1. New Orleans Hornets
a. NBA Draft Express (as of 6/23/12)
says: Anthony Davis, PF, Kentucky
i. This one is easy. The best player by far.
b. If they trade down
i. They won’t trade down, but I wonder
what they would do if Charlotte or Washington gave them a godfather offer to
swap picks? I say they probably still
don’t accept it. After that Ariza/Okafor
trade, they’re in tank mode. They want
the Thunder’s blueprint (get a star, suck for the next two years to get
good/great players to put around him and go from there).
2. Charlotte Bobcats
a. Thomas Robinson, PF, Kansas
i. I think this is where they’ll go but
I don’t like it. T-Rob will be a good
player but he may not have a position at the next level. He’s 6-8, 240. A lot of 3’s are that size these days and he
can’t really guard any of them. I’d go
with either Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (“MKG”) or Bradley Beal. Both of those guys have the size and skill to
play the 2 or 3 at the next level. Beal
may only be 6-4, but he played the 4 man for Florida a lot and average 7
rpg. MKG is 6-6 and also average 7
boards but isn’t the shooter Beal is (Beal shot 34% from 3 while averaging 5 3’s
per game and MKG shot 25% on 1.3 3’s per game).
He’s more of a slasher. I don’t
care who you go with between these two because in my opinion both are future
all-stars at the 2 guard position.
b. If they trade down
i. Interesting here. They have a ton of needs and could conceivably
trade down to #6 with Portland and grab a good player and maybe a 1st next year
as well. However, I think they’ll stay
put and build around the #2 pick (I just hope it’s MKG or Beal)
3. Washington Wizards
a. Bradley Beal, SG, Florida
i. Makes perfect sense. They have to get either MKG or Beal. No other option even matter. They need a guard who can score to play
alongside Wall. I like Beal a little
more just because of his shooting.
However, if Washington would decide to, MKG is a better defender and
having him, Wall, Okafor and Ariza on the court at the same time would be a
quite a defensive team. This however
leads to my “Do Wizards people think they can actually play Nene and Okafor at
the same time?” question. I mean,
really, their offense would be horrible if you had those two out there at the
same time. Nene is best on the block and
Okafor does not have a jump shot.
b. If they trade up
i. No reason to. They want 2 guys and either both or one will
be available at 3.
c. If they trade down
i. I hope they don’t. I like what they’re doing and the team they
built once they rid themselves of the plague, I mean Andray Blatche and
his horrendous contract.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers
a. MKG, SF, Kentucky
i. I like it. If a really good center was available, I go
with him instead, but MKG would be a good fit here. The other option would be a Thomas Robinson. They only have 6 guys under contract for next
year and one is Luke Walton. They are
thin up front but I wouldn’t take a flyer on an unknown (Drummond) or a career
average center (Zeller).
Robinson/MKG/Beal and pretty sure second tier guys and Cleveland needs
to come away with one of them.
b. If they trade up
i. Don’t know why they would. They want/need one of the top 4 guys and they
are in the 4th spot. No
reason to move up or down.
c. If they trade down
i. The only way this would make sense
is to trade with Houston and get the 14 and 16 picks and Kevin Martin and Sam
Dalembert while giving up this pick, Luke Walton and their 24th pick (from the
Lakers). This make sense for two reasons:
Houston want to lower its cap number and get a good young player to slide into
their team. Cleveland still gets two
depths picks in the middle of the draft where they can get two young bigs (Fab
Melo and Tyler Zeller) and get a veteran center and an under-rated 2 guard who
can shoot and spread the floor for Kyrie Irving. If this trade happens, Cleveland would become
a quick candidate for a 7 or 8 spot in the Eastern Conference.
5. Sacramento Kings
a. Harrison Barnes, SF, North Carolina
i. Harrison is a very smart person but
just an average basketball player. He
has the skills and the size (6-7, 230) but just never took over at North
Carolina. Taking a guys fifth when he
had two years to show his dominance is a bit risky. Barnes will have a 15 year career, but will
he ever make an all-star team?
b. If they trade up
i. I could see them trying to trade up,
but it wouldn’t make sense for anyone to trade down. If they do trade up, it would be to get
either Beal or MKG.
c. If they trade down
i. This I believe is a more likely
scenario. I could see them moving down
with a team in love with a certain player at the 5 spot. They don’t want to move down too much but if
they could get a good veteran and a pick in return, it might be worth it. (Milwaukee’s #12 pick and Monta Ellis for the
#5, who says no? And in case you’re
wondering why Milwaukee would give up Ellis?
He’s due $22 million over the next two years and they could use the cap
relieve.)
