Group NBA Mock Draft

It's that time of year again. With under a week to go until the 2009 NBA draft, many GM's are scrambling to gather notes, watch film, watch workouts and create player profiles as they prepare to take the next step in building for the future. We have decided to play GM and have posted our individual mock drafts. In case you happen to miss the upcoming draft this is what you should expect:

Justin's Mock 1.0

1. Los Angeles Clippers: Blake Griffin 6'10 PF Oklahoma
No doubt about this pick. This guy is clearly the best talent in the draft. Even with LA having a lot of depth down low, Griffin is a must with this pick. Congratulations Clippers--you win the draft. Sorry Griffin--you are headed to LA. Unfortunately it is to the wrong team. I guess if there is a bright side, Griffin and Eric Gordan could be a promising duo in the future.

2. Memphis Grizzlies: Hasheem Thabeet 7'3 C Uconn
Very tough pick for Memphis. I think they are not in love with anyone this high, but ultimately go with the guy who could have a Dikembe Mutombo-like presence in the paint. But then again, we have seen many shot-blocking seven footers get drafted high and not pan out. Let's face it, Thabeet is offensively handicapped. But that's okay in this situation because Memphis has plenty of guys that like to shoot. I'm sure we have all heard Thabeet's story on his travel from Africa to the US and now he is looking like a top five pick. A guy with this story is destined to be successful. Soon enough he will make us all forget about how he was dominated on more then one occasion by the much smaller Dejuan Blair.

3. Oklahoma City Thunder: James Harden 6'5 SG Arizona St
OKC is full of young talent and would love to add a veteran that can shoot. If no trade is made, they draft Rubio or Harden. Westbrook was successful at point guard in his rookie season, so the crafty Harden is their choice here. Harden has proved he can score from anywhere on the court. The crafty lefty is not a franchise player, but with Durant, Westbrook and Jeff Green already in place, Harden will fit right in.

4. Sacramento Kings: Ricky Rubio 6'4 PG Spain
Kings are in need of a point guard. Rubio is the guy they have wanted the whole time. If he falls to them, they have to take him based on all the potential and Steve Nash comparisons. There has to be some questions raised about this guy. Afterall, he refuses to workout against any other players. Actually to this date, he has not even had a private workout. He happened to get sick the day he was going to workout for Sacramento. The Kings just hope this guy is all he's cracked up to be.

5. Washington Wizards: Stephan Curry 6'3 PG/SG Davidson
The Wizards are not looking for young talent. They are actually trying to dump salary. This pick will probably be traded. I think whether the pick is traded or the Wizards keep it, Curry is the 5th selection in the draft. The Wizards will never be a true contender because they have not been strong down low since they were called the Washington Bullets. They also gave a injury-plagued Gilbert Arenas the contract of a lifetime just so, at best, they will be eliminated by the Cleveland Lebrons once again.

6. Minnesota Timberwolves: Tyreke Evans 6'5 PG/SG Memphis
First keep in mind Minnesota has a new GM, David Kahn. Since this is his first draft expect fireworks. After all, he has to fix the mistakes from past drafts. Just a quick reminder, yes the Timberwolves traded OJ Mayo and bench players for Kevin Love, Mike Miller and more bench players. In 2006 the Wolves also traded the rights to Brandon Roy for the rights for Randy Foye. With all this said, Minnesota is in need of a playmaker outside of the paint, specifically a shooting guard. This is a young team with very few shooters. Tyreke Evans' shooting is questionable, but his 6'5 NBA-ready body, ability to play three positions, as well as guard three positions and knack for getting to the rim make him the pick at number six. Wolves, don't blow this one.

7. Golden State Warriors: Jordan Hill 6'10 PF/C Arizona
Warriors have been talking point guard the whole off season, but if Hill falls to them they can not deny the fact that they must get tougher inside if they are going to compete in the West. Since Hill is a scrapper and likes to run, he should fit well with Andris Biedrins. Hill has not been playing basketball very long which gives him huge upside as he develops.

8. New York Knicks: Brandon Jennings 6'2 PG Italy
The Knicks are after a point guard, and with Curry gone, Jennings appears to be the best fit to run the Mike D'Antoni offense. He is very quick, loves to run and knows how to score. If he can create for his teammates, this could be a very solid pick. The whole Euro experiment, if anything, hurt Jennings. It is clear he's a great talent, but don't we all wish we had a year of college ball to evaluate him from.

