2012 DBR Mock Draft

[JasonEvans]

The 2012 DBR Mock Draft is officially open for business!

As mentioned earlier, you have 6 hours to make your pick but you are encouraged to pick quicker than that if you can. Your job is not just to make a pick. You should post at least a couple lines explaining the rationale behind your pick.

dcdevil2009, you are on the clock as the GM of the Hornets!

First Round:


New Orleans Hornets - dcdevil2009 ANTHONY DAVIS, Kentucky
Charlotte Bobcats - Newton_14 MICHAEL KIDD-GILCHRIST, Kentucky
Washington Wizards - JBDuke BRADLEY BEAL, Florida
Cleveland Cavaliers - MulletMan THOMAS ROBINSON, Kansas
Sacramento Kings - em0526 ANDRE DRUMMOND, Connecticut
Portland Trail Blazers - pfrduke HARRISON BARNES, UNC
Golden State Warriors - FerryFor50 TERRENCE JONES, Kentucky
Toronto Raptors - NSDukeFan JARED SULLINGER, Ohio State
Detroit Pistons - BD80 MYERS LEONARD, Illinois
New Orleans Hornets - dcdevil2009 JOHN HENSON, UNC
Portland Trail Blazers - pfrduke KENDALL MARSHALL, UNC
Milwaukee Bucks- TDrake51 TYLER ZELLER, UNC
Phoenix Suns - Starter- DION WAITERS, Syracuse
Houston Rockets - tommy- AUSTIN RIVERS, Duke
Philadelphia 76ers - roywhite- MOE HARKLESS, St. John's
Houston Rockets - tommy- TERRENCE ROSS, Washington
Dallas Mavericks - superdave- DAMIEN LILLARD, Weber State
Minnesota Timberwolves - Li_Duke- JEREMY LAMB, Connecticut
Orlando Magic - Coldriver10- TONY WROTEN, Washington
Denver Nuggets - FireOgilvie - PERRY JONES III, Baylor
Boston Celtics- Maxamillion - ARNETT MOULTRIE, Mississippi St.
Boston Celtics- Maxamillion - ANDREW NICHOLSON, St. Bonaventure
Atlanta Hawks - JasonEvans - DRAYMOND GREEN, Michigan State
Cleveland Cavaliers - MulletMan - WILL BARTON, Memphis
Memphis Grizzlies - CPDUKEGUY24- MARQUIS TEAGUE, Kentucky
Indiana Pacers - blev23- JOHN JENKINS, Vanderbilt
Miami Heat - Chicago 1995- ROYCE WHITE, Iowa St
Oklahoma City Thunder- KDOGG- EVAN FOURNIER Union Poitiers Basket 86
Chicago Bulls - CDu- QUINCY MILLER Baylor
Golden State Warriors - FerryFor50- FAB MELO Syracuse


Second Round


Charlotte Bobcats - Newton_14 - KEVIN JONES, West Virginia
Washington Wizards - JBDuke- JEFFREY TAYLOR, Vanderbilt
Cleveland Cavaliers - MulletMan - DORON LAMB, Kentucky
Cleveland Cavaliers - MulletMan - FESTUS EZELI, Vanderbilt
Golden State Warriors - FerryFor50 - TYSHAWN TAYLOR, Kansas
Sacramento Kings - em0526 - MILES PLUMLEE, Duke
Toronto Raptors - NSDukeFan- JAE CROWDER, Marquette
Denver Nuggets - FireOgilvie- ORLANDO JOHNSON, UC Santa Barbara
Detroit Pistons - BD80- JAMYCHAL GREEN, Alabama
Portland Trail Blazers - pfrduke- JARED CUNNINGHAM, Oregon St.
Portland Trail Blazers - pfrduke- KYLE O'QUINN, Norfolk St
Milwaukee Bucks- TDrake51- KRIS JOSEPH, Syracuse
Atlanta Hawks - JasonEvans- KHRIS MIDDLETON, Texas A&M
Detroit Pistons - BD80 - KEVIN MURPHY, Tennessee Tech
Philadelphia 76ers - roywhite - MIKE SCOTT, Virginia
Washington Wizards - JBDuke - FURKAN ALDEMIR, Turkey
Utah Jazz - Urinal Cake - WILLIAM BUFORD, Ohio St.
New York Knicks - Starter - DREW GORDON, UCLA
Orlando Magic - Coldriver10 - KOSTAS PAPANICOLAOU, Greece
Denver Nuggets - FireOgilvie - KIM ENGLISH, Missouri
Boston Celtics- Maxamillion - HOLLIS THOMPSON, Georgetown
Golden State Warriors - FerryFor50 - TOMAS SATORANSKY, Europe
Los Angeles Clippers - Nocilla - DUSAN CENTEKIN, Serbia
Philadelphia 76ers - roywhite- BERNARD JAMES, Florida St
Dallas Mavericks - superdave- JOSEP FRANCH, Spain
Toronto Raptors - NSDukeFan- SCOTT MACHADO, Iona
Brooklyn Nets- NovaScotian- TORNIKE SHENGELIA, Belgium/Georgia
Minnesota Timberwolves - Li_Duke
San Antonio Spurs - Duvall
Los Angeles Lakers - CDu


-Jason "lets get it started!" Evans

[dcdevil2009]

After much deliberation, the New Orleans Hornets select...Anthony Davis. If you look at the list of NBA champions over the last 10 years, they'll have one thing in common, a solid post defender, with the possible exception of Andrew Bynum and the Lakers. While the Hornets are years away from competing, Davis will hopefully be the cornerstone around which the team can build itself into a successful franchise for the next decade.

[Newton_14]

With the second pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, the Charlotte Bobcats select Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF, from the University of Kentucky. Once Commissioner Jason Stern Evans implemented the no trade rule, for us it came down to 2 players. In the end, Kidd-Gilchrist is a guy we felt could not be passed up. We expect him to start and contribute immediately on the wing alongside Henderson. We love his length, his tenacity attacking the basket, and his defense. We believe he can also develop a consistent 3 point shot as well. Michael also brings with him a winner's mentality we hope he can share with his teammates here. He is our first step back toward a winning culture.

We could not be happier with our selection.

[JasonEvans]

...the Washington Wizards select--

Brad Beal, SG Florida

JB gave me this pick to make for him. I am sure he will post something soon explaining the pick.

-Jason "JB actually had Beal ahead of MKG on his draft board" Evans

[Starter]

...the Washington Wizards select--

Brad Beal, SG Florida

JB gave me this pick to make for him. I am sure he will post something soon explaining the pick.

-Jason "JB actually had Beal ahead of MKG on his draft board" Evans

I would have taken MKG second like Newton_14, but I could see wanting Beal over him. I adore MKG's game, but I have questions about his makeup for the NBA lifestyle. That won't be a problem with Beal.

[BD80]

This is the area many forecast the Pigeon will land ....

[superdave]

I would have taken MKG second like Newton_14, but I could see wanting Beal over him. I adore MKG's game, but I have questions about his makeup for the NBA lifestyle. That won't be a problem with Beal.

It's easy to see a role for Beal in the James Harden, Eric Gordon mold. It's a littler tougher to see who MKG compares to - one part Battier, one part Artest, one part Gerald Wallace and one part Scottie Pippen.

Maybe we should revisit Beal vs. MKG a year from now.

[JasonEvans]

Note-- please confine all posts in this thread to discussion of Mock Draft picks. Keeping up with who has been picked is tough enough without the conversation veering into off-topic territory. Thanks.

-Jason "Mulletman, on the clock!" Evans

[FerryFor50]

Note-- please confine all posts in this thread to discussion of Mock Draft picks. Keeping up with who has been picked is tough enough without the conversation veering into off-topic territory. Thanks.

-Jason "Mulletman, on the clock!" Evans

Jason,

Can you update the original post with who got selected to eliminate confusion?

[FireOgilvie]

Jason,

Can you update the original post with who got selected to eliminate confusion?

Yes, that would be very helpful, if possible. Especially once we get to the later picks.

[MulletMan]

With the fourth pick in the NBA draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers select Thomas Robinson, F, Kansas.

OK... here's the deal. I realize that we've got Tristan Thompson and Anderson Varejao, but I can't pass up the opportunity to add a talent like Robinson to my team. Thompson wasn't all that impressive last season... at least, not as impressive as we'd hoped, and Varejao is versatile but not a huge scorer. I am willing to play a frontline of Varejao at the 5, Robinson at the 4, and Thompson at the 3 for the time being if I can't pick up a 3 via free agency or during the later rounds of the draft.

I think that Robinson has a great motor and will be an ideal pick and roll combo with Kyrie. Further, I think we will be a monster team on the glass with Robinson and Varejao and should be pretty good defensively. We will need to focus on picking up a player that can create his own shot (from the 2 or 3 position) to compliment Kyrie now, but these three players give us a solid, though perhaps slightly undersized basis for a front line. And as OKC is showing, you don't need a 7 footer to win in today's NBA.

I was really hoping to get Beal here, but that went out the window. In real life, I'd have tried this pick. Since we can't do that, in all reality, I was looking at Robinson, Barnes or Drummond... maybe Waiters or Lamb, but I think this draft is deep at the 2. The red flags with Barnes and Drummond are too many. If I'm taking someone like Barnes at #4 I want a guy who is more than a spot up shooter. Really... what's the difference between Barnes and a player like Danny Green right now? I realize the Cavs supposedly love him, but his lack of a first step hurts her IMO. Drummond... you can see the potential, but he reminds me of the headaches that people like Demarcus Cousins cause. We have a solid foundation with Kyrie, and I think that Robinson adds to that foundation.

So there ya go!

[em0526]

the Sacramento Kings select Andre Drummond. The Kings base this selection on two reasons:
1) They need a defensive presence to pair with Demarcus Cousins (DMC). DMC has developed into an absolute force under the basket. If Drummond is able to realize his potential, those two could eventually form one of the more intimidating front lines in the NBA. On the flip side - Drummond could become the biggest Kings bust since Pervis Ellison...
2) Although the Kings have needs at small forward, Harrison Barnes is not the answer. He needs point guard that can set him up and the Kings just don't have one.

I would not be surprised to see Sacramento eventually trade this pick, but if they have to keep it - I think it will be Drummond.

[pfrduke]

Portland started this season with a solid (if not spectacular) collection of veteran talent. A starting lineup of Raymond Felton-Wesley Matthews-Gerald Wallace-LaMarcus Aldridge-Marcus Camby, and a couple experienced subs in Nic Batum and Jamal Crawford. After trades and expiring contracts, only two of those 7 are definitely on next year's roster - Aldridge and Matthews (Crawford has a player option that he may take, and Batum can get a qualifying offer). With Aldridge under contract through 2015, the Blazers can afford another rebuilding season or two, and are likely to approach the draft looking to simply stockpile talent (4 picks, including 2 lottery selections, help). Best available player, regardless of position, is likely to be their approach throughout.

Thankfully, the best available player here happens to also be in a position of need, and the Blazers take Harrison Barnes. Small forward is a blank slate, and Barnes projects as a player who can start from Day 1. We hope to see him develop into a volume scorer who can take some of the load off of Aldridge and pair with him as an inside-outside threat. Plus, we know Harrison's brand will be thrilled to be just down the road from Nike.

[sagegrouse]

Portland started this season with a solid (if not spectacular) collection of veteran talent. A starting lineup of Raymond Felton-Wesley Matthews-Gerald Wallace-LaMarcus Aldridge-Marcus Camby, and a couple experienced subs in Nic Batum and Jamal Crawford. After trades and expiring contracts, only two of those 7 are definitely on next year's roster - Aldridge and Matthews (Crawford has a player option that he may take, and Batum can get a qualifying offer). With Aldridge under contract through 2015, the Blazers can afford another rebuilding season or two, and are likely to approach the draft looking to simply stockpile talent (4 picks, including 2 lottery selections, help). Best available player, regardless of position, is likely to be their approach throughout.

Thankfully, the best available player here happens to also be in a position of need, and the Blazers take Harrison Barnes. Small forward is a blank slate, and Barnes projects as a player who can start from Day 1. We hope to see him develop into a volume scorer who can take some of the load off of Aldridge and pair with him as an inside-outside threat. Plus, we know Harrison's brand will be thrilled to be just down the road from Nike.


A little sotto voce there, don't you think, pfrduke?

I fixed it for you. -- sage

[roywhite]

A little sotto voce there, don't you think, pfrduke?

I fixed it for you. -- sage

prfduke and Portland are coming up again soon, at #11 in the 1st round.

Hey, might as well pick another Tarheel now...your hands are dirty already. ;)

[Newton_14]

With the fourth pick in the NBA draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers select Thomas Robinson, F, Kansas.

OK... here's the deal. I realize that we've got Tristan Thompson and Anderson Varejao, but I can't pass up the opportunity to add a talent like Robinson to my team. Thompson wasn't all that impressive last season... at least, not as impressive as we'd hoped, and Varejao is versatile but not a huge scorer. I am willing to play a frontline of Varejao at the 5, Robinson at the 4, and Thompson at the 3 for the time being if I can't pick up a 3 via free agency or during the later rounds of the draft.

I think that Robinson has a great motor and will be an ideal pick and roll combo with Kyrie. Further, I think we will be a monster team on the glass with Robinson and Varejao and should be pretty good defensively. We will need to focus on picking up a player that can create his own shot (from the 2 or 3 position) to compliment Kyrie now, but these three players give us a solid, though perhaps slightly undersized basis for a front line. And as OKC is showing, you don't need a 7 footer to win in today's NBA.

I was really hoping to get Beal here, but that went out the window. In real life, I'd have tried this pick. Since we can't do that, in all reality, I was looking at Robinson, Barnes or Drummond... maybe Waiters or Lamb, but I think this draft is deep at the 2. The red flags with Barnes and Drummond are too many. If I'm taking someone like Barnes at #4 I want a guy who is more than a spot up shooter. Really... what's the difference between Barnes and a player like Danny Green right now? I realize the Cavs supposedly love him, but his lack of a first step hurts her IMO. Drummond... you can see the potential, but he reminds me of the headaches that people like Demarcus Cousins cause. We have a solid foundation with Kyrie, and I think that Robinson adds to that foundation.

So there ya go!

I thought long and hard about taking T-Rob with the 2nd Pick. It was always him or MKG for me, but in the end, my Bobcats need better players at every position, and at this point I am more sold on MKG being a sure thing than T-Rob. Rookie Big Men always scare me. If I would have had the 2nd and 3rd pick I would have taken T-Rob with the 3rd.

[pfrduke]

prfduke and Portland are coming up again soon, at #11 in the 1st round.

Hey, might as well pick another Tarheel now...your hands are dirty already. ;)

Portland could use Kendall Marshall at point guard (to carry Nolan Smith's bags) ;)

[FerryFor50]

The Blazers took the Warriors desired player, which filled their biggest need of SF.

The strategy from here is to take the next available player, which would be Jerrod Sullinger. However, the Warriors have concerns about Sullinger's weight issues and lack of a solid perimeter game, as well as his tailing off last season. In addition, the Warriors already have a formidable frontcourt with Andrew Bogut and David Lee.

So the next two best available would be Perry and Terrence Jones.

Both players have some character questions. Perry seems to have some work ethic questions and is a bit skinny.

So, with the 7th pick, the Warriors select Terrence Jones due to his size, tweener SF/PF ability, NBA ready body, rebounding ability and outside stroke. We feel he can come in and contribute immediately, if not start.

[Newton_14]

Ok. Draft board is now updated. NSDUKEFan (Toronto) is now on the clock.

[Kdogg]

the Sacramento Kings select Andre Drummond. The Kings base this selection on two reasons:
1) They need a defensive presence to pair with Demarcus Cousins (DMC). DMC has developed into an absolute force under the basket. If Drummond is able to realize his potential, those two could eventually form one of the more intimidating front lines in the NBA. On the flip side - Drummond could become the biggest Kings bust since Pervis Ellison...
2) Although the Kings have needs at small forward, Harrison Barnes is not the answer. He needs point guard that can set him up and the Kings just don't have one.

I would not be surprised to see Sacramento eventually trade this pick, but if they have to keep it - I think it will be Drummond.

Do you think it's a good idea to have Cousins and Drummond on the same team? Drummond has a motivation issue and Cousins has a short fuse and issues with authority (I do love his game and actually like him too.) I can see those two mailing in part of the season if they don't get their way.

[JBDuke]

...the Washington Wizards select--

Brad Beal, SG Florida

JB gave me this pick to make for him. I am sure he will post something soon explaining the pick.

-Jason "JB actually had Beal ahead of MKG on his draft board" Evans

Jason, thanks for making my pick for me.

Here was my thinking on taking Beal:

The Wizards are pretty set in the post with Nene, Kevin Seraphin, Trevor Booker, and Jan Vesely. If Davis had been available, I'd have taken him, because I think he's the best talent in the draft, and while I like the Wizards' post players, none of them are All-Stars. I think Davis is going to be an All-Star. I don't like Drummond - too big a risk, IMO. I like Robinson and Sullinger (who I think is being undervalued), but I'm not convinced that either of them is a sure-fire success and they may not even be much of an upgrade over what I've got. I'd be tempted by a great center prospect, but I don't see any in the draft this year - at least, none I'd use a #3 pick on aside from Drummond, and as I said above, I'm not sold on him either. I've already got a bunch of strong, athletic, wide-bodied PF types that run the floor and move the ball pretty well. Robinson and/or Sullinger might be an upgrade over what I've got on my roster, but I'm not sure of that.

The Wizards are also pretty set at PG. For better or worse, we're committed to John Wall. I happen to like Wall, and I think he can become a very good NBA PG. I've got Shelvin Mack to back him up, and Jordan Crawford is a combo guard that can even handle PG responsibilities if needed.

What I do need in spades is perimeter shooting. Wall can't shoot. He's working on it, and it may get better, but it's not in his repetoire yet. I've got a couple of slashers that can shoot some on the wings - Maurice Evans, Cartier Martin, and Roger Mason. I've even got rookie Chris Singleton, who I really like as a slasher/fast break lane filler/defensive specialist. He can shoot a little, too, but that's not really one of his main weapons. My "best" outside shooter is Crawford, who I think is better than his numbers last year - 29% from 3 - but he's not enough, even if he can become more consistent. So what I need is a real gunslinger.

I have to admit I was tempted by Barnes. If he can deliver on his promise, he'd definitely answer the bell for me. But I don't like him. I don't like the entitlement, the "branding", and I probably can't get past some of my Duke prejudices, either. Someone else can have the Black Pigeon.

So, the other shooter that has the sort of potential for me to consider taking him with this pick is Beal. I don't think Beal has a lot of weaknesses. Great shooter, who gets it off quick. He's not a great slasher, but his first step is good enough that you have to respect it. Seems to have a good basketball IQ, and the desire and toolset to be a good defender. He rebounded well last year and blocked shots (6.7 boards a game, and about a block a game). I don't expect him to duplicate those numbers, but they demonstrate an ability and commitment to playing defense.

The other big temptation for me was Kidd-Gilchrist. I really like his game - he sort of does a little bit of everything. I think he's got the potential to be something like Andre Iguodala or maybe even Scottie Pippen. But the biggest hole in his game is probably his perimeter shooting, which is what I need most. He's a great defender/slasher/rebounder. I've got those. I took Vesely and Singleton in last year's first round, and they both essentially do similar things - Singleton a little more in the perimeter, Vesely a little more in the post. I don't think either has as high a ceiling as MKG, but because I have them on the roster, and I believe in their potential, I don't think MKG is as big an upgrade for my team as Beal is. That's why I had Beal on my list ahead of MKG. Newton settled the question for me by taking MKG at #2 anyway, so I don't have to play the "what if" game.

I also looked at Syracuse's Waiters, but I really see him as more of a combo guard. To be at his best, he needs the ball in his hands, and I've already got Wall and Crawford with that problem. I think he could be good, but I don't think he has as high a ceiling, especially on the wing, as Beal does.

[NSDukeFan]

The Raptors have a young, fairly solid shooting guard/ wing in DeMar DeRozan, a good scoring, little-rebounding center in Andrea Bargnani, an ok point guard in Jose Calderon, who the team may be looking to deal and some young big building blocks in Ed Davis and Jonas Valanciunas (a 6'11 center who was the #5 pick in last year's draft.) Perry Jones is an option to plug in as a starter at small forward, Damian Lillard and Kendall Marshall are options at the point, though I must admit I know nothing about Lillard and think Marshall will have a role in the league, but am not sure he is the best available pick at this spot. Even though, he is not at a position of need, the Raptors are a few players away from being a solid playoff team and therefore take the best available player left: Jared Sullinger. He might not have the potential that Perry Jones does, but the advantage he has over many of the other players is that he is very good at playing basketball. I realize that college success doesn't always translate to pro success, but I think he will be a very solid pro.

