This assumes everybody stays in the draft, which I suppose is unlikely. It is based on my impressions both of team needs and player abillities, and which teams will reach for picks because of need or who will settle for the best available player. 1. Portland Trailblazers: Greg Oden: C 7?0 260 Blazers weakest positions are PG and C. Greg Oden is the highest rated player in this draft and fills the need for a Center very well. Jamaal Magloire serves possibly as a decent mentor. 2. Seattle Supersonics: Kevin Durant SF 6?10 Glaring need for size. Durant is more of a SF and they already have Shard but he's the best available player and shouldn't hurt a team by playing at the 4. 3. Atlanta Hawks: Yi Jianlian PF 7?0 They have tons of Swing men and no true starting bigs. I'm always afraid to buy into the hype of an overseas player but he's supposed to be tough. C and PG are both more glaring but none of them who are left on this board are worthy of being drafted this high. 4. Memphis: Corey Brewer SG 6?8 Biggest need is at C. This tall guard has a lot of potential though, I don't think they pass on him to reach for Hibbert (regardless of whether or not it's a good idea. 5. Boston: Roy Hibbert 7?2 C Considering how bad they were, Boston really only has a glaring need at Center. Even there Perkins is serviceable. They'll reach for the big man I think, hoping that he'll become a great one. 6. Milwaukee: Jeff Green SF 6?8 I want to say PG and SF are their biggest weaknesses. Jeff Green is a very versatile player and a good pick for this team. 7. Minnesota: Al Horford 6?9 PF Having two PF who are both mobile is not a bad idea, Horford is tough where KG is versatile. This team does not have to have a standard 12345 team. KG can play the 3 and Horford can play the 4. I'd make this pick. 8. Charlotte: Brandan Wright PF 6?10 Best available player. On a team where there is no glaring need, and yet the overall tallent just isn't quite good enough adding this strong kid who based on what scouts are saying has actually fallen in my draft is a good idea. 9. Chicago from New York: Joakim Noah PF 6?11 This kid is a winner with a huge heart. Exactly the kind of player this young Chicago team needs for the future. Best possible pick to me. 10: Sacramento: Julian Wright 6?8 SF I don't know what this team needs. Every position seems pretty fine to me. This is the best available player based on what I read. It's also always a good idea to get a "just in case" option for Ron Artest. 11. Atlanta from India: Mike Conley PG 6?1 Any time I see Tyronn Lue at the top of anyone's depth chart I get nervous. They need a real solid PG. Mike Conley is just that. I was tempted to look for a PG with their first pick. 12. Philadelphia: Tiago Splitter 6?11 PF I feel like this guy has been in the draft pool and pulling out for 5 years. Reviews of him say he is solid and plays good defense . This is exactly what the 76ers need considering a glaring need at PF. Considered a huge reach. 13. New Orleans: Al Thornton 6?8 SF/PF Best available and a flexible player. On a team that shouldn't have glaring needs. 14. L.A. Clippers: Spencer Hawes C 6?11 Good player, upside not that high. I don't know what the Clippers need, maybe a PG? I know this pick is questionable. 15. Detroit from Atlanta: Thaddeus Young SF 6?8 Best Available 16. Washington: Nick Young SG 6?6 Best available. Biggest need at C. None of those available. 17. New Jersey: Josh McRoberts PF 6?11 If Krstic is at C and is heathy, a great athletic guy like McRoberts could be a good pick, PF has been their biggest need for a while. 18. Golden State: Jason Smith PF 7?0 This team needs to settle down a little bit. They don't need and shouldn'twant to be all flash. 19. L.A. Lakers: Brandon Rush 6?7 SG/SF If Odom plays PF they need a swingman. Good player. 20. Miami: Acie Law 6?3 PG They need a big since their average age on the front line is about 100. Still I don't know that they realize that. 21. Philadelphia from Denver: Javaris Crittenton 6?5 PG They need a PG in case Andre Miller doesn't stay forever. 22. Charlotte from Toronto: Rudy Fernandez 6?6 SG Best available. Tallented player, athletic in ways Adam Morrison is not. 23. New York from Chicago: Derrick Byars 6?7 SG/SF I can't figure out the Knicks, I don't know if I ever will. I know that over the last couple years Chicago has abused that organization. 24. Phoenix from Cleveland: Alando Tucker 6?5 SF Tough strong solid senior. This team is already great. 25. Utah: Rodney Stuckey 6?4 PG/SG I don't know. Good player, can help this team flow as an SG with PG skills. Biggest need is at SG although it's hardly glaring. 26. Houston: Gabe Pruitt 6?4 PG Biggest need is at PG. Need filled. 27. Detroit: Marc Gasol 7?0 C Biggest need, honestly, is at C. Helps, I guesss. 28. San Antonio: Aaron Gray 7?1 C Fits in. I have my doubts about him though. Just another one of thewir serviceable Centers that compliment the amazing other 4 players on the floor. 29. Phoenix: Kyle Visser 6?11 C Helps to have a real C. 30. Philadelphia from Dallas: Aaron Afflalo 6?5 SG Another pretty good SG.
I don't see Memphis taking Brewer, they already have Mike Miller and just traded Shane Battier for Rudy Gay last year, so you know they think highly of Gay. So they don't really need another wing. I think they go with Al Horford at 4. They already have their superstar big man, you don't need another guy with superstar potential, so you take the more surefire pick between Brendan Wright, Horford, and Yi and take Horford.
Can Horford play at center with Gasol at 4, or maybe even Gasol, Gay, and Horford all mixing it up and no true 5?
Gasol is a 7 footer. He's not all that tough but he can definatley play center, especially if they try to run. I think they either go for conley, Wright, Horford, or trading the pick is not a bad idea at all. It seemed like jerry west was pretty upset about the pick they got, maybe they will trade it.
i think atlanta would go with conley at three because ehs the only true solid point guard thats worth taking top 15 and who knows who may pick him up with his potnetial
First of all, no way in hell does Brandan Wright slip past the #4 pick, and if he doesn't go #3, it'll only be because Atlanta wants a point guard in Mike Conley, Jr. Gasol is a center, the Grizzlies are stacked on the wing, and they don't have a reliable power forward. Brandan Wright's not slipping past them.
<div class="quote_poster">TheGreatK-Bob Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Can Horford play at center with Gasol at 4, or maybe even Gasol, Gay, and Horford all mixing it up and no true 5?</div> I think Gasol would be the center and Al would be the PF. <div class="quote_poster">Voodoo Child Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">First of all, no way in hell does Brandan Wright slip past the #4 pick, and if he doesn't go #3, it'll only be because Atlanta wants a point guard in Mike Conley, Jr. Gasol is a center, the Grizzlies are stacked on the wing, and they don't have a reliable power forward. Brandan Wright's not slipping past them.</div> I think Horford is a better fit then Wright at a place where there already is a superstar at PF/C. Horford could be an all-star at one point or another, but doesn't really have that superstar potential that Brendan Wright does, but when you have Gasol, who is still fairly young you don't need to completely bank on potential, but instead get the player that could complement Gasol better. I think Horford does, since he is more balanced right now on offense and is a better defender/rebounder. So if I was Memphis and had both Wright and Horford on the board, I go with the more sure thing, which is Al. Atlanta/Boston on the other hand if you were deciding between both of them, you gotta take Wright. They need a potential superstar and with the young talent they both have they can afford to wait a couple of years for him to excel. I think if one of them falls though it will certainly be Al.
<div class="quote_poster">DIRK4L1FE Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I think Memphis wants to put Gasol back in his natural position (PF) this year.</div> Drafting Bremdan Wright won't do that either.
