Draft Tek Classic NBA Mock - Mike Schottey First Round (1-15)
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Los Angeles Clippers - Blake Griffin (PF Oklahoma) We all know this pick is penned in. Or, if you prefer, chiseled in stone. Griffin is the top player in the draft and a great prospect to build a franchise around. Griffin will score in bunches for the Clippers, letting whomever is at center (preferably Camby with a Kaman trade) play the boards. Baron Davis might be a little toxic for this situation but that is a problem for another day. |
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Memphis Grizzlies - Jordan Hill (PF Arizona) Memphis has two young prospects who need to step up: Mike Conley and Darrell Arthur. From this writer's perspective, Conley is the more intriguing of the two and the one more ready for primetime. Although Rubio is a great pick, Jordan Hill is sure to please. Hill is the defensive cog every team needs and is growing offensively at leaps and bounds. Many fans may want a "safe" pick, but Rubio isn't any more polished than Hill and by draft day, no one will have more buzz. |
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Oklahoma City Thunder - Hasheem Thabeet (C Connecticut) Might as well chisel this pick in as well. Thabeet has a lot to offer the Thunder. His 7'2" frame with an even larger wingspan is size you can't teach. However, teaching is exactly what this extremely raw prospect will need. Offensively, Durant and Green can carry the load for the Thunder while Thabeet learns the game. Larger forwards will be able to back down Thabeet but even when beat, he's still a dangerous shot blocker. |
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Sacramento Kings - Ricky Rubio (PG Spain) Everyone, settle down. Rubio is 18. Quite frankly, with the massive amount of hype surrounding the Spanish sensation, it will be a nice slice of humble pie watching experienced PGs like Billups or Fisher school Rubio like...well, a college freshman. With that rant over, the upside to Rubio falls somewhere around Steve Nash and teams are right to covet him. However, whatever team drafts him will need to be patient--right now, his 18-year old slight frame is more suited for women's world cup soccer than NBA basketball. |
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Washington Wizards - James Harden (SG Arizona State) Harden is one of the best scoring guards in the draft and also one of the biggest. The fact is, even if Nick Young matures faster than expected, he is better suited as a bench scorer than a starter. Meanwhile, if both young players excel, the Wizards could have worse problems. Harden loves to get to the basket in any way possible but the best fit for the Wizards is his ability to stretch the floor with his long range jumper. |
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Minnesota T-Wolves - Eric Maynor (PG Virginia Commonwealth) Minnesota needs someone to handle the ball. Whatever glitz and glamor other top point guards would bring to the Timberwolves is negated by their lack of ball handling skills. Two options exist in my mind for this pick. Either a reach for Jennings who is falling down draft boards, or a lesser reach for the rising Maynor. No PG in this draft is more careful with the ball or a better on the ball defender. With Eric Maynor, Minnesota gets a mulligan after letting Chauncey Billups walk |
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Golden State Warriors - Stephen Curry (PG Davidson) Run! Warriors! Run! Stephen Curry fits into what Golden State is looking for and this is a perfect landing spot for Curry who isn't as good of a pro prospect as college afficianados would have you think. Curry is a shooter who will need help creating a shot against bigger defenders. In Golden State, he'll be able to fill the combo guard role nicely. Expect him as instant offense off the bench at first; with a starting role in his future. |
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New York Knicks - Brandon Jennings (PG Italy) The 19 year old Jennings will need a team to be patient. The Knicks, who are looking at a throwaway '09 will be just fine giving Jennings a year to learn. No PG in this draft is more athletic. His upside is equal to Rubio according to most scouts. The problem is his lack of playing time in Italy so he's basically a high school player. His style also fits the Knicks' run-and-gun style. He would look pretty nice passing to LeBron James or D-Wade in '10. |
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Toronto Raptors - DeMar DeRozan (SG USC) DeRozan is one of my favorite prospects--think a younger, stronger Vince Carter. When he puts his mind to it, he is absolutely impossible to stop getting to the rim, and is an explosive dunker. He already has a promise from Toronto but may go higher. Toronto will be looking to entice Chris Bosh and Shawn Marion to stick around and the flash of DeRozan might be enough. |
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Milwaukee Bucks - Jonny Flynn (PG Syracuse) Flynn is impressing a lot of scouts and no one should be surprised if he's a Top 5 pick. He's a bigger Tony Parker without the jumpshot. He jumped higher than any other athlete at the combine which will have scouts looking again. He might not make it to Milwaukee, but he won't make it past them either. The Bucks need a playmaking guard to get the most out of Jefferson and Bogut. |
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New Jersey Nets - Jrue Holliday (PG/SG UCLA) Jrue spent much of the season ranked as a top prospect before slipping because of his tweener frame and poor play (both him and those around him.) New Jersey has a great PG in Devin Harris and a possible emerging player in Chris Douglas-Roberts. However, Holliday has the skills right now to step up and play solid SG minutes while backing up the PG position at a high level. |
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Charlotte Bobcats - Gerald Henderson (SG North Carolina) Does this pick make too much sense? Charlotte is about two hours from the Duke campus. Meanwhile, Charlotte could use a versatile "two" guard. Henderson would complement Gerald Wallace perfectly, giving the Bobcats two outstanding slashers, defenders and midrange jumpers. This pick would take a lot of offensive pressure off of the forwards and give them some great perimeter defense. |
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Indiana Pacers - Earl Clark (SF Louisville) Yes Yes Yes, I know the Pacers have Danny Granger, and I love me some Danny Granger. However, at 6'10, 226, Earl Clark is growing into a PF body (Lamar Odom is only four lbs heavier). Clark gives the Pacers a powerful point forward with excellent passing and superb high post scoring. With his skills, Granger will have more room to make plays. |
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Phoenix Suns - Austin Daye (SF Gonzaga) Daye is one of the slightest basketball players I've ever seen. He could easily add 20-30lbs and still be undersized. However, for such a physically challenged athlete, he is explosive, quick and has great wingspan. He has all the tools to be a taller and more talented Tayshaun Prince type--especially if coaches get him to commit to defense. |
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Detroit Pistons - James Johnson (PF Wake Forest) Johnson is a Joe Dumars type of player. He is a great athlete with the midrange ability the Pistons rely on. Detroit will look a lot different over the next two seasons. Right now, Johnson can back up the SF/PF positions--bringing more offense than defensive ace Jason Maxiell. |
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