[UrinalCake]

I thought long and hard about taking T-Rob with the 2nd Pick. It was always him or MKG for me, but in the end, my Bobcats need better players at every position, and at this point I am more sold on MKG being a sure thing than T-Rob. Rookie Big Men always scare me. If I would have had the 2nd and 3rd pick I would have taken T-Rob with the 3rd.

Looking at the Bobcats' draft history on the other Mock Draft thread, it looks like they seem to favor popularity over talent. A lot of three- and four-year college guys, perhaps to appeal to the large college basketball fan base in the state. The lone exception was Brendan Wright, who of course played locally. So I could see them drafting Robinson, perhaps trading down if they think they can still get him plus bring in another pick.

[BD80]

Pistons select Myers Leonard - 7' C Ill

This kid has been rising up boards, has good athleticism, can operate on high post - which works well for pick and roll, good defender, shot blocker and rebounder.

Choice was between heels Henson and Zeller, and Leonard. Pistons need scoring, but desperately need more of an inside presence. Leonard to me has a better trajectory toward his "upside" Henson may never add weight that he will need to excel, and neither Henson nor Zeller dominated in college, nor even showed great improvement. Leonard did not play much as a freshmen, and improved dramatically as a sophmore. I just feel he has more realistic room for improvement. I think Zeller would be a more likely starter this year, and a better short term pick, but I don't see him getting much stronger. Unfortunately, this reduces the chance of picking Miles in round 2, because there isn't room for 2 development centers on the roster.

[FerryFor50]

Pistons select Myers Leonard - 7' C Ill

This kid has been rising up boards, has good athleticism, can operate on high post - which works well for pick and roll, good defender, shot blocker and rebounder.

Choice was between heels Henson and Zeller, and Leonard. Pistons need scoring, but desperately need more of an inside presence. Leonard to me has a better trajectory toward his "upside" Henson may never add weight that he will need to excel, and neither Henson nor Zeller dominated in college, nor even showed great improvement. Leonard did not play much as a freshmen, and improved dramatically as a sophmore. I just feel he has more realistic room for improvement. I think Zeller would be a more likely starter this year, and a better short term pick, but I don't see him getting much stronger. Unfortunately, this reduces the chance of picking Miles in round 2, because there isn't room for 2 development centers on the roster.

Great pick. I considered Leonard, but 7th was too high and GS has Bogut at the 5.

[JasonEvans]

Just so folks do not have to go back to the previous page... here is where the First Round stands--

First Round:

New Orleans Hornets - dcdevil2009 ANTHONY DAVIS
Charlotte Bobcats - Newton_14 MICHAEL KIDD-GILCHRIST
Washington Wizards - JBDuke BRADLEY BEAL
Cleveland Cavaliers - MulletMan THOMAS ROBINSON
Sacramento Kings - em0526 ANDRE DRUMMOND
Portland Trail Blazers - pfrduke HARRISON BARNES
Golden State Warriors - FerryFor50 TERRENCE JONES
Toronto Raptors - NSDukeFan JARED SULLINGER
Detroit Pistons - BD80 MYERS LEONARD
New Orleans Hornets - dcdevil2009 JOHN HENSON
Portland Trail Blazers - pfrduke KENDALL MARSHALL
Milwaukee Bucks- TDrake51 TYLER ZELLER
Phoenix Suns - Starter
Houston Rockets - tommy
Philadelphia 76ers - roywhite
Houston Rockets - tommy
Dallas Mavericks - superdave
Minnesota Timberwolves - Li_Duke
Orlando Magic - Coldriver10
Denver Nuggets - FireOgilvie
Boston Celtics- Maxamillion
Boston Celtics- Maxamillion
Atlanta Hawks - JasonEvans
Cleveland Cavaliers - MulletMan
Memphis Grizzlies - CPDUKEGUY24
Indiana Pacers - blev23
Miami Heat - Chicago 1995
Oklahoma City Thunder- KDOGG
Chicago Bulls - CDu
Golden State Warriors - FerryFor50


-Jason "so many Heels in the lottery" Evans

[Jderf]

Okay, so which of the next four posters promised Austin their pick?

[dcdevil2009]

With the 10th pick of the mock draft, the New Orleans Hornets select John Henson. Knowing this pick will get criticized because I've already got Anthony Davis, Emeka Okafor and Carl Landry in the front court, I'm making it anyway and trying to build this team with as much defense as possible. As mentioned with the Davis pick, this team is still a couple years away from competing, but with a starting five of Jarrett Jack, Eric Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu, Henson, and Davis, we should be off on the right track. Henson doesn't exactly get buckets, but his shot blocking should translate well to the NBA. There have been questions over his size, but if Sean May and Raymond Felton are any indication, he should have no problem bulking up once he gets into the league.

I considered taking a point guard, but wasn't overly impressed with Damian Lillard or Kendall Marshall, and thinking that Jarrett Jack would be able to hold things down until next years draft or a free agent signing, I took who I thought was the best player available.

[pfrduke]

This is sort of a rough spot for the Blazers. Like other posters, I like Meyers Leonard and was hoping he would fall to here. The best player on our board is Jeremy Lamb, but he's a little redundant of existing areas of strength (I use that term loosely here) and not additive. Point guard and center/defensive minded power forward are the two biggest needs. At the point, I'm not enamored with Damon Lilliard - his best case scenario seems to be Rodney Stuckey, and the Pistons are still struggling to build a team around him. I think Marshall will struggle with NBA speed and size. I would consider trading down to see if I can snag Tony Wroten later in the draft, because I think he may end up being the best pro of all three, but I can't really justify taking him at 11. On the big front, Tyler Zeller would be the best option, but he's not the defensive presence I would want out of a center. The best power forward option is Perry Jones III, and he's basically Aldridge-lite, which is not a great fit. All of that is a long way of saying I'm not super excited about any of the options here.

At the end of the day, point guard is the biggest need, and distributing point is my preference over scoring point, so I have to hold my nose and draft Kendall Marshall. Two Heels for the Blazers in the lottery. Ugh.

[gumbomoop]

I don't watch much NBA, saw but a few minutes last night. So sue me.

But I am curious about Tyler Zeller. Any chance he'd go in the actual lottery? IMO, he's multii-skilled, way-underrated defensively, pretty good jump shot when open, unsurpassed at tip-ins....

[Wheat/"/"/"]

..............and neither Henson nor Zeller dominated in college, nor even showed great improvement.


I have no problem with the pick, I think Leonard is a very good player. (Although I think Henson is going to end up the surprise stud of the draft).

But I do think the "nor even showed great improvement" comment is way off base and smacks of "homerism". Both Henson and Zeller improved dramatically from their freshmen seasons, IMO.

I would love to see Henson drop to NO and get paired with Davis. Smart pick there dcdevil2009, but I don't think he gets past Toronto in the real draft.

[roywhite]

I have no problem with the pick, I think Leonard is a very good player. (Although I think Henson is going to end up the surprise stud of the draft).

But I do think the "nor even showed great improvement" comment is way off base and smacks of "homerism". Both Henson and Zeller improved dramatically from their freshmen seasons, IMO.

I would love to see Henson drop to NO and get paired with Davis. Smart pick there dcdevil2009, but I don't think he gets past Toronto in the real draft.


This "homer" board has picked 3 Tarheels in the top 11 of this mock draft and I'd guess we'll soon see Zeller's name.

[tdrake51]

With the 12th pick, the Bucks select Tyler Zeller.

The Bucks have a need at small forward, but I don't like anyone left enough to draft this high. Zeller fills the need of a true center, allowing Gooden to either slide to PF or be the first big off of the bench.

I think Zeller is a low risk pick because you know what you are getting with him. A mobile center with decent mid range who has some go to moves down low.

[JasonEvans]

4 Heels in the top 12 picks... methinks Roy sorta underachieved with this crew.

-Jason "draft humming along... good work people!" Evans

[gumbomoop]

4 Heels in the top 12 picks... methinks Roy sorta underachieved with this crew.

Roy Williams is no favorite of mine. Nevertheless, IMO, had Marshall been healthy, the Heels would have played UK for the NC. If - true, a medium-sized if - that had happened, they'd have achieved about what they should have achieved. And that doesn't even take into account the season-ending injuries to Strickland and McDonald.

A UK-UNC NC game would have been agonizing for us, but for a truly neutral fan, potentially a great final.

[BD80]

I have no problem with the pick, I think Leonard is a very good player. (Although I think Henson is going to end up the surprise stud of the draft).

But I do think the "nor even showed great improvement" comment is way off base and smacks of "homerism". Both Henson and Zeller improved dramatically from their freshmen seasons, IMO.

I would love to see Henson drop to NO and get paired with Davis. Smart pick there dcdevil2009, but I don't think he gets past Toronto in the real draft.

I agree Henson has the potential to be the star of the draft, he has length, athleticism and timing. He just didn't take over games. In his three years, he avgd 5.7, 11.7, 13.7 ppg, 4.4, 10.1, 9.9 rpg, and 1.6, 3.2, 2.9 bpg in 15.8, 26.7, 29.1 mpg. One could say he peaked his sophmore year and leveled off after improving in his second year - in which his minutes nearly doubled. What troubled me most about Henson is that he didn't show much mass gain. He can jump over college kids, in the NBA he'll have to dig in for position.

Zeller didn't play much his freshman year, played about 17 mpg his sophmore year, then 28 mpg his last 2 years. His stats per minute are failrly consistent over the 4 years. While he did clearly improve and gain strength, he didn't show a path of dramatic improvement that will carry into the pros. I think he will be a pro - he would probably be a starter on the Pistons - but he won't be one of the better starting centers - and will most likely be a back-up. I was looking for the potential premier player - and Leonard seems more likely to me - based on the evaluations I read.

[Wheat/"/"/"]

This "homer" board has picked 3 Tarheels in the top 11 of this mock draft and I'd guess we'll soon see Zeller's name.

Overall I think most people are pretty reasonable around here. But that comment by BD80 screamed for a challenge.

Jason=Troublemaker:)

[FerryFor50]

For the record, our mock draft started off very much like the CNNSI mock draft (same general players, just slightly mixed around):

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/sam_amick/06/13/mock.draft.2/index.html?eref=sihp&sct=hp_t12_a0

[Wheat/"/"/"]

I agree Henson has the potential to be the star of the draft, he has length, athleticism and timing. He just didn't take over games. In his three years, he avgd 5.7, 11.7, 13.7 ppg, 4.4, 10.1, 9.9 rpg, and 1.6, 3.2, 2.9 bpg in 15.8, 26.7, 29.1 mpg. One could say he peaked his sophmore year and leveled off after improving in his second year - in which his minutes nearly doubled. What troubled me most about Henson is that he didn't show much mass gain. He can jump over college kids, in the NBA he'll have to dig in for position.

Zeller didn't play much his freshman year, played about 17 mpg his sophmore year, then 28 mpg his last 2 years. His stats per minute are failrly consistent over the 4 years. While he did clearly improve and gain strength, he didn't show a path of dramatic improvement that will carry into the pros. I think he will be a pro - he would probably be a starter on the Pistons - but he won't be one of the better starting centers - and will most likely be a back-up. I was looking for the potential premier player - and Leonard seems more likely to me - based on the evaluations I read.

No problem with the Leonard pick. He's a player.

I think we'll see Henson as more of a SF/hybrid PF....a difficult match up and a potential game changer. Teams will have to make adjustments with him on the floor.

[NSDukeFan]

I have no problem with the pick, I think Leonard is a very good player. (Although I think Henson is going to end up the surprise stud of the draft).

But I do think the "nor even showed great improvement" comment is way off base and smacks of "homerism". Both Henson and Zeller improved dramatically from their freshmen seasons, IMO.

I would love to see Henson drop to NO and get paired with Davis. Smart pick there dcdevil2009, but I don't think he gets past Toronto in the real draft.

As the fake GM for Toronto, I certainly considered all three UNC guys to get picked shortly after, but though he will never get up as high as Henson, I still like Sullinger. I think he will be solid in the league for years. (Not that I don't think Zeller, Henson and Marshall will as well.)

[Starter]

SUNS: This presents a conundrum in that my sense is that Phoenix might be the team that promised Austin Rivers. However, I also wouldn't have thought Dion Waiters would still be available, as many have speculated that Toronto made him a promise at No. 8. That said, young Colangelo has denied that. Assuming he's on the level -- which I'm not saying I am -- Phoenix very well could be the team that promised Waiters. Including the fact that Steve Nash is a free agent, the Suns have literally no guards signed for next season (http://hoopshype.com/salaries/phoenix.htm) except for Jared Dudley, and he can't handle the ball. Waiters or Rivers, if they pick up some point guard skills, could be a dynamic way to bridge the gap to the post-Nash era, especially if he signs back on as a mentor, which I would assume they'd try to do. I'm going to leave Rivers on the board and take Dion Waiters, who recently said he beat Rivers one-on-one in a workout and is the stronger defensive player. But I don't think Rivers will be out there much longer.

[Wheat/"/"/"]

As the fake GM for Toronto, I certainly considered all three UNC guys to get picked shortly after, but though he will never get up as high as Henson, I still like Sullinger. I think he will be solid in the league for years. (Not that I don't think Zeller, Henson and Marshall will as well.)

I liked Sullinger as a college player, but I'm not sold on him as a pro. He seems to play "small" for his skill set somehow to me.

That said, they said the same thing about Barkley too, so we'll see.

[tommy]

HOUSTON ROCKETS:

The Rockets are in kind of a weird position. We don't have any glaring holes in our roster, but nor do we have any all-stars, or anyone even close. Our best player is Luis Scola at power forward. We do have two unrestricted free agents who are important to re-sign: point guard Goren Dragic and center Marcus Camby. Camby is long in the tooth but still effective defensively and on the boards, and he's still better than Sam Dalembert, who is also on the roster.

One position that at first glance seems to be covered is shooting guard. We have Kevin Martin, who averaged 17 ppg and has been a reliable scorer for us and previously the Kings, for years. We also have Courtney Lee at that position, though he's a restricted free agent. But Martin is a problem. He was all-but-traded as part of the Chris Paul/Pau Gasol deal that would've brought Paul to the Lakers. That trade got nixed, but Martin is still unhappy about it, and we're not happy with having a top player on our team be disgruntled. We prefer gruntled. And Lee, while a nice player, is a guy you want as your backup, not as your starter.

This team has two primary needs. Low post scoring is one of them. The other is star power, along with some swag. Who do you think of when you think of the Rockets? Probably Yao Ming, who is retired. That's not good.

Coupling the situation at shooting guard with the need for a star, the pick here is Austin Rivers. There are two other shooting guards we considered very strongly, and while both are excellent players with bright futures, neither of them has, in our judgment, the potential for superstardom that Austin does. At Duke he displayed an absolutely devastating first step, getting to the basket against any defender. We think he'll continue to do that at the next level. His shooting was very good as well, and he displayed good range on the jumpshot. His decisionmaking in the lane and his passing needs to improve, but we think it will, with experience.

He took heat for his defense, but as we reviewed the tape, he was actually pretty good on most nights, and usually guarded the opponent's best perimeter player. We also like his size. He's a legit 6'5". Perhaps the key advantage we see with Austin is that he is such a fierce competitor. The media says that about a lot of guys, but with Austin it's true. He eats and breathes basketball. He really, really wants to win. He works very hard in the gym. His image is one of a pretty boy prima donna, but the facts are to the contrary. He's a flat-out baller, and the kind of guy, with his natural skill set and work ethic, who could explode as an NBA player, in particular in the open court. The upside (hate that word) that Austin possesses is simply too great to pass up. And the bloodlines don't hurt either. But that skill set plus that attitude, at 14? Yes, please. Austin Rivers it is.

[roywhite]

Philadelphia 76ers

2011-12: 35-31 Regular season; reached game 7 of Eastern Semifinals vs Celtics

Strong points: Under Coach Doug Collins, the Sixers have played good defense, and played with effort. They have a nucleus of good, young athletic players.

Areas for improvement: Scoring, and inside play

PICK: Moe Harkless, 6'8" from St. John's
He's got size, length, and athletic ability
Can get to the rim off the dribble; very versatile game
His outside shooting is a work in progress, but IMO he can be a star

Also considered: Arnett Moultrie from Miss. State

[Newton_14]

Draft board now up to date again. Houston/Tommy is on the clock..

[Newton_14]

Philadelphia 76ers

2011-12: 35-31 Regular season; reached game 7 of Eastern Semifinals vs Celtics

Strong points: Under Coach Doug Collins, the Sixers have played good defense, and played with effort. They have a nucleus of good, young athletic players.

Areas for improvement: Scoring, and inside play

PICK: Moe Harkless, 6'8" from St. John's
He's got size, length, and athletic ability
Can get to the rim off the dribble; very versatile game
His outside shooting is a work in progress, but IMO he can be a star

Also considered: Arnett Moultrie from Miss. State

Love this pick Roy. Maybe it's bias from the guy torching us in Cameron, but I love this guy's game. He is going to be a great player for years to come imo...

[NSDukeFan]

HOUSTON ROCKETS:

The Rockets are in kind of a weird position. We don't have any glaring holes in our roster, but nor do we have any all-stars, or anyone even close. Our best player is Luis Scola at power forward. We do have two unrestricted free agents who are important to re-sign: point guard Goren Dragic and center Marcus Camby. Camby is long in the tooth but still effective defensively and on the boards, and he's still better than Sam Dalembert, who is also on the roster.

One position that at first glance seems to be covered is shooting guard. We have Kevin Martin, who averaged 17 ppg and has been a reliable scorer for us and previously the Kings, for years. We also have Courtney Lee at that position, though he's a restricted free agent. But Martin is a problem. He was all-but-traded as part of the Chris Paul/Pau Gasol deal that would've brought Paul to the Lakers. That trade got nixed, but Martin is still unhappy about it, and we're not happy with having a top player on our team be disgruntled. We prefer gruntled. And Lee, while a nice player, is a guy you want as your backup, not as your starter.

This team has two primary needs. Low post scoring is one of them. The other is star power, along with some swag. Who do you think of when you think of the Rockets? Probably Yao Ming, who is retired. That's not good.

Coupling the situation at shooting guard with the need for a star, the pick here is Austin Rivers. There are two other shooting guards we considered very strongly, and while both are excellent players with bright futures, neither of them has, in our judgment, the potential for superstardom that Austin does. At Duke he displayed an absolutely devastating first step, getting to the basket against any defender. We think he'll continue to do that at the next level. His shooting was very good as well, and he displayed good range on the jumpshot. His decisionmaking in the lane and his passing needs to improve, but we think it will, with experience.

He took heat for his defense, but as we reviewed the tape, he was actually pretty good on most nights, and usually guarded the opponent's best perimeter player. We also like his size. He's a legit 6'5". Perhaps the key advantage we see with Austin is that he is such a fierce competitor. The media says that about a lot of guys, but with Austin it's true. He eats and breathes basketball. He really, really wants to win. He works very hard in the gym. His image is one of a pretty boy prima donna, but the facts are to the contrary. He's a flat-out baller, and the kind of guy, with his natural skill set and work ethic, who could explode as an NBA player, in particular in the open court. The upside (hate that word) that Austin possesses is simply too great to pass up. And the bloodlines don't hurt either. But that skill set plus that attitude, at 14? Yes, please. Austin Rivers it is.

I wonder if Austin isn't being a bit underrated here. Normally, if you have the choice of taking a 6'8 athletic jump shooter who has not shown a tremendous ability to create his own shot, great defensive abilities, rebounding or passing abilities who was a second team all-ACC as a sophomore (anybody mind if I give that fifth slot on the all-ACC team to Marshall instead?) vs. a 6'4 athletic slasher/shooter who can easily create his own shot, showed above average defensive skills, and was a first team all-ACC performer as a freshman, wouldn't the freshman be the pick?

I know it is more complicated than that, but I think Rivers is going to be a very good pro and think that he will end up being better than Jason Terry, who I have seen him compared to.

Very good pick Tommy. I think Rivers will help you keep your GM job for years to come.

[Kedsy]

Love this pick Roy. Maybe it's bias from the guy torching us in Cameron, but I love this guy's game. He is going to be a great player for years to come imo...

I agree. As a Philadelphian, I'd be thrilled if the Sixers would actually make this pick.

[Starter]

I wonder if Austin isn't being a bit underrated here. Normally, if you have the choice of taking a 6'8 athletic jump shooter who has not shown a tremendous ability to create his own shot, great defensive abilities, rebounding or passing abilities who was a second team all-ACC as a sophomore (anybody mind if I give that fifth slot on the all-ACC team to Marshall instead?) vs. a 6'4 athletic slasher/shooter who can easily create his own shot, showed above average defensive skills, and was a first team all-ACC performer as a freshman, wouldn't the freshman be the pick?

