It’s NBA Draft week! I am more giddy than Adam Lambert at an all boys school. Make sure to check back to The Sports Bank frequently this week for all the latest draft info. I will be updating my 2010 NBA Mock Draft Tuesday, Wednesday, and several times leading up to the first pick on Thursday. We will also be live chatting during the actual draft and posting live grades for each pick so come and join the fun. You can also check out my 2011 NBA Mock Draft.
When I usually do my NBA Mock Draft, I more times than not tend to make the picks based on what I think the teams WILL do rather than what they SHOULD do. For today’s mock draft, I enlisted the help of fellow TSB contributors and NBA nerds, Peter Christian (PC) and Andy Weise (AW). (I would be DK… David Kay.) We each did some role playing and assumed the general manager position for each NBA team and went through the draft with the picks WE would make if WE were running the team. Trades were allowed and here are how the selections played out.
1. Washington– John Wall, PG, Kentucky, 6-4, Fr.
(AW) A franchise stuck in mediocrity for a long time finally decided to blow things up. The reward: John Wall. Wall becomes the face of the franchise the day he gets picked.
2. Minnesota– Evan Turner, G/F, Ohio State, 6-7, Jr.
(PC) The Philadelphia 76ers have traded the #2 pick and Elton Brand for #16, #23 & Al Jefferson. And Philly rejoices for getting rid of a terrible mistake.
(DK) The T-Wolves select the player we have been coveting for a long time. Turner will hopefully give us the wing scorer we so badly need.
For one of our MANY interview features on Evan Turner, EASILY the most blogged about individual athlete in The Sports Bank’s history, click this exclusive here
For more on Evan Turner’s effect on his opponents go here
To see a really cool video about, and read more details on, the Illini trash talk getting under Turner’s skin go here
For the all-Evan Turner BFF team go here
3. New Jersey– Derrick Favors, PF, Georgia Tech, 6-10, Fr.
(DK) He and Brook Lopez should be a formidable frontcourt of the future. Plus, our new Russian owner threatened to “off” me if I picked anyone but Favors.
For a feature profile/interview of Favors click here
4. Minnesota– DeMarcus Cousins, C, Kentucky, 6-11, Fr.
(DK) Sure, we took on Brand’s awful contract, but in order to get Turner AND Cousins… I think it was worth it… plus, we’re still under the cap and can hopefully bring somebody in via free agency.
5. Sacramento– Wesley Johnson, SF, Syracuse, 6-8, Jr.
The T-Wolves need some scoring help on the wing and Johnson should be a great fit as his all-around game will continue the re-building project in Minnesota. Cousins could also be an option since the T-Wolves lack a true center, but Johnson is the safer pick.
Think: Shawn Marion
6. Golden State– Greg Monroe, PF, Georgetown, 6-11, So.
(PC) We love the idea of having Johnson and Tyreke Evans on the floor to stretch the defense and wear them out.
7. Detroit– Ekpe Udoh, PF, Baylor, 6-10, Jr.
(DK) Pistons need some fresh blood inside and Udoh’s length and athleticism brings a shot blocker and solid rebounder. Aminu might be the better prospect at this point but we need size in Detroit.
8. L.A. Clippers– Al-Farouq Aminu, SF, Wake Forest, 6-9, So.
(PC) Clips need some athleticism and Aminu fits the need to a “T” twice. A prototypical slasher with handles, Aminu is an easy pick for a team without any player of that ilk.
9. Utah– Ed Davis, PF, North Carolina, 6-10, So.
(AW) This signals the end for Carlos Boozer in Utah. Davis will get time to grow behind Millsap and Okur.
10. Indiana– Eric Bledsoe, PG, Kentucky, 6-1, Fr.
(DK) Indy needs a point guard of the future desperately… After unsuccessfully trying to trade down, we feel Bledsoe can be groomed into that spot and help settle that position and will be worth the tenth pick.
11. New Orleans– Luke Babbitt, SF, Nevada, 6-9, So.
(PC) Sure we’ve got a handful of guys that can play SF and really nothing else but Babbitt has a better upside than all of them. Maybe now teams will believe us when we tell them we’ll take a rack of new Spaldings for Peja?
