2013 DBR Mock Draft - make picks here!

[JasonEvans]

This thread is where you will make your picks. Please make picks in a timely fashion. Try to be aware of when you are going to come up and check the site often so you can get your pick made.

When it is your turn, please make sure you are clear about who you are picking first and then go into your rationale for the pick. Ideally, you should put the name of your selection in the title of your post.

Now, get picking!! Alaskan Bear, you are on the clock!

First Round:


Cleveland - theAlaskanBear - Otto Porter
Orlando - coldriver10 - Nerlens Noel
Washington - Li_Duke - Victor Oladipo
Charlotte - Newton14 - Ben McLemore
Phoenix - Bob Green - Alex Len
New Orleans - brevity - Michael Carter-Williams
Sacramento - em0526 - Trey Burke
Detroit - tommy - Anthony Bennett
Minnesota - Ichabod Drain - Shabazz Muhammed
Portland - blev23 - Steven Adams
Philadelphia - rhcpflea99 - CJ McCollum
Oklahoma City - pfrduke - Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Dallas - NSDukeFan - Cody Zeller
Utah - HCheek37 - Shane Larkin
Milwaukee - FerryFor50 - Kelly Olynyk
Boston - flyingdutchdevil - Gorgui Dieng
Atlanta - Jason Evans - Mason Plumlee
Atlanta - Jason Evans - Dennis Schroeder
Cleveland - theAlaskanBear - Rudy Gobert
Chicago - CDu - Jamaal Franklin
Utah - HCheek37 - Lucas Nogueira
Brooklyn - JNort - Tim Hardaway, jr
Indiana - luburch - Isaiah Canaan
New York - NovaScotian - Tony Snell
LA Clippers - ice-9 - Allen Crabbe
Minnesota - Ichabod Drain - Jeff Withey
Denver - Duvall - Reggie Bullock
San Antonio - mattman91 - Eric Green
Oklahoma City - pfrduke - Sergey Karasev
Phoenix - Bob Green - Glen Rice, jr


Second round


Cleveland - theAlaskanBear - Mike Muscala
Oklahoma City - pfrduke - Giannis Adetokunbo
Cleveland - theAlaskanBear - Livio Jean-Charles
Houston - roywhite - Tony Mitchell
Philadelphia - rhcpflea99 - Ricky Ledo
Sacramento - em0526 -Ryan Kelly
Detroit - tommy - Kenny Kadji
Washington - Li_Duke - C.J. Leslie
Portland - blev23 - DeShaun Thomas
Portland - blev23 - Erik Murphy
Memphis - Chicago 1995 - James Southerland
Philadelphia - rhcpflea99 - Jackie Carmichael
Milwaukee - FerryFor50 - Nate Wolters
Dallas - NSDukeFan- Pierre Jackson
Portland - blev23- James Ennis
Utah - HCheek37 - Andre Roberson
Atlanta - JasonEvans - Archie Goodwin
LA Lakers - awhom111 - Alex Abrines
Chicago - CDu - Colton Iverson
Atlanta - JasonEvans - Lorenzo Brown
Orlando - coldriver10 - Carrick Felix
Minnesota - Ichabod Drain - Myck Kabongo
Indiana - luburch - Marko Todorovic
Washington - Li_Duke - Grant Jerrett
Memphis - Chicago 1995 - Bojan Dubljevic
Detroit - tommy - Ray McCallum
Phoenix - Bob Green - Solomon Hill
San Antonio - mattman91
Minnesota - Ichabod Drain
Memphis - Chicago 1995


-Jason "please pick smartly and honestly. Your fellow DBR posters will chime in with comments and critiques" Evans

[theAlaskanBear]

The 2012-13 Cavs had a difficult, but promising season. Injuries to key players Anderson Varejao and Kyrie Irving kept the team from reaching its already limited potential. This worked in the team's favor, however, when they secured the # 1 pick in the NBA Draft Lottery.

The challenges facing the organization are vast, but not without promise. Irving is a potential super-star and Dion Waiters played up his billing last year. This year and next the Cavs will have plenty of opportunities to add talent with $20 million in cap room and a host of draft picks.

Among the challenges, the priority is to add starting front court talent to complement an Irving/Waiters backcourt moving forward, and to prepare for life without Cleveland mainstay Anderson Varejao (whose mounting injury history could relegate him to a bench player prematurely). The Cavs were dreadful across the board – ranking 19th in offense, 22nd in rebounding, 26th in assists, and 25th in defense. In addition to the # 1 and the # 19 pick, the Cavs have two early second round picks which is an excellent opportunity to fill out some empty roster spots and provide added bench depth.

I believe the best course of action is to draft the best available two-way players who can play defense and spread the court for the defense collapsing drives of Irving and Waiters. So, without further ado –

The Cleveland Cavaliers select Otto Porter with the #1 pick in the NBA Draft.

We are excited to add Otto to the fold, he is the best all-round player in the draft, a versatile talent offensively who can space the floor and move the ball, and posted a terrific defensive rating of 85 pts per 100 possession. There is a risk passing over Noel, but as a question-mark offensively combined with his injury history, it makes us comfortable taking that risk.

[roywhite]

Porter #1.....hmmm.

Seems obvious to me:

The First? Noel

[coldriver10]

The Magic were fully prepared and excited to take KU SG Ben McLemore here, the player we feel could become the best offensive player to come out of this draft. But when Cleveland passed on Nerlens Noel, after much deliberation, there was just no way we couldn't take him. The Magic are devoid of a solid center, and Noel would anchor the defense for years to come. We also feel that, although he's offensively raw, he has good potential there as well. One added bonus: he won't be ready to play for a while, so our chances of scoring another high pick for the 2014 draft are high.

Our pick: Nerlens Noel

Washington is now on the clock.


(Note: If I were the Magic GM, I would either draft McLemore or possibly trade down and take Trey Burke or CJ McCollum in this situation. I think McLemore is going to be something special. But I went with Noel because I think that's what they actually would do.)

[tommy]

Sorry shoulda mentioned this earlier but with Sunday being Father's Day, there may be a number of guys who are going to be unavailable for long stretches due to family commitments. If their pick falls right in that window of unavailability, that could be problematic.

[brevity]

Sorry shoulda mentioned this earlier but with Sunday being Father's Day, there may be a number of guys who are going to be unavailable for long stretches due to family commitments. If their pick falls right in that window of unavailability, that could be problematic.

I don't see why people can't ignore their real children to spend some quality time in front of a warm computer monitor to meet their fake responsibilities. If anyone has a problem with this, I suggest they create a petition to set aside a day or two to place a spotlight on parenting.

Interesting draft so far. Lots of storylines. Little consensus. I want to see what Jason Evans does with the Hawks now that they've turned into Spurs East.

[JasonEvans]

With it being Father's Day and with us sorta shotgunning the draft beginning as soon as we could, I do not blame anyone who has trouble checking in today. As far as I am concerned, the real clock will start tomorrow.

I am tempted to criticize Cleveland for taking Otto Porter with pick #1. I think the odds are excellent that he would have been available at #3 and, if they wanted him in real life, they would be able to trade down to get him. But, our draft does not allow that to happen.

I think Cleveland's great need for a defensive-minded, rebounder who can be a finish-at-the-rim big man is such that Noel makes the most sense here... but the injury history scares the heck out of me. I am really torn. I would have gone with Noel, but Porter is a fine pick.

-Jason "McLemore is a tough one for me to figure out -- he was amazing at times last year, but disappeared at others. Could be a future all-star, could be the next Harold Miner" Evans

[theAlaskanBear]

With it being Father's Day and with us sorta shotgunning the draft beginning as soon as we could, I do not blame anyone who has trouble checking in today. As far as I am concerned, the real clock will start tomorrow.

I am tempted to criticize Cleveland for taking Otto Porter with pick #1. I think the odds are excellent that he would have been available at #3 and, if they wanted him in real life, they would be able to trade down to get him. But, our draft does not allow that to happen.

I think Cleveland's great need for a defensive-minded, rebounder who can be a finish-at-the-rim big man is such that Noel makes the most sense here... but the injury history scares the heck out of me. I am really torn. I would have gone with Noel, but Porter is a fine pick.

-Jason "McLemore is a tough one for me to figure out -- he was amazing at times last year, but disappeared at others. Could be a future all-star, could be the next Harold Miner" Evans

Conventional wisdom says elite big men are more valuable, and have a greater impact on NBA franchises, and therefore should go #1 other things being equal. However, I am not sold at all on Noel. In fact, I believe he would be one of the worst #1 pick big man in league history. With the number 1 pick, you need to minimize risk, because a bust is going to set you back years. You should also need to take a player with some semblance of an offensive game. I just don't believe its clear that he can develop an NBA offense during his rookie contract. To me, Noel is like a Tyson Chandler...he may not develop into a competent offensive player until his 2nd or 3rd contract...at which point, what use is that to the team that drafts him?

Lets take a look at the numbers. Noel averaged 10pts 10reb 4blks per game, with a 113 Ortg and a 82 Drtg -- he had 4 total win shares. Now, those are killer numbers for a freshman, however, watching him play in several games gave me pause. 1) His offense is really bad -- he looks awkward/uncomfortable with the ball, doesn't have footwork or post moves really. 2) In matchups with other quality NBA-potential bigs (Alex Len, Mason Plumlee, etc) he struggled or came up second best.

Does his offensive game indicate he would be worthy of a #1 pick? Well lets take a look at the history of some NBA big men selected at #1. Generally speaking, these players average 20ppg 10rpg and 3blks and 10 win shares....we are talking about guys like Joe Smith, Tim Duncan, Elton Brand, Kenyon Martin, Andrew Bogut, Greg Oden, Blake Griffin, and Anthony Davis. All of these guys have post moves, hooks, and jumpshots in college...in fact, Noel would be the lowest scoring #1 pick in NBA history.

Additionally, he was not an elite rebounder -- either by totals (injury) nor by rate statistics. He did not crack the NCAA top 20 in RPG, Offensive Reb %, Defensive Reb %, nor Total Reb % last season. Noel also isn't not a biological freak -- his combine measurements were good, but nothing unique or special (no absurd wingspan or height, etc). In the NBA, where most PF and C are as big and have a higher athleticism than in the NCAA....he might not even be a great rebounder at his position, at least to start. Personally, I think this spells a rough transition for Noel -- who will not be ready to play until mid-season.

I haven't even brought up his injury history. There are reports of at least one preexisting injury (a fractured growth plate in his knee in high school that are giving many teams pause). To me, all the signs for Noel scream RISK, NO, RISK, NO at #1 -- and thats without even considering how great Otto Porter has been. He plays a need position for the Cavs (they are worse at SF than PF/C) he is versatile defensively...a great rebounder for his position, a great shooter, a great defender (only 3 pts worse Drtg than Noel), and he can score off the ball and help with adding passing/movement in the offense. He improved significantly from a very good freshman year...I think he still has room for growth. He is a perfect pick for the Cavs.

When you look at the larger picture, the $20 mill in cap space, and the free agents available -- there are several good-great PF/C candidates -- Paul Millsap, Al Jefferson, Josh Smith, Bynum, Blatche, that they can pursue. From what I have been reading, they are shopping the pick -- inquiring about guys like Kevin Love, Lamarcus Aldridge, etc. I would be really really surprised if the Cavs take Noel...

[ChillinDuke]

Conventional wisdom says elite big men are more valuable, and have a greater impact on NBA franchises, and therefore should go #1 other things being equal. However, I am not sold at all on Noel. In fact, I believe he would be one of the worst #1 pick big man in league history. With the number 1 pick, you need to minimize risk, because a bust is going to set you back years. You should also need to take a player with some semblance of an offensive game. I just don't believe its clear that he can develop an NBA offense during his rookie contract. To me, Noel is like a Tyson Chandler...he may not develop into a competent offensive player until his 2nd or 3rd contract...at which point, what use is that to the team that drafts him?

Lets take a look at the numbers. Noel averaged 10pts 10reb 4blks per game, with a 113 Ortg and a 82 Drtg -- he had 4 total win shares. Now, those are killer numbers for a freshman, however, watching him play in several games gave me pause. 1) His offense is really bad -- he looks awkward/uncomfortable with the ball, doesn't have footwork or post moves really. 2) In matchups with other quality NBA-potential bigs (Alex Len, Mason Plumlee, etc) he struggled or came up second best.

Does his offensive game indicate he would be worthy of a #1 pick? Well lets take a look at the history of some NBA big men selected at #1. Generally speaking, these players average 20ppg 10rpg and 3blks and 10 win shares....we are talking about guys like Joe Smith, Tim Duncan, Elton Brand, Kenyon Martin, Andrew Bogut, Greg Oden, Blake Griffin, and Anthony Davis. All of these guys have post moves, hooks, and jumpshots in college...in fact, Noel would be the lowest scoring #1 pick in NBA history.

Additionally, he was not an elite rebounder -- either by totals (injury) nor by rate statistics. He did not crack the NCAA top 20 in RPG, Offensive Reb %, Defensive Reb %, nor Total Reb % last season. Noel also isn't not a biological freak -- his combine measurements were good, but nothing unique or special (no absurd wingspan or height, etc). In the NBA, where most PF and C are as big and have a higher athleticism than in the NCAA....he might not even be a great rebounder at his position, at least to start. Personally, I think this spells a rough transition for Noel -- who will not be ready to play until mid-season.

I haven't even brought up his injury history. There are reports of at least one preexisting injury (a fractured growth plate in his knee in high school that are giving many teams pause). To me, all the signs for Noel scream RISK, NO, RISK, NO at #1 -- and thats without even considering how great Otto Porter has been. He plays a need position for the Cavs (they are worse at SF than PF/C) he is versatile defensively...a great rebounder for his position, a great shooter, a great defender (only 3 pts worse Drtg than Noel), and he can score off the ball and help with adding passing/movement in the offense. He improved significantly from a very good freshman year...I think he still has room for growth. He is a perfect pick for the Cavs.

When you look at the larger picture, the $20 mill in cap space, and the free agents available -- there are several good-great PF/C candidates -- Paul Millsap, Al Jefferson, Josh Smith, Bynum, Blatche, that they can pursue. From what I have been reading, they are shopping the pick -- inquiring about guys like Kevin Love, Lamarcus Aldridge, etc. I would be really really surprised if the Cavs take Noel...

Good points.

While I admit to not following Noel very closely nor following NBA prospects/career paths overly well, my gut sense has consistently been that Noel has gotten more credit than perhaps he should because many associate him with Anthony Davis. Perhaps that's not the case, but that has always been my feeling.

- Chillin

[brevity]

Solid logic, theAlaskanBear. My only problem was the way you announced your pick. Didn't you get the memo from Dan Gilbert?

The Cleveland Cavaliers select Otto Porter with the #1 pick in the NBA Draft.

There. Fixed it for you.

[theAlaskanBear]

Solid logic, theAlaskanBear. My only problem was the way you announced your pick. Didn't you get the memo from Dan Gilbert?

The Cleveland Cavaliers select Otto Porter with the #1 pick in the NBA Draft.

There. Fixed it for you.

Hahahahaha. This man deserves more sporks than I can give him folks. Comic Sans Comedy! Reference: http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/news/gilbert_letter_100708.html

[Li_Duke]

With the 3rd pick of the 2013 NBA draft, the Washington Wizards select Victor Oladipo!

[JasonEvans]

With the 3rd pick of the 2013 NBA draft, the Washington Wizards select Victor Oladipo!

Mock Ben McLemore is about to fire his Mock agent as he has slipped to at least Mock #4 ;)

-Jason

[Li_Duke]

As the #3 pick of the draft, Victor Oladipo brings crazy athleticism, toughness, defense, and an improving jump shot to the Washington Wizards.

We took a long look at Ben McLemore. With Wall unable to shoot from outside, the ability to space the floor was a strong consideration. McLemore is one of the best shooters in the draft and at 6-5, is big enough and athletic enough to slot in as an undersized small forward beside Wall and Beal. However, the Wizards have been burnt plenty of times in the past with players who were big on potential, but lacked the desire to win (see McGee, Blatche, Young, and Crawford). We made a questionable decision to bring in Nene, Okafor, and Ariza last year, but the idea behind those moves was to change the culture of the team into a winning one. We need to stock the team with young, promising talent that will continue to add to the culture of winning -- guys that don't just enjoy winning, but detest losing. We're not sure that McLemore has the kind of desire, or perhaps desperation is the better term, to bring that passion every game. Oladipo has that desire in spades. You can teach shooting, but you can't teach heart.

The current Wizards starting line-up is Nene, Okafor, Webster, Beal, and Wall. Oladipo doesn't have the shooting ability yet to supplant either Beal or Webster in the starting line-up, but his defense will certainly earn him a spot in the rotation as a Tony Allen type of player. Some would argue that #3 is rather high to get a Tony Allen. However, a year ago, Oladipo was barely on the NBA radar at all. We're not going to bet on him not becoming much more. At the very least, we add a high character guy that his teammates will love playing with, his coach will love coaching, and our fans would love rooting for. That's not something you can say about many Wizards players from the past decade.

[Li_Duke]

Sorry shoulda mentioned this earlier but with Sunday being Father's Day, there may be a number of guys who are going to be unavailable for long stretches due to family commitments. If their pick falls right in that window of unavailability, that could be problematic.

Thanks Tommy, celebrating my first father's day here. :) Sorry to keep you all waiting. Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there.

[BD80]

With the 3rd pick of the 2013 NBA draft, the Washington Wizards select Victor Oladipo!


Mock Ben McLemore is about to fire his Mock agent as he has slipped to at least Mock #4 ;)

-Jason

And Oladipo fires his agent as well. Oladipo declined an invitation to work out for the Wizards. While not expressing any negative feelings, it is believed he does not want to have to battle Wall and Beal to be a starter, and is concerned that the Wiz have a very poor record of developing talent. It can be hard to earn that big second contract while on the bench - unless you are Eric Bledsoe, who everyone seems to want from the Clips. Bledsoe was apparently the linchpin of Doc Rivers and Kevin Garnett going to the Clips, but the Clips wouldn't give up Bledsoe.

[Newton_14]

Guys I am at work so will make my pick when I get home tonight. Around 7-7:30ish. Thanks

[Dev11]

And Oladipo fires his agent as well. Oladipo declined an invitation to work out for the Wizards. While not expressing any negative feelings, it is believed he does not want to have to battle Wall and Beal to be a starter, and is concerned that the Wiz have a very poor record of developing talent. It can be hard to earn that big second contract while on the bench - unless you are Eric Bledsoe, who everyone seems to want from the Clips. Bledsoe was apparently the linchpin of Doc Rivers and Kevin Garnett going to the Clips, but the Clips wouldn't give up Bledsoe.

It's a harsh criticism of the Bullets, as Oladipo grew up near Nolan Smith and was presumably at least a casual Bullets fan as a kid.

[Turk]

And Oladipo fires his agent as well. Oladipo declined an invitation to work out for the Wizards. While not expressing any negative feelings, it is believed he does not want to have to battle Wall and Beal to be a starter, and is concerned that the Wiz have a very poor record of developing talent. It can be hard to earn that big second contract while on the bench - unless you are Eric Bledsoe, who everyone seems to want from the Clips. Bledsoe was apparently the linchpin of Doc Rivers and Kevin Garnett going to the Clips, but the Clips wouldn't give up Bledsoe.

I respectfully suggest "Les Boulez" have a very poor record of FINDING talent, let alone developing it...

And speaking of finding talent, why do I have the suspicion that Nerlens Noel might be the next Kwame Brown? I was already thinking that before I read AlaskanBear's post...

[theAlaskanBear]

I respectfully suggest "Les Boulez" have a very poor record of FINDING talent, let alone developing it...

And speaking of finding talent, why do I have the suspicion that Nerlens Noel might be the next Kwame Brown? I was already thinking that before I read AlaskanBear's post...

I don't know, Brown is a different player -- a much bigger, wider guy without as much lift. I think Tyson Chandler is a better comparison for him....or, Serge Ibaka...none of these are really bad comparisons, but they are more supporting cast/role players. Guys who are nice pieces of winning teams, but may take awhile to develop and can't "carry" a team.

[Newton_14]

With the 4th pick in the 2013 NBA draft, the Charlotte Hornets select- Ben Mclemore, from Kansas University.


We will release a full statement later this evening but we are delighted that Ben was available to select. He was Number 1 on our board.

Edit: Obviously we are thrilled Ben fell into our laps. We love this kid and believe he is the most talented player in this draft. Huge upside. Love his athleticism and his jumper. Mclemore also plays bigger than a normal 6'5 guy. The great wingspan, strength, and leaping ability allows him to play bigger. We believe he can play both wing spots paired with either Hendo or MKG. Ben will help us on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. This Mock GM is very happy!

