Zeeshan's 2009 NBA Mock Draft

1. Los Angeles Clippers: Blake Griffin

Mr. Griffin is going to Clipperland.

He may not like it but not even Donald Sterling is dumb enough to pass on Blake Griffin.

For his sake, Mr. Griffin better hope he is (I kid, Clipper fans).

Before I skip on ahead, does anybody else remember the talk of the Clippers being a playoff team if Elton Brand had re-signed? I know it's not that easy—there was more to it and a reason why they won only 19 games—but don’t be surprised if Blake Griffin can actually turn this team around in the near (or distant) future.

2. Memphis Grizzlies: Hasheem Thabeet

Why over Rubio? Because a shot-blocking god like Thabeet only comes once a decade, and the Grizz need someone to protect the paint. Marc Gasol is a nice defensive center—but he's no Hasheem Thabeet.

And let's look ahead here. A lineup of Mike Conley, OJ Mayo, Rudy Gay, Darrell Arthur, Hasheem Thabeet and Marc Gasol splitting minutes will make the Grizzlies a force to be reckoned with for a decade.

3. Oklahoma City Thunder: Jordan Hill

I will go out on a limb here and say the Thunder will pass on Ricky Rubio. Before you light the torches and get the pitchforks, hear me out. Thunder have absolutely no need for another point guard.  You can say that OKC can slide Westbrook to the two-spot, but what does that do? Sure you have a great backcourt, along with Durant, but still absolutely no front line.

The Thunder may be the sixth-best rebounding team in the league but a good chunk of those rebounds are from the offensive glass. You can partially blame the OKC defense—but that is just it. They are extremely soft down low and mediocre at grabbing defensive rebounds.  I

'll be the first to admit, I wasn't very high on Jordan Hill but I sure have had a change of opinion this past week. He may not be the most intimidating big man—but he does swat shots, secures rebounds, and has a fabulous wingspan.

His post game is very underrated.  He doesn’t have the most-explosive moves, but he does get around. And like Luis Scola, he can knock down those 10- to 15-foot jumpers. Give the man a few years and he can become a very polished big man, and a great compliment to Durant and Westbrook.

Also do you really want to force Jeff Green to play out of position or make him come off the bench? He has progressed into a good forward—and entering his third year, I only see him getting better. 

Four star-potential players playing only three positions? Let's avoid this logjam. Hill does have his bad points, but at the end of the day, whatever way you look at it, the Thunder need a physical big man—and Jordan Hill can provide just that.

4. Sacramento Kings: Ricky Rubio

The Kings are probably are the phone this moment trying to swap picks with either Oklahoma or Memphis to secure themselves Rubio, but he could drop to them if my draft scenario goes perfectly until now.

Now assuming it does, this pick is a no-brainer—the Kings have to pick Rubio right now. Sacramento is in dire need of a point guard, and though Rubio may have trouble translating his game to the American style of basketball, he will definitely go down as the second-best player in this draft.

His playmaking skills are spectacular. Like a matured Jason Kidd, his IQ is off the charts for someone his age, and he can finish around the basket. He may struggle his rookie season, but translating from European to US basketball isn’t easy—especially if you’re a point guard.

Chances are there will be a No. 4 for No. 3 swap, and the Kings might have to let go of some other pieces, but all will be worth it. Also, Rubio’s agent's recent rant of wanting Rubio to play for Sacramento raises the chances of him landing in the Kings’ lap.

5. Washington Wizards: James Harden

What does Harden bring? Offense, efficient scoring and high IQ offense.

Washington was hoping to swipe a defensive-minded big in Hasheem Thabeet or Jordan Hill, but sadly that isn’t going to happen. Hey, it's not a total loss—James Harden, next to Blake Griffin, is the most NBA-ready player in the draft! He’s no defensive juggernaut but he works hard on that end and the Wizards need somebody to plug into a lineup of Arenas, Butler, and Jamison and produce right away.

Harden has one of the highest basketball IQs in the draft.  He doesn’t force up anything, he's a good passer, and he has an overall craftiness with the ball. He bring with him a great personality, a fantastic work ethic, and a positive mentality in the locker room—something the Wizards need.

With Harden, the Wizards have one of the more explosive offensive starting lineups—and if Flip Saunders can implement his offense, Washington has a good chance of making the playoffs. Their bench could use some work, but grabbing the eighth seed in the East isn’t exactly hard.

6. Minnesota Timberwolves: DeMar DeRozan

The Wolves needed an offensive threat off the wing—but unfortunately for them, they dropped to the sixth pick and will have to be satisfied with DeRozan. He’s an athletic freak, but that is about it.

He does grab rebounds, tries to play defense, and can finish around the basket.  Yeah, that sounds nice. He sticks and pops those mid-range shots—but he has proven to be far too inconsistent, and struggles to score without the ball in his hands.  He is also atrocious when shooting anywhere outside of 20 feet, and seems to be too much of a ballhog, averaging only 1.5 assists per game and turning the ball over 2.1 per game.

DeMar’s game relies far too much on athleticism and frame alone to get his shots and seems to lack any other skills. Still, he is a good kid, plays hard, can shoot the mid-range shot, and has loads of potential waiting to be tapped. It’s a toss up as to whether he will be productive or not.  

