Round One

1. Cleveland Cavaliers – Kyrie Irving, Guard, Duke University

Wikipedia facts: Irving was born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia where his father, Drederick Irving, played professional basketball for the Bulleen Boomers. Irving subsequently lived in Australia before relocating to the United States at the age of 2. He has dual citizenship in the United States and Australia and has recently expressed interest in representing the Australian National Team.

2. Minnesota Timberwolves – Derrick Williams, Forward, University of Arizona

Wikipedia fact: Derrick Williams originally committed to play at the University of Southern California but asked for a release from his letter of intent when head coach Tim Floyd resigned amid allegations of NCAA rules violations.

3. Utah Jazz – Brandon Knight, Guard, University of Kentucky

Wikipedia fact: On April 14, 2010, Knight signed an aid agreement with the University of Kentucky, not a letter of intent. Amid rumors that Kentucky coach John Calipari would jump to coach in the NBA, Knight’s parents advised him to sign an aid agreement. An aid agreement is different from a letter of intent in that the aid agreement is only a one way commitment, with Kentucky committed to give him one scholarship year while he can transfer without any repercussions from the NCAA, while a Letter of Intent means the deal is a two-way commitment between the school and the athlete. By signing an aid agreement, the Wildcats were committed to Knight, but he was not committed to them.

4. Cleveland Cavaliers – Enes Kanter, Center, University of Kentucky/Turkey

Wikipedia fact: During the 2008-09 season, Kanter was a seldom-used reserve for Fenerbahçe Ülker, a Turkish professional basketball team. He played in at least nine games with the team – four in the Euroleague and five in the Turkish Basketball League.

5. Toronto Raptors – Kawhi Leonard, Forward, San Diego State University

Wikipedia fact: In 2009 as a senior at Martin Luther King High School in Riverside, California, he was named Mr. Basketball California.

6. Washington Wizards – Jan Vesely, Forward, Serbia

Wikipedia fact: Due to his speed and court movement, Veselý has been compared to Dirk Nowitzki and Andrei Kirilenko.

7. Sacramento Kings – Jimmer Fredette, Guard, Brigham Young University

Wikipedia fact: From his early childhood, he showed unusual dedication to athletics, his older brother TJ recalling, “He was the most determined, competitive four-year-old I had ever seen.” TJ, an aspiring rapper, helped train him for his basketball career since before kindergarten.

8. Detroit Pistons – Kemba Walker, Guard, University of Connecticut

Wikipedia facts: Walker grew up in the Sack-Wern Houses in Soundview, Bronx, and is the youngest of three siblings. His mother is Crucian and his father is Antiguan. Walker is also a dancer. He performed three times at the Apollo Theater for the TV show Showtime at the Apollo.

9. Charlotte Bobcats – Bismack Biyombo, Forward/Center, Congo

Wikipedia fact: Biyombo was discovered by the former Jordanian and Angolan national team head coach, Mario Palma, at the age of 16 at a youth tournament in Yemen.

10. Milwaukee Bucks – Marcus Morris, Forward, Kansas University

Wikipedia facts: He was named the 2010-11 Big 12 Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Year. He was also named a second team All-American for his play in the 2010–11 basketball season by both the Associated Press and by the National Association of Basketball Coaches, and a third team All-America by Fox Sports.

11. Golden State Warriors – Klay Thompson, Guard/Forward, Washington State University

Wikipedia facts: Thompson is the son of former Los Angeles Laker great Mychal Thompson. His older brother Mychel played basketball for Pepperdine University and his younger brother, Trayce, was drafted in the 2009 MLB Draft by the Chicago White Sox. Klay faced controversy when he was suspended for his final regular season game at WSU after being issued a misdemeanor criminal citation for marijuana possession.

12. Utah Jazz  - Chris Singleton, Forward, Florida State University

Wikipedia facts: In 2010 he was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. Singleton is from Canton, Georgia and played high school basketball at Dunwoody High.

13. Phoenix Suns – Tristan Thompson, Forward, University of Texas

Wikipedia fact: Thompson was born in Brampton, Ontario, and is the oldest of four brothers of Trevor and Andrea Thompson. He is also the cousin of fellow NCAA athlete and former Virginia State University Trojan football standout Jemal Thompson.

14. Houston Rockets – Jonas Valanciunas, Center, Lithuania

Wikipedia facts: Valančiūnas started playing professionally for Perlas in 2008 and played there until December 2009. During the 2008-09 season the team played in the Lithuanian National Basketball League (NKL), Lithuania’s second strongest league, but moved up to the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) the following season.

15. Indiana Pacers – Markieff Morris, Forward, University of Kansas

Wikipedia facts: Morris and his brother have signed with a sports agent from Los Angeles and they have announced that they are going to be entering the 2011 NBA draft. He was picked to the Fifth Team All-America by Fox Sports after his junior season.

16. Philadelphia 76ers – Nikola Vucevic, Forward/Center, University of Southern California

Wikipedia fact: NO ENTRY

17. New York Knicks – Kenneth Faried, Forward/Center, Morehead State

Wikipedia facts: Faried broke Tim Duncan‘s modern-era (post-1973) Division I career rebounding mark with 12 rebounds in the Eagles’ 71–65 victory over Indiana State on February 19, 2011. The NCAA’s modern era began after 1973 when freshmen were permitted to play along with the split into the three divisions in use today. Duncan’s previous record of 1,570 rebounds had stood since 1997.

18. Washington Wizards – Marshon Brooks, Guard, Providence College

Wikipedia fact: Brooks left Providence College with two months left in his senior year to focus on preparing for the 2011 NBA Draft. Brooks left school two classes short of obtaining his degree.

19. Charlotte Bobcats – Alec Burks, Guard, University of Colorado

Wikipedia facts: He attended Grandview High School, where in 2009 he was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Missouri. His senior year he averaged 23.0 points per game, in addition to 6.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. He was also named the Kansas City Star and Metro Sports Player of the Year during his senior year.

20. Minnesota Timberwolves – Iman Shumpert, Guard, Georgia Institute of Technology

Wikipedia facts: Iman Shumpert’s father Odis Shumpert is an insurance broker and his mother L’Tanya Shumpert is an adjunct professor of art and design at Columbia College in Chicago.

21. Portland Trail Blazers – Jordan Hamilton, Forward, University of Texas

Wikipedia facts: As a sophomore he was a second team All-American by the USBWA. He was picked to the Fourth Team All-America by Fox Sports.

22. Denver Nuggets – Tobias Harris, Forward, University of Tennessee

Wikipedia facts:  Harris attended Half Hollow Hills High School West in Dix Hills, NY for his senior year.  He was named a 2010 McDonald’s All-American.

23. Houston Rockets – Dontas Motiejunas, Forward, Lithuania

Wikipedia facts: Motiejūnas was a part of the Lithuanian Under-16, Under-18, and Under-20 junior national teams. With Lithuania’s junior national teams, he played at the: 2006 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship, both the 2007 and 2008 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championships, the 2009 FIBA Under-19 World Championship, and the 2009 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship.

24. Oklahoma City Thunder – Tyler Honeycutt, Guard/Forward, University of California – Los Angeles

Wikipedia fact: Coming out of Sylmar High School, Tyler was very highly regarded, being rated as a top 10 small forward in the country by all of the major recruiting circuits.