As for the real Charlotte GM, the Hornets are trying real hard to trade this pick and I can't blame them. One rumor has them shopping the pick to Miami for Bosh but I can't see that happening and hope it doesn't. Though Charlotte does need quality bigs, it would be crazy to trade for Bosh. Bosh is a free agent at the end of 2014 and likely would bolt. Doesn't make sense to trade away the 4th pick in the draft for one year of Chris Bosh. Doubt Miami would do it anyway. If Charlotte hangs on to the pick, I expect they either take Victor Oladipo (who will be available) or they go for a big. Either Len or Olynyk. Most sites have the bigs as 1. Porter 2. Len 3. Olynyk 4. Zeller 5. Plumlee. I hope somewhere down the road Mason makes them wrong for having him rated 5th in that group.

[coldriver10]

I respectfully suggest "Les Boulez" have a very poor record of FINDING talent, let alone developing it...

And speaking of finding talent, why do I have the suspicion that Nerlens Noel might be the next Kwame Brown? I was already thinking that before I read AlaskanBear's post...
I agree completely. It's why I said at the bottom of my post that if I were GM of the Magic, he would not be my pick but that I took him because I think that's what they would do. My completely uneducated opinion is that he's going to be a disappointment.

[Bob Green]

With the 5th Pick in the 2013 NBA Draft the Phoenix Suns select Alex Len from the University of Maryland.

Phoenix needs help at every position so I thought it wise to pick a big man with my first pick. A quality shooting guard or small forward should still be available when I pick again at #30 but all the big men will be gone by then. I went with Alex Len due to his combination of size, athleticism and potential.

After carefully considering Cody Zeller, Kelly Olynyk and Mason Plumlee, I decided Len was the best big man available. Zeller has problems playing through contact, Olynyk struggled with foul trouble against inferior West Coast Conference competition, and Plumlee's back to the basket game is too limited.

[brevity]

Yesterday was Father's Day, and I'm reminded of the best father I know, Don Draper. He said to let go of any present negativity: "This never happened. It will shock you how much it never happened." He also advised us of the importance of actively moving on: "If you don't like what is being said, then change the conversation."

Here in New Orleans, the days of the Hornets are over. We are the Pelicans now. We must ignore history and start anew. What could possibly go wrong?

Some teams draft based on need. Others seek out the best available player. Because we are the Pelicans, and we have the roster we have... chances are we need the best available player. In this draft, at this position, there is a good argument to be made for almost anyone. This means two things: the right words will convince the fans we made the right selection, and there's no way this mock GM is going to lose his mock job.

The #6 pick is the only pick we have in the draft. Conventional wisdom suggests that we want a small forward who is primarily a defensive asset while not being a scoring liability. Otto Porter would have made an excellent fit, but he has already been selected, and other prospects at that position (read: Anthony Bennett) do not look as tantalizing. So we look elsewhere.

I've looked at the roster (http://www.nba.com/pelicans/roster/2012) and taken into account players we may lose by free agency (http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8589693/nba-free-agents-2013-2014). Right now, in terms of personnel, I think our frontcourt is in slightly better shape than our backcourt. And so I decided to select the best available guard prospect.

It came down to a pair of point guards, Trey Burke and Michael Carter-Williams. I like them both, and each would address different team needs, but the tale of the tape from the official NBA combine measurements (http://www.nba.com/2013/news/05/17/nba-draft-combine-results/index.html) provides me with a definite lean: Michael Carter-Williams. Sure, he's a leader with great court vision, blah blah blah, but he also forces turnovers, a glaring weakness for the Pelicans (27th in the league (http://espn.go.com/nba/statistics/team/_/stat/team-comparison-per-game/sort/avgTurnoversOpponent/seasontype/2)). Is that just a Syracuse thing? Hmm, I think I'll have our coach Monty Williams talk to Jim Boeheim about that in USA Basketball this summer, when he's not picking Coach K's brain about how to salvage Austin Rivers' development.

Speaking of "a definite lean," I'm sure you've noticed our pick is a bit on the skinny side. Well, you can't coach height, but in New Orleans you CAN coach weight. I count at least 7 po-boy sandwich shops within a mile of the arena. He'll be just fine.

[em0526]

After a few years of uncertainty regarding whether or not the Kings would stay in Sacramento and increasing frustration with the Maloof ownership, a new day has dawned in Sacramento. A new arena deal has been agreed upon that will keep the Kings in town for 35 years and Vivek Ranadive is the new lead owner of the team. There is now some excitement back in Sacramento!

Front Court: The Kings are taking one more chance with volatile big man Demarcus Cousins who at times plays like the best big man in the league. They also have serviceable power forwards in Jason Thompson, Chuck Hayes and Patrick Patterson. I don't expect all of them to be on the roster at the beginning of the season. The small forward is currently John Salmons who has under performed significantly in his second stint with the Kings.

Back Court: The Kings must make a decision whether or not to offer a contract to Tyreke Evans and they have several mediocre guards in Isaiah Thomas, Jimmer Fredette and Marcus Thornton.

Bottom Line: The Kings need talent. Although Anthony Bennett and Cody Zeller are tempting, with the 7th pick, the Sacramento Kings select Trey Burke from the University of Michigan.

After last year's draft failure where the Kings drafted Thomas Robinson over Damian Lillard, the Kings are going after a floor leader that is a winner.

[BD80]

If this scenario were to play out on draft night, it would be the third year in a row that a talented player at a position of need falls into the Pistons lap. There is talk that Anthony Bennett is the most talented player in the draft, but he might be a tweener between the 3/4, not quite tall enough to compete on the boards at the 4, not quite quick enough to defend the 3. With Andre Drummond (and Greg Monroe) erasing defensive mistakes behind him, I think Bennett would fit well at the three for the Pistons. He can post up other 3s, or hit the jumper if they sag. If they double Bennett in the post, Andre can finish at the rim or Monroe can hit the short jumper. In this league, there is a premium on guys that compete and that can create their own shot.

Tommy, sorry to jump the gun, but if I waited, I'd be accused of second-guessing. I'm solidly a first-guesser.

[rhcpflea99]

Wish the draft really turns out this way. CJ McCollum would have to be consider here. I am finish with Brandon Knight experience. Bennett is not a bad pick but I feel Singlar plays SF solid. Pistons are lacking distributor and scorer.

[brevity]

If this scenario were to play out on draft night, it would be the third year in a row that a talented player at a position of need falls into the Pistons lap. There is talk that Anthony Bennett is the most talented player in the draft, but he might be a tweener between the 3/4, not quite tall enough to compete on the boards at the 4, not quite quick enough to defend the 3. With Andre Drummond (and Greg Monroe) erasing defensive mistakes behind him, I think Bennett would fit well at the three for the Pistons. He can post up other 3s, or hit the jumper if they sag. If they double Bennett in the post, Andre can finish at the rim or Monroe can hit the short jumper. In this league, there is a premium on guys that compete and that can create their own shot.

Tommy, sorry to jump the gun, but if I waited, I'd be accused of second-guessing. I'm solidly a first-guesser.

I can't speak for the GMs of the top 5 picks, but at #6 I definitely felt a little guilty in helping the slide of Burke and Bennett. I think you have to focus on fit when "best available player" is so malleable in a draft crop like this. Bennett would make a good addition to most frontcourts, but with the Pelicans it felt like subtraction by addition in terms of team philosophy. I don't know how he would fare as a Piston, but I can't disagree with BD80's logic above.

[tommy]

Sorry Jason and the guys. I have an impt medical appointment I have to go to after work so that plus the LA commute means there'll be a little delay before I can make my pick. Ill do it as soon as I get home.

[subzero02]

Wish the draft really turns out this way. CJ McCollum would have to be consider here. I am finish with Brandon Knight experience. Bennett is not a bad pick but I feel Singlar plays SF solid. Pistons are lacking distributor and scorer.

It's Singler

[sagegrouse]

It's Singler

Of course, Singler is a "singular" talent.

sage

[tommy]

Here in the Motor City, we take pride in our continuing to honor two of our city's proudest traditions: great rock and roll and hard-nosed, smart basketball. Not to toot our own American-made horns or anything, but we would like to point out that drafting anywhere from 7th to 9th in the last three drafts, we have been able to select three solid NBA starters: Greg Monroe (who of course would have even been better had he been smart enough to avail himself of the tutelage of Coach K down there at Duke), Brandon Knight (ditto, though I think Coach K ended up doing OK at point guard in that class), and then last year with Andre Drummond of UConn. But it just goes to show how down we were and how difficult it is to build a team these days in cities that are not free agent magnets. Three straight hits on our draft picks, and we still did not make the playoffs this year.

It's time to take the next step, but in order to do so, we need another successful draft. Those three draftees are the foundation of our team. We also have Rodney Stuckey at the 2-guard, a pleasant surprise at swingman named Kyle Singler, and a series of blahch big guys like Jonas Jerebko, Charlie Villanueva, and Jason Maxiell. When we traded Tayshaun Prince away in mid-season this year, we got point guard Jose Calderon in return, and moved Brandon Knight to shooting guard, but Calderon is a free agent now, and his return is uncertain.

We considered several players with this selection, and I'll tell you a little about our thinking process on each. With hometown hero Trey Burke off the board, one guy we have really considered is C.J. McCallum of Lehigh. First of all, after many difficult hours in the therapist's office, we're finally at a point where we can get past his having blown the Blue Devils right out of the first round of the 2012 NCAA Tournament. We're confident he's back to full strength since the foot this year. And while we're a little leery of the quality of competition he faced in the Patriot League, he did have some of his best games against top opponents. He's a combo guard, solid body, and he excels at both penetrating and shooting the rock. Great burst. And he's a leader. Brandon Knight is a combo guard too, so putting the two of them in the mix with Stuckey as the mentor would make a nice young three man backcourt rotation. And if we re-sign Calderon, even better. If not, we also have plenty of cap space to sign another guard too.

Then another guy we really have been looking very closely at, and we've been practicing spelling his name, is Kentavious Caldwell-Pope out of Georgia. What? Too high, you say? We don't think so. This is a kid that was ranked higher than Ben McLemore coming out of high school. Nobody saw him play because he played at Georgia, who was only on TV when they played Kentucky or Florida. He's a legit 6'6" shooting guard, and he can stroke it from range. You know, the NBA game is becoming more and more about finding guys who can stretch the floor, play in transition, and open the court up for maybe one post guy. We're really missing that on this roster. We don't have a guy who is going to confidently shoot the rock from distance, and with success. KCP can do that. His percentages weren't great at Georgia, but that's because he was the only guy on the team who could walk and chew tabacky at the same time. He was good enough to be named MVP of the SEC this year over all those Kentucky Mickey D's. Oh, and he was also an outstanding rebounder as a Dawg, snaring over 7 per game from the 2-guard spot. One of the best rebounding guards in the nation, actually. And he can D-up as well. Our main concern about KCP is from the neck up. He didn't always display the best shot selection or make the best decisions with the ball, but we think he'll mature as he plays with better players, and we think he has a great chance to be an outstanding floor spacing scorer in this league. He'll have to improve his ballhandling too, and once the league is onto him as a shooter he'll have to be more willing to take it to the hole, but he will. Tough to pass on this kid.

But pass on him we will, because the talent, production, and potential of Anthony Bennett out of UNLV is just so great. Listen, Bennett is not without risk. He has an injury history from high school and is coming off a torn rotator cuff which caused him to miss all the draft workouts. We don't care about injuries. This is Detroit. Bennett is a 6'7" (maybe 6'8"?) 240 pound round-shouldered man-child who was being touted during the season as a potential overall #1 pick, as it was assumed he would come out after his freshman season, as he has. He has a real inside-outside game. He's not just a banger in there. He can step outside and shoot it, and if you play him too closely, he will go by you with the dribble. In that respect, he may be even more versatile than the guy he is so often compared to, that being the Grand MaMA, Larry Johnson. He is athletic, and he has long arms and big hands, but he can also dominate you with his brute strength. Bennett is a bit of a tweener, though, as was Johnson. He's a little short to play power forward, which is his most natural position, but like I said, he is blessed with very long arms. He might struggle a bit to cover 3's who can penetrate, though, despite his excellent athleticism. He's going to have to work to improve at the defensive end so that he can play both types of guys. But the beauty is: they're going to have to play him too, and they're not going to be happy about that. What we envision is a solid three-man frontcourt rotation. Drummond and Monroe will still start, but Bennett can obviously sub for Monroe at the 4, and when Drummond needs a blow, Bennett and Monroe will be a very quick and agile frontcourt tandem. Once in awhile we could also play the three of them together too. Piston fans see Mark Aguirre or Adrian Dantley in the low post. While Bennett's derrierre may not be of the epic proportions of those two dudes, we think he can pound opponents in the post like they did, and get a bit more comfortable in seeking out contact like they did; those qualities, in combination with his reliable outside J, will get the joint jumping in Motown again.

Cody Zeller? Anthony Bennett sh**s bigger than Cody Zeller. We'll take AB.

[JasonEvans]

Here is how the picks have gone thus far -- just in case you are not fully paying attention.


Cleveland - theAlaskanBear - Otto Porter
Orlando - coldriver10 - Nerlens Noel
Washington - Li_Duke - Victor Oladipo
Charlotte - Newton14 - Ben McLemore
Phoenix - Bob Green - Alex Len
New Orleans - brevity - Michael Carter-Williams
Sacramento - em0526 - Trey Burke
Detroit - tommy - Anthony Bennett
Minnesota - Ichabod Drain
Portland - blev23
Philadelphia - rhcpflea99
Oklahoma City - pfrduke
Dallas - NSDukeFan


-Jason "MCW sticks out thus far as the guy who went significantly higher than most mocks are projecting. I generally see him in the 11-13 range in other mocks" Evans

[Ichabod Drain]

With the 9th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft The Minnesota Timberwolves select Shabazz Muhammad.

We, the Timberwolves, are generally atrocious on the wing. We need some star power, someone with some chutzpah. Shabazz could quite possibly be the most offensively talented player in this Draft. We feel that in a proper, well run organization with good leadership that Shabazz can really flourish. There have been some very talented players taken but we believe we are getting a steal with him at the number nine pick. He is a player that can make immediate contribution to the team next year. With four picks this year we have a chance to really improve our lineup and add some significant depth in spots. Shabazz is the first piece to this improvement and we are very happy to have him.

[BD80]

With the 9th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft The Minnesota Timberwolves select Shabazz Muhammad.

... Shabazz could quite possibly be the most offensively talented player in this Draft. ...

He certainly has the most offensive parent in this year's draft ...

[JasonEvans]

I was hoping Bazz might last all the way down to the Hawks in the mid-late teens. I think he would have potentially been a steal there and several other mock drafts I have seen list him in that range.

That said, I think 9 was several spots too high for him. There are a couple guys still on the board who seem to be much more sure things than Bazz to me. While I think Bazz has potential to be really good, I think there is some healthy downside there too. I don't think he is all that good a shooter; he did not shoot better than 50% from the field in any of his final 7 games at UCLA, often hitting only about 33% of his shots. I am certain that his athleticism advantage -- which was, at least partly a result of his father lying about his age so he could dominate younger kids -- will disappear in the NBA.

He could be good, but there is a fairly decent chance he will really struggle. I think 9 was at least 3 or 4 spots too high for him. There are 2 or 3 guys I would CERTAINLY take ahead of Bazz who are still on the board at this point.

-Jason "I would not be at all surprised to see him have the same kind of struggles Austin Rivers did in his first year in the NBA" Evans

[Li_Duke]

He certainly has the most offensive parent in this year's draft ...

In retrospect, I'm so glad he chose UCLA over Duke.

[Ichabod Drain]

I was hoping Bazz might last all the way down to the Hawks in the mid-late teens. I think he would have potentially been a steal there and several other mock drafts I have seen list him in that range.

That said, I think 9 was several spots too high for him. There are a couple guys still on the board who seem to be much more sure things than Bazz to me. While I think Bazz has potential to be really good, I think there is some healthy downside there too. I don't think he is all that good a shooter; he did not shoot better than 50% from the field in any of his final 7 games at UCLA, often hitting only about 33% of his shots. I am certain that his athleticism advantage -- which was, at least partly a result of his father lying about his age so he could dominate younger kids -- will disappear in the NBA.

He could be good, but there is a fairly decent chance he will really struggle. I think 9 was at least 3 or 4 spots too high for him. There are 2 or 3 guys I would CERTAINLY take ahead of Bazz who are still on the board at this point.

-Jason "I would not be at all surprised to see him have the same kind of struggles Austin Rivers did in his first year in the NBA" Evans

You can play your safe bets all you want, but don't try and put a damper on the T-Wolves. We're trying to make significant moves up here in Minnesota, even if that involves taking some risks.

-Ichabod "It seems to be a law of nature, inflexible and inexorable, that those who will not risk cannot win" Drain

[Turk]

With the 9th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft The Minnesota Timberwolves select Shabazz Muhammad.

We feel that in a proper, well run organization with good leadership that Shabazz can really flourish....

I loved this. Therefore he is doomed in Minnesota. Sorry TWolves fans. It's going to be ugly in a post-Kevin Love universe...

[Turk]

Here in the Motor City, we take pride in our continuing to honor two of our city's proudest traditions: great rock and roll and hard-nosed, smart basketball. Not to toot our own American-made horns or anything, but we would like to point out that drafting anywhere from 7th to 9th in the last three drafts, we have been able to select three solid NBA starters: Greg Monroe (who of course would have even been better had he been smart enough to avail himself of the tutelage of Coach K down there at Duke), Brandon Knight (ditto, though I think Coach K ended up doing OK at point guard in that class), and then last year with Andre Drummond of UConn. But it just goes to show how down we were and how difficult it is to build a team these days in cities that are not free agent magnets. Three straight hits on our draft picks, and we still did not make the playoffs this year.

It's time to take the next step, but in order to do so, we need another successful draft. Those three draftees are the foundation of our team. We also have Rodney Stuckey at the 2-guard, a pleasant surprise at swingman named Kyle Singler, and a series of blahch big guys like Jonas Jerebko, Charlie Villanueva, and Jason Maxiell. When we traded Tayshaun Prince away in mid-season this year, we got point guard Jose Calderon in return, and moved Brandon Knight to shooting guard, but Calderon is a free agent now, and his return is uncertain.

We considered several players with this selection, and I'll tell you a little about our thinking process on each. With hometown hero Trey Burke off the board, one guy we have really considered is C.J. McCallum of Lehigh. First of all, after many difficult hours in the therapist's office, we're finally at a point where we can get past his having blown the Blue Devils right out of the first round of the 2012 NCAA Tournament. We're confident he's back to full strength since the foot this year. And while we're a little leery of the quality of competition he faced in the Patriot League, he did have some of his best games against top opponents. He's a combo guard, solid body, and he excels at both penetrating and shooting the rock. Great burst. And he's a leader. Brandon Knight is a combo guard too, so putting the two of them in the mix with Stuckey as the mentor would make a nice young three man backcourt rotation. And if we re-sign Calderon, even better. If not, we also have plenty of cap space to sign another guard too.

Then another guy we really have been looking very closely at, and we've been practicing spelling his name, is Kentavious Caldwell-Pope out of Georgia. What? Too high, you say? We don't think so. This is a kid that was ranked higher than Ben McLemore coming out of high school. Nobody saw him play because he played at Georgia, who was only on TV when they played Kentucky or Florida. He's a legit 6'6" shooting guard, and he can stroke it from range. You know, the NBA game is becoming more and more about finding guys who can stretch the floor, play in transition, and open the court up for maybe one post guy. We're really missing that on this roster. We don't have a guy who is going to confidently shoot the rock from distance, and with success. KCP can do that. His percentages weren't great at Georgia, but that's because he was the only guy on the team who could walk and chew tabacky at the same time. He was good enough to be named MVP of the SEC this year over all those Kentucky Mickey D's. Oh, and he was also an outstanding rebounder as a Dawg, snaring over 7 per game from the 2-guard spot. One of the best rebounding guards in the nation, actually. And he can D-up as well. Our main concern about KCP is from the neck up. He didn't always display the best shot selection or make the best decisions with the ball, but we think he'll mature as he plays with better players, and we think he has a great chance to be an outstanding floor spacing scorer in this league. He'll have to improve his ballhandling too, and once the league is onto him as a shooter he'll have to be more willing to take it to the hole, but he will. Tough to pass on this kid.

