2009 NBA Mock Draft: ATS Consultants

Comment: Michael Jordan has been too predictable in recent drafts. He usually goes for the best ACC player or fellow UNC grad (except for D.J. Augustin). The Bobcats need a shooting guard, but this is too high to take Wayne Ellington, they don’t need Ty Lawson and Chase Buddinger may bring back nightmares of Adam Morrison. Earl Clark can at least defend.

13) Indiana PG Jonny Flynn, Syracuse, 6' 0", 190 lbs.
Comment: This is a difficult choice because there a lot of quality point guards in the draft. Flynn has the complete package. He’s very athletic, can shoot it from deep (but is actually around 5' 10") and runs a club pretty well. They could also go with a Lawson or Eric Maynor.

14) Phoenix SG Gerald Henderson, Duke, 6' 4", 215 lbs.
Comment: Some say this is too high for Henderson. We say it’s too low. He’ll come in as one of the best perimeter defenders and athletes. He lacks a consistent jumper, but at times, took over games for Duke. He’s not Grant Hill in his prime, but is very underrated.

15) Detroit PG Eric Maynor, VCU 6' 3" 175 lbs.
Comment: Here’s a player, like Curry, who went to a mid-major school, but can flat out play. He showed that two years ago against Duke in the NCAA Tournament. Maynor is a creator with the basketball and a true point guard. They can bring him off the bench or move Rodney Stuckey to the two.

16) Chicago SF Austin Daye, Gonzaga, 6' 10", 190 lbs.
Comment: Can you say Tayshaun Prince? They are almost the same size, but Daye has a better jumper. Could replace Luol Deng at small forward. Just needs to get stronger, which could take a few years.

17) Philadelphia PG Jrue Holiday UCLA 6' 3", 185 lbs.
Comment: Here’s another point guard in the Russell Westbrook/Gilbert Arenas mode. In other words, he’s a combo guard with tremendous talent, who could have used another year in school. But with Andre Miller possibly gone, he may have to play right away.

18) Minnesota C B.J. Mullens, Ohio State, 7' 0", 260 lbs.
Comment: Minnesota lacks a true center. Mullens won’t help right away as he didn’t even start at Ohio State. He’s very raw and a gamble, but could eventually pay off if Kevin McHale is still around to teach him some post moves.

19) Atlanta PG Ty Lawson, North Carolina, 5' 11", 190 lbs.
Comment: Great luck for the Hawks if Lawson falls here. He has some toe issues and that may scare some teams off. He has great speed and can really push the ball as well as anybody in the draft. He also improved his jumper to more than adequate.

20) Utah PF Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina, 6' 9", 250 lbs.
Comment: Hansbrough is the perfect-type of Jerry Sloan player. He’s undersized, but energetic. Also a very hard worker and can step in and be a rotation player with Carlos Boozer likely gone. He will rebound and score some, but don’t expect him to produce like he did in college.

21) New Orleans SG Chase Budinger, Arizona 6' 7", 218 lbs.
Comment: Budinger has been on the radar screen for awhile. He’s Mike Miller with better hops. He can play shooting guard or small forward. However, he can’t really stop people, so he’ll likely be a sixth man-type for most of his career. Unless he can improve his defense.

22) Dallas PG/SG Jeff Teague, Wake Forest, 6' 2", 180 lbs.
Comment: Dallas was hoping for Nick Calathes here, but he’s hopping to Greece (it’s true). We think Teague stays in the draft. He’s a talented scorer, who’s stock fell last season after Wake Forest collapsed at the end of the campaign. He can play some shooting guard since Dallas has so many good ballhandlers. Similar to Devin Harris.

23) Sacramento SG Sam Young, Pittsburgh, 6' 6", 220 lbs.
Comment: The Kings should package this pick or trade their higher pick. Either way, if they draft a point guard early, look for underrated Sam Young, who can rebound and defend from the wing spot to get a look here. He’s a great athlete who has made himself into a dependable shooter.

24) Portland PG Darren Collison, UCLA, 6' 1", 165 lbs.
Comment: Portland drafted Jerryd Bayless last year, another Pac-10 player, but he’s more of a combo guard. Collison is another good point guard, though thin, that will play some defense and run a team off the bench (kind of like Brevin Knight).

25) Oklahoma City PF Gani Lawal, Georgia Tech, 6' 9", 220 lbs.
Comment: Lawal is a raw athlete who should have stayed in school for two more years. He has great upside though and Oklahoma City can afford to sit him for a year or two to learn the game.

26) Chicago SG Toney Douglas, Florida State 6' 2", 205 lbs.

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