With the ping-pong balls creating surprises in the NBA draft lottery, the Wizards and 76ers were lucky winners, while the Nets, Timberwolves and Warriors each dropped two spots.
Let’s look at how things may go for all the lottery teams on June 24.
| 1. |  | John Wall 6-3 185 PG Kentucky Fr. | This team has been through a great deal of turmoil over the past season with the whole Arenas fiasco. What better way to start fresh than with John Wall as the new face of the franchise?. | |
| 2. |  |  | Evan Turner 6-7 217 SF Ohio St. Jr. | Turner gives the Sixers an ideal backcourt mate for Jrue Holiday. Turner has been compared by some to Andre Iguadala, and now he’ll likely be playing alongside him. |
| 3. |  |  | Derrick Favors 6-9 245 PF Georgia Tech Fr. | While Favors isn’t nearly as NBA ready as some of his fellow draftees, he’s got tremendous upside. Considering their top two players are at PG (Devin Harris) and C (Brook Lopez), a power forward with upside fits them perfectly. |
| 4. |  |  | Wesley Johnson 6-7 210 SF Syracuse Jr. | Minnesota could opt for DeMarcus Cousins here, but with two big men inside that are similarly skilled as Cousins (Al Jefferson and Kevin Love), grabbing an athletic small forward like Johnson makes more sense. |
| 5. |  |  | DeMarcus Cousins 6-11 280 PF/C Kentucky Fr. | Cousins has a chance to go as high as third in this year’s draft. A lot will likely come down to how he does on psychological tests with teams. His skill level for a player his size is extremely high, but so are his red flags. |
| 6. |  |  | Al-Farouq Aminu 6-8 218 SF Wake Forest So. | Like the Kings, the Warriors were big losers in the lottery slipping two spots. Wes Johnson makes a lot of sense if he slips to them. Otherwise the team will likely decide between Aminu and Greg Monroe. Donatas Motiejunas will also get some looks here. |
| 7. |  |  | Greg Monroe 6-10 240 PF Georgetown So. | Monroe will likely get interest from the fourth pick on. He lacks the athleticism of the other bigs, but has more versatility. After taking three small forwards in last year’s draft, the Pistons need to go a little bigger. |
| 8. |  |  | Patrick Patterson 6-8 245 PF Kentucky Jr. | Small forward is the position of need for the Clips, but unless Wesley Johnson or Aminu is here, they may be forced to take value. The Clips go for a backup for last year’s No. 1 pick, Blake Griffin. |
| 9. |  |  | Cole Aldrich 6-11 250 C Kansas Jr. | Mehmet Okur is coming off a season-ending injury and this team had some success with former Jayhawk Greg Ostertag. They will hope Aldrich is a new and improved version. |
| 10. |  |  | Xavier Henry 6-6 220 SG Kansas Fr. | Indiana is most in need of a point guard, but 10 is far too high to consider anyone such as Eric Bledsoe or Armon Johnson. Henry would make a nice complement to Danny Granger as a pure shooter from the perimeter. |
| 11. |  |  | Donatas Motiejunas 6-11 230 PF Lithuania 1990 | There are real concerns about Motiejunas’ NBA readiness and ability to defend. He is likely a few years away, but he possesses a rare combination of size, speed and offensive skill. |
| 12. |  |  | Avery Bradley 6-3 185 SG Texas Fr. | Memphis has two late first-round picks and, with Rudy Gay’s uncertainty as a restricted free agent, should be able to find a comparable small forward there. Bradley plays the same position as O.J. Mayo but is a talent. He will need time to fulfill his potential. |
| 13. |  |  | Ed Davis 6-9 220 PF North Carolina So. | With Chris Bosh possibly on the way out, a young post with upside like Davis could be in the cards for Toronto. |
| 14. |  |  | Hassan Whiteside 7-0 235 C Marshall Fr. | Whiteside would provide a solid backup and a long-term replacement with Yao Ming’s health status in question. |
I love the fact that the East
I love the fact that the East got the top 3 picks..The West is loaded with talented guards & forwards…10 of the 15 players on the 3 All NBA Teams play in the West..For some reason i can’t imagine Cousins lasting pass the 3rd pick..Wesley Johnson is vastly overrated..As a basketball fan i’ll love to see Greg Monroe get picked by The Warriors..His passing skills would be fun to watch playing in that system..Don’t be surprised if Gordon Hayward sneaks into the top 10..Maybe at number 9 to Utah or 10 to Indiana..Detroit might go for Hassan Whiteside..Paul George & Luke Babbitt might sneak into the lottery…
I think in this draft they
I think in this draft they were trying to “even” out the conferences. While the east is very top heavy after the 3rd slot all the teams are at best mediocre. The west is solid all the way around so I think it was an attempt to even out the conferences so to speak.