I know it is more complicated than that, but I think Rivers is going to be a very good pro and think that he will end up being better than Jason Terry, who I have seen him compared to.

Very good pick Tommy. I think Rivers will help you keep your GM job for years to come.

Jason Terry's been a really good player for a long time in a couple of roles -- prolific on lousy Hawks teams, equally effective starter and reserve on good Mavs teams. If Rivers is as good as Terry, much less better, that's a major success for him. It's tough to really put my finger on his game; I first need to see him be effective to begin with on the next level. Actually, I've long thought Waiters was a good comp for Terry. Waiters and Rivers, despite being very different players, are kind of intertwined; two dynamic guards who bring different strengths and questions to the table.

[tommy]

HOUSTON ROCKETS SECOND FIRST ROUND PICK

In real life, I think the Rockets will be interested in trading this pick. But absent that, here's what we now have, having already drafted Austin Rivers two picks ago.

We need a scoring big man, preferably one who blocks shots. There isn't one on the board. Not one that I like, anyway. Moultrie of Mississippi State just doesn't convince me. Fab Melo has a tendency to get out of shape and get lazy. And that's before he's made millions of dollars. No thanks. I think we'd rather try to re-sign Marcus Camby for a much reduced number than the $12.9 million he made last year. Then I think we're going to have to try one of two things. The first is to re-ignite the trade talks for Pau Gasol. We had him in our hands before Commissioner Stern nixed the Chris Paul deal. Gasol wouldn't mind getting out of LA, getting away from Bynum, and away from the pressure that Kobe puts on him. We could try to put together a package of guys to bring in Pau, his huge salary notwithstanding. Or we could try to make a splash in free agency. We're in a good position cap-wise, especially if we waive Sam Dalembert and don't re-sign Camby, and perhaps Courtney Lee too, who we won't need now that we have Rivers. If we can't get Gasol, let's go after free agent big men Roy Hibbert (restricted), Brook Lopez (restricted) or even the mercurial JaVale McGee (restricted). Next choice would be Chris Kaman, who is unrestricted. I like any of those guys, as known quantities, over rookies Moultrie or Melo.

We could also use an upgrade at the point. Goran Dragic is fine, but it's hard to see him leading us anywhere significant. Kyle Lowry has not been the happiest camper as the backup. If we wanted to draft a point, it would definitely be Weber State's Damian Lillard, who is a scoring point in the mold of Russell Westbrook. Or he could be Jarryd Bayless. I'd be reluctant to draft a Big Sky player, one who did not knock anyone's socks off in the opportunities he had against top flight competition though. Maybe Lillard will be a star, or maybe he'll get the GM who drafts him fired. I don't want to get fired.

Besides, there are free agent options at the point as well. Primary for us is Jeremy Lin, who is unrestricted. Not only did he play brilliantly for the Knicks, but the Yao Ming Experience we enjoyed really set us up as the team of choice for so many Chinese and Chinese-Americans, and let's be honest, we'd like to capitalize on that and continue our strong relationship with those communities. Randy Foye also played very well for the Clippers this past year, and he is a free agent as well (unrestricted), so perhaps re-uniting him with college teammate Kyle Lowry who we already have on our roster, would be beneficial to both.

So we're not going to go point. Not when there are a number of solid options still available in the draft. We decided between Jeremy Lamb, Perry Jones, and Terrence Ross, and we're going with Washington's Ross. While we can't believe Lamb is still even on the board, he plays the same position as Rivers, and we don't want to do that. Lamb has a ton of skills that will translate to the league, but he's just not a fit for us at this point.

Perry Jones is a coach killer, and that probably means a GM killer as well. I don't want to be killed. Jones has all the physical ability in the world, all the tools as they say, and an NBA body. He shows flashes of absolute brilliance. His problem is that he floats for long periods where he has no impact at all and you don't even realize he's on the floor. His motor is highly suspect. Does he really care? If so, why hasn't he developed any aspect of his game beyond where it was when he arrived in Waco? Some of that is Scott Drew, sure, but where is Jones' desire to improve? Nowhere, that's where. If his head was on straight and he was committed to improving his game, to working hard, to being part of something bigger than himself and his highlight reel, then he'd be a tempting prospect. But I haven't seen any of that. Pass.

We like Terrence Ross. He's a very athletic 6'7" wing who improved drastically from his freshman to his sophomore year at UW. He can shoot it both midrange and longer, and the shot is very smooth. He can drive effectively to the hoop and finish, as he is strong and is an excellent leaper. He has a post-up game as well. His handle could improve, but he's a hard worker, and we think it will. Ross is a very good rebounder for his position. He also plays very hard at the defensive end, and has the length and quickness to be very good there. Some may say that Ross is a tweener, but we view him as versatile -- a guy who will be able to play both the 2 and the 3, and be effective at both ends at both positions. We like that.

In pairing Austin Rivers with Terrence Ross, we feel we have dramatically improved the offensive capabilities of this team. Both guys are explosive, and they're exciting. They both are hard workers, coachable, and good citizens as well. Both have the ability to become stars in this league, and we think they will. They will be two key components of the foundation of a rising Rockets franchise.

[superdave]

Damian Lillard, Weber State.

The Mavs have Jason Kidd as starting point guard right now. He's 39 and not under contract for next season. Kidd wants to play another year, but the Mavs need a long term replacement. Lillard is the highest rated point guard in the draft. He averaged 24 and 4 last season and is considered an elite athlete with a big vertical, long reach and lateral quickness. The Mavs plan on a year of tutelage behind Kidd, want to go after Deron Williams in the off-season, but Lillard is the insurance policy and he's a huge steal at #17. No one cannot believe he fell this far.

[superdave]

Damian Lillard, Weber State.

The Mavs have Jason Kidd as starting point guard right now. He's 39 and not under contract for next season. Kidd wants to play another year, but the Mavs need a long term replacement. Lillard is the highest rated point guard in the draft. He averaged 24 and 4 last season and is considered an elite athlete with a big vertical, long reach and lateral quickness. The Mavs plan on a year of tutelage behind Kidd, want to go after Deron Williams in the off-season, but Lillard is the insurance policy and he's a huge steal at #17. No one can believe he fell this far.

Lillard was ranked in the top 10 on most every draft board, and as the #1 point guard. So I'm wondering why people passed on him for Waiters, Rivers and Kendall Marshall. Anyone have a reason they passed on Lillard?

My spelling suggests my sleepiness...

[roywhite]

Lillard was ranked in the top 10 on most every draft board, and as the #1 point guard. So I'm wondering why people passed on him for Waiters, Rivers and Kendall Marshall. Anyone have a reason they passed on Lillard?

My spelling suggests my sleepiness...

Didn't look seriously at Lillard at pick #15.
Not as much of a need for Philadelphia.

[CDu]

Lillard was ranked in the top 10 on most every draft board, and as the #1 point guard. So I'm wondering why people passed on him for Waiters, Rivers and Kendall Marshall. Anyone have a reason they passed on Lillard?

My spelling suggests my sleepiness...

Yeah, Lillard will almost certainly be off the board before pick #17 in real life. I suspect that some DBR folks just aren't that familiar with him. But GMs are very aware of his scoring ability and athleticism. He's sort of a Derrick Rose light (terrific athlete and scorer, decent passer).

Waiters may go ahead of him (folks are saying he's been given a guarantee in the lottery. Marshall probably won't. Rivers plays a different position, so he and Lillard aren't really in direct competition. But Rivers may also have a guarantee in the lottery.

[Starter]

Lillard was ranked in the top 10 on most every draft board, and as the #1 point guard. So I'm wondering why people passed on him for Waiters, Rivers and Kendall Marshall. Anyone have a reason they passed on Lillard?

My spelling suggests my sleepiness...

From my perspective, Lillard could easily have been the Suns' pick. Like CDu said, though, I wouldn't expect to see him at 13. Nor would I expect to see Waiters, who I "picked." I think their most likely selection would be Rivers, but with Waiters still on the board, that would be the way to go, at least for me. Honestly, I think if any of the three slip to 13, that's their pick.

[Li_Duke]

#18. The Minnesota Timberwolves pick Jeremy Lamb

Our team already has 2 future all-stars as building blocks in PF Kevin Love and PG Ricky Rubio. We like what we saw out of C Nikola Pekovic last year - his bruising game pairs up nicely beside Love's. The jury is still out on whether Derrick Williams can become our future SF; for this year, however, we intend to give him every chance at that position. (Michael Beasley is not a part of our future.) Our current pu-pu platter of wings: Johnson, Webster, Ellington, and Lee are all better suited as back-ups or bench warmers than starting SG. Our other need is a 3rd big we can depend on. We currently have Milicic (bust), Randolph (tease), and Tolliver (not bad for a guy out of the D-league but not meant to be the first big off the bench). We like what we have at the back-up PGs spots in Ridnour and Barea.

With the idea of addressing our needs for a 3rd big or a starting SG, we took a long look at C Zeller and SG Waiters, Lillard, Lamb, Ross, and Rivers. We thought Waiters and Lillard replicated too much of what Barea already provides and that Rivers would demand the ball too much to coexist with Rubio. So our goal coming into the draft was to draft 1. Lamb, 2. Zeller, 3. Ross. We're more than happy to see our first choice Lamb is still on the board at #18 even though our 2nd and 3rd choices have both been drafted (otherwise we really would have been in a bind and Kahn would have got his way and drafted a PF or PG).

Before the year began, scouts considered Lamb a top 5 pick. His stock dropped after Calhoun mailed it in this year coaching-wise. We believe we're getting the steal of the draft. Lamb is athletic with good size for a SG. His catch and shoot game goes well with Rubio's passing. He's already a very good mid-range shooter and in time, we believe he'll become a great 3 point shooter. Between Lamb's freaky 7 foot wing span (and finally some instruction on how to properly use it on defense) and Rubio's knack for steals, our backcourt will be a terror defensively.

[CDu]

#18. The Minnesota Timberwolves pick Jeremy Lamb

Our team already has 2 future all-stars as building blocks in PF Kevin Love and PG Ricky Rubio. We like what we saw out of C Nikola Pekovic last year - his bruising game pairs up nicely beside Love's. The jury is still out on whether Derrick Williams can become our future SF; for this year, however, we intend to give him every chance at that position. (Michael Beasley is not a part of our future.) Our current pu-pu platter of wings: Johnson, Webster, Ellington, and Lee are all better suited as back-ups or bench warmers than starting SG. Our other need is a 3rd big we can depend on. We currently have Milicic (bust), Randolph (tease), and Tolliver (not bad for a guy out of the D-league but not meant to be the first big off the bench). We like what we have at the back-up PGs spots in Ridnour and Barea.

With the idea of addressing our needs for a 3rd big or a starting SG, we took a long look at C Zeller and SG Waiters, Lillard, Lamb, Ross, and Rivers. We thought Waiters and Lillard replicated too much of what Barea already provides and that Rivers would demand the ball too much to coexist with Rubio. So our goal coming into the draft was to draft 1. Lamb, 2. Zeller, 3. Ross. We're more than happy to see our first choice Lamb is still on the board at #18 even though our 2nd and 3rd choices have both been drafted (otherwise we really would have been in a bind and Kahn would have got his way and drafted a PF or PG).

Before the year began, scouts considered Lamb a top 5 pick. His stock dropped after Calhoun mailed it in this year coaching-wise. We believe we're getting the steal of the draft. Lamb is athletic with good size for a SG. His catch and shoot game goes well with Rubio's passing. He's already a very good mid-range shooter and in time, we believe he'll become a great 3 point shooter. Between Lamb's freaky 7 foot wing span (and finally some instruction on how to properly use it on defense) and Rubio's knack for steals, our backcourt will be a terror defensively.

I think the last two picks have been the best values in the draft so far. Chad Ford has Lillard going at #6 right now, with Lamb going #11. So getting them 7-10 picks later is potentially a steal. Lamb definitely has tremendous upside potential (to quote the legendary Hubie Brown).

[roywhite]

I think the last two picks have been the best values in the draft so far. Chad Ford has Lillard going at #6 right now, with Lamb going #11. So getting them 7-10 picks later is potentially a steal. Lamb definitely has tremendous upside potential (to quote the legendary Hubie Brown).

Hey, who knows? Maybe the DBR draft committee is better at this than the media talking heads?

I'm willing to accept that possibility. :)

[CDu]

Hey, who knows? Maybe the DBR draft committee is better at this than the media talking heads?

I'm willing to accept that possibility. :)

Yes, both are certainly possible. It's not an exact science.

[pfrduke]

Lillard was ranked in the top 10 on most every draft board, and as the #1 point guard. So I'm wondering why people passed on him for Waiters, Rivers and Kendall Marshall. Anyone have a reason they passed on Lillard?

My spelling suggests my sleepiness...

The rep on Lilliard (at least the rep that I could see) is that he's a score-first point, which I tend not to like too much. I've seen comparisons to Jerryd Bayless, who is at best a decent player. He also reminds me of Rodney Stuckey, maybe not completely in playing style, but in being a high-volume scoring guard out of a small conference. I don't see Lilliard being a starting point guard on a contender. In Marshall, the passing ability and court vision is unquestioned. There have, to my memory, been a lot more players who developed a shooting stroke than who developed true point guard passing skills, so I'd rather have the guy who has the facilitation down and just needs to improve his own shooting/scoring than the reverse.

I'll also admit that I didn't see Lilliard play a single game this season, so I'm left without a personal impression of his play. It could be that if I had seen more, I would have had a better impression.

[coldriver10]

As franchise player, coach, and general manager of the Orlando Magic, I am pleased to announce the selection of Tony Wroten, PG Washington. Although we have several needs (Moe Harkless would have been a strong consideration had he been available), I, I mean we, are really looking forward to adding such a talented distributor of the basketball…someone who really knows how to get me the ball down low. He has tremendous size for a point guard, is a great passer, and is also very capable at getting to the basket. His jump shooting needs a bit of work, but he has potential to be a legitimate scorer in this league. You know, for those times when we're up 30 and I'm getting some well-deserved rest on the bench. With Jameer Nelson likely gone this summer, he can be the centerpiece of a formidable backcourt for years to come…one I may or may not be a part of. Haha, just kidding! Maybe. I'm not sure yet.

--Dwight Howard

The Denver Nuggets (FireOgilvie) are now on the clock.

[BD80]

#18. The Minnesota Timberwolves pick Jeremy Lamb

... Before the year began, scouts considered Lamb a top 5 pick. His stock dropped after Calhoun mailed it in this year coaching-wise. We believe we're getting the steal of the draft. Lamb is athletic with good size for a SG. His catch and shoot game goes well with Rubio's passing. He's already a very good mid-range shooter and in time, we believe he'll become a great 3 point shooter. Between Lamb's freaky 7 foot wing span (and finally some instruction on how to properly use it on defense) and Rubio's knack for steals, our backcourt will be a terror defensively.

The Pistons' mock GM, and from reports the real GM, strongly consider Lamb at the #9 - the point of the game is to score more points than the other team - and Lamb could be prolific - and would pair well with Knight and Monroe. However, Pistons have had issues with attitudes of uCon alum - Gordon and Villanueva led the revolt against unc-product Kuester and Rip wasn't on the best terms with recent coaches. I went with a percieved greater need at #9, but Lamb is a great pick here


Hey, who knows? Maybe the DBR draft committee is better at this than the media talking heads?

I'm willing to accept that possibility. :)

Any one have the results of previous efforts to see how we did?

[JasonEvans]

Here is where things stand at the moment--

First Round:

New Orleans Hornets - dcdevil2009 ANTHONY DAVIS
Charlotte Bobcats - Newton_14 MICHAEL KIDD-GILCHRIST
Washington Wizards - JBDuke BRADLEY BEAL
Cleveland Cavaliers - MulletMan THOMAS ROBINSON
Sacramento Kings - em0526 ANDRE DRUMMOND
Portland Trail Blazers - pfrduke HARRISON BARNES
Golden State Warriors - FerryFor50 TERRENCE JONES
Toronto Raptors - NSDukeFan JARED SULLINGER
Detroit Pistons - BD80 MYERS LEONARD
New Orleans Hornets - dcdevil2009 JOHN HENSON
Portland Trail Blazers - pfrduke KENDALL MARSHALL
Milwaukee Bucks- TDrake51 TYLER ZELLER
Phoenix Suns - Starter-DION WAITERS
Houston Rockets - tommy- AUSTIN RIVERS
Philadelphia 76ers - roywhite- MOE HARKLESS
Houston Rockets - tommy- TERRENCE ROSS
Dallas Mavericks - superdave- DAMIEN LILLARD
Minnesota Timberwolves - Li_Duke- JEREMY LAMB
Orlando Magic - Coldriver10- TONY WROTEN
Denver Nuggets - FireOgilvie- PERRY JONES
Boston Celtics- Maxamillion- ARNETT MOULTRIE
Boston Celtics- Maxamillion- ANDREW NICHOLSON
Atlanta Hawks - JasonEvans- DRAYMOND GREEN
Cleveland Cavaliers - MulletMan
Memphis Grizzlies - CPDUKEGUY24
Indiana Pacers - blev23
Miami Heat - Chicago 1995
Oklahoma City Thunder- KDOGG
Chicago Bulls - CDu
Golden State Warriors - FerryFor50

[FireOgilvie]

The Denver Nuggets select Perry Jones! The Nuggets will provide more information after they get off work...

[MaxAMillion]

The Boston Celtics have the next two picks and it is obvious that they need length and athleticism added to the roster. They can draft any position outside of point guard with no problem.
I was hoping that Arnett Moultrie would be available because he is an obvious choice in my opinion. Moultrie can run and he rebound. Moultrie will benefit from playing and practicing with KG next season.

The next pick is based on Ainge and the C's apparently liking Andrew Nicholson. I have read that Nicholson is a plus defender who has a high ceiling. Another big body for a team desperate for help in the front court. My personal preference is John Jenkins because I think he could actually have a bigger impact next season as a shooter coming off screens, but I don't see the C's being that interested.

Moultrie and Nicholson are the picks and the C's are now a deeper and more athletic team in the front court.

[FireOgilvie]

Here is the follow-up from the Nuggets' previous pick:

The Nuggets are a solid playoff team, yet have no real stars. We feel like we can look at high-risk/high-reward players because we already have a solid core with no major weaknesses, especially if we resign Javale McGee. Therefore, we were prepared to take the best available player at basically any position. That player is Perry Jones III.

Just last year, Jones was considered a top 2-3 pick in the draft. He didn't show a lot of improvement this past season, but he still averaged nearly 14 pts and 8 rebounds per game as a sophomore and even had a 31 point game against KSU. Baylor lost LaceDarius Dunn (19 ppg) and opposing defenses were able to focus a lot more of their attention on Jones this past season. He also developed a solid 3 pointer and shot almost 70% from the free throw line. In addition, we were very impressed at his numbers in the combine, which were very similar to those of Miles Plumlee. In fact, Jones was actually faster in the sprint. The Nuggets wide-open up-and-down game will be perfect for a big man like Jones; he can rely on his superior speed and athleticism in the fast break. We're very excited to get PJIII this far into the first round!

[pfrduke]

The Boston Celtics have the next two picks and it is obvious that they need length and athleticism added to the roster. They can draft any position outside of point guard with no problem.
I was hoping that Arnett Moultrie would be available because he is an obvious choice in my opinion. Moultrie can run and he rebound. Moultrie will benefit from playing and practicing with KG next season.

The next pick is based on Ainge and the C's apparently liking Andrew Nicholson. I have read that Nicholson is a plus defender who has a high ceiling. Another big body for a team desperate for help in the front court. My personal preference is John Jenkins because I think he could actually have a bigger impact next season as a shooter coming off screens, but I don't see the C's being that interested.

Moultrie and Nicholson are the picks and the C's are now a deeper and more athletic team in the front court.

I've often wondered when a team has two picks back to back how they decide which guy to pick first. You figure that the guy picked earlier will lord it over the guy picked second. One guy will get paid more than the other, too. Do you consider the players' respective egos, and which one can handle better being the second choice? Do you simply do it by a pre-set order (alphabetically, by height, by age, etc.)?

[CDu]

Man, either Jason's very busy at work/life, or he's REALLY sweating over this pick for the Hawks. We're at 14 hours without a pick? Yeesh! :)

[JasonEvans]

The Atlanta Hawks need a PG. They have needed a PG for something like a decade or two. I think the last above average point guard they had was Doc Rivers. Had Tony Wrotten slipped to me, I would have been all over him here (despite his rep as a kid who is tough to coach). But, he didn't and I was pretty unimpressed with Marquis Teague's freshman season at Kentucky. So, I don't see a PG who is much of a help in the draft at this point. I need to move to some other position.

