Thursday, June 25, 2009

2009 Mock Draft II

I just returned from vacation. There is literally way too much NBA news to digest. Shaq to the Cavs seems a little late, and Crawford to the Hawks feels like a supremely bad idea. For the life of me, I can't figure out why the Celtics would even consider trading Rondo, if the various dubious reports are to be take seriously. Finally, there are rumors that Donnie Walsh is looking to acquire Darko Milicic from Memphis for Quentin Richardson, and, in another move, trying to pry away one of Minnesota's four first round picks, probably number 18 or 28, in exchange for some cash. With everything up in the air, I thought I'd take another crack at predicting tonight's NBA Draft. Here goes nothing. 

Los Angeles Clippers: Blake Griffin.
Still set in stone. 

Memphis Grizzlies: Hasheem Thabeet. 
It's not who they want, but it's what they need. Unfortunately, Thabeet's not going to add much, at least not right away.  

Oklahoma City Thunder: Ricky Rubio. 
Sorry, Russell Westbrook. Make room for Ricky. 

Sacramento Kings: Tyreke Evans. 
The Kings really want Rubio, but they could end up with the steal of the draft. 

Minnesota Timberwolves: James Harden and Stephen Curry. 
By trading Randy Foye and Mike Miller to Washington, the Timberwolves will look to rebuild their backcourt. Harden and Curry are their guys.  

Golden State Warriors: Jordan Hill.  
This seems to be the growing consensus. A talented big man to complement the Warriors' numerous guards and wings.  

New York Knicks: Jrue Holliday.    
A reliable, if underwhelming pick.   

Toronto Raptors: Jonny Flynn. 
It seems they're in search of a point guard to help Jose Calderon carry the load.  

Milwaukee Bucks: DeMar DeRozan. 
The Bucks take a chance on the athletic DeRozan to replace the recently departed Richard Jefferson.  

New Jersey Nets: Gerald Henderson.
DeJuan Blair's knee and weight issues make the Nets look elsewhere. What they find is Henderson.    

Charlotte Bobcats: Terrence Williams.   
Versatile, and said to have a promise from Charlotte. Makes sense.   

Indiana Pacers: Ty Lawson. 
The Pacers will go with the best available player, even if it is a carbon copy of incumbent TJ Ford.

Phoenix Suns. James Johnson.
Quick, versatile big man who can play the 3 and the 4. Just one of the things Phoenix needs.

(UPDATE: Looks like SI's Ian Thomsen has an almost identical mock draft, which means I'm probably wrong. )

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