But pass on him we will, because the talent, production, and potential of Anthony Bennett out of UNLV is just so great. Listen, Bennett is not without risk. He has an injury history from high school and is coming off a torn rotator cuff which caused him to miss all the draft workouts. We don't care about injuries. This is Detroit. Bennett is a 6'7" (maybe 6'8"?) 240 pound round-shouldered man-child who was being touted during the season as a potential overall #1 pick, as it was assumed he would come out after his freshman season, as he has. He has a real inside-outside game. He's not just a banger in there. He can step outside and shoot it, and if you play him too closely, he will go by you with the dribble. In that respect, he may be even more versatile than the guy he is so often compared to, that being the Grand MaMA, Larry Johnson. He is athletic, and he has long arms and big hands, but he can also dominate you with his brute strength. Bennett is a bit of a tweener, though, as was Johnson. He's a little short to play power forward, which is his most natural position, but like I said, he is blessed with very long arms. He might struggle a bit to cover 3's who can penetrate, though, despite his excellent athleticism. He's going to have to work to improve at the defensive end so that he can play both types of guys. But the beauty is: they're going to have to play him too, and they're not going to be happy about that. What we envision is a solid three-man frontcourt rotation. Drummond and Monroe will still start, but Bennett can obviously sub for Monroe at the 4, and when Drummond needs a blow, Bennett and Monroe will be a very quick and agile frontcourt tandem. Once in awhile we could also play the three of them together too. Piston fans see Mark Aguirre or Adrian Dantley in the low post. While Bennett's derrierre may not be of the epic proportions of those two dudes, we think he can pound opponents in the post like they did, and get a bit more comfortable in seeking out contact like they did; those qualities, in combination with his reliable outside J, will get the joint jumping in Motown again.

Cody Zeller? Anthony Bennett sh**s bigger than Cody Zeller. We'll take AB.

Great stuff - post of the draft thus far. "walk and chew tabacky" was almost a coffee spew... Do you know if KCP is a Cope or Kodiak guy?

Gonna have to remember that Cody Zeller line when the Sixers end up taking him in the real draft. He's going to be Spencer Hawes 2.0.

[brevity]

-Jason "MCW sticks out thus far as the guy who went significantly higher than most mocks are projecting. I generally see him in the 11-13 range in other mocks" Evans


I was hoping Bazz might last all the way down to the Hawks in the mid-late teens. I think he would have potentially been a steal there and several other mock drafts I have seen list him in that range.

That said, I think 9 was several spots too high for him.

As the mock GM who drafted MCW, I agree that #6 is higher than expected. But I took a look at a couple of mock drafts too, and some (http://www.sbnation.com/2013/6/10/4413536/nba-mock-draft-2013-cavaliers-nerlens-noel) recent (http://www.cbssports.com/nba/draft/mock-draft) ones (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/nba/news/20130614/nba-mock-draft-2013-shabazz-muhammad/index.html) had him trending upward, as high as #8 to the Pistons. And honestly, the talent level of many of these prospects is so indistinguishable that in the real NBA Draft you will see players selected 8-9 places higher or lower than projected.

Shabazz Muhammad is unlikely to dip to the Hawks, despite what the mocks say. That may have been wishful thinking. Sorry to generalize, but there are college basketball fans like us, who follow current events, and then there are NBA people, who made up their minds about his talent during the crest of his popularity a year ago. He's a big name that will be an easy sell. Also, the SF crop is bare -- trust me, I looked -- which works in his favor.

I'm enjoying this mock draft immensely. So far no one has tried to navigate the waters of those 7-footers and other PF/C types (Nerlens Noel and Alex Len aside). More measurements (http://www.nba.com/2013/news/05/17/nba-draft-combine-results/index.html):

Player/height without shoes/wingspan

Steven Adams / 6' 10.75'' / 7' 4.5''
Gorgui Dieng / 6' 9.75'' / 7' 3.5''
Rudy Gobert / 7' 0.5'' / 7' 8.5''
Lucas Nogueira / 6' 10.5" / 7' 6" (according to DraftExpress (http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Lucas-Nogueira-5957/))
Kelly Olynyk / 6' 10.75'' / 6' 9.75''
Mason Plumlee / 6' 11.25'' / 6' 11''
Cody Zeller / 6' 10.75" / 6' 10.75"

By the way, I've posted a few helpful resources here and in my MCW post. Rosters, 2013 and 2014 free agents by team, combine measurements. The rest of you should feel free to use them. I had no interest in sharing this info before our pick came along, but now, with no other picks, I can be generous.

[JasonEvans]

blev23, your time on the clock has run up and you are holding up everyone else.

As a result, your pick has been made for you.

Portland has selected Pitt C Steven Adams, who I have seen linked to Portland in three (http://www.nbadraft.net/2013mock_draft) mock (http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-mock-draft/2013) drafts (http://hoopshype.com/draft.htm). That's enough consensus that we will play the game that way.

-Jason "nnnnnnnnnnnext!" Evans

[rhcpflea99]

The Sixers won just 34 of their 82 games. Not one player but many players will be needed to improve this record. I look at few players taking into consideration 76ers rebounding was 20th overall. I considered drafting Cody Zeller, Mason Plumlee, Kelly Olynyk. The Sixers need another scorer. I didn't consider CJ McCollum because I did not think the best shooter in the draft would still be on the board. If CJ McCollum was off the board it would have been between Kentavious Caldwell-Pope or Allen Crabbe. Leaning towards Crabbe because of his catch and shoot ability. Confident the 76ers will resign Bynum with opt-out clause.

[tommy]

I was hoping Bazz might last all the way down to the Hawks in the mid-late teens. I think he would have potentially been a steal there and several other mock drafts I have seen list him in that range.

That said, I think 9 was several spots too high for him. There are a couple guys still on the board who seem to be much more sure things than Bazz to me. While I think Bazz has potential to be really good, I think there is some healthy downside there too. I don't think he is all that good a shooter; he did not shoot better than 50% from the field in any of his final 7 games at UCLA, often hitting only about 33% of his shots. I am certain that his athleticism advantage -- which was, at least partly a result of his father lying about his age so he could dominate younger kids -- will disappear in the NBA.

He could be good, but there is a fairly decent chance he will really struggle. I think 9 was at least 3 or 4 spots too high for him. There are 2 or 3 guys I would CERTAINLY take ahead of Bazz who are still on the board at this point.

-Jason "I would not be at all surprised to see him have the same kind of struggles Austin Rivers did in his first year in the NBA" Evans

Interesting comparison between Shabazz and Rivers. Both of them came out of high school massively hyped, and once they got to college it was apparent that they both had significant holes in their games. The skill sets they do/did have were more than enough to permit them to be very good players in their lone collegiate seasons, but they were not able to overwhelm opponents like they were used to -- Shabazz with his physicality and shotmaking, Rivers with his penetration and shotmaking.

I watched Muhammad play a number of times in college, both in person and on the tube. The disappointing thing about him was that he was just not a great athlete. His springs were not real good and he wasn't that quick. He is very resourceful though, and can always find a way to get his shot, and his midrange shot was pretty accurate. But the lack of athleticism may really hamper him in the pros, and I agree with you Jason that he is likely to struggle to figure out how to get that shot off against even longer, rangier, and quicker defenders. His lack of a right hand is also going to be a big problem for him -- it's all left for him, and NBA defenders will eat that up. What he does have though is a tremendous work ethic. The guy works really hard. He really, really wants it. That, plus the skills he does have, can make him a successful NBA player, which I think in time he will be. Not an All-Star, but a solid NBA player.

[FerryFor50]

blev23, your time on the clock has run up and you are holding up everyone else.

As a result, your pick has been made for you.

Portland has selected Pitt C Steven Adams, who I have seen linked to Portland in three (http://www.nbadraft.net/2013mock_draft) mock (http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-mock-draft/2013) drafts (http://hoopshype.com/draft.htm). That's enough consensus that we will play the game that way.

-Jason "nnnnnnnnnnnext!" Evans

I don't buy that they'd grab Adams. They have Aldridge and Meyers Leonard already...

[pfrduke]

OKC selects Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. With Durant, Westbrook, and Ibaka all locked up for a number of years, the 1-3-4 (or 1-4-5 in small ball lineups) spots are set. That leaves us looking to fill two spots in this draft - a 2 guard who can provide scoring punch and range, and a dirty work big man who can help our interior defense and rebounding. At this spot in the draft, KCP is the perfect fit for our first need. He gives us size and scoring ability on the wing, can camp out in the corner for 3s off of Westbrook and Durant drives, and adds elite defensive skills that complement Westbrook's to help make life extremely difficult for opposing back courts. We've had our eyes on KCP since we found out about this pick.

Not only is Pope a perfect fit for us here, none of the available big men are particularly exciting. We're concerned that Kelly Olynyk is soft. Ditto Cody Zeller. Lucas Nogueira is too much of a project for a team looking to add pieces to a championship contender. Gorgui Dieng is a clone of what we already have in Serge Ibaka. And we're concerned with Mason Plumlee's ability to guard centers and really control the defensive glass. Picking Pope didn't require any extra convincing, but it gave us additional comfort that none of the options at our other position of need was a standout.

[theAlaskanBear]

I don't buy that they'd grab Adams. They have Aldridge and Meyers Leonard already...

For what its worth, rumors have them considering trades for Aldridge. Also they are really high on Oladipo and might try to move Matthews to do it -- however, its risky I think. You would want to trade to #3-4 to be sure of getting your man -- would the wizards take Matthews and the Portland pick for the #3 -- that is actually intriguing.

Also, lets not forget the Blazers tried to sign Hibbert last off-season to put alongside Aldridge down low -- Indiana maxed him I think to keep him. The Blazers perspective is that Aldridge can't carry a team by himself in the post, a big defensive center would open up his post game considerably and spare his energy on defense.

[Turk]

The Sixers won just 34 of their 82 games. Not one player but many players will be needed to improve this record. I look at few players taking into consideration 76ers rebounding was 20th overall. I considered drafting Cody Zeller, Mason Plumlee, Kelly Olynyk. The Sixers need another scorer. I didn't consider CJ McCollum because I did not think the best shooter in the draft would still be on the board. If CJ McCollum was off the board it would have been between Kentavious Caldwell-Pope or Allen Crabbe. Leaning towards Crabbe because of his catch and shoot ability. Confident the 76ers will resign Bynum with opt-out clause.

I beg to differ, and I might even wonder what color the sky is in this world of which you speak. If the Sixers sign Bynum, it will be a lowball, incentive laden deal that will be easy to outbid by one of the other ten desperate no-hope franchises with a gaping hole in the middle. The Philly fans will cut him no slack and Bynum will soon be back on the DL with hurt feelings. Pairing McCollum with JRue Holiday would give the Sixers the smallest backcourt in the league, and their games are very similar.

If we theorize that the new Sixers leadership will end the Evan "The Villain" Turner experiment either by trade or opting out after 2013-2014, and if we also theorize they find an adequate retread center (Big Al Jefferson, perhaps?), then maybe we can make a case for a Turner replacement such as KCP, but that's a whole lot more theorizing than I like.

I don't think there's any doubt the Sixers will take one of the bigs if they keep the pick; it's only a question of which one best fits their vision. In addition to Zeller, Mason, and Olynyk, the Brazilian kid Lucas "Bebe" Nogueira is moving up the list. This scares me because a) his mug shot makes him look like Bynum's little brother, and b) one of his NBA comparisons is Slammin' Sammy Dalembert. Been there, done that, no thank you.

[NSDukeFan]

With the 13th pick of the 2013 DBR Mock Draft the Dallas Mavericks select Cody Zeller.

Although we had some good big players this year in the legendary and fantastic Elton Brand, Nowitzki, Chris Kaman, a player that would have been much better had he attended a better university in Brandan Wright and Bernard James, we have learned from the Pelicans helpful sharing of information that Brand, Kaman (who has been hurt a fair bit the past couple of years) and Wright are all free agents. We therefore believe that a solid big man could be a need for next year's and future years' squads. We strongly considered Mason Plumlee, a very well-coached, excellent defensive rebounder who runs the floor very well, has some nice inside moves, and seems to be a very high character person and player. We also considered Kelly Olynyk, a very efficient scorer in college and Canadian to boot (how aboot that) like our GM, Shane Larkin (really like his athleticism and quickness, but we already have the quick Darren Collison) and Ricky Ledo (a bit of a reach here looking for the next Lance Stephenson.)

In the end we decided to go with a player that may have gone #1 had he entered the 2012 draft and continued to improve this year. We believe that he will be a long term solid pro with the ability to score inside and draw double teams, pass out of the double teams, be a solid rebounder, run the floor very well for a big man and learn to defend NBA centers and power forwards. We are very happy to be adding Cody Zeller to our team.

[NSDukeFan]

I felt some pressure to get my pick in in a timely fashion. After the tragedy in Portland, where the draft often doesn't go as well as it can (Damian Lillard excluded), where DBR's David Stern had to take over being GM of the team, I didn't want Jason "David Stern" Evans to have to take over another team's draft, and deny some trades.

[blev23]

blev23, your time on the clock has run up and you are holding up everyone else.

As a result, your pick has been made for you.

Portland has selected Pitt C Steven Adams, who I have seen linked to Portland in three (http://www.nbadraft.net/2013mock_draft) mock (http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-mock-draft/2013) drafts (http://hoopshype.com/draft.htm). That's enough consensus that we will play the game that way.

-Jason "nnnnnnnnnnnext!" Evans

Sorry guys. I'm in the military and duty called unexpectedly last night/today. I tried my best to
get'er done today but it just wasn't in the cards. Having said that I was leaning heavily towards Gorgi Dieng(sp), as I see him as a clone of Serge Ibaka. I know he may not be rated that high but his defense & shot blocking are exceptional and after watching him in the tournament, I'm convinced his offense is better than most think. Pair him with Aldridge and the Blazers' other front court players, not to mention their young and talented backcourt and I think they're a team on a sharp rise. Oh what could have been. Sorry for the delay.

[Bob Green]

Sorry guys. I'm in the military and duty called unexpectedly last night/today.

No problem, we understand. Thank you for your service!

[roywhite]

blev23, your time on the clock has run up and you are holding up everyone else.

As a result, your pick has been made for you.
Portland has selected Pitt C Steven Adams, who I have seen linked to Portland in three (http://www.nbadraft.net/2013mock_draft) mock (http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-mock-draft/2013) drafts (http://hoopshype.com/draft.htm). That's enough consensus that we will play the game that way.

-Jason "nnnnnnnnnnnext!" Evans


I felt some pressure to get my pick in in a timely fashion. After the tragedy in Portland, where the draft often doesn't go as well as it can (Damian Lillard excluded), where DBR's David Stern had to take over being GM of the team, I didn't want Jason "David Stern" Evans to have to take over another team's draft, and deny some trades.


Sorry guys. I'm in the military and duty called unexpectedly last night/today. I tried my best to
get'er done today but it just wasn't in the cards. Having said that I was leaning heavily towards Gorgi Dieng(sp), as I see him as a clone of Serge Ibaka. I know he may not be rated that high but his defense & shot blocking are exceptional and after watching him in the tournament, I'm convinced his offense is better than most think. Pair him with Aldridge and the Blazers' other front court players, not to mention their young and talented backcourt and I think they're a team on a sharp rise. Oh what could have been. Sorry for the delay.

Ouch.

Perhaps the commissioner who has picks #17 and #18 (as well as two 2nd round picks) will let you take one of the Hawks' first round slots?

[awhom111]

The deadline to withdraw from the draft was yesterday. The NBA released their official list today:
http://www.nba.com/2013/news/06/18/2013-draft-withdrawals/index.html

As a reminder, 1991 born international who have never declared for the draft are automatically eligible to be picked. Also automatically eligible to be picked are two Americans who played professionally before completing their college eligibility, Glen Rice Jr. and Josiah Turner.

[blev23]

No problem, we understand. Thank you for your service!

Right back at you brother!

[blev23]

Ouch.

Perhaps the commissioner who has picks #17 and #18 (as well as two 2nd round picks) will let you take one of the Hawks' first round slots?
Thanks for the suggestion but I'll work with what I have. My second round will be pretty busy.

[CDu]

So... we appear to have crickets chirping. Is hcheek aware that he/she is on the clock?

[HCheek37]

With the 14th pick in the 2013 NBA draft, the Utah Jazz select Shane Larkin, University of Miami.

Let's be honest here, the hodge-podge of point guards that filled the Jazz roster last year is not going to cut it in a conference with Paul, Lawson, Rubio, Westbrook, Parker, Curry, etc. I doubt the Jazz bring back any of the guys that played point this year unless they can get a cheap deal to mentor this year's first round draft pick.

After an introduction to the ACC which included a 36% mark from the floor and a 2.5/1.9 Assist to Turnover ratio in his freshman year, Larkin improved greatly in his sophmore year. He was one of the keys in the best season in the history of Hurricanes basketball, upping his FG percentage to 48% and hitting 40% of his threes. As Duke fans, we know this quite well as he went for 21.5 ppg, 7 rpg and 4.5 apg against us this past year.

He will step into a team in flux with several big men cornerstones who are looking for new deals (Jefferson and Millsap) and a team with young wing talent. Larkin will get big minutes even if they sign another PG to mentor him as the Jazz aren't expected to be a top team in the West for a few years, giving Larkin time to work on his game further. If the results are anything like his improvement from year 1 to year 2 in college, look out NBA.

[FerryFor50]

With the 15th pick, the Milwaukee Bucks select Kelly Olynyk, C, Gonzaga

The Bucks wanted to go with a shooting guard to replace Montae Ellis and perhaps JJ Redick, but with McLemore, Oladipo, Caldwell-Pope and Muhammad gone, there weren't a lot of SGs that warranted a pick here.

There are questions about Olynyk's strength and defense, but the Bucks have a young defensive stalwart in Larry Sanders, so Olynyk can move to the 3/4. Olynyk's offense will complement Sanders' shot blocking ability and rebounding.

[rhcpflea99]

I beg to differ, and I might even wonder what color the sky is in this world of which you speak. If the Sixers sign Bynum, it will be a lowball, incentive laden deal that will be easy to outbid by one of the other ten desperate no-hope franchises with a gaping hole in the middle. The Philly fans will cut him no slack and Bynum will soon be back on the DL with hurt feelings. Pairing McCollum with JRue Holiday would give the Sixers the smallest backcourt in the league, and their games are very similar.

If we theorize that the new Sixers leadership will end the Evan "The Villain" Turner experiment either by trade or opting out after 2013-2014, and if we also theorize they find an adequate retread center (Big Al Jefferson, perhaps?), then maybe we can make a case for a Turner replacement such as KCP, but that's a whole lot more theorizing than I like.

I don't think there's any doubt the Sixers will take one of the bigs if they keep the pick; it's only a question of which one best fits their vision. In addition to Zeller, Mason, and Olynyk, the Brazilian kid Lucas "Bebe" Nogueira is moving up the list. This scares me because a) his mug shot makes him look like Bynum's little brother, and b) one of his NBA comparisons is Slammin' Sammy Dalembert. Been there, done that, no thank you.

Clippers and Bucks and couple of other teams have smaller backcourts. Investment in Bynum has been made by the 76ers. Bynum should get Peyton Manning deal not the money but some insurance in the contract just in case he does not recover from his injuries.

[JasonEvans]

By the way, just so you don't have to go back to page 1 to get it, here is where we are...



Cleveland - theAlaskanBear - Otto Porter
Orlando - coldriver10 - Nerlens Noel
Washington - Li_Duke - Victor Oladipo
Charlotte - Newton14 - Ben McLemore
Phoenix - Bob Green - Alex Len
New Orleans - brevity - Michael Carter-Williams
Sacramento - em0526 - Trey Burke
Detroit - tommy - Anthony Bennett
Minnesota - Ichabod Drain - Shabazz Muhammed
Portland - blev23 - Steven Adams
Philadelphia - rhcpflea99 - CJ McCollum
Oklahoma City - pfrduke - Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Dallas - NSDukeFan - Cody Zeller
Utah - HCheek37 - Shane Larkin
Milwaukee - FerryFor50 - Kelly Olynyk
Boston - flyingdutchdevil - Gorgui Dieng
Atlanta - Jason Evans - Mason Plumlee
Atlanta - Jason Evans - Dennis Schroeder
Cleveland - theAlaskanBear - Rudy Gobert
Chicago - CDu - Jamaal Franklin
Utah - HCheek37 - Lucas Nogueira
Brooklyn - JNort - Tim Hardaway, jr
Indiana - luburch - Isaiah Canaan
New York - NovaScotian - Tony Snell
LA Clippers - ice-9 - Allen Crabbe
Minnesota - Ichabod Drain - Jeff Withey
Denver - Duvall
San Antonio - mattman91
Oklahoma City - pfrduke
Phoenix - Bob Green




-Jason "I am out until about 4 but will have my picks around then -- making great progress everyone!!" Evans

[brevity]

With the 15th pick, the Milwaukee Bucks select Kelly Olynyk, C, Gonzaga

The Bucks wanted to go with a shooting guard to replace Montae Ellis and perhaps JJ Redick, but with McLemore, Oladipo, Caldwell-Pope and Muhammad gone, there weren't a lot of SGs that warranted a pick here.

