1st Round
 

1. Chicago Bulls - Derrick Rose (Freshman-PG) Memphis
	Thanks to everyone who loyally followed the nbadraftpress.com mock draft throughout the year. With the first pick the Bulls will select Derrick Rose baring any unforeseen surprises. I would say there is a very small chance that Miami flips Wade for this pick and other pieces. A rather interesting thought on who Miami takes first and gives more money too because this would be the first time a team had the two top picks. It is basically saying, we want to pay this guy more but trust us, you are just as important. In all seriousness, considering Bulls likely keep Rose, they will end up with a player that should push this underachieving team into the playoffs.

2. Miami Heat - Michael Beasley (Freshman-F) Kansas State
	It should be interesting to see how the Heat looks with Marion/Beasley/Wade out on the court. They are going to poise as a very tough match up for other teams but they still lack a quality starting center and pg and outside of Cook, they have no real depth. Would not be surprised at all if they took Mayo and shake up the whole draft.

3. Minnesota Timberwolves - Kevin Love (Freshman-PF) UCLA
	This draft has been the hardest to predict for as long as I can remember. The T-Wolves seem to be very high on Kevin Love but they also appear to be unwilling to pass on Mayo because if they do, there is a lot of pressure on the guy they do draft. If they go with Love and he fails to be able to play with Jefferson, it is going to cost some people their jobs, namely Mchale. My gut tells me that at the end of draft night, the T-Wolves will end up with Love, either they pick him here or they draft Mayo and trade back.

4. Seattle Supersonics - Jerryd Bayless (Freshman-PG) Arizona
	Ever since the draft lotto I have had the Sonics locked into Bayless at four. They are dangling Wilcox to move up but he will not be enough and they will be stuck with the #4 pick. The Sonics do not plan to win next year so they should allow Bayless to take the reins of PG right away and allow him to grow, no matter how many games it cost them. His future in the NBA is PG and he needs to learn that right away.

5. Memphis Grizzlies - OJ Mayo (Freshman-PF) USC
	This pick is based of that I think Love is gone at 3 to the T-Wolves and the Grizzles will gladly nab Mayo to pair with Gay and Conley to create a scary backcourt. If Mayo is taken third, look for Memphis to draft someone they will use in a trade. Not making a big draft night deal or picking up Mayo/Beasley/Rose will be costly to the Grizzles because they need to make some noise. Gordon and Love are likely back up plans for the Grizzles.

6. New York Knicks - Eric Gordon (Freshman-G) Indiana
	Well, this will no longer be the first big trade of the night because of the O’Neal to Raptors deal. Still it will go down as one of the bigger deals that shake up the Eastern conference. The fact that Eric Gordon worked out for the Sixers recently and with recent reports that there is no one the Knicks really like at 6 coupled with they think the talent from here till the mid teens are the same. The Sixers are also feeling like their chances of grabbing Josh Smith, Brand, Jamison, or Marion are slim to none, both teams should be ready and willing to deal. This is a bad trade for the Knicks but it will be even worse if Randolph stock falls even more and becomes impossible to move.

7. Los Angeles Clippers - Russell Westbrook (Sophomore-PG) UCLA
	Lock down defender with limited offensive skills. He can develop into a very good PG but I suspect his lack of offense will never allow him to become elite. While I think Augustin will be the better pro, Westbrook gets the nod here because of his upside.

8. Milwaukee Bucks - Joe Alexander (Junior-SF) West Virginia
	The Bucks have locked into Joe Alexander and Randolph with their pick here. While Randolph is the type of player you could regret to pass up on, it is hard to imagine the Bucks passing on a guy that fills a need and is just as talented as Randolph. The one glaring problem is Alexander paired with Yi and Bogut would be a terrible defensively team and drafting Randolph will significantly help that but where do you fit him on the court? You would have to play Yi at SF and that would be a poor decision on most nights.

