June 25 - The Mock Draft
So I’m at Pat O’Brien’s and I’m playing a little Beirut. In walk some kids who look to be fresh out of
college and eventually my group engages them in some friendly “Beirut” banter. In my first game
against a solid twosome, I offer a “we’re playing 21 cups” in a cocky manner. Being a veteran I felt
that my experience would better translate in a 21 cup game. The youth responded, “No problem, old-
timer”. The game begins and me and my partner who are both staring 30 in the eye got off to a great
start and held on for a close win. Following this we played two more games and the college kids
whupped us. What does this have to do with the NBA Draft? Nothing really…….well except for the
fact that there are a bunch of young kids about to put a whupping on some veterans.
People look at this draft as being all about Kevin Durant and Greg Oden. However there are some
nice value plays in here as I think both Al Horford and Corey Brewer will be big-time contributors.
Without further ado……….David Stern steps to the podium…….
With the first pick in the 2007 NBA Draft the Portland Trailblazers select…
1. Greg Oden, The Ohio State University, C, Fr.
Nobody was happier than I was to see Portland nab the first overall pick. It is a great basketball city
and the addition of Greg Oden will inject it with life once again. Brandon Roy and Greg Oden should
make happy music together. Oden is a true center and could become one of the ten best centers to
ever play the game. A tremendous athlete for his size he has the personality of a Robert Parish and
the game of a David Robinson. That all being said………….
The Seattle Supersonics select…
2. Kevin Durant, Texas, PF, Fr.
If I had the first overall pick in this draft, I would take Kevin Durant with it. Not only is Durant the better
player now, he has the ability to become the greatest player to ever play basketball. I’m dead
serious. Every time I watch him play I get the feeling that old-timers must have gotten when they
watched Willie Mays play centerfield. The only thing that will stop Durant from averaging over 35
points a game is injury.
The reasons why I like Durant more than Oden are twofold. You can make the argument that Oden
wasn’t even the best player on his own college team. Mike Conley Jr. made that team go. When
Oden was hurt, Ohio State was still one of the top three teams in the country. Secondly…….and this
is something a lot of the Oden hypemakers have tried to block out/discount/pretend never happened.
When Oden faced a man bigger than him with pedigree in the Final Four he had problems. Roy
Hibbert outplayed Oden in that game. On the flip side when Kevin Durant saw Julian Wright he laid
about 30 points in the first half on him.
Nobody is happier than me that Durant is going to Seattle. Seattle is like the really hot girl who
stepped into my life for six weeks and then departed solely due to circumstance. I love the people. I
love Pioneer Square. I love Tiki Bob’s on Thursday night. I love $1.50 until the keg blows at Elephant
& Castle on Wednesday night. I love that city.
The Detroit Lions……..I mean Atlanta Hawks select…
(cue the laughtrack)
3. Brandan Wright, North Carolina, SF, Fr.
If David Stern had any cajones he would announce Mike Conley Jr.’s name the moment the Hawks
get on the clock. Unfortunately for the sports viewing public, there is only one competent
commissioner in sports and his name isn’t David Stern (or Bud “Light” Selig or the guy that runs
hockey).
The Memphis Grizzlies select…
4. Al Horford, Florida, PF, Jr.
I’m not sure what is more absurd. Amy Fisher and Joey Buttafuoco giving love another shot or Chad
Ford having Yi Jianlian ranked ahead of Al Horford on his Big Board. Al Horford is Carlos Boozer all
over again. He should go three………but I just don’t think the Atlanta Hawks are smart enough to pull
the trigger on him.
The Boston Celtics select…
5. Yi Jianlian, PF, China
This pick is as much a business decision as it is a basketball decision. Yao Ming’s first game was
watched by 400 million viewers in China. Average viewership for Yao’s games is approximately 30
million. Boston missed on Durant and Oden and need to make some sort of splash with this pick.
The city has a sizable Asian population. This is a no-brainer. The downside of all this is that the
Chinatown bus from New York to Boston will probably be taking on more people over the next few
years. If you’ve ever taken the Chinatown bus you will know that the last thing this no-stops/free for all
needs is more people riding it.