There are questions about Olynyk's strength and defense, but the Bucks have a young defensive stalwart in Larry Sanders, so Olynyk can move to the 3/4. Olynyk's offense will complement Sanders' shot blocking ability and rebounding.

8 hours later, and no word from the Celtics camp. Maybe they're trading the pick for the rights to hire coach Vinny Del Negro. Or will our Commissioner have to make three picks in a row?

[NSDukeFan]

8 hours later, and no word from the Celtics camp. Maybe they're trading the pick for the rights to hire coach Vinny Del Negro. Or will our Commissioner have to make three picks in a row?

Maybe the commissioner can step in and resolve where Chris Paul will play, again. (I also bet Jason has been chomping at the bit to make his own picks, hoping he doesn't have to make the one before,as well.)

[theAlaskanBear]

Maybe the commissioner can step in and resolve where Chris Paul will play, again. (I also bet Jason has been chomping at the bit to make his own picks, hoping he doesn't have to make the one before,as well.)

If he does make 3 picks in a row, and he selects my target for the 19th, I will be sure to yell, "It's rigged! Cheatin Commish!" And then sue him for a conflict of interests. ;)

[JasonEvans]

If he does make 3 picks in a row, and he selects my target for the 19th, I will be sure to yell, "It's rigged! Cheatin Commish!" And then sue him for a conflict of interests. ;)

Seeing as I am on deck, I will not make the pick for the Celtics myself. We are technically off the clock at this point so it will wait until morning. I am going to ask one of the other mods to make the pick if it has not been made by 10am tomorrow morning.

-Jason "sigh..." Evans

[brevity]

If he does make 3 picks in a row, and he selects my target for the 19th, I will be sure to yell, "It's rigged! Cheatin Commish!" And then sue him for a conflict of interests. ;)

God hates Cleveland. David Stern and Jason Evans are neutral on the subject.

[flyingdutchdevil]

With the 16th pick, the Boston Celtics select Doc Rivers... I mean Gorgui Dieng.

[flyingdutchdevil]

First of all, sorry for the delay; got no excuse.

As for the analysis, lets face it: the Celts are getting gutted this year. Garnett and Pierce are most likely gone, Rivers - the coach - asked to leave, and all guards not named Rondo or Avery are ineffective. Speaking of Rondo, we all know he's gonna ask for a trade this season.

With Dieng, you get a good to great defensive player. A player who can rebound, defend, and alley oop. Essentially, a poor mans Tyson Chandler. He will never be a superstar (may not even be a starter), but he'll be a great role player with little to no drama. The Celts can rebuild through trades and the draft in the next few years, but with the 16th pick in a weak draft, Dieng is a solid choice.

[theAlaskanBear]

First of all, sorry for the delay; got no excuse.

As for the analysis, lets face it: the Celts are getting gutted this year. Garnett and Pierce are most likely gone, Rivers - the coach - asked to leave, and all guards not named Rondo or Avery are ineffective. Speaking of Rondo, we all know he's gonna ask for a trade this season.

With Dieng, you get a good to great defensive player. A player who can rebound, defend, and alley oop. Essentially, a poor mans Tyson Chandler. He will never be a superstar (may not even be a starter), but he'll be a great role player with little to no drama. The Celts can rebuild through trades and the draft in the next few years, but with the 16th pick in a weak draft, Dieng is a solid choice.

Great pick! This was my target!

[BD80]

Seeing as I am on deck, I will not make the pick for the Celtics myself. We are technically off the clock at this point so it will wait until morning. I am going to ask one of the other mods to make the pick if it has not been made by 10am tomorrow morning.

-Jason "sigh..." Evans

As a famous judge/sports enthusiast once said: "Well .... ? We're waiting!"

Sorry Jason. Couldn't resist. Been waiting to use that one for a while.

[JasonEvans]

Mason Plumlee, PF/C, Duke University

I always look for a player who slipped a bit, a kid who should have gone 5 or 6 picks ago and somehow lands in my lap. Well, the rest of you are doing a good job so I am having trouble finding that player this year. So, I went with a guy who is a sure-thing. Mason may be a senior, meaning the "potential" label has been stripped from his resume, but he was a darn good senior who showed ability to play in the post and be a consistent threat on both ends of the floor. You don't see much of that any more in college ball. He is also a player who appeared to improve, often significantly, every year he was in college. That proves he has a good work either and is coachable. I see no reason why he won't continue to improve against NBA players as well.

I don't expect Mason to come in an become an instant star in the league, but he can certainly provide productive minutes right away as a PF or C. He is strong enough and athletic enough to play either a half-court or an open-court game, which is rare. Coming from Duke, I know he will play strong defense from day one. I was impressed with his passing ability too and think he would work well with the similarly skilled (though more athletic and explosive) Al Horford.

-Jason "anyone want to criticize this pick?" Evans

[theAlaskanBear]

Mason Plumlee, PF/C, Duke University

I always look for a player who slipped a bit, a kid who should have gone 5 or 6 picks ago and somehow lands in my lap. Well, the rest of you are doing a good job so I am having trouble finding that player this year. So, I went with a guy who is a sure-thing. Mason may be a senior, meaning the "potential" label has been stripped from his resume, but he was a darn good senior who showed ability to play in the post and be a consistent threat on both ends of the floor. You don't see much of that any more in college ball. He is also a player who appeared to improve, often significantly, every year he was in college. That proves he has a good work either and is coachable. I see no reason why he won't continue to improve against NBA players as well.

I don't expect Mason to come in an become an instant star in the league, but he can certainly provide productive minutes right away as a PF or C. He is strong enough and athletic enough to play either a half-court or an open-court game, which is rare. Coming from Duke, I know he will play strong defense from day one. I was impressed with his passing ability too and think he would work well with the similarly skilled (though more athletic and explosive) Al Horford.

-Jason "anyone want to criticize this pick?" Evans

Actually Jason, could be a great pick -- with Josh Smith leaving...you can slide Horford to the 4 spot and have a very solid front court.

[JasonEvans]

Dennis Schroeder, PG, Germany

From his days in the Spurs front office, Danny Ferry knows the value of those hidden international gems. With 2 picks, you knew he would take one international kid.

I came close to picking one of the loooong kids with potential but no polish -- Giannis Adetokoubo or Lucas Nogueira -- but the fact that neither of them have played against even mildly difficult competition scares me and neither are close to ready to play in an NBA game. I came very close to taking Russian SF Sergey Karasev, who is a wonderful shooter and has played against top-flight European competition for several years (despite only being 19), but I don't think he is an elite athlete and he is not fast.

"You can't coach speed" is a common phrase in sports and that is what guided this pick. Schroeder is lightening-quick and has excellent handle with the ball. Even top NBA defenders will have trouble staying in front of him. He is a wonderful passer who loves to get his teammates involved. He's fabulous in the pick-and-roll game. His biggest weakness is his shooting. He's not a NBA 3-point shooter... yet. But at 19, he has time to develop his shot. We've seen over the years that players can learn to shoot. They can't learn to be faster, which is what Schroeder already brings to the table. Plus, he has played against decent-level European competition and succeeded so he seems ready for the next step.

Lastly, PG is probably the most important position in the NBA right now. The Hawks don't have an elite one and Chris Paul ain't coming here in free agency. So, if I am going to take a flier, let it be on a PG.

-Jason "many draft gurus expect the Hawks to take Karasev with this pick and believe they have promised him a pick... I would not be at all sad if the Hawks would up with him but I like Schroeder a little bit better" Evans

[theAlaskanBear]

While I believe the Cavs are likely to make a trade with some of their picks since they seem to have found no takers for the #1...

With the 19th pick in the 2013 draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers select Rudy Gobert.

This was a tough decision. We wanted to target one of Gorgui Dieng, Mason Plumlee, Steven Adams, or Gobert. Dieng would have been the first choice for me here -- he is a two way player....defensively minded but with the potential to be a knockdown 10-15 jump shooter. Then Plumlee, because they are the most NBA ready guys -- seeing them disappear in the 3 picks us....

That said, Gobert is a nice fit for us -- With Varejao, Zeller, and Thompson on the front line, we don't need him to step in right away and start, this makes us more comfortable taking a 20 yr old who needs some polish.

Gobert is truly unique physically -- his 7'8.5'' wingspan and a 9'7'' standing reach give him the potential to have an enormous defensive impact. He really impressed with his defense at the combine. He is an active defender, great at hedging on pick-and-rolls, blocking and altering shots, and has tremendous hands with a soft touch. Offensively he is a work in progress. He will not wow anyone athletically, but he is very agile and active. Most of his offense comes from pick and rolls and lobs, which makes him a great partner for an Irving/Waiters back court. He does shoot 70+ % from the FT line, so we think he has some hidden offensive talents. We also believe he will thrive under NBA coaches and trainers (many point to the departure of Erman Kunter from Cholet to Besiktas as retarding his growth this past season).

[ice-9]

First of all, sorry for the delay; got no excuse.

As for the analysis, lets face it: the Celts are getting gutted this year. Garnett and Pierce are most likely gone, Rivers - the coach - asked to leave, and all guards not named Rondo or Avery are ineffective. Speaking of Rondo, we all know he's gonna ask for a trade this season.

With Dieng, you get a good to great defensive player. A player who can rebound, defend, and alley oop. Essentially, a poor mans Tyson Chandler. He will never be a superstar (may not even be a starter), but he'll be a great role player with little to no drama. The Celts can rebuild through trades and the draft in the next few years, but with the 16th pick in a weak draft, Dieng is a solid choice.

Hmm I would have picked Plumlee here instead of Dieng. With Pierce gone, they will need more scoring, and while Dieng has a better jump shot Plumlee is more effective in the post. My guess is the Celts will try to play fast, and if that's the case Plumlee is a much better fit.

[theAlaskanBear]

Dennis Schroeder, PG, Germany

From his days in the Spurs front office, Danny Ferry knows the value of those hidden international gems. With 2 picks, you knew he would take one international kid.

I came close to picking one of the loooong kids with potential but no polish -- Giannis Adetokoubo or Lucas Nogueira -- but the fact that neither of them have played against even mildly difficult competition scares me and neither are close to ready to play in an NBA game. I came very close to taking Russian SF Sergey Karasev, who is a wonderful shooter and has played against top-flight European competition for several years (despite only being 19), but I don't think he is an elite athlete and he is not fast.

"You can't coach speed" is a common phrase in sports and that is what guided this pick. Schroeder is lightening-quick and has excellent handle with the ball. Even top NBA defenders will have trouble staying in front of him. He is a wonderful passer who loves to get his teammates involved. He's fabulous in the pick-and-roll game. His biggest weakness is his shooting. He's not a NBA 3-point shooter... yet. But at 19, he has time to develop his shot. We've seen over the years that players can learn to shoot. They can't learn to be faster, which is what Schroeder already brings to the table. Plus, he has played against decent-level European competition and succeeded so he seems ready for the next step.

Lastly, PG is probably the most important position in the NBA right now. The Hawks don't have an elite one and Chris Paul ain't coming here in free agency. So, if I am going to take a flier, let it be on a PG.

-Jason "many draft gurus expect the Hawks to take Karasev with this pick and believe they have promised him a pick... I would not be at all sad if the Hawks would up with him but I like Schroeder a little bit better" Evans

Schroeder also has a guarantee in the first round from someone, probably in the 14-20 range. People are really high on this kid -- he is athletic and has great vision. Definitely could be a Rubioesque PG, in that he creates with movement, not his own offensive ability, will definitely need to work on his shot.

[BD80]

Schroeder also has a guarantee in the first round from someone, probably in the 14-20 range. People are really high on this kid -- he is athletic and has great vision. Definitely could be a Rubioesque PG, in that he creates with movement, not his own offensive ability, will definitely need to work on his shot.

Did you say Rubenesque?

3432

Well, it worked for Charles Barkley.

[FerryFor50]

Did you say Rubenesque?

3432

Well, it worked for Charles Barkley.

Reubenesque?

3433

[flyingdutchdevil]

Hmm I would have picked Plumlee here instead of Dieng. With Pierce gone, they will need more scoring, and while Dieng has a better jump shot Plumlee is more effective in the post. My guess is the Celts will try to play fast, and if that's the case Plumlee is a much better fit.

Either player would have been effective and a good pick. However, I am focusing on defense and, given the gutting the Celts will probably do, be tanking next year. I view Dieng as a more important piece to the puzzle for a future contender than Plumlee. Don't get me wrong - I love Plumlee - but I think that Dieng's defense is better than Plumlee's offense.

[CDu]

Aside from simply getting healthy (with their three best players all currently on the mend), the Bulls have 3 needs as an organization: backup C (to take some of the weight off of Noah's shoulders), a second shot-creator, and a "3 and D" guy.

With the selections of Dieng, Plumlee, Adams, and Gobert, the Bulls' primary targets at the C spot were off the board. So that simplified the pick. We just didn't feel that any of the "3 and D" guys were worth a pick at #20. Hopefullly we can find a fit in the second round to fill one of our other needs, but with the 20th pick we've decided to go with Jamaal Franklin, SG out of San Diego State.

Franklin is, in many ways, a perfect fit for the Bulls. He's a scorer. He's a defender. He's a good rebounder for a guard. He has excellent size for the SG spot (6'4"-6'5" with a 6'11.25" wingspan and 8'7.5" standing reach). He is not afraid to create his own offense or set up others, and has shown the ability to score off the dribble. His incredible rebound rate for a wing speaks to his competitiveness. Frankly, we see him as our version of Paul George or Kawhi Leonard, minus a couple of inches in height. In a best-case scenario, his game has a bit of Dwyane Wade in him, too, though admittedly that is in an absolute best-case scenario.

The knock on Franklin is that he isn't a great shooter and isn't always the best decision-maker. But we're banking on the idea that the shooting can improve with coaching and practice, and that the decision making problems were a result of having to carry the offensive load for the Aztecs. In Chicago, he'll not be asked to do it all, but his ability to create his own shot will make him a valuable player off the bench next year and (hopefully) will serve him well in a transition to the starting lineup in the future.

Worst case? We see him as an athletic, aggressive defender who can hold his own against SG, some PG, and some SF defensively. That is a role that any team can use. And if he can improve his shooting touch (reports are he has looked really good in workouts for whatever that's worth) and decision-making, he's a potential diamond in the rough.

[JasonEvans]

I am going to be nice and wait until noon, 24 hours from the previous pick, before I make this pick for HCheek37.

Folks, this process only works if the GMs actually make the freaking picks?!?!??!.

Taking a team to GM and then disappearing in the middle of draft for more than a day is just uncool. HCheek37 has been sent multiple PMs by me and others asking him to make his pick. He is just ruining it for everyone else... grrrr.

-Jason "fuming right now..." Evans

[tommy]

I am going to be nice and wait until noon, 24 hours from the previous pick, before I make this pick for HCheek37.

Folks, this process only works if the GMs actually make the freaking picks?!?!??!.

Taking a team to GM and then disappearing in the middle of draft for more than a day is just uncool. HCheek37 has been sent multiple PMs by me and others asking him to make his pick. He is just ruining it for everyone else... grrrr.

-Jason "fuming right now..." Evans

Not worth the fume. Just make the pick and move on.

[sagegrouse]

Not worth the fume. Just make the pick and move on.

Word ladder:

FUME
FAME
FATE
RATE
RATS!!!!

I agree. -- sage

[JasonEvans]

...Lucas Nogueira, C, Brazil.

Most folks have this very raw, but very long big man going higher than the 21st pick so this may be a steal. He won't be ready to play meaningful minutes this coming season, but the Jazz can afford to wait a bit as they have a very solid front-court in Jefferson and Milsaps. Also, by taking Larkin earlier in this Mock Draft, Utah can afford to use a pick on a guy who may not help right away.

-Jason "Here is a recent post (http://www.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?31479-2013-DBR-Mock-Draft-make-picks-here!&p=655894#post655894) by HCheek37 that talks about Utah's needs" Evans

[JasonEvans]

Here is where we stand...


Cleveland - theAlaskanBear - Otto Porter
Orlando - coldriver10 - Nerlens Noel
Washington - Li_Duke - Victor Oladipo
Charlotte - Newton14 - Ben McLemore
Phoenix - Bob Green - Alex Len
New Orleans - brevity - Michael Carter-Williams
Sacramento - em0526 - Trey Burke
Detroit - tommy - Anthony Bennett
Minnesota - Ichabod Drain - Shabazz Muhammed
Portland - blev23 - Steven Adams
Philadelphia - rhcpflea99 - CJ McCollum
Oklahoma City - pfrduke - Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Dallas - NSDukeFan - Cody Zeller
Utah - HCheek37 - Shane Larkin
Milwaukee - FerryFor50 - Kelly Olynyk
Boston - flyingdutchdevil - Gorgui Dieng
Atlanta - Jason Evans - Mason Plumlee
Atlanta - Jason Evans - Dennis Schroeder
Cleveland - theAlaskanBear - Rudy Gobert
Chicago - CDu - Jamaal Franklin
Utah - HCheek37 - Lucas Nogueira
Brooklyn - JNort
Indiana - luburch
New York - NovaScotian
LA Clippers - ice-9
Minnesota - Ichabod Drain
Denver - Duvall
San Antonio - mattman91
Oklahoma City - pfrduke
Phoenix - Bob Green

[JNort]

With the 22nd pick the Brooklyn Nets select Tim Hardaway Jr!

[luburch]

The Pacers had another strong showing in the 2012-2013 season. They finished at 49-32 and were Central Division champs. With a young nucleus they will be a contender in the East for years to come. The Pacers have a few areas that need to be addressed, PG, SG, and PF. It is my hope that the Pacers will trade Danny Granger for a solid shooting guard, who can start ahead of Lance Stephenson. David West is a free agent, but chances are he will resign for at least one more season. DJ Augustin may or may not come back.

With that said with the 23rd pick the Indiana Pacers select Isaiah Canaan from Murray State University.

My hope was that Schroeder would still be available, but after he was selected it was between Canaan and Pierre Jackson. Canaan can sit behind George Hill for a while as he develops and adapts to the NBA, but I expect he can come in and contribute as a sub immediately. Vogel gives his second unit a considerable amount of time. Canaan shot above 40% from 3 three of his four years in college, and has the ability to score the basketball. The Pacers could use another scoring punch.

[NovaScotian]

no time to elaborate (i'll write at length tomorrow) but i want to announce is my greatest david stern voice that WITH THE 24TH PICK IN THE 2013 NBA DRAFT, THE NEW YORK KNICKERBOCKERS SELECT TONY SNELL FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO.

[Kedsy]

Hmm, #18 Dennis Schroeder; #19 Rudy Gobert; #20 Jamaal Franklin; #21 Lucas Nogueira; #23 Isaiah Canaan; #24 Tony Snell...

I know most or all of these guys are good players, but I can't imagine the casual fan has heard of any of them.

I suppose this is what people mean when they call this a "weak draft."

[BD80]

Hmm, #18 Dennis Schroeder; #19 Rudy Gobert; #20 Jamaal Franklin; #21 Lucas Nogueira; #23 Isaiah Canaan; #24 Tony Snell...

I know most or all of these guys are good players, but I can't imagine the casual fan has heard of any of them.

I suppose this is what people mean when they call this a "weak draft."

At the pace the selections are being made, its a week draft ...

[NSDukeFan]

At the pace the selections are being made, its a week draft ...

Works for the NFL. Weak draught. That's what I used to get to drink when I travelled in the States before all these microbreweries, IPAs started appearing.

[brevity]

Hmm, #18 Dennis Schroeder; #19 Rudy Gobert; #20 Jamaal Franklin; #21 Lucas Nogueira; #23 Isaiah Canaan; #24 Tony Snell...

I know most or all of these guys are good players, but I can't imagine the casual fan has heard of any of them.

I suppose this is what people mean when they call this a "weak draft."

The 2012 NBA Draft featured #19 Andrew Nicholson, #20 Evan Fournier, #23 John Jenkins, #24 Jared Cunningham, #25 Tony Wroten, #27 Arnett Moultrie, and #30 Festus Ezeli. It's like this every year now. Casual fans are welcome to join the festivities of a pro league draft, but honestly, it's not designed for them.


At the pace the selections are being made, its a week draft ...

I gave you a spork in another thread yesterday, so you'll have to make about 30 awesome comments like this before I can do so again. At this point I think the mock GMs are stretching this out until next week so they can see what the real GMs do first. Because, you know, making a mock selection like this is so stressful.

Maybe the Commish can request private explanations. If none are given, leave them out of the 2014 Mock Draft? That's the one with the big names.