9. Charlotte Bobcats - Brook Lopez (Sophomore-C) Stanford
	Dropped from 3rd overall pick to 9th because of workouts and measurements. Not great upside and never will be dominate defensively but should be able to score at the next level and with Gerald Wallace and Okafor on the team, Lopez does not need to be amazing at defense. The Bobcats need to win and win soon. Likely looking to package this with their newly acquired 20th overall pick to move up. Some say they draft PG but this early in the draft when you have Felton does not make sense.

10. New Jersey Nets - Eric Gordon (Freshman-G) Indiana
	Considering Jefferson is likely on his way out, the Nets are going to need a SF replacement. Gallinari knows the game inside and out and is very coachable (also extremely talented). In terms of risk, he is a rather safe pick even though he is an overseas prospect and should develop into a solid point forward for the Nets.

11. Indiana Pacers - Anthony Randolph (Freshman-PF) LSU
	Well I knew the Pacers wanted to get a PG coming out of this draft and they ended up with TJ Ford in a deal I love for both teams. Ford/Dunleavy/Granger will be a very good front court and with the 11th overall pick and the 17th overall pick, I suspect Pacers will address their front court or even try to move up in the draft.

12. Sacramento Kings - DJ Augustin (Sophomore-PG) Texas
	The talks about Kings eyeing Roy Hibbert here have to be a joke considering many believe he could fall into the early 2nd round. Playing Hibbert and Hawes would be an extremely slow frontcourt and I do not buy it. It does not matter though because the Pacers got Ford, I believe Augustin will drop to this spot and it should be a very easy pick for the Kings to make.

13. Portland Trailblazers - Brandon Rush (Junior-SG) Kansas
	Impossible to predict trades because anyone and everyone are coming up with trade rumors these days. It is pretty safe bet though that the Trailblazers are shopping this pick for a veteran guy to come in to help bring along all the young players Portland has. If Portland Keeps the pick, then Rush will become the type of player Portland would hope to trade for and is not a bad alternative.

14. Golden State Warriors - Donte Green (Freshman-F) Syracuse
	Not a firm believer that Green does not deserve to be a lotto pick as I am hearing some people say. He had sub par workouts but scouts and GM’s acknowledge he has a ton of talent and you are going to find a GM picking in the mid-teens that convinces himself he can not pass on a talent like Green. I think he would fit nicely in Don Nelson system and fill a need with Pietrius likely leaving this off-season.

15. Phoenix Suns - Marreese Speights (Sophomore-PF) Florida
	They would love to get their hands on Rush and hope he falls or they strike a deal with Portland to nab the 13th pick to grab Rush. If neither happen and Rush is off the board then look for the suns to secure the back up center position/ find a replacement for Shaq after this year. Speights unlike Koufos, Jordan, Hickson, and McGee will be able to contribute this year and finding players for this year playoff run for the Suns is a must.

16. Philadelphia 76ers - Mario Chalmers (Junior-PG) Kansas
	I think the Sixers are putting up a lot of smoke screens about staying put here and drafting a big here. Word out of Philly is Andre Miller has no plans to stay with the Sixers past this year so drafting a replacement would be smart. This also would be a player the Knicks would covet in a potential deal I mention before.

17. Indiana Pacers - Robin Lopez (Sophomore-C) Stanford
	I am keeping Lopez here but with the recent trade; it is tough to predict what the pacers are targeting here with such little time to prepare. They were high on Randolph before and he replaces O’Neal so that is a no brainier at 11 but I think at 17, they continue to improve their front court which currently starts Jeff Foster and Ike diogu. Lopez and Randolph could become a very good defensive tandem for years to come.

18. Washington Wizards - Kosta Koufos Freshman-C) Ohio State
	He is a talented player that should have stayed in school for another year or two to improve his skills and because of the amount of big men in this draft. If he comes out next year, he is a lottery pick in what should be a very weak big men class. Koufos will have time to learn the NBA behind Haywood and Jamison and should become a big contributor for them next year.

19. Cleveland Cavaliers - JJ Hickson (Freshman-PF) North Carolina State
	Smart move staying in the draft because his stock is good enough that he will be a first round pick. Hickson has been a big mover of late and I believe he will go in the 17-25 range in the draft. The Cavs as I have noted in the past, have potential depth problems in the front court due to 3 of their 4 key contributors playing on their last legs. When Big Z offensive game is off, Hickson should provide offensive punch to a team that lacks it big time outside of Lebron James.

