2010 NBA Mock Draft - v 6.0
With the draft order officially set, besides the top three picks of course, and the NBA season coming to a close, I figured it would be a good time for a new NBA mock draft. Most of the key players have declared. The only likely first round picks still undecided are Greg Monroe of Georgetown, who would be a top ten pick and Kyle Singler of Duke, who would be a mid to late first rounder. The two first round foreign prospects, Donatas Motiejunas and Jan Vesely still haven't officially declared, but I expect those two are givens.
As always, I run a lottery because it's fun and no one else seems to do it with their mock drafts.
1. Sacramento Kings (3) - PG John Wall, Kentucky. Wall will go to the Nets, Warriors, Timberwolves, Kings, Wizards, 76ers, Pistons or any other team that lucks into the number one spot. Here it is the Kings. Imagine a back court of Wall and Tyreke Evans. Now that would be exciting and a reason to watch the Kings again. Evan Turner had an unbelievable season, but Wall still has to be the unquestioned number one overall pick. In Sacramento, either him or Evans could handle the ball and that would be a nightmare back court for anyone to defend.
2. New Jersey Nets (1) - SG Evan Turner, Ohio St. A great fit for the Nets. Turner can step right in that two guard spot and give the Nets two players, along with Terrence Williams, who can drop a triple double on any given night. The Nets may have had one of the worst records of all times, but they do have quite a bright future with at worst a top four pick, a young big man, a couple other key pieces and a ton of cap space. They will be alright.
3. Golden St. Warriors (4) - PF Derrick Favors, Georgia Tech. I never know what the Warriors are going to do. Last year they surprised everyone by taking Stephen Curry, and he ended up having an amazing rookie season. With this pick, they could go with Favors, Cousins or Johnson. I picked Favors because I think he fits what the Warriors are trying to do better then Cousins. What they are trying to do, I have no idea, since amazingly Don Nelson will be back next year. But Favors will be better then Anthony Randolph and will give the warriors some much needed size. And he has the required Warriors athleticism to go along with it.
4. Minnesota Timberwolves - C DeMarcus Cousins, Kentucky. The Timberwolves are floating the idea of trading either Kevin Love or Al Jefferson. Of course they had the audacity to mention Darko Milicic as a possible reason. David Kahn, ladies and gentlemen, he'll be here all week. But seriously, I don't think it would be a bad idea. Both are power forwards who just cannot defend the center position. If they luck into Cousins, trading one of them for a scoring wing player would be a great idea. Cousins is a load down low, and while he does have some issues between the ears, he's a true big man with a big man's game.
5. Washington Wizards - SF Wesley Johnson, Syracuse. The Wizards were smart to tear down and rebuild. I don't think they got nearly enough back for Butler, Haywood and Jamison. They got Josh Howard, who probably won't be back, Al Thornton, who is simply backup material and the last pick in the first round of this year's draft. They could have done much better. But they had to do it, regardless. Now they have plenty of minutes for a key rookie they will draft. Johnson is the last of the five best players in the draft, so he's the guy the Wizards take. He'll step right into Butler's old spot. He could quickly become the leader of this team, especially with head cases Andray Blatche and Gilbert Arenas around.
6. Philadelphia 76ers - SF/PF Al-Farouq Aminu, Wake Forest. After the first five players, I think things fall off a bit. The Sixers are a mess, surrounded with a couple of horrible contracts in Dalembert and Brand. Young and Iguodala are nice pieces to build around, and Lou Williams had a good season, but something is missing in Philly. Aminu is a player similar to Young, but they just have to draft best player available here.
7. Detroit Pistons - C Cole Aldrich, Kansas. I really did not want to put Cold Aldrich in the top ten. I don't think he will end up being that good. But the Pistons have such a size problem they will have to reach for the guy. If Greg Monroe declares I would put him here. But for right now, they get the 7 footer who will at least rebound and play some defense at the next level. I really doubt he will be better then a Jeff Foster type, and would love to move him back down to the 10-14 range, and will if Monroe finally declares.
8. Los Angeles Clippers - PF Ed Davis, North Carolina. Davis will slip some due to injuries, but I don't think he will slip too far, as he offers far more potential then any other big man remaining. The Clippers always seem to be here and just end up taking best player available. It will be that way until 2050.
9. Utah Jazz (from New York Knicks) - PF Donatas Motiejunas, Lithuania. Motiejunas to the Jazz is just meant to happen. He's a 7 footer who would rather shoot then bang, and can learn how to do just that from 7 foot gunner Mehmet Okur. The Jazz have a great track record with foreign players and are the only team in the top ten that can afford to develop the guy.