25. Boston Celtics – Reggie Jackson, Guard, Boston College

Wikipedia fact: As a senior at Palmer High School in Colorado, Jackson won the 2007-08 Gatorade Colorado Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

26. Dallas Mavericks – JaJuan Johnson, Forward, Purdue University

Wikipedia facts: JaJuan finished his career at Purdue as the seventh highest scorer in school history (1,919), averaging 13.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2 blocks, .7 assists, and .7 steals. He shares school records with games in a season (37), total games (140), and games won (107). He finished 2nd in school history in career blocks with 263, as well as tallying 854 rebounds.

27. New Jersey Nets – Kyle Singler, Forward, Duke University

Wikipedia facts: Singler’s parents were both athletes at Oregon State University: his father, Ed Singler, was quarterback of the football team, and his mother, Kris Brosterhous, was on the basketball team. Four of Singler’s uncles played Division I football, baseball or basketball. His younger brother, E.J. Singler, plays basketball for the University of Oregon.

28. Chicago Bulls – Jimmy Butler, Forward, Marquette University

Wikipedia fact: Butler was not heavily recruited coming out of high school and chose to attend Tyler Junior College in Tyler, Texas.

29. San Antonio Spurs – Nikola Mirotic, Forward, Serbia

Wikipedia facts: Mirotić began his professional career with the Spanish ACB League club Real Madrid. During the Euroleague 2010-11 season, he emerged as one of his team’s most valuable cogs to win the Euroleague Rising Star award. In 2011, he signed a 5 year contract extension with Real Madrid.

30. Chicago Bulls – Shelvin Mack, Guard, Butler University

Wikipedia facts: In 2011, Mack help lead the Bulldogs to the 2011 NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship game. He declared for the 2011 NBA Draft, to be held June 23, following his junior year.

Round Two

31. Miami Heat – Josh Selby, Guard, Kansas University

32. Cleveland Cavaliers – Malcolm Lee, Guard, University of California – Los Angeles

33. Detroit Pistons – Justin Harper, Forward, University of Richmond

34. Washington Wizards – Jordan Williams, Forward, University of Maryland

35. Sacramento Kings – Chandler Parsons, Guard/Forward, University of Florida

36. New Jersey Nets – Charles Jenkins, Guard, Hofstra University

37. Los Angeles Clippers – Nolan Smith, Guard, Duke University

38. Houston Rockets – Jeremy Tyler, Forward/Center, Tokyo Apache

39. Charlotte Bobcats – Travis Leslie, Guard, Georgia

40. Milwaukee Bucks – Jon Leuer, Forward, University of Wisconsin

41. Los Angeles Lakers – Darius Morris, Guard, University of Michigan

42. Indiana Pacers – E’Twuan Moore, Guard, Purdue University

43. Chicago Bulls – Norris Cole, Guard, Cleveland State

44. Golden State Warriors – Trey Thompkins, Forward, Georgia

45. New Orleans Hornets – Rick Jackson, Center, Syracuse University

46. Los Angeles Lakers – Bojan Bogdanovic, Forward, Serbia

47. Los Angeles Clippers – Scotty Hopson, Guard, University of Tennessee

48. Atlanta Hawks – Malcolm Thomas, Forward, San Diego State University

49. Memphis Grizzlies – DeAndre Liggins, Guard, University of Kentucky

50. Philadelphia 76ers – Willie Reed, Forward, St. Louis University

51. Portland Trail Blazers – Demetri McCamey, Guard, Illinois

52. Detroit Pistons – Isiah Thomas, Guard, University of Washington

53. Orlando Magic – Cory Joseph, Guard, University of Texas

54. Cleveland Cavaliers – David Lighty, Guard, The Ohio State University

55. Boston Celtics – Keith Benson, Center, Oakland University

56. Los Angeles Lakers – Jereme Richmond, Forward, University of Illinois

57. Dallas Mavericks – Greg Smith, Center, Fresno State University

58. Los Angles Lakers – Andrew Goudelock, Guard, College of Charleston

59. San Antonio Spurs – Davis Bertans, Forward, Latvia

60. Sacramento Kings – Ben Hansbrough, Guard, University of Notre Dame

1. Washington Wizards – John Wall, Guard, University of Kentucky
Mock: John Wall
Results: 1 of 1

2. Philadelphia 76ers – Evan Turner, Guard/Forward, The Ohio State University
Mock: Evan Turner
Results: 2 of 2

3. New Jersey Nets – Derrick Favors, Forward, Georgia Institute of Technology
Mock: Derrick Favors
Results: 3 of 3

4. Minnesota Timberwolves – Wesley Johnson, Forward, Syracuse University
Mock: Wesley Johnson
Results: 4 of 4

5. Sacramento Kings – DeMarcus Cousins, Forward/Center, University of Kentucky
Mock: DeMarcus Cousins
Results: 5 of 5

6. Golden State Warriors – Ekpe Udoh, Forward/Center, Baylor University
Mock: Greg Monroe
Results: 5 of 6
This was the first surprise of the Draft, as many people thought that Udoh was a lottery pick, but certainly not as high up as #6.

7. Detroit Pistons – Greg Monroe, Forward, Georgetown University
Mock: Ed Davis
Results: 5 of 7
Monroe fell into the Pistons’ lap when the Warriors took Udoh, which naturally meant that Davis was out as the Pistons’ pick.

8. Los Angeles Clippers – Al-Fariq Aminu, Forward, Wake Forest University
Mock: Al-Fariq Aminu
Results: 6 of 8
A lot of people had Aminu going at #7 to the Pistons, which made absolutely no sense to me, as I said in my mock draft.

9. Utah Jazz – Gordon Hayward, Guard/Forward, Butler University
Mock: Gordon Hayward
Results: 7 of 9
Luke Babbitt was a popular pick for Utah, but Hayward was the pick.

10. Indiana Pacers – Paul George, Forward, Fresno State University
Mock: Avery Bradley
Results: 7 of 10
The Pacers have Danny Granger and Mike Dunleavy, Jr. Why do they need another small forward?

11. New Orleans Hornets – Cole Aldrich, Center, Kansas University
Mock: Luke Babbitt
Results: 7 of 11
The difficulty with a mock draft is that there are usually trades that are nearly impossible to predict…this was one of them, as the Hornets traded Aldrich and Morris Peterson to the Oklahoma City Thunder for the draft rights for the #21 and #26 picks.

12. Memphis Grizzlies – Xavier Henry, Guard, Kansas University
Mock: Xavier Henry
Results: 8 of 12

13. Toronto Raptors – Ed Davis, Forward, University of North Carolina
Mock: Cole Aldrich
Results: 8 of 13
I had the two Kansas Jayhawks going back-to-back, but unfortunately I switched the order. Davis going this late is a surprise and is a nice pick for the Raptors who will have to replace Chris Bosh who is leaving via free agency.

14. Houston Rockets – Patrick Patterson, Forward, University of Kentucky
Mock: Ekpe Udoh
Results: 8 of 14
Udoh was gone, so they went for the next available big man, I guess. Everyone kept saying it was a great pick and yet not many had Patterson going here in their mock drafts.

15. Milwaukee Bucks – Larry Sanders, Center, Virginia Commonwealth University
Mock: Paul George
Results: 8 of 15
This was the first real surprise of the Draft. Though I had Sanders as a first round pick, I would have never guessed he’d go at #15.

16. Minnesota Timberwolves – Luke Babbitt, Guard/Forward, University of Nevada
Mock: James Anderson
Results: 8 of 16
Babbitt was definitely predicted to go earlier than this, but he has to be happy that he was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers.