9. Toronto Raptors: DeMar Derozen 6'6 SG USC
Toronto is in need of help on the wing. Derozen did not have the freshmen year we all expected, but he did come on late in the year. The comparisons to Vince Carter...I don't see...but he can develop into a very good player. If anything, Toronto needs to ask Chris Bosh who they should draft. That could be the only way they re-sign him after this season.

10. Milwaukee Bucks: Jonny Flynn 6'1 PG Syracuse
Milwaukee has stated that they want a point guard. Good thing for them, this draft is full of them. I believe this pick comes down to Holiday or Flynn. It is a personal choice, but I think Milwaukee likes Flynn more. He is quick, very athletic and has a huge heart. I guess the real question is how good will he be when he can't where a t-shirt under his jersey anymore.

11. New Jersey Nets: Jrue Holiday 6'4 PG UCLA
The Nets have a few holes to fill before they are a contender. I think they go with the defensive-minded point guard with size and the ability to run a team in a few years, like Holiday. He should be able to play now and compliment Devin Harris and Vince Carter. Holiday is another guy that did not have the freshmen year we all had hoped, but once again we bank on his upside. I would have loved to see this guy stay in college one more year and run that UCLA team.

12. Charlotte Bobcats: Gerald Henderson 6'5 SG Duke
Bobcats are looking for help at the shooting guard position. Henderson is athletic, he plays defense and has a internal drive to win. Looking at most mock drafts, this pick is almost as sure as Blake Griffin at number one. It has taken Michael Jordan a few years, but I think he has finally got the hang of this drafting thing. Last year DJ Augustin was a good choice and I think he will make the right decision and pick Henderson.

13. Indiana Pacers: Dejuan Blair 6'7 PF Pittsburgh
Pacers have been saying they want a point guard. I think at this point in the draft, you go with the best player. Dejuan Blair, although very undersized at 6'7, has the wingspan of a seven-footer and the heart of a champion. There are questions about his knees, but the game film against Uconn this past season will put the medical issues to rest. Blair has lost over 20 pounds since the draft process has started. He is obviously committed. If this guy ever develops any kind of game outside of the paint, he will be scary.

14. Phoenix Suns: Earl Clark 6'10 SF Louisville
This pick is totally in the air. The need is at small forward. But the Suns could draft the Steve Nash replacement, or with all the talk about Amare and Shaq being traded, they could get someone inside. I think they go with Earl Clark. He is a tall small forward with inside/outside game. He could benefit from playing with Steve Nash.

15. Detroit Pistons: BJ Mullens 7' C Ohio St
With this pick, Detroit continues their rebuilding. I think they will try to move up to get a player that's ready to contribute right away, but if not, the choice is between Austin Daye, BJ Mullens or James Johnson. Knowing Joe Dumars likes toughness, even Austin Daye's 6'11 height will not get him drafted in Detroit. With all the potential, BJ Mullens is the pick.

16. Chicago Bulls: Terrence Williams 6'6 SG Louisville
The bulls are an up-and-coming team. With Mullens gone, they could go with Ty Lawson's experience to back up Derrick Rose. I think the best choice is Terrence Williams. He's a shooting guard that can do a little bit of everything. He can contribute immediately off the bench. In the right situation this guy can be very dangerous. Rose will be pleased.

17. Philedelphia 76ers: Jeff Teague 6'2 PG Wake Forest
Sixers are in need of shooting. This is why they made the trade for Kapono. They have also shown interest in drafting a PG. With Teague's athleticism and ability to score, he looks like a good pick. It does not hurt that he shot 44% from 3-point range last year. If Andre Miller re-signs he would serve as a great mentor for Teague.

18. Minnesota Timberwolves: James Johnson 6'8 PF Wake Forest
Timberwolves need help at the small forward, which makes Austin Daye intriguing. Daye has been killing his own stock with poor workouts. His body frame makes me cringe. With James Johnson still on the board, the Wolves cant afford to pass him up.

19. Atlanta Hawks: Austin Daye 6'11 SF Gonzaga
This is an interesting pick. The Hawks are in need of point guard help, but with Austin Daye still on the board, its hard to pass him up. Daye is 6'11 190 pounds. I truly believed he needed another year of college ball to assure us that he is ready to compete at the next level. Ultimately, I think the Hawks give Acie Law one more season to show something and pick Daye.