The Milwaukee Bucks select…
6. Mike Conley Jr., Ohio State, PG, Fr.
The Milwaukee Bucks were at their recent best when they had T.J. Ford running the offense. In
Conley Jr. you are getting a left-handed version of T.J. I think the Bucks draft Conley Jr. and let
Maurice Williams leave in free agency. The Bucks have some nice parts with Michael Redd, Charlie
Villanueva and Andrew Bogut. Adding Conley Jr. to that core of guys makes this team that much more
intriguing.
The Minnesota Timberwolves select…
7. Corey Brewer, Florida, SF, Jr.
Getting Corey Brewer at #7 would be the equivalent of searching through a pair of jeans before you
throw them into the washing machine and finding two crumpled up twenties. I think Corey Brewer is
Scottie Pippen all over again.
The Charlotte Bobcats select…
8. Joakim Noah, Florida, PF, Jr.
The Bobcats will have to decide between “need” and “name”. Gerald Wallace and Matt Carroll are as
good as gone. Both are about to become severely overpaid based on what they did last season.
That means they probably should draft an athlete to help out Adam Morrison on the perimeter. That
being said this is a young team that needs some star power and Joakim Noah should be available. I
have a feeling the Bobcats pass up a Julian Wright and take Noah purely for ticket reasons. Noah will
help out Emeka Okafor, Sean May and Walter Herrman on what will now be one of the best young
frontlines in all of basketball.
(Let’s throw a twist into this mock draft. Over the next few picks we are going to compare what Chad
Ford and I think about certain players.)
The Chicago Bulls select…
9. Spencer Hawes, Washington, C, Fr.
Chad says: “Hawes might be the most offensively-gifted low-post player in the draft.”
Trevor says: “I’d sooner show up with a six pack of Zima to a Super Bowl party than take Spencer
Hawes with the ninth pick in the draft.”
The Sacramento Kings select…
10. Julian Wright, Kansas, SF, Soph.
Chad says: “Wright is not the scorer that Artest is, but he's a better facilitator.”
Trevor says: “Didn’t I watch Kevin Durant score about 30 points in a half on this guy?”
The Atlanta Hawks select…
11. Javaris Crittenton, Georgia Tech, PG, Fr.
Chad says: “He's big, athletic and he can shoot the ball, but he lacks ideal quickness and
experience.”
Trevor says: “If Atlanta passes on Mike Conley Jr. and gets stuck with Javaris Crittenton they should
be relegated to the NBDL and the Dakota Wizards should take their place.”
The Philadelphia 76ers select…
12. Al Thornton, Florida State, SF, Sr.
Thornton might be the most underrated player in this entire draft. Landing him at #12 would give the
76ers a lot of depth and different combinations they can play with on the perimeter as Andre Igoudala,
Kyle Korver and Rodney Carney already form the crux of an underrated attack. Thornton can also give
you minutes at the 4 if you want to go small. Al Thornton and the Philadelphia 76ers would be a
perfect match. Hopefully Billy King doesn’t pull a Billy King and draft Josh McRoberts with this pick.
The New Orleans/Oklahoma City/Topeka/Lincoln/Cheyenne Hornets select…
13. Jeff Green, Georgetown, SF, Jr.
It was announced at the deadline that Jeff Green is staying in the draft. I think that was a mistake by
the Georgetown junior. What Jeff Green did was settle on hooking up with Drew Barrymore at
midnight when Jessica Alba was still out there to be had at 2 in the morning. Yeah Green will go
anywhere between 6 and 15 in this year’s draft. However if Green stays in school, Georgetown is the
preseason #1 ranked team in the country and a heavy favorite to win the national title. The Hoyas
would have had all five starters coming back along with two key bench players and a great recruiting
class. Even without Green, most people will have “Big Roy” and the rest of the Hoyas in the top five.
Green had a chance to share in being a poster boy with Roy Hibbert. Jeff Green could have had that
magical year that causes writers to vociferously back him as a top five pick. He could have had it all if
he had just waited.