17. Chicago Bulls – Kevin Seraphin, Forward, France
Mock: Damion James
Results: 8 of 17
This pick was traded to the Washington Wizards, along with Kirk Hinrich, so the Bulls could clear more cap space to go after two max free agents.

18. Oklahoma City Thunder – Eric Bledsoe, Guard, University of Kentucky
Mock: Erick Bledsoe
Results: 9 of 18
When I did my mock draft, the Miami Heat owned this pick and I guess that Eric Bledsoe would be selected at #18. The Heat traded the pick to the Thunder to clear cap space, but Bledsoe was still the pick, so I am counting it. The Thunder then shipped Bledsoe to the Los Angeles Clippers for a future first round pick.

19. Boston Celtics – Avery Bradley, Guard, University of Texas
Mock: Patrick Patterson
Results: 9 of 19
Everyone keeps saying how great of a pick this was because Bradley was the top high school recruit in front of John Wall. Good luck, Celtics.

20. San Antonio Spurs – James Anderson, Guard, Oklahoma State University
Mock: Hassan Whiteside
Results: 9 of 20
A great pick for the Spurs, not for my mock draft, as Whiteside ended up going in the second round at #33 overall to the Sacramento Kings.

21. Oklahoma City Thunder – Craig Brackins, Forward, Iowa State University
Mock: Daniel Orton
Results: 9 of 21
Brackins will be sent to the New Orleans Hornets in the Cole Aldrich deal mentioned earlier.

22. Portland Trail Blazers – Eliot Williams, Guard, University of Memphis
Mock: Quincy Pondexter
Results: 9 of 22

23. Minnesota Timberwolves – Trevor Booker, Forward, Clemson University
Mock: Kevin Seraphin
Results: 9 of 23
This pick is being sent to the Wizards, who already got Seraphin from the Bulls. Can I count that? Probably not.

24. Atlanta Hawks – Damion James, Guard, University of Texas
Mock: Dominique Jones
Results: 9 of 24

25. Memphis Grizzlies – Dominique Jones, Guard, University of South Florida
Mock: Devin Ebanks
Results: 9 of 25
This pick was purchased by the Dallas Mavericks, who are a great fit for Jones…except for all of their other scoring guards.

26. Oklahoma City Thunder – Quincy Pondexter, Guard, University of Washington
Mock: Larry Sanders
Results: 9 of 26
Another pick going to the New Orleans Hornets in the Aldrich deal.

27. New Jersey Nets – Jordan Crawford, Guard, Xavier University
Mock: Eliot Williams
Results: 9 of 27

28. Memphis Grizzlies – Greivis Vasquez, Guard, University of Maryland
Mock: Willie Warren
Results: 9 of 28

29. Orlando Magic – Daniel Orton, Center/Forward, University of Kentucky
Mock: Armon Johnson
Results: 9 of 29

30. Washington Wizards – Lazar Heyward, Guard/Forward, Marquette University
Mock: Solomon Alabi
Results: 9 of 30

9 out of 30…and that includes getting the first five right. Unfortunately, I think that’s the best I’ve ever done.

To spice this up, here are two videos that I put together from the actual Draft, which I attended:

This year’s NBA Mock Draft marks the fifth year in a row that I have tried to predict how the first round will play out, often with very very little success.  However, no one is ever that correct, so what makes me any different?  If you are interested in my previous mock drafts, simply follow this link.

1. Washington Wizards - John Wall, Guard, University of Kentucky

There will be no shocking move by the Wizards here.  They will keep the pick and do whatever they can to make the John Wall/Gilbert Arenas combination work.  There is plenty of talk that the Wizards are trying to trade Arenas, but with so little NBA game action for him over the last two seasons, it would be difficult to see why anyone would want to take the plunge to grab Arenas.  The player who may be more on the trading block is former Villanova star Randy Foye, who appears to be very expendable now if the team can’t move Arenas.

2. Philadelphia 76ers - Evan Turner, Guard/Forward, The Ohio State University

Derrick Favors has been rumored to be a Doug Collins favorite, but there is no way that the 76ers will pass on Turner, arguably the best player in college basketball last season.  With Jrue Holliday running the point and Andre Iguodala on the wing, it’s tough to see exactly where Turner fits in, even though all of the talk about Turner is that he can play four different positions.  The talk about Favors centered around the team’s desire to trade Elton Brand, which seems highly unlikely given his injury history, his enormous salary and, maybe most importantly, his amazing loss of skill since getting his Philadelphia pay-day.

Brand, a former college player of the year himself, has four seasons under his belt of averaging at least twenty points and ten rebounds per game, but has seen his scoring average drop over the last four seasons from 20.5 points per game to 17.6, 13.8 and 13.1 last year.  His rebounding numbers have also declined to a career low 6.1 in the 2009-2010 season.  Given these stats, one would assume that Favors would be the right fit, but without getting rid of Brand, the 76ers have to go for the best talent, and that is Turner.

6/17 Update: ESPN’s Chad Ford is reporting that the 76ers have traded Samuel Dalembert to the Sacramento Kings for Spencer Hawes and Andres Nocioni.  While this will most certainly add fuel to the fire that the 76ers will pick Derrick Favors, I still think Turner is the pick.

3. New Jersey Nets - Derrick Favors, Forward, Georgia Institute of Technology

After struggling to finish the season with a 12-70 record, the Nets had the best chance to land the top pick in June’s NBA Draft Lottery.  With a guarantee of a top-3 pick, the Nets were hoping to be able to land in the top two spots so they could pick either Wall or Turner.  Unfortunately for new owner Mikhail Prokhorov, the Nets landed in the third spot and had to begin working on figuring out who the best of the rest was going to be in the 2010 Draft.

The answer appears to be Favors, who is a very strong power forward with solid athleticism and feel around the basket.  While DeMarcus Cousins may have been the best big man in college basketball last season, Favors appears to have more upside.  His statistics weren’t outlandish at Georgia Tech, although the team’s guards struggled mightily to get Favors the ball in…favorable positions (sorry, I had to).

4. Minnesota Timberwolves - Wesley Johnson, Forward, Syracuse University

After the surprising back-to-back picks of point guards in the 2009 Draft, the Timberwolves need to pick up a player who can actually play for them on day one.  Based on talent alone, the pick should be DeMarcus Cousins, one of the best big men in this year’s Draft.  Unfortunately for the Timberwolves, Cousins plays the same position as current players Al Jefferson and Kevin Love, who often struggle to even play together at the same time as it is, so adding Cousins would just make this a disastrous situation.

Luckily, Johnson fits in perfectly.  A guy who is able to make an impact without stuffing the stat sheet, Johnson should be able to fit in immediately with fellow former-Syracuse Orange Jonny Flynn and either Love or Jefferson.  While one of last year’s point guard picks, Ricky Rubio, has decided to stay in Spain for the foreseeable future, bringing in Johnson would allow the Timberwolves to at least be reasonably competitive in the 2010-2011 season.

5. Sacramento Kings - DeMarcus Cousins, Forward, University of Kentucky

There are plenty of people who see Georgetown big man Greg Monroe fitting in perfectly with the Kings, but his lack of girth makes him light on the block, something the Kings need to avoid.  While Jason Thompson gives the Kings some strength in the middle, Cousins gives them the toughness that they are missing with current center Spencer Hawes.  Despite being listed at 7’1″, Hawes has averaged only 5.5 rebounds per game in his three-year career and is hardly an intimidating presence near the basket.  Drafting Monroe hardly provides the Kings the down low presence to compliment ultra-talented guard Tyreke Evans.  However, Cousins should be the perfect match to create a formidable inside-outside attack with Evans.