7. Golden State Warriors: Tyreke Evans

The Warriors—or should I say, Don Nelson—will take another guard here, but at least he can play the point.

I’m really high on Evans—next to James Harden, he is the best prospect when it comes to creating his own shot, and he uses his quickness to finish around the basket. He is quite athletic, has good size at 6'5", plays aggressive, and snatches a whopping 5.4 rebounds per game in the NCAA.

However, he is even more turnover-prone than even DeRozan, losing the ball 3.6 per game in just the college game. His shot selection is questionable—at times it makes you wonder if Ron Artest is taking better shots (exaggerating a bit maybe).

But at the end of the day he still a potential player and a combo guard, and the Warriors love to see those two words in the same sentence. His assist-to-turnover ratio makes you wonder if he really will allow Monta Ellis to move back to the two-spot, but it is the Warriors and I have no doubt this will be their pick.

8. New York Knicks: Stephen Curry

What can I say? He fits the New York offense, Knicks seem to really like him, plays hard and has a great work ethic. He is crafty—really crafty, in terms of scoring.  He can do it all, he can score with the ball, can play off ball and create opportunities for his teammates. He is a fine passer, which again is nice to have in the Knicks offense, good personality in the locker room and has leadership qualities.

His shot selection is sketchy, though, and he’ll have to learn that in the NBA, he is no longer the go-to guy, which I think he will be able to translate. Since he will be playing the two, his size and ability to play defense are questionable, but D’Antoni didn’t care in Phoenix and I doubt he does now.

9. Toronto Raptors: Gerald Henderson

Toronto’s biggest need, like Minnesota, is a solid wing scorer, and at this point in the draft there isn’t much left. While Henderson doesn’t fit that ‘explosive scoring’ bill, he's fundamentally sound and can put up respectable numbers. He plays like a matured veteran, pretty good at creating his own shot and plays hard at the defensive end.

Simply put, he’s quite redundant to the Raptors’ own Anthony Parker—but only with more potential and hard nosed defense (note: Raptors were 22nd in defense last season). I see him turning into a very solid role player and contributing right away as a productive player off the bench.

10. Milwaukee Bucks: Brandon Jennings

I don’t see Jennings falling any further than here. He did struggle in the Euroleague, but translating American high school basketball to professional European leagues is tough—especially for a point guard.

Let me start off by saying he’s fast—and I mean really fast.  He can get into the passing lanes and makes a quick read of the defense. He’s not much of a scorer right now, but as a pure point guard, his excellent playmaking skills will make things easier for Richard Jefferson and Michael Redd.

He is a terrible jump shooter, just barely sinking 38 percent of his shots in the Euroleague, and his defense has also come into question. Despite that, he still has loads of potential but he will probably have to take the backseat to Ramon Sessions (if Sessions gets re-signed).

11. New Jersey Nets: Earl Clark

The Nets will go with the best player available—and fortunately for them, that would be Earl Clark. He is a match up nightmare standing at 6’9" with a big wingspan, and his overall quickness has to make Rod Thorn bite.

His skills as a point forward are drawing Boris Diaw comparisons—and have the potential to exceed them. Clark also has great hands and can swat a few shots.

However, his jumps shot is very inconsistent, he is extremely turnover-prone (averaging 3.2 per game in college), his on-ball defense has come into question, and he plays overall like a softy. He gets around much like DeMar DeRozan, relying on athleticism and lateral quickness to get a good chip of his points.

He is a project, though, and will be coming off the bench this season if he sees any playing time.

12. Charlotte Bobcats: Wayne Ellington

The Bobcats are looking for some help in the perimeter, and Wayne can contribute for them right away. He is as pure as shooters come—not at the level of James Harden, but he makes a great pickup at this position.

Ellington isn’t one-dimensional one bit—he’s able to finish around the hoop, decent at creating his own shot, and is great off the ball (again, things the Bobcats need in the wing spots). He’s also a willing passer (1.59 assist-to-turnover ratio), athletic, and quick coming off screens and getting to the basket.

What Larry Brown won’t be so happy to hear is that he’s not committed to defense, but we’ll see if can change anything. Potential-wise, he’s not so hot—but he can prove to be a good role player for Charlotte.

13. Indiana Pacers: Jonny Flynn

The Pacers are in need of a backup point guard and a productive young big man, but at this stage in the draft there aren’t any bigs that will help out Indiana much. No offense to Dejuan Blair, but he’s not exactly what they’re looking for. 

Flynn, though, does fill the backup guard bill. There is nothing astonishing about him, but he is fundamentally sound and has a very nice overall set of skills. Good leadership skills, can finish around the basket (quickness), and great, great handles with the ball.

14. Phoenix Suns: Ty Lawson

He’s fast, lightning quick, a blur. Okay, so he’s an agile player—but that isn’t all there is about him. He has one of the best court visions in the draft, is a great overall ball-handler, and although he is a great shooter—especially from beyond the arc (47.2%)—he is a true point guard and very unselfish.

A point guard of his caliber is a perfect match for D’Anto—I mean Alvin Gentry’s offense. He may have to take a backseat to Steve Nash for a year or so, but he will gain the experience with Nash as his mentor and be this team’s future starter.

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