The Los Angeles Clippers select
14. Thaddeus Young, Georgia Tech, PG, Fr.
Only because everybody watching the draft will say “who”…”what”…”I don’t have him on my list”. Or in
other words……….it will be a typical night at the draft for everybody’s favorite GM, Elgin Baylor.
The Detroit Pistons select…
15. Tiago Splitter, PF, Brazil
Everybody has Detroit trading Rasheed Wallace and starting over again. I think that would be the
worst thing the Pistons could do. Detroit should keep their team together and try to improve by getting
younger. They have two first round picks in this year’s draft and their mid-level exception. The
Pistons should simply resign Chauncey, go get Gerald Wallace or…gulp…Matt Barnes and then use
their two picks wisely. If they do those things, they are right in the hunt for the Eastern Conference
crown next season.
Splitter would be a great pick for Detroit. He is a very polished, rugged big man who could step right
in and provide quality minutes at both the 4 and 5.
The Washington Wizards select…
16. Derrick Byars, Vanderbilt, SG, Sr.
Byars might be Allan Houston all over again. He would give the Wizards a nice outside complement
to Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler. Byars can play twenty minutes a night right now and is a can’t
miss prospect.
The New Jersey Nets select…
17. Nick Fazekas, Nevada, PF, Sr.
I think the Nets are going to keep Jason Kidd and resign Vince Carter since the Brooklyn move is
imminent. With that being the case having a guy like Nick Fazekas who can stretch the defense on
the wing in the halfcourt and can hit the triple as the trailer in transition makes perfect sense. Fazekas
is also a very solid rebounder as he averaged 10+ a game in college. He’ll give the Nets a little
toughness down low as well which they desperately need.
The Golden State Warriors select…
18. Jason Smith, Colorado State, C, Jr.
7 feet tall………would rather play outside than in the paint………runs the floor…….plays a little
soft………. WELCOME TO DON NELSON’S GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS!!! Granted we’ll never win
a title without a real post presence, but who cares. Right now, I am just happy to be competitive
again. There is no doubt in my mind we are either taking Smith or trading up for Yi Jianlian. No
doubt. The most important part of this offseason is resigning Matt Barnes. If my Warriors do that, I’m
good.
The Los Angeles Lakers select…
19. Nick Young, USC, SG, Jr.
Young is a Los Angeles native and he could be filling a real need shortly if Kobe Bryant keeps up with
his trade demands. Just as a note, if I was Jerry Buss or Mitch Kupchak this is what I would say to
Kobe Bryant:
“Kobe, I’m sorry but you have four years left on your contract and we’re not trading you. So you might
as well suck it up and fly back to Los Angeles. Tim Duncan just won his fourth NBA title and has
never once complained about the hand he was dealt, even when you and Shaq torched him at the
beginning of this decade. You know why? Because he is a professional. Perhaps you should
consider acting this way and stop acting like a selfish jerk who is blaming his teammates for his own
failings. Maybe you should start being a winner instead of just being a scorer.”
The Miami Heat select…
20. Acie Law IV, Texas A&M, PG, Sr.
If Law IV ends up in Miami, he will be the point guard version of “Big Shot Bob”. I can just picture him
drilling important triples during many a playoff run with a geared-up and healthy Dwyane Wade and
an aging Shaquille O’Neal. Acie Law IV would add a couple more years onto Miami’s championship
window. I think he is THAT good.
The Philadelphia 76ers select…
21. Josh McRoberts, Duke, PF, Soph.
Okay let’s play one more time……….
Chad says: “Sixers GM Billy King loves Duke players, and McRoberts has a lot more talent than his
box scores at Duke suggest. He's tall, athletic and very skilled, but he played most of his career out of
position at Duke.
He's not a go-to type player, but he should be a better, more athletic version of Luke Walton.”
Trevor says: “I’d sooner bang Paris Hilton without a rubber than draft Josh McRoberts in the first
round of an NBA Draft. Oh and on behalf of Luke Walton I am offended by that comment.”
The Charlotte Bobcats select…
22. Reyshawn Terry, North Carolina, SG, Sr.
I fully expect to see a smirk on every announcer’s face if this happens. At least the Bobcats can say
he fills a need…..