The East has 4 teams, not 3
^^ Atlanta isn’t mediocre, not by a long-shot.
Lottery, no way.
Wizards needed some good news after Pollin and Arenas/Crittenton.
Now they give the Wizards the first pick, really undeserving.
The lottery is a mockery it’s just old men who come together and argue aboput which team needs a good news story more than the other losers.
Matt Korman. Atlanta just got
Matt Korman. Atlanta just got absolutely destoyed by the Magic, if they weren’t mediocre they would have at least put up some sort of fight. Put them in the West and they would be lucky to be an 8 seed.
hahahah
Avery Bradley at 12??are you fucking kidding me?!!!There are 5 better combo guards in this draft like Warren, Dominique Jones, Terrico White, Elliot Williams…
Wizards: John Wall instantly
Wizards: John Wall instantly contends with Derrick Rose when the conversation vents about a particular Point Guard that can create his teammates shots off pure athleticism and instincts. That along says number one.
Sixers: Evan Turner and Andre Iguodala just made Paul Pierce sweat in that Atlantic Division. Two Wings that can create for others and themselves… yikes!
Nets: The tongue that talks says Derrick Favors and Demarcus Cousins are basically apples and oranges when you compare the two. So with that said, picking Favors, who automatically assures the obvious, avoids that of Cousins’ awaiting breakdown. Put Lopez on the block and Favors on the opposite side near the elbow and you have something approachable. Also, I think his focus is the most applaudable since Tim Duncan. He really ought to be the first pick, and I’m thinking the sentiment will be just that in four years.
T’Wolves: Adding him should booster their unintimidating front-court. He provides size, scoring, and mismatch capabilities. Though he must stay away from distraction’s way. He probably will have his bruises along the way with many assuming his maturity level is a downside.
Kings: Greg Monroe is the prospect to look out for at this selection because him and Evans have a great bond from past basketball showcases, and it’s possible Evans can put a word in for him with the familiarity being relevant in this case. Monroe would add a deadly skill-set to Coach Paul Westphal’s system, never even mentioning what him and Evans can do in the ‘pick-play’.
Warriors: Warriors’ roster is in bad hands and until that’s fix you have not much to look forward to in terms of success. They need a wing that can assure the possibility of not fouling out and later getting subbed back in for failure to adjust to the NBA’s rules. No, but seriously, adding Wes Johnson automatically creates a potent scoring duo with Curry in the mix, summing deadly shooting and IQ intangibles. His maturity, and smile should rub-off ‘coins-of-luck’ in the future that awaits this Golden State franchise. (It seems surreal I’ll be a fan of the Warriors with the possible pitch of Curry, Ellis, and Johnson running the score up on teams [long as it isn’t the Bulls]!)
Pistons: Tyshaun Prince or Rip Hamilton is on their way out, possibly for a big-man. Though, here at 7, I’ll add a prospect who spent time in Ann Arbor in Ekpe Udoh, a former Michigan Wolverine that has very skilled fundamentals in approaching the game. He can guard wings on the perimeter, while moving his feet well, and score on the block. His shot-blocking prowess is very praising, handing over a days of work that had near 4-blocks a game. Impressive! And he can shoot the three-ball. But none of this is by mistake, as for he’s very mature at the age of 22.
Clippers: They need a wing: The Chief, Al-Farouq Aminu.
Jazz: Utah’s organization loves wooing their fan-base with hustle, winners, and those forgotten by the elite. So expect Jazz to take Aldrich.
Pacers: Pacers’ Basketball Operations President Larry Bird will take a hard look at Luke Babbitt. Not surprising since Bird sees a little of the ‘Hick’ in Babbitt. This ultimately allows Bird to move some players with value to assure the position at helm — Point Guard.
Hornets: James Anderson gets picked-off at eleventh, assuring Paul that it’s time to remove the Mo-Petes and Poseys of-the-world. Anderson and Thornton combination should provide enough scoring options where the levees lay.
Grizzlies: A lot of experts said Hayward would get taken too high and there you have it. Grizzlies find themselves in dire situation around this time, and anything to put butts in the seats will appeal to their owner’s liking. But besides the obvious, Grizzlies are on the up-and-coming, especially if they keep the positive vibe steaming throughout those quarters.