[ice-9]

With the 25th pick of the NBA Draft, the LA Clippers select Allen Crabbe, the PAC-12 player of the year! Assuming our team stays the same as it is, what we will need is a wing player who can stretch defenses and knock down open shots when the assist is delivered; Crabbe can do that very, very well. Crabbe is great at coming off screens and curls and doesn't require the ball much in his hands, and that suits our team well. We wish he is a better defender and that's something we will push him to improve. There's been talk of his body language but that doesn't concern us; on the Clippers he will be a role player and not the star that demanded opposing defenses to be designed around him as in college. This will lighten the load considerably and with CP3's fiery leadership we think Crabbe's head will be in the right place.

[Kedsy]

The 2012 NBA Draft featured #19 Andrew Nicholson, #20 Evan Fournier, #23 John Jenkins, #24 Jared Cunningham, #25 Tony Wroten, #27 Arnett Moultrie, and #30 Festus Ezeli. It's like this every year now. Casual fans are welcome to join the festivities of a pro league draft, but honestly, it's not designed for them.

Most of those guys were more well known than most of the 18 through 24 picks in this mock draft. So I suppose the definition of "casual fan" comes into play, but Wroten, Jenkins, Moultrie, Cunningham, and Ezeli were all star players on high major college teams. Of the guys in this mock from #18 to #24, only Hardaway can say that.

Plus, your list skips #21, #22, #26, #28, and #29 and my list skipped only #22 (Hardaway).

[toooskies]

Most of those guys were more well known than most of the 18 through 24 picks in this mock draft. So I suppose the definition of "casual fan" comes into play, but Wroten, Jenkins, Moultrie, Cunningham, and Ezeli were all star players on high major college teams. Of the guys in this mock from #18 to #24, only Hardaway can say that.

Plus, your list skips #21, #22, #26, #28, and #29 and my list skipped only #22 (Hardaway).

But there are three foreigners on your list of guys you haven't heard of. There's a good reason you haven't heard of them-- they didn't play college ball.

[CDu]

Hmm, #18 Dennis Schroeder; #19 Rudy Gobert; #20 Jamaal Franklin; #21 Lucas Nogueira; #23 Isaiah Canaan; #24 Tony Snell...

I know most or all of these guys are good players, but I can't imagine the casual fan has heard of any of them.

I suppose this is what people mean when they call this a "weak draft."

Canaan and Franklin were in the discussion for preseason All-America teams. If you don't know them, then you probably aren't really an avid basketball fan. And as such, is a non-avid fan really going to care about the draft? Further, does it really matter if the casual fan knows these guys? As for the others, 3 are foreign guys, so of course the casual (or even avid) fan won't know them. Only Snell is a guy a bit off the radar, but he certainly isn't out of place in the draft.

[sagegrouse]

Canaan and Franklin were in the discussion for preseason All-America teams. If you don't know them, then you probably aren't really an avid basketball fan. And as such, is a non-avid fan really going to care about the draft? Further, does it really matter if the casual fan knows these guys? As for the others, 3 are foreign guys, so of course the casual (or even avid) fan won't know them. Only Snell is a guy a bit off the radar, but he certainly isn't out of place in the draft.

Easy there. Easy. -- sage

[CDu]

Easy there. Easy. -- sage

I wasn't directing that comment at Kedsy or anyone else (the "you" was a generalized you). Nor do I mean the sentence as an insult to non-avid fans. One can love basketball, even be knowledgeable about the sport itself (how it is played, history, etc) and yet simply not be an avid follower of college basketball. If one follows division 1 college basketball (and not just their favorite team or fave team's conference), then they would be very aware of Canaan and Franklin (both of whom made significant noise in the 2012 season). If one is unaware of those to guys, it suggests that he/she doesn't follow division 1 college basketball all that closely. There is nothing wrong with that. It just makes one not an avid college basketball fan. They may still be an avid Duke fan, or avid ACC fan, or avid NBA fan. But not an avid college bball fan.

In short, if one is unaware of Canaan and Franklin, then their awareness of players is inherently narrow. I would also expect such a person to be unaware of Moultrie, Cunningham, Jenkins, Ezeli, and Wroten. While it is true that they starred for BCS teams, those BCS teams weren't well-known teams. The SEC and PAC-12 are only debatably major conference teams, as they are closer to the mid-majors than they are to the ACC, Big East, and Big-10. And Vanderbilt, Wasington, Miss St, and Oregon St are more middling programs within those middling conferences. San Diego St and Murray St were both, if I am not mistaken, ranked higher than those other schools in 2012 (and quite possibly last year too).

I would expect an avid fan to know Franklin and Canaan before I would expect them to know Moultrie, Cunningham, or Crabbe for sure.

[sagegrouse]

I wasn't directing that comment at Kedsy or anyone else (the "you" was a generalized you). Nor do I mean the sentence as an insult to non-avid fans. One can love basketball, even be knowledgeable about the sport itself (how it is played, history, etc) and yet simply not be an avid follower of college basketball. If one follows division 1 college basketball (and not just their favorite team or fave team's conference), then they would be very aware of Canaan and Franklin (both of whom made significant noise in the 2012 season). If one is unaware of those to guys, it suggests that he/she doesn't follow division 1 college basketball all that closely. There is nothing wrong with that. It just makes one not an avid college basketball fan. They may still be an avid Duke fan, or avid ACC fan, or avid NBA fan. But not an avid college bball fan.

In short, if one is unaware of Canaan and Franklin, then their awareness of players is inherently narrow. I would also expect such a person to be unaware of Moultrie, Cunningham, Jenkins, Ezeli, and Wroten. While it is true that they starred for BCS teams, those BCS teams weren't well-known teams. The SEC and PAC-12 are only debatably major conference teams, as they are closer to the mid-majors than they are to the ACC, Big East, and Big-10. And Vanderbilt, Wasington, Miss St, and Oregon St are more middling programs within those middling conferences. San Diego St and Murray St were both, if I am not mistaken, ranked higher than those other schools in 2012 (and quite possibly last year too).

I would expect an avid fan to know Franklin and Canaan before I would expect them to know Moultrie, Cunningham, or Crabbe for sure.

CDu, your statement (in BF) could be read as an insult, and I accept that you did not intend it as such. -- sage

[CDu]

CDu, your statement (in BF) could be read as an insult, and I accept that you did not intend it as such. -- sage

Sorry for the confusion. I really didn't mean it as an insult. Sorry to anyone who read it as an insult and was offended. Perhaps I should have used the wording "avid follower of college basketball" to make the point more clear.

[Kedsy]

Sorry for the confusion. I really didn't mean it as an insult. Sorry to anyone who read it as an insult and was offended. Perhaps I should have used the wording "avid follower of college basketball" to make the point more clear.

FWIW, I assumed that's what you meant and that you weren't talking to me personally. I wasn't offended.

[Bob Green]

Where, oh where, is Ichabod Drain? The World wants to know. It has been 16 hours since the 25th selection was announced. :mad:

[theAlaskanBear]

Where, oh where, is Ichabod Drain? The World wants to know. It has been 16 hours since the 25th selection was announced. :mad:

I think we should be much less forgiving in regards to time limits for the rest of this draft.

[awhom111]

124 hours to go until the actual draft with 35 picks still to be made...

[NovaScotian]

I think we should be much less forgiving in regards to time limits for the rest of this draft.

maybe since it's the weekend and people have actual lives to live, we can be a little forgiving for the time being?

[brevity]

maybe since it's the weekend and people have actual lives to live, we can be a little forgiving for the time being?

We are irrelevant. It's the time that's unforgiving. People who have actual lives to live could have not signed up, or picked a team that required a low level of commitment.

There is no clear solution here, by the way. Jason could have started the signup process and mock draft a week earlier, but the problem with that is that the NBA did not announce the withdrawal (http://tracking.si.com/2013/06/18/dario-saric-among-18-players-withdrawing-nba-draft/) of early entry players until June 18. As a mock GM of a team that considered drafting Dario Saric, I relied on unofficial leanings when I made my pick June 17. This year Saric was probably the only person on the list that was getting first round attention, but it won't always be like that.

This is my first experience with the DBR mock draft, so I can't say for sure if the mock GMs were on the ball in the past. Maybe others can speak to that. But it sure seems like members this year were a lot more excited about the signup than about participating.

[roywhite]

We are irrelevant. It's the time that's unforgiving. People who have actual lives to live could have not signed up, or picked a team that required a low level of commitment.

There is no clear solution here, by the way. Jason could have started the signup process and mock draft a week earlier, but the problem with that is that the NBA did not announce the withdrawal (http://tracking.si.com/2013/06/18/dario-saric-among-18-players-withdrawing-nba-draft/) of early entry players until June 18. As a mock GM of a team that considered drafting Dario Saric, I relied on unofficial leanings when I made my pick June 17. This year Saric was probably the only person on the list that was getting first round attention, but it won't always be like that.

This is my first experience with the DBR mock draft, so I can't say for sure if the mock GMs were on the ball in the past. Maybe others can speak to that. But it sure seems like members this year were a lot more excited about the signup than about participating.

The first round of the 2012 DBR Mock Draft was completed in 4 1/2 days; we are coming up on a full 7 days now, and the first round not nearly done.

[mattman91]

The first round of the 2012 DBR Mock Draft was completed in 4 1/2 days; we are coming up on a full 7 days now, and the first round not nearly done.

Can we initiate a clock for round 2?

[BD80]

Can we initiate a clock for round 2?

Perhaps start claiming teams for the 2014 draft?

[Newton_14]

With the 26th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves select Jeff Withey, Center, Kansas University.

Denver/Duvall, you are now on the clock. Please make your pick in a timely fashion to get this thing moving again. Thanks!

[Duvall]

With the 27th pick in the first round, the Denver Nuggets select P.J. Hairston, G, University of North Carolina.

...wait, what do you mean he didn't declare for the draft? But I just spoke to his agent yesterday!

Okay, then I guess we'll go with Reggie Bullock, F, University of North Carolina.

After an NBA Finals that was nearly won in part with the 3-point shooting of Danny Green, and then actually won in part with the 3-point shooting of Shane Battier, this April column about the value of role players that can hit three-pointers and defend the wing (http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/9225802/players-shane-battier-harder-find-conventional-wisdom-suggests) seems almost prescient. We think Bullock has shown that he can hit from distance and defend shooting guards and small forwards, so that's our pick, even if Bullock does have some that doubt his ability to play at this level. (http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-basketball/story/2013-05-10/roy-williams-on-reggie-bullock-is-he-first-round-nba-draft-pick-unc-tar-heels)

Then again, he's been wrong before.

[Newton_14]

With the 27th pick in the first round, the Denver Nuggets select P.J. Hairston, G, University of North Carolina.

...wait, what do you mean he didn't declare for the draft? But I just spoke to his agent yesterday!

Okay, then I guess we'll go with Reggie Bullock, F, University of North Carolina.

HA! Good one Duvall!

[BD80]

The NBA has issued 10 preliminary invitations to its "green room" for Thursday night's draft: Nerlens Noel (Kentucky); Victor Oladipo (Indiana); Otto Porter (Georgetown); Alex Len (Maryland); Anthony Bennett (UNLV); Ben McLemore (Kansas); Trey Burke (Michigan); Michael Carter-Williams (Syracuse); C.J. McCollum (Lehigh) and Cody Zeller (Indiana).

http://espn.go.com/nba/draft2013/story/_/id/9413629/2013-nba-draft-10-players-invited-green-room-sources-say

[mattman91]

With the 28th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, the Western Conference Champion San Antonio Spurs select....

Erick Green- 6'3 PG/SG Virginia Tech

With all the big names taken in what a lot of the GM's have been calling a "weak class" we are going with the best available. Our team is aging, but still prove to be a force in the league. With Timmy announcing earlier this week that he has no plans of retiring this summer, there is no immediate need to select a big man. That is good news for us because there are no more big name bangers in the pool.

The NCAAs leading scorer has no excuse for drifting into the second round of this draft. Sure he has some work to do, but lets face it, at this part of the draft who doesn't? We see Green as being able to be a combo guard in the league. He isn't exactly a point, but on the smaller side for a "2". One thing is proven, however, he can score. Tony and Manu are no spring chickens and we expect for Erick to step right in there with Dancin' Danny to make a "Green" back court for years to come.

[theAlaskanBear]

With the 27th pick in the first round, the Denver Nuggets select P.J. Hairston, G, University of North Carolina.

...wait, what do you mean he didn't declare for the draft? But I just spoke to his agent yesterday!

Okay, then I guess we'll go with Reggie Bullock, F, University of North Carolina.

After an NBA Finals that was nearly won in part with the 3-point shooting of Danny Green, and then actually won in part with the 3-point shooting of Shane Battier, this April column about the value of role players that can hit three-pointers and defend the wing (http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/9225802/players-shane-battier-harder-find-conventional-wisdom-suggests) seems almost prescient. We think Bullock has shown that he can hit from distance and defend shooting guards and small forwards, so that's our pick, even if Bullock does have some that doubt his ability to play at this level. (http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-basketball/story/2013-05-10/roy-williams-on-reggie-bullock-is-he-first-round-nba-draft-pick-unc-tar-heels)

Then again, he's been wrong before.

I am a little surprised Reggie dropped this far.....I had my fingers crossed I could grab him at 30 when no one picked him up earlier. With his height, if he dedicates himself to ballhandling and trying to improve on defense, he could be a very solid SG/SF backup.

[theAlaskanBear]

Aside from simply getting healthy (with their three best players all currently on the mend), the Bulls have 3 needs as an organization: backup C (to take some of the weight off of Noah's shoulders), a second shot-creator, and a "3 and D" guy.

With the selections of Dieng, Plumlee, Adams, and Gobert, the Bulls' primary targets at the C spot were off the board. So that simplified the pick. We just didn't feel that any of the "3 and D" guys were worth a pick at #20. Hopefullly we can find a fit in the second round to fill one of our other needs, but with the 20th pick we've decided to go with Jamaal Franklin, SG out of San Diego State.

Franklin is, in many ways, a perfect fit for the Bulls. He's a scorer. He's a defender. He's a good rebounder for a guard. He has excellent size for the SG spot (6'4"-6'5" with a 6'11.25" wingspan and 8'7.5" standing reach). He is not afraid to create his own offense or set up others, and has shown the ability to score off the dribble. His incredible rebound rate for a wing speaks to his competitiveness. Frankly, we see him as our version of Paul George or Kawhi Leonard, minus a couple of inches in height. In a best-case scenario, his game has a bit of Dwyane Wade in him, too, though admittedly that is in an absolute best-case scenario.

The knock on Franklin is that he isn't a great shooter and isn't always the best decision-maker. But we're banking on the idea that the shooting can improve with coaching and practice, and that the decision making problems were a result of having to carry the offensive load for the Aztecs. In Chicago, he'll not be asked to do it all, but his ability to create his own shot will make him a valuable player off the bench next year and (hopefully) will serve him well in a transition to the starting lineup in the future.

Worst case? We see him as an athletic, aggressive defender who can hold his own against SG, some PG, and some SF defensively. That is a role that any team can use. And if he can improve his shooting touch (reports are he has looked really good in workouts for whatever that's worth) and decision-making, he's a potential diamond in the rough.

CDu, how does Franklin (who I have seen none of, have no clue about this guy, educate me) compare to bigger and better 3-pt shooting SFs like Tony Snell, Tim Hardaway Jr, Glen Rice Jr? What was your rational for going with a guy who struggled to shoot from the outside when the Bulls are have been deficient and need to upgrade from 3? The Bulls already have problems spacing the floor at times.

Are you looking at his D-rating? Do you think that will transfer when he has to guard the bigger SG and SF on switches?

[theAlaskanBear]

The NBA has issued 10 preliminary invitations to its "green room" for Thursday night's draft: Nerlens Noel (Kentucky); Victor Oladipo (Indiana); Otto Porter (Georgetown); Alex Len (Maryland); Anthony Bennett (UNLV); Ben McLemore (Kansas); Trey Burke (Michigan); Michael Carter-Williams (Syracuse); C.J. McCollum (Lehigh) and Cody Zeller (Indiana).

http://espn.go.com/nba/draft2013/story/_/id/9413629/2013-nba-draft-10-players-invited-green-room-sources-say

I imagine Mason will be there, given he already went out and bought a suit for it, according the Simmons/Rose interview.

[Newton_14]

The NBA has issued 10 preliminary invitations to its "green room" for Thursday night's draft: Nerlens Noel (Kentucky); Victor Oladipo (Indiana); Otto Porter (Georgetown); Alex Len (Maryland); Anthony Bennett (UNLV); Ben McLemore (Kansas); Trey Burke (Michigan); Michael Carter-Williams (Syracuse); C.J. McCollum (Lehigh) and Cody Zeller (Indiana).

http://espn.go.com/nba/draft2013/story/_/id/9413629/2013-nba-draft-10-players-invited-green-room-sources-say

Me thinks Mr Len just might be going in the Top 5. I now predict he will not make it past Charlotte at pick 4. If Charlotte does not trade their pick and Len is on the board they are going to take him. I almost drafted him at 4 in our draft but once Mclemore slipped I was in a sticky spot. (Best available talent/best potential upside vs Drafting for position of need)

[theAlaskanBear]

Me thinks Mr Len just might be going in the Top 5. I now predict he will not make it past Charlotte at pick 4. If Charlotte does not trade their pick and Len is on the board they are going to take him. I almost drafted him at 4 in our draft but once Mclemore slipped I was in a sticky spot. (Best available talent/best potential upside vs Drafting for position of need)

To be fair, the Bobcats definitely have space for McLemore. However, with a backcourt & SF of Walker, McLemore, Henderson, Kidd-Gilchrist...will they have any offensive balance in the post? We might have a Bobcats bigman death from shot-starvation ;)

[CDu]

CDu, how does Franklin (who I have seen none of, have no clue about this guy, educate me) compare to bigger and better 3-pt shooting SFs like Tony Snell, Tim Hardaway Jr, Glen Rice Jr? What was your rational for going with a guy who struggled to shoot from the outside when the Bulls are have been deficient and need to upgrade from 3? The Bulls already have problems spacing the floor at times.

Are you looking at his D-rating? Do you think that will transfer when he has to guard the bigger SG and SF on switches?

Franklin is just an entirely different type of player than the shooters you mentioned. He is not a shooter. He is a scorer, rebounder, and defender. So there really is no comparison: apples and oranges.

My rationale for not choosing a shooter is because I think the bigger need is to add another player capable of making plays with the ball. We also need a shooter or two, but you simply aren't going to get past Miami with just one playmaker on the floor. Franklin was a playmaker in college, and thus has the best chance of being a playmaker in the pros. His defensive reputation and rebounding prowess are also skills that I think will translate.

But perhaps most importantly, I believe that shooters are the easiest thing to find in free agency. So I will hope to find a guy or two on the cheap that way.

Having said that, I do concede that if I was looking for a floor spacing shooter, Franklin would be close to last on the list.

[brevity]

Me thinks Mr Len just might be going in the Top 5. I now predict he will not make it past Charlotte at pick 4. If Charlotte does not trade their pick and Len is on the board they are going to take him. I almost drafted him at 4 in our draft but once Mclemore slipped I was in a sticky spot. (Best available talent/best potential upside vs Drafting for position of need)


To be fair, the Bobcats definitely have space for McLemore. However, with a backcourt & SF of Walker, McLemore, Henderson, Kidd-Gilchrist...will they have any offensive balance in the post? We might have a Bobcats bigman death from shot-starvation ;)

I'll admit that I was slightly upset when I saw the mock Bobcats draft McLemore at #4. I realize that he still could have gone to Phoenix at #5, but when you're sitting at #6 and you hate Eric Gordon, you start to daydream a little. I had to write it off as a Best Player Available situation, which can happen in real drafts. If McLemore really were to go to Charlotte, I'd be very interested to see how the fans react. Potential draft steal, or potential roster congestion?

[Bob Green]

pfrduke provided me a prioritized list of players yesterday and authorized me to make his picks in order to keep the draft moving. So with the 29th pick, the Oklahoma City Thunder select Sergey Karasev.

[Bob Green]

With the 30th pick, the Phoenix Suns select Glen Rice, jr. Phoenix secured their future big man with their first pick so acquiring a SF/SG player with the ability to score the basketball became their priority. Rice made people sit up and take notice with his D League performances, so Phoenix decides to roll the dice and give the young man an opportunity.

[theAlaskanBear]

With the 31st pick in the NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers select Mike Muscala!

An elite rebounder and a capable scorer and defender, Muscala should be able to contribute immediately. His offense-rating and d-rating is comparable to gorgui dieng. While he will likely not the the ceiling of dieng defensively, he has a higher offensive ceiling. He has a solid perimeter jump-shot, and signs point to him being able to develop a 3-pt shot and play as a stretch the floor bigman.