The knock against Cousins is that he’s a bit of a head case, but he has an immense talent that should trump the attitude issues and make the Kings pull the trigger on drafting him.

6/17 Update: As mentioned before, the Kings have traded Spencer Hawes and Andres Nocioni to the 76ers for Samuel Dalembert.  While this could lead the Kings to consider going after a small forward, such as Al-Fariq Aminu or Gordon Hayward, I think Cousins is still the pick considering that Dalembert only has one more year on his contract.

6. Golden State Warriors - Greg Monroe, Forward, Georgetown University

Not known for their defensive prowess, the Warriors appear to be much more interested in scoring the basketball, at least for as long as Don Nelson remains the head coach, than stopping others from doing so.  As a 6’11″ lefty who can run the floor better than most big men in the Draft, Monroe seems to be a perfect fit for the Warriors.  With plenty of shots going up from Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis, if the latter stays in Oakland, the team should be looking for someone who is able to run with them and provide some length in the middle.

The addition of Monroe certainly keeps the team skinny, with Anthony Randolph and Brandon Wright already needing a few weight-gaining shakes, but he has the strength to maintain his position down low.  If DeMarcus Cousins falls to this spot, he could be the pick, although he seems to be a little heavier than the players the Warriors like to pick.

7. Detroit Pistons - Ed Davis, Forward, University of North Carolina

The Pistons should love either Cousins or Monroe, but they will be gone by the time the Pistons’ pick comes up here at #7.  Al-Farouq Aminu’s name has popped up on a lot of mock drafts in this spot, but I will be hard pressed to be convinced that Aminu is the best fit for a team that already has Tayshaun Prince, Charlie Villanueva, Austin Daye, Jonas Jerebko and Richard Hamilton occupying the minutes at the small forward position.  While his 6’9″ frame could allow Aminu to play power forward, why wouldn’t the Pistons just draft a big man that they know can pound the block?  The answer: they can with Ed Davis.

Davis has very good size, is a solid defender and has a great feel around the basket.  He will likely compete for minutes with Jason Maxiell and Chris Wilcox, but Davis has an opportunity to get on the floor because of his ability to score the basketball from in close.

8. Los Angeles Clippers - Al-Farouq Aminu, Forward, Wake Forest University

While the Pistons don’t necessarily need a swing man who can play the 3 or the 4, it is exactly what the Clippers should be looking to add.  With last year’s top pick, Blake Griffin, ready to finally take the court in Los Angeles, the team still needs a small forward to provide some athleticism to an already solid core of young prospects, such as Griffin, Eric Gordon and DeAndre Jordan.  While Butler’s Gordon Hayward could also be a pick here because of his outside shooting ability, Aminu has significantly more upside while the Clippers already have Davis and Gordon to throw up as many threes as possible.

9. Utah Jazz - Gordon Hayward, Forward, Butler University

With Carlos Boozer most likely leaving this summer, many people are thinking that the Jazz could grab a big man to fill the void.  However, with Paul Millsap still around, the Jazz can afford to go after Hayward who could be a solid upgrade to Kyle Korver, another unrestricted free agent this summer.  Hayward has excellent guard skills for someone his size and he could allow the Jazz to go big if he plays the two with Andrei Kirilenko at the 3 or even a super athletic core of Deron Williams, Wesley Matthews, C.J. Miles, Hayward and Millsap.

10. Indiana Pacers - Avery Bradley, Guard, University of Texas

The Pacers have a number of needs, but ultimately, the team needs a guard to lead the offense.  Bradley is somewhat of a combo guard, but many NBA scouts believe that he can play the point.  With Roy Hibbert and Tyler Hansbrough can dominate the paint, Danny Granger should be an easy target for Bradley, who will certainly be asked to do some of the scoring as well.  Troy Murphy’s days in Indiana are numbered, as his expiring contract and inside-outside skills are desired by many teams in the league.  Last year’s leading assist man, Earl Watson, is an unrestricted free agent, so bringing in Bradley allows the team to play him right away, if they want.

11. New Orleans Hornets – Luke Babbitt, Forward, University of Nevada

The Hornets are in trouble.  They play in the always competitive Western Conference but lack the talent to compete with up and coming teams.  They are not the Oklahoma City Thunder or the Portland Trail Blazers and they are in an awkward position to be over taken by the Sacramento Kings and possibly the Golden State Warriors.  Chris Paul has only scattered talent around him and is a big question mark to leave after the 2011 season when he hits free agency.  They drafted former UCLA guard Darren Collison to replace Paul if he departs, but the rest of the team is sketchy, at best.

David West appears to have already hit his peak, Peja Stojakovic is way past his prime and Emeka Okafor may have been his best while at UConn.  So what to do with this draft pick…

Babbitt appears to be the best talent left on the board who could probably play right away.  He is moderately athletic and has solid range, which should be exploited when Chris Paul penetrates.  The Hornets could always go with an unproven and raw big man like Hassan Whiteside from Marshall or Daniel Orton from Kentucky, but they need guys who can contribute sooner rather than later and Babbitt becomes that guy.

12. Memphis Grizzlies – Xavier Henry, Guard, Kansas University

Henry was one of the top prospects coming into his freshman year at Kansas and while he wasn’t exactly a dominating player like John Wall, he did enough to show that he can thrive in the right situation and on the professional level.  The Grizzlies are in an interesting situation because they know that Rudy Gay will most likely leave via free agency as soon as he can find a team dumb enough to overpay him, and yet it’s possible that the team is better without him.

The Grizzlies need a big man who can clog the middle, but after last season’s disastrous pick of Hasheem Thabeet, the Grizzles absolutely cannot afford to bring in another big man prospect who will likely not pan out.  They drafted point guards in back to back years, which left them with Kyle Lowry and Mike Conley before they saved Lowry’s career and sent him to Houston.  Last year’s pick of O.J. Mayo worked out well and the re-emergence of Zach Randolph allows the Grizzlies to go after another swing player and Henry fits the bill perfectly.

13. Toronto Raptors - Cole Aldrich, Center, Kansas University

With the odds of Chris Bosh returning to Toronto as high as Villanova’s Scottie Reynolds being the #1 overall pick, the Raptors will be desperate for someone who can plug the middle so that they can keep Andrea Bargnani at the power forward slot.  While there are a number of big man options for the Raptors, Aldrich seems the most ready and the Raptors will be looking for someone who can play immediately.

14. Houston Rockets – Ekpe Udoh, Center, Baylor University

The Rockets are a dominant team in the NBA when they are fully healthy…unfortunately, that has rarely been the case, especially with 7’6″ center Yao Ming, who continues to battle foot issues that have plagued him for a majority of his career.  After missing the entire 2009-2010 season, the Rockets are still not quite sure what Yao can bring them moving forward.  However, other than Yao, the team is very strong, athletic and competitive with the likes of Trevor Ariza, Kevin Martin, Aaron Brooks, Luis Scola, Shane Battier and Kyle Lowry.

