# BG44's Mock Draft Version 2



## Wade County

Alrighty im on board for my second go around, post measurements. Here's how I see the first round playing out:

1. Chicago - Derrick Rose, PG, Memphis, Freshman










Chicago wont pass up Rose. Hes too quick, good size, ultra talented is gonna be a great floor general for many years. Hometown hero gives the Bulls a franchise face.

2. Miami - Michael Beasley, PF/SF, K-State, Freshman










Wade gets his second option. Heat need a scorer to compliment Wade, Beasley has all the tools. Easiest choice in the draft, but will Riley keep him or ship him for veteran help? I hope the former.

3. Minnesota - OJ Mayo, SG/PG, USC, Freshman










Mayo is moving up the boards, and I dont think McHale is THAT stupid to pass on a guy of this talent. Was a projected #1 pick for years - so he does have the ability. Will mesh nicely with Foye and Jefferson.

4. Seattle - Jerryd Bayless, PG/SG, Arizona, Freshman










Seems almost a lock that Seattle will take Bayless. Teams nicely with Durant to form a young and exciting backcourt. Is Bayless a true PG? Nope, but hes got all the tools to be an excellent player.

5. Memphis - Darrell Arthur, PF, Kansas, Sophomore










Bit of a suprise being picked this high, but he is a talented PF with a lot of unhatched potential. Picking a guy who just knocked off the Memphis Tigers in the title game will be interesting - but Arthur had a big game and proved his worth.

6. New York - Danilo Gallinari, SF, Italy










Supposedly one of the best players in Europe already, Gallinari has the advantage of knowing D'Antoni as his dad played with Mike. I dont know much about him but I hear his highly skilled and a great prospect - Knicks fans may boo, but he could win them over.

7. LA Clippers - Russell Westbrook, PG/SG, UCLA, Sophomore










Local college boy with big hops and athleticism, Westbrook will learn the PG on the job. Cant pass up the hometown favourite - Clips need a PG, Westbrook has better size than Augustin.

8. Milwaukee - Kevin Love, PF, UCLA, Freshman










Love would be an interesting fit. He could bring some much needed confidence to the Bucks team which seems to be low on it. Hes an awesome passer, along with Bogut, and could team with him down low. They have Yi, but theyll take BPA.

9. Charlotte - Brook Lopez, C, Stanford, Sophomore










'Cats need someone to pair with Emeka down low. Lopez is big and skilled inside, but he lacks the upside of some of the other talents. His stock is slipping, but hes still a Top 10 guy.

10. New Jersey - Eric Gordon, SG, Indiana, Freshman










Nets have enough project big men, they need some more talent on their perimeter. Gordon slips to them at 10 and this could be a steal. Bigtime scorer and a bulldog.

11. Indiana - DJ Augustin, PG, Texas, Sophomore










Pacers need an upgrade at PG and Augustin was one of the top in the nation. A little small, but hes got big game. Could be another steal.

12. Sacramento - Anthony Randolph, SF/PF, LSU, Freshman










Rail thin but has potential, Kings take a guy that could provide energy off the bench initially - with an eye of becoming a Chris Bosh like star. High risk high reward type.

13. Portland - Joe Alexander, SF, West Virginia, Junior










Described as an athletic freak, Alexander really came on last season. Portland may trade the pick but I feel theyd take Alexander here.

14. Golden State - Donte Greene, SF, Syracuse, Freshman










Golden State like athletic, versatile players - so Greene could be the pick here. Has range but can rely on it too much, is also very thin. Would fit nice in at GS.

15. Phoenix - DeAndre Jordan, C, Texas A&M, Freshman










Raw as all hell, but could learn a thing or 2 next to Amare and Shaq. Would be an ideal situation for him.

16. Philadelphia - JaVale McGee, C, Nevada, Freshman










Another raw center, McGee has a lot of talent. Project - but can play backup to Dalembert intitially.

17. Toronto - Marreese Speights, PF/C, Florida, Sophomore










Big guy with potential, would pair nicely with Bosh inside.

18. Washington - Roy Hibbert, C, Georgetown, Senior










Experienced big man with huge size, would solidify their frontline. Washington needs to win now.

