Guards Aplenty, Where Will They Fall? NBA Draft Preview Part Two

Smooth shooter Stephen Curry seems destined to become a New York Knick, but will the Golden State Warriors snatch him up first?

Though the 2009 NBA Draft doesn’t boast the talent of past years, there are still plenty that can make an impact. Many are either point or shooting guards, a pair of positions that make up a majority of the 60 players that will be chosen on Draft night.

Here are my predictions for who will be selected 6-11 in the draft, and how the remainder of the draft will transpire for each team:

 

6. Minnesota Timberwolves: DeMar Derozan—Derozan should be selected based on process of elimination. The Timberwolves already have a young point guard, Sebastian Telfair, and off-guard Randy Foye to complete their backcourt.

Also, they have an equally young and talented forward, Al Jefferson, and center, Kevin Love.

This leaves an opening at small forward.

Mike Miller currently holds this position, but I would be shocked if he wasn’t traded.

Top ten picks, in recent memory, are chosen to excel as starters immediately. Derozan could certainly continue this trend. At 6′7″, the 19-year-old forward is explosive offensively, but also makes his mark on the defensive end.

Minnesota has Corey Brewer, a player they selected in last year’s NBA Draft, a similar defensive specialist, but is no where near the offensive player. Brewer could easily be supplanted and could have more of an impact off the bench, giving the Timberwolves some defensive-minded depth off the bench.

Derozan has been widely criticized, and justly.

He isn’t a great passer, is turnover-prone, and has an inconsistent jump shot.

With these negatives, how is he a top-ten pick?

Well, he’s an athletic specimen with tremendous size for his position. He’s a nightmare in transition on offense, an aggressive rebounder, and has an efficient mid-range jump-shot.

He will be selected this early not only because he fills a need, but because of his potential.

18th Pick: B.J. Mullens—The Timberwolves lack size without a dignified center. Jefferson, Love, and Craig Smith are power forwards and have been forced to play out of position in different offensive sets.

Mullens, at 7'0", would give them what they desperately need. He wouldn’t start, but would give Minnesota the defense inside that they currently lack.

28th pick: Eric Maynor—The savvy point guard out of Virginia Commonwealth would be a very intelligent pick, that is if he’s still on the board.

He could backup Telfair and, with his scoring ability, could spell Foye when needed. If he’s not available, the Timberwolves could reach and take a point guard otherwise destined for the second round.

45th pick: Robert Dozier—Dozier, a shot-blocker out of Memphis University, would add to their list of power-forwards, but would give them some length to compliment the bulk of Jefferson and Smith.

47th pick: Wesley Matthews—He’s undersized for a shooting guard, but has a knack for scoring and doesn’t disappoint on the defensive end. Matthews would be a valuable asset late in games and could provide an offensive jolt if injury thins their depth.

 

7. Golden State Warriors: Brandon Jennings—Jennings, a speedy point guard, would fit Don Nelson’s run ‘n gun system.

Nelson has one rule: if you are open, shoot.

Jennings can oblige, but the reason why he is so highly touted is his passing ability. His penetration and floor presence would give the likes of Stephen Jackson and Monta Ellis plenty of shots from the perimeter, which is Golden State’s mantra.

He’s not known for his defense, so again, he’ll fit right in.

The Warriors could be tempted by Stephen Curry, the high scorer out of Davidson, but I don’t think he would mesh well with Ellis as both are shooting guards in the size of point guards.

 

8. New York Knicks: Stephen Curry—The aforementioned guard wants to be a Knick, and the Knicks want him.

So, unless he goes earlier, New York won’t waste any time in calling his name. He’s a deadly scorer, averaging 28 points per game for the Davidson Wildcats, and can display the unselfishness of a point guard as he also managed to dish out five assists per game.

Head Coach Mike D’ Antoni, the orchestrator of the “Seven seconds or less” offense with the Phoenix Suns, would do wonders for Curry and love his dangerous scoring ability.

(As a side note, Curry wowed LeBron James, whom the Knicks are wooing, in a game earlier this year against NC State. Could his presence alone help James become a Knick?)

 

9. Toronto Raptors: Gerald Henderson Jr.—Plenty of stellar point guards are on the board, but the Raptors, with Jose Calderon, don’t need one.

Henderson, an aggressive and intelligent scorer out of Duke, has the potential to make an immediate impact on the offensive and defensive end, and give the Raptors the scoring they lost by trading sharp-shooter Jason Kapono.

 

10. Milwaukee Bucks: Johnny Flynn—The former Syracuse point guard’s draft stock skyrocketed with a breakout sophomore season. A tremendous leader with an improved jump-shot, he is the prototypical point guard.

He’s not shy offensively, but looks to make plays for others before taking over. He has a tremendous work ethic, and, at Syracuse, played every minute as if it was his last.

If he wasn’t touted already, Flynn put his name on the map with a 34 point, 11 rebound, six assist, and 67-minute performance against the Connecticut Huskies in a six-overtime thriller.

So, if the Bucks are ever in this situation, they will have a guard who can play an obscene amount of minutes and excel.

It doesn’t hurt to carry this attribute.

He is generously listed at 6'0" and doesn’t shoot three-pointers well, but his point guard mentality and will to win should wow the Bucks, and allow them to let Ramon Sessions leave through free-agency.

41st pick: Josh Heytvelt—A strong power-forward out of Gonzaga, Heytvelt would give the Bucks the low-post presence they currently lack off the bench. He has range uncanny for his size of 6′11″ and a smooth inside game with a wide-array of moves.

He is also a fabulous rebounder, a category in which Milwaukee struggled last season.

 

11. New Jersey Nets: Jeff Teague—The point guard out of Wake Forest is similar to Flynn: he doesn’t have a great shot, but can, nonetheless, greatly affect his team with his leadership.

He racks up assists, but is more of a scoring point guard. He is turnover-prone, but he can improve with some experience.

He won’t start for the Nets, Devin Harris is their point guard of the present and future, but could be an adequate backup (they currently don’t have a point guard other than Harris on their roster).

The Nets have other needs, but they would have to take a player not worthy of this low a selection.

Teague is a fine talent to settle for.

Part three of my draft preview to come.