2009 Mock Draft - COMPLETE!

[VF21]

The participants have signed up and the teams have been assigned. I'll be posting the results in proper draft order momentarily...



Each person will have 24 hours to post their pick. I'm thinking about instituting a policy whereby if someone times out we'll have an alternate picker standing by to keep the draft going in the right direction. I've got this thread locked right now but once I've posted the draft order/GM information, I'll open it back up for discussion, etc.

When someone does post their pick, I'll merge their post into the slot I've left for them.

2009 Kingsfans Mock Draft

1. LA Clippers - LPKingsFan - Blake Griffin
2. Memphis Grizzlies - icp3425 - Hasheem Thabeet
3. Oklahoma City Thunder - Henkel - James Harden
4. Sacramento Kings - =LarryLegend= - Ricky Rubio
5. Washington Wizards - MassachusettsKingsFan - Stephan Curry
6. Minnesota Timberwolves - KingsCitizen - Tyreke Evans
7. Golden State Warriors - Jespher - Brandon Jennings
8. New York Knicks - Kingsfan1O - Jordan Hill
9. Toronto Raptors - Entity - Demar DeRozan
10. Milwaukee Bucks - bajaden - Johnny Flynn
11. New Jersey Nets - jdbraver - James Johnson
12. Charlotte Bobcats - Dime Dropper - Gerald Henderson
13. Indiana Pacers - Vlade4GM - Jrue Holiday
14. Phoenix Suns - Capt. Factorial - Earl Clark
15. Detroit Pistons - Jerryaki - BJ Mullens
16. Chicago Bulls - tradepeja - Austin Daye
17. Philadelphia 76ers - Derekj - Ty Lawson
18. Minnesota Timberwolves - KingsCitizen - Chase Budinger
19. Atlanta Hawks - NoBonus - Tyler Hansbrough
20. Utah Jazz - Gtronic - DeJuan Blair
21. New Orleans Hornets - GeraldWallace#3 - Eric Maynor
22. Dallas Mavericks - nbrans - Terrence Williams
23. Sacramento Kings - LarryLegend - Jeff Teague
24. Portland Trailblazers - Gary - Darren Collison
25. Oklahoma City Thunder - Henkel - Taj Gibson
26. Chicago Bulls - tradepeja - Omri Casspi
27. Memphis Grizzlies - icp3425 - Nick Calathes
28. Minnesota Timberwolves - KingsCitizen - Josh Heytvelt
29. LA Lakers - Trueblood - Toney Douglas
30. Cleveland Cavaliers - Jespher - Sam Young
31. Sacramento Kings - =LarryLegend= - Dajuan Summers
32. Washington Wizards - MassachusettsKingsFan - Derrick Brown
33. Portland Trailblazers - Gary - Jeff Pendergraph
34. Denver Nuggets - GeraldWallace#3 - Patrick Mills
35. Detroit Pistons - Jerryaki - Marcus Thornton
36. Memphis Grizzlies - icp3425 Dionte Christmas
37. San Antonio Spurs - SacKings7 Victor Claver
38. Portland Trailblazers - Gary AJ Price
39. Detroit Pistons - Jerryaki - Sergio Llull
40. Charlotte Bobcats - Dime Dropper DeMarre Carroll
41. Milwaukee Bucks - bajaden - Wayne Ellington
42. LA Lakers - Trueblood - Nando de Colo
43. Miami Heat - NoBonus - Jack McClinton
44. Detroit Pistons - Jerryaki - pick forfeited
45. Minnesota Timberwolves - KingsCitizen - Vyacheslav Kravtsov
46. Cleveland Cavaliers - Jespher - Rodrigue Beaubois
47. Minnesota Timberwolves - KingsCitizen - Garret Siler
48. Phoenix Suns - Capt. Factorial - Jonas Jerebko
49. Atlanta Hawks - NoBonus - Danny Green
50. Utah Jazz - Gtronic (SacKings7) - Jermaine Taylor
51. San Antonio Spurs - SacKings7 - Jodie Meeks
52. Indiana Pacers - Vlade4GM - Sergei Gladyr
53. San Antonio Spurs - SacKings7 - Dante Cunningham
54. Charlotte Bobcats - Dime Dropper - Jeff Adrien
55. Portland Trailblazers - Gary (Capt. Factorial) - Alade Aminu
56. Portland Trailblazers - Gary - Lester Hudson
57. Phoenix Suns - Capt. Factorial - Jon Brockman
58. Boston Celtics - bibbyFAN10 (Vlade4GM) - Jerel McNeal
59. LA Lakers - Trueblood - Josh Shipp
60. Miami Heat - NoBonus - Patrick Beverly

