2009 Mock Draft
7/23/08
By:
Chris Horwedel
1st Round
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1. Minnesota Timberwolves - Ricky Rubio (1990-PG)
DKV Joventut |
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Rubio looks to be one of the more unique talents
available in recent NBA Drafts. He's already
playing at a high level in a strong professional
league overseas and he's doing so at only 17 years
old. He's the closest thing to Pete Maravich
since the Pistol himself. The only thing that
could knock him off this top spot are potential
hold-ups in a potential buyout. |
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2. Indiana Pacers - Blake Griffin (PF) Oklahoma |
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Griffin gives the Pacers back everything they just
lost when trading Jermaine O'Neal to the Raptors.
The only difference is that Griffin's considerably
younger and considerably more healthy than the
player he'd be replacing at power forward.
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3. New York Knicks - Brandon Jennings (PG) Arizona |
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I'm still a little surprised that the Knicks passed
on Bayless for Gallinari this year, leaving their
point guard situation unaddressed. Jennings
has the potential to be an elite level point guard
prospect by this time next year and would be a dream
fit for the D'Antoni offense. |
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4. Sacramento Kings - DerMar DeRozan (SG) USC |
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DeRozan is another one and done candidate for this
upcoming freshman class. He's a breath-taking
athlete who could win a dunk contest in the next
couple of years. Couple that with deep range
on his jumpshot and solid ball-handling skills and
you've got a player who'll play in his share of
all-star games. |
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5. Atlanta Hawks - Hasheem Thabeet (C) Connecticut |
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The Hawks are a tough team to predict. So with
everything being the same, we give them a top-flight
defensive center to anchor their defense for the
next decade. |
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6. Seattle Supersonics - Austin Daye (SF) Gonzaga |
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There's a lot of people who like to compare Daye to
Rashard Lewis, but we think that's selling Daye
short. He's an effortless scorer with nearly
unlimited range and potential. |
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7. Miami Heat - B.J. Mullens (C) Ohio State |
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Will next season finally be the "Big Diesel's" last?
If so, Mullens could be ready to take over the paint
in Miami. A player who's more mature than
you'd expect from a college freshman to-be, we
expect big things from him in the very ebar future. |
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8. Memphis Grizzlies - James Harden (SG) Arizona
State |
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James Harden is a personal favorite here at NBA
Draft Press. He's a player who simple does
everything well. He's the type of player who
makes good teams into great teams. |
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9. Milwaukee Bucks - Jrue Holiday (PG) UCLA |
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Holiday is an interesting player because of who he
reminds you of. (And we hate to compare
amateurs to NBA All-Stars, but...) the similarities
between he and Dwayne Wade are obvious from the
first moment you see him play. |
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10. Charlotte Bobcats - Earl Clark (SF) Louisville |
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The Bobcats don't seem to have a ton of needs, which
makes us wonder why they aren't better than they
are. Clark is a versatile player who can play
any position from the 1 to the 3. |
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11. Washington Wizards - Tyreke Evans (SG) Memphis |
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Elite athlete who can handle multiple positions.
He's the ideal kind of player to put between Gilbert
Arenas and Caron Butler because of his
unselfishness, ball handling ability and 3-point
range. |
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12. Golden State Warriors - Chase Budinger (SF)
Arizona |
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Budinger may be the singe toughest player in this
draft class to project. With his skill-set you
have to wonder why he isn't a top five pick by this
point. What does another average year say
about his work ethic and desire? |
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13. Los Angeles Clippers - Al-Farouq Aminu (SF) Wake
Forest |
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A
sensational athlete who looks to finish everything
with authority. His upside is that of a more
complete Corey Maggette, the player whose position
he'd be playing. |
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14. Philadelphia 76ers - Darren Collison (PG) UCLA |
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Save for a major change, 2008-2009 will be Andre
Miller's last season as a Philadelphia 76er.