20. Utah Jazz: Tyler Hansbrough 6'10 PF UNC
Tyler has done nothing but prove himself from the moment he stepped on UNC's campus. At this point, his stock is rising but I see him going to the Jazz at 20. Boozer will probably not be returning next season, so Tyler will have plenty of opportunities to prove himself. Utah gets a winner with this pick.

21. New Orleans Hornets: Eric Maynor 6'3 PG VCU
Chris Paul is begging for more scorers. The need is at shooting guard, and Marcus Thorton could be considered here. But I think they go with the best player left, Eric Maynor. Maynor is very underrated and was a dominant scorer in college. For all of you that have never heard of him, he averaged 22 pts, 6 asts, and 3 rebs this past season. Chris Paul is one of few NBA players that brings the best out of his teammates. Ask Tyson Chandler. Paul will find ways to get Maynor baskets.

22. Dallas Mavericks: Ty Lawson 6'0 PG UNC
Mark Cuban is not a sit-and-watch kind of GM. For this reason, I see the Mavs moving up in the draft. If they are unable to, I think they select Ty Lawson. He has plenty of experience, he is a winner and has an NBA-ready body. His perimeter shooting will come in handy when Dirk kicks it out. Mark Cuban will be left satisfied, well, at least until the free agent signing period begins.

23. Sacramento Kings: Sam Young 6'7 SF Pittsburgh
The Kings take their point guard of the future with Rubio and now steal Sam Young at the end of the draft. I think Young has Mickael Pietrus potential coming off the bench for any team he plays for. He is better suited for a playoff contender but should be a contributor for the Kings. I hope Donte Greene works extremely hard over this summer, or he will see even fewer minutes next season when Young arrives.

24. Portland Trailblazers: Darren Collison 6'2 PG UCLA
The Blazers are in need of toughness and a true point guard. While some of the prospects remaining are intriguing, I think they go with Darren Collison. Collsion provides four years of college experience and leadership. He is unselfish and can play in a half court set or get out in transition. He will come in and fight for minutes in the rotation. If anything, Collsion should be given credit for not allowing Jrue Holiday to show up to UCLA and steal his team on his senior year. With all the hype that followed Holiday, I think that is saying something.

25. Oklahoma City Thunder: Omri Casspi 6'9 SF Israel
Omri has been compared to Luis Scola, but with a three point shot. OKC should fall in love with his toughness, if anything. He recently had a workout against Austin Daye where he was described as bullying Daye, pushing him around and even leaving him with a busted lip. It is not often an international player is praised for being tough. Durant will instantly become good friends with this guy.

26. Chicago Bulls: Derrick Brown 6'9 PF Xavier
Bulls need help in the paint. Brown is a hard worker and could be a solid player in the future. I have him being one of the more underrated players in the draft. With picks this late in the draft teams are looking for a steal. Brown has that kind of potential.

27. Memphis Grizzlies: DaJuan Summers 6'9 SF Georgetown
Summers can shoot it from the perimeter and has attitude. Budinger could be a possibility here but I am not sold on his game as an NBA player, especially for a team building from the bottom. I think Summers has the ability to find his way into the rotation this season.

28. Minnesota Timberwolves: Toney Douglas 6'2 PG/SG
Toney Douglas can really score the basketball. The Spurs have fallen in love with him and are looking to buy a pick late in the first round. Since the Wolves have already taken two picks in this round, I think they sell this to the Spurs. Douglas will help lower the average age of the Spurs roster and will see time this season.

29. LA Lakers: Nick Calathes 6'5 PG Florida
Congratulations Lakers you are the 2008-2009 NBA Champions. They probably havent really given much thought to the draft. The Lakers are not looking to spend any money at this point. Afterall, Kobe will probably opt out for a max deal and Odom and Ariza are free agents. With all this in mind, Calathes has already signed to play overseas and point guard could be a position of need for the Lakers once Calathes returns. I'd also like to take this time to congratulate Sun Yue and Adam Morrison on winning the NBA championship.

30. Cleveland Cavaliers: Wayne Ellington 6'5 SG UNC
The Cavs are looking for athletes down low and shooters. The two best prospects, considering their needs, are Chase Budinger and Wayne Ellington. Chase has not looked that good in his workouts and his game is limited to the perimeter. Wayne Ellington is a pure shooter inside and out. Not to mention, he was NCAA Final Four MVP. This guy is used to winning and is the better fit for the Cavs.