 

[LPKingsFan]

1. LA Clippers - LPKingsFan - Blake Griffin

Dang, the one draft where #1 is less fun... If this were a fantasy draft, I'd go creative and pitch the #1 pick for all sorts of players and/or picks. But, as VF has pointed out several times, this is a mock draft and we're supposed to go with who we think our team will pick on draft day. Given everything I've heard out of Clippers management, therefore, there's not a lot of room for imagination here...

So, on that note, the with the #1 pick of the 2009 NBA draft, the Los Angeles Clippers select Ri--

Just kidding. Blake Griffin.

 

[icp3425]

2. Memphis Grizzlies - icp3425 - Hasheem Thabeet

With the number two pick in the 2009 NBA draft, the Memphis Grizzlies select...

Hasheem Thabeet.

They have 2 stars at the 2 and 3, and with Conley at the point i doubt they'll want to gamble with Rubio and his situation.

 

[Henkel]

3. Oklahoma City Thunder - Henkel - James Harden

With Thabeet off the board this pick comes down to Rubio or Harden. Who they select has as much to do with Westbrook as it does with either of those two players. Westbrook has improved dramatically as a point guard over the last few years but he still looked better off the ball in the half court last year. Defensively he can handle most shooting guards, which would allow him and Rubio to play together. If the Thunder feel Westbrook and his teammates would be better served with him having less control of the offense then i could see them going with Rubio here. I don't think thats the case. They are most likely going to allow Westbrook the chance to continue to improve as a distributor while playing the position he desires.

The main reason they go with Harden is he complements Westbrook and Durant. The Thunder don't want a shooting guard who dominates the ball. Harden is unselfish and can set up the offense when they want to use Westbrook as a cutter. He can also help spread the floor and play off the ball when Durant is going one on one. He is another solid ball handler and can run the floor, which fits with the Thunders up and down style of play. Defensively he is alright but just like any player not named Thabeet selected here he is not going to do much for the Thunders defensive shortcomings.

There is also a rumor that the Thunder trade this pick to the Wizards for the #5 and Javale McGee. The Wizards get Rubio who they are high on and the Thunder get the athletic big that they need with a chance to still take Harden at # 5 if Sacramento goes for a point guard. If Sacramento decides to take Harden they will settle for Evans, who could be a nice fit with their talented perimeter players.

 

[=LarryLegend=]

4. Sacramento Kings - =LarryLegend= - Ricky Rubio

With the Fourth pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the Sacramento Kings select Ricky Rubio!

Every team was scared of Ricky's buyout/lawsuit. Kings luck out!!! Jason L gets the deal done.

 

[MassachusettsKingsFan]

5. Washington Wizards - MassachusettsKingsFan - Stephan Curry

The Wizards are one of the hardest teams to peg this year. There roster is full of names and they really dont have any cap space to play around with. If there were trades, you bet I would be moving this pick.

They have a nice roster on paper.

Arenas
Butler
Jamison
Blatche
McGee

That is a very solid lineup, and if they get Heywood back and healthy they should at least make the playoffs.

Blatche, McGee, Heywood and Jamison is a very good big man rotation, a nice mixture of offense and defense. Hill wouldnt be a bad pick, but I dont see how he would find playing time behind these four guys.

Butler has the SF position on lockdown aswell.

Then you have Arenas. He is a point, but he is such a shoot first point guard that he really could play an undersized SG.

Im very tempted to take DeRozan here, he is such a great athlete and it would allow Arenas to stay at the point guard spot, however, I have a huge man crush on one player, so without further ado, With the number 5 pick in the 2009 NBA draft, the Washington Wizards select Stephan Curry, Davidson

I move Arenas over to the SG spot, but in reality Curry can play some 2 aswell, so basically were going to run a two point guard offense, and there is always the chance Arenas could go down again, giving Curry plenty of playing time.