20. Charlotte Bobcats - DeAndre Jordan (Freshman-C) Texas A&M
	The Bobcats acquire this pick from Denver for a future 1st round pick. They likely will be looking to package this with #9 to move up but if they stay here, I think DeAndre Jordan is their man. This is an awful disappointing place for Jordan to land but that is how bad he has been in recent weeks. The Bobcats go the safe route at #9 with Lopez so they can afford to take a big gamble on Jordan here.

21. New Jersey Nets - Darrell Arthur (Sophomore-PF) Kansas
	Some feel like his measurements did not hurt him, however, I am hearing that it has done damage to his stock. Arthur is still going to be a good pro but many teams will be unwilling to gamble on him, allowing him to slide to the Nets here at 21. Since I believe the nets are going sg/sf with their first pick, they should be thinking about drafting a big here and Arthur is consider the best big left on the board. An interesting note is he cancel a workout with the Sixers so either he has a promise or the agent is trying to make teams think he is going higher then what he is.

22. Orlando Magic - Chris Douglas-Roberts (Junior-SG) Memphis
	Dooling and/or Arroyo should be back next year and Nelson should bounce back from a poor season so I do not buy that the Magic are thinking PG here. Also, Magic GM believes that Battie will come back at full strength next season, addressing their need for another big to help Dwight so its unlikely he feels he needs to draft a big man. Their weakest position by far was the shooting guard spot which had Bogans and Evans playing heavy minutes there. Both is no better then back ups and CDR is a smart player who knows how to win and instantly is an upgrade over Evans/Bogans. Courtney lee could end up here and he is the better shooter but with Turk and Lewis falling in love with their outside shots a lot, having CDR who is a slasher becomes a better fit for this team.

23. Utah Jazz - Roy Hibbert (Senior-C) Georgretown
	Any team from late teens to the late first that is considered a half court team will be looking at Hibbert with this pick. Jazz are lacking a true defensive big man as Okur and Boozer do not have as strong of a block game and are undersized a bit when playing together. Hibbert is a big body that can clog up the lane, set picks for guys like Korver and most importantly, add shot blocking to a team that really lacks it.

24. Seattle Supersonics - Jason Thompson (Senior-PF) Rider
	Unlikely they keep this pick because the pile of young players is adding up for the Sonics and they need to start thinking about using some of them or a pick like this to move unwanted salaries (Ridnour/Watson) for expiring contracts or adding veteran talent that can help bring along the young players. Thompson projects to going mid 20’s to early 2nd round and as I have been saying all year, I am high on this kid. He will never dominate a game, but he is very capable of becoming a good role player on a contending team.

25. Houston Rockets - Nicolas Batum (1988-SG) France
	With Houston confident that Hayes will be brought back next season along with the rest of the team coming back, the Rockets should really focus on filling their depth needs at SG and SF. Batum does a little bit of everything which should allow him to fit into the rotation for the Rockets. He also will relieve pressure off T-Mac from having to play such heavy minutes because Batum is a skilled and talented player capable of controlling a game at times.

26. San Antonio Spurs - Alexis Ajinca (1988-PF) Hyeres-Toulon
	Spurs yet again steal an intentional player late in the draft that could likely come over this year and contribute. Ajinca stock is on fire right now and could be the big surprise of the night and go a lot higher. There is always at least one guy that tears up the workouts and shoots up the draft and Ajinca is shaping up to be that guy.

27. Portland Trailblazers - Ante Tomic (1987-PF) Crotatia
	Portland bought this pick from New Orleans which surprises no one because every year Portland finds some cheap team to buy a pick off. This tells me two things, one: they have a trade they like that the 13th pick is apart of because they have too many picks in this draft now and 2, they are targeting a Euro with this pick. Tomic has been a target of the Trailblazers in the past and with Pryzbilla gone in a few years; the Trailblazers would be smart to draft his replacement. Tomic is nothing special in terms of talent and would have gone a lot higher a couple years ago and if he did not have a big buyout. Still, Portland owner Paul Allen has a lot of money he is willing to spend and Tomic will add quality depth behind Aldridge and Oden.