Honestly, we view him as a better Kelly Olynyk....

[Bob Green]

With the 32nd pick, the Oklahoma City Thunder select Giannis Adetokunbo.

[theAlaskanBear]

With the 33rd pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers select Livio Jean-Charles!

Livio really wowed scouts at the 2013 Nike Hoops summit, where he dominated the game. As a 6-9 tweener who can back up SF and PF and provide energy off the bench, we are really excited about Livio's potential. He has long arms and with a little more weight can be a great defender. He already shows a solid jumpshot and shot 56% from the field and 42% from 3. At only 19, he has lots of room for growth in his game.

[roywhite]

Houston Rockets
2012-13 Season: 45-37, lost 4-2 in 1st round to OKC
Strong Points: Star player in James Harden, strong overall team scoring
Areas for Improvement: Defense, cut down on turnovers
Off-Season Activity: no 1st Round pick; appear to be actively looking for trades and free agents

Tony Mitchell -- from Dallas; #20 ranked player in HS class of 2010 played at North Texas after initial commit to Mizzou
6'9" (or close to it) 235#
very athletic
versatile defender; shot blocker; scores inside and out
best case -- a Paul George type player
downside -- stats regressed his second year; intensity seems to vary

[rhcpflea99]

Lot of red flags come up when you hear the name Ricky Ledo. Prep coach said " the single worst human being I'd ever been associated with on a basketball court”. Ricky Ledo is without question a very talented young prospect who was one of the best scorers out of the entire class of 2012. In addition to his ability to get to the hoop and score from nearly anywhere on the court, he has incredible handles, a knack for creating off the dribble, and the skills of a combo guard with the ability to create for teammates with very good court vision and passing.-Sean Sullivan

[theAlaskanBear]

Lot of red flags come up when you hear the name Ricky Ledo. Prep coach said " the single worst human being I'd ever been associated with on a basketball court”. Ricky Ledo is without question a very talented young prospect who was one of the best scorers out of the entire class of 2012. In addition to his ability to get to the hoop and score from nearly anywhere on the court, he has incredible handles, a knack for creating off the dribble, and the skills of a combo guard with the ability to create for teammates with very good court vision and passing.-Sean Sullivan

I think Ledo could go surprisingly high. Lot's of people suggest he is the best shooter in the draft. Although he doesn't "wow" athletically, he has a high basketball IQ. He has been getting lots of workouts with teams.

[em0526]

With the 36th pick of the 2013 draft - the Sacramento Kings select Ryan Kelly from Duke University. Last year the Kings made a run at Ryan Anderson because of their need for a stretch-4. Kelly can fill that need with his shooting touch and intelligent play.

[theAlaskanBear]

With the 36th pick of the 2013 draft - the Sacramento Kings select Ryan Kelly from Duke University. Last year the Kings made a run at Ryan Anderson because of their need for a stretch-4. Kelly can fill that need with his shooting touch and intelligent play.

Love it. I really wanted to take Ryan at 33, but ultimately couldn't justify a 3rd big man in this draft, given that they already have Varejao, Thompson, Zeller.

[Bob Green]

With the 36th pick of the 2013 draft - the Sacramento Kings select Ryan Kelly from Duke University.

I worry about Ryan Kelly's foot. Having injured it at the end of his junior season and again during his senior season, teams will have to factor his long term health into the decision.

[BD80]

Lot of red flags come up when you hear the name Ricky Ledo. Prep coach said " the single worst human being I'd ever been associated with on a basketball court”. Ricky Ledo is without question a very talented young prospect who was one of the best scorers out of the entire class of 2012. In addition to his ability to get to the hoop and score from nearly anywhere on the court, he has incredible handles, a knack for creating off the dribble, and the skills of a combo guard with the ability to create for teammates with very good court vision and passing.-Sean Sullivan

I wonder how much the Aaron Hernandez situation will impact the draft. If Bill Belichick and the Pats can't keep an "at risk" guy on the straight & narrow, what chance do NBA teams have with younger kids, more travel, higher salaries, less veteran leadership?

Interesting article on "at risk" players. Cites Pacman Jones as a success story.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/aaron-hernandez-maurice-clarett-michael-vick-ray-lewis-wrong-crowd-can-doom-players-062013

Notes that the Falcons required Roddy White to dump his posse before they'd give him a big money extension. Bet the Pats wish they had done the same with Hernandez.

[BD80]

I wonder how much the Aaron Hernandez situation will impact the draft. If Bill Belichick and the Pats can't keep an "at risk" guy on the straight & narrow, what chance do NBA teams have with younger kids, more travel, higher salaries, less veteran leadership?

Interesting article on "at risk" players. Cites Pacman Jones as a success story.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/aaron-hernandez-maurice-clarett-michael-vick-ray-lewis-wrong-crowd-can-doom-players-062013

Notes that the Falcons required Roddy White to dump his posse before they'd give him a big money extension. Bet the Pats wish they had done the same with Hernandez.

More specifically, how will fans respond to their teams drafting "at risk" players? Will they be embarrassed enough to withhold financial support? Does it factor into a GM's draft decision? Hernandez has dealt a pretty severe blow to the Patriots' brand.

[theAlaskanBear]

I wonder how much the Aaron Hernandez situation will impact the draft. If Bill Belichick and the Pats can't keep an "at risk" guy on the straight & narrow, what chance do NBA teams have with younger kids, more travel, higher salaries, less veteran leadership?

Interesting article on "at risk" players. Cites Pacman Jones as a success story.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/aaron-hernandez-maurice-clarett-michael-vick-ray-lewis-wrong-crowd-can-doom-players-062013

Notes that the Falcons required Roddy White to dump his posse before they'd give him a big money extension. Bet the Pats wish they had done the same with Hernandez.

I am more than a little uncomfortable at comparing any young athlete, Ricky Ledo included, with someone who might be charged in connection with a murder...can we not go there? OTher than being young, and being athletes...do they have anything in common? Unless you can cite specific off-court incidents...lets, just...don't.

[tommy]

With the 37th pick in the draft, the Detroit Pistons select Kenny Kadji, forward out of Miami.

Duke fans are of course quite familiar with Kadji, who was a major force for the team that was the best in the ACC for much of last season. He actually emerged the year before as a critical piece in a rising Miami squad, and only improved as a senior.

We here in the Detroit front office realize that we need guys who can space the floor, guys who can hit long-range shots consistently. We assumed we would get that player in the first round, but when Anthony Bennett inexplicably fell to us, we couldn't help but grab the stud freshman out of UNLV. After getting Bennett, we assumed we'd get our floor spacer in the second round and that he would be a backcourt player, but again, not the way it's turning out. Kadji is a guy who is a legit 6'11", long and athletic. He has legitimate long range shooting ability, and with how high his release point is, his shot is almost unblockable. While he preferred the catch and shoot to anything else, he did also show the ability to go inside when necessary. And though not a great rebounder, his work on the defensive glass improved this year, in particular when Hurricanes round mound Reggie Johnson was out with an injury. Kadji also was a key cog in what was a very good Hurricanes defense.

Kadji is also 25 years old. He has the body of a fully matured man, and the temperament of one as well. He's ready to be a pro and to step in and contribute right away. We feel that with Bennett and Kadji being added to Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe, we have one of the best, if not the best, young frontcourts in basketball, one with plenty of room to grow further, and hopefully this will mean we will not have to draft another 4 or 5 man for years to come. We know we still need some help on the wing, including more shooting, but feel that we can get that via free agency, as we have plenty of room still under the cap. Kadji is going to be a very good player off the bench, a guy who the opponent is going to have to account for in a big way, or he will make them pay. Everyone in the ACC surely knows that.

[roywhite]

No doubt Kadji is an intriguing prospect. In addition to his height and length, he has some serious hops -- 38 inch (34 inch from standing) vertical at the draft combine. Kenny seems to prefer the perimeter, but certainly has the tools for the interior. He's also older than Kevin Durant.

[FerryFor50]

No doubt Kadji is an intriguing prospect. In addition to his height and length, he has some serious hops -- 38 inch (34 inch from standing) vertical at the draft combine. Kenny seems to prefer the perimeter, but certainly has the tools for the interior. He's also older than Kevin Durant.

Could end up like another Charlie Villanueva...

[Li_Duke]

The state of the Wizards is:
Bigs:
C Nene Hilario 6-11 - Injury prone center who plays at a near all-star level when he's healthy. Still 3 years left on his contract.
C Emeka Okafor 6-10 - Solid center who Wizards have played out of position at PF. In the last year of his contract.
PF Kevin Seraphin 6-9 - Tough aggressive defender with a mid-ranged jumper. Only 23. In the last year of his contract, but we intend to keep him as part of our future (provided it is at the right price).
PF Trevor Booker 6-8 - Tough hustling high-energy undersized power forward that fits our new culture. In the last year of his contract, but we intend to keep him (provided it is at the right price).
PF Cartier Martin 6-7 - Mid-season pick-up at the minimum. He stretched the floor last year with 1.4 3s at a 40% clip in 41 games. He's not a good defender, but we'll keep him around to help space the floor for Wall.

Wings:
SF Martell Webster 6-7 - Provided 3s (1.8 3s per game at a 42% clip) and D as a starter last year. He's a free agent and at age 26, may still improve. We're aiming to resign him, but we won't overpay for him.
SF Trevor Ariza 6-8 - Good defender but not a great shooter. He still has a year worth on his deal.
SF Jan Vesely 6-11 - Lottery pick who has disappointed so far. He's athletic and young and may discover how to play basketball. His biggest contribution is bringing his hot girlfriend out on social outings.
SF/PF Chris Singleton 6-8 - Promising defender but with limited offensive skills. Only 23, so hopefully he can continue to improve.
SG Bradley Beal 6-5 - Promising guard whose ceiling has been compared to Ray Allen. He made the all-rookie team last year despite only playing in 56 games due to injuries.
SG Garrett Temple 6-6 - Below replacement level 27 year old SG who still played 22.7 minutes/game in 51 games because of injuries to Wall and Beal and lack of depth. He's a free agent this year.

Point Guard:
PG John Wall 6-4 - One of the best young PG in the league. He's Flash on the court with great court vision, but unfortunately can't shoot. Hopefully we can improve his shot over time, but for now, we need to put him next to players who can stretch the floor.
PG A.J. Price 6-2 - 3rd string SG free agent who still played 22.4 minutes/game in 57 games because of injuries to Wall and Beal and lack of depth. He's a free agent this year who we'll either resign or look for another PG at the minimum for depth.

Draft Picks:
SG Victor Oladipo 6-4 - Currently a Tony Allen type, he'll back up Beal while continuing to develop his outside shot. He'll be a big upgrade over Temple and may be in line for more minutes backing up Ariza at SF if we can't resign Morrow.

Summary:
Nene, Wall, and Beal are the long-term solutions at C, SG, and PG. Resigning Morrow gives us a starting-level 3 and D SF. Seraphin and Oladipo give us long-term solid-rotation defense-first PF and SG who can develop offensively. Booker and Singleton are role-players who fit the defense-first culture at the forward spots. Okafor and Ariza are solid rotation players but we may not keep them after this season if they are 1) looking to be guaranteed starters or 2) not willing to take a big pay cut.

Draft needs:
We don't have any major needs, but rather want to make tweaks to improve our overall roster. We could use another power forward that can stretch the floor - one with greater size and promise as a defender than Cartier Martin. We could use a back-up PG that would be an upgrade over A.J. Price. We may want an insurance policy at SF if we can't resign Morrow at good value. We could use a young center who can develop into a quality back-up for Nene once Okafor's contract expires. We could use an efficient scorer off the bench.

The pick:
Calvin (We're making him retire the C.J.) Leslie has first round talent with 2nd round IQ. He fills the need of giving us depth at small forward (especially needed if we can't resign Morrow) and/or as a stretch power-forward. Leslie could be the type of find the Wizards have scored in the past with Blatche, Young, and McGee, except without the drawbacks. He doesn't come with the off-court troubles of Blatche or the selfishness of Young. And he can't possibly have as low a basketball IQ as McGee. He can't, right?

[CDu]

At the risk of jinxing things, I'm pleased with the pace of picks in the 2nd round so far. Maybe we'll manage to finish before the draft occurs!

I'll also say that I love the picks in the second round. For a weak draft, there still appears to be lots of quality well into the second round. This draft is probably short on star power, but it has a lot of guys who could be solid contributors for a long time.

[tommy]

At the risk of jinxing things, I'm pleased with the pace of picks in the 2nd round so far. Maybe we'll manage to finish before the draft occurs!

I'll also say that I love the picks in the second round. For a weak draft, there still appears to be lots of quality well into the second round. This draft is probably short on star power, but it has a lot of guys who could be solid contributors for a long time.

I think you jinxed them. :)

[brevity]

I think you jinxed them. :)

blev23 makes the next two picks for Portland. A military emergency explained his (her?) absence in the first round, and he (she?) certainly seemed to look forward to doing the second round. Maybe a mod could send a gentle reminder tonight or tomorrow morning?

[CDu]

I think you jinxed them. :)

There is no other possible explanation. Sorry everybody. I take full responsibility. :(

[Newton_14]

blev23 makes the next two picks for Portland. A military emergency explained his (her?) absence in the first round, and he (she?) certainly seemed to look forward to doing the second round. Maybe a mod could send a gentle reminder tonight or tomorrow morning?


I'm on it. PM'ing now. Hopefully we can get this thing going again.

[blev23]

Ok let's try this again. I'm going to the perimeter this time. The Trailblazers select DeShaun Thomas from The Ohio State University. I don't see a wing on the current Blazers roster that can consistently put the ball in the basket like Thomas. Batum is an ok scorer but I see DeShaun as more of a night in night out guy that will help out more in that department. We may lose a little defensively as Batun is a couple inches longer but as we know DeShaun can flat out fill it up. At a minimum the Blazers will now have the option at the 3 spot to go offense or defense depending on the situation. Now excuse me while I return to the war room for our next pick.

[mattman91]

Ok let's try this again. I'm going to the perimeter this time. The Trailblazers select DeShaun Thomas from The Ohio State University. I don't see a wing on the current Blazers roster that can consistently put the ball in the basket like Thomas. Batum is an ok scorer but I see DeShaun as more of a night in night out guy that will help out more in that department. We may lose a little defensively as Batun is a couple inches longer but as we know DeShaun can flat out fill it up. At a minimum the Blazers will now have the option at the 3 spot to go offense or defense depending on the situation. Now excuse me while I return to the war room for our next pick.

Nice pick, forgot about that guy. I think he will be a solid player in the league.

[blev23]

With the 40th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft the Portland Trailblazers select Erik Murphy from Florida. While Murphy may not jump off the highlight reel like some guys rated above him he does posses one quality that stands out in my eyes. HE IS A BIG MAN FROM FLORIDA. Really can anyone remember the last big man (6-9 & above) from Florida that underachieved after spending at least a couple of years under Billy Donovan. Think about it.....David Lee, Noah, Speights, Horford!!!! They've all been great. Its not all about these other guys though as he does posses his own talents. Murphy's ability to stretch the floor will create more space for Aldridge to operate. They may suffer a little rebounding wise and maybe defensively but the guy has improved in those areas every year. No need to think that trend, along with the Florida big man pipeline will end now.

[Chicago 1995]

Memphis: James Southerland, SF, Syracuse

The Grizz were close this year, and are a team built on a defensive identity. They need to get some punch scoring on the wings, or at least someone who can score in transition and work with Conley to be more opportunistic. Bayless is a FA and not likely to be back. Allen's a great defender, but not a scorer. Prince is falling apart. They need a wing to take the next step forward.

They could also use some frontcourt depth. There's a big drop off between Gasol and Randolph and everyone else. I'm gambling I can fill that hole with a later pick. Going international here is possible. The Grizz are up against the cap. Taking a Euro that can be stashed abroad makes some sense.

Thomas would have been a consideration had he been there. His offense would have been a big boost. Offense is why I'm considering James Southerland here too. Southerland is a one-dimensional specialist, but at this point in the draft, that's about all you can hope for. There are a couple of wings that are more defensive specialists that need to develop on the offensive end. Carrick Felix is one of those guys. It's possible Memphis, rather than taking a spotty, one-dimensional offensive player, doubles down on D. Brandon Paul is a consideration here because he's an elite college defender who can shoot some. James Ennis is also a consideration because of his athleticism and potential.

Paul's almost the pick because his defensive skills fit with what the Grizz did on that end of the floor, and he's much more polished offensive player than Felix or Ennis.

Going with James Southerland because of his shooting skill. He's an NBA shooter right now. He's the only guy in this group that has a sure fire NBA skill. He should help space the floor for Z-Bo and Gasol. Maybe run the floor with Conley. Most of all, he can give Memphis some shooting punch off the bench. Needed. .

[Bob Green]

An updated board would be helpful!

First Round:


Cleveland - theAlaskanBear - Otto Porter
Orlando - coldriver10 - Nerlens Noel
Washington - Li_Duke - Victor Oladipo
Charlotte - Newton14 - Ben McLemore
Phoenix - Bob Green - Alex Len
New Orleans - brevity - Michael Carter-Williams
Sacramento - em0526 - Trey Burke
Detroit - tommy - Anthony Bennett
Minnesota - Ichabod Drain - Shabazz Muhammed
Portland - blev23 - Steven Adams
Philadelphia - rhcpflea99 - CJ McCollum
Oklahoma City - pfrduke - Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Dallas - NSDukeFan - Cody Zeller
Utah - HCheek37 - Shane Larkin
Milwaukee - FerryFor50 - Kelly Olynyk
Boston - flyingdutchdevil - Gorgui Dieng
Atlanta - Jason Evans - Mason Plumlee
Atlanta - Jason Evans - Dennis Schroeder
Cleveland - theAlaskanBear - Rudy Gobert
Chicago - CDu - Jamaal Franklin
Utah - HCheek37 - Lucas Nogueira
Brooklyn - JNort - Tim Hardaway, jr
Indiana - luburch - Isaiah Canaan
New York - NovaScotian - Tony Snell
LA Clippers - ice-9 - Allen Crabbe
Minnesota - Ichabod Drain - Jeff Withey
Denver - Duvall - Reggie Bullock
San Antonio - mattman91 - Eric Green
Oklahoma City - pfrduke - Sergey Karasev
Phoenix - Bob Green - Glen Rice, jr


Second round


Cleveland - theAlaskanBear - Mike Muscala
Oklahoma City - pfrduke - Giannis Adetokunbo
Cleveland - theAlaskanBear - Livio Jean-Charles
Houston - roywhite - Tony Mitchell
Philadelphia - rhcpflea99 - Ricky Ledo
Sacramento - em0526 -Ryan Kelly
Detroit - tommy - Kenny Kadji
Washington - Li_Duke - C.J. Leslie
Portland - blev23 - DeShaun Thomas
Portland - blev23 - Erik Murphy
Memphis - Chicago 1995 - James Southerland
Philadelphia - rhcpflea99 - Jackie Carmichael
Milwaukee - FerryFor50 - Nate Wolters
Dallas - NSDukeFan
Portland - blev23
Utah - HCheek37
Atlanta - JasonEvans
LA Lakers - awhom111
Chicago - CDu
Atlanta - JasonEvans
Orlando - coldriver10
Minnesota - Ichabod Drain
Indiana - luburch
Washington - Li_Duke
Memphis - Chicago 1995
Detroit - tommy
Phoenix - Bob Green
San Antonio - mattman91
Minnesota - Ichabod Drain
Memphis - Chicago 1995

[JasonEvans]

Notes that the Falcons required Roddy White to dump his posse before they'd give him a big money extension. Bet the Pats wish they had done the same with Hernandez.

Hernandez is dropping his posse... one member at a time.

Thank you very much. Don't forget to tip your waitress.

-Jason

[Bluedog]

Notes that the Falcons required Roddy White to dump his posse before they'd give him a big money extension. Bet the Pats wish they had done the same with Hernandez.


Hernandez is dropping his posse... one member at a time.

Thank you very much. Don't forget to tip your waitress.

-Jason

hahaha. Roddy White is a big time Duke fan and gets flack for it from people on twitter, so I'm always on White's side. ;)

[rhcpflea99]

Sixers select Jackie Carmichael.
I will do a write up later.

[FerryFor50]

With the 13th pick of the 2nd round, Milwaukee selects PG Nate Wolters of South Dakota St.

With Montae Ellis likely to leave, the Bucks are looking for another scoring guard. At 6'5", Wolters provides good size at the position. With a little seasoning, Wolters can be a viable option to spell Brandon Jennings or JJ Redik (provided he re-signs with the Bucks).