Curry is going to be a stud.

 

[KingsCitizen]

6. Minnesota Timberwolves - KingsCitizen - Tyreke Evans

With the #6 pick, the Minnesota Timberwolves drafts Tyreke Evans.

Twolves clearly needs a guy to fill that big hole in the SG position and who can also play PG/SG with Foye and Telfair.

Evans fills that spot pretty well for this team. He can score and at the same time make some plays to compliment Foye who is not really too gifted to make plays as a PG but is a potent scorer.

I may have also gone with Derozan here but here but he is almost close to what positions Miller/Brewer plays which is SG/SF.

 

[Jespher]

7. Golden State Warriors - Jespher

Welcome back to the exclusive coverage of the 2009 NBA Draft on ESPN sponsored by Flomax. Here’s Stuart Scott…


(Scott) “So the Golden State Warriors are on the clock and looking for a point guard in all likelihood. Here’s Ric Bucher to break it down for us. Shoot Buc.”

(Bucher) “Thanks Stuart. It took just two years for the Golden State Warriors to go from Cinderella Story to the Ugly Stepsister of the NBA. One season removed from their 2007 playoff run Baron Davis surprisingly opted out of his lucrative 17 million dollar deal in search of more guaranteed years. He signed with the Clippers, thinking he could team with Elton Brand, who instead found a new home in Philadelphia.”

“The Warriors tried to move Monte Ellis to point guard to fill Davis’s shoes, but a freak Moped injury caused him to miss the majority of the season with a high ankle injury. Without Monte Ellis, and along with injuries to several other key players, Golden State marched to a 29-53 record, good for 10th in the Western Conference.”

“Some positives for the Warriors are the development of their youth, especially Anthony Randolph, who has all the potential and athleticism in the world, but struggled with consistency and foul trouble throughout the season. They also have Brandon Wright at power forward, and a solid center tandem in Andres Biedrins and Ronny Turiaf. They could use an upgrade at small forward, as both Corey Maggette and Stephen Jackson missed large portions of last season, and appear to have some durability issues, however, their most pressing need is definitely at point guard; starting Jamal Crawford and CJ Watson there respectively just wont get it done in the Western Conference. Anthony Morrow, and Klenna Azubuike were each very impressive last year and Monte Ellis is a star, but recent management changes and the handling of his fine and suspension following his injury might have soured him to the team somewhat.”

(Scott) “Thank you Ric. Any idea who they might select with the 7th choice?”

(Bucher) “Speaking with team officials, they appeared to be very high on several of these point guards coming into the draft, and would be happy taking Jennings, Jrue Holiday, Johnny Flynn, or Tyreke Evens (who is now off the board). Don Nelson typically doesn’t have much patience with young players, so they might be leaning more towards Flynn as he is less error prone and flashy than Brandon Jennings or Tyreke Evans.”

(Scott) “Thanks Ric. I’m going to bring Avery Johnson into this discussion. You played in Golden State, and you worked closely with Don Nelson as both a coach and a player. Tell me, what you think the Warriors will do with this pick.”

(Johnson) “Well Stuart, I agree with Ric that they have got to go point guard here. They cannot afford another season without a floor general, and Monte Ellis and Jamal Crawford are not starting point guards in the NBA. This is a really deep draft at the one this season, so they have several options. I like them to go with a Johnny Flynn, someone who is calm, and can run the offense, hit the outside shot, and can lead the team. That six overtime win over Connecticut this season showed me a lot about the character of this kid, and I think he’d be a good fit for this team. The one drawback with that pick would be an undersized back court, but believe me, with Don Nelson as the head coach, that’s a weapon, not a problem.”

(Scott) “Thanks Avery, well here’s David Stearn to announce Golden State’s pick”

(Stearn) “With the 7th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the Golden State Warriors select. Brandon Jennings. Point Guard Italy”

(Scott) “Well, a point guard but not the one we expected. Some reaction to the pick?”

(Bright Red Blushing Bucher) “A solid choice here. Jennings is an explosive playmaker, and a creative passer and ball handler. He will have some trouble with his defense, and outside shooting, but that is typical of most rookies. He had an excellent workout earlier this month with the team, and they were high on him as well coming into the draft. The negatives would be his poor showing in Europe last season after declining a spot at Arizona due to academic reasons, as well as some maturity questions. The upside is some great raw potential for the Warriors to collaborate now with Jennings, Ellis, and Anthony Randolph.”

