NBA Draft 2008: Now Mock It Out

By: Kevin Duffy

Posted: 6/9/08

The 2008 NBA Draft may not have the star power of 2003 (LeBron, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony), but it sure doesn't have the bust factor of 2000 (Kwame Brown, DeSagana "Diop It Like It's Hot"). This is one of the deepest drafts in years, with players who would have been surefire top ten picks in previous drafts falling into the late teens and early 20s. Here's how I see it playing out:

1. Chicago Bulls - Derrick Rose, PG, Memphis

Either Chicago goes with Rose, the hometown legend, or Kansas State superstar Michael Beasley, widely recognized as the draft's most NBA-ready player. Rose's teammate at Memphis, Joey Dorsey, gave some insight when he said "Chicago's got a lot of pressure on them because Derrick's from Chicago. But they're going to take [Michael] Beasley. I've got the inside. They're going to get Beasley." That's well and good, but I respect Dorsey more as a shot-blocker (and freak of nature) than I do as a GM. The Bulls are leaning towards Rose, and the only way he doesn't end up in a Chicago uniform is if they ship this pick and Joakim Noah to Miami for Wade, a rumor that may have some substance to it.

2. Miami Heat - Michael Beasley, PF, Kansas State

Regardless of whether Miami trades for the first pick, Beasley seems destined to end in a Heat uniform. He stood only 6-foot-7 at the combine, but his 7-foot wingspan and 19 bench press reps of the standard 185 pounds silenced any doubters. And, oh yeah, he was a First Team All-American and the most dominant freshman in recent memory.

3. Minnesota T'Wolves - O.J. Mayo, SG, USC

Mayo will be a good pro, but for his sake, let's just hope he doesn't become the most famous O.J. to graduate from USC. Minnesota could also look to solidify its frontcourt and draft Brook Lopez here, but with Al Jefferson inside, the perimeter is a more pressing need.

4. Seattle Sonics - Jerryd Bayless, PG, Arizona

Every mock draft in the world has Bayless to the Sonics. He's a quick, explosive guard who can do everything offensively. He'll take a lot of the pressure off of Kevin Durant and Jeff Green and should fit in perfectly in Seattle, Oklahoma City, Des Moines, Hartford, Puerto Rico, or any other likely destination for the Sonics.

5. Memphis Grizzlies - Joe Alexander, SF, West Virginia

I can't say enough about Alexander. He did unspeakable things to the UConn defense. He has a special bounce to his game and an absolutely deadly mid-range shot. If his beating of the Huskies wasn't enough, Alexander's stock exploded at the combine last week when he put up 26 bench reps and jumped 38.5 inches. He has a chance to be a very special player.

6. New York Knicks - D.J. Augustin, PG, Texas

Augustin is the playmaker that Mike D'Antoni needs to operate his high-scoring system, and with Stephon Marbury's contract expiring next year, the Knicks will finally have the young, enthusiastic, and underpaid roster of Augustin, Zach Randolph, Eddy Curry, Jamal Crawford, Jerome James, Jarred Jeffries, Kevin Willis and Allan Houston that they have always dreamed of.

7. Los Angeles Clippers - Eric Gordon, SG, Indiana

Gordon's got the shooting range and explosiveness to be the top pick. But his decision making and confidence wavered at the end of the season, which has dropped him to the late lottery in some projections. The Clippers need help in the backcourt, so it would be tough to pass on Gordon regardless of his maturity issues.

8. Milwaukee Bucks - Anthony Randolph, SF, LSU

Tayshaun Prince was hoping Randolph would fall to the Pistons at No. 29 so he could finally have a workout partner, but Randolph is far too skilled to drop anywhere past the 8-10 range.

9. Charlotte Bobcats - Brook Lopez, C, Stanford

The Bobcats would like nothing more than to have Lopez fall here so they could team him with Emeka Okafor in the frontcourt. With the exception of Adam Morrison, Charlotte has made some nice additions in the last few drafts and will start contending for a playoff berth as soon as Michael Jordan decides to play shooting guard.

