The Goal of the NBA Draft: Find the Perfect Fit (Part One)

Blake Griffin (Oklahoma)
(C/PF) 6'10", 245 pounds
Comparison: Larry Johnson, Amare Stoudamire

A walking double-double, Griffin is without a doubt the best prospect in the draft.

Size, power, and quickness make him the closest to a sure thing this class has. He dunks anything within six feet of the basket and will grab any rebound within his reach.

Against the toughest competition of the year, he went 9-12 from the field against Tyler Hansbrough and the rest of the Tar Heel front line, and owned Texas by dropping a 40-point and 23-board bomb on Texas Tech.

The best fit for Griffin is likely Oklahoma City.

The Thunder will have a great shot at locking down the number one pick in the lottery after finishing with one of the league’s worst records.

Plus, for some reason, the hometown teams have had pretty good luck in the past grabbing a homegrown star with the first pick, just ask Cleveland.

Can you say, conspiracy?

Ricky Rubio (Spain)
(PG), 6'4"
Comparison: Leandro Barbosa, Tony Parker

The entire Spanish National team showed the world what they were made of in the Beijing Olympics. Mark Gasol and Rudy Fernandez have already transferred their skills to the NBA and next in line is Rubio.

Ricky has been an NBA prospect for a few years now, and has a game similar to that of Tony Parker. Good size for a point, lightning speed and a decent mid-range jumper.

Those skills make him a perfect fit for a coach that likes to play a European style of game, Mike D'Antoni.

New York needs a star guard to run that system, and Nate Robinson has emerged as more of a scorer than distributor.

Johnny Flynn (Syracuse)
(PG) 6', 180 pounds
Comparison: Chauncy Billups

Johnny Flynn has always been a decent NBA prospect, but he did wonders for his stock (as did Eric Devendorf) during the Big East tournament by taking down UConn in an instant classic.

Flynn is cat-like quick, explosive, and has an improved mid-range jumper. Flynn should thrive in an up-and-down system, so Phoenix would be a great fit. They have the players in place to help Flynn develop (Barbosa and Nash).

If he lands in Phoenix he could be the next All-Star in the Desert.

Hasheem Thabeet (UConn)
(C) 7'3", 265 pounds
Comparison: Dikembe Motumbo

Thabeet was the leading shot blocker on the nation's best shot blocking team as a junior. If there's one thing that a big speed offense needs, it’s a shot blocker and rebounder to have their back. So Golden State is a perfect fit.

Thabeet is still very much raw. If he can develop a edge, and if whoever drafts him can bring in the right teacher, Thabeet can turn into a force on the defensive end in the pros.

Golden State has Biedrins, but Thabeet has more size and length, making him the perfect fit to complement a team full of guards who like to take plays off on defense.

Demar Derozan (USC)
(SG) 6'6", 200 pounds
Comparison: Paul Pierce

Derozan didn't get as much pub as he would have by going to a "basketball school" like Carolina or UCLA, but nonetheless, when the nation was watching, the freshman took the legs out from under UCLA and Arizona State in consecutive days in the Pac-10 tournament.

Derozan has a lot more game than he was able to show at Southern Cal. He has an OK jumper from mid-range, but he’s not much of a three-point threat yet.

But first and foremost, he's a slasher that can get to the rim and finish over pretty much anybody.

With a point guard that can get him the ball in the right spots, he could become a good pro, which makes him a perfect fit with Charlotte and D.J. Augustin. He can also defend positions one through three.

Earl Clark (Louisville)
(PF) 6'9", 200 pounds
Comparison: Lamar Odom

Earl Clark might be the next best overall player in the draft next to Blake Griffin. Tall and long, he can defend and shoot the long-range jumper at a high percentage.

Even though Samardo Samuels took over the duties in the paint this season, Clark was still able to put up good numbers (14.2 PPG and nearly nine rebounds).

Clark might not be an All-Star, but he'll be a hell of a complementary player to one. If he were to land in Brooklyn (aka New Jersey), he would be close to home and be able to pitch in immediately on a team that has a serious void at the small forward spot.

But if the Clippers were to grab him, he could probably step in and start immediately. Clark, Al Thornton, and Eric Gordon would be a pretty nice nucleus to build around going forward.

Tyreke Evans (Memphis)
(SG) 6'6", 220 pounds
Comparison: Michael Finley

Since he contains prototypical NBA skills and body, Tyreke Evans can step in right away and play.

Stats were nice, but to help out with problems in the starting lineup, Evans moved into the point guard spot and pushed the Tigers to another undefeated Conference-USA season.

Evans can get to the basket, making him a perfect fit for the T-Wolves.

McCants hasn't quite panned out, and Al Jefferson could use some help on the perimeter to keep defenses honest.