6. Portland Trail Blazers
a. Andre Drummond, C, UConn
i. This is the guy who in 5 years we’ll
all say “Who?”. He’s 7-0, 280, but
averaged just 10 points in 28 minutes for UConn. Here’s a telling quote from his UConn
teammate, Jeremy Lamb, about Drummond’s potential: “It depends on if he wants
to work.” OUCH. That’s why you don’t draft him.
b. If they move up
i. Don’t see how they could unless they
put both picks together and jumped up to grab the 2 or the 3 spot. I don’t know why they would do that however.
c. If they trade down
i. They need a point guard and I think
they’ll try to grab Austin Rivers before New Orleans can at the #10 pick. So, the trade the make the most sense for
them would be to give up the #6 pick and Ray Felton to Toronto for the #8 and
Ed Davis. The problem is whether or not
Toronto would say yes.
7. Golden State Warriors
a. Damian Lillard, PG, Weber State
i. I watched Lillard play 2 games this
year and he has some talent. However,
Golden State does not need another shoot first PG. They just don’t. What they need is a wing player who can play
both ways. That’s why they’re trying to
trade this pick for Lu Deng.
b. If they trade up
i. This is an outside chance because
they do not have any assets they’d trade but if they did, they might trade up
for Harrison Barnes at the #5 pick, if they only have to give up a small amount
in return.
c. If they trade down
i. This is much more likely as they may
try to trade it away (for Deng or maybe even Igoudala). For their sake, I’d like to see them trade
this pick. If they could move down and
grab a good wing player, it could really help them. Wouldn’t Denver be willing to swap their pick
(#20) for this pick if they also had to give up Brewer and Wilson
Chandler? I think if Drummond is
available here (a perfect George Karl guy), Denver would try that swap.
8. Toronto Raptors
a. Jeremy Lamb, PG, UConn
i. I’m not sure if I like anything
about this team. It’s such a weird
team. For me, they just need to draft
the best available player, and with what’s available, I’d agree with this pick.
b. If they trade up
i. If they really like one of the 2-4
guys, I think they should go for it.
They need a guy to build around (They’ve failed with Bargnani being a #1
guy).
c. If they trade down
i. Only makes sense if they get a good
veteran in return. They need a guy who’s
under a long-term deal that they don’t have to worry about leaving. Would they trade this pick straight up for
Kyle Lowry (2 years left on his contract) and Luis Scola (3 year left on his)?
9. Detroit Pistons
a. John Henson, PF, North Carolina
i. Decent pick. Super long player with some talent. He can play next to Monroe and you have
yourself some real good rim support. I’m
not sure they could do much better at this point unless they want to get the
most talented player and then they take Perry Jones III, who has Drummond-itis
but is a 6-11 wing player (kind of like a poor man’s Durant. He has 80% of Durant’s talent but just 20% of
Durant desire for greatness).
b. If they trade up
i. Unlikely. They like what they’re building and no one
really adds anything outside of the top-4.
c. If they trade down
i. They need a PF. If they think that guy is Perry Jones III,
then they should try to trade down a few places and pick up a vet or early 2nd
in the process.
10.
New
Orleans Hornets
a. Austin Rivers, PG, Duke
i. Great pick. Austin Rivers, Eric Gordon, and Anthony
Davis? Wow. That’s quite a trio. Plus, they have Rashard Lewis’ expiring
contract $24 mill (!!!!) and they could use that to grab assets from a team
that’s ready to give up. (Would a bad Phoenix
team trade Gortat (2 years left on a deal) and Childress (3 years left) for
Lewis? That would give New Orleans their
center.
b. If they trade up
i. Unlikely. No assets to trade. If it happened, it would be to jump Golden
State to get a PG, but they’d have to give up their first rounder in the future.
c. If they trade down
i. If Rivers is gone by the point, I’d
trade this pick for a later #1 this year and a future #1, or Kyle Lowry.
11.
Portland
Trail Blazers
a. Dion Waiters, SG, Syracuse
i. This is an OK pick. They have a stud in Aldridge and need to
build around him. How much better,
realistically, will Waiters make them?
Either package this pick to move up into the top-4 or trade it for a
veteran that can help now.
12.
Milwaukee
Bucks
a. Tyler Zeller, C, North Carolina
i. Really? You trade Bogut to get a younger, worse
version of Bogut? I like Zeller, but he’s
a backup center on a good team. If I’m
Milwaukee, I’m swinging for the stars and taking Perry Jones III, because,
honestly, he’s got one of the top-5 ceilings in this draft. No one thinks he’ll reach it, but you never
know. PJIII has guard skills and is
6-11. That’s hard to replicate. And if you plan on using 2 shoot first PGs
(Ellis/Jennings) wouldn’t you love an uber-talented 6-11 guy running the wing?
b. If they trade up
i. DO IT, MILWAUKEE!! Go get the #5 pick! Give your fan base some excitement! Right now, the Bucks are about as exciting as
a born-again Christian on a Saturday night.
(I kid, I kid. But seriously, I’m
from Wisconsin, and trust me when I say: NO ONE CARES ABOUT THE BUCKS. It’s all Packers and Brewers and Bucky in
that state.)
13.
Phoenix
Suns
a. Kendall Marshall, PG, North Carolina
i. Who cares?! This team is not good and Steve Nash is still
pretty good. Marshall kind of makes
sense but he’s no Nash. If I’m them, I’d
take the best player available here.