(Indignant Johnson) “ I don’t like this pick in the short term, because Jennings hasn’t really shown me anything against top tier talent. Over the long term he might prove me wrong, but he made the jump from high school to the pros and struggled mightily in Europe. He has a lot of potential, but potential can get coaches fired in this league.”

(Posing Scott) “Alright guys, well lets take a break. When we return, the New York Knicks are on the clock, and this place is rockin’! You’re watching exclusive coverage of the 2009 NBA Draft sponsored by Flomax from Radio City Music Hall in New York City.”

 

[kingsfan1O]

8- New York Knicks- Jordan Hill

With the 8th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the New York Knicks select Jordan Hill from Arizona.

As much I don't see highly of Hill but his talent should not slip beyond 8 IMO. I see Hill excelling in D'Antoni's system and be an effective player right away.

 

[Entity]

9. Toronto Raptors - Entity

The Toronto Raptors select Demar DeRozan

 

[bajaden]

10. Milwaukee Bucks - bajaden

With the 10th pick in the draft, the Milwaukee Bucks select:

Johnny Flynn!!

The Bucks breathe a sigh of relief when the player they wanted is there at number 10. With the likelihood of not being able to resign Ramon Sessions due to salary cap restrictions, they were in desperate need of a point guard. Concern has risen in recent days amongst rumors that the Kings at number 4 were very high on Flynn. All is well in Buck's land.

 

[jdbraver]

11. New Jersey Nets - jdbraver

With the 11th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft the New Jersey Nets select....James Johnson.

This was a tough one. The Nets are set at PG and C as far as youth is concerned, so that ruled out J'rue. I considered D. Blair, but I think teams may be concerned with his knees and I really like Johnson's athletisim and scoring potential.

Honestly, I think this pick may end up being traded.

 

[Dime Dropper]

12. Charlotte Bobcats - Dime Dropper

Carlotte Bobcats select:

Gerald Henderson

Bobcats need help at the wing, especially considering how injury prone Wallace is. Henderson is the best SG left at this stage. He'll also be able to contribute right away.

 

[VF21]

13. Indiana Pacers - Vlade4GM

With the 13th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the Indiana Pacers select...Jrue Holiday from UCLA.

They could really use some frontline help, but with Hibbert, Murphy, and Foster they can afford to wait for a better opportunity and draft best available guard here. Tinsley is pretty much out the door, Jack is a free agent (although I wouldn't be surprised if he re-signed,) and Ford's durability is always an issue; they have that future PG spot open, but they also have enough talent there where they can bring him along slowly. They could use a true PG of the future prospect and Jrue Holiday is that. He'll add to them some nice defensive potential at the PG position and some versatility to defend SG's, high IQ, good character guy, a good role player to play off Granger, and a good passing PG who run the break and has some experience in the half-court. Holiday/Rush/Granger will make a very good perimeter team of the future, they fit very well together offensively and they're all solid defenders. Holiday still has to improve his off the dribble game and his jump shot, but he definitely has potential to improve in those areas with hard work and good tutelage. The Pacers are lucky if Holiday falls to them, great fit.

 

[Capt. Factorial]

14. Phoenix Suns - Capt. Factorial

There are a lot ways the Suns could go here, with potential flux all over the floor. Their frontcourt is currently Shaq, Amare, Robin Lopez and Louis Amundson. The latter two haven't shown themselves to be anything more than backups, Shaq is old (38 next season) and apparently in trade talks, and Amare is malcontent and apparently in trade talks. So some frontcourt help could be a good way to go. But the best frontcourt help available is B.J. Mullens (who seriously underwhelmed in college and may have motivation issues) and DeJuan Blair, who is very small (but has great reach) and may have bad knees. Pass.

At the point, Nash will be 36 and is starting to see his stats slip a bit. He's only got another year on his contract, and Barbosa's not a true point, so they'll either have to find another point relatively soon or really hope that Goran Dragic is better than he looked last year. Still, the last top-tier PG (Holiday) just went, and it's a step down to Lawson, Maynor, Collison, Mills...so I'm inclined to pass here as well.