The missing piece appears to be a big man who can spell Yao and help the team defensively.  While there are a number of big men in this draft that are raw, but still improving, Udoh appears to be the most mature and ready to contribute.  He is older than the other available big men and could become the new Dikembe Mutombo for the Rockets.  No, I am not saying Udoh is the next Mutombo, I am saying that he may be able to replicate the role that Mutombo played in Houston for the four-plus years he was there.

15. Milwaukee Bucks – Paul George, Forward, Fresno State University

After an extremely surprising season that saw them make the playoffs and strongly compete against the Atlanta Hawks, the Bucks may have to continue rebuilding without one of their better players, John Salmons, who is expected to leave Milwaukee for a more lucrative contract elsewhere.  With the point guard slot locked up by Brandon Jennings and Andrew Bogut owning the lane (if he can recover from a horrific elbow injury), the Bucks will need a new wing player to open up the driving lanes for Jennings or the key for Bogut.  While Michael Redd is still on the roster, the Bucks have (hopefully) learned not to rely on their lefty sharpshooter.

Overall, the team has some nice pieces with Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and Carlos Delfino, but they need a little more offense to keep the team running and George is a nice addition that can presumably handle some of the scoring load.

16. Minnesota Timberwolves – James Anderson, Guard/Forward, Oklahoma State University

After picking up Wesley Johnson with the #4 overall pick, the Timberwolves look for another wing scorer who can help them put the ball in the basket.  ESPN’s Chad Ford remarked that Anderson was one of the best scorers in college basketball last season, which seems to be exactly what the Timberwolves need after seeing how much difficulty Corey Brewer has in that role.

While they may still struggle in the Western Conference, the core of Al Jefferson, Kevin Love, Wesley Johnson, James Anderson and Jonny Flynn should at least get some positive attention.  Now if they could only solve that Ricky Rubio problem…

17. Chicago Bulls – Damion James, Forward, University of Texas

Whether they actually sign LeBron James or not, the Bulls will have to make this pick before they know who the King has chosen to be his team.  With Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah as the centerpieces around the “see, we have the pieces to make LeBron a champion” pitch, there doesn’t seem to be much need to draft a point guard nor a center.  While they could be looking for a big man, one would think that the failure to make Tyrus Thomas into a legitimate star would make the team second guess a new project.  Luol Deng has been a nice little piece in Chicago, but he doesn’t seem to elicit the fear that his teammates do.

So, where does that leave us?  With a different James, who can score and is one of the most athletic players in the Draft.  He’s a very solid defensive player and at 6’8″ can defend a number of positions.  While this is not exactly the “James” that Bulls fans were hoping for, they should be happy with this pick.

18. Miami Heat – Eric Bledsoe, Guard, University of Kentucky

Miami’s primary goal this offseason is to bring back Dwyane Wade and try to convince either Chris Bosh, Amar’e Stoudemire or Carlos Boozer to join him.  Former #2 overall pick Michael Beasley has been somewhat of a disappointment in Miami, but there isn’t a ton of talent left in the Draft to replace him.  Patrick Patterson could be an interesting fit in this spot, but I can’t see Miami drafting Patterson with the knowledge that they are going to go all out for a big man that would play his position and potentially glue him to the bench.

The Heat could also go after one of the raw big men still left on the board, but bringing in a project isn’t exactly sending Wade the message that they are ready to compete now.  So, we come to Bledsoe, who has been compared to Russell Westbrook by Bill Simmons, who admittedly does not watch a lot of college basketball.

Bledsoe played mostly off the ball in college because John Wall was running the point, but he did show occasionally that he is able to run the show.  Mario Chalmers has been serviceable for the Heat, but Bledsoe is much more athletic and should be able to provide a little more skill to show Wade that the Heat are serious about contending soon.

19. Boston Celtics – Patrick Patterson, Forward, University of Kentucky

The Celtics don’t have a ton of holes to fill, although the team overall is getting old quickly.  While Ray Allen’s return is a huge question mark, I’d put my money on him wearing the Celtics green after this season.  They certainly don’t need a point guard, which is good because there aren’t many in this draft who could grab minutes in Boston.  While the team has Rasheed Wallace for a few more years, along with Glen “Big Baby” Davis, Patterson allows them to be a little more flexible with their second unit.  He can play the three or the four and forms a pretty solid up-front line up with Wallace and Davis.

A few of the unproven big men are still available, but the Celtics have to simply grab the best available talent who can play right away.

20. San Antonio Spurs – Hassan Whiteside, Center, Marshall University

There are a number of trade rumors swirling the World Wide Web now that Tony Parker will be shipped out of San Antonio because of the emergence of George Hill.  While I personally think that is a mistake, it does give us a clue that they probably won’t be drafting a point guard with this pick.  Unfortunately, that doesn’t exactly lead us to a specific player.  After last year’s fantastic second round pick of DeJuan Blair, the team doesn’t necessarily need a whole lot of girth down low.  Or do they?  The team seems pretty full along with wings with Richard Jefferson, Manu Ginobili, Keith Bogans, Roger Mason and Matt Bonner (he may be a PF, but he’s hardly inside the three point line).  Tim Duncan’s minutes continue to decline and so the team should be looking for someone who can replace those minutes.  If Blair is that player, who will be guarding the hoop?

The answer is Whiteside, a player that is particularly raw but measures at seven feet tall and already has a great feel around the basket on the defensive side of the ball.  With DeJuan Blair banging the boards and Whiteside protecting the rim, the Spurs should have a solid second team when Duncan has to sit and rest his legs.

21. Oklahoma City Thunder – Daniel Orton, Center, University of Kentucky

Orton has been somewhat of an enigma for many people because he is a first round talent and yet averaged less than four points and four rebounds per game at Kentucky.  Yes, Kentucky has four other first round talents, but the last time I checked, you play five guys at a time and Orton wasn’t one of those for the Wildcats.

Nevertheless, he is a good prospect and should provide a nice down low presence for the Thunder, who have tons of talent on the wing and in the backcourt, but only a little near the basket.  Nick Collison isn’t exactly the center of the future and Serge Ibaka is really better off as a power forward, so Orton fits in nicely in the Oklahoma City lineup.

22. Portland Trail Blazers – Quincy Pondexter, Forward, University of Washington

The Blazers are in an interesting position here at #22.  They have talented players at nearly every position on the court, but they just can’t seem to keep them healthy.  We all know about Greg Oden’s issues and Brandon Roy isn’t exactly winning any Ironman trophies.  Nevertheless, LaMarcus Aldridge has really come into his own as a legitimate power forward in the NBA and the point guard situation is relatively solid thanks to Andre Miller and Jerryd Bayless.  While Nicolas Batum has been…good, his ceiling isn’t astronomically high and adding Pondexter could give the Blazers a little more offense out of the small forward position.

Pondexter is a mature player who has had a solid career for the Huskies and that maturity should play well in Portland.

23. Minnesota Timberwolves – Kevin Seraphin, Forward, France

With their third pick in the first round, the likely direction is that the Timberwolves will select a European player who they can leave in Europe until he develops.  While past Drafts have been packed with European players, this one is rather light and the Timberwolves end up with the only one worthy of a first round pick.

The future is starting to look brighter in Minnesota with a nice young core at home and Rubio and Seraphin abroad.

24. Atlanta Hawks – Dominique Jones, Guard, University of South Florida

Joe Johnson is gone.  There is no reason for him to re-sign and the Hawks know it.  They have Jamal Crawford to plug into Johnson’s spot in the starting lineup, but that still leaves a hole in the second unit.  The Hawks are rather weak at point guard, with Mike Bibby showing his age more each day.  Jeff Teague had a forgettable first season, but it was good enough that he shouldn’t have to worry about the Hawks drafting another point guard.  Luckily for the Hawks, Jones is a scorer available who could replace Crawford on the second unit.