14.
Houston
Rockets
a. Jared Sullinger, PF, Ohio State
i. No way. He’s dropping too fast. I say someone like
Boston at 22 takes him. They need a
center, and I think if they stay here they should go for someone like Zeller or
Fab Melo.
b. If they trade up
i. I have an idea! Call MJ, offer Lowry, Scola, the #14 pick,
and the #16 pick for the #2 pick and Ty Thomas (who is due $27 mill over the
next 3 years and Charlotte wants to get rid of). This will solve problems for Charlotte (gives
them their best two players and depth with the picks) and gives Houston their
choice of MKG, Beal, or T-Rob. If that
doesn’t work, offer the same deal to Washington. If that doesn’t work, offer it to
Cleveland. Houston has assets, they need
to start getting talent.
c. If they trade down
i. Very possible. If they could get a veteran that could really
help them (Dwight???) they’d trade these picks plus Lowry and someone else to
do it.
15.
Philadelphia
76ers
a. Perry Jones III, SF, Baylor
i. Love it. Not sure what their plan for him is (doesn’t
he do everything Thaddeus Young does?) but he’s the best player available. If they go for fit, there is a chance they
choose a C/PF player like Arnett Moultrie.
16.
Houston
Rockets
a. Meyers Leonard, C, Illinois
i. I don’t understand this. I have no idea who this is but he’s 7-1,
250. So, in other words, he’s super
skinny. Next, please!
17.
Dallas
Mavericks
a. Terrence Jones, PF, Kentucky
i. We played against him twice at
Georgia. I was impressed with him. He has A TON of talent and should be a top-10
pick. However, he doesn’t seem to “Get
it” yet. I don’t know his fit on this
team, but he’s best suited as a small 4 and not a 3 as he doesn’t really have
the lateral quickness to guard most of the 3’s in the NBA.
18.
Minnesota
Timberwolves
a. Terrence Ross, SG, Washington
i. I like Ross, but not sure where he
fits in with Minny. They have so many
young players, they have to turn some into a good vet soon, right?
19.
Orlando
Magic
a. Moe Harkless, SF, St John’s
i. Good player, loads of talent, but he’s
a project. What Orlando needs is a
center and a point guard. I’d go with
Festus Ezeli here or Marquis Teague.
20.
Denver
Nuggets
a. Arnett Moultrie, PF/C, Mississippi
State
i. He’s a talented player and fits in
with the Denver style of play. The other
option would be to get a more beefy big man, like an Ezeli.
21.
Boston
Celtics
a. Quincy Miller, SF, Baylor
i. Good choice. Loads of talent. However, they need a SG here, so they’ll be
hoping Terrence Ross drops to them here.
22.
Boston
Celtics
a. Fab Melo, C, Syracuse
i. I like this pick. He’s probably a career back-up, but could be
a very serviceable one. He’s 7-0, 255
and is a good and willing defender.
23.
Atlanta
Hawks
a. Royce White, PF, Iowa State
i. They need a big for depth or to
replace Josh Smith when he’s inevitably traded.
I’d kind of like to see them grab Draymond Green here but that’s
unlikely.
24.
Cleveland
Cavaliers
a. Andrew Nicholson, PF, St Bonaventure
i. Don’t know a thing about him. But Cleveland could use a serviceable big
here. I would think Miles Plumlee (7-0,
250) would also be an option here.
25.
Memphis
Grizzlies
a. Evan Fournier, SG, France
i. Don’t know much about him
either. I think it’s more likely they go
with a PG here as a back up and challenger to Conley. Someone like Marquis Teague or Tyshawn Tayler.
26.
Indiana
Pacers
a. Tyshawn Taylor
i. I disagree. I think they will resign Hill and Hibbert but
will lose David West after next year (contract is up next year). I say they stick to their “Hard-Worker” mold
and go Draymond Green here.
27.
Miami
Heat
a. Festus Ezeli, C, Vanderbilt
i. This one is easy for me. Ezeli is an athletic, large man (6-11,
265). Stats won’t blow you away but he
just started playing basketball now that long ago.
28.
Oklahoma
City Thunder
a. Draymond Green, PF, Michigan State
i. I don’t really like it. When would he play? And OKC likes athletes they can mold, not
polished players. I think they’ll take
an international player and stash them for a few years, or look at someone like
Tony Wroten or Will Barten (young athletes).
29.
Chicago
Bulls
a. Jeff Taylor, SF, Vanderbilt
i. I like Jeff Taylor, but I think the Bulls
go with his teammate, the dominate sharp shooter John Jenkins. Jenkins is an incredible 3 point shooter with
a quick release. He’s the long-term
solution to the guy who spreads the court for D-Rose.
30.
Golden
State Warriors
a. Marquis Teague
i. If they don’t go PG at the #7, this
makes sense. I think they need a Jeff
Taylor, or Kim English, or Kyle O’Quin (Norfolk State).