10. Indiana Pacers - SG Xavier Henry, Kansas. The Pacers finished the season very well, but that might be a non-blessing in disguise. They are a team that desperately needs an injection of talent, but now they will probably pick in no man's land once again. A player like Cousins, Favors or Johnson would have done wonders for a team in turmoil, but instead they have to try to find a gem in the late lottery. Henry is one of the few wing players who can make a difference next year. Brandon Rush has not gotten the job done and the Pacers are just a mess at the guard position.
11. New Orleans Hornets - PF Ekpe Udoh, Baylor. The Hornets did very well drafting their back court of the future last year, but now they really need some depth up front. Thanks to them being cheap as hell, they traded it all away recently. Udoh is a project but he can step in next year and provide some shot blocking and rebounding.
12. Memphis Grizzlies - PF Patrick Patterson, Kentucky. The Grizzlies have one of the best starting fives in the NBA, and are using the draft to really develop their depth. They had three first round picks last year and have three more this year. All three should be used to further bolster the bench. Patterson might be too undersized to ever be a starter in the NBA, but he should excel as a backup.
13. Toronto Raptors - PF/C Hassan Whiteside, Marshall. Whiteside is a project in the truest form. Mock drafts have him going anywhere from 7 to 21. So I will put him in the middle. I can't say I know anything about the guy but he's a 7 footer with a freakish wing span.
14. Houston Rockets - SF/PF Jan Vesely, Czech Republic. Vesely is a guy with size who likes to shoot the ball. He is known to be tougher and work harder then the normal international player, which means he should be a great fit for this Rockets team, that seems go to 10 deep every night.
15. Milwaukee Bucks (from Chicago Bulls) - SG James Anderson, Oklahoma St. Michael Redd shouldn't be in the Bucks plans anymore, meaning they could use another guy who can score at the shooting guard spot.
16. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Charlotte Bobcats) - SF Damion James, Texas. The Timberwolves need to find guys who can step in right away and play. With two more first round picks, they should go the upper classmen route.
17. Chicago Bulls (from Milwaukee Bucks) - SF Gordon Hayward, Butler. The Bulls always seem to be a fan of the NCAA Tournament, taking guys who got the job done in March. Well, Hayward definitely did, and he looks like a Bull to me.
18. Miami Heat - SF Devin Ebanks, West Virginia. The Heat got some bad luck when the Raptors missed the playoffs, losing a draft pick. They could really use a couple guys to add to the roster next year. Ebanks was miscast for West Virginia this year. He is a decent all around player who can play defense. Sounds like a good sixth man to me.
19. Boston Celtics - SF Quincy Pondexter, Washington. Pondexter is a defensive specialist.
20. San Antonio Spurs -SF Paul George, Fresno St. As you can tell, from this point on I don't really have much to say about any of these draft picks. Teams are all basically drafting best player available. So I'll just try to make up some crap.
21. Oklahoma City Thunder - PF Larry Sanders, VCU. The Thunder draft another big man project, and interestingly will have two VCU players on their roster.
22. Portland Trail Blazers -PF/C Daniel Orton, Kentucky. Someone is going to take Daniel Orton in the first round. If he was on another team he might have been a lottery pick. You can't teach that size.
23. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Utah Jazz) - SG Elliot Williams, Memphis. The Wolves really have trouble scoring the ball, among about everything else. Keep drafting talent.
24. Atlanta Hawks - PF Gani Lawal, Georgia Tech. The Hawks go for the Georgia Tech guy again.
25. Memphis Grizzlies (from Denver Nuggets) - PG Eric Bledsoe, Kentucky. If your backup point guards are rejects Marcus Williams and Jamaal Tinsley, you need to find an upgrade.
26. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Phoenix Suns) - PF Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi St. Varnado has found one thing that he is very good at, and ended up doing it better then anyone who has ever played college basketball. He's a freak of a shot blocker, and I think he'd be worth a first round pick.
27. New Jersey Nets (from Dallas Mavericks) - PG/SG Avery Bradley, Texas. Bradley is too talented to fall out of the first round completely, and could find minutes with the Nets.
28. Memphis Grizzlies (from Los Angeles Lakers) - SF Stanley Robinson, Connecticut. Keep drafting those seniors, Grizz.
29. Orlando Magic - PG/SG Willie Warren, Oklahoma. Read what I said about Bradley, although Warren could very easily fall out of the first round.
