he can play through
pain, playing on a sprained ankle and with the flu.
NBA
Comparison: Drew Gooden
14. Tyler Hansbourgh, Power
Forward, Bulls:
Scott Skiles is always look
for A) Smart players B)Hard Workers. Psycho T is both. While he may not be Tim Duncan, there aren't many players who work
harder on both ends of the court. He knows where to be and when to be there, and isn't one of those prima dona blue chippers
who sits back chucking shots but hesitates to dive for a loose ball. PJ Brown might retire, Ben Wallace isn't as abusive and
Tyrus Thomas is already being molded into a Ben clone, Tyler would fit right in as the experienced hustle player who they
don't have to run tons of plays for but will still get you nice numbers.
NBA
Comparison: Athletic Mark Madsen
15. Mike Conley
Jr, Point Guard, Pistons:
Blazing fast but kind of
raw point guard. With all the talk about Billups leaving, the pistons need to sure up their point guard spots. If he does
stay, Conley can come off the bench and be a nice change of page guard like Earl Boykins. I'm not that sure how well
he can run a team though which could have him struggle but being surrounded by vets, he shouldn't be asked on to do too much
at first.
NBA
Comparison: Tj Ford
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| Alando Tucker |
16. Dominic
James, Point Guard, Hawks:
The Hawks are still beating
themselves over skipping chris paul for Marvin "not close to ready" Williams. Its obvious their hopes were to make Joe Johnson
the point but that cancels out most of his scoring ability. Lue has been holding his own at the 1 and still shows he can play
alittle but they need a upgrade. While Dominic James is an undersized scoring point and they already have Salim for that,
at this point he'd be one of the top point guards on the board left and is a decent team leader. This pick could change if
Conley or another young guard decides to come out.
NBA
Comparison: Nate Robinson
17. Rodney
Stuckey, Point Guard, Clippers:
Now again, this pick is
based on things that COULD happen. After the freak accident to Shaun Livingston (best wishes), the Clippers point guard rotation
is kind of shakey. Cassel is getting up there in age and having back problems and we have no idea if Livingston will even
play again, let alone on a starter level. They have Daniel Ewing but hes like a piece of gum clogging a damn thats about to
break. Eventually their going to need to work on a guard. Stuckey is barely known even though he averages 24 points a game
and 4 assists. Hes got good size for a guard at 6'4 205 and since Cassel is still there, they can bring him along slow. Only
downside is he might be more of a scorer than a point.
NBA
Comparison:Leandro Barbosa
18. Josh McRoberts,
Power Forward, Sixers:
Now I'm never really sold
on most Duke players. Not just because everyone hates Duke, but more because their teams are usually so balanced that they
cover eachothers flaws. Then when their on their own in the pros, they seem very one dimensional (dunleavy anyone). McRoberts
might fall into that area and his Duke team wasn't even that good. Like most of the bigs in this draft, he won't overwelm
you with post moves or just body you and dunk on you. Most of his game revovles around good pg play, finding him the ball
within 5 feet of the basket. On a team with Andre Miller he should be fine as a rebounder and just getting out on the break
and cleaning up. If all else fails, him and Slavic Randolph can always sit bench and swap Duke/UNC stories.
NBA
Comparison:Andrew Bogut
19. Alando
Tucker, Small Forward, Lakers:
Kobe needs help. Bynum is
still years away from abusing centers, Famar is going to make Smush obsolete soon and on top of that, Walton and Odom are
injured alot. Not just anyone can run the triangle so they'd need someone with a high IQ, who is athletic enough to keep up
with kobe and take some of the burden of him should we say...like pippen did jordan. Tucker was well coached at wisconsin
and is the #1 scorer in wisconsin history along with being a decent defender and humble enough to have no problem letting
kobe get all the spotlight.
NBA
Comparison Smaller Shawn Marion
20. Yi Jianlian Power
Forward, Heat:
Now based on just a marketing
standpoint, most sites have Yi gone wayyyy before the heat pick. Even if he isn't that good, he could still sell jerseys in
china like hot cakes and will probably get tons of undeserves all-star votes his rookie year. The heat need alot of work in
almost every position since every major player on the team turns about 60 next week accept wade. Everyones still waiting for
Dorell Wright to have his "next tmac"year like they said when he was drafted, and Wayne Simien (who?) yea former kansas star,
sees playing time about as much as Pat Burke on the suns. Actually I think Pat gets more. A scoring big like Yi coming off
the bench for Haslem can help spread the court alittle and still add some youth without going completely young and drafting
a "potential but too young to contriute anytime soon" pick.
NBA
Comparison: Channing Frye
21. Nick
Young,Shooting Guard,Wizards:
Young has the NBA look
and versatility. He can defend (just ask kevin durant) and works well in transition. Already a better offensive weapon that
deshaun stevenson aka mr.50 but needs to improve on his back to the basket skills in order to be more complete..can hopefully
be a nice spark off the bench before taking deshauns spot completely.