Jones proved he could put the ball in the hoop, averaging over 20 points per game in the tough Big East Conference.  He is a little shorter than the prototypical NBA shooting guard, but he makes up for it with his strength.  While he most likely will not be a 20 point per game scorer on the professional level, he should be a good contributor off the bench.

25. Memphis Grizzlies – Devin Ebanks, Forward, West Virginia University

After picking up Xavier Henry earlier as someone who can score from the wing, the Grizzlies turn to the other side of the floor and grab a player who, on paper, is someone who should be able to strongly defend the wing.  While he appears to be incredibly long, Ebanks’ measurements are actually quite ordinary and he doesn’t provide much on the offensive side of the ball.  However, he is incredibly athletic and has a good feel for playing defense after two season of playing for Bob Huggins.  Plus, with Zach Randolph and O.J. Mayo, it might be good for the Grizzlies to bring in a player who can contribute without taking too many shots.

26. Oklahoma City Thunder – Larry Sanders, Center, Virginia Commonwealth University

The Thunder recognize that their weakness is down low and Sanders should be able to provide them with a solid defensive stopper near the basket.  While he is a bit of a project, he works hard, runs the floor well and should develop into a nice role player for the Thunder, who already have some significant building blocks for the future.  With their core already in place, the Thunder can afford to draft two big men in the first round with the hope that one of them can turn into a solid contributor.

27. New Jersey Nets – Eliot Williams, Guard, Memphis

While Devin Harris has been good for the Nets, he has been less than they were hoping for when they traded Jason Kidd to Dallas.  Harris should remain in New Jersey for the foreseeable future, which is good news because Williams is not ready to lead the team from day one after two years at the college level.  The Nets have a ton of perimeter players and by adding Favors and Williams in this Draft, they must feel like they can build upon a dreadful 2009-2010 season.

28. Memphis Grizzlies – Willie Warren, Guard, University of Oklahoma

The Grizzlies have plenty of scorers but their point guard situation remains iffy.  After trying a combination of Kyle Lowry and Mike Conley, the Grizzlies sent Lowry to Houston and have slowly discovered that they may have chosen the wrong guard.  Luckily, they can begin to fix the problem by taking Warren, a player who was predicted to be a top-10 pick before his two seasons at Oklahoma dampened his expectations.  However, he is still a first round talent and should be able to develop into a nice player for the Grizzlies, either in the starting lineup or off the bench.

29. Orlando Magic – Armon Johnson, Guard, University of Nevada

The Magic need a new backup point guard, as Jason Williams is obviously not the answer for backing up Jameer Nelson.  Johnson is not a terrific shooter, but if they put him on the floor with any of the eight guys on the roster who can shoot the three, he should become a solid contributor.  He knows how to penetrate effectively and is able to find the open man, which happens a ton in Orlando.

30. Washington Wizards – Solomon Alabi, Center, Florida State University

Alabi’s fall is exactly what the Wizards needed to finish off the first round after starting it with John Wall.  Alabi should provide a solid defensive presence in the middle for the Wizards, something they have lacked in recent years.

Instead of trying to guess which team will pick which player in their current draft position, I am going to guess the order of the 60 players taken.  For reference sake, I will include the team who currently has the pick in parenthesis, but the goal this year is to accurately predict the 60 players chosen in order.

1. Blake Griffin, Oklahoma (current team with this pick: Los Angeles Clippers) – pretty confident about this one
2. Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut (Memphis Grizzlies) – is it just me, or does he have BUST written all over him?
3. Ricky Rubio, Spain (Oklahoma City Thunder) – this kid is going to be legit – and hopefully a Knick
4. Tyreke Evans, Memphis (Sacramento Kings) – some say the next Dwayne Wade…I don’t see it, but he’s still pretty good
5. Stephen Curry, Davidson (Minnesota Timberwolves) – should be a Knick
6. Jordan Hill, Arizona (Minnesota Timberwolves) – I know nothing about him other than he played at Arizona and should be a Top 10 pick.
7. James Harden, Arizona State (Golden State Warriors) – another Pac-10 player who is supposed to be good.
8. Jonny Flynn, Syracuse (New York Knicks) – tough but small – and no ‘h’ in his first name
9. DeMar DeRozan, USC (Toronto Raptors) – Double “De” so he’s gotta be good
10. Eric Maynor, Virginia Commonwealth (Milwaukee Bucks) – the most NBA ready point guard in the draft and yet not getting much hype
11. Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina (New Jersey Nets) – has been up and down since the college season ended, he’s bigger than people thought and a full fledged bruiser
12. Terrence Williams, Louisville (Charlotte Bobcats) – apparently he wears spongebob socks and had a barbie backpack – not even a joke there.
13. Gerald Henderson, Duke (Indiana Pacers) – not as good as advertised
14. Earl Clark, Louisville (Phoenix Suns) – the biggest potential hit or miss in the draft
15. Austin Daye, Gonzaga (Detroit Pistons) – skinny skinny skinny
16. Ty Lawson, North Carolina (Chicago Bulls) – will his game translate in the pros?
17. Jrue Holliday, UCLA (Philadelphia 76ers) – did not average double-digits in college, yet a Top 10 pick.
18. BJ Mullens, Ohio State (Minnesota Timberwolves) – the prototypical big white center
19. Brandon Jennings, too dumb for college, went to Italy (Atlanta Hawks)
20. Dejuan Blair, Pittsburgh (Utah Jazz) – he’s simply a beast
21. Sam Young, Pittsburgh (New Orleans Hornets) – why do so many people go for the headfake?
22. James Johnson, Wake Forest (Portland Trail Blazers) – another guy I know nothing about
23. Omri Casspi, Israel (Sacramento Kings) – apparently very tough…but he’s European…
24. Jeff Teague, Wake Forest (Dallas Mavericks) – too many points guards at this point
25. DeMarre Carroll, Missouri (Oklahoma City Thunder) – arms like Ben Wallace
26. Chase Budinger, Arizona (Chicago Bulls) – spell it with me now, B-U-S-T
27. Toney Douglas, Florida State (Memphis Grizzlies) – an ‘e’ in Tony huh?
28. Jonas Jerebko, Sweden (Minnesota Timberwolves) – whatever
29. DeJuan Summers, Georgetown (Los Angeles Lakers) – might be better than Jeff Green at some point
30. Derrick Brown, Xavier (Cleveland Cavaliers) – why not?