30. Washington Wizards (from Cleveland Cavaliers) - PF Craig Brackins, Iowa St. Eh, nothing to say here.
As always, I run a lottery because it's fun and no one else seems to do it with their mock drafts.
1. Sacramento Kings (3) - PG John Wall, Kentucky. Wall will go to the Nets, Warriors, Timberwolves, Kings, Wizards, 76ers, Pistons or any other team that lucks into the number one spot. Here it is the Kings. Imagine a back court of Wall and Tyreke Evans. Now that would be exciting and a reason to watch the Kings again. Evan Turner had an unbelievable season, but Wall still has to be the unquestioned number one overall pick. In Sacramento, either him or Evans could handle the ball and that would be a nightmare back court for anyone to defend.
2. New Jersey Nets (1) - SG Evan Turner, Ohio St. A great fit for the Nets. Turner can step right in that two guard spot and give the Nets two players, along with Terrence Williams, who can drop a triple double on any given night. The Nets may have had one of the worst records of all times, but they do have quite a bright future with at worst a top four pick, a young big man, a couple other key pieces and a ton of cap space. They will be alright.
3. Golden St. Warriors (4) - PF Derrick Favors, Georgia Tech. I never know what the Warriors are going to do. Last year they surprised everyone by taking Stephen Curry, and he ended up having an amazing rookie season. With this pick, they could go with Favors, Cousins or Johnson. I picked Favors because I think he fits what the Warriors are trying to do better then Cousins. What they are trying to do, I have no idea, since amazingly Don Nelson will be back next year. But Favors will be better then Anthony Randolph and will give the warriors some much needed size. And he has the required Warriors athleticism to go along with it.
4. Minnesota Timberwolves - C DeMarcus Cousins, Kentucky. The Timberwolves are floating the idea of trading either Kevin Love or Al Jefferson. Of course they had the audacity to mention Darko Milicic as a possible reason. David Kahn, ladies and gentlemen, he'll be here all week. But seriously, I don't think it would be a bad idea. Both are power forwards who just cannot defend the center position. If they luck into Cousins, trading one of them for a scoring wing player would be a great idea. Cousins is a load down low, and while he does have some issues between the ears, he's a true big man with a big man's game.
5. Washington Wizards - SF Wesley Johnson, Syracuse. The Wizards were smart to tear down and rebuild. I don't think they got nearly enough back for Butler, Haywood and Jamison. They got Josh Howard, who probably won't be back, Al Thornton, who is simply backup material and the last pick in the first round of this year's draft. They could have done much better. But they had to do it, regardless. Now they have plenty of minutes for a key rookie they will draft. Johnson is the last of the five best players in the draft, so he's the guy the Wizards take. He'll step right into Butler's old spot. He could quickly become the leader of this team, especially with head cases Andray Blatche and Gilbert Arenas around.
6. Philadelphia 76ers - SF/PF Al-Farouq Aminu, Wake Forest. After the first five players, I think things fall off a bit. The Sixers are a mess, surrounded with a couple of horrible contracts in Dalembert and Brand. Young and Iguodala are nice pieces to build around, and Lou Williams had a good season, but something is missing in Philly. Aminu is a player similar to Young, but they just have to draft best player available here.
7. Detroit Pistons - C Cole Aldrich, Kansas. I really did not want to put Cold Aldrich in the top ten. I don't think he will end up being that good. But the Pistons have such a size problem they will have to reach for the guy. If Greg Monroe declares I would put him here. But for right now, they get the 7 footer who will at least rebound and play some defense at the next level. I really doubt he will be better then a Jeff Foster type, and would love to move him back down to the 10-14 range, and will if Monroe finally declares.
8. Los Angeles Clippers - PF Ed Davis, North Carolina. Davis will slip some due to injuries, but I don't think he will slip too far, as he offers far more potential then any other big man remaining. The Clippers always seem to be here and just end up taking best player available. It will be that way until 2050.
9. Utah Jazz (from New York Knicks) - PF Donatas Motiejunas, Lithuania. Motiejunas to the Jazz is just meant to happen. He's a 7 footer who would rather shoot then bang, and can learn how to do just that from 7 foot gunner Mehmet Okur. The Jazz have a great track record with foreign players and are the only team in the top ten that can afford to develop the guy.
