NBA Mock Draft: Final Version (8.0)

Ladies and Gentlemen it is finally here, the day we have all been waiting for (us lottery teams at least), the NBA Draft. After weeks of waiting and countless mock drafts we finally get to watch the real thing! In all likely hood this mock draft will end up like most of my NCAA tourney brackets, absolutely wrong and ruined by upsets, or in this case stupid GM’s. So with less than 12 hours until the start of the draft I present you my 8th and final mock draft. Enjoy:

1) LA Clippers: Blake Griffin (Highlights) – Blake Griffin has been the one constant in this draft. Griffin is clearly the best player in this draft and the Clippers would be stupid not to pick him. Imagine this team in 3-4 years with Gordon, Thornton, and now Griffin and veterans Camby and Davis there to provide steady leadership and experience.

2) Memphis: Ricky Rubio (Highlights) – Ricky Rubio has made it clear that he doesn’t want to play in Memphis but it won’t stop the team from drafting him. Memphis will trade Rubio to the Kings, who are desperate for Rubio, in return for the player of their choice at the 4th position and a current Kings player (Jason Thompson). Rubio will take over at the point from day one for the Kings. Rubio will dish the ball to Martin, Hawes, and Greene which in time could be a good young team.

3) OK City: James Harden (Highlights) – Harden is the best shooting guard in this draft. He can create his own shot or shoot from distance when set up by Westbrook. With Westbrook at 1, Harden at 2, Durant the at 3, and Green at 4 the Thunder have the best young 1-4 players in the league and should be an elite team in 3-4 years. Now all the Thunder need is a center and some depth.

4) Sacramento: Tyreke Evans (Highlights) – The Grizzlies will get Sacramento to draft Evans who can play the point and will challenge Conley for his starting spot. Evans is quickly becoming one of the most prized prospects in the draft after an impressive round of workouts at the draft combine. Teams are falling in love with his versatility since he can play the point or off guard position. Tyreke Evans showed why he was considered by some to be the best prep player last year and with a great season at Memphis he filled the HUGE shoes left behind by #1 overall selection Derrick Rose.

5) Minnesota: Hasheem Thabeet (Highlights) – Hasheem Thabeet is plummeting. It was always known that Thabeet was great on defense but lacked polish on the offensive end but as we near the draft teams begin to see every negative as a big issue. Thabeet won’t have to worry about offense right away in Minnesota with Al Jefferson beside him down low. Thabeet will be able to focus on the defensive end and will score when he gets the ball close to the hoop. Thabeet will work great will Al Jefferson and in time could be on of the best young front courts in the league.

6) Minnesota: Stephen Curry (Highlights) – Curry has been rising up draft boards and now after the blockbuster trade with the Wizards he rises up my mock draft. Curry will take over for the recently traded Randy Foye in Minnesota and can also play the point when Sebastian Telfair is on the bench. Curry is a scoring guard and can score from almost anywhere on the court as you can see in his highlights. Also great news for Minnesota fans, his mom is an absolute fox!

7) Golden State: Jrue Holiday (Highlights) – Let me first say that I do not agree with this pick, I think that Jrue is talented but did not show enough at UCLA to warrant a top 10 selection but for the sake of accuracy (he is definately going top 10) I put him here. Jrue was the Gatorade HS Player of the Year and has all the potential in the world and should be great in time, just don’t expect anything right away. On Golden State Jrue will probably be the 6th man for the beginning of the season with Ellis at 1 and Anthony Morrow at 2, but Holiday will likely take over mid-season and Ellis will move to the 2.

8 ) NY Knicks: Johnny Flynn (Highlights) – Flynn stays at home in New York. After playing both high school and college in the state of New York, Flynn continues that trend with the Knicks.Flynn has moved more than anyone else since my first mock draft. Flynn is was one of my favorite players in college last season and showed NBA scouts the full package: speed, strength, 3-pt range, and all important leadership at the 1. Flynn will be a beast in D’antoni’s system, in 3-4 years he could be putting up Nash like numbers.

9) Toronto: Demar DeRozan (Highlights) – DeRozan had a slow start in college but was one of the best players in the country in the last 1/4 of the season. DeRozan has the physical tools to transition quickly to the NBA but at 19 he still needs to develop some of the finer points of the game. With Bosh likely staying for the ‘09/’10 season for now shooting guard is the Raptors most pressing need and DeRozan has the potential to be a star in the NBA. However DeRozan is only 19 and will need time to develop and will likely be the 6th man with Carlos Delfino the starter for next year.