31. Taj Gibson, USC (Sacramento Kings)
32. Nick Calathes, Florida (Washington Wizards)
33. Josh Heytvelt, Gonzaga (Portland Trail Blazers)
34. Victor Claver, Spain (Denver Nuggets)
35. Jeff Pendergraph, Arizona State (Detroit Pistons)
36. Jon Brockman, Washington (Memphis Grizzlies)
37. Darren Collison, UCLA (San Antonio Spurs)
38. Wayne Ellington, North Carolina (Portland Trail Blazers)
39. Jermaine Taylor, Central Florida (Detroit Pistons)
40. Dante Cunningham, Villanova (Charlotte Bobcats)
41. Patrick Mills, St. Mary’s (Milwaukee Bucks)
42. Danny Green, North Carolina (Los Angeles Lakers)
43. Jodie Meeks, Kentucky (Miami Heat)
44. Ahmad Nivins, St. Joseph’s (Detroit Pistons)
45. Jack McClinton, Miami (Minnesota Timberwolves)
46. Sergio Llull, Spain (Phoenix Suns)
47. Marcus Thornton, LSU (Minnesota Timberwolves)
48. Patrick Beverely, Ukraine (Phoenix Suns)
49. Goran Suton, Michigan State (Atlanta Hawks)
50. Dionte Christmas, Temple (Utah Jazz)
51. Joe Ingles, Australia (San Antonio Spurs)
52. Wesley Matthews, Marquette (Indiana Pacers)
53. Vyacheslav Kravtsov, Ukraine (San Antonio Spurs)
54. Jerel McNeal, Marquette (Charlotte Bobcats)
55. Nando De Colo, France (Portland Trail Blazers)
56. Leo Lyons, Missouri (Dallas Mavericks)
57. Taylor Griffin, Oklahoma (Phoenix Suns)
58. Tyrese Rice, Boston College (Boston Celtics)
59. Lester Hudson, Tennessee-Martin (Los Angeles lakers)
60. Jeff Adrian, Connecticut (Miami Heat)

30. Boston Celtics
LairdNYC: Ante Tomic, C, Croatia
Actual: J.R. Giddens, SG, New Mexico
8 of 30 (26%)

Kobe Bryant
Kevin Garnett
Jermaine O’Neal
Shawn Marion
Amare Stoudemire
Paul Pierce
Al Jefferson
Lamar Odom

When have you ever seen a list that dramatic when not discussing a year’s all-star game roster? It’s truly amazing and it gives some instant credibility to this year’s draft as many of these potential deals involve first round draft picks this year. With that said, let’s take a final guess at what is going to happen tomorrow in New York:

1. Portland Trail Blazers – Greg Oden, Ohio State

His workout left much to be desired, especially more so when Kevin Durant apparently lit up his workout in Portland. My guess is when Kevin Pritchard said that Durant’s workout was the best he had ever seen, he was simply try to see if Seattle would throw their #2 pick and Rashard Lewis at him just to swap picks so they could take Durant. In the end, Oden has to be the pick; guys like him don’t come along too often. Some say he is Patrick Ewing, some say he is Bill Russell, even others say he is Hakeem Olajuwon. What happens if he is all three in one and Portland passes him up? Not gonna happen. Portland may move Zach Randolph for another pick, as they are now too heavy up front with Randolph, Oden and last year’s #2 pick overall LaMarcus Aldridge (who happened to go to the University of Texas, like another potential #2 pick this year…). There are some very silly rumors out there that the Trail Blazers want a top 10 pick in return for Randolph in order to take Mike Conley, Oden’s teammate for his entire life it seems, I just don’t see it happening.

2. Seattle SuperSonics – Kevin Durant, University of Texas

As mentioned previously, a freshman out of Texas is the #2 pick overall again. What is it about Rick Barnes who turns out these super (skinny) freshman who are ready for the NBA? Despite that point, the similarities end there. Durant would have been the #1 pick in almost any other draft (I can only think of LeBron James going ahead of him), but this year he has to be happy with being #2. He had a fantastic workout in Portland that started up additional rumors that he may sneak into the top spot; unfortunately for KD I think it’s all just talk. Durant comes to a team that already has a legitimate lead scorer in Ray Allen and they will also be the lead negotiators for Rashard Lewis, who just opted out of his contract for free agency. Lewis could be re-signed, but with Durant’s arrival, it’s curious to see if Lewis would even fit. With Ray Allen, Durant will be able to look for his shot, as opposed to feeling like he has to force it and lead the team. Additionally, the Sonics are looking to trade Luke Ridnour for the #11 pick, so you could see a nice young point guard in Seattle as well (possibly Acie Law?). Regardless of how it works out, Kevin Durant is going to be a super-duper star in this league and it is going to be a thrill to watch him over his career.

3. Atlanta Hawks – Al Horford, University of Florida

This might be the most sought after pick in the entire draft (since there is NO WAY Portland or Seattle trade their picks, unless to each other). Horford has clearly distanced himself from the rest of the draft field and there are a number of teams who want to move up to get him. Minnesota is rumored to be the recipient if they move Kevin Garnett to Phoenix, who would then send Amare Stoudemire to Atlanta. Who knows how much credibility this trade rumor has, but boy is it fun to imagine Kevin Garnett teaming up with Steve Nash after having a brutal last couple of years in Minnesota. If the Hawks do keep the pick, they have to take a point guard right? There is plenty of talk regarding Mike Conley, Jr., but the Hawks believe this is too high for the freshman point guard and hope they can pick one up with their second choice, #11 (which has also been rumored to be traded to Seattle for Luke Ridnour). Horford probably has the most trade potential even if the Hawks do pick him, which is why he is the choice here.

4. Memphis Grizzlies – Mike Conley, Jr., Ohio State

The Grizzlies were a playoff team two years ago and followed it up in the 2006-07 season by finishing dead last in the entire league. Many expected Memphis to win the lottery and get a chance at Greg Oden (or at the very least Kevin Durant), but the ping pong balls fell as they have for most years and did not award the first pick to the team with the worst record. As a result, Memphis continues to struggle. There are a number of places they need help and I am not sure point guard is one of them. They used their first round pick last year on Villanova point guard Kyle Lowry, so it’s interesting to see that they are so interested in Conley. Both players are extremely quick, with Conley a better shooter and decision maker, whereas Lowry is a significantly better defender. They are still uncertain what to do with Pau Gasol, who has asked for a trade numerous times, to no avail. Memphis would like to keep their best low-post player, but in the end, they may find the right deal, which makes taking Conley even more bizarre with players like Yi Jianlian available at this spot.

5. Boston Celtics – Yi Jianlian, China

The talk regarding Yi Jianlian is increasing significantly in the past couple of days, with a number of teams trying to move up to take him. A seven-foot center out of China, Yi hasn’t played a single minute against real European or American competition. He competed on the Chinese under-20 team, which is interesting since many people believe he is 22 (the Chinese government lists him at 19). Either way, his workouts have been good (again, not against any real competition) and it’s tough to pass on a seven-footer who may become the Chinese version of Dirk Nowitzki. I haven’t seen much of Yi, but what I have seen is not exactly breath-taking. Boston has tried mercifully to trade this pick, either in a deal to land Kevin Garnett (which he essentially turned down himself) and Shawn Marion. However, Danny Ainge said today that the team will probably keep the pick, which I believe means they will end up taking Yi Jianlian. It’s still unclear what this means for Paul Pierce, as he has grown increasingly frustrated with the direction of the team. They seem to have a good low-post scorer in Al Jefferson, but other than that, there doesn’t appear to be much to help the team win now.

6. Milwaukee Bucks – Jeff Green, Georgetown University

Another pick that is available to the highest bidder as teams try to move up for Yi Jianlian (which the Celtics could ruin), the best fit here is the small forward from Georgetown, Jeff Green. Green considered going back to school for his senior year a number of times, but as soon as he decided to stay in the draft, his stock started rising. He is a pass first player, which should work well with Michael Redd chucking away from three once he is healthy again. Green is extremely versatile and had a very good workout at the pre-draft camp in Orlando. He is much stronger than I ever thought and his ability to create opportunities for his teammates is an unusual quality coming from the forward position. If Milwaukee does keep the pick, they would be much better off taking Green than when they started.