28. Memphis Grizzlies - JaVale McGee (Freshman-C) Nevada
	Disappointing drop for McGee considering where he thought he go at the beginning of the draft process but Memphis is ecstatic to have him drop this far. He is raw and showed less talent that most believe he had in him and he was noticeably out of shape throughout workouts which really hurt him. This late and with all the needs Memphis needs, they can not pass up on McGee here.

29. Detroit Pistons - Bill Walker (Freshman-SF) Kansas State
	If Walker is here at 29 and there is no reason for him not to be because of his recent knee injury, the Pistons have told Walker they promised him they will take him with their 29th pick. A lot of promises are thrown out to players this time of the year but Walker’s reps must have felt extremely good about Walker getting a first round promise from one team.

30. Boston Celtics - Courtney Lee (Senior-SG) Western Kentucky
	Tony Allen disappeared from the rotation as the year went on and Ray Allen only has a few years left in him. Lee has shown the ability to be a solid shooter at the next level and can contribute right away for the Celtics. The Celtics may also go Euro to save some cash this season and stash the Euro overseas for a few years as well.

2nd Round

31. Minnesota Timberwolves (Via Miami) - Semih Erdan, C, 1986, Turkey

32. Seattle Supersonics- DJ White, PF, Senior, Indiana

33. Portland Trailblazers-Omar Asik, PF/C, 1986, Turkey

34. Minnesota Timberwolves- Nathan Jawai, PF, 1987, Australia.

35. LA Clippers- Richard Hendrix, PF, Junior, Alabama

36. Portland Trailblazers (Via Knicks) – Serge Ibaka, PF, 1989, Congo

37. Milwaukee Bucks- Ryan Anderson, SF/PF, Sophomore, Cal.

38. Charlotte Bobcats- George Hill, PG, Junior, Indianapolis

39. Chicago Bulls- Trent Plaisted, C, Junior, BYU

40. New Jersey Nets- Anton Ponkrashov, PG/SG/SF, 1986, Khimki, International

41. Indiana Pacers- Sonny Weems, SG, Senior, Arkansas

42. Sacramento Kings (Via Atlanta)- DeVon Hardin, PF, Senior, California

43. Sacramento Kings- Jamont Gordon, PG/SG/SF, Junior, Mississippi St.

44. Utah Jazz (Via Philadelphia)-Kyle Weaver, PG/SG, Senior, Wash. St.

45. San Antonio Spurs (Via Toronto)- J.R Giddens, SG, New Mexico, Senior

46. Seattle Sonics (Via Portland)- Demarcus Nelson, SG, Senior, Duke

47. Washington Wizards- Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, SF, Junior, UCLA

48. Phoenix Suns (Via Cleveland) – Rodrigue Beaubois 6-3 170 PG Fra. 1988

49. Golden St. Warriors- David Padgett, PF/C, Senior, Louisville

50. Seattle Sonics (Via Denver)- Nenad Mijatovic, PG, 1987, KK Buducnost Podgorica International

51. Dallas Mavericks- Derrick Caracter, PF/C, Sophomore, Kansas State

52. Miami Heat (Via Orlando) - Nikola Pekovic C, 1986, KK Partizan, International.

53. Utah Jazz- Goran Dragic PG Slovenia 1986

54. Houston Rockets- Davon Jefferson, SF, Freshman, USC

55. Portland Trailblazers (Via Phoenix) - Richard Roby, SG, Senior, Colorado

56. Seattle Sonics (Via New Orleans) – Tyrese Rice, PG/SG, Junior, Boston College

57. San Antonio Spurs- Sasha Kaun, C, Senior, Kansas

58. LA Lakers- Rob McKiver 6-3 195 PG/SG Houston Sr.

59. Detroit Pistons- Sean Singletary, PG, Senior, Virgina

60. Boston Celtics- Chris Lofton, SG, Senior, Tennessee