The Hawks also need a SF. Marvin Williams hasn't been a bust, but has been extremely disappointing as a #2 pick. I looked long and hard at SFs Quincy Miller and Jeffrey Taylor. I think Taylor's athleticism and ability to be a lockdown defender make him a great value here, even if no one is convinced he can shoot. But, he feels to me a bit like Josh Smith light. I already have Josh Smith and, despite the rumors, have no plans to trade him unless I am getting All-star value back in return.

So, with the 23rd pick of the first round of the DBR Mock Draft, the Atlanta Hawks select Draymond Green, SF, Michigan St.

I love Green's leadership for a Hawks team that sometimes seems to be leaderless (other than Al Horford). Plus, Green is a bit of a point-forward, so maybe he can help the Hawks with their annoying lack of a PG who creates for other people. He is ready to step in right away and contribute in a lot of ways, which is exactly what the Hawks need seeing as they need to either get better RIGHT NOW before Josh Smith flees via free agency. He's a great rebounder, has strength, and a dynamite long-range shooter. I wonder a bit how well he can defend at this level due to a lack of lateral foot speed, but the Hawks have a lot of long, athletic guys who can help out if you get in some trouble defensively.

I also think he is a lock to at least be a contributor in the NBA, something that cannot be said of most mid-20s draft picks.

-Jason "a lot of folks are undervaluing Green, IMO -- I love the kid" Evans

[JasonEvans]

Man, either Jason's very busy at work/life, or he's REALLY sweating over this pick for the Hawks. We're at 14 hours without a pick? Yeesh! :)

Sorry for the delay. I was DBR free last night as I went to the movies (Seeking a Friend for the End of the World) and then watched the NBA finals. I had a whole writeup planned on Tony Wrotten... and then noticed that he had already been picked. So, I had to pivot.

-Jason

[CDu]

Sorry for the delay. I was DBR free last night as I went to the movies (Seeking a Friend for the End of the World) and then watched the NBA finals. I had a whole writeup planned on Tony Wrotten... and then noticed that he had already been picked. So, I had to pivot.

-Jason

No sweat. I just try to find the humor in everything, and thought it amusing that the draft manager happened to have the longest delay so far. Was just teasing. In fairness, most of those hours were in the stated down time of 8pm to 8am, when folks weren't expected to respond. But shame on you for actually having a life!

P.S. - I thought about making a joke about you trying to decide which SF to take, since Atlanta has always loved to do that. The irony is that they do probably still need a SF!

I'm with you on Green. I think he'll be productive.

[MulletMan]

Alrighty, Cavs are up again. I figure we're down to four guys. Chad Ford of ESPN projects the Cavs to take Fab Melo and let him sit behind Varejao while developing. I seriously considered taking him here, but I'm not gonna lie... the kid doesn't seem super motivated and frankly, I don't feel like wasting this pick when we've got an area of need. Additionally, with 2 picks early in the second round, we might find a serviceable big man there.

So, I am going to focus on another glaring need for this team and that's a scorer to play at the 2 next to Kyrie. There are three guys that we're interested in Doron Lamb, Evan Fournier and Will Barton. I love Lamb, but I don't think that he'll be able to guard bigger 2s in the NBA. He projects like more of a hybrid guard, and I don't know how well he fits with Kyrie. By all accounts Fournier is a great shooter, but may lack the lateral quickness to guard NBA SGs. He also seems to keep getting injured before his workouts and wasn't able to come to the combine. I am not a big fan of Euros, and this draft seems especially thin, so I'm not going to be the guinea pig!

That brings us to Will Barton, SG from Memphis. Barton has great ability to get to the rack, and a nice mid range game. He has deep range from 3, but is a little inconsistent. However, at 6'6", with a 6'10"(!) wingspan he's ideal suited to bother guards on the perimeter. Additionally, he is a monster rebounder for his position, so with him on the floor with Robinson and Varejao, we should be formidable on the boards. He will need to add some mass, but that can be done. The kid can fill it up and should be a great compliment to Kyrie in out backcourt! So Will Barton is the pick!

[pfrduke]

We're through 24 picks - the top post is updated, and the selections are here as well:


New Orleans Hornets - dcdevil2009 ANTHONY DAVIS
Charlotte Bobcats - Newton_14 MICHAEL KIDD-GILCHRIST
Washington Wizards - JBDuke BRADLEY BEAL
Cleveland Cavaliers - MulletMan THOMAS ROBINSON
Sacramento Kings - em0526 ANDRE DRUMMOND
Portland Trail Blazers - pfrduke HARRISON BARNES
Golden State Warriors - FerryFor50 TERRENCE JONES
Toronto Raptors - NSDukeFan JARED SULLINGER
Detroit Pistons - BD80 MYERS LEONARD
New Orleans Hornets - dcdevil2009 JOHN HENSON
Portland Trail Blazers - pfrduke KENDALL MARSHALL
Milwaukee Bucks- TDrake51 TYLER ZELLER
Phoenix Suns - Starter-DION WAITERS
Houston Rockets - tommy- AUSTIN RIVERS
Philadelphia 76ers - roywhite- MOE HARKLESS
Houston Rockets - tommy- TERRENCE ROSS
Dallas Mavericks - superdave- DAMIEN LILLARD
Minnesota Timberwolves - Li_Duke- JEREMY LAMB
Orlando Magic - Coldriver10- TONY WROTEN
Denver Nuggets - FireOgilvie - PERRY JONES III
Boston Celtics- Maxamillion - ARNETT MOULTRIE
Boston Celtics- Maxamillion - ANDREW NICHOLSON
Atlanta Hawks - JasonEvans - DRAYMOND GREEN
Cleveland Cavaliers - MulletMan - WILL BARTON
Memphis Grizzlies - CPDUKEGUY24
Indiana Pacers - blev23
Miami Heat - Chicago 1995
Oklahoma City Thunder- KDOGG
Chicago Bulls - CDu
Golden State Warriors - FerryFor50

[dcdevil2009]

Jason (or other moderators),

Would it be too much to ask to include the players' colleges when updating the list? It's completely understandable if that's too much trouble, but it's nice to know where guys are coming from, especially the lesser known guys and having them all listed in one place would make it easier to digest.

[dcdevil2009]

We're through 24 picks - the top post is updated, and the selections are here as well:


New Orleans Hornets - dcdevil2009 ANTHONY DAVIS, Kentucky
Charlotte Bobcats - Newton_14 MICHAEL KIDD-GILCHRIST, Kentucky
Washington Wizards - JBDuke BRADLEY BEAL, Florida
Cleveland Cavaliers - MulletMan THOMAS ROBINSON, Kansas
Sacramento Kings - em0526 ANDRE DRUMMOND, Connecticut
Portland Trail Blazers - pfrduke HARRISON BARNES, UNC
Golden State Warriors - FerryFor50 TERRENCE JONES, Kentucky
Toronto Raptors - NSDukeFan JARED SULLINGER, Ohio State
Detroit Pistons - BD80 MYERS LEONARD, Illinois
New Orleans Hornets - dcdevil2009 JOHN HENSON, UNC
Portland Trail Blazers - pfrduke KENDALL MARSHALL, UNC
Milwaukee Bucks- TDrake51 TYLER ZELLER, UNC
Phoenix Suns - Starter-DION WAITERS, Syracuse
Houston Rockets - tommy- AUSTIN RIVERS, Duke
Philadelphia 76ers - roywhite- MOE HARKLESS, St. John's
Houston Rockets - tommy- TERRENCE ROSS, Washington
Dallas Mavericks - superdave- DAMIEN LILLARD, Weber State
Minnesota Timberwolves - Li_Duke- JEREMY LAMB, Connecticut
Orlando Magic - Coldriver10- TONY WROTEN, Washington
Denver Nuggets - FireOgilvie - PERRY JONES III, Baylor
Boston Celtics- Maxamillion - ARNETT MOULTRIE, Mississippi St.
Boston Celtics- Maxamillion - ANDREW NICHOLSON, St. Bonaventure
Atlanta Hawks - JasonEvans - DRAYMOND GREEN, Michigan State
Cleveland Cavaliers - MulletMan - WILL BARTON, Memphis
Memphis Grizzlies - CPDUKEGUY24
Indiana Pacers - blev23
Miami Heat - Chicago 1995
Oklahoma City Thunder- KDOGG
Chicago Bulls - CDu
Golden State Warriors - FerryFor50

Here's a list with colleges.

[JasonEvans]

Mock Draft GMS,

I got a question about how the "clock" works over the weekend. I certainly do not expect folks to check every 5 or 6 hours during the weekend. but, it would be nice if we could get a couple picks in. So, the "clock" will go to 10 hours on Saturday and Sunday between the hours of 8am and 10pm. Basically, I am asking all GMs who might have a pick coming up to check once or twice during the day on Saturday and Sunday to make their pick.

Does that make sense?

-Jason "steaming along nicely... I bet we are done by middle of next week" Evans

[BD80]

Mock Draft GMS,

I got a question about how the "clock" works over the weekend. I certainly do not expect folks to check every 5 or 6 hours during the weekend. but, it would be nice if we could get a couple picks in. So, the "clock" will go to 10 hours on Saturday and Sunday between the hours of 8am and 10pm. Basically, I am asking all GMs who might have a pick coming up to check once or twice during the day on Saturday and Sunday to make their pick.

Does that make sense?

-Jason "steaming along nicely... I bet we are done by middle of next week" Evans

In the past, some GMs with upcoming picks were polite enough to provide the czar with a list of 4 or 5 picks in order of preference, so if they were unable to submit a pick within a couple hours - they would get the highest player left on their list, and provided their analysis when they had a chance. Could this be done this weekend?

[coldriver10]

Sorry for the delay. I was DBR free last night as I went to the movies (Seeking a Friend for the End of the World) and then watched the NBA finals. I had a whole writeup planned on Tony Wrotten... and then noticed that he had already been picked. So, I had to pivot.

-Jason
Sorry Jason...I felt that way about Moe Harkless! It was between the two of them for me, so having him off the board made it an easy decision.

[blev23]

Tick Tock Tick Tock

[CPDUKEGUY24]

Tick Tock Tick Tock

The GM of the Memphis Grizzlies appologizes for the now second longest delay of the draft. We have had problems with our internets here @ the home office in Vancouver. We are still in Vancouver because we decided to support the US Government and have the USPS ship our effects to Memphis; it in fact IS slower than Christmas as you silly Americans say.

For our only pick we wanted to address our most glaring need this past season, that of the role of a backup PG. Turns out Gilbert "shooter" Arenas loves the target ranges down in Memphis, however does not think too highly of actually playing Point Guard.

We acknowledge the very real possibility that we will be unable to resign OJ Mayo, and thus may have an opening at Shooting Guard; and for that considered highly drafting John Jenkins of Vanderbilt. Lets be honest, who around here doesnt like rooting for a guy with the initials JJ to hit a clutch game winning 3!!

We gave a hard look at bringing in a "project" guy like Tomas Satoransky of Sevilla, and seeing if we could develop him over time to assist in our Guard positions.

With that said, however, our selection tonight is MARQUIS TEAGUE out of Kentucky. We are proud to invite Marquis to Memphis (hehe) and were very impressed with how he overcame some early rough times last year, to eventually be the starting PG on a National Championship team. Marquis performed well under pressure and and truly started to come into his own towards the end of the season on into the tournament. He is clearly used to being surrounded by loads of talent and a strong Frontcourt tandem, just as has been created down in Memphis. There will be little pressure for Marquis as we have a seasoned Pro in Mike Conley, who will be able to mentor him and show him how to actually run a big league team.

Again our appologies to all who have eagerly awaited our decision. Now back to work.

[blev23]

The real Bird Man here. This pick comes down to 2 players we've targeted for two glaring needs. We probably should go big here and get some much needed help for Roy Hibbert. We could painfully see during the playoffs that each time Hibbert went to the bench our defense changed dramatically. Guys like Danny Grainger and Paul George got themselves in foul trouble because there wasn't a legit big man backing them up. Therefore, a big space eating backup center like Fab Melo would do wonders for us.

That being said.....everybody needs shooters. There were moments in the playoffs when DG was off or Lebron was in his head and we simply had a hard time scoring. We think John Jenkins solves that problem for us. Although he's listed at 6-4 he has a 6-8 wingspan and is able to get his deadly accurate shot off against most 2 Guards. Jenkins went into college with a chip on his shoulder after being snubbed by Kentucky and i believe he still plays like he has something to prove. He led the talented Southeastern Conference in scoring for 2 years. Throw in the fact that the Hoosier state loves shooters and it's clear that JJ is the right pick to become the 2nd best shooter currently employed by the Pacers!!!!!

[Chicago 1995]

The Heat.

I'm really torn here. The Heat, despite a star-studded roster and a great record and chances at a title this year, have a ton of needs. They are inconsistent at best at PG, with Mario Chalmers being Lebron's favorite punching bag. At Center, they've got Jo-El Anthony and Dexter Pittman. Despite Anthony's defensive prowess, the Heat are often better without a center on the floor. And while they are loaded at the SG-SF-PF positions, they don't have a strong second unit at all. Mike Miller can't stay healthy and injuries have turned him into a shell of the player he once was. Shane's still a good player, but he's not an offensive weapon that leads a second unit. Neither is Udonis Haslem.

I think there is good value at center on the board here. Fab Melo could make a very good defensive Miami team even better but he doesn't have a role offensively on this team in that he can't run the floor well enough and would clog the lane too much in the half court. Festus Ezili and Miles Plumlee are also considerations. Ezili would give a big boost offensively. Miles can board, run the floor and will most quickly be able to step out and hit a jumper, clearing the lane for James and Wade.

None are perfect fits, but I think any of them would be good picks.

But it's not the way I'm going. I'm taking a guy I think is the most talented guy on the board, by a good bit actually, and one that can both help the Heat's second unit become more of a threat, and can also slot into the first unit when the Heat shift LBJ and Bosh to PF and C and go small with devistating effect.

That's Royce White of Iowa State. White can be a second unit James, a huge matchup problem that can handle the ball, distribute and run the floor like a wing with PF size. He can also play SF or PF next to James making the Heat even harder to guard. He should add real potency to the second unit, which is the primary goal. This makes it easier for Spo (or Pat Riley) to rest LBJ. I think he's a steal this late in the draft, and ha a good chance not only to excel in Miami, but make them noticeably better next year.

[JasonEvans]

Here is the latest update--


New Orleans Hornets - dcdevil2009 ANTHONY DAVIS, Kentucky
Charlotte Bobcats - Newton_14 MICHAEL KIDD-GILCHRIST, Kentucky
Washington Wizards - JBDuke BRADLEY BEAL, Florida
Cleveland Cavaliers - MulletMan THOMAS ROBINSON, Kansas
Sacramento Kings - em0526 ANDRE DRUMMOND, Connecticut
Portland Trail Blazers - pfrduke HARRISON BARNES, UNC
Golden State Warriors - FerryFor50 TERRENCE JONES, Kentucky
Toronto Raptors - NSDukeFan JARED SULLINGER, Ohio State
Detroit Pistons - BD80 MYERS LEONARD, Illinois
New Orleans Hornets - dcdevil2009 JOHN HENSON, UNC
Portland Trail Blazers - pfrduke KENDALL MARSHALL, UNC
Milwaukee Bucks- TDrake51 TYLER ZELLER, UNC
Phoenix Suns - Starter-DION WAITERS, Syracuse
Houston Rockets - tommy- AUSTIN RIVERS, Duke
Philadelphia 76ers - roywhite- MOE HARKLESS, St. John's
Houston Rockets - tommy- TERRENCE ROSS, Washington
Dallas Mavericks - superdave- DAMIEN LILLARD, Weber State
Minnesota Timberwolves - Li_Duke- JEREMY LAMB, Connecticut
Orlando Magic - Coldriver10- TONY WROTEN, Washington
Denver Nuggets - FireOgilvie - PERRY JONES III, Baylor
Boston Celtics- Maxamillion - ARNETT MOULTRIE, Mississippi St.
Boston Celtics- Maxamillion - ANDREW NICHOLSON, St. Bonaventure
Atlanta Hawks - JasonEvans - DRAYMOND GREEN, Michigan State
Cleveland Cavaliers - MulletMan - WILL BARTON, Memphis
Memphis Grizzlies - CPDUKEGUY24- MARQUIS TEAGUE, Kentucky
Indiana Pacers - blev23- JOHN JENKINS, Vanderbilt
Miami Heat - Chicago 1995- ROYCE WHITE, Iowa St
Oklahoma City Thunder- KDOGG
Chicago Bulls - CDu
Golden State Warriors - FerryFor50

[JasonEvans]

I think John Jenkins is one of the most interesting picks in the draft. He's a ridiculous shooter (at a recent workout for scouts, he hit 12 of 15 NBA 3-pointers... or something like that). But, he is not an elite athlete, he's not exactly physically strong enough to handle many NBA 2-guards, and his lateral quickness leaves much to be desired. If he can work on his defense enough to not be a liability, he could be a great pick and a stud spot-up shooter.

I think Royce White was another interesting pick. Great handle and vision for a forward, a NBA body, athletic and strong, but not a good shooter. The Lebron comparison is sorta unfair, but also sorta accurate. I think he might be an excellent fit on the Heat as a guy who creates opportunities for others and is a physical presence in the half court.

-Jason "I think every picker for the last 5 has almost, almost, almost picked Fab Melo" Evans

[Kdogg]

With the 28th pick in the 2012 NBA Draft the Oklahoma City Thunder select: Evan Fournier

For the upcoming 2012-2013 season our roster mainly remains intact. With Eric Maynor back (I'm petty so I still curse his name), we have good depth as all positions. We do have some decisions to make that will affect us the next year. Both James Harden and Serge Ibaka can sign extensions this summer. If they do not, they become restricted free agents next year. It's a pipe dream that we can sign Durant, Westbrook, Perkins, and both Harden and Ibaka. Some team will make a big frontloaded offer to Harden that we can not match. I'm looking at you Cleveland and New Jersey er Brooklyn. Although we love Harden, Ibaka's unique skill-set is more important and harder to replace. I think we re-sign him.

Fournier is a solid, crafty scorer who can help fill the potential void when Harden leaves. Even at a young age his body is NBA ready and he has a high skill level. He needs to work on his outside shoot but by all accounts is a hard worker. He performed well at this week's Eurocamp. Also With Fournier we can stash him in Europe for another year if needed. Not only does it provide insurance if/when Harden leaves but it saves cap space this season. Also it will further follow the San Antonio model by eventually having a Frenchman on the roster. If we micracloussly re-sign Harden and Ibaka, Fournier will take up little cap space the next season.

Royce White was an option for the reasons mentioned by Chicago 1995. It would be nice to strengthen the front court with a versatile player and he would provide insurance for Ibaka. Since he’s off the board it makes our decision clearer.

[superdave]

With the 28th pick in the 2012 NBA Draft the Oklahoma City Thunder select: Evan Fournier

For the upcoming 2012-2013 season our roster mainly remains intact. With Eric Maynor back (I'm petty so I still curse his name), we have good depth as all positions. We do have some decisions to make that will affect us the next year. Both James Harden and Serge Ibaka can sign extensions this summer. If they do not, they become restricted free agents next year. It's a pipe dream that we can sign Durant, Westbrook, Perkins, and both Harden and Ibaka. Some team will make a big frontloaded offer to Harden that we can not match. I'm looking at you Cleveland and New Jersey er Brooklyn. Although we love Harden, Ibaka's unique skill-set is more important and harder to replace. I think we re-sign him.

Fournier is a solid, crafty scorer who can help fill the potential void when Harden leaves. Even at a young age his body is NBA ready and he has a high skill level. He needs to work on his outside shoot but by all accounts is a hard worker. He performed well at this week's Eurocamp. Also With Fournier we can stash him in Europe for another year if needed. Not only does it provide insurance if/when Harden leaves but it saves cap space this season. Also it will further follow the San Antonio model by eventually having a Frenchman on the roster. If we micracloussly re-sign Harden and Ibaka, Fournier will take up little cap space the next season.

Royce White was an option for the reasons mentioned by Chicago 1995. It would be nice to strengthen the front court with a versatile player and he would provide insurance for Ibaka. Since he’s off the board it makes our decision clearer.

Woah. Harden leaving is a big assumption. Westbrook and Durant have signed max deals. Harden is a 6th man, and would start for nearly any team. He's gotten better each year. His ceiling is All-star and maybe 20 ppg on the Thunder or 24 ppg on a crappy team. I'm betting they can re-sign him for 85% of max with the salary growing about $1 million each year to backload it. I would not draft on the assumption they let Harden walk! In fact they could trade this pick for a 2nd rounder just to keep the guaranteed salary off the books!