7. Minnesota Timberwolves – Joakim Noah, University of Florida

The Timberwolves may have a good number of picks in this draft if they do decide to ship Kevin Garnett to Phoenix, but at this point the #7 is what they have. Noah is exactly the type of player that Minnesota should team up with Kevin Garnett, which makes the trade scenarios a little disappointing. Noah brings a level of intensity that the Timberwolves have been lacking outside of Garnett for years. His ability to defend either the power forward or center positions fits in well with Garnett, who is forced to help all four of his teammates guarding the basket. I doubt Noah will get Garnett to dance like he does, but I still think they would be solid teammates up front for Minnesota.

I am getting really lazy at this point, so here is the rest:

8. Charlotte Bobcats – Corey Brewer, University of Florida

The best defender in the draft, especially on the perimeter, Brewer should fit right into a team that is chock full of former collegiate champions in Emeka Okafor, Ray Felton and Sean May.

9. Chicago Bulls (via New York Knicks) – Spencer Hawes, University of Washington

The Bulls will try to trade up to get to Yi, but if they can’t, Hawes is the low-post presence that they lack.

10. Sacramento Kings – Brandan Wright, University of North Carolina

Wright was once considered a lock at #3, he falls all the way down to #10 and the Kings are more than happy to stop the slide.

11. Atlanta Hawks (via Indiana Pacers) – Acie Law IV, Texas A&M

This is the smart pick for the Hawks, which means it probably won’t happen. The team is in desperate need of a point guard and after passing up on Mike Conley, Jr. at #3, they make Law the second point guard taken in the lottery.

12. Philadelphia 76ers – Julian Wright, Kansas University

Julian Wright, like Brandan before him, slips far beyond where he was initially projected to go. The 76ers really like Al Thornton in this spot, but if Julian Wright is available, they won’t be able to pass him up.

13. New Orleans Hornets – Nick Young, USC

The Hornets have been targeting Nick Young since the beginning of the draft process, as they really need a legitimate shooting guard to complement Chris Paul. They also like Thaddeus Young here, but I think they go with the hot shooter from Southern Cal.

14. Los Angeles Clippers – Al Thornton, Florida State

Thornton was expected to be gone here and may be the best talent left. With that said, the Clippers jump all over him, even though he may not fit into their plans as well as a point guard would. Irregardless, they cannot let him drop any further.

15. Detroit Pistons (via Orlando Magic) – Rodney Stuckey, Eastern Washington

Another guy who has been targeted by a team from the start, Stuckey brings a solid combo-guard ability to the Pistons, which means he should be able to spell Chauncey Billups (when they re-sign him) and Rip Hamilton.

16. Washington Wizards – Thaddeus Young, Georgia Tech

The Wizards don’t have too many holes to fill and would have gone much further in the playoffs had Caron Butler and Gilbert Arenas stayed healthy. Young is an athletic forward who should be able to get good minutes off the bench for the Wizards. They could look at Sean Williams from Boston College with this pick as an upgrade to Etan Thomas and Brendan Haywood, but the off-court issues are too much to deal with.

17. New Jersey Nets – Sean Williams, Boston College

Does anyone else find it weird that he is “Sean Williams from Boston College” even though he got kicked off the team before ACC play even started?

18. Golden State Warriors – Jason Smith, Colorado State

The Warriors are offering this pick and Monta Ellis to move up and take Yi Jianlian, but I am not sure that is going to be enough for the teams picking in the top 10.

19. Los Angeles Lakers – Gabe Pruitt, USC

No one knows what is going to happen with Kobe Bryant, so the Lakers take an athletic wing player who may be able to fit into the triangle offense better than anyone else who is left.

20. Miami Heat – Javaris Crittenton, Georgia Tech

Miami is getting very old and slow at the point guard position (Jason Williams and Gary Payton currently) and Crittenton should fit in nicely, especially given his size. With Crittenton’s arrival, the Heat will be able to play Dwyane Wade off the ball a little more, opening up the floor for both Wade and Shaquille O’Neal.

21. Philadelphia 76ers (via Denver Nuggets) – Josh McRoberts, Duke University

The Sixers are going to try to move this pick (and #30) if they can, but if they keep it, I think they go with the relatively polished Duke product. McRoberts probably would have been a top-5 or top-10 pick last year and didn’t have a great sophomore season at Duke. Regardless, he is an excellent passer for a big man, which will come in handy with Andre Iguodala and Julian Wright on the wings.

22. Charlotte Bobcats (via Toronto Raptors) – Rudy Fernandez, Spain

The Bobcats are looking to trade this pick, as well as the #8 to move up, but I don’t think it’s going to happen. Fernandez is a big guard who is able to get to the hoop pretty consistently. He may spend an extra year in Spain, which wouldn’t be the end of the world for the Bobcats.

23. New York Knicks (via Chicago Bulls) – Daequan Cook, Ohio State

Rumors were abound that the Knicks guaranteed a spot to Wilson Chandler of DePaul, but additional rumors say that it was actually the Suns who said they would take him. Isiah Thomas was able to sign Randolph Morris about a week after his last college game at Kentucky and as a result of that signing, he says he might get a little silly with this pick. Cook is the definition of a player who should have stayed in school for at least another year, but there is no doubting that he does have NBA talent.

24. Phoenix Suns (via Cleveland Cavaliers) – Tiago Splitter, Brazil

Splitter may have to stay abroad for another year, which is almost better for the Suns since their roster is pretty much set at this point, especially if they are able to land Kevin Garnett. The seven-footer will make a splash when he gets here, but certainly not a huge one.

25. Utah Jazz – Derrick Byars, Vanderbilt University

The Jazz had a lot of trouble shooting the ball from the outside this year and the Byars pick will be a direct result of that. Though he didn’t come on strong until his senior year at Vanderbilt, Byars should be able to contribute right away off the bench.

26. Houston Rockets – Nick Fazekas, Nevada

Fazekas has worked out well for a number of teams and Houston will use this opportunity to stop anyone else from taking him. He is a good outside shooter for a big man, which should open up the paint for Yao Ming.

27. Detroit Pistons – Glen “Big Baby” Davis, LSU

Big Baby can pretty much go anywhere from the Nets at #17 all the way to the second round, but I think the Pistons will be willing to give him a go. He takes up A LOT of space in the paint, which should allow Rasheed Wallace to take a little break on the defensive end.

28. San Antonio Spurs – Jared Dudley, Boston College

Dudley has played himself into the first round, even if he doesn’t have a real position on the NBA-level. He may be able to play the small forward if he can gain some quickness, but he is definitely too small to play the 4. Some people have said that he could be Bruce Bowen’s replacement, which I think will end up being pretty accurate.

29. Phoenix Suns – Wilson Chandler, DePaul University

As mentioned before, rumors are abound that the Suns guaranteed this spot to Chandler, which is why he stopped working out for most teams. He was certainly no where near anyone’s first round radar at the beginning of this process and without the guarantee rumor, he still wouldn’t be. He is undersized for a power forward and is a little lazy, which would make him a perfect fit for the Scott Layden-era Knicks.

30. Philadelphia 76ers (via Dallas Mavericks) – Marco Belinelli, Italy

After taking two college prospects, the Sixers go international for Belinelli, who will probably stay in Europe for another year. Again, they may try to move this pick with the #21, but if not, look for the Italian Stallion.