10. New Jersey Nets - Danilo Gallinari, SF, Italy

Anyone could have pegged this one. There's nothing that melts Jay-Z's heart more than a baby-faced Italian boy with good court vision.

11. Indiana Pacers - Russell Westbrook, PG, UCLA

Jamaal Tinsley has certainly worn out his welcome in Indiana. Westbrook might not be ready to start now, but he is a nice value here and a possible long-term solution at point guard.

12. Sacramento Kings - Kevin Love, PF, UCLA

Love's range, toughness, and ability to pass from the post could bring back memories of a young Chris Webber.

13. Portland Trailblazers - Ty Lawson, PG, North Carolina

You know the saying "you can never have enough big guys?" Well, Portland can never have enough guys with a DUI on their record.

14. Golden State Warriors - Donte Greene, SF, Syracuse

Greene's personal preference of launching 3-pointers and not playing a lick of defense really intrigues Don Nelson.

15. Phoenix Suns - DeAndre Jordan, PF, Texas A&M

If Jordan develops into the player that some envision he will be, he and Amare Stoudemire will absolutely terrorize the league. Probably won't fall here because of his upside, but if he does, it's a tremendous pick.

16. Philadelphia 76ers - Darrell Arthur, PF, Kansas

This exemplifies just how deep this draft is. Arthur is a Top-10 talent who will likely land with a playoff team.

17. Toronto Raptors - Chase Budinger, SG, Arizona

Still deciding on whether to stay in the draft or leave, Budinger could benefit from returning to school because next year's draft is not as deep as this one.

18. Washington Wizards - Kosta Kofous, C, Ohio State

Kofous is everything that Brendan Haywood is not - he's good.

19. Cleveland Cavaliers - Mareese Speights, PF, Florida

He has to be better than Anderson Varejao, right? Cavs fans can only hope so.

20. Denver Nuggets - JaVale McGee, C, Nevada

McGee is a virtual unknown. His stock will depend largely on his individual workouts, but his 7-foot-6 wingspan can't hurt.

21. New Jersey Nets - Nicolas Batum, SG, France

Some scouts have called Batum the next Rudy Gay. If so, he could turn out to be the pick of this draft.

22. Orlando Magic - Roy Hibbert, C, Georgetown

What better way to complement Dwight Howard than with an 7-footer who is a slower version of Gheorge Muresan.

23. Utah Jazz - Davon Jefferson, SF, USC

Honestly, when will the Jazz stop drafting raw freshman with worlds of athleticism and no jumpshot?

24. Seattle Sonics - Joey Dorsey, PF, Memphis

Am I the only one who wants to see Dorsey fight Kimbo Slice?

25. Houston Rockets - Chris Douglas-Roberts, SG, Memphis

The Rockets could really use some scorers to take the load off of Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming. Of course, this assumes the latter can make it back from the devastating stress fracture that ended his season.

26. San Antonio Spurs - Mario Chalmers, PG, Kansas

It's time for the Spurs to stop drafting foreigners and start drafting young players who can step in and improve their team right away.

27. New Orleans Hornets - Jason Thompson, PF, Rider

Not many people know who Thompson is, and I won't pretend to be one of them. Nonetheless, he's on all the mock drafts online so I might as well throw him in there.

28. Memphis Grizzlies - DeVon Hardin, PF, California

Once considered a second-round prospect, Hardin had a very productive pre-draft camp and combine and could find himself in the latter portion of round one.

29. Detroit Pistons - Robin Lopez, C, Stanford

Brook was really hoping his brother would slide into the second round. Then he'd definitely be his parents' favorite son.

30. Boston Celtics - DeMarcus Nelson, SG, Duke

Nelson may only be 6-foot-1 without shoes, but he's explosive, extremely long and very versatile. He can play a number of positions in the NBA.

Kevin Duffy's column runs periodically. Contact him at Kevin.R.Duffy@UConn.edu.