That leaves wing players. The Suns could use to stack one in anyway, as they've got Jason Richardson, Jared Dudley, Alando Tucker under contract and the aging Grant Hill and the marginal starter Matt Barnes as free agents. I'm not horribly excited about Dudley and not at all about Tucker, and I can't see them signing both Hill and Barnes since they're over the tax threshold. A wing it is. I'll be choosing between T-Will and Earl Clark. And as much as I love the rebounding and passing out of the point-forward Williams, the potential of Clark and his ability to fit into a still-fast-paced offense is too much to pass up.

The Phoenix Suns select Earl Clark at #14.

 

[Jerryaki]

15. Detroit Pistons - Jerryaki

the two positions that the pistons are relatively strong in are SG and SF, so they have to be looking at PG or big man for this draft. stuckey hasn't completely proven himself just yet with his up and down play, but with undersized back-ups, an aging mcdyess, and sheed possibly leaving in free agency, i'd have to say a 4 or 5 is the bigger priority.

as capt mentions above, dejuan blair would be possible (and other mock drafts already have him gone) but a 6'6" PF does not do a lot for my confidence. i'll have to go with the only remaining center left on the mock boards, BJ Mullens. a true 7 footer who will take some time to develop, but it's not like the pistons are competing next year.

 

[tradepeja]

16. Chicago Bulls - tradepeja

Two or three different ways to go here, as I'm not totally convinced who the BPA is at this point. One guy who bounces all over the place in the mock drafts I've been looking at hasn't been taken, and he might well be the BPA. I doubt it though, I'll leave him for the next guy.

With the 16th pick of the draft the Chicago Bulls select Austin Daye, 6'10" SF from Gonzaga.

He's long and has great shooting and finishing ability. His only problem is his body, as it is nowhere near NBA ready. He's gotta bulk up and be able to play both forward positions or his time in the NBA could be short. I'm very confident he will hit the gym hard once he feels the luxuries of NBA life.

Daye will fill a need of length and shooting in the front court for the Bulls, which was severely lacking in our epic first round series with the Celtics.

 

[DerekJ]

17. Philadelphia 76ers - Derekj

Philly is an extremely athletic run-and-gun team.

With Andre Miller's impending free agency, the team is likely looking to draft a PG. They could also be looking to draft a legitimate center to backup Samuel Dalembert.

While Louis Williams is a solid young guard, I feel that he is more of a scoring hybrid guard, rather than a starting facilitating PG.

Since BJ Mullens was the only other legitimate 7 footer in the draft besides Thabeet, I'm assuming Philadelphia will look to fill their PG.

Jeff Teague is a nice pickup here, but he plays too similar to Louis Williams.

I think that Philadelphia needs a floor general with experience, and Ty Lawson fits this to a T. Ty Lawson is their pick.

 

[KingsCitizen]

18. Minnesota Timberwolves - KingsCitizen

18. Minnesota Timberwolves - Kingscitizen

With the 18th pick of the 2009 NBA Draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves chose Chase Budinger.

After grabbing Tyreke Evans, Minnesota now has a versatile wing that can switch between the PG/SG position. However, McHale is still glad to see that Chase Budinger is still available this late. He will be a solid wing player to give full stability on their wing position. He can easily play either SG/SF and with the possibility of trading Miller this season, Budinger will be a solid rotation player on the wing.

 

[NoBonus]

19. Atlanta Hawks - NoBonus

With the 19th pick, the Atlanta Hawks select Tyler Hansbrough from North Carolina.

Why? The Hawks need a deeper bench and this is a perfect bench guy and potential future starter depending how he works out. With Josh Smith on the team, the Hawks need a smart basketball player to fill in, and that is what Hansbrough is; he plays smart, is energetic, and shoots very well.

 

[Gtronic]

20. Utah Jazz - Gtronic

With the 20th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the Utah Jazz select DeJuan Blair from Pittsburgh

With either Boozer or Millsap jumping ship they'll have a spot to fill upfront.

 

[GeraldWallace#3]

21. New Orleans Hornets - GeraldWallace#3

Sorry for the wait......

With the 21st pick in the NBA draft the New Orleans Hornets select..