19. Cleveland - Nicolas Batum, SG/SF, France










Highly rated French youngster, debatable whether they go a bigger name for Lebrons sake - but Batum fits a need and could be important for them going forward.

20. Denver - Ty Lawson, PG, NC, Sophomore










Another shorty, but comes from a winning program and is a upgrade on Anthony Carter. Iverson and Lawson would be a tiny backcourt though!

21. New Jersey - Robin Lopez, PF/C, Stanford, Sophomore










A banger and dirty work guy, would help them down low defensively. Is offensively poor however.

22. Orlando - Chris Douglas-Roberts, SG, Memphis, Junior










Could be a starter for them, potential late steal. Solid player and a good fit team wise.

23. Utah - Chase Budinger, SG/SF, Arizona, Junior










Not a big need after getting Korver midseason, but is a good shooter and athletic. 

24. Seattle - Kosta Koufos, C, Ohio State, Freshman










Slipped a long way throughout the season, Koufos is yet another Sonics project big man, albeit one with a reasonable college year. 

25. Houston - Brandon Rush, SG/SF, Kansas, Junior










Recovered well from his knee injury, Rush is a great shooter - something to space the around Yao and TMac.

26. San Antonio - Mario Chalmers, PG/SG, Kansas, Junior










Backup Tony Parker and provide good defense and a guy to bring the ball up. A Spurs kinda guy, would be an upgrade at backup PG.

27. New Orleans - Jason Thompson, PF, Rider, Senior










Has a reasonable amount of untapped potential for a senior, Thompson could develop behind West and Chandler.

28. Memphis - Nathan Jawai, C, Australia










Developing big man, a relative unknown for those outside Australia. Should sneak in to the 1st round though, Grizz have a need there.

29. Detroit - Bill Walker, SF, K-State, Freshman










Athletic and strong, Walker had a good freshman season. Would be a nice backup to Prince.

30. Boston - Gary Forbes, SG, UMass, Senior










Had a good Pre-Draft camp, probably earnt himself a 1st round slot. Celtics could use a backup 2 guard as Tony Allen isnt the greatest and Ray Allen starting to slow down a touch.


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## gi0rdun

I like the Brandon Rush. Don't know why he's so low.


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## NewAgeBaller

I think Darrell Arthur and Westbrook are a bit higher than they should be (though some would disagree).

Good overall list though and the pics helped.


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## Wade County

Westbrook was high because hes a local guy whose also a need. He has good size, and I think Clips would favour him over Augustin.

Arthur I thought fit the Grizzlies style of play and what they are after, otherwise Love could be the pick and Arthur goes to the Bucks.


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## Redeemed

I just don't see the hype around Arthur. He is short for PF and not muscular or bulky enough to make up for it.


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## Vermillion

I'll be ecstatic if Brooke Lopez falls to Charlotte at the ninth pick.

I personally have Philly and Toronto swapping their picks (Toronto gets McGee while Philadelphia gets Speights, more emphasis on the latter though).


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## croco

I like your mock, also good idea to include pictures. However, I can't see Gordon and Randolph slipping to #10 and #15. Gordon will probably look good in workouts and someone is gonna take a chance on Jordan in the lottery. The one pick I didn't understand at all was Batum to the Cavs. Granted, it's been tough for me to find a spot for him as well, but I see him as a 3 and they already have Lebron.


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## croco

DienerTime said:


> I just don't see the hype around Arthur. He is short for PF and not muscular or bulky enough to make up for it.


It's not hype, it's his footwork, athleticism, hands and ability to score in a variety of ways that can make him a (very) good NBA player. Combine those four attributes with ok size and you get a very legit prospect.


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## Redeemed

croco said:


> It's not hype, it's his footwork, athleticism, hands and ability to score in a variety of ways that can make him a (very) good NBA player. Combine those four attributes with ok size and you get a very legit prospect.


I've heard he has some trouble scoring but I could be wrong. I just don't see how you take him over Lopez or Love at this point. Yes he can run better, and that counts for a running team, but if your team has no identity like the Grizzlies you should take the best one and IMO Lopez is way better.