From NBA Draft Net:

Strengths: Big lead guard with a flashy skill set and excellent scoring ability ... Crafty and experienced ... A wizard with the ball in his hands showing a yoyo handle, and great change of speed and hesitation moves ... Imaginative playmaker ... Game shows a lot of style as he sort of glides around the court with the ball in his hands ... Makes everything look easy ...Very adept at running the pick and roll, showing terrific ability to make quick decisions with the ball in his hands ... 5.8/2.3 a/to numbers display high level ball protection and decision making ... Despite lacking a lightning first step is very shifty and shows a strong ability to break down defenders with a tremendous handle ... Possesses a deadly crossover ... A better scorer than shooter .. Shooting showed significant improvement in senior year. 49% FG, 38% 3P, and 81% Ft ... Hit just under two 3 pointers per game showing a strong ability to pull up off the dribble ... Displays a lot of midrange ability, utilizing tear drops and runners to perfection ... Deceptive quickness. 6'5 size helps to overcome speed and athleticism issues ... Shows the ability to get his hips by opponents and then use leverage to keep an angle to the basket ...

Weaknesses: Athleticism is below average by NBA standards ... Not a great leaper ... May struggle some defensively. Foot speed, particularly laterally, is a concern ... Separation ability is a question mark as well ... Not a strong player and could get pushed around some. Needs to get stronger to be able to finish without being knocked off balance easily ... Outside jumper still must add consistency. Shot appears a little flat and while he hits the 3 ball at a high volume, should work on gaining a higher release point ... Ball dominant guard so will need to prove that he's truly talented enough to run the show to bring his full value to a team ... Playing in the Summit League, it's harder for scouts to gauge of his abilities as his level of competition wasn't top notch night in and night out ... Will he be able to get shots and utilize his great handle to get by elite level athletes in the NBA?

Notes: Has drawn comparisons to "Pistol" Pete Maravich from NBA scouts due to his dazzling ball skills ... A prolific scorer ... Put up 53 points in a game. The most in 4 seasons ... Led the Jackrabbits to a huge win over Washington as a junior. A team consisting of two first rounders (Terrence Ross and Tony Wroten) in their backcourt ... There is a wide range of opinions among scouts on him. Some love his potential, while others question his ability to make it in the league ...

[CDu]

With the 13th pick of the 2nd round, Milwaukee selects PG Nate Wolters of South Dakota St.

Wolters is a really interesting player. I'm sure it won't take long for the Steve Nash comparisons to start flowing in (white, "soft", incredibly-skilled but lacking athleticism, coming from a lower-tier program). If he can adjust to the speed/athleticism of the NBA game and find the right program, he could be a real gem of a find in the second round.

[Li_Duke]

Wolters is a really interesting player. I'm sure it won't take long for the Steve Nash comparisons to start flowing in (white, "soft", incredibly-skilled but lacking athleticism, coming from a lower-tier program). If he can adjust to the speed/athleticism of the NBA game and find the right program, he could be a real gem of a find in the second round.

Agreed. I almost picked him over Leslie for the Wizards.

[NSDukeFan]

With the 14th selection of the 2013 DBR Mock Draft, the DBR Mock Dallas Mavericks select Pierre Jackson from Baylor University.

I'll get my pick in first and explain reasoning later.

[NSDukeFan]

With the 14th selection of the 2013 DBR Mock Draft, the DBR Mock Dallas Mavericks select Pierre Jackson from Baylor University.

I'll get my pick in first and explain reasoning later.

We, the Dallas Mavericks mock GM and staff, were considering a few prospects for this pick. Nate Wolters was certainly under consideration until he was selected the previous pick. We had also been looking at DeShaun Thomas, a very good college scorer who we thought might slip to this pick. We also considered Seth Curry, a brilliant college scorer who gutted out his senior year playing injured all year. We feel he would be an excellent pick for someone, but we would have preferred to have seen how he could perform healthy before using a draft pick on him. The other player we were highly considering was Lorenzo Brown from NC State, who has good size and put up very good assist numbers the past couple of years.

In the end, we had to go with a player that seems to be able to get wherever he wants on the court and create for both himself and others. Pierre Jackson has great quickness, great offensive skills as shown by his 19.8 ppg and 7.1 apg. At under 5'10, he might struggle defensively against bigger guards, but in a league dominated by point guards, teams will also struggle to keep him out of the paint and creating. He should thank Nate Robinson and other small, quick guards who have shown how an undersized, good scoring guard can still have a place in the league.

[blev23]

With the 15th pick the Portland Trailblazers select James Ennis from Long Beach State University..

I'll be honest and say that I have never seen Ennis play an entire game. I'm comfortable making this pick anyway because every time I did see him he was in the midst of taking over that particular game. The guy is a freak athlete and there's always room in the NBA for that type. At a bare minimum, Ennis would serve as a high energy guy off the bench ala JR Smith. Averaged 7 rbs a game in college and is a beast in the open court. Portland doesn't have anyone on their current roster with his athleticism. Should be a decent building block for the future.

[Newton_14]

Guys I deleted the post that selected a player already picked and replies. Please note the list of picks in the first post in the thread has been updated almost immediately after every selection has been made. Please insure to check post 1 of the thread before making your selections. It is very time consuming to try to update 3 or 4 lists posted in various places in the thread after each pick has been made. That's why post number 1 should be checked as that is the list updated in real time and should be the only list used as the point of reference.

Thanks!

[HCheek37]

With the 16th pick in the 2nd round, the Utah Jazz select Andre Roberson, a 6'7" forward from CU. He is a rebounding machine averaging 7.8 as a freshmen and over 11 rpg in his sophmore and junior years. He fits in the mold of a Kawhi Leonard with his skill set.

Another plus for the Jazz is that he is used to playing in altitude from his years in the Rockies. He will be a perfect 4 against small ball teams and will also team up with former teammate Alec Burks from the 2010-2011 CU squad that was a point away from the Final of the NIT.

He will need to work on his shooting but with a motor and instincts like his, most teams will find a spot for him to get some minutes and be productive. His 2 steals per game and around a block and a half per game are very welcomed at the sf position.

[JasonEvans]

...Archie Goodwin, SG, Kentucky.

At this point in the 2nd round, you are not likely to get a kid who will be a significant contributor for your team from day one. So, I say this is where you take a flier on either an international kid or a youngster who might someday develop. Goodwin certainly qualifies in the latter category. Just a few months ago, he was considered a very likely lottery pick... then Kentucky's season went downhill and he went with it. Everyone figured out he couldn't shoot so they sagged off of him and made it harder for him to use his freak athleticism to drive to the basket. But, the kid is a freak (and he has excellent length, 6-10 wingspan) and if he ever develops any kind of jumpshot, he can be a real player in the league. I'll likely stash him in the Developmental League for a season and have him do nothing but shoot jumpers all day long.

If he figures out how to shoot a bit, I will have gotten a potential starting SG from a mid-2nd round pick. If not, I merely wasted a mid-2nd round pick. No biggie.

-Jason "I looked at a couple of the international players, like Alex Abrines of Spain, but went with the kid who has lottery athleticism" Evans

[JasonEvans]

So you don't have to go back to page one... here is where the 2nd round stands.


Cleveland - theAlaskanBear - Mike Muscala
Oklahoma City - pfrduke - Giannis Adetokunbo
Cleveland - theAlaskanBear - Livio Jean-Charles
Houston - roywhite - Tony Mitchell
Philadelphia - rhcpflea99 - Ricky Ledo
Sacramento - em0526 -Ryan Kelly
Detroit - tommy - Kenny Kadji
Washington - Li_Duke - C.J. Leslie
Portland - blev23 - DeShaun Thomas
Portland - blev23 - Erik Murphy
Memphis - Chicago 1995 - James Southerland
Philadelphia - rhcpflea99 - Jackie Carmichael
Milwaukee - FerryFor50 - Nate Wolters
Dallas - NSDukeFan- Pierre Jackson
Portland - blev23- James Ennis
Utah - HCheek37 - Andre Roberson
Atlanta - JasonEvans - Archie Goodwin
LA Lakers - awhom111 - Alex Abrines
Chicago - CDu - Colton Iverson
Atlanta - JasonEvans - Lorenzo Brown
Orlando - coldriver10 - Carrick Felix
Minnesota - Ichabod Drain - Myck Kabongo
Indiana - luburch - Marko Todorovic
Washington - Li_Duke - Grant Jerrett
Memphis - Chicago 1995 - Bojan Dubljevic
Detroit - tommy - Ray McCallum
Phoenix - Bob Green - Solomon Hill
San Antonio - mattman91
Minnesota - Ichabod Drain
Memphis - Chicago 1995

[awhom111]

The Los Angeles Lakers have a couple of different directions to go with this pick. Regardless of whether Dwight Howard re-signs or not, the team is going to be well over the salary cap and likely the luxury tax threshold as well. While amnesty is a possibility, the team is likely going to have to stick with what they have and try to fill in any missing pieces. Due to the age of some key players and the fact that nearly every existing contract is set to expire after the 2013-2014 season, this is probably still going to be the biggest chance for the Lakers to have a guaranteed solid season before some rebuilding is likely going to be needed. Towards that end, this draft pick could easily be used on an upperclassman who would be ready to contribute to the team this season. On the other hand, it might be a good idea to try to make a pick that could be a part of the team going forward once the rebuilding process gets underway. An international player with upside could be stashed overseas for several years to keep the payroll down for now until the player is ready to be a part of the rotation.

In terms of positions of need, the team really could use a lot more depth than can be added by just one pick this late in the draft. There are a lot of point guards on the roster, but youth is needed at this position. A scorer at either the 2 or 3 would be helpful as a bench option and filling in for an injured Kobe or if anything happens to Mr. Peace. Obviously the situation in the post will depend heavily on Dwight Howard, but depth is sorely needed here too with more health-related question marks.

I had my eye on a couple of the older players that were recently drafted and I am not sold on any of the ones that remain. Some of the younger prospects will need a little bit of babysitting before they can contribute. That left me with an international prospect who I think will be a pretty solid scorer when he is ready to come over. While he spent most of the year sitting behind more experienced players after his move from Malaga to Barcelona, Alejandro Abrines delivered several impressive performances in big games filling in for injured players. This is a player who can be a part of our rebuilding process in the future as he does not turn 20 until later this summer. He has even prepared for his move by going by Alex instead of Alejandro. Here are his statistics:
http://www.euroleague.net/competition/players/showplayer?pcode=003478&clubcode=BAR&seasoncode=e2012
http://www.acb.com/stsacumjug.php?cod_jugador=SHD

[CDu]

Well, as I mentioned in the first round, the Bulls have three glaring needs: a backup big, a playmaking wing to complement Rose, and a shooter. We hope to have addressed the playmaker in Franklin, so that leaves shooter and big. We have decided that shooting can be found via free agency, so we are going big. With the 49th pick, the Bulls select Colton Iverson, C, Colorado State.

Iverson is not a flashy pick. He doesn't leap tall buildings in a single bound. He isn't a shot eraser. But he is 7'0", 260, and he isn't afraid to mix it up inside. We have an athletic PF off the bench (Gibson), so Iverson fits nicely next to Gibson and behind Noah. He can rebound, can body up bigs, and can score a bit too. Just a good option as a backup big.

[FerryFor50]

Well, as I mentioned in the first round, the Bulls have three glaring needs: a backup big, a playmaking wing to complement Rose, and a shooter. We hope to have addressed the playmaker in Franklin, so that leaves shooter and big. We have decided that shooting can be found via free agency, so we are going big. With the 49th pick, the Bulls select Colton Iverson, C, Colorado State.

Iverson is not a flashy pick. He doesn't leap tall buildings in a single bound. He isn't a shot eraser. But he is 7'0", 260, and he isn't afraid to mix it up inside. We have an athletic PF off the bench (Gibson), so Iverson fits nicely next to Gibson and behind Noah. He can rebound, can body up bigs, and can score a bit too. Just a good option as a backup big.

Good pick. Fits right into the Thibodeau mentality. Big bruiser... ;)

[JasonEvans]

... Lorenzo Brown, PG, NC State.

I was sure I was going to take a Euro with this pick, but I can't believe Brown is still on the board. Most mocks have him going in the first 5-10 picks of the 2nd round so I think I am getting a bit of a steal here.

Brown has good size and strength for an NBA PG, though he is not an elite athlete. He is a creative distributor and takes care of the ball nicely. He is not much of a scorer or shooter, but finishes really well in the lane.

Look, there are no likely NBA starters left in the draft at this point. I think Brown can be a capable backup PG for the Hawks and seeing as my other 2nd round pick is not going to contribute anything right away, I went with a guy who has a chance to compete a bit for some playing time.

-Jason "I dunno... I may really regret this pick... it felt so good when I started to make it and now my enthusiasm is waning" Evans

[Bob Green]

... Lorenzo Brown, PG, NC State.

...I can't believe Brown is still on the board.

Brown has good size and strength for an NBA PG, though he is not an elite athlete. He is a creative distributor and takes care of the ball nicely. He is not much of a scorer or shooter, but finishes really well in the lane.

I had my eye on Brown so I was hoping he would continue to fall. His size will be a real asset in the NBA.

[coldriver10]

The Orlando Magic brass is disappointed that players they were targeting, including Archie Goodwin and Lorenzo Brown, were both selected by JasonEvans in the past few picks (Jason, we'll see you in the parking lot after work). Having said that, we are pleased to draft Carrick Felix, an athletic SG with defensive tenacity and budding offensive potential. While some may consider this an overdraft, we feel Carrick, with his size and athleticism, has the ability to exceed expectations and become a regular in our rotation.

(In my ideal world, I would take McLemore with the 2nd overall pick and then the best available between PG/PF/C with this pick. But since in this mock draft we went Nerlens with the 2nd pick, I had to go with either potential at SG or relative mediocrity at PG. I went with the former.)

Minnesota (Ichabod Drain) is on the clock.

[Ichabod Drain]

Although Myck missed most the season for Texas last year, in the games he played his production significantly increased from his freshman year. He averaged 15 points and five and a half helpers in his 11 games for the Longhorns last year. He is a high energy point guard with lots of speed. While he does have some control issues he also has a lot of upside and is still young. Put some scorers around this kid and he could be very dangerous.

[JasonEvans]

Although Myck missed most the season for Texas last year, in the games he played his production significantly increased from his freshman year. He averaged 15 points and five and a half helpers in his 11 games for the Longhorns last year. He is a high energy point guard with lots of speed. While he does have some control issues he also has a lot of upside and is still young. Put some scorers around this kid and he could be very dangerous.

Love this pick. Another kid who seemed, at one time, to be lottery material who slipped out of favor. I won't be even mildly surprised if he turns into a solid rotation player in the NBA, which would be the sign of a very successful late-2nd round pick. I came very close to taking him instead of Lorenzo Brown, but I liked Brown's physical size and handle better.

-Jason "less than 10 picks to go!" Evans

[luburch]

With the 23rd pick in the second round the Indiana Pacers select Marko Todorovic from Serbia.

Marko is a 6-11 power forward with the ability to play inside and out. If the Pacers are able to resign David West then he can sit behind him for two years and adapt to the game of the NBA or continue to hone his game overseas before making the transition to the league.

[Li_Duke]

A freshman out of Arizona, Grant Jerrett is a raw big (6'10+) with an NBA ready outside shot. He needs to improve his body, but he has a lot of upside both offensively and defensively. Right now, he's probably D-league material, but in a couple years, he could give us a quality rotation PF/C who can stretch the floor.

Besides, his first name is Grant. We're partial to basketball players whose first name is Grant.

[JNort]

With the 22nd pick the Brooklyn Nets select Tim Hardaway Jr!

Been away a lot lately and didn't have time to justify my pick so here goes:

I was really hoping to get Kentavious Caldwell Pope but it appears he was high on some other peoples draft boards as well. At this point in the draft I figured I would go with a guy who could provide scoring off the bench. The Nets have no guard depth on the roster (Starters are playing 42 mins and 39 mins) and the guards on the bench all combine for 10ppg thats 3 guys combining for 10 points! Hardaway should be able to come in and provide at least that on his own as a 6th or 7th man right away. Hardaway also has decent enough ability to handle the ball in spot duties while Deron Williams takes a breather.

[awhom111]

With the 23rd pick in the second round the Indiana Pacers select Marko Todorovic from Serbia.

Marko is a 6-11 power forward with the ability to play inside and out. If the Pacers are able to resign David West then he can sit behind him for two years and adapt to the game of the NBA or continue to hone his game overseas before making the transition to the league.

He is from Montenegro and not Serbia. A very solid pick although he is likely to stay overseas at FC Barcelona for a little while longer.

[Chicago 1995]

I'd hoped that Colton Iverson would slide to this point. I think he fits the Grizz pretty well and fills a need. They need depth up front, so Dwayne Dedmon is a consideration but I don't think much of him.

Going Euro. Bojan Dubljevic. I suspect he's going to be stashed in Europe for another year, but if not, he's a face up 4 that can play pick and roll. He's already playing and producing for Valencia in Spain. Can likely play right away if the Grizz want to spend the month. He's only going to be average on D, but as a change for ZBo (assuming ZBo is back), he'll be nice. He can help spread the floor and create space for Mike Conley, and should play well with and off of Gasol.

Good enough fit at this point.

[tommy]

With our final pick in this year's draft, the Pistons select hometown hero Ray McCallum.

We have solidified our frontcourt with our earlier selections of Anthony Bennett and Kenny Kadji, and now it's time to work on the backcourt. With our preference to move Brandon Knight to play off the ball, and with our re-signing of holdover point guard Carlos Arroyo a question mark, the 6'1" McCallum makes sense. He has an excellent handle, drives effectively to the hoop, sees the floor well, and can really distribute. Definitely makes his teammates better in that respect. He scored almost 19 a game as a junior last year at the University of Detroit, where he shouldered both the scoring and playmaking roles. His shooting has never been his strong suit, though, but it did improve last year, and we think that without the pressure to me the primary scorer, McCallum's shot selection, and therefore his percentages, will improve further.

McCallum has a solid, 190 lb. body, and is an excellent rebounder for a player his size, grabbing over 5 per game last season. He has good lateral quickness defensively, and has a nose for the ball, getting 2 steals per game. Ray is a good athlete, but not an elite one, but he is highly skilled and plays extremely hard. Those attributes tend to make up for a lot.

Ray is a coach's son, having played for his dad at the U. of D. That's certainly a plus to have in a point guard.

McCallum is not going to come in and start, in all likelihood. But the former McDonald's All-American is an excellent two-way guard, physically tough, high on skill and desire, low on ego, and he's smart out there. That'll take a guy a long way. And being from Detroit and having spurned offers to take his talents elsewhere for college in order to stay home and play for his dad, he will be a crowd favorite for sure.

Ray McCallum it is.

p.s. Trivia quiz: In 1978, the Pistons used their first two selections in the draft to pick players from the University of Detroit (they've only picked one other Titan since then.) Name the two players and, more memorably, the coach who selected them.

[Bob Green]

With our 3rd and final pick in the 2013 Draft, the Phoenix Suns select Solomon Hill from Arizona. Hill has good size at 6'7" 225 and made 42% of his 3-point attempts as a Senior. While not an amazing athlete, Hill has solid skills to score the ball, which is what we are looking for at SF/SG.

[BD80]

With our final pick in this year's draft, the Pistons select hometown hero Ray McCallum.

We have solidified our frontcourt with our earlier selections of Anthony Bennett and Kenny Kadji, and now it's time to work on the backcourt. ...

p.s. Trivia quiz: In 1978, the Pistons used their first two selections in the draft to pick players from the University of Detroit (they've only picked one other Titan since then.) Name the two players and, more memorably, the coach who selected them.

Good picks, I only wish the 'Stons do so well.

Does your trivia Q take us back to the coaching days of Dickie V? I think he had hair back then.

As for the players, was one Terry Tyler? Mercy, this is a long-shot, the only other Titan I remember was John Long.

[Ichabod Drain]

Mbakwe may be a little undersized at the PF spot but he has a 7'4" wingspan and is an aggressive and tenacious rebounder. He will grab boards all day, block a couple shots, and make the shots he's capable of. Someone with a 7'4" wingspan and a mans body can make a living in the NBA. I honestly think he has an extremely high probability of becoming a rotation player early on, much more than some taken in the second round. Plus he's a hometown guy.

Did I mention he's 6'8" with a 7'4" wingspan!!!

[theAlaskanBear]

Mbakwe may be a little undersized at the PF spot but he has a 7'4" wingspan and is an aggressive and tenacious rebounder. He will grab boards all day, block a couple shots, and make the shots he's capable of. Someone with a 7'4" wingspan and a mans body can make a living in the NBA. I honestly think he has an extremely high probability of becoming a rotation player early on, much more than some taken in the second round. Plus he's a hometown guy.

Did I mention he's 6'8" with a 7'4" wingspan!!!