Eric Maynor out of Virginia Commonwealth University.

We take a PG well because all we have there is Paul. And their is Antonio Daniels, but isn't he like 50 lol. Maynor is a good solid point guard good at everything not great at anything. But with Paul showing him the ropes you should expect to hear a lot from this kid in the future. Like I said a great pick here so we don't have to worry about our team once Paul is off the floor.

I like this kid so much I almost passed on him so the Kings could get him lol.....

Boy Kings will either get Teague or T-Will....would be very happy if draft worked out like this.

 

[nbrans]

22. Dallas Mavericks - nbrans
The Mavericks have a lot of needs, but mostly they need someone who can come right in and play because they badly need depth. With Eric Maynor off the board I think they'd consider Teague, Collison or Mills but would ultimately look for a shooting guard or small forward ready to play now. For that reason the Dallas Mavericks select......

Terrence Williams

 

[=LarryLegend=]

23. Sacramento Kings - LarryLegend

With the 23 pick, Kings need alot of help.

Maybe trade bait here, I was thinking Omir Casspi here I think petrie would be high on him.

Kings select Jeff Teague.

 

[Gary]

24. Portland Trailblazers - Gary

With the 24th pick the Blazers select Darren Collison

The Blazers don't really have a "true" point guard at the moment they can rely on. Collison is about as pure of PG as they would have and he plays decent defense. Collison did well when He was playing along side Westbrook and didn't seem to hurt him much they shared ball handling duties.

With Roy handling the ball a lot I think Collison will do well. Not as much pressure, and he should succeed.

 

[Henkel]

25. Oklahoma City Thunder - Henkel

Oklahoma City Thunder - Taj Gibson

The Thunder take Gibson to bolster their awful interior defense. Gibson is the best shot blocker on the board and isn't afraid to mix it up on the defensive end. On the offensive end Gibson will have to rely on hustle and the occasional mid range jumper. Luckily the Thunder are stacked offensively, they just need a player like Gibson to come in and do some dirty work.

 

[tradepeja]

26. Chicago Bulls - tradepeja

No PM.

But with the 26th pick I'll select Omri Casspi. Staying with young and long. This guy's talent is definitely more raw, but his mismatch potential is intriguing. He's one of those Euro players with high bust/high reward potential. We'll see.

 

[icp3425]

27. Memphis Grizzlies - icp3425

With the 27th pick in the 2009 NBA draft the Memphis Grizzlies select... Nick Calathes

 

[KingsCitizen]

28. Minnesota Timberwolves - KingsCitizen

And with the 28th pick of the 2009 NBA Draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves select Josh Heytvelt from Gonzaga.

After taking Evans and Budinger, the Twolves now drafts by needs over BPA since there's no trading in this draft . This might be a reach but clearly the Twolves needs help to shore up their frontline. And Heytvelt will most likely be unavailable on their next pick at 45.

Heytvelt is a 6'11" 250lbs PF/C and should be able to get into the rotation with Love and Jefferson.

 

[Trueblood]

29. LA Lakers - Trueblood

While letting Ariza and Odom leave via free agency is the wish of many a Laker hater, it probably won't happen. Therefore, the purple and gold will set their sights on a big man or lead guard for their 1st round pick.

A quick perusal of the draft board reveals no decent big men but a host of strong point guard candidates.

Kobe Bryant will throw in a good word for Patrick Mills of St. Mary's, who played a heckuva game against Kobe and Team USA in the Olympics, but at the end of the day, he's too small and doesn't shoot well enough for Phil's liking.

On the other hand, Toney Douglas of Florida State and Nando De Colo seem like nice fits. De Colo has the size that Phil covets at the backcourt spot but after much discussion, it looks like he's too raw and just too much of a reach as well for the 1st round.

There is just something about Douglas that screams "LAKER". Maybe it's his similarity to former PG Sedale Threat or the fact that they drafted Von Wafer out of Florida State just a few years ago. Whatever the case may be, his most glaring weakness is his lack of natural point guard skills but it doesn't matter as he will be looked upon to take care of the ball and score off the bench. He can do both so with the 29th pick in the 2009 NBA draft, the Los Angeles Lakers select....Toney Douglas, Florida State University.