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## croco

He didn't have to be a big time scorer for Kansas. Not when you are playing next to Brandon Rush, Mario Chalmers, Sherron Collins and Russell Robinson who all knew how to put the ball in the basket on a college level. KU won the national title because of their balance and that is why Arthur's stats suffered, he also played less minutes than other top prospects. He is not a finished product, but he has all the tools you need.


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## roux

I like Arthur alot, and i am really starting to warm up to the idea of pairing Love with Bogut in Milwaukee.


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## TM

Wasn't that a year or two ago that he was just killing everyone at one of the USA tryouts? Not the senior team, but the one with college kids. I think ESPN wrote an article about him. Everyone in the camp was making a big deal about it. Unfortunately, he got hurt towards the end of the camp. He's got tons of talent. Like croco said, you just weren't able to see huge numbers because of the team he was on.


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## Dornado

roux2dope said:


> I like Arthur alot, and i am really starting to warm up to the idea of pairing Love with Bogut in Milwaukee.


You'll need to find an interior defender somewhere, but it could be interesting offensively.


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## Dissonance

giordun said:


> I like the Brandon Rush. Don't know why he's so low.


Suns have their eye on him at 15, so he might go much higher.


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## demens

BG44 said:


> Westbrook was high because hes a local guy whose also a need. He has good size, and I think Clips would favour him over Augustin.
> 
> Arthur I thought fit the Grizzlies style of play and what they are after, otherwise Love could be the pick and Arthur goes to the Bucks.


I agree with the previous post. I dont think Clips would favor Westbrook just because he played at UCLA. its between Augustin and Gordon for them, I doubt they pick Westbrook.

And i too dont see the hype about Arthur at all. I'd be shocked if he was a top 10 pick.

Also, Phoenix made a move for Shaq for a reason, they're not drafting any project big man, that maybe will play alittle back-up and learn from amare and shaq. Nash is old, Shaq is old, I personally think their window is already closed, but like i said, trading for Shaq shows that the Suns think they can still make a run, so they need players that can contribute. Jordan doesn't fit that, nor does he fit a positional need. I say no way.


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## HB

My only question is why is Arthur going to the Bucks. Arent they loaded at the forward spot.

Also Arthur is a lotto pick, but going at 5 is just too high for him. Iffy on the Nets picking Gordon btw


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## Dissonance

demens said:


> Also, Phoenix made a move for Shaq for a reason, they're not drafting any project big man, that maybe will play alittle back-up and learn from amare and shaq. Nash is old, Shaq is old, I personally think their window is already closed, but like i said, trading for Shaq shows that the Suns think they can still make a run, so they need players that can contribute. Jordan doesn't fit that, nor does he fit a positional need. I say no way.


As a Suns fan, I hope they don't confine themselves to that thinking of just taking a player who can contribute right away. Whomever the pick is, it could be very helpful in the future when they do start their rebuilding process. Suns also could use a backup or future C, so I wouldn't say he's not a need, despite how raw he is. They could use just about everything.


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## Wade County

Shaq is just about done. By the time he retires, IF Jordan develops as expected - Amare would have a big running mate who he could team with. Some times teams dont draft on need, sometimes they take BPA - The way I see it, those were the guys I considered to be slippers (Gordon, Jordan etc). Of course I could be totally wrong, but in every draft some players rise and some fall, Arthur was one I thought could go higher.

Bucks are loaded at the forward - they may even trade the pick, but I still see them taking someone with good value like Love.


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## demens

Dissonance19 said:


> As a Suns fan, I hope they don't confine themselves to that thinking of just taking a player who can contribute right away. Whomever the pick is, it could be very helpful in the future when they do start their rebuilding process. Suns also could use a backup or future C, so I wouldn't say he's not a need, despite how raw he is. They could use just about everything.




just saw an article on realgm that said the exact same thing i said. they want a player that will contribute.


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## Dissonance

demens said:


> just saw an article on realgm that said the exact same thing i said. they want a player that will contribute.


They said they think they can get a potential contributor at that spot, not that they're looking for strictly that.