[CDu]

The Chicago Bulls are an interesting case. While they've had the best record in the Eastern Conference two years in a row, there is no doubt that they are missing pieces. They are going to have to let a lot of players go to avoid the luxury tax, and outside of Rose and (occasionally) Boozer they have nobody who can create his own shot. That's a problem, especially now that Rose is out. Luol Deng is a potential trade chip to help the reloading process. He's fairly expensive for a complementary player, and has only 2 years left on his deal (meaning the rebuild/reload will start in two years max).

The common thought is that they'd take either a pure shooting SG (like Jenkins, who went a few picks ago) or they'd take a combo guard (like Doron Lamb or Jared Cunningham). Other thoughts include Jeff Taylor (athletic SF who is developing as a shooter) or a PG like Tyshawn Taylor (to fill in for Rose). But I'm going to go a different direction and go for tremendous upside potential. With the 29th pick in the 2012 DBR Mock Draft, the Chicago Bulls select Quincy Miller, SF, Baylor.

Miller disappointed a bit as a freshman, averaging 10 pts and 5 rebounds per game on a talented but inconsistent Baylor squad. But he's a decent shot creator, he has terrific length and good athleticism, and he's loaded with potential. Many attribute his poor freshman season to slow recovery from an ACL injury in high school. He has top-10 level scoring talent, and that's something the Bulls (who need a complement to Rose moving forward) can't pass up on with the 29th pick. He'll need to get stronger and healthier, but there's real star potential here.

In the real world, it's very possible the Bulls trade Deng and don't have this pick. But even if they don't, I like this pick as Deng's replacement either immediately (trading Deng for a draft pick and financial relief) or after next season (with a similar move). I'd also expect the Bulls to try to acquire a second round pick or two this year to address needs at backup PG and backup C.

[Kdogg]

Woah. Harden leaving is a big assumption. Westbrook and Durant have signed max deals. Harden is a 6th man, and would start for nearly any team. He's gotten better each year. His ceiling is All-star and maybe 20 ppg on the Thunder or 24 ppg on a crappy team. I'm betting they can re-sign him for 85% of max with the salary growing about $1 million each year to backload it. I would not draft on the assumption they let Harden walk! In fact they could trade this pick for a 2nd rounder just to keep the guaranteed salary off the books!

Oh I agree that Harden will be an absolute star and hate the idea of losing him but teams are already angling for him now. I hope it will not be a distraction next season as I don't think OKC will trade him. I think they will make a run with the same squad next season. I'd be on cloud nine if he's on the roster to start 2014. I just can't see him taking that much less money this early in his career. The new luxury tax is stunningly punitive so I don't see OKC going over (by much anyway). Sign and trades are not as player friendly so we may loose him without getting anything in return. I also think Ibaka is harder to replace and will be "cheaper" to re-sign.

Drafting Fournier and parking him in Europe for next season keeps the salary off the books while maintaining an assest. He's very young so an additional in Europe will help him. There is also the fact that I really like his game, work ethic and UPSIDE POTENTIAL. I also really miss the TNT guys covering the draft.

[JasonEvans]

Cdu,

QMill was a great pick. Agree that he has lottery pick talent, no question about it. There are many questions about his ACL and some NBA folks seem to think he may never be the same player again, but if he ever is, you get the steal of the draft. and even if he is not, he's still a big, athletic, long player who is quite good.

And Fab Melo still remains on the board.

-Jason "this draft is loaded with talent late in the 1st round, I think" Evans

[BD80]

... And Fab Melo still remains on the board.

-Jason "this draft is loaded with talent late in the 1st round, I think" Evans

shhhhhh

[Newton_14]

Here is the latest update--


New Orleans Hornets - dcdevil2009 ANTHONY DAVIS, Kentucky
Charlotte Bobcats - Newton_14 MICHAEL KIDD-GILCHRIST, Kentucky
Washington Wizards - JBDuke BRADLEY BEAL, Florida
Cleveland Cavaliers - MulletMan THOMAS ROBINSON, Kansas
Sacramento Kings - em0526 ANDRE DRUMMOND, Connecticut
Portland Trail Blazers - pfrduke HARRISON BARNES, UNC
Golden State Warriors - FerryFor50 TERRENCE JONES, Kentucky
Toronto Raptors - NSDukeFan JARED SULLINGER, Ohio State
Detroit Pistons - BD80 MYERS LEONARD, Illinois
New Orleans Hornets - dcdevil2009 JOHN HENSON, UNC
Portland Trail Blazers - pfrduke KENDALL MARSHALL, UNC
Milwaukee Bucks- TDrake51 TYLER ZELLER, UNC
Phoenix Suns - Starter-DION WAITERS, Syracuse
Houston Rockets - tommy- AUSTIN RIVERS, Duke
Philadelphia 76ers - roywhite- MOE HARKLESS, St. John's
Houston Rockets - tommy- TERRENCE ROSS, Washington
Dallas Mavericks - superdave- DAMIEN LILLARD, Weber State
Minnesota Timberwolves - Li_Duke- JEREMY LAMB, Connecticut
Orlando Magic - Coldriver10- TONY WROTEN, Washington
Denver Nuggets - FireOgilvie - PERRY JONES III, Baylor
Boston Celtics- Maxamillion - ARNETT MOULTRIE, Mississippi St.
Boston Celtics- Maxamillion - ANDREW NICHOLSON, St. Bonaventure
Atlanta Hawks - JasonEvans - DRAYMOND GREEN, Michigan State
Cleveland Cavaliers - MulletMan - WILL BARTON, Memphis
Memphis Grizzlies - CPDUKEGUY24- MARQUIS TEAGUE, Kentucky
Indiana Pacers - blev23- JOHN JENKINS, Vanderbilt
Miami Heat - Chicago 1995- ROYCE WHITE, Iowa St
Oklahoma City Thunder- KDOGG- Evan Fournier Union Poitiers Basket 86
Chicago Bulls - CDu- Quincy Miller Baylor
Golden State Warriors - FerryFor50


Ok, the board is updated again. Golden State (FerryFor50) is now on the clock.

[FerryFor50]

After filling a need at the SF position with Terrence Jones, the Golden State Warriors next target is at garnering some depth at either the SG or PF/C positions.

While Terrence Jones can fill in at PF, one would think that SG would be the next need. However, the remaining SG group doesn't garner 1st round consideration at this point. Additionally, there is a big that has fallen to the end of the first round, where some projections had him at mid-first round.

With the 30th pick of the 1st round, the Golden State Warriors select Fab Melo, C, of Syracuse.

Melo provides defense and rebounding, as well as hustle and toughness, something the Warriors were missing under Don Nelson and Mike Montgomery. Mark Jackson's old school mentality makes Melo a perfect fit. The Warriors expect Melo to be a defensive stopper, 2nd only to Anthony Davis in shot blocking, and potentially fitting the same mold as Tiago Splitter and Anderson Varajao.

[CDu]

Cdu,

QMill was a great pick. Agree that he has lottery pick talent, no question about it. There are many questions about his ACL and some NBA folks seem to think he may never be the same player again, but if he ever is, you get the steal of the draft. and even if he is not, he's still a big, athletic, long player who is quite good.

And Fab Melo still remains on the board.

-Jason "this draft is loaded with talent late in the 1st round, I think" Evans

Thanks Jason. I'm hopeful that (if he's available) the Bulls see it the same way. They haven't done as well with "upside" guys, but maybe they go outside the box here. Though I'm wondering if the Bulls will end up trading this pick in real life.

[JasonEvans]

Congrats folks, we have completed round one. Well done!

Onto the second. There are still steals out there, guys who could have been first rounders. Keep on picking!

Newton is up with the first pick of the second round. Here is our recap--

First Round:

New Orleans Hornets - dcdevil2009 ANTHONY DAVIS, Kentucky
Charlotte Bobcats - Newton_14 MICHAEL KIDD-GILCHRIST, Kentucky
Washington Wizards - JBDuke BRADLEY BEAL, Florida
Cleveland Cavaliers - MulletMan THOMAS ROBINSON, Kansas
Sacramento Kings - em0526 ANDRE DRUMMOND, Connecticut
Portland Trail Blazers - pfrduke HARRISON BARNES, UNC
Golden State Warriors - FerryFor50 TERRENCE JONES, Kentucky
Toronto Raptors - NSDukeFan JARED SULLINGER, Ohio State
Detroit Pistons - BD80 MYERS LEONARD, Illinois
New Orleans Hornets - dcdevil2009 JOHN HENSON, UNC
Portland Trail Blazers - pfrduke KENDALL MARSHALL, UNC
Milwaukee Bucks- TDrake51 TYLER ZELLER, UNC
Phoenix Suns - Starter-DION WAITERS, Syracuse
Houston Rockets - tommy- AUSTIN RIVERS, Duke
Philadelphia 76ers - roywhite- MOE HARKLESS, St. John's
Houston Rockets - tommy- TERRENCE ROSS, Washington
Dallas Mavericks - superdave- DAMIEN LILLARD, Weber State
Minnesota Timberwolves - Li_Duke- JEREMY LAMB, Connecticut
Orlando Magic - Coldriver10- TONY WROTEN, Washington
Denver Nuggets - FireOgilvie - PERRY JONES III, Baylor
Boston Celtics- Maxamillion - ARNETT MOULTRIE, Mississippi St.
Boston Celtics- Maxamillion - ANDREW NICHOLSON, St. Bonaventure
Atlanta Hawks - JasonEvans - DRAYMOND GREEN, Michigan State
Cleveland Cavaliers - MulletMan - WILL BARTON, Memphis
Memphis Grizzlies - CPDUKEGUY24- MARQUIS TEAGUE, Kentucky
Indiana Pacers - blev23- JOHN JENKINS, Vanderbilt
Miami Heat - Chicago 1995- ROYCE WHITE, Iowa St
Oklahoma City Thunder- KDOGG- Evan Fournier Union Poitiers Basket 86
Chicago Bulls - CDu- Quincy Miller Baylor
Golden State Warriors - FerryFor50- FAB MELO Syracuse


Second Round

Charlotte Bobcats - Newton_14 - KEVIN JONES, West Virginia
Washington Wizards - JBDuke- JEFFREY TAYLOR, Vanderbilt
Cleveland Cavaliers - MulletMan - DORON LAMB, Kentucky
Cleveland Cavaliers - MulletMan - FESTUS EZELI, Vanderbilt
Golden State Warriors - FerryFor50 - TYSHAWN TAYLOR, Kansas
Sacramento Kings - em0526 - MILES PLUMLEE, Duke
Toronto Raptors - NSDukeFan
Denver Nuggets - FireOgilvie
Detroit Pistons - BD80
Portland Trail Blazers - pfrduke
Portland Trail Blazers - pfrduke
Milwaukee Bucks- TDrake51
Atlanta Hawks - JasonEvans
Detroit Pistons - BD80
Philadelphia 76ers - roywhite
Washington Wizards - JBDuke
Utah Jazz - Urinal Cake
New York Knicks - Starter
Orlando Magic - Coldriver10
Denver Nuggets - FireOgilvie
Boston Celtics- Maxamillion
Golden State Warriors - FerryFor50
Los Angeles Clippers - Nocilla
Philadelphia 76ers - roywhite
Dallas Mavericks - superdave
Toronto Raptors - NSDukeFan
Brooklyn Nets- NovaScotian
Minnesota Timberwolves - Li_Duke
San Antonio Spurs - Duvall
Los Angeles Lakers - CDu


-Jason

[Newton_14]

With the 31st pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, the Charlotte Bobcats select Kevin Jones, PF, West Virginia University.


While he will never wow you with athletic ability, Kevin Jones is a basketball player in the true sense of the word. Great hands, great touch around the rim, good length, an knows how to play. The leading rebounder for our team last year averaged a paltry 5.8 boards per game. We need help in the post with rebounding and scoring punch, which is exactly what Jones gives you. He averaged 19ppg and 10rpg as a Sr, drastically improving his rpg. He also only turned it over 1.5 times per game, so the guy values the ball.

We wanted a big with this pick, and feel that the skill set of Jones, meets our needs better than the bigs left on the board. We strongly considered Mike Scott, and we also considered Miles Plumlee and Quincy Acy. We did not consider Festus Ezeli from Vanderbilt, as we view him as a clone of Biyombo, and Diop, guys with limited ability to score the basketball.

[JBDuke]

Sorry to have taken so long! I've been off doing Father's Day stuff and just getting back to the house. I'll post a bit more later but, with the 32nd pick of the 2012 DBR Mock NBA Draft, the Washing Wizards select:

Jeff Taylor, SF, Vanderbilt

[throatybeard]

I take Erin Andrews, PG, University of Florida. For the Saint Louis franchise.

[MulletMan]

Since the Cavs have the third and fourth pick of the second round, I decided to take my full time to make these two picks (or, I was busy with Father's Day stuff ;-P )

So, since we've already picked twice in the first round, we are really looking for some upside with these two picks here. We are extremely pleased to see that one of our targets is still on the board, and consequently, we select Doron Lamb, SG, Kentucky with the 3rd pick in the second round. Lamb projects, to us, as a combo guard, but also has some PG skills, so that he may be able to spell Kyrie. Additionally, he is a dead eye (50%) 3 point shooter, and we definitely need shooters!

With another pick in the back court, we look back toward the front line. We are really torn between a guy who is probably a late first round talent, and a guy who appears to have tremendous athleticism and upside. Hmmmm... in a realistic world, I don't see anyway that the Cavs pass on Festus Ezeli, C, Vanderbilt. The other huge consideration here was Miles Plumlee from Duke, but we just haven't seen enough from him. Ezeli is raw offensively, but can finish around the rim off of solid dishes from Kyrie. His size will help on the defensive end, and he can play behind Varejao for a couple of seasons an learn the game while working on some low post moves.

With that the Cavs conclude thier NBA draft by adding Thomas Robinson, Will Barton, Doron Lamb and Festus Eleli. We are pretty pleased in that we got some very talented players, have two potential guys to fill our needs at SG, and got first round prospects in the second round. Not too shabby.

[COYS]

Since the Cavs have the third and fourth pick of the second round, I decided to take my full time to make these two picks (or, I was busy with Father's Day stuff ;-P )

So, since we've already picked twice in the first round, we are really looking for some upside with these two picks here. We are extremely pleased to see that one of our targets is still on the board, and consequently, we select Doron Lamb, SG, Kentucky with the 3rd pick in the second round. Lamb projects, to us, as a combo guard, but also has some PG skills, so that he may be able to spell Kyrie. Additionally, he is a dead eye (50%) 3 point shooter, and we definitely need shooters!

With another pick in the back court, we look back toward the front line. We are really torn between a guy who is probably a late first round talent, and a guy who appears to have tremendous athleticism and upside. Hmmmm... in a realistic world, I don't see anyway that the Cavs pass on Festus Ezeli, C, Vanderbilt. The other huge consideration here was Miles Plumlee from Duke, but we just haven't seen enough from him. Ezeli is raw offensively, but can finish around the rim off of solid dishes from Kyrie. His size will help on the defensive end, and he can play behind Varejao for a couple of seasons an learn the game while working on some low post moves.

With that the Cavs conclude thier NBA draft by adding Thomas Robinson, Will Barton, Doron Lamb and Festus Eleli. We are pretty pleased in that we got some very talented players, have two potential guys to fill our needs at SG, and got first round prospects in the second round. Not too shabby.

If the Cavs end up with these players in real life, I think Cleveland fans should be really, really pleased. The new additions will be able to play uptempo which will fit perfectly with Kyrie. Barton and Lamb have the athletic ability to be excellent on both ends of the court. Finally, you can't teach size and getting Ezeli in the second round is quite the grab, in my opinion. Ezeli will never be a star, but he will be a very useful role player/backup center who has enough mobility and defensive instincts to hang in the NBA for a while.

[FerryFor50]

So far, the Warriors have addressed three of their glaring needs with two picks - starting small forward, backup big and post defense.

So what's left to address? Plenty.

Stephen Curry, while showing flashes of NBA brilliance, has not proven he can stay healthy for the duration of an NBA season with his troublesome ankles. And while trading away Monta Ellis got the Warriors some much needed post scoring in Andrew Bogut, it left them with a need for another scoring guard. Klay Thompson proved that he could help fill that role, but the Warriors need to stockpile in case Brandon Rush bolts for free agency.

Additionally, the Warriors need a point guard to run the offense and get everyone involved.

The Warriors were lucky in the first round, where a potential lottery pick fell all the way to 30th. They appear to have lucked out again, where a first round talent has fallen into the 2nd round.

With the 5th pick of the 2nd round, the Golden State Warriors select Tyshawn Taylor, PG out of Kansas.

Taylor's size at the guard position, athleticism and knack for getting to the rim impressed the Warriors, as did his ability to defend on the perimeter.

The knock on Taylor is his tendency to make poor decisions with the ball and play a bit out of control. However, the steadying influence of former NBA PG Mark Jackson should bode well for Taylor's development.

[em0526]

the Sacramento Kings select Miles Plumlee from Duke University. The addition of both Drummond and Plumlee will significantly increase the King's frontline size and athleticism. I also considered Kris Joseph from Syracuse to address needs at small forward or Evan Fournier because of Geoff Petrie's history of drafting international prospects. Although both of those considerations are good players, finding a player with the size and athleticism of Miles is very rare. Throw in the experience of playing under Coach K at Duke and he becomes difficult to pass up at this spot.

With Drummond, Plumlee and Cousins on board - I see the Kings looking to move Chuck Hayes and/or Jason Thompson to address their needs at small forward and/or point guard. They may package one or both with Tyreke Evans to make this happen.

[MulletMan]

If the Cavs end up with these players in real life, I think Cleveland fans should be really, really pleased. The new additions will be able to play uptempo which will fit perfectly with Kyrie. Barton and Lamb have the athletic ability to be excellent on both ends of the court. Finally, you can't teach size and getting Ezeli in the second round is quite the grab, in my opinion. Ezeli will never be a star, but he will be a very useful role player/backup center who has enough mobility and defensive instincts to hang in the NBA for a while.

This was exactly what I was thinking. THe Cavs HAVE to build around Kyrie. I don't think that this haul would have any guaranteed perennial All-stars, but it would provide them with the foundation of an athletic team that could run up and down the floor with Kyrie. You would think that Byron Scott would be very adept at coaching an up tempo style. And I agree that getting Ezeli in the second, as your 4th pick in the draft, would be quite a bargain.

It will be interesting to see if the Cavs really go this route, or how the draft would change for them depending on who is available at 4. If Beal had been there, I probably would have gone for him, which then changes the outlook on the Barton pick... though I think Barton is a great value. I fear they will take Barnes, and then really limit themselves with the 24th pick. Though I guess you could still grab Barton or Lamb there...

[COYS]

This was exactly what I was thinking. THe Cavs HAVE to build around Kyrie. I don't think that this haul would have any guaranteed perennial All-stars, but it would provide them with the foundation of an athletic team that could run up and down the floor with Kyrie. You would think that Byron Scott would be very adept at coaching an up tempo style. And I agree that getting Ezeli in the second, as your 4th pick in the draft, would be quite a bargain.

It will be interesting to see if the Cavs really go this route, or how the draft would change for them depending on who is available at 4. If Beal had been there, I probably would have gone for him, which then changes the outlook on the Barton pick... though I think Barton is a great value. I fear they will take Barnes, and then really limit themselves with the 24th pick. Though I guess you could still grab Barton or Lamb there...

To be honest, I don't think Barnes is a bad pick for the Cavs, even if I like Robinson a bit better. As many have said, this draft is deep but not heavy on stars. Beal would be the best (and in the most recent Chad Ford mock draft, he has Beal falling to the Cavs), and Robinson would be second best. But Barnes wouldn't be bad at all. He's not the flashiest finisher, but he can definitely finish in transition. He also can create his own shot, or at least his own jump shot, which will take some of the pressure off of Kyrie to generate all the offense. Most importantly, just like Beal and Robinson, I see him as being an above average to good NBA player for some time to come, with his ceiling probably just short of Joe Johnson's best years. Beal probably has the highest ceiling of the group, but Barnes and Robinson will be very good for a long time.

The best thing that could happen for the Cavs (and your mock picks, if they come true, are perfect for this) is for them to get really good, but not TOO fast. If they grab a lot of quality in this year's draft, they might be in a good position to nab a second star in next year's draft. And if they're lucky, Robinson, Beal, or Barnes could develop into a bigger star than most project right now (a la James Harden with the Thunder). 08-09 Thunder were terrible . . . but that team included Sefalosha, Durant, and Westbrook. If Kyrie is Durant, then i'm not sure if there's another Westbrook in this draft. But any of the three options (Robinson, Beal, or Barnes) might become just shy of a James Harden. If they end up back in the lottery next year, they might be able to add that second star and become the Thunder - East.