The New York Knicks select…
23. Sean Williams, Boston College, PF, Jr.
For weeks the Knicks have been hinting that they may take a guy with some risks with this pick. Isiah
always talks about being creative and taking Sean Williams and his bong collection is just that. I
actually think this could work out well for the Knicks. Just as long you can keep him away from the
stores on Bleecker and Thompson. In fact they may want to play it safe and strap an electronic
tracking bracelet onto his ankle that starts electroshocking him once he steps foot into Washington
Square Park.
The Phoenix Suns select…
24. Rudy Fernandez, SG, Spain
The only team more upset than the Boston Celtics after the lottery were the Phoenix Suns. You know
they were planning on using their lottery pick along with these other two picks in an effort to trade for a
superstar. Instead they are stuck having to see if a team like the Timberwolves bites on a package
that is now headlined by Shawn Marion. I think the Suns are going to bring the same team back
figuring that the only reason they didn’t hoist the Championship trophy was due to an inept David
Stern. I think the Suns will take one foreign player and one upperclassman. They will stash the
foreign player overseas for a year and hope the upperclassman can break into the rotation. Rudy
Fernandez is a hot commodity and could be a guy that turns into a solid NBA player in three years.
The Utah Jazz select…
25. Morris Almond, Rice, SG, Sr.
Important Jazz Executive: “What do you think about Daequan Cook?”
Other Important Jazz Executive: “Came out early for the draft….has tattoos…the only reason why we
get away with that with Deron and Carlos is because they are good....doesn’t seem like our kind of
guy.”
Important Jazz Executive: “Well there is this guy from Rice….he stayed all four years in college?”
Other Important Jazz Executive: “Rice! Isn’t that considered the Harvard of Texas?”
Important Jazz Executive: “It says here, he isn’t that athletic but he shoots the ball very well.”
Other Important Jazz Executive: “Sold!!!!!!!!”
The Houston Rockets select…
26. Rodney Stuckey, Eastern Washington, SG, Soph.
Stuckey definitely needs a better agent……..or at least one with enough savvy to e-mail the important
man at www.nbadraft.net and tell them to please change his NBA Comparison to anybody but
DaJuan Wagner. I know if there was a “Writer’s Comparison” out there and somebody said,
“Trevor…you remind us of a young Glenn Dickey”……well…those would be fighting words.
http://nbadraft.net/admincp/profiles/rodneystuckey.html
The Detroit Pistons select…
27. Jared Dudley, Boston College, SF, Sr.
Dudley was born to be a Detroit Piston. He is just one of those guys that shows up with his lunchpail
and competes every minute of every game. He would inject some much-needed youth and energy
into a Detroit team that needs it.
The San Antonio Spurs select…
28. Marco Belinelli, SG, Italy
Belinelli wins this year’s award for “Foreign player Tim Duncan will make look like a Hall of Famer”.
Congratulations Marco. I look forward to you preening next to Manu and Tony while holding up an
NBA Championship Trophy.
(Just as a note, they need to release the results of the NBA Finals MVP voting, just so I can know
exactly which jackasses voted for Tony Parker over Tim Duncan. Anybody who believes that Parker
was more instrumental in San Antonio winning the title than Duncan is smoking crack. Duncan’s
presence alone on the court was worth 10-15 points before the game even started.)
The Phoenix Suns select…
29. Arron Afflalo, UCLA, SG, Jr.
If I were Arron Afflalo I would take dump into a FedEx box and send it to Corey Brewer’s apartment.
Those two games in the last two NCAA Tournaments with Florida probably cost Afflalo at least a
million dollars per year. If he never sees Brewer then he probably goes in the top 20.
The Philadelphia 76ers select…
30. Taurean Green, Florida, PG, Jr.
The 76ers need to get a young point guard in the fold as Andre Miller isn’t a spring chicken anymore.
Taurean Green gives the 76ers some athleticism and a solid backcourt leader who can take the reins
in the next two seasons. Solid last first round investment.
Well there you have it…………the NBA Draft is almost upon us. Get the chicken wings on the
barbecue as the highlight of this year’s NBA season is finally upon us.
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to e-mail me at trevor@rffradio.com.