Collison gives the team a solid replacement and
another elite athlete to add to the team. |
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15. New Jersey Nets - Derrick Brown (SF) Xavier |
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The Richard Jefferson trade changed the entire
dynamic of the Nets team. We all know that it
was done in hopes of freeing up enough cap space to
lure LeBron to New Jersey/Brooklyn when his contract
is up. Should that fail, Brown gives the team
a defensive pressence at small forward, with
offensive ability. |
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16. Denver Nuggets - Tyler Hansbrough (PF) North
Carolina |
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While Hansbrough may not be an ideal fit for every
team, we think he's fit well in Denver where he'll
be able to score simply be attacking the glass after
the shots by Carmelo and Iverson. |
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17. Utah Jazz - Gerald Henderson (SG) Duke |
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The Jazz don't have a huge need right now.
They did add Kyle Korver this past season, but
adding another shooter like Henderson will only help
to stretch the floor even more. |
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18. Portland Trailblazers - Devin Eubanks (SF) West
Virginia |
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A
yeah from now it could be silly that we ever talked
about Eubanks going this low, but for now we can't
assume anything about his freshman season.
He's the kind of player the Blazers love and would
be yet another potential young star for them. |
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19. Chicago
Bulls - Samardo Samuels (PF) Louisville |
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Let's call this pick "Elton Brand sellers remorse".
Samuels is a player who compares to Elton.
He's a smooth player on the inside who lacks elite
athleticism. |
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20. Houston Rockets - Jordan Hill (PF) Arizona |
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The Rockets are another team without a large number
of needs. Hill has a lot of potential and
could wing up starting at power forward for the team
for the next decade. What more can you ask
with the 20th pick? |
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21. Dallas
Mavericks - Patrick Patterson (PF) Kentucky |
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We're not quite as high on Patterson as some others
are right now. But we'll admit that he's a
powerful player in the low post who has shown the
ability to play on both ends. |
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22. Cleveland Cavaliers - Tyler Smith (SF) Tennessee |
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Could Tyler Smith have the unenviable task of being
the player who replaces LeBron James at small
forward? For his sake, let's hope he's picked
here to be another piece of the puzzle and not the
next starter at the 3. |
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23. Orlando Magic - Stephen Curry (SG) Davidson |
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Curry is another difficult player to project because
it's not completely clear where he's going to play
in the NBA. Still, the Magic understand the
value of a guy who can stroke it from downtown and
let's not kid ourselves, Redick isn't that guy. |
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24. Detroit Pistons - Ty Lawson (PG) North Carolina |
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The Pistons seem to
believe that Rodney Stuckey is their point guard of
the future. We believe that following this
season they'll realize he's their shooting guard of
the future.
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25. Toronto Raptors - Scotty Hopson (SG) Tennessee |
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This is another pick that could look silly 9 months
from now as Hopson has a ton of ability and could
rise quickly. But he's the kind of guy who'd
fit really well in the Raptors offense. |
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26. Phoenix Suns - Johnny Flynn (PG) Syracuse |
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Maybe the fastest player in college basketball,
Flynn is the true point guard of the future the Suns
are lacking right now. He'll need to extend
his range, but if he does, watch out. |
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27. New Orleans Hornets - Wayne Ellington (SG) North
Carolina |
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Ellington is another go-go-go athlete who seems like
a good fit to play alongside Chris Paul. Also,
unlike some of the other current options on the
Hornets, Ellington can knock down the 3-ball. |
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28. Los Angeles Lakers - Greg Monroe (PF) Georgetown |
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It's hard to do much better than a player like
Monroe this late in the first round. He's not
as highly thought of as he was a few seasons ago,
but he gives the Lakers a young, talented big who
can see time at both power forward and center. |
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29. Seattle Supersonics (From San Antonio) - Henk
Norel (PF) Alicante Costa Blanca |
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Because honestly, at this point what else should be
be expecting from the Sonics? |
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30. Minnesota Timberwolves
(From Boston) - Andrew Ogilvy (C) Vanderbilt |
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Ogilvy is an interesting player who could really
jump up this list if he shows serious improvement
from last season. If he doesn't, he's still a
nice option to back-up Kevin Love and Al Jefferson. |
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