12. Memphis– Paul George, G/F, Fresno State, 6-9, So.
(AW) Rudy Gay is likely to get some big offers when free agency opens up. George is an ideal replacement if we decide the money is not worth it to keep Gay.
13. Toronto– Patrick Patterson, PF, Kentucky, 6-9, Jr.
(AW) Everything is up in the air for Toronto. Patterson has a lot of talent and is NBA ready.
14. Houston–Cole Aldrich, C, Kansas, 6-11, Jr.
(PC) Everything we draft turns to gold and Yao’s legs might as well be Mr. Glass’ legs. Aldrich isn’t a seven-footer but we’ve gotten by with less. We already love him in Houston.
15.Milwaukee– Xavier Henry, G/F, Kansas, 6-7, Fr.
(AW) Ecstatic that he fell here. We will try to bring back John Salmons and hope that the core of Jennings/Henry/Salmons/Bogut can get people to really Fear the Deer.
16. Oklahoma City– Daniel Orton, F/C, Kentucky, 6-10, Fr.
(PC) Philly is employing the Belichick-Thompson Draft method and trading our 16th pick to OKC for the 21st and 32nd picks. OKC LOVES bringing Orton home! Not only does he make our team more menacing in the frontcourt but we can now admit BJ Mullens sucks.
17. Chicago– James Anderson, SG, Oklahoma State, 6-6, Jr.
(PC) We like Damion James here too but we also like another guy with the first name James that could fit that role better. Anderson teamed with Rose in the backcourt could be a lethal scoring duo.
For a feature profile/interview of Anderson click here
18. Miami–Hassan Whiteside, F/C, Marshall, 7-0, Fr.
(DK) An atheltic 7-footer loaded with potential who has yet to scrape how good he can be at 18??? Yes please! He may not be a major contributor right away, but his sky is the limit. Plus, we have no size.
19. Boston- Gordon Hayward, SF, Butler, 6-8, So.
(AW) Ainge says the last time Boston drafted a 6’9 white guy from Indiana, things ended up pretty good for the franchise for over a decade.
Click here for an exclusive interview/profile of Hayward
20. San Antonio–Avery Bradley, G, Texas, 6-3, Fr.
(PC) Bradley’s only 19 years old… he was 4 when Antonio McDyess was drafted. Youth and talent is something we need to make sure we don’t fall out of the playoff picture.
21. Philadelphia– Damion James, SF, Texas, 6-8, Sr.
(PC) We passed on the opportunity to take Evan Turner to get rid of Elton Brand and roll with a younger big man in Al Jefferson. Now we add Damion James who can do a lot of what Jason Kapono can’t do.
22. Portland– Solomon Alabi, C, Florida State, 7-1, Soph.
(PC) We have faith in Oden’s knee, we really do. But, if we have a back up plan it’s not that big of a deal right? RIGHT?
23. Philadelphia– Jordan Crawford, SG, Xavier, 6-5, Soph.
(PC) Did you know Jordan Crawford dunked on LeBron James? We just found out. Adding Crawford gives us a guy who can score in bunches from anywhere on the floor and can lead our 2nd unit.
For a feature profile/interview of Crawford click here
24. Atlanta– Lance Stephenson, SG, Cincinnati, 6-6, Fr.
(DK) His nickname is “Born Ready” and we will need him to contribute right away since we will be losing Joe Johnson this off-season. I mean, we are confident we can still re-sign Joe and that he won’t sell out to play in New York.
25. Memphis– Willie Warren, G, Oklahoma, 6-4, So.
(AW) While he does have similar size to Mayo, the hope here is that he can live up to expectations after a big time freshman season. Warren comes in as a combo guard and we feel that he and Mayo will be able to play together as well.
26. &Oklahoma City– Quincy Pondexter, G/F, Washington, 6-7, Sr.
(PC) Tough decision between Q and Devin Ebanks but we chose Poindexter to back up Durant. He’s more of a slasher now but we think his game can become more well rounded.
27. *New Jersey– Dominique Jones, G, South Florida, 6-5, Jr.