[JasonEvans]

I know it makes things easier to only have to look at one page for the list of who has been taken... so, here is the list for Page 6 of the thread--

First Round:

New Orleans Hornets - dcdevil2009 ANTHONY DAVIS, Kentucky
Charlotte Bobcats - Newton_14 MICHAEL KIDD-GILCHRIST, Kentucky
Washington Wizards - JBDuke BRADLEY BEAL, Florida
Cleveland Cavaliers - MulletMan THOMAS ROBINSON, Kansas
Sacramento Kings - em0526 ANDRE DRUMMOND, Connecticut
Portland Trail Blazers - pfrduke HARRISON BARNES, UNC
Golden State Warriors - FerryFor50 TERRENCE JONES, Kentucky
Toronto Raptors - NSDukeFan JARED SULLINGER, Ohio State
Detroit Pistons - BD80 MYERS LEONARD, Illinois
New Orleans Hornets - dcdevil2009 JOHN HENSON, UNC
Portland Trail Blazers - pfrduke KENDALL MARSHALL, UNC
Milwaukee Bucks- TDrake51 TYLER ZELLER, UNC
Phoenix Suns - Starter-DION WAITERS, Syracuse
Houston Rockets - tommy- AUSTIN RIVERS, Duke
Philadelphia 76ers - roywhite- MOE HARKLESS, St. John's
Houston Rockets - tommy- TERRENCE ROSS, Washington
Dallas Mavericks - superdave- DAMIEN LILLARD, Weber State
Minnesota Timberwolves - Li_Duke- JEREMY LAMB, Connecticut
Orlando Magic - Coldriver10- TONY WROTEN, Washington
Denver Nuggets - FireOgilvie - PERRY JONES III, Baylor
Boston Celtics- Maxamillion - ARNETT MOULTRIE, Mississippi St.
Boston Celtics- Maxamillion - ANDREW NICHOLSON, St. Bonaventure
Atlanta Hawks - JasonEvans - DRAYMOND GREEN, Michigan State
Cleveland Cavaliers - MulletMan - WILL BARTON, Memphis
Memphis Grizzlies - CPDUKEGUY24- MARQUIS TEAGUE, Kentucky
Indiana Pacers - blev23- JOHN JENKINS, Vanderbilt
Miami Heat - Chicago 1995- ROYCE WHITE, Iowa St
Oklahoma City Thunder- KDOGG- EVAN FOURNIER Union Poitiers Basket 86
Chicago Bulls - CDu- QUINCY MILLER Baylor
Golden State Warriors - FerryFor50- FAB MELO Syracuse


Second Round

Charlotte Bobcats - Newton_14 - KEVIN JONES, West Virginia
Washington Wizards - JBDuke- JEFFREY TAYLOR, Vanderbilt
Cleveland Cavaliers - MulletMan - DORON LAMB, Kentucky
Cleveland Cavaliers - MulletMan - FESTUS EZELI, Vanderbilt
Golden State Warriors - FerryFor50 - TYSHAWN TAYLOR, Kansas
Sacramento Kings - em0526 - MILES PLUMLEE, Duke
Toronto Raptors - NSDukeFan- Jae Crowder, Marquette
Denver Nuggets - FireOgilvie- Orlando Johnson, UC Santa Barbara
Detroit Pistons - BD80
Portland Trail Blazers - pfrduke
Portland Trail Blazers - pfrduke
Milwaukee Bucks- TDrake51
Atlanta Hawks - JasonEvans
Detroit Pistons - BD80
Philadelphia 76ers - roywhite
Washington Wizards - JBDuke
Utah Jazz - Urinal Cake
New York Knicks - Starter
Orlando Magic - Coldriver10
Denver Nuggets - FireOgilvie
Boston Celtics- Maxamillion
Golden State Warriors - FerryFor50
Los Angeles Clippers - Nocilla
Philadelphia 76ers - roywhite
Dallas Mavericks - superdave
Toronto Raptors - NSDukeFan
Brooklyn Nets- NovaScotian
Minnesota Timberwolves - Li_Duke
San Antonio Spurs - Duvall
Los Angeles Lakers - CDu


-Jason "anyone who thinks we reached too high for Miles, look at other mock drafts... most have him comfortably in the 2nd round.. Draft Express has him with the 4th pick of the 2nd round to reunite with Kyrie in Cleveland" Evans

[NSDukeFan]

This draft appears to be a deep one, with lots of talent throughout the first round. There are many talented players that have yet to be drafted, but figuring out which ones will be able to make and/or contribute to an NBA team at this point is always difficult for second round picks. With the team's addition of Jared Sullinger in the lottery, having Andrea Bargnani, Ed Davis, Amir Johnson and Jonas Valuncias up front the Raptors are not going to look at a PF or center for this pick. With Demar Derozan at shooting guard, we feel pretty solid at that spot, though additional depth would be helpful. The Raptors are going to look to add more depth at either the small forward or point guard positions. Scott Machado was certainly intriguing here because of his great court vision. We also considered local product Kris Joseph as a do-it-all small forward, but since we didn't find anyone who looked like they would improve the team much as a scorer the Raptors have decided to choose: Jae Crowder with the seventh pick of the second round. The Big East player of the year doesn't have great size for a small forward vertically (6' 3.75'' without shoes, 6' 5.5" with), but certainly does horizontally (weighing a solid 242 lbs.) Because of his size and strength, we feel that he may be able to contribute as a defensive player, hustle player who can score as a slasher or if left open and solid rebounder for his position who may become a crowd favorite.

[FireOgilvie]

The Nuggets select shooting guard Orlando Johnson (UC Santa Barbara) with the 8th pick of the second round. As stated previously, we are a solid team with good players at every position, but no true stars. We feel that Johnson has star potential: a very good athlete (39 inch vertical) that shot 42% from 3 last season while averaging nearly 20 pts and 6 reb per game. At 6'4", he also has a 6'11" wingspan and is a fantastic shot-blocker for a guard. We felt that he was a sleeper pick going into the draft because a lot of teams are hesitant to draft seniors or guys from smaller conferences, but we believe we've picked a winner.

[Newton_14]

I know it makes things easier to only have to look at one page for the list of who has been taken... so, here is the list for Page 6 of the thread--

First Round:

New Orleans Hornets - dcdevil2009 ANTHONY DAVIS, Kentucky
Charlotte Bobcats - Newton_14 MICHAEL KIDD-GILCHRIST, Kentucky
Washington Wizards - JBDuke BRADLEY BEAL, Florida
Cleveland Cavaliers - MulletMan THOMAS ROBINSON, Kansas
Sacramento Kings - em0526 ANDRE DRUMMOND, Connecticut
Portland Trail Blazers - pfrduke HARRISON BARNES, UNC
Golden State Warriors - FerryFor50 TERRENCE JONES, Kentucky
Toronto Raptors - NSDukeFan JARED SULLINGER, Ohio State
Detroit Pistons - BD80 MYERS LEONARD, Illinois
New Orleans Hornets - dcdevil2009 JOHN HENSON, UNC
Portland Trail Blazers - pfrduke KENDALL MARSHALL, UNC
Milwaukee Bucks- TDrake51 TYLER ZELLER, UNC
Phoenix Suns - Starter-DION WAITERS, Syracuse
Houston Rockets - tommy- AUSTIN RIVERS, Duke
Philadelphia 76ers - roywhite- MOE HARKLESS, St. John's
Houston Rockets - tommy- TERRENCE ROSS, Washington
Dallas Mavericks - superdave- DAMIEN LILLARD, Weber State
Minnesota Timberwolves - Li_Duke- JEREMY LAMB, Connecticut
Orlando Magic - Coldriver10- TONY WROTEN, Washington
Denver Nuggets - FireOgilvie - PERRY JONES III, Baylor
Boston Celtics- Maxamillion - ARNETT MOULTRIE, Mississippi St.
Boston Celtics- Maxamillion - ANDREW NICHOLSON, St. Bonaventure
Atlanta Hawks - JasonEvans - DRAYMOND GREEN, Michigan State
Cleveland Cavaliers - MulletMan - WILL BARTON, Memphis
Memphis Grizzlies - CPDUKEGUY24- MARQUIS TEAGUE, Kentucky
Indiana Pacers - blev23- JOHN JENKINS, Vanderbilt
Miami Heat - Chicago 1995- ROYCE WHITE, Iowa St
Oklahoma City Thunder- KDOGG- EVAN FOURNIER Union Poitiers Basket 86
Chicago Bulls - CDu- QUINCY MILLER Baylor
Golden State Warriors - FerryFor50- FAB MELO Syracuse


Second Round

Charlotte Bobcats - Newton_14 - KEVIN JONES, West Virginia
Washington Wizards - JBDuke- JEFFREY TAYLOR, Vanderbilt
Cleveland Cavaliers - MulletMan - DORON LAMB, Kentucky
Cleveland Cavaliers - MulletMan - FESTUS EZELI, Vanderbilt
Golden State Warriors - FerryFor50 - TYSHAWN TAYLOR, Kansas
Sacramento Kings - em0526 - MILES PLUMLEE, Duke
Toronto Raptors - NSDukeFan- JAE CROWDER, Marquette
Denver Nuggets - FireOgilvie- ORLANDO JOHNSON, UC Santa Barbara
Detroit Pistons - BD80- JAMYCHAL GREEN, Alabama
Portland Trail Blazers - pfrduke- JARED CUNNINGHAM, Oregon St.
Portland Trail Blazers - pfrduke- KYLE O'QUINN, Norfolk St
Milwaukee Bucks- TDrake51- KRIS JOSEPH, Syracuse
Atlanta Hawks - JasonEvans- KHRIS MIDDLETON, Texas A&M
Detroit Pistons - BD80 - KEVIN MURPHY, Tennessee Tech
Philadelphia 76ers - roywhite - MIKE SCOTT, UVA
Washington Wizards - JBDuke
Utah Jazz - Urinal Cake
New York Knicks - Starter
Orlando Magic - Coldriver10
Denver Nuggets - FireOgilvie
Boston Celtics- Maxamillion
Golden State Warriors - FerryFor50
Los Angeles Clippers - Nocilla
Philadelphia 76ers - roywhite
Dallas Mavericks - superdave
Toronto Raptors - NSDukeFan
Brooklyn Nets- NovaScotian
Minnesota Timberwolves - Li_Duke
San Antonio Spurs - Duvall
Los Angeles Lakers - CDu


-Jason "anyone who thinks we reached too high for Miles, look at other mock drafts... most have him comfortably in the 2nd round.. Draft Express has him with the 4th pick of the 2nd round to reunite with Kyrie in Cleveland" Evans

Board now up to date again. BD80 (Detroit), now on the clock. Still a lot of good players up for grabs. Doing this exercise has educated me on just how deep this draft is. Many 2nd Rd guys are going to end up sticking in the league.

[BD80]

Pistons select JaMychal Green - 6'9" PF Sr Alabama.

This is a need pick. This is a flyer on a kid who could develop into a reliable rotation player. He has good height (6'8" w/o shoes) - good length and good (not great) athleticism. Can't shoot, but should be able to challenge for a roster spot (a year in Europe would help him and allow the Pistons create some roster space) at a lower rookie salary than Jason Maxiel. Green is a senior, so should be more mature, but still shows continuing improvement.

There is a group of players that I think will produce the Piston's actual #39 2nd round pick and the Pistons will make the choice based upon workouts. Since I don't have that luxury, I'll see who is left when the Pistons use their second pick at #44.

[pfrduke]

Portland has two picks here, and having already filled gaps at point guard and small forward, Portland's looking for someone who can bring instant offense off the bench at the guard position and a big who can do the dirty work in the post alongside a more finesse big man like Aldridge. For the first, we're staying local, and going with Jared Cunningham from Oregon State. Cunningham was one of the best scorers in the Pac-12 this season, averaging nearly 18 a game. While not a super spot-up shooter, he can get to the rim and get to the line - nearly 8 attempts per game, and he finished 42nd in the country in fouls drawn per 40 minutes. We see 6th-man potential in Cunningham as a guy who can lead the second unit without a disruption in offensive performance.

Down low, we're turning to one of the darlings of March Madness this year and a guy who blew up at Portsmouth - Kyle O'Quinn from Norfolk State. O'Quinn checks in at 6'10" with a 7'5" wingspan, and is an excellent shot blocker and strong rebounder.

[tdrake51]

After taking Zeller in the first round, the Bucks have a few different options with this pick. In the froncourt rotation, we now have Zeller, Drew Gooden, Ekpe Udoh, Ersan Ilyasova and Larry Sanders. The backcourt will consist of Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis playing heavy minutes with Shaun Livingston, Beno Udrih and Mike Dunleavy Jr spelling them.

The biggest hole I see is a legit Small Forward who can physically matchup with some of the better forwards in the East. Mbah a Moute is a good defender but doesn't give you much on offense.

The pick here is Kris Joseph. He has good size at 6'7" with a 6'11" wingspan. He is a knockdown shooter with the ability to put the ball on the floor. It is hard to tell what he will be defensively outside of a zone, but he has the length, focus, and effort to be a good defender.

The Bucks are very happy with their draft.

[JasonEvans]

The Hawks thought about a number of players for this pick but ended up taking a kid with huge potential -- Khris Middleton of Texas A&M.

Middleton has great size (6-8) and length (7-11 wingspan, 9-9 reach) for a kid who will play on the wing and perhaps even play some 2Guard. He was considered a potential lottery pick after his sophomore season, but slipped down the charts after he injured his ankle as a junior. The injury may have marred his season but does not look like it is any kind of long-term concern. Middleton's biggest issue is weight and strength. That kidn of stuff can be controlled. If he gets stronger -- and he will, someday -- then he has the size and skill set (good range all the way out to the NBA 3) to be a pretty darn good NBA player. Some have compared him to Rip Hamilton.

There are some mock drafts that have projected Middleton in the first round, so we feel like we got pretty decent value out of this pick. If he works out, he could be a major steal. If not... well, a mid-2nd round pick is rarely a guy who makes a large impact on the league anyway.

-Jason "if I had not already drafted a PF in Draymond Green, I would have been very tempted by Virginia's Mike Scott here" Evans

[BD80]

Pistons select: Kevin Murphy 6’6” SG TenTech

As mentioned before, I think the Pistons will be using the #39 pick on one of the group of Cunningham, Middleton, Murphy or Tomas Satoransky. I've been leaning toward Satoransky, a SG with PG skills that can be stashed in Europe while the Pistons clean up the mess that is their roster. With Gordon and Stuckey as undersized SGs who eat up the cap, I see 6'6" Satoransky as someone who could handle the ball on offense while guarding the opposing 2s who shoot over Gordon and Stuckey. However, I am leary of scouting reports on foreigners, so I'm staying home. Cunningham is a great talent, but is much like another product of the northwest already on the roster: Stuckey. Middleton is a real steal, but he kind of tailed off last year and is also similar to another player on the roster: Austin Daye.

Murphy could turn out to be a legitimate NBA shooter - something the Pistons could use, and would particularly mesh with the skills of Knight and Monroe.

[roywhite]

Philadelphia 76ers

Round 2, overall pick #45
Needs: scoring, inside play

With his 1st round pick, that shrewd GM roywhite chose a potential star, Moe Harkless from St. John's

With this pick, the 76ers go with another player most of us have seen play:

Mike Scott
6'8" UVa

He is smart, solid, and has a good shooting touch

[Kedsy]

Philadelphia 76ers

Round 2, overall pick #45
Needs: scoring, inside play

With his 1st round pick, that shrewd GM roywhite chose a potential star, Moe Harkless from St. John's

With this pick, the 76ers go with another player most of us have seen play:

Mike Scott
6'8" UVa

He is smart, solid, and has a good shooting touch

Another great pick, Roy. Perfect kind of player for Doug Collins to work with.

[NovaScotian]

Another great pick, Roy. Perfect kind of player for Doug Collins to work with.

seconded. scott is one of those ready-to-play second rounders that have good motors and no holes in their game.

[JBDuke]

Well, we're down to #46 in the draft, and the Wizards think it's time for a gamble. It's time to go big. It's time to go European. So, with the 46th pick of the 2012 DBR Mock NBA Draft, the Washington Wizards select:

Furkan Aldemir, Turkey

He's big, he's only 19 years old, and he averaged 15 pts and 16 rebounds in last year's European U20 Championships. He's got good footspeed for a big man, which is important as much as the Wizards and John Wall like to run. He has soft hands to catch those passes, and he can put it in the hoop.

I'm sort of hoping for a European Tyler Zeller here, which would be an excellent add and fit in well with the rest of the skill mix in the Wizards frontcourt.

[UrinalCake]

So I first wanted to say that this is my first DBR mock draft and I'm really enjoying it! I'm impressed with the level of knowledge my fellow posters have shared, and honestly feel a little in over my head.

So with that said, with the 47th pick of the 2012 DBR Mock Draft, the Utah Jazz select WILLIAM BUFORD, SG, Ohio State. Utah is absolutely loaded up front, with Al Jefferson manning the middle, Paul Millsap having a breakout year, and Gordon Hayward continuing to improve at the 3. Enes Kanter and Derrick Favors provide additional depth. Their guard play has been atrocious. Devin Harris took over the reigns after the departure of Deron Williams, and hasn't proven to be a NBA starter-level point guard. But since there aren't any quality options at point this late in the draft, and since Harris could conceivably resort to his previous form, we're going with a shooting guard, where our needs are even greater. Buford has excellent size and is a solid, established player. Not likely to ever be an all-star, but will fill a need right away.

[FerryFor50]

Starter, you're on the clock... I know you're around here somewhere! :)

[brevity]

Well, we're down to #46 in the draft, and the Wizards think it's time for a gamble. It's time to go big. It's time to go European.

Or, it's time for a trade (http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8077486/washington-wizards-get-new-orleans-hornets-emeka-okafor-trevor-ariza-rashard-lewis-pick).


So, with the 46th pick of the 2012 DBR Mock NBA Draft, the Washington Wizards select:

Furkan Aldemir, Turkey

He's big, he's only 19 years old, and he averaged 15 pts and 16 rebounds in last year's European U20 Championships. He's got good footspeed for a big man, which is important as much as the Wizards and John Wall like to run. He has soft hands to catch those passes, and he can put it in the hoop.

I'm sort of hoping for a European Tyler Zeller here, which would be an excellent add and fit in well with the rest of the skill mix in the Wizards frontcourt.

So will he fit in the Hornets frontcourt? I can imagine the team introducing their newest big men, and pointing out that the guy from Europe is the one that DOESN'T have the unibrow.
2676

[JBDuke]

Or, it's time for a trade (http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8077486/washington-wizards-get-new-orleans-hornets-emeka-okafor-trevor-ariza-rashard-lewis-pick).



So will he fit in the Hornets frontcourt? I can imagine the team introducing their newest big men, and pointing out that the guy from Europe is the one that DOESN'T have the unibrow.
2676

Just saw this when I got back from work, and thought "Well, there go my mock draft picks!" I lost my 46th pick. And with Ariza on the roster, I'm not sure I take Taylor with my earlier 2nd round pick. Might still do it, though, as with Okafor added up front, I don't need any more post players. Well, I could use a really good one, but they're all gone by early in the 2nd round. Taylor could back up Ariza and maybe move ahead of him after a while. I still like his potential.

To me, this looks like a total money move for New Orleans. Lewis is done, and the 46th pick is a real crapshoot. Ariza and Okafor aren't great, but Ariza is a pretty useful role player, especially on defense, and Okafor may have some game left in him. From what I understand, the new guys both have 2 years left on their deals for a total of about $20M per year. Pricey, but the Wizards aren't spending much on anybody, and this doesn't lock up the money for very long. If I'm Ernie Grunfeld, I make this trade every day of the week and twice on Sundays.

[roywhite]

Starter, you're on the clock... I know you're around here somewhere! :)

With the last pick made yesterday morning, I think he's now on the calendar.

[Starter]

With the last pick made yesterday morning, I think he's now on the calendar.

Man, I'm the worst. It took so long to get to my pick that I lost track completely. I should have DM'd someone my number in case any of this happened. Pick within 15.

[Starter]

Man, the one day I go completely awol and forget to check the thread... you all have my apologies. In simpler terms, I suck.

With that said, give me Drew Gordon from New Mexico. With only one pick, and this late, you have to take some chances. As anyone who read the UCLA article in SI knows, Gordon has some character concerns, but so do the Knicks. He's got great size and decent talent, and probably would have gone much higher without all the UCLA stuff.

[coldriver10]

Having drafted Tony Wroten in the 1st round, the Orlando Magic have 2 needs left to fill: PF/C and SF. Neither are a bigger need than the other, so the Magic go best available here: Kostas Papanicolaou.