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## demens

considering the direction the team is going. it just makes no sense to draft a player that will take time to develop.


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## Redeemed

TM said:


> Wasn't that a year or two ago that he was just killing everyone at one of the USA tryouts? Not the senior team, but the one with college kids. I think ESPN wrote an article about him. Everyone in the camp was making a big deal about it. Unfortunately, he got hurt towards the end of the camp. He's got tons of talent. Like croco said, you just weren't able to see huge numbers because of the team he was on.


But bonafite post prospects should be able to put up numbers regardless of how much talent is on the perimeter. Look at Duncan, Tony and Manu each can score 20 ppg but that doesn't stop Duncan from getting 20 and 10. Arthur sucks, and is only 6'8, and is not as athletic as you guys say since his vert numbers are only 28 and 30. Joe Alexander is the same height but has 32 and 38.


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## Redeemed

BG44 said:


> Shaq is just about done. By the time he retires, IF Jordan develops as expected - Amare would have a big running mate who he could team with. Some times teams dont draft on need, sometimes they take BPA - The way I see it, those were the guys I considered to be slippers (Gordon, Jordan etc). Of course I could be totally wrong, but in every draft some players rise and some fall, Arthur was one I thought could go higher.
> 
> Bucks are loaded at the forward - they may even trade the pick, but I still see them taking someone with good value like Love.


Jordan is another prospect that annoys me. He is supposedly "the next Dwight Howard" but yet his vert numbers are lower than the likes of Sasha Kaun and JaVale McGee who I see has a better prospect than Jordan. He has a terrbile work ethic, and is no more skilled than Kwame Brown.


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## Dissonance

You base way too much on what you read and workouts numbers.


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## noballer07

I like the Sacramento and GS picks. Randolph could develop into a very good PF, which is an area of need for them. Donte Green is a chucker, and, well, I'm sure Nellie wouldn't mind that.



croco said:


> The one pick I didn't understand at all was Batum to the Cavs. Granted, it's been tough for me to find a spot for him as well, but I see him as a 3 and they already have Lebron.


I agree, but not for the reason that they already have a SF in LeBron. Regardless of position, the Cavaliers will need shooters as long as LeBron continues to set the table and dish the ball out in that offense. Batum is an inconsistent shooter and has a hitch on his shot that concerns scouts. He is much more of a slasher than anything.


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## NewAgeBaller

I'm not sure Randolph falls that low either.


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## demens

DienerTime said:


> Jordan is another prospect that annoys me. He is supposedly "the next Dwight Howard" but yet his vert numbers are lower than the likes of Sasha Kaun and JaVale McGee who I see has a better prospect than Jordan. He has a terrbile work ethic, and is no more skilled than Kwame Brown.


I read some scouts comparisons between Jordan and Hardin (?) and i agree with his conclusions. He said that both guys are very similar and i dont understand the disparity in their draft projections. They are only 2 years apart. But the size and athletesism alone will get him drafted, it doesn't matter if he cant play basketball.


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## Redeemed

dang it double post


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## Redeemed

demens said:


> I read some scouts comparisons between Jordan and Hardin (?) and i agree with his conclusions. He said that both guys are very similar and i dont understand the disparity in their draft projections. They are only 2 years apart. But the size and athletesism alone will get him drafted, it doesn't matter if he cant play basketball.


His vert numbers were no more than a normal decently athletic center and if you are drafting someone for atleticism you are drafting someone with a 35 vert not a 29.


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## rocketeer

DienerTime said:


> His vert numbers were no more than a normal decently athletic center and if you are drafting someone for atleticism you are drafting someone with a 35 vert not a 29.


vert numbers really aren't all that important. how fast you get off the ground and being able to time when to go up to block shots, get rebounds, or catch passes is much more important.


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## Wade County

Batum was a tough one. He could go higher, or he could slip. I know the Cavs need help now, they could grab Rush at the 19 spot and Batum could slide...Im not sure, I just picked the guy with the most talent to go at that spot. Cavs could ship him and get a shooter from someone else...there are possibilities, thats just how I see it.

On the bright side, atleast its got the discussion going. Im happy for you guys to criticize each pick - its what we are all here for


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