10) Milwaukee: Jordan Hill (Highlights) – Hill is starting to fall because: 1) other players like Evans and Flynn are moving up 2) Hill is young and athletic but showed inpre draft work outs he doesn’t have many low post moves and needs to add some weight. Still Hill is a top 10 draft pick and will take over for Villaneuva if he leaves and can sub for either Villaneuva or Bogut if Carlie V stays. If Sessions and Villanueva return the combination of Sessions, Redd, Jefferson, Villanueva, and Bogut with Hill off the bench could mean the Bucks scratch at the playoffs.

11) New Jersey: Gerald Henderson (Highlights) –  Henderson is a great fit for the Nets, he is a defensive 2 guard who can learn the ins and outs of NBA defense. With Harris at the 1, Henderson at the 2, and Carter at the 3 the Nets will have one of the best backcourts in the Atlantic division. Lets just hope he can learn to keep keep himself from doing this again, eerily similar to Bruce Bowen’s cheap shot on Nash, and god knows we don’t need another Bowen in the NBA.

12) Charlotte: Terrence Williams (Highlights) – the Bobcats need a 2 guard. The Bobcats have no one behind Raja Bell on the depth chart and Bell is now 32. The Bobcats have reportedly promised Terrence that they will select him if he is there, Williams adds even more athleticism to a very athletic team and will add some scoring from the 2 position. Now the Bobcats have a solid starting 5 with Williams at the 2 but need to add depth and develop their young talent before they make the next step to the playoffs.

13) Indiana:  James Johnson (Highlights) – the best player available and can play either the 3 or 4, the Pacers need a big man to compliment Murphy and Hibbert and Johnson can slide to the 3 when Granger is on the bench or play big ball and slide Granger to the 2. Johnson’s skill set allows him to give the the Pacers both a low post player and a wing scorer.  Johnson is not a solid fundamental player, in the mold of fellow Demon Decon Tim Duncan, but is extremely athletic and should succeed in the NBA if he can become consistent.

14) Pheonix: Ty Lawson (Highlights) – how much longer are the Suns going to ignore the fact that Nash is getting old? Lawson is a perfect fit for Gentry’s offense and can put up Nash like numbers. Not only will Lawson love the run and gun offensive system the Gentry runs but he will love that he doesn’t have to play any defense.

15) Detroit: DeJuan Blair (Highlights) -  Blair was a dominating presence on the offensive boards in college but it remains to be seen if he can replicate that success in the pros going against players that are 6-9+ every game. Blair could be the next “Round mound of rebound” or the next hilariously awful Tractor Traylor. Blair is alot like current Piston Maxiell but is an upgrade and with Oberto probably the starting center for the Pistons Blair will battle with Maxiell for the starting PF spot. Either way Blair will be a solid addition to the Pistons frontcourt.

16) Chicago: Earl Clark (Highlights) – matchup nightmare playing the 3 at 6-10 and can create for himself, should be a complimentary wing player with Salmons. In time should develop into the eventual replacement for Salmons on the depth chart. Clark will be able to shoot over most small forward defenders with his height and has the quickness to drive by slower power forward defenders. Clark has the talent to be a top 10 pick but teams point to his desire and intensity as reasons he won’t go that high.

17) Philadelphia: Brandon Jennings (Highlights) – Jennings is Monta Ellis 2.0 but with better ball handling skills . He struggled in Europe playing under 20 mpg but showed enough promise to warrant a top 10 pick. Andre Miller is the 76ers starting point guard but Jennings will come off the bench and run the offense for 15-20 mpg this season while developing to be Millers eventual replacement. In other unrelated news Jennings beats out Will Smith for best high top fad ever.

18) Minnesota: Jeff Teague (Highlights) – the Wolves add another scoring guard for their struggling backcourt. Teague who played PG in college is more of a scorer than a creator and might need to move to the 2. With Curry selected with the 6th pick Teague will move to the off guard position behind Foye on the depth chart. Teague is the perfect 6th man because he can be subbed in for Flynn at the 1 and run the offense or for Foye at the 2 and provide scoring off the bench.

19) Atlanta: BJ Mullens (Highlights) –  This might be a bit of a reach as Mullens was disappointing in his freshman season, not dominating the way a 7 footer should in college and seeming unable to rebound despite his size. However Mullens has tremendous potential and could develop into a solid starting center. The Hawks don’t have a starting player over 6′10 (Horford) so Mullens adds depth and with Marvin Williams a free agent after this season, Mullens is a good security blanket if Williams decides to leave (he will take over center and Horford to PF)

20) Utah: Tyler Hansbrough (Highlights) – The Jazz may lose Boozer and Okur in the offseason but as we saw last season Millsap will step in and play the PF position when Boozer leaves. So the Jazz need another big man to help fill the hole down low. Hansbrough is shooting up draft boards after showing significantly more athleticism than scout thought he possessed. Terrible Ty is a Jerry Sloan type player and Sloan will make Hansbrough a solid starter in the NBA.

