NBA expert Tommy Landry weighs in with his 2009 NBA mock draft.
Isn't the NBA smart for scheduling the draft right after the Finals conclude? Great idea to catch the excitement from this year and create a cliffhanger, so to say. After all, much of the free agent frenzy begins soon after the draft is locked and loaded. I chose to look at team needs regardless of free agency situation. You really can't predict if, as we saw last year, a guy like Elton Brand will re-sign for the Clippers (as was expected widely) or bolt across the country to Philadelphia. What's important about the NBA draft, though, is more than just seeing who the up-and-coming rookies will be. The draft serves as the beginning of the team's plans for next year, and in many cases, it significantly affects who will be or won't be retained.
There are a list of teams with multiple selections in the first round (barring any last minute trades), each of whom can improve radically with the right selections: Minnesota (6, 18, 28), Sacramento (4, 23), Oklahoma City (3, 25), Chicago (16, 26), and Memphis (2, 27). Based on my mock below, Minnesota and Oklahoma City stand to take the most immediate leap. We'll see on draft day!
Pick |
Team |
Needs |
Selection |
Position |
Size |
Notes |
1 |
Los Angeles Clippers |
All Pos. |
Blake Griffin |
PF |
6'10" |
The Clips need help everywhere, so they will take the best talent on the board. |
2 |
Memphis Grizzlies |
PG SG SF |
Stephen Curry |
PG/SG |
6'3" |
With developing bigs, they'll go for a hybrid 1-2 guard to backup Mayo and Conley. |
3 |
Oklahoma City Thunder |
PF C |
Hasheem Thabeet |
C |
7'2" |
Desperate for a difference maker in the middle. Good complement to young stars. |
4 |
Sacramento Kings |
PG PF C |
Ricky Rubio |
PG |
6'3" |
Nice fit and fills a gaping need for this team, start Beno while Rubio develops early. |
5 |
Washington Wizards |
PG SG |
James Harden |
SG |
6'5" |
Gifted scorer at a weak position for the Wiz. Need backup PG, but likely in 2nd round. |
6 |
Minnesota Timberwolves |
PG SG SF |
Tyreke Evans |
SG |
6'5" |
Combo guard will fill multiple needs; great first pick with 2 remaining. |
7 |
Golden State Warriors |
PG SG C |
Johnny Flynn |
PG |
6'0" |
Small, but quick and a great fit for the offensive scheme. |
8 |
New York Knicks |
PG SF PF |
Jordan Hill |
PF |
6'10" |
If he falls to #8, the Knicks would be fools to pass on him. I think he will. |
9 |
Toronto Raptors |
SF C SG |
Gerald Henderson |
SG |
6'5" |
Great addition as a role player with budding stars. Athleticism will help him succeed. |
10 |
Milwaukee Bucks |
PF C SG |
DeMar DeRozan |
SG/SF |
6'6" |
Best athlete with most upside left here, so will wait another round to take a big man. |
11 |
New Jersey Nets |
PF SG SF |
James Johnson |
PF |
6'9" |
Well-rounded player would fit in nicely at the 4-spot. Jianlian and Anderson won't cut it. |
12 |
Charlotte Bobcats |
SG C PF |
DeJuan Blair |
PF |
6'7" |
Undersized PF would be the best pick here, and my gut says the 'cats will bite. |
13 |
Indiana Pacers |
Best Avail. |
Tyler Hansbrough |
PF |
6'9" |
Great NCAA player, Pacers take a chance on potential. |
14 |
Phoenix Suns |
SF PF SG |
Brandon Jennings |
PG |
6'1" |
Is he a special player? The Suns will give him a chance to take over for Nash one day. |
15 |
Detroit Pistons |
PG SG C |
Ty Lawson |
PG |
5'11" |
Lawson would have been highly sought after last year, and Mo-Town will come calling. |
16 |
Chicago Bulls |
SG PF |
Earl Clark |
SF/PF |
6'9" |
Good combo 3/4 fits the Bulls system nicely. |
17 |
Philadelphia 76ers |
SG SF C |
B.J. Mullens |
C |
7'0" |
Boom or bust big man with high upside to challenge disappointing Dalembert. |
18 |
Minnesota Timberwolves (from Heat) |
PG SG SF |
Terrence Williams |
SG |
6'5" |
Versatility will help on a team with needs abounding. Not a big scorer, but helps elsewhere. |
19 |
Atlanta Hawks |
PF C PG |
Jrue Holiday |
PG |
6'3" |
Not ready for NBA, but develop behind Bibby/Johnson and enjoy a bright future. |
20 |
Utah Jazz |
PG SG C |
Eric Maynor |
PG |
6'2" |
Best value left at 20th pick, but would rather Clark or Williams if still on board. |
21 |
New Orleans Hornets |
SF C SG |
Chase Budinger |
SF |
6'7" |
Great fit and Peja is in twilight of career. Best pick for team at this point. |
22 |
Dallas Mavericks |
C SF SG |
Marcus Thornton |
SG |
6'4" |
Need dynamic scorer at SG and would be too much of a reach for a C at this point. |
23 |
Sacramento Kings (from Rockets) |
PG PF C |
Austin Daye |
PF |
6'10" |
Versatile forward still needs development time, but he'll fit in nicely |
24 |
Portland Trailblazers |
SF PF C |
Sam Young |
SF |
6'6" |
Experienced swing man knows how to score and fills key need. |
25 |
Oklahoma City Thunder (from Spurs) |
PF C |
Wayne Ellington |
SG |
6'4" |
If he's still here, they'll go for best talent availlable and find a way to get him minutes |
26 |
Chicago Bulls (from Nuggets) |
SG PF |
Jonas Jerebko |
SF/PF |
6'9" |
Swing man skills; PF body. Could be great or a big bust, but he can replace departed Nocioni. |
27 |
Memphis Grizzlies (from Magic) |
PG SG SF |
Omri Casspi |
SF |
6'8" |
After snagging the backup combo guard early, international star will fill swing position need. |
28 |
Minnesota Timberwolves (from Celtics) |
PG SG SF |
Darren Collison |
PG |
6'0" |
After taking two swing men early, here's the PG they need in PG heavy first round. |
29 |
Los Angeles Lakers |
C SF PG |
Nick Calathes |
PG |
6'5" |
Seems like a solid complement to Bryant and Gasol, and will defer if needed. Nice value here. |
30 |
Cleveland Cavaliers |
PF SG C |
Taj Gibson |
PF |
6'10" |
Team needs big men with fading Wallace and Big Z aging. Gibson is a great fit. |
LANDRY'S EYE ON: Jeff Teague
Jeff Teague is a prolific scorer off the dribble and has considerable upside, but he is coming out a year too early and would be best served to stay in college. He's quick, but undersized at 6'0" (and not too strong either). He will have acquire a jumpshot, and he still has a long way to go in basketball IQ and off-the-ball offense. Look at how he dropped off at the tail end of last year, and imagine what NBA coaches and players can do to dissect his limited but promising repertoire. I wouldn't invest a first round pick in a frailer version of Ben Gordon, particularly with his limited track record. That said, I'm hearing rumbles that the Hawks like what they see, so I wouldn't be surprised to see him leap back into the first.
Well, that wraps up my NBA Draft Preview. It will be fun to review the draft after the picks are announced to see if teams agreed with my assessment of what they really need to improve the team. Enjoy the draft! |
Tommy Landry was named one of the ten best follows for fantasy sports on Twitter, and he was a finalist for the FSWA Baseball Series of the Year award in 2008. Follow him on Twitter, or email him directly at tommy@rotoexperts.com.
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