(DK) We were bad last, I mean REALLY bad. So we are going with the best available player and we love Jones’ ability to score the basketball.
28. Denver-Craig Brackins, PF, Iowa State, 6-10, Jr.
(AW) Memphis has sold the draft pick to the Denver Nuggets. Denver needs to get younger at the 4/5 positions and Kenyon Martin will be a free agent following the 2010 season so we really felt paying $3 million for this pick was a solid investment.
Click here for a profile/interview of Brackins.
29. Orlando– Armon Johnson, PG, Nevada, 6-3, Jr.
(DK) Jameer Nelson is our only point guard under contract and Johnson brings a contrast in style with his incredible speed and ability to penetrate.
30. +Washington– Devin Ebanks, SF, West Virginia, 6-8, So.
(AW) Ebanks finishes out a good first round. He joins Wall in the hopefully short rebuild job and leaves the Josh Howard expendable.
SECOND ROUND (Click here for David’s actual Second Round Mock Draft.)
31. New Jersey–Darington Hobson, G/F, New Mexico, 6-7, Jr.
(DK) His versatility adds a lot of flexibility to our roster. We think he can play a point forward type position and was the guy we were targeting after taking Jones at 27.
32. Indiana– Larry Sanders, PF, VCU, 6-11, Jr.
(DK) The Sixers (who acquired this pick from OKC) dealt this selection to Indiana for #40 and a future second rounder. Indy’s goal with this draft was to get a franchise point guard and athletic, defensive-minded big. Mission accomplished.
33. Sacramento– Greivis Vasquez, G, Maryland, 6-7, Sr.
(PC) We only have 3 true guards on the roster so we needed some backcourt depth. We love Vazquez’s passion and ability to play at either guard position. With Vazquez we now technically have 3 point guards and 3 shooting guards on the roster with only 4 players.
34. Washington– Kevin Seraphin, PF, France, 6-10, 1989
(AW) Wizards land a notable foreign player who might not come over for the 2010-2011 season but there will be attempt to sign him and get him into the NBA year one.
35. Golden State– Terrico White, SG, Mississippi, 6-5, So.
(AW) He might fit the mold of a typical NBA combo guard and fits well into the instant offense approach that the Warriors enjoy playing.
36. L.A. Lakers– Sherron Collins, PG, Kansas, 6-0, Sr.
(AW) Detroit deals this pick to the Lake Show for #43 and #58. The guards aren’t getting any younger for the Lakers and backups Farmar and Brown might not want to wait around too much longer. Collins might be a reach but they like winners in L.A.
37. Milwaukee– Gani Lawal, PF, Georgia Tech, 6-9, Jr.
(AW) Unpolished but the potential is there. The Bucks hope they can find a hidden gem in Lawal.
38. New York– Dexter Pittman, C, Texas, 6-11, Sr.
(PC) Sure we’ve already got one ginormous center under contract but we hate him. We don’t hate Dexter Pittman yet.
39. New York– Jarvis Varnado, PF, Mississippi State, 6-9, Sr.
(PC) In case you didn’t notice we have about 2 players on our current roster that actually deserve to be in the NBA. We’re going to spend some major coin this summer on some dudes. We just hope that Varnado can block 7 shots off the bench every night.
40. Philadelphia– Da’Sean Butler, G/F, West Virginia, 6-7, Sr.
(PC) Everyone saw his terrible injury against Duke. EVERYONE. We hope that he can get healthy and add some depth to our bench. Eventually.
41. Miami– Elliot Williams, G, Memphis, 6-4, So.
(DK) We think he has first round talent and since we have less than a handful of players under contract, we are looking for the best available talent.
42. Miami– Lazar Hayward, SF, Marquette, 6-6, Sr.
(DK) We need bodies and LOVE Hayward’s leadership, unselfishness, coachability, and ability to stretch defenses with his outside shot.
43. Detroit– Artsiom Parakhouski, C, Radford, 6-11, Sr.
(DK) Some muscle inside compliments the long, athletic post player we took in the first round in Udoh.