21) New Orleans: Wayne Ellington (Highlights) – there are mixed reviews on Ellington, some say mid first round like me and others have him dropping all the way to the second round. I think Ellington has a deadly shot that is reminiscent of Rip Hamilton, but others point to his lack of elite athleticism as the reason why he won’t make it in the pros. With a legit scoring threat Chris Paul won’t be leaned on as heavily to score on offense and can focus on creating which made him the player who finished #2 in MVP voting in ‘07/’08.

22) Portland: Eric Maynor (Highlights) – Lets just say Blake isn’t exactly Steve Nash so Portland drafts Maynor to eventually take over for Blake. Maynor is a fiesty 1 who can create off the dribble and is a lockdown defender (good for their many games against Billups and Deron) and leaves it all on the court everytime he plays. Maynor is start on the bench where he can learn from Blake and eventually take over late in the season or in 2010. Only issue with Maynor, there are 6th graders stronger than him.

23) Sacramento: Sam Young (Highlights) – Young is a dynamic scorer who can take pressure off Martin, Young will be a solid scoring 6th man for the Kings and could puch Garcia for the starting spot. The only issue with Young is that he is a senior and has pretty much reached his potential, he will come in and be a great rookie but does not have much room for improvement. Young is very similar to the Kings old 3 Salamons and if he earns the starting role will work well in their offense.

24) Dallas: Chase Budinger (Highlights) –should provide another scoring threat in the backcourt and will allow the Thunder to rest Howard and Terry and maintain a scoring line on the court. With Kidd, Terry, Howard and Budinger off the bench have a great backcourt to compliment their MVP PF Dirk. Budinger still needs to improve his consistency but he brings needed scoring and is very versatile being able to play the 2 or the 3.

25) OK City: Derrick Brown (Highlights) – Brown is an athletic freak and will add depth behind Durant and Green and makes the 3/4 position on OK City tied with the Lakers for the tallest/longest in the league. Brown should has the potential and physical skills to be a lottery pick but was inconsistent in college and will likely fall to the second half of round one. Brown is another lengthy forward with immense potential, but players like him are hit or miss in the NBA. I compare Derrick Brown to Julian Wright who I thought would be a solid NBA player, problem is Wright has been stuck on the bench his whole career and is already looking like a bust.

26) Chicago: Omri Casspi (Highlights) – The Bulls are stacked at almost every position so it was hard to decide what they would do with this selection. So with this pick I have them going with Casspi, an international player from Israel. This way Casspi can go back to Israel for a few years to develop and come back to the Bulls when they need him.

27) Memphis: DaJuan Summers (Highlights) – can play the 2 or the 3 and can contribute as a 6th or 7th man off the bench for the Grizzlies behind Rudy Gay. Summers was one of my favorite players in college too bad his team, Georgetown, managed to be god awful this season despite having one of the most talented rosters in college. Now Summers joins another pretty awful team despite being a late selections. Hopefully with the addition of Evans and Summers the Grizz can take the next step and become competitive in the West.

28) Minnesota: Jonas Jerebko (Highlights) – Jonas Jerebko will give the Timberwolves a power forward that can score from the perimeter. The Wolves current players at the position, Gomes and Love, are great with their backs to the basket but Jonas will give defenses something different to worry about. Jonas will likely return to Europe for a few years to develop further but is worth a late selection.

29) LA Lakers: Austin Daye (Highlights) – I originally thought that Daye would make the decision to return to school to 1) improve his technique and 2) improve physically. If he had gone back Daye would probably been a lottery pick based on his unlimited potential and his size/skill combo. If he stays in this draft he will likely be a first round pick based on his potential and should be allowed to develop. The Lakers will likely need to replace Ariza or Odom and at 6′10 Daye has the height and length to replace either but will need to develop. Daye could be a Tayshaun Prince like player in the NBA.

30) Cleveland: Darren Collison (Highlights) – With Collison the Cavs finally have a true point guard. Darren Collison is one of the best defensive point guards in this draft and has shown at UCLA that he can lead a team from the point. LeBron James plays a point forward role in the Cavs offense but the addition of a pass first point guard would relieve some pressure from James. Collison will rotate with West and Williams in the Cavs backcourt coming off the bench.

Early second round picks who could jump to the first round:

Jeff Adrien: UConn PF, Dante Cunningham: Villinova SF, Taj Gibson: USC PF, Dionte Christmas: Temple SG, Patrick Mills: PG St. Mary’s, Jodie Meeks: Kentucky SG, Toney Douglas: Florida State PG, Marcus Thornton: LSU SG

For a hundreds of other Mock Drafts check out NBA Mock Draft Database.

Be sure to watch the draft live on TV @ 8 pm tonight. Also come by Fansided.com and follow our live draft blog which TM and myself will be attending. Enjoy the draft people, I know I will!

-KC Roberts