I strongly considered Mbakwe at 31 and 33, but Muscala was available. Trevor will be a rotation player in the NBA for sure. I see him as a Paul Millsapy forward in a best case scenario.

[luburch]

Mbakwe may be a little undersized at the PF spot but he has a 7'4" wingspan and is an aggressive and tenacious rebounder. He will grab boards all day, block a couple shots, and make the shots he's capable of. Someone with a 7'4" wingspan and a mans body can make a living in the NBA. I honestly think he has an extremely high probability of becoming a rotation player early on, much more than some taken in the second round. Plus he's a hometown guy.

Did I mention he's 6'8" with a 7'4" wingspan!!!

I considered Mbakwe as well, but his injury history and age scared me a little. However, with a second round pick it's a good gamble to take.

[tommy]

Good picks, I only wish the 'Stons do so well.

Does your trivia Q take us back to the coaching days of Dickie V? I think he had hair back then.

As for the players, was one Terry Tyler? Mercy, this is a long-shot, the only other Titan I remember was John Long.

Ding ding ding. Excellent! That's when we first shoulda been onto the myopia monster that is Dick Vitale. U of D coach gets hired by the Pistons and in his first draft selects not one but two of his own players from his college team onto his pro team. Both turned out to be ok but sheesh! Expand your horizons Dickie!

Now, for extra credit, who is the only U of D player drafted by the Pistons since Tyler and Long???

[JasonEvans]

With their fourth and final pick Minnesota selects Trevor Mbakwe, PF, Minnesota

Not
so
fast...

It was not your pick. San Antonio (Mattman) gets to pick first. We shall see if he decides to take Trevor. If not, your pick of him will stand.

-Jason "home stretch, guys! We are almost there!!" Evans

[Ichabod Drain]

Not
so
fast...

It was not your pick. San Antonio (Mattman) gets to pick first. We shall see if he decides to take Trevor. If not, your pick of him will stand.

-Jason "home stretch, guys! We are almost there!!" Evans

Ah, my mistake, could of swore it had me listed after Bob.

[mattman91]

Sorry for the delay guys.

The Mock Spurs select Peyton Siva from UL.

Between Erick Green and Peyton Siva, we feel one of these guys will be a solid rotation player in the league, if not starters.

Siva is a winner and a leader, and boy is he fast. Couldn't believe nobody picked this guy up yet

[CDu]

Lo and behold, I think we're actually going to finish this thing before the actual draft starts! Woohoo!

[JasonEvans]

Ichabod Drain's pick of Trevor Mbwebwkweke stands. We only await Chicago95 to finish this thing. He tells me his pick should be in within the next hour or so.

-Jason "anyone want to give some of us draft grades?" Evans

[Chicago 1995]

Lots of ways the Grizz could go here. They might take a second, more raw, Euro that they can stash and hope develops down the road.

Nemanja Nedovic is a guy they might consider in that role. He's a taller PG -- 6-4 -- but he's still learning to harness his impressive athleticism. He's not a great shooter and doesn't get to the line, but his size and athelticism are interesting. I'm not too enamored with any of the other Euro bigs.

Memphis could look at Dwayne Dedmon here. He's a 6-11 kid with great athleticism and a ton of upside because of it. But he's never actually shown that he can play the game at a high level. He's a very good rebounder and he can run the floor. That might get him second unit minutes eventually, but he seems like a big risk with a minimal chance for much reward.

Memphis could look at the local (college) kid DJ Stephens. I don't know that he had a position in the NBA, but I know the kid works his a** off, has been reported to be a good teammate and leader. And if you never saw Memphis play, Stephens is one of the most impressive leapers I've ever seen at the college level. He measured a 46" max vertical and he's fast. But he's only 6-5, 200 and he played the 4 in college, so he's got limited experience defending on the wing, and he's got no offensive game really at all. But he can jump and he plays hard.

Memphis could look at any of a host of wings that are available. I mentioned earlier considering Brandon Paul, and he's obviously still in the mix. Paul's also a strong leader and a guy that plays hard. Paul was one of the best defenders in the Big 10 the last two years, and he's capable of scoring in bunches. Ask Gonzaga or Ohio State. His offense, though, never found that consistency, and he's pretty limited with his dribble and he shouldn't be with his athleticism. Vander Blue is also a consideration here. Pretty similar player to Paul and he comes from a Marquette program that puts out tough guys that are pretty ready for the NBA physically. Blue's not the shooter Paul is. Mike Snaer is another guy that I kind of lump in with Paul and Blue. I don't think Snaer is the athlete those two are though. Rodney Williams is a guy I liked in college, but I don't think he's skilled enough to play in the NBA.

BJ Young is a talented kid from Arkansas, but he's got character issues and he really didn't get any better from year 1 to year 2 in Arkansas. Phil Pressey can be absolutely electric, but he lost his way last year at Missouri, trying to do too much. He's smaller than he's listed, I think, and he's not a physically tough as Pierre Jackson. DJ Cooper was a very good college player, but I don't know that he has NBA level athelticism for his size.

In the end, I'm going to go with a known quantity, rather than a Euro, and take Brandon Paul. Paul can knock down jumpers -- something Memphis needs -- and he'll defend on a second unit. It was down to him and Vander Blue, and Paul's shooting (and that I'm an Illinois guy, too) won out in the end over Blue, who I think and think will make a team next year.

[roywhite]

Ichabod Drain's pick of Trevor Mbwebwkweke stands. We only await Chicago95 to finish this thing. He tells me his pick should be in within the next hour or so.

-Jason "anyone want to give some of us draft grades?" Evans

The picks were very interesting....generally well-considered and well supported.
The commissioner showed an admirable amount of patience with a long process.
Unfortunately, some GM's were on the clock a bit too long, so the pace of action was slow at times.

A very worthwhile and entertaining feature of the board overall. Thanks much to Jason and the other mods who oversaw the process.

[brevity]

-Jason "anyone want to give some of us draft grades?" Evans

Mock draft grades? Oh boy. You won't see any from me -- I can't pretend to know enough to evaluate -- but I'd be interested to hear from others.

I want to thank theAlaskanBear for setting the tone for the rest of us. Picking Otto Porter #1, even in a mock situation, took guts, and required a thoughtful (and mock job-preserving) explanation. We got that and more. And from then on we got a series of picks that really took a look at team needs and player evaluations. Some were long, some were short, but none were careless. I especially liked the posts that weighed the merits of a few named players before deciding on one. I know it's only a mock insider perspective, but we won't get that in the real draft.

I appreciate the collective hustle (of GMs and mods) to get the second round finished so quickly. I was anxious upthread because I felt the second round would take a lot longer than the first, when the novelty had worn off and the player selection was a little less exciting. But I am glad to be wrong.

Finally, a stat: this entire thread used the word "wingspan" a total of nine times (and three were in reference to Trevor Mbakwe). In the real draft, how much time will pass before that word is uttered nine times? I put the over/under at 5 minutes, and that's with Jay Bilas on his best behavior.

[matt1]

I was hoping that all three of our seniors would be drafted in this mock draft. Ultimately, however, I just hope that all three make it in the pros.

[mattman91]

I was hoping that all three of our seniors would be drafted in this mock draft. Ultimately, however, I just hope that all three make it in the pros.

The Mock Spurs sign undrafted free agent Seth Curry to 1 year deal.

[awhom111]

Here is the list of the actual draft followed by where they went in our mock draft and then the difference (positive means we drafted them higher, negative means we drafted them lower, U means we did not draft them, and O means they were not drafted in reality):
Anthony Bennett 1 8 -7
Victor Oladipo 2 3 -1
Otto Porter 3 1 2
Cody Zeller 4 9 -5
Alex Len 5 5 0
Nerlens Noel 6 2 4
Ben McLemore 7 4 3
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope 8 12 -4
Trey Burke 9 7 2
C.J. McCollum 10 11 -1
Michael Carter-Williams 11 6 5
Steven Adams 12 10 2
Kelly Olynyk 13 15 -2
Shabazz Muhammad 14 9 5
Giannis Antetokounmpo 15 32 -17
Lucas Nogueira 16 21 -5
Dennis Schroder 17 18 -1
Shane Larkin 18 14 4
Sergey Karasev 19 29 -10
Tony Snell 20 24 -4
Gorgui Dieng 21 16 5
Mason Plumlee 22 17 5
Solomon Hill 23 57 -34
Tim Hardaway Jr. 24 22 2
Reggie Bullock 25 27 -2
Andre Roberson 26 46 -20
Rudy Gobert 27 19 8
Livio Jean-Charles 28 33 -5
Archie Goodwin 29 47 -18
Nemanja Nedovic 30 U U
Allen Crabbe 31 25 6
Alex Abrines 32 48 -16
Carrick Felix 33 51 -18
Isaiah Canaan 34 23 11
Glen Rice Jr. 35 30 5
Ray McCallum 36 56 -20
Tony Mitchell 37 34 3
Nate Wolters 38 43 -5
Jeff Withey 39 26 13
Grant Jerrett 40 54 -14
Jamaal Franklin 41 20 21
Pierre Jackson 42 44 -2
Ricky Ledo 43 35 8
Mike Muscala 44 31 13
Marko Todorovic 45 53 -8
Erick Green 46 28 18
Raul Neto 47 U U
Ryan Kelly 48 36 12
Erik Murphy 49 40 9
James Ennis 50 45 5
Romero Osby 51 U U
Lorenzo Brown 52 50 2
Colton Iverson 53 49 4
Arsalan Kazemi 54 U U
Joffrey Lauvergne 55 U U
Peyton Siva 56 58 -2
Alex Oriakhi 57 U U
Deshaun Thomas 58 39 19
Bojan Dubljevic 59 55 4
Jannis Timma 60 U U
Kenny Kadji U 37 O
C.J. Leslie U 38 O
James Southerland U 41 O
Jackie Carmichael U 42 O
Myck Kabongo U 52 O
Trevor Mbakwe U 59 O
Brandon Paul U 60 O

Here is the sorted order of the players we drafted higher than their actual draft position:
Jamaal Franklin 21
Deshaun Thomas 19
Erick Green 18
Jeff Withey 13
Mike Muscala 13
Ryan Kelly 12
Isaiah Canaan 11
Erik Murphy 9
Rudy Gobert 8
Ricky Ledo 8
Allen Crabbe 6
Michael Carter-Williams 5
Shabazz Muhammad 5
Gorgui Dieng 5
Mason Plumlee 5
Glen Rice Jr. 5
James Ennis 5
Nerlens Noel 4
Shane Larkin 4
Colton Iverson 4
Bojan Dubljevic 4
Ben McLemore 3
Tony Mitchell 3
Otto Porter 2
Trey Burke 2
Steven Adams 2
Tim Hardaway Jr. 2
Lorenzo Brown 2

Here is the one guy whose mock draft position matched his actual draft position:
Alex Len 0

Here is the sorted list of players we drafted lower than their actual draft position:
Victor Oladipo -1
C.J. McCollum -1
Dennis Schroder -1
Kelly Olynyk -2
Reggie Bullock -2
Pierre Jackson -2
Peyton Siva -2
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope -4
Tony Snell -4
Cody Zeller -5
Lucas Nogueira -5
Livio Jean-Charles -5
Nate Wolters -5
Anthony Bennett -7
Marko Todorovic -8
Sergey Karasev -10
Grant Jerrett -14
Alex Abrines -16
Giannis Antetokounmpo -17
Archie Goodwin -18
Carrick Felix -18
Andre Roberson -20
Ray McCallum -20
Solomon Hill -34

We did not draft these players:
Nemanja Nedovic 30
Raul Neto 47
Romero Osby 51
Arsalan Kazemi 54
Joffrey Lauvergne 55
Alex Oriakhi 57
Jannis Timma 60

We drafted these players but they went undrafted:
Kenny Kadji 37
C.J. Leslie 38
James Southerland 41
Jackie Carmichael 42
Myck Kabongo 52
Trevor Mbakwe 59
Brandon Paul 60

[Bob Green]

-Jason "anyone want to give some of us draft grades?" Evans

Can we grade ourselves?




Here is the one guy whose mock draft position matched his actual draft position:
Alex Len 0

Here is the sorted list of players we drafted lower than their actual draft position:
Solomon Hill -34



Seeing as I nailed the Phoenix Suns first pick and stole Solomon Hill 34 picks after he was actually drafted, I give myself an A.

Bob "I'm just a humble man" Green

[brevity]

Yesterday was Father's Day, and I'm reminded of the best father I know, Don Draper. He said to let go of any present negativity: "This never happened. It will shock you how much it never happened." He also advised us of the importance of actively moving on: "If you don't like what is being said, then change the conversation."

Here in New Orleans, the days of the Hornets are over. We are the Pelicans now. We must ignore history and start anew. What could possibly go wrong?

Some teams draft based on need. Others seek out the best available player. Because we are the Pelicans, and we have the roster we have... chances are we need the best available player. In this draft, at this position, there is a good argument to be made for almost anyone. This means two things: the right words will convince the fans we made the right selection, and there's no way this mock GM is going to lose his mock job.

The #6 pick is the only pick we have in the draft. Conventional wisdom suggests that we want a small forward who is primarily a defensive asset while not being a scoring liability. Otto Porter would have made an excellent fit, but he has already been selected, and other prospects at that position (read: Anthony Bennett) do not look as tantalizing. So we look elsewhere.

I've looked at the roster (http://www.nba.com/pelicans/roster/2012) and taken into account players we may lose by free agency (http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8589693/nba-free-agents-2013-2014). Right now, in terms of personnel, I think our frontcourt is in slightly better shape than our backcourt. And so I decided to select the best available guard prospect.

It came down to a pair of point guards, Trey Burke and Michael Carter-Williams. I like them both, and each would address different team needs, but the tale of the tape from the official NBA combine measurements (http://www.nba.com/2013/news/05/17/nba-draft-combine-results/index.html) provides me with a definite lean: Michael Carter-Williams. Sure, he's a leader with great court vision, blah blah blah, but he also forces turnovers, a glaring weakness for the Pelicans (27th in the league (http://espn.go.com/nba/statistics/team/_/stat/team-comparison-per-game/sort/avgTurnoversOpponent/seasontype/2)). Is that just a Syracuse thing? Hmm, I think I'll have our coach Monty Williams talk to Jim Boeheim about that in USA Basketball this summer, when he's not picking Coach K's brain about how to salvage Austin Rivers' development.

Speaking of "a definite lean," I'm sure you've noticed our pick is a bit on the skinny side. Well, you can't coach height, but in New Orleans you CAN coach weight. I count at least 7 po-boy sandwich shops within a mile of the arena. He'll be just fine.

So... I know it's early, and I was picking for the Pelicans, but did I win the mock draft?

Sixers 114, Heat 110 (http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=400488878)
Michael Carter-Williams: 22 points, 7 rebounds, 12 assists, 9 steals (NBA debut record)

[Turk]

Sure, you win the mock draft, and since the Sixers just beat the defending champs, they win the mock playoffs.

Seriously, nice start by MCW but we'll know more by the end of next week. The young'un gets to go against DRose, John Wall twice, and Kyrie twice.

I will have to check the schedule and see how many Sixers home games are against teams coming off back-to-backs. Between that and all the other tanking teams in the league, I am guessing they will not make a serious run at a single digit win total for the entire season, alas, but I think they'll wind up with fewer than 20. Riggin for Wiggins!

[theAlaskanBear]

With two seasons under the belt for the 2013 draft class, we can get a little better handle on it. First of all, I was wrong in regards to the Noel/Porter debate. That said, I still had a better pick than real Cleveland and Anthony Bennett ;) Noel's defense translates to the NBA, something I questioned. His offense is about what I expected, 42% from the field, only 9ppg on a team that likes to play fast and has no real star. He will be a great tandem big man, if they can place him beside an accomplished scorer. Playing next to someone like Towns or Okafor would be ideal for Noel, as he can switch onto PF defensively and let the other big create space offensively for putbacks, cutting, and interior passes.

Fortunately for me, I picked Rudy "Stifle Tower" Gobert, which may have saved my job after flubbing the #1 pick. Mike Muscala ended up being a serviceable player for the second round as well.



With the 19th pick in the 2013 draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers select Rudy Gobert.

Gobert is truly unique physically -- his 7'8.5'' wingspan and a 9'7'' standing reach give him the potential to have an enormous defensive impact. He really impressed with his defense at the combine. He is an active defender, great at hedging on pick-and-rolls, blocking and altering shots, and has tremendous hands with a soft touch. Offensively he is a work in progress. He will not wow anyone athletically, but he is very agile and active. Most of his offense comes from pick and rolls and lobs, which makes him a great partner for an Irving/Waiters back court. He does shoot 70+ % from the FT line, so we think he has some hidden offensive talents. We also believe he will thrive under NBA coaches and trainers (many point to the departure of Erman Kunter from Cholet to Besiktas as retarding his growth this past season).
Here is a list of the individual seasons (so each rookie will have two if they played two) for all the players who debuted in 2013-14. What surprises you?

http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/psl_finder.cgi?request=1&match=single&type=totals&per_minute_base=36&per_poss_base=100&lg_id=NBA&is_playoffs=N&year_min=&year_max=&franch_id=&season_start=1&season_end=-1&age_min=0&age_max=99&height_min=0&height_max=99&shoot_hand=&birth_country_is=Y&birth_country=&birth_state=&college_id=&is_active=Y&debut_yr_nba_start=2014&debut_yr_nba_end=2014&debut_yr_aba_start=&debut_yr_aba_end=&is_hof=&is_as=&as_comp=gt&as_val=&award=&pos_is_g=Y&pos_is_gf=Y&pos_is_f=Y&pos_is_fg=Y&pos_is_fc=Y&pos_is_c=Y&pos_is_cf=Y&qual=&c1stat=&c1comp=gt&c1val=&c2stat=&c2comp=gt&c2val=&c3stat=&c3comp=gt&c3val=&c4stat=&c4comp=gt&c4val=&c5stat=&c5comp=gt&c6mult=1.0&c6stat=&order_by=ws

[gwlaw99]

Playing next to someone like Towns or Okafor would be ideal for Noel, as he can switch onto PF defensively and let the other big create space offensively for putbacks, cutting, and interior passes. ]

You realize the Sixers have Joel Embiid. I doubt they are drafting another big unless Hinkie decides to make some trades.

[pfrduke]

With two seasons under the belt for the 2013 draft class, we can get a little better handle on it. First of all, I was wrong in regards to the Noel/Porter debate. That said, I still had a better pick than real Cleveland and Anthony Bennett ;) Noel's defense translates to the NBA, something I questioned. His offense is about what I expected, 42% from the field, only 9ppg on a team that likes to play fast and has no real star. He will be a great tandem big man, if they can place him beside an accomplished scorer. Playing next to someone like Towns or Okafor would be ideal for Noel, as he can switch onto PF defensively and let the other big create space offensively for putbacks, cutting, and interior passes.

Fortunately for me, I picked Rudy "Stifle Tower" Gobert, which may have saved my job after flubbing the #1 pick. Mike Muscala ended up being a serviceable player for the second round as well.


Here is a list of the individual seasons (so each rookie will have two if they played two) for all the players who debuted in 2013-14. What surprises you?

http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/psl_finder.cgi?request=1&match=single&type=totals&per_minute_base=36&per_poss_base=100&lg_id=NBA&is_playoffs=N&year_min=&year_max=&franch_id=&season_start=1&season_end=-1&age_min=0&age_max=99&height_min=0&height_max=99&shoot_hand=&birth_country_is=Y&birth_country=&birth_state=&college_id=&is_active=Y&debut_yr_nba_start=2014&debut_yr_nba_end=2014&debut_yr_aba_start=&debut_yr_aba_end=&is_hof=&is_as=&as_comp=gt&as_val=&award=&pos_is_g=Y&pos_is_gf=Y&pos_is_f=Y&pos_is_fg=Y&pos_is_fc=Y&pos_is_c=Y&pos_is_cf=Y&qual=&c1stat=&c1comp=gt&c1val=&c2stat=&c2comp=gt&c2val=&c3stat=&c3comp=gt&c3val=&c4stat=&c4comp=gt&c4val=&c5stat=&c5comp=gt&c6mult=1.0&c6stat=&order_by=ws

Greek Freak at #32 of our draft (to the Thunder, no less) would have been the steal. Giannis on OKC playing his plastic man routine next to Westbrook and Durant would have been something.

[JNort]

Seems to me that after 2 years this draft is looking very weak. I like the 4 year rule on judging a class though.

[Ichabod Drain]

You realize the Sixers have Joel Embiid. I doubt they are drafting another big unless Hinkie decides to make some trades.

I think the Sixers have shown they are more about acquiring assets than positional players. I don't expect that to change this year but I could be wrong. They have to make their move to actually try and be good at some point.