44. Portland– Trevor Booker, PF, Clemson, 6-8, Sr.
(PC) Booker is a little more muscly than Aldridge and if he develops into an NBA big, he could be a good change of pace.
45. Minnesota– Ryan Richards, F/C, England, 7-0, 1989
(DK) A young 7-footer who will bring some athleticism to our frontcourt that our current mix of Cousins/Brand/Love doesn’t possess. We’re okay if he decides to stay overseas for a year but would like him to come to Minnesota this season… hmmm, sound familiar… I kid. I kid.
46. Phoenix- Derrick Caracter, PF, UTEP, 6-9, Jr.
(AW) Steve Kerr walking away might not be good for Amar’e’s chances of sticking around. Suns hope this pick is just for depth.
47. Milwaukee– Miroslav Raduljica, C, Serbia, 7-1, 1988
Dan Gadzuric is almost done with his contract he signed forever ago. Raduljica might not come over right away but at least the Bucks hold his rights.
48. Miami– Tiny Gallon, PF, Oklahoma, 6-10, Fr.
(DK) A load inside who is worth the risk that he develops into an NBA player with our fourth pick of the draft.
49. San Antonio– Latavious Williams, F, NBDL, 6-8, 1989
(PC) Williams went an unconventional route by skipping college to play in the “D” League. He’s got some decent skills to back up Richard Jefferson (if we keep him) as long as his game continues to progress.
50. Dallas– Omar Samhan, C, St. Mary’s, 6-11, Sr.
(PC) Erick Dampier isn’t getting any younger (and could be gone this off-season) and we don’t have anyone else who can play a true center. Samhan will hopefully bring the same energy and hustle to our bench that he had against Villanova
51. Oklahoma City– Andy Rautins, SG, Syracuse, 6-5, Sr.
We really like Rautins brains and fortitude. He works hard and isn’t afraid to take a big shot. We need someone who can consistently hit crunch time shots so teams can’t simply key on Durant.
52. L.A. Clippers– Scottie Reynolds, PG, Villanova, 6-1, Sr.
(Clippers acquired pick from Boston for the 54th pick and cash) We love Reynold’s basketball IQ and ability to run the offense. His size isn’t ideal but we think he can become a player in the Jameer Nelson mold that is highly effective when staying within himself on the court.
53. Atlanta– Mac Koshwal, PF, DePaul, 6-10, Jr.
(DK) Koshwal has all the physical tools we are looking for to add some depth to our frontcourt. Hopefully, he can put it all together for us.
For a feature profile on Koshwal go here
54. Boston- Jerome Jordan, C, Tulsa, 7-0, Sr.
(AW) ‘Sheed might not be back and the Celtics could always use a capable backup for Kendrick Perkins.
55. Utah– Stanley Robinson, SF, UConn, 6-9, Sr.
Heat have three second round picks and probably load up on the best available talent hoping one or two of them can stick on the roster.
56. Minnesota– Jon Scheyer, G, Duke, 6-5, Sr.
(DK) Scheyer give us a sharp shooter who can come off the bench which we really don’t have on our roster.
Click here for an exclusive interview/profile of Scheyer
57. Indiana–Nemanja Bjelica, F, Serbia, 6-10, 1988
(DK) A foreign prospect who we can keep overseas for a year and hopefully can come to the NBA next season if we need since Mike Dunleavy will finally be off the books then.
58. Detroit– Luke Harangody, PF, Notre Dame, 6-8, Sr.
(DK) Continuing our theme of getting bigger and more talented inside, Harangody might not be the greatest athlete, but he plays hard and can knock down open shots, hopefully providing a boost off our bench.
Click here to read an interview/profile of Harangody
59. Orlando– Mikhail Torrance, G, Alabama, 6-5, Sr.
(DK) We took Armon Johnson with our first round pick, but we feel Torrance is too good of a value to pass up this late in the draft.
60. Phoenix- Charles Garcia, F, Seattle U, 6-10, Jr.
(AW) Sort of an unknown but Phoenix needs anything to beef up the front line and this might be the guy. The guy can score and rebound well and he’s got tattoos everywhere. Good fit here.