10. Indiana Pacers - SG Xavier Henry, Kansas. The Pacers finished the season very well, but that might be a non-blessing in disguise. They are a team that desperately needs an injection of talent, but now they will probably pick in no man's land once again. A player like Cousins, Favors or Johnson would have done wonders for a team in turmoil, but instead they have to try to find a gem in the late lottery. Henry is one of the few wing players who can make a difference next year. Brandon Rush has not gotten the job done and the Pacers are just a mess at the guard position.
11. New Orleans Hornets - PF Ekpe Udoh, Baylor. The Hornets did very well drafting their back court of the future last year, but now they really need some depth up front. Thanks to them being cheap as hell, they traded it all away recently. Udoh is a project but he can step in next year and provide some shot blocking and rebounding.
12. Memphis Grizzlies - PF Patrick Patterson, Kentucky. The Grizzlies have one of the best starting fives in the NBA, and are using the draft to really develop their depth. They had three first round picks last year and have three more this year. All three should be used to further bolster the bench. Patterson might be too undersized to ever be a starter in the NBA, but he should excel as a backup.
13. Toronto Raptors - PF/C Hassan Whiteside, Marshall. Whiteside is a project in the truest form. Mock drafts have him going anywhere from 7 to 21. So I will put him in the middle. I can't say I know anything about the guy but he's a 7 footer with a freakish wing span.
14. Houston Rockets - SF/PF Jan Vesely, Czech Republic. Vesely is a guy with size who likes to shoot the ball. He is known to be tougher and work harder then the normal international player, which means he should be a great fit for this Rockets team, that seems go to 10 deep every night.
15. Milwaukee Bucks (from Chicago Bulls) - SG James Anderson, Oklahoma St. Michael Redd shouldn't be in the Bucks plans anymore, meaning they could use another guy who can score at the shooting guard spot.
16. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Charlotte Bobcats) - SF Damion James, Texas. The Timberwolves need to find guys who can step in right away and play. With two more first round picks, they should go the upper classmen route.
17. Chicago Bulls (from Milwaukee Bucks) - SF Gordon Hayward, Butler. The Bulls always seem to be a fan of the NCAA Tournament, taking guys who got the job done in March. Well, Hayward definitely did, and he looks like a Bull to me.
18. Miami Heat - SF Devin Ebanks, West Virginia. The Heat got some bad luck when the Raptors missed the playoffs, losing a draft pick. They could really use a couple guys to add to the roster next year. Ebanks was miscast for West Virginia this year. He is a decent all around player who can play defense. Sounds like a good sixth man to me.
19. Boston Celtics - SF Quincy Pondexter, Washington. Pondexter is a defensive specialist.
20. San Antonio Spurs -SF Paul George, Fresno St. As you can tell, from this point on I don't really have much to say about any of these draft picks. Teams are all basically drafting best player available. So I'll just try to make up some crap.
21. Oklahoma City Thunder - PF Larry Sanders, VCU. The Thunder draft another big man project, and interestingly will have two VCU players on their roster.
22. Portland Trail Blazers -PF/C Daniel Orton, Kentucky. Someone is going to take Daniel Orton in the first round. If he was on another team he might have been a lottery pick. You can't teach that size.
23. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Utah Jazz) - SG Elliot Williams, Memphis. The Wolves really have trouble scoring the ball, among about everything else. Keep drafting talent.
24. Atlanta Hawks - PF Gani Lawal, Georgia Tech. The Hawks go for the Georgia Tech guy again.
25. Memphis Grizzlies (from Denver Nuggets) - PG Eric Bledsoe, Kentucky. If your backup point guards are rejects Marcus Williams and Jamaal Tinsley, you need to find an upgrade.
26. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Phoenix Suns) - PF Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi St. Varnado has found one thing that he is very good at, and ended up doing it better then anyone who has ever played college basketball. He's a freak of a shot blocker, and I think he'd be worth a first round pick.
27. New Jersey Nets (from Dallas Mavericks) - PG/SG Avery Bradley, Texas. Bradley is too talented to fall out of the first round completely, and could find minutes with the Nets.
28. Memphis Grizzlies (from Los Angeles Lakers) - SF Stanley Robinson, Connecticut. Keep drafting those seniors, Grizz.
29. Orlando Magic - PG/SG Willie Warren, Oklahoma. Read what I said about Bradley, although Warren could very easily fall out of the first round.
30. Washington Wizards (from Cleveland Cavaliers) - PF Craig Brackins, Iowa St. Eh, nothing to say here.
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