NBA expert Tom Lorenzo weighs in with his 2009 NBA mock draft.
Each year I get overly excited about the NBA Draft and spend far too much time obsessing over team needs, wingspan, upside potential, and the whereabouts of Russ Granik. This year, of course, the song remains the same. I am just as excited about draft night even though the prospects in 2009 are no where near as talented as the crop that came through in 2008. There are, however, plenty of very good point guards to be had this year. If you're looking for size, though, you should probably look elsewhere.
The prize of the draft is Oklahoma big man Blake Griffin. The jury is still out on whether he'll be more Karl Malone than Kenyon Martin. Either way, the Clippers will take all the help they can get. Other questionable "stars" range from the unknown Internationals like Ricky Rubio and Brandon Jennings to the abundant amount of not-quite-ready-for-the-NBA super prospects out there (Evans, Mullens, DeRozan, Holiday, etc.). Nonetheless talent is available in this year's NBA Draft. Here's how I see things shaking out as it stands today.
Pick |
Team |
Needs |
Selection |
Pos |
HT |
Notes |
1 |
Los Angeles Clippers |
PG PF C |
Blake Griffin |
PF |
6'10" |
The Clips get a free pass on this one. Not much debate as to who they're going to pick. |
2 |
Memphis Grizzlies |
PG SF PF |
Hasheem Thabeet |
C |
7'2" |
They seem to love Thabeet in Memphis. I'd call the Knicks and lock in David Lee and #8 in return. |
3 |
Oklahoma City Thunder |
SG PF C |
James Harden |
SG |
6'5" |
Could use size, but Harden completes the backcourt of the future. |
4 |
Sacramento Kings |
PG PF C |
Ricky Rubio |
PG |
6'3" |
The Kings would LOVE to get Rubio at #4, but I still think someone moves up to the top-3 to grab him. |
5 |
Washington Wizards |
PG SG |
Tyreke Evans |
SG |
6'5" |
Explosive scorer. A nice compliment to Gil playing off the ball. |
6 |
Minnesota Timberwolves |
PG SG SF |
Johnny Flynn |
PG |
6'0" |
I could see Curry here, but the Wovles need a playmaker and ballhandler like Flynn. |
7 |
Golden State Warriors |
PG PF C |
Jordan Hill |
PF |
6'10" |
A true PG is the most pressing need, but I think they take the much needed toughness and address the PG situation later. |
8 |
New York Knicks |
PG SG C |
Stephen Curry |
PG |
6'3" |
Seems like the popular pick at the moment. A little advice for the Knickerbockers- GO GET RUBIO! |
9 |
Toronto Raptors |
SG SF C |
DeMar DeRozan |
SG/SF |
6'6" |
The Raptors need a wing. They get a great athlete with a ton of upside here. |
10 |
Milwaukee Bucks |
PG PF C |
Jrue Holiday |
PG |
6'3" |
It's hard for them to pass on a PG who plays defense. Still raw, but worth the wait. |
11 |
New Jersey Nets |
SG SF PF |
DeJuan Blair |
PF |
6'7" |
They need his body and boards since outside of Lopez they don't have much to go around. |
12 |
Charlotte Bobcats |
SG PF C |
Gerald Henderson |
SG |
6'5" |
They have a need at the two-guard position and MJ loves players from the ACC. |
13 |
Indiana Pacers |
PF |
Tyler Hansbrough |
PF |
6'9" |
RotoExperts Tommy Landry turned me onto this one and I can't seem to argue against it. |
14 |
Phoenix Suns |
SG SF PF |
Earl Clark |
SF/PF |
6'9" |
Biggest need in PHO, aside from youth, is at the SF position. Clark fits the system with his length and athleticism. |
15 |
Detroit Pistons |
PG SG C |
B.J. Mullens |
C |
7'0" |
Still raw, but the Pistons are in dire need of size down low. |
16 |
Chicago Bulls |
SG PF |
Chase Budinger |
SG |
6'7" |
Perfect fit should they lose Gordon. He can stretch the floor and fly down the court alongside Rose. |
17 |
Philadelphia 76ers |
PG C |
Ty Lawson |
PG |
5'11" |
With Mullens gone, next up is PG. Lawson is a veteran point who can lead the 76ers next year. |
18 |
Minnesota Timberwolves (from Heat) |
PG SG SF |
James Johnson |
SF/PF |
6'9" |
About the only size left at this pick. He can play both the three and the four, providing depth. |
19 |
Atlanta Hawks |
PG C |
Brandon Jennings |
PG |
6'1" |
Luck be a lady tonight. If Jennings slips to 19 the Hawks will jump all over him. |
20 |
Utah Jazz |
SG C |
Terrence Williams |
SG |
6'5" |
Even if the Jazz lose Boozer they can address that loss by re-signing Millsap. Take the much needed two. |
21 |
New Orleans Hornets |
SG SF C |
Sam Young |
SF |
6'6" |
He can play both the two and the three. Age (24) is welcome for a title contending team. |
22 |
Dallas Mavericks |
PG SG C |
Eric Maynor |
PG |
6'2" |
Jason Kidd may walk leaving them with no PG. Maynor is one of a few NBA-ready players. |
23 |
Sacramento Kings (from Rockets) |
PG PF C |
Austin Daye |
PF |
6'10" |
Take the upside pick here and wait for him to develop. Casspi is another option. |
24 |
Portland Trailblazers |
SF PF |
Omri Casspi |
SF |
6'8" |
A trade here is a real possibility. They can pick Casspi, however, and stash him. |
25 |
Oklahoma City Thunder (from Spurs) |
PF C |
Taj Gibson |
PF |
6'10" |
A desperate need for size in OKC. They adressed the two-guard position with Harden already. |
26 |
Chicago Bulls (from Nuggets) |
SG PF |
DaJuan Summers |
SF |
6'9" |
A shooter to compliment Ty Thomas and Joakim Noah in the frontcourt. |
27 |
Memphis Grizzlies (from Magic) |
PG SG SF |
Jeff Teague |
PG |
6'2" |
Slip sliddin' in the draft. Teague could use another year, but the Grizz aren't in a rush. |
28 |
Minnesota Timberwolves (from Celtics) |
PG SG SF |
Nick Calathes |
PG |
6'5" |
A skilled combo who can opt to play in Greece next year, which means the Wolves don't have to carry a third rookie. |
29 |
Los Angeles Lakers |
PG SF C |
Darren Collison |
PG |
6'2" |
Lakers have had a tough time finding their 'next' PG. Collison has the tools to at the very least be a nice stop-gap. |
30 |
Cleveland Cavaliers |
SG PF C |
Wayne Ellington |
SG |
6'5" |
If the Cavs can pick up Shaq this summer, Ellington can help open up the floor with his jumper. |
As you can see, it's a guard-heavy draft. I still think that one team (the Knicks?) will move up to the top-3 to grab Rubio, which would shake up my entire mock draft. Be that as it may, enjoy this year's NBA Draft and please remember to come join the RotoExperts NBA team on draft night as we provide a Live Chat throughout the evening. Also, we'll be talking NBA Draft with some of the brightest draft minds in the industry on Monday, June 22, at 8pm EST on BlogTalkRadio.
Tom Lorenzo wants to know how your draft board shakes out. Send him an email at Lorenzo@RotoExperts.com.
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