June Fresh Mock Draft

Since the draft lottery, there has already been moving and shaking of expectations about the draft picks. Some teams have revealed bits about their intentions, and some players' workouts have forced them to be recognized. Many draft boards were written right when the ping pong balls settled, but at this time most of them are looking stale and lethargic. So for this mock, I tried to ignore the mock-draft inertia and make freshly thought out picks, with some surprising results. Here is an updated prediction for how the top of the draft may unfold:

1. Toronto Raptors - Andrea Bargnani: This is no surprise to draft watchers. Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo was brought to Toronto after a successful stint building the Phoenix Suns into the most fun team in the league, utilizing a European-style system with a veteran Euroleague coach. Presumably, he will be installing a similar system in Toronto, and has already begun by hiring Maurizio Gherardini from Benetton Treviso. While that happens to be Bargnani's euroleague team, I don't think the hiring is linked to the draft pick, other than that a sweet shooting and mobile 7' Italian would create the kind of matchup problems for defenses that the Phoenix Suns have been enjoying all year.

2. Chicago Bulls - Tyrus Thomas: This guy came out of nowhere, had a great end of the season and tourney to rocket up to #1 on most boards, and then fell out of favor again. Many people see how raw his offense is, and how undersized he appears for the PF position in the NBA, and let doubts set in. Those things are real concerns, but I imagine Thomas becoming something of an Andre Kirilenko type player - a guy who is capable on offense, but who is really defined by his omnipresent spider-monster defense. Thomas's reportedly hard working nature should also fit in well with Bulls coach Scott Skiles.

3. Charlotte Bobcats - Rudy Gay: Charlotte is the big mystery team. What do they need and what do they want? Bernie Bickerstaff, both the general manager and the coach of the 'Cats, certainly is a major fan of hard work, as evidenced by his ejection of Kareem Rush from the team at the end of last season. The move didn't save them any money or affect the rest of the roster, since Rush's contract was set to expire, he just did it to set an example. Bickerstaff's team has PG Raymond Felton, swingman Gerald Wallace, and big man Emeka Okafor as the primary core. What that core seems to lack is great outside shooting and a post player.

Adam Morrison is a tempting pick (and is at #3 on most boards at the moment), because he can hit the long ball and fits in with Bickerstaff's previous draft proclivities towards hard-working players with college experience. LaMarcus Aldridge is also a tempting pick here, since his post game would add a neeeded dimension to the Bobcats offense, and since big men don't grow on trees.

However, I've slotted Gay into this position because he is perhaps the best all-around talent in the draft. While not a sharpshooter, he is a true wing player, so should fit in fine in Charlotte, with Gerald Wallace moving to the 2 slot. Bickerstaff is reportedly buddies with UConn coach Jim Calhoun, and assuming that Calhoun gives Gay the endorsement, the young forward could follow Okafor to Charlotte.

4. Portland Trailblazers - LaMarcus Aldridge: This is the guy Portland probably would have taken #1 if they had lucked out in the lottery, so if the big man falls that far, the Blazers will snatch him right up. Questions abound about Aldridge's toughness and motivation, but with C Joel Przybilla probably leaving, C Theo Ratliff potentially being traded for financial reasons, and PF Zach Randolph playing on a repaired knee and having attitude problems, the Blazers are desperate for help, talent and potential at the big man positions.

5. Atlanta Hawks - Marcus Williams: I was very early at tabbing Williams as the #5 pick (in the mock draft before last), and I'm coming back to it now. They desperately need a true PG in ATL, and Williams is burning up the workout scene. They also do not need a SF under any circumstances. Randy Foye is a tempting option for them, and while he is very good, he is not a true point guard.


6. Minnesota Timberwolves - Adam Morrison: Rabid Morrison fans are probably burning up just reading this, seeing that I have him falling to 6th. Minnesota like Charlotte is a team with many needs. The PF position is locked up, and everything else could be upgraded. They need a real C badly, but few are available in this draft, and they won't reach for O'Bryant with the #6 pick. Marcus Banks is promising at point, and Ricky Davis is the incumbent at one of the swing positions. They will take Morrison because he is a proven college scorer and should complement the ball-sharing offensive style of Kevin Garnett very well. Will this give fans in Minnesota Wally Szczerbiak flashbacks? Maybe a little.

7. Boston Celtics - Patrick O'bryant: It is tempting to just say that Boston will draft O'Bryant for his Irish sounding name, but there is actual reasoning behind it. The C's are pretty much set at the GF positions, with Paul Pierce, Wally Szczerbiak, Ryan Gomes and Gerald Green. Delonte West is a capable young point man, but while Boston would sure be willing to upgrade the PG position, Foye would not be a good fit and no other great PGs remain. O'Bryant is very talented but very raw, and Danny Ainge has been patiently building a young team for the future. Kedrick Perkins, Al Jefferson and Raef LaFrentz are the present big men in Boston, but all of them are really PFs playing out of position at the 5, so O'Bryant can be brought in as the future at center for the celtics.

8. Houston Rockets - Brandon Roy: The second major unexpected fall (after Morrison), Brandon Roy finally lands with the Rockets at #8. The Rockets are yet another team with needs at multiple positions. Besides Yao at center, they need help everywhere else. They are tempted to take Rodney Carney, who is reportedly working out with Tracy McGrady, and Shelden Williams, to replace the aging Juwon Howard and the disappointing Stro Swift at PF and backup C. They are even more tempted to take Randy Foye, since the Rockets could use a good point guard. But again, Foye is no true PG, and if they are going to take a swingman and if Roy actually falls this far, they would go with Roy. He is big enough to be a true shooting guard, which in my opinion is their weakest position, and his all around play would be of great help to the woeful Rockets. They need better offense, better defense, better shooting and smarter overall play, and Roy gives them something in each category.

Likely next picks, in no particular order: Randy Foye, Sergio Rodriguez, Shelden Williams, Cedric Simmons.