He is a 6'9" SF from Greece who primarily plays on the perimeter. Known for his deep shooting range and defensive prowess, something the Magic desperately need, he is an intriguing prospect that will serve to fill the role of Hedo Turkoglu once he departs in the next season or two. We are very pleased to see him still on the board and look for him to make an impact as soon as 2013-2014.

(Sorry I couldn't bold his name...I'm at work on my phone and am not smart enough to figure out how to do it.)

[FerryFor50]

Updated draft list:

First Round:

New Orleans Hornets - dcdevil2009 ANTHONY DAVIS, Kentucky
Charlotte Bobcats - Newton_14 MICHAEL KIDD-GILCHRIST, Kentucky
Washington Wizards - JBDuke BRADLEY BEAL, Florida
Cleveland Cavaliers - MulletMan THOMAS ROBINSON, Kansas
Sacramento Kings - em0526 ANDRE DRUMMOND, Connecticut
Portland Trail Blazers - pfrduke HARRISON BARNES, UNC
Golden State Warriors - FerryFor50 TERRENCE JONES, Kentucky
Toronto Raptors - NSDukeFan JARED SULLINGER, Ohio State
Detroit Pistons - BD80 MYERS LEONARD, Illinois
New Orleans Hornets - dcdevil2009 JOHN HENSON, UNC
Portland Trail Blazers - pfrduke KENDALL MARSHALL, UNC
Milwaukee Bucks- TDrake51 TYLER ZELLER, UNC
Phoenix Suns - Starter- DION WAITERS, Syracuse
Houston Rockets - tommy- AUSTIN RIVERS, Duke
Philadelphia 76ers - roywhite- MOE HARKLESS, St. John's
Houston Rockets - tommy- TERRENCE ROSS, Washington
Dallas Mavericks - superdave- DAMIEN LILLARD, Weber State
Minnesota Timberwolves - Li_Duke- JEREMY LAMB, Connecticut
Orlando Magic - Coldriver10- TONY WROTEN, Washington
Denver Nuggets - FireOgilvie - PERRY JONES III, Baylor
Boston Celtics- Maxamillion - ARNETT MOULTRIE, Mississippi St.
Boston Celtics- Maxamillion - ANDREW NICHOLSON, St. Bonaventure
Atlanta Hawks - JasonEvans - DRAYMOND GREEN, Michigan State
Cleveland Cavaliers - MulletMan - WILL BARTON, Memphis
Memphis Grizzlies - CPDUKEGUY24- MARQUIS TEAGUE, Kentucky
Indiana Pacers - blev23- JOHN JENKINS, Vanderbilt
Miami Heat - Chicago 1995- ROYCE WHITE, Iowa St
Oklahoma City Thunder- KDOGG- EVAN FOURNIER Union Poitiers Basket 86
Chicago Bulls - CDu- QUINCY MILLER Baylor
Golden State Warriors - FerryFor50- FAB MELO Syracuse



Second Round

Charlotte Bobcats - Newton_14 - KEVIN JONES, West Virginia
Washington Wizards - JBDuke- JEFFREY TAYLOR, Vanderbilt
Cleveland Cavaliers - MulletMan - DORON LAMB, Kentucky
Cleveland Cavaliers - MulletMan - FESTUS EZELI, Vanderbilt
Golden State Warriors - FerryFor50 - TYSHAWN TAYLOR, Kansas
Sacramento Kings - em0526 - MILES PLUMLEE, Duke
Toronto Raptors - NSDukeFan- JAE CROWDER, Marquette
Denver Nuggets - FireOgilvie- ORLANDO JOHNSON, UC Santa Barbara
Detroit Pistons - BD80- JAMYCHAL GREEN, Alabama
Portland Trail Blazers - pfrduke- JARED CUNNINGHAM, Oregon St.
Portland Trail Blazers - pfrduke- KYLE O'QUINN, Norfolk St
Milwaukee Bucks- TDrake51- KRIS JOSEPH, Syracuse
Atlanta Hawks - JasonEvans- KHRIS MIDDLETON, Texas A&M
Detroit Pistons - BD80 - KEVIN MURPHY, Tennessee Tech
Philadelphia 76ers - roywhite - MIKE SCOTT, Virginia
Washington Wizards - JBDuke - FURKAN ALDEMIR, Turkey
Utah Jazz - Urinal Cake - WILLIAM BUFORD, Ohio St.
New York Knicks - Starter - DREW GORDON, UCLA
Orlando Magic - Coldriver10 - KOSTAS PAPANICOLAOU, Greece
Denver Nuggets - FireOgilvie - KIM ENGLISH, Missouri
Boston Celtics- Maxamillion - HOLLIS THOMPSON, Georgetown
Golden State Warriors - FerryFor50 - TOMAS SATORANSKY, Europe
Los Angeles Clippers - Nocilla - DUSAN CENTEKIN, Serbia
Philadelphia 76ers - roywhite- BERNARD JAMES, Florida St
Dallas Mavericks - superdave- JOSEP FRANCH, Spain
Toronto Raptors - NSDukeFan
Brooklyn Nets- NovaScotian
Minnesota Timberwolves - Li_Duke
San Antonio Spurs - Duvall
Los Angeles Lakers - CDu

[JasonEvans]

Philadelphia 76ers

Round 2, overall pick #45
Needs: scoring, inside play

With his 1st round pick, that shrewd GM roywhite chose a potential star, Moe Harkless from St. John's

With this pick, the 76ers go with another player most of us have seen play:

Mike Scott
6'8" UVa

He is smart, solid, and has a good shooting touch

Gotta tell you, Roy, I was sorely tempted by Mike Scott. I agree that he is a great pick and think he will have the ability to be a somewhat reliable mid-range scorer in the NBA. When I watched him play last year at UVA, it struck me that he scored in the kind of ways an NBA player needs to score. His motor is fabulous too, as evidenced by his huge number of rebounds. I also love that he is a reliable 80+% FT shooter. That's the mark of a kid with good touch and who works on his game.

I will probably sorely regret passing on him. Nice pick.

That said... Scott is a couple years older than most college kids. He's more physically mature than most guys entering the NBA... and that may not be a good thing. It means he has far less room to grow physically and perhaps as a player. He also does not possess really long arms and, at 6-8, is a bit undersized for an NBA PF. I am somewhat torn on him -- he seems likely to at least be a rotation player next year, which is pretty good for a 2nd rounder, but I have to wonder if our opinions of him are colored too much by the fact that he was, quite literally, a man playing with boys in college.

All that stuff scared me off of the pick.

-Jason "will be interesting to see what kind of impact he can make in the NBA next season... wherever he lands" Evans

[FerryFor50]

Gotta tell you, Roy, I was sorely tempted by Mike Scott. I agree that he is a great pick and think he will have the ability to be a somewhat reliable mid-range scorer in the NBA. When I watched him play last year at UVA, it struck me that he scored in the kind of ways an NBA player needs to score. His motor is fabulous too, as evidenced by his huge number of rebounds. I also love that he is a reliable 80+% FT shooter. That's the mark of a kid with good touch and who works on his game.

I will probably sorely regret passing on him. Nice pick.

That said... Scott is a couple years older than most college kids. He's more physically mature than most guys entering the NBA... and that may not be a good thing. It means he has far less room to grow physically and perhaps as a player. He also does not possess really long arms and, at 6-8, is a bit undersized for an NBA PF. I am somewhat torn on him -- he seems likely to at least be a rotation player next year, which is pretty good for a 2nd rounder, but I have to wonder if our opinions of him are colored too much by the fact that he was, quite literally, a man playing with boys in college.

All that stuff scared me off of the pick.

-Jason "will be interesting to see what kind of impact he can make in the NBA next season... wherever he lands" Evans

My reason for being scared off had to do with his age and his ankle injury that kept him out a year. But I think he'll be a Dejuan Blair type.

[FireOgilvie]

The Denver Nuggets select shooting guard Kim English (Missouri) with their final pick of the draft. After a great senior year, English is known for his high basketball IQ and his efficiency on offense; he shot almost 46% from 3 last season. He is used to playing in an uptempo style with Missouri and we see him in a potential sixth man role and used as a shooting specialist. He's also a hard-worker and can definitely play tough defense.

This draft is ridiculously deep, and there were several players we considered for this pick.

[Newton_14]

Gotta tell you, Roy, I was sorely tempted by Mike Scott. I agree that he is a great pick and think he will have the ability to be a somewhat reliable mid-range scorer in the NBA. When I watched him play last year at UVA, it struck me that he scored in the kind of ways an NBA player needs to score. His motor is fabulous too, as evidenced by his huge number of rebounds. I also love that he is a reliable 80+% FT shooter. That's the mark of a kid with good touch and who works on his game.

I will probably sorely regret passing on him. Nice pick.

That said... Scott is a couple years older than most college kids. He's more physically mature than most guys entering the NBA... and that may not be a good thing. It means he has far less room to grow physically and perhaps as a player. He also does not possess really long arms and, at 6-8, is a bit undersized for an NBA PF. I am somewhat torn on him -- he seems likely to at least be a rotation player next year, which is pretty good for a 2nd rounder, but I have to wonder if our opinions of him are colored too much by the fact that he was, quite literally, a man playing with boys in college.

All that stuff scared me off of the pick.

-Jason "will be interesting to see what kind of impact he can make in the NBA next season... wherever he lands" Evans

Same here. I went back and forth between Scott and Kevin Jones with my 2nd rd pick, but in the end I felt Jones would be a better scorer in the NBA than Scott, but its close.

Roy had a great draft getting two quality players. Well done.

[MaxAMillion]

Damn it...I wanted English. Well the C's need a SG/SF who can shoot from the perimeter. I am going to go with Hollis Thompson. He shoots well from 3 and he has length that the C's desperately need. I don't think much of Thompson's defense but I guess that would make him a first round pick if he could play great defense and shoot as well.

The C's will definitely be more athletic if they end up with this type of draft.

[FerryFor50]

With 4 picks in this draft, Golden State decides that they can go out on a limb for a project.

As such, Tomas Satoransky at 6'7" and with ability to play a combo PG/SG is an intriguing prospect. Because he's 20 and can play in Europe, the Warriors can stash him there for seasoning and development.

[nocilla]

The LA Clippers have 2 stars in Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. They also have some good role players but a lot of free agents. As long as Nick Young stays around then the starting lineup should be set along with Deandre Jordan and Caron Butler. What the Clippers need is depth. And with Kenyon Martin most likely not returning to the team, depth in the post is probably the biggest need.

So with the 53rd pick in the draft, The LA Clippers select Dusan Cantekin from Serbia. The 7'4", 245 lb center will provide much needed size in the Clippers rotation. He is more than just a tower of a human being with a superb frame, Cantekin is a surprisingly mobile center who runs the court extremely well and shows impressive agility for a player his size. He should fit in well in 'Lob City'.

[roywhite]

Philadelphia 76ers
Needs: Scoring, inside play

Previous picks:
1st round, 15th overall: Moe Harkless, St. John's
2nd round, 45th overall: Mike Scott, UVa

Current pick, #54 overall
Bernard James 6'10"
Florida State 27 years old

Strong, mature, very good defender, good rebounder
Offensively, not fluid, but converts well around the basket (shot over 60% at FSU)
Good character, hard worker, maturity a plus on team with several young players

[BD80]

Philadelphia 76ers
Needs: Scoring, inside play

Previous picks:
1st round, 15th overall: Moe Harkless, St. John's
2nd round, 45th overall: Mike Scott, UVa

Current pick, #54 overall
Bernard James 6'10"
Florida State 27 years old

Strong, mature, very good defender, good rebounder
Offensively, not fluid, but converts well around the basket (shot over 60% at FSU)
Good character, hard worker, maturity a plus on team with several young players

I really like this pick. A guy like James can be a real attribute to a team and at a low rookie price.

[superdave]

Josep Franch, point guard from Spain.

Franch is big point guard at 6'4'' and is considered an excellent passer in transition. Dallas will expect him to remain overseas for several more years before making his NBA debut. If Franch develops a consistent jump shot, he could be a rotation player for the Mavs in the future. If he really develops beyond our expectations, he could be a Rubio type player in a few years.

[NovaScotian]

Josep Franch, point guard from Spain.

Franch is big point guard at 6'4'' and is considered an excellent passer in transition. Dallas will expect him to remain overseas for several more years before making his NBA debut. If Franch develops a consistent jump shot, he could be a rotation player for the Mavs in the future. If he really develops beyond our expectations, he could be a Rubio type player in a few years.

ohhh man, i was about to take him with the 57th pick. nice work, homie.

[JasonEvans]

Updated draft list:

First Round:

New Orleans Hornets - dcdevil2009 ANTHONY DAVIS, Kentucky
Charlotte Bobcats - Newton_14 MICHAEL KIDD-GILCHRIST, Kentucky
Washington Wizards - JBDuke BRADLEY BEAL, Florida
Cleveland Cavaliers - MulletMan THOMAS ROBINSON, Kansas
Sacramento Kings - em0526 ANDRE DRUMMOND, Connecticut
Portland Trail Blazers - pfrduke HARRISON BARNES, UNC
Golden State Warriors - FerryFor50 TERRENCE JONES, Kentucky
Toronto Raptors - NSDukeFan JARED SULLINGER, Ohio State
Detroit Pistons - BD80 MYERS LEONARD, Illinois
New Orleans Hornets - dcdevil2009 JOHN HENSON, UNC
Portland Trail Blazers - pfrduke KENDALL MARSHALL, UNC
Milwaukee Bucks- TDrake51 TYLER ZELLER, UNC
Phoenix Suns - Starter- DION WAITERS, Syracuse
Houston Rockets - tommy- AUSTIN RIVERS, Duke
Philadelphia 76ers - roywhite- MOE HARKLESS, St. John's
Houston Rockets - tommy- TERRENCE ROSS, Washington
Dallas Mavericks - superdave- DAMIEN LILLARD, Weber State
Minnesota Timberwolves - Li_Duke- JEREMY LAMB, Connecticut
Orlando Magic - Coldriver10- TONY WROTEN, Washington
Denver Nuggets - FireOgilvie - PERRY JONES III, Baylor
Boston Celtics- Maxamillion - ARNETT MOULTRIE, Mississippi St.
Boston Celtics- Maxamillion - ANDREW NICHOLSON, St. Bonaventure
Atlanta Hawks - JasonEvans - DRAYMOND GREEN, Michigan State
Cleveland Cavaliers - MulletMan - WILL BARTON, Memphis
Memphis Grizzlies - CPDUKEGUY24- MARQUIS TEAGUE, Kentucky
Indiana Pacers - blev23- JOHN JENKINS, Vanderbilt
Miami Heat - Chicago 1995- ROYCE WHITE, Iowa St
Oklahoma City Thunder- KDOGG- EVAN FOURNIER Union Poitiers Basket 86
Chicago Bulls - CDu- QUINCY MILLER Baylor
Golden State Warriors - FerryFor50- FAB MELO Syracuse

Second Round

Charlotte Bobcats - Newton_14 - KEVIN JONES, West Virginia
Washington Wizards - JBDuke- JEFFREY TAYLOR, Vanderbilt
Cleveland Cavaliers - MulletMan - DORON LAMB, Kentucky
Cleveland Cavaliers - MulletMan - FESTUS EZELI, Vanderbilt
Golden State Warriors - FerryFor50 - TYSHAWN TAYLOR, Kansas
Sacramento Kings - em0526 - MILES PLUMLEE, Duke
Toronto Raptors - NSDukeFan- JAE CROWDER, Marquette
Denver Nuggets - FireOgilvie- ORLANDO JOHNSON, UC Santa Barbara
Detroit Pistons - BD80- JAMYCHAL GREEN, Alabama
Portland Trail Blazers - pfrduke- JARED CUNNINGHAM, Oregon St.
Portland Trail Blazers - pfrduke- KYLE O'QUINN, Norfolk St
Milwaukee Bucks- TDrake51- KRIS JOSEPH, Syracuse
Atlanta Hawks - JasonEvans- KHRIS MIDDLETON, Texas A&M
Detroit Pistons - BD80 - KEVIN MURPHY, Tennessee Tech
Philadelphia 76ers - roywhite - MIKE SCOTT, Virginia
Washington Wizards - JBDuke - FURKAN ALDEMIR, Turkey
Utah Jazz - Urinal Cake - WILLIAM BUFORD, Ohio St.
New York Knicks - Starter - DREW GORDON, UCLA
Orlando Magic - Coldriver10 - KOSTAS PAPANICOLAOU, Greece
Denver Nuggets - FireOgilvie - KIM ENGLISH, Missouri
Boston Celtics- Maxamillion - HOLLIS THOMPSON, Georgetown
Golden State Warriors - FerryFor50 - TOMAS SATORANSKY, Europe
Los Angeles Clippers - Nocilla - DUSAN CENTEKIN, Serbia
Philadelphia 76ers - roywhite- BERNARD JAMES, Florida St
Dallas Mavericks - superdave- JOSEP FRANCH, Spain
Toronto Raptors - NSDukeFan- SCOTT MACHADO, Iona
Brooklyn Nets- NovaScotian- TORNIKE SHENGELIA, Belgium/Georgia
Minnesota Timberwolves - Li_Duke
San Antonio Spurs - Duvall
Los Angeles Lakers - CDu

We've had a little run on Europeans lately. Only 5 picks to go!

-Jason "word on the street is that Royce White has a promise from the Celtics around pick number 20 and that Andre Drummond is slipping and has no chance to go in the top 5... maybe not even until 9th or 10th" Evans

[NSDukeFan]

With the 56th pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, the Toronto Raptors select the NCAA's 2011-12 assist leader Scott Machado. At this point in the draft, we will feel fortunate if we get someone who will be able to make the squad, but we feel fortunate to get someone with Machado's court vision. He shot almost 50% from the field, 40% from 3 and over 80% from the line, so he can hit the open shot. We see him as a bankrupt, homeless man who has no hope of ever getting out of poverty version of Steve Nash and are intrigued by his ability to create for others and get everyone involved.

[NovaScotian]

With the 56th pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, the Toronto Raptors select the NCAA's 2011-12 assist leader Scott Machado. At this point in the draft, we will feel fortunate if we get someone who will be able to make the squad, but we feel fortunate to get someone with Machado's court vision. He shot almost 50% from the field, 40% from 3 and over 80% from the line, so he can hit the open shot. We see him as a bankrupt, homeless man who has no hope of ever getting out of poverty version of Steve Nash and are intrigued by his ability to create for others and get everyone involved.

dad gummit - another guy i was hoping to sneak away with.
right now, the nets are in trouble. they have no interesting or exciting players, and a new stadium with an already shameful history (http://battleforbrooklyn.com/). still, the 57th pick represents some interesting options for them. historically (http://www.hoopsworld.com/history-of-the-nba-draft-pick-number-57), some good foreign gems have been found like Manu Ginobili and Marcin Gortat, but they are few and far between. college players who have stuck around this late, are probably still available for a reason, so it makes sense to take a gamble on a foreign player who can be stashed away in europe's 'minor' leagues until ready for prime time. being in brooklyn, with a vibrant Russian community (not to mention, a vibrantly charismatic and potentially insane Russian owner), it might even make sense to take the best Russian player available, and hope for something similar to Lin-sanity to arise.

but you know prokhorov is crazier than that, right?

that's why you pluck the best player, not from Russia, but Georgia (who was recently on the wrong end of Russia's imperialist wrath) and hold him up as a symbol of new peace between the two nations.

with the 57th pick in the 2012 nba draft, the brooklyn nyets select
Tornike Shengelia from Spirou Charleroi, Belgium.



NB i briefly considered selecting Mathieu Wojciehowski from France, in hopes that when he retires from the nba he can come coach at duke and we can finally have a coach wojo who is 6'8" (197 cm) coaching the big men.

[BD80]

Updated draft list:

... -Jason "word on the street is that Royce White has a promise from the Celtics around pick number 20 and that Andre Drummond is slipping and has no chance to go in the top 5... maybe not even until 9th or 10th" Evans

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

The Pistons pick 9th!

Wasn't Darko enough?

[JasonEvans]

I have informed LiDuke that he is on the clock and hopefully we will get a pick soon. We are so close to the end and are well ahead of schedule (it was my hope that we would finish prior to the NBA finishing their draft), so I think it is ok for now if we wait for him.

If he has not picked by mid-day tomorrow, as Commish, I will pick for him.