Raptors: Coincidence that Raps’ GM Bryan Colangelo lands the mold of Chris Bosh in Ed Davis? Not. Ed Davis was projected to go a little low after being over-hyped by many. His lack of strength and slowly progressing outside game can land him here, trying to figure a way to replace 24ppg.
Rockets: I have faith that Rockets’ GM knows what he’s doing, after all he pulled off some great trades this past season where landing Hill and Martin made props for the near future. The theme of their draft should be size. If you can add a player like Donatas Motiejunas and hope he develops a nice rapport with Aaron Brooks, such should do leaps of good. He can help Yao by spreading the floor, execute high percentage pick-and-pops with Brooks and become able in living up to the brand that’s put out by his faction.
Bucks: Skiles loves toughness. And you know it: Patrick Patterson. Patterson will add a high-level system player that fashions himself as high-level athlete that lays it on the line. He should continue where he left off in Kentucky, spreading the floor for Bogut, grabbing rebounds, and giving them a growing low-post game.
T’Wolves: So what if Turner didn’t come your way, you still may have a player that’s better than Jefferson at the arrival of the Target center in Cousins. I’m potentially looking forward to seeing Cousins and Love pair-up. Two guys that should excite the fan-base personality wise, also skill-wise. But here I see them taking Xavier Henry, a kid in a man’s body. He should give Flynn more options to look to on the perimeter. Just a stud with his first-step, and his marksmanship is already niched for the next level. Bright future for Wolves.
Bulls: I’m hearing Bulls’ details are looking closely at Darrington Hobson, former Lobo and now possible first-rounder. It’s interesting that if what I’m hearing is guaranteed.
http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/hoops-in-view/
trade
I believe the wizards should trade gilbert arenas to the kings for the 5th round pick and a player that way the kings get the point guard thats needed and the wizards will have both the point guard and power forward/center that they been needing…. and its the perfect way to keep two player together in wall/cousins and they both are player who will make an impact on the league rite away… thats if the kings agree on that trade… cause we all know that its probably it for arenas in dc…. thats just my opinion
None of those guys you
None of those guys you mentioned has the potential that Bradley has. He can be the next Russell Westbrook for all we know.
Wizards are damn lucky. Wall is going to be a superstar.
greg monroe played in the
greg monroe played in the princeton offense in georgetown so i think it will be very hard for the kings to pass that up
Avery Bradley
Yeah I gotta agree with Lodzio, I don’t see Avery Bradley being a lottery pick. I’m not sure why people are enamored with him, he isn’t a PG and extremely tiny for a SG. His speed/athleticism doesn’t jump off the charts nor did he have that great of a freshman campaign. I just don’t see why some people ride his nuts. If a team is looking for a SG and they pass on James Anderson to take Bradley, whoever makes that decision should be bound, gagged, and shot.
Bradley
I don’t think Bradley will be a lottery pick either.
However, I think he’s worthy of a selection that high. I’m thinking teams will shy away from him due to his height, and a smart team will grab him up late.
I really wonder where Paul George gets drafted. I think he’d be a good selection for Memphis too.
If the Raptors get to choose between Ed Davis and Hassan Whiteside, I will be thrilled. I truly hope they last that long.
re: mock draft lottery.
Bradley is gonna have to work his butt off, and have a team take a risk for him to be drafted in the lottery. You pray and hope he turns out like westbrook, that’s his ceiling. At least westbrook played a little 1 in college, i don’t know if bradley did.
P. Patterson @ #8 overall? wow…
Alabi
Interesting that there is no discussion about Alabi in the the article or these comments. Doesn’t anyone else see some GM thinking that they want to role the dice on a raw/athletic big man? After Aldrich and Whiteside there are not many other true centers. Guaranteed someone makes an ill-advised reach for him. Thabeet Jr!!!
Alabi really took a step back
Alabi really took a step back this year, or at least not as big of a step forward as you’d like to see. There aren’t a lot of Centers in the top half of the draft, but there are a bunch of PF’s who will push Alabi down to the 15-25 range.
Avery Bradley is Jrue Holiday 2.0. Highly recruited, brought in as a PG, also played SG and didn’t have a great year. His potential is still there though and I agree #12 is about as early as he could go, but more likely a few spots lower. He is also a completely different player than James Anderson. If you want a defensive combo guard, you take Bradley, Anderson is the scoring machine but not very well rounded and not a great defender. I do think Anderson could be a 6th or 7th man right away though for a good team and a #2 option in a couple years. I think the T’wolves are a very nice fit for him.