NBA
Comparison: A Calm Ricky Davis
22.
Arron Afflalo, Shooting Guard, Bobcats:
Arron has 2 things going
for him and 2 things going against him as of now. For him, Afflalo has fundamental skills in all areas and is a
better offensive player than advertised. Also he's carried his team this year showing leadership and ability to be a defensive
stopper at the 1-2 spot. Now on the downside, first off is his height. Hes going to hear the usual "not tall enough
for a 2" speech the whole draft. Plus 2 years in a row corey brewer shut him down on a big stage.
NBA
Comparison: Raja Bell
23.
Derrick Byars, Small Forward, Knicks:
Byars carried his Vandy
squad all year and did not run for cover when needed most. Byars is an elusive perimeter player that excelled in a talented
forward conference the SEC. Byars could raise up on the Draft board and is a steal at 23.Knowing Isiah Thomas' ability to
see potential in draft pics (he drafted tmac, J Oneal, renaldo balkman, David Lee), don't expect Byars to get past the knicks
if he can show ability to play the shooting guard spot too.
NBA
Comparison: Shane Battier
24. Sean
Williams, Power Forward, Suns:
Ah your typical talented
player with a question mark. Theres no doubt Williams has talent and potential. His shot blocking alone nearly pushed Boston
College into the rankings when people expected them to flop after craig smith graduating and his offense is coming around.The
problem is plain and simple, hes a head case. Kicked off the team for weed early in the season, its been stated he has gotten
busted for weed more than once and the staff just got tired of it. Lucky for him, at a pick this low, he can either be out
of the league soon or turn into a star and make some money if he gets his act straight. If its the second one, he'd make a
nice backup for amare with diaw pushin weight(not the good way) and tim thomas gettin older.
NBA
Comparison: Stromile Swift
25. Jared Dudley,
Small Forward, Rockets:
Not many people expected
much from Jared but he turned out a pretty nice college career. While hes not going to blow you away with 360s or JJ reddick
type jumpers, he has a nice variety of moves and is a 100% hustle player when he doesn't have the ball. The knock is going
to be his foot speed at the 3 position but on a slow down team like the rockets, a role player with a high basketball IQ would
fit in nicely. Their not looking for superstars there but more for bench depth.
NBA
Comparison: More offensive minded David Lee
26. Morris Almond,
Shooting Guard, Pistons:
When you get this low in
the draft, your looking more for role players and diamonds in the rough as apposed to game changing stars. Morris is a shooter
in the Richard Hamilton mold but with very weak defense. On a team like the pistons he can get away with that (as long
as hes not TERRIBLE) and still help spark the bench with lindsey hunter getting old and delfino very up and down.
NBA
Comparison: Antione Wright
27. Spencer Hawes,
Center, Utah:
Plain and simple this team
needs size. AK has fallen off his glory days( he cried...cried) and Boozer is 6'7. Spencer would help them alittle better
guarding bigs like Yao, instead of putting someone like Okur on him. Hes a passing big man who isn't that athletic but hes
not Brian Reeves either. He can also hit a jump shot and has a variety of post moves.
NBA
Comparison: Brad Miller
28. Daquan
Cook, Shooting Guard, Spurs:
Now this pick is pretty
much for the future. The spurs have a decent core as of now but alot of the spot fillers are getting past their prime. The
tank is running empty on Mike Finley, Brent Barry and Big Shot Rob (although as of recently they all helped kill denver).
Drafting toward the future is needed before everyone gets too old and they have to build completely. James White still hasn't
seem to understand you need to be able to do more than dunk so Daquan can probably jump him in the rotation and earn time
while learning from Finley. Cook did slump towards the end of the season but thats expected of a freshmen.
NBA
Comparison: Less athletic JR Smith
29.
Thaddeus Young, Small Forward, Suns:
Some people having them
drafting guys like arron gray and jason smith...I don't see it. How are 2 big unathletic centers going to handle the suns
pace? Young fits there system, can play a few positions, and would count as some kind of insurance eventually in case the
team trades shawn marion (that would be dumb) because of his large contract. Young is still a few years away from being anything
special by NBA standards but at the 29th pick hes a bargain. They could also draft a player from overseas and leave him
there.
NBA
Comparison: Travis Outlaw
30. Javaris
Crittenton, Point Guard, Sixers
Not really sure he should
of entered as early as he did but...to each his own. Its obvious as of now in philly, their rebuilding. The Louis Williams
experiment has yet to even start (which sucks for them since he was ranked ahead of monta ellis when drafted) and the sixers
need depth at the pg spot. Crittenton is a someone steady, explosive pg who can learn alot under andre miller. Still needs
to be more consistent but won't be expected to do that much anyway on this team from the start.
NBA
Comparison: Raymond Felton
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