By the way, here is where the draft currently stands--

First Round:


New Orleans Hornets - dcdevil2009 ANTHONY DAVIS, Kentucky
Charlotte Bobcats - Newton_14 MICHAEL KIDD-GILCHRIST, Kentucky
Washington Wizards - JBDuke BRADLEY BEAL, Florida
Cleveland Cavaliers - MulletMan THOMAS ROBINSON, Kansas
Sacramento Kings - em0526 ANDRE DRUMMOND, Connecticut
Portland Trail Blazers - pfrduke HARRISON BARNES, UNC
Golden State Warriors - FerryFor50 TERRENCE JONES, Kentucky
Toronto Raptors - NSDukeFan JARED SULLINGER, Ohio State
Detroit Pistons - BD80 MYERS LEONARD, Illinois
New Orleans Hornets - dcdevil2009 JOHN HENSON, UNC
Portland Trail Blazers - pfrduke KENDALL MARSHALL, UNC
Milwaukee Bucks- TDrake51 TYLER ZELLER, UNC
Phoenix Suns - Starter- DION WAITERS, Syracuse
Houston Rockets - tommy- AUSTIN RIVERS, Duke
Philadelphia 76ers - roywhite- MOE HARKLESS, St. John's
Houston Rockets - tommy- TERRENCE ROSS, Washington
Dallas Mavericks - superdave- DAMIEN LILLARD, Weber State
Minnesota Timberwolves - Li_Duke- JEREMY LAMB, Connecticut
Orlando Magic - Coldriver10- TONY WROTEN, Washington
Denver Nuggets - FireOgilvie - PERRY JONES III, Baylor
Boston Celtics- Maxamillion - ARNETT MOULTRIE, Mississippi St.
Boston Celtics- Maxamillion - ANDREW NICHOLSON, St. Bonaventure
Atlanta Hawks - JasonEvans - DRAYMOND GREEN, Michigan State
Cleveland Cavaliers - MulletMan - WILL BARTON, Memphis
Memphis Grizzlies - CPDUKEGUY24- MARQUIS TEAGUE, Kentucky
Indiana Pacers - blev23- JOHN JENKINS, Vanderbilt
Miami Heat - Chicago 1995- ROYCE WHITE, Iowa St
Oklahoma City Thunder- KDOGG- EVAN FOURNIER Union Poitiers Basket 86
Chicago Bulls - CDu- QUINCY MILLER Baylor
Golden State Warriors - FerryFor50- FAB MELO Syracuse


Second Round:


Charlotte Bobcats - Newton_14 - KEVIN JONES, West Virginia
Washington Wizards - JBDuke- JEFFREY TAYLOR, Vanderbilt
Cleveland Cavaliers - MulletMan - DORON LAMB, Kentucky
Cleveland Cavaliers - MulletMan - FESTUS EZELI, Vanderbilt
Golden State Warriors - FerryFor50 - TYSHAWN TAYLOR, Kansas
Sacramento Kings - em0526 - MILES PLUMLEE, Duke
Toronto Raptors - NSDukeFan- JAE CROWDER, Marquette
Denver Nuggets - FireOgilvie- ORLANDO JOHNSON, UC Santa Barbara
Detroit Pistons - BD80- JAMYCHAL GREEN, Alabama
Portland Trail Blazers - pfrduke- JARED CUNNINGHAM, Oregon St.
Portland Trail Blazers - pfrduke- KYLE O'QUINN, Norfolk St
Milwaukee Bucks- TDrake51- KRIS JOSEPH, Syracuse
Atlanta Hawks - JasonEvans- KHRIS MIDDLETON, Texas A&M
Detroit Pistons - BD80 - KEVIN MURPHY, Tennessee Tech
Philadelphia 76ers - roywhite - MIKE SCOTT, Virginia
Washington Wizards - JBDuke - FURKAN ALDEMIR, Turkey
Utah Jazz - Urinal Cake - WILLIAM BUFORD, Ohio St.
New York Knicks - Starter - DREW GORDON, UCLA
Orlando Magic - Coldriver10 - KOSTAS PAPANICOLAOU, Greece
Denver Nuggets - FireOgilvie - KIM ENGLISH, Missouri
Boston Celtics- Maxamillion - HOLLIS THOMPSON, Georgetown
Golden State Warriors - FerryFor50 - TOMAS SATORANSKY, Europe
Los Angeles Clippers - Nocilla - DUSAN CENTEKIN, Serbia
Philadelphia 76ers - roywhite- BERNARD JAMES, Florida St
Dallas Mavericks - superdave- JOSEP FRANCH, Spain
Toronto Raptors - NSDukeFan- SCOTT MACHADO, Iona
Brooklyn Nets- NovaScotian- TORNIKE SHENGELIA, Belgium/Georgia
Minnesota Timberwolves - Li_Duke- ERIC GRIFFIN, Campbell
San Antonio Spurs - Duvall- DARIUS MILLER, Kentucky
Los Angeles Lakers - CDu- HENRY SIMMS, Georgetown


--Jason "Duvall and CDu... on deck and in the hole" Evans

[Li_Duke]

Sorry for the wait. I have to admit; I didn't remember I had this pick. Thanks for messaging me.

Pick up in a minute.

[Li_Duke]

The sentimental part of me wanted to go with Robbie Hummel here and give him a chance to make an NBA team, but the cold, rational GM in me won out. The Minnesota Timberwolves are selecting Eric Griffin from Campbell University with their final pick of the 2012 NBA draft. Griffin, like Hummel, is a senior forward. He's long, athletic, and wants to dunk everything. Despite picking up the game late, he was a surprisingly effective player in college and hasn't yet come close to his ceiling.

[Duvall]

The San Antonio Spurs are fortunate enough to enjoy a roster without major holes, affording them the luxury of making a selection to provide options under certain contingencies. The selection is DARIUS MILLER out of the University of Kentucky. The 6-7 small forward could provide a fallback option should Spurs G Danny Green receive an offer as a restricted free agent that is too lucrative for the Spurs to match.

[BD80]

The San Antonio Spurs are fortunate enough to enjoy a roster without major holes, affording them the luxury of making a selection to provide options under certain contingencies. The selection is DARIUS MILLER out of the University of Kentucky. The 6-7 small forward could provide a fallback option should Spurs G Danny Green receive an offer as a restricted free agent that is too lucrative for the Spurs to match.

I here that "America's Best Dance Crew" is planning to take a run at dancin danny.

[JasonEvans]

The San Antonio Spurs are fortunate enough to enjoy a roster without major holes, affording them the luxury of making a selection to provide options under certain contingencies. The selection is DARIUS MILLER out of the University of Kentucky. The 6-7 small forward could provide a fallback option should Spurs G Danny Green receive an offer as a restricted free agent that is too lucrative for the Spurs to match.

It is worth noting that Miller made this list from NBC Sports (http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/06/22/breaking-down-the-draft-second-round-steals/) of guys who could be 2nd round steals. The guys who wrote the article are really high on Jae Crowder, Scott Machado, and Jared Cunningham too.


If there is anything we’ve learned from guys like Bruce Bowen, James Posey and now Danny Green, it’s that a 6-7 wing that can lock up defensively and knock down open threes, that there is a place for them in the NBA. That’s Miller.

-Jason "sooo close to being done with the Draft!" Evans

[CDu]

I sooooo did not expect to be on the clock when I woke up this morning.

Let's be honest: there's only a small chance that this pick makes it in the league. Historically speaking, the last pick of the 2nd round just isn't typically a contributor. Since the draft went to 60 picks in 2004, the #60 spot has been adorned to such greats as Rashad Wright, Alex Acker, Will Blalock, Milan Rakovic, Semih Erden, Robert Dozier, Dwayne Collins, and Isiah Thomas. Only Thomas (who has been a revelation) and Erden (who has been a serviceable #2-3 center) have done anything in the NBA. So with that in mind, the Lakers aren't anticipating big things from this pick.

Right now, the Lakers have a bunch of tough decisions to make. They are well into the luxury tax for this coming season, but have nobody under contract after 2014. There are not so quiet rumors that Pau Gasol has played his last game in LA. There is also uncertainty about how much they trust Andrew Bynum to be the main man with Bryant aging. Basically, this team needs anything they can get.

We looked at 3 players with this pick: Darius Miller, Henry Sims, and Tu Holloway. With Miller off the board, we'll go with Henry Sims, C, Georgetown. Sims is an athletic 7-footer who finally found his game as a senior. There will be questions about why it took so long for him to find himself, but at this point in the draft we're not worried about that. We just see an athletic, long, 7-footer with decent offensive skills who could possibly push Bynum in practice and maybe even play alongside Bynum at times. We fee

[JBDuke]

I sooooo did not expect to be on the clock when I woke up this morning.

Let's be honest: there's only a small chance that this pick makes it in the league. Historically speaking, the last pick of the 2nd round just isn't typically a contributor. Since the draft went to 60 picks in 2004, the #60 spot has been adorned to such greats as Rashad Wright, Alex Acker, Will Blalock, Milan Rakovic, Semih Erden, Robert Dozier, Dwayne Collins, and Isiah Thomas. Only Thomas (who has been a revelation) and Erden (who has been a serviceable #2-3 center) have done anything in the NBA. So with that in mind, the Lakers aren't anticipating big things from this pick.

Right now, the Lakers have a bunch of tough decisions to make. They are well into the luxury tax for this coming season, but have nobody under contract after 2014. There are not so quiet rumors that Pau Gasol has played his last game in LA. There is also uncertainty about how much they trust Andrew Bynum to be the main man with Bryant aging. Basically, this team needs anything they can get.

We looked at 3 players with this pick: Darius Miller, Henry Sims, and Tu Holloway. With Miller off the board, we'll go with Henry Sims, C, Georgetown. Sims is an athletic 7-footer who finally found his game as a senior. There will be questions about why it took so long for him to find himself, but at this point in the draft we're not worried about that. We just see an athletic, long, 7-footer with decent offensive skills who could possibly push Bynum in practice and maybe even play alongside Bynum at times. We fee

CDu, looks like your post got cut off. Still, I think this is a good pick. The local press love Sims, and he fit well into the Hoyas' Princeton-style offense. He's a big man with a flair for passing. I think he's got a real shot at making a roster this fall. Certainly not a joke of a pick in the "Mr. Irrelevant" spot.

[CDu]

CDu, looks like your post got cut off. Still, I think this is a good pick. The local press love Sims, and he fit well into the Hoyas' Princeton-style offense. He's a big man with a flair for passing. I think he's got a real shot at making a roster this fall. Certainly not a joke of a pick in the "Mr. Irrelevant" spot.

Doh! Here's what the rest of the post had said:

"We feel like if we can get an athletic, skilled, 7-footer this late in the draft, that's a steal. And we believe we can address other needs (PF, SF, PG) for cheap via free agent. But talented 7-footers don't grow on trees."

Thanks JBDuke. It was really a no-lose situation down the stretch. We'd either add a shooter/athlete in Miller, a talented big in Sims, or a potentially explosive backup PG in Holloway.

That said, I feel like this draft is incredibly deep. As a Bulls fan, I hope they manage to pick up some second rounders, because I think there's lots of value there. There are even going to be some undrafted rookies that should make rosters (like Holloway, Yancey Gates, Robert Sacre, etc).

[JasonEvans]

...DONE!!!

Congrats to everyone who took part in this little exercise. When the well-paid GMs get around to doing their draft in a little while we can look back and see who go bargains and who made mistakes.

Here is the final draft order:

First Round:


New Orleans Hornets - dcdevil2009 ANTHONY DAVIS, Kentucky
Charlotte Bobcats - Newton_14 MICHAEL KIDD-GILCHRIST, Kentucky
Washington Wizards - JBDuke BRADLEY BEAL, Florida
Cleveland Cavaliers - MulletMan THOMAS ROBINSON, Kansas
Sacramento Kings - em0526 ANDRE DRUMMOND, Connecticut
Portland Trail Blazers - pfrduke HARRISON BARNES, UNC
Golden State Warriors - FerryFor50 TERRENCE JONES, Kentucky
Toronto Raptors - NSDukeFan JARED SULLINGER, Ohio State
Detroit Pistons - BD80 MYERS LEONARD, Illinois
New Orleans Hornets - dcdevil2009 JOHN HENSON, UNC
Portland Trail Blazers - pfrduke KENDALL MARSHALL, UNC
Milwaukee Bucks- TDrake51 TYLER ZELLER, UNC
Phoenix Suns - Starter- DION WAITERS, Syracuse
Houston Rockets - tommy- AUSTIN RIVERS, Duke
Philadelphia 76ers - roywhite- MOE HARKLESS, St. John's
Houston Rockets - tommy- TERRENCE ROSS, Washington
Dallas Mavericks - superdave- DAMIEN LILLARD, Weber State
Minnesota Timberwolves - Li_Duke- JEREMY LAMB, Connecticut
Orlando Magic - Coldriver10- TONY WROTEN, Washington
Denver Nuggets - FireOgilvie - PERRY JONES III, Baylor
Boston Celtics- Maxamillion - ARNETT MOULTRIE, Mississippi St.
Boston Celtics- Maxamillion - ANDREW NICHOLSON, St. Bonaventure
Atlanta Hawks - JasonEvans - DRAYMOND GREEN, Michigan State
Cleveland Cavaliers - MulletMan - WILL BARTON, Memphis
Memphis Grizzlies - CPDUKEGUY24- MARQUIS TEAGUE, Kentucky
Indiana Pacers - blev23- JOHN JENKINS, Vanderbilt
Miami Heat - Chicago 1995- ROYCE WHITE, Iowa St
Oklahoma City Thunder- KDOGG- EVAN FOURNIER Union Poitiers Basket 86
Chicago Bulls - CDu- QUINCY MILLER Baylor
Golden State Warriors - FerryFor50- FAB MELO Syracuse


Second Round:


Charlotte Bobcats - Newton_14 - KEVIN JONES, West Virginia
Washington Wizards - JBDuke- JEFFREY TAYLOR, Vanderbilt
Cleveland Cavaliers - MulletMan - DORON LAMB, Kentucky
Cleveland Cavaliers - MulletMan - FESTUS EZELI, Vanderbilt
Golden State Warriors - FerryFor50 - TYSHAWN TAYLOR, Kansas
Sacramento Kings - em0526 - MILES PLUMLEE, Duke
Toronto Raptors - NSDukeFan- JAE CROWDER, Marquette
Denver Nuggets - FireOgilvie- ORLANDO JOHNSON, UC Santa Barbara
Detroit Pistons - BD80- JAMYCHAL GREEN, Alabama
Portland Trail Blazers - pfrduke- JARED CUNNINGHAM, Oregon St.
Portland Trail Blazers - pfrduke- KYLE O'QUINN, Norfolk St
Milwaukee Bucks- TDrake51- KRIS JOSEPH, Syracuse
Atlanta Hawks - JasonEvans- KHRIS MIDDLETON, Texas A&M
Detroit Pistons - BD80 - KEVIN MURPHY, Tennessee Tech
Philadelphia 76ers - roywhite - MIKE SCOTT, Virginia
Washington Wizards - JBDuke - FURKAN ALDEMIR, Turkey
Utah Jazz - Urinal Cake - WILLIAM BUFORD, Ohio St.
New York Knicks - Starter - DREW GORDON, UCLA
Orlando Magic - Coldriver10 - KOSTAS PAPANICOLAOU, Greece
Denver Nuggets - FireOgilvie - KIM ENGLISH, Missouri
Boston Celtics- Maxamillion - HOLLIS THOMPSON, Georgetown
Golden State Warriors - FerryFor50 - TOMAS SATORANSKY, Europe
Los Angeles Clippers - Nocilla - DUSAN CENTEKIN, Serbia
Philadelphia 76ers - roywhite- BERNARD JAMES, Florida St
Dallas Mavericks - superdave- JOSEP FRANCH, Spain
Toronto Raptors - NSDukeFan- SCOTT MACHADO, Iona
Brooklyn Nets- NovaScotian- TORNIKE SHENGELIA, Belgium/Georgia
Minnesota Timberwolves - Li_Duke- ERIC GRIFFIN, Campbell
San Antonio Spurs - Duvall- DARIUS MILLER, Kentucky
Los Angeles Lakers - CDu- HENRY SIMMS, Georgetown


-Jason "fun stuff!" Evans

[JasonEvans]

A few quick predictions-- Jared Sullinger will go waaaay lower than we drafted him. Royce White will go significantly higher. I probably drafted Draymond Green too early. I suspect Austin Rivers will go before we picked him. The UNC guys, especially Kendall Marshall, probably went too high in our draft.

Of course, none of that is to say that we made any mistakes. The NBA GMs who do not follow our picks could be the ones making the mistake ;)

-Jason "will be fun to look back in a year and see who among us was smarter than the NBA GMs!" Evans

[roywhite]

A few quick predictions-- Jared Sullinger will go waaaay lower than we drafted him. Royce White will go significantly higher. I probably drafted Draymond Green too early. I suspect Austin Rivers will go before we picked him. The UNC guys, especially Kendall Marshall, probably went too high in our draft.

Of course, none of that is to say that we made any mistakes. The NBA GMs who do not follow our picks could be the ones making the mistake ;)

-Jason "will be fun to look back in a year and see who among us was smarter than the NBA GMs!" Evans

Props to our commissioner for holding the DBR Draft!

It's made the actual event more interesting and fun.

[CDu]

A few quick predictions-- Jared Sullinger will go waaaay lower than we drafted him. Royce White will go significantly higher. I probably drafted Draymond Green too early. I suspect Austin Rivers will go before we picked him. The UNC guys, especially Kendall Marshall, probably went too high in our draft.

Of course, none of that is to say that we made any mistakes. The NBA GMs who do not follow our picks could be the ones making the mistake ;)

-Jason "will be fun to look back in a year and see who among us was smarter than the NBA GMs!" Evans

I agree on Sullinger (we weren't aware of the injury red flag when he was picked), Rivers, White, and Marshall. I'd also be shocked if Lillard doesn't go much higher. I actually think Barnes, Zeller, and Henson aren't too far from where they'll actually go (maybe Zeller is a bit high). And Green has reportedly been moving up, so I don't think you'll be too far off with that pick Jason.

[JasonEvans]

Props to our commissioner for holding the DBR Draft!

It's made the actual event more interesting and fun.

It is a pity that Roy White couldn't quite reach far enough at #15 to pick Royce White ;)

-Jason "I find that doing a Mock like this makes me muuuch more aware of draft prospects... heck, I barely knew who Royce White was 2 weeks ago!" Evans

[tommy]

Agree w/ props to Jason for organizing this mock, setting the rules and prompting everyone to be efficient with it. Lot of fun and I also agree that I know a lot more about the prospective draftees than I did before we did this. Thanks!

[NSDukeFan]

It is a pity that Roy White couldn't quite reach far enough at #15 to pick Royce White ;)

-Jason "I find that doing a Mock like this makes me muuuch more aware of draft prospects... heck, I barely knew who Royce White was 2 weeks ago!" Evans

The only reason I knew who Royce White was from watching the UK-Iowa State NCAA tournament game and man was he ever impressive to me. I believe he led the team in scoring, rebounding, assists and maybe blocks and steals as well. He did not seem intimidated by UK and took it right at them for a few nice hoops that were really quick.
I guess I may have picked Sullinger too early for the Raptors, but health permitting, I think he will be a very solid pro.
(This may be why I am a fan and not an NBA GM.)

[coldriver10]

Since the mock draft, it's been looking more and more like Dwight Howard is on the outs in Orlando (I was actually optimistic the new regime would try their best to keep him). If that's the case, I think the Magic are more likely to go the PF/C route with a guy like Moultrie, Nicholson, or even Sullinger if he slips rather than an upgrade at PG like I originally thought.

[roywhite]

A look back at the 2012 DBR Mock Draft and a link to one evaluation of the 2012-13 rookie class.

NBA.com rookie ladder (http://www.nba.com/rookie-ladder/)

Major props to Superdave for scoring with Damian Lillard with the 17th pick in the 1st round.

Props also to Starter for grabbing Dion Waiters with the 13th pick.

May have made a good pick myself with Moe Harkless as the 15th pick, and the Sixers may regret trading him.

Disclaimer: one year is not an adequate measure of how some of these players will eventually fare in the league.

[Bluedog]

A look back at the 2012 DBR Mock Draft and a link to one evaluation of the 2012-13 rookie class.

NBA.com rookie ladder (http://www.nba.com/rookie-ladder/)

Major props to Superdave for scoring with Damian Lillard with the 17th pick in the 1st round.

Props also to Starter for grabbing Dion Waiters with the 13th pick.

May have made a good pick myself with Moe Harkless as the 15th pick, and the Sixers may regret trading him.

Disclaimer: one year is not an adequate measure of how some of these players will eventually fare in the league.

Nice bump. Notice how Singler is also listed among the top 15 rookies of last season - I realize he wasn't in the same draft class as these other guys, but shows how stellar of a rookie campaign he had. I still don't fully understand how he fell to the second round and was certainly a steal in the draft for his toughness and leadership alone (and his basketball abilities don't hurt either).