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NBA Mock Draft









| Jan. 21, 2010

NBA Mock DraftThe InsideHoops.com NBA Mock Draft is a professional, insiders look at the what the 2010 NBA draft is expected to look like. The internet is flooded with NBA mock drafts, but only a select few are run by full-time basketball analysts who cover the NBA for a living. Online since 1998, InsideHoops.com's NBA mock draft is one of the web's must-read, trusted, professional takes on the big yearly event. Updated regularly. Frequency of updates increases as the draft approaches.

Kentucky freshman point guard John Wall is widely expected to be the #1 selection in the 2010 NBA draft. There is very little chance that this will change between now and late June of 2010. He was expected to do big things in college, but immediately set himself apart. As for the #2 pick, no player has a lock on the spot.

2010 NBA MOCK DRAFT
Updated January 21, 2010

1) New Jersey Nets: John Wall (Freshman PG at Kentucky)
2) Minnesota Timberwolves: Wesley Johnson (Junior G/F at Syracuse)
3) Golden State Warriors: Willie Warren (Sophomore guard at Oklahoma)
4) Washington Wizards: Evan Turner (Junior shooting guard at Ohio State)
5) Indiana Pacers: DeMarcus Cousins (Freshman F/C at Kentucky)
6) Sacramento Kings: Cole Aldrich (Junior center at Kansas)
7) Philadelphia 76ers: Derrick Favors (Freshman power forward at Georgia Tech)
8) Detroit Pistons: Patrick Patterson (Junior power forward at Kentucky)
9) New York Knicks: Ed Davis (Sophomore power forward at North Carolina)
10) Milwaukee Bucks: Al-Farouq Aminu (Sophomore small forward at Wake Forest)
11) Los Angeles Clippers: Devin Ebanks (Sophomore small forward at West Virginia)
12) Chicago Bulls: Xavier Henry (Freshman G/F at Kansas)
13) Charlotte Bobcats: Greg Monroe (Sophomore F/C at Georgetown)
14) Toronto Raptors: Avery Bradley (Freshman guard at Texas)
The rest of our first round 2010 NBA mock draft coming later in January.

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2009 NBA MOCK DRAFT
Updated June 24, 2009

1) Los Angeles Clippers: Blake Griffin, PF/C, 6-10, 250, Oklahoma, Sophomore, 22.7 ppg, 14.4 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.2 bpg, 65.4% FG. Stands out as by far the most NBA-ready player in the 2009 NBA Draft. Not a guaranteed NBA star, but at worst should be an extremely solid rotation player and quickly have an NBA impact. Big-time rebounder, and an inside scorer. Must continue to develop a more reliable mid-range shot.

2) Memphis Grizzlies: Hasheem Thabeet, C, 7-3, 265, Connecticut, Junior, 13.6 ppg, 10.8 rpg, 0.5 apg, 4.2 bpg, 64.0% FG. A shot-blocking defender who adds size but not much offensive refinement. Limited basketball experience. Not a real impact player (yet?) but the only true center worthy of going higher than mid first round.

3) Oklahoma City: James Harden, SG, 6-5, 220, Arizona State, Sophomore, 20.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 4.2 apg, 1.7 spg, 48.9% FG, 35.6% 3FG. A bulldozer of a shooting guard who reminds some of Paul Pierce. A scorer, not a pure shooter.

4) Sacramento Kings: Ricky Rubio, PG, 6-4, 180, International. Flashy, young point guard with great passing skills who is still developing but age-wise has been dominant for years. Still improving his shot. Everyone like to compare him to Pistol Pete Maravich. We can go along with that.

5) Minnesota Timberwolves: Stephen Curry, G, 6-3, 185, Davidson, Junior, 28.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 5.6 apg, 45.4% FG, 38.7% 3FG. A scoring phenom who can shoot the lights out and create mountains of points. A scoring guard who isn't a pure point but can create and make things happen for others.

6) Minnesota Timberwolves: Tyreke Evans, SG, 6-6, 220, Memphis, Freshman, 17.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 3.9 apg, 2.1 spg, 45.5% FG, 27.4% 3FG. Combo guard best suited to play the two. Physically strong. Versatile scorer. Good draft workouts.

7) Golden State Warriors: Jordan Hill, PF, 6-10, 235, Arizona, Junior, 18.3 ppg, 11.0 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.7 bpg, 53.7% FG. Athletic forward but not a great defender.

8) New York Knicks: Jonny Flynn, PG, 6-0, 185, Syracuse, Sophomore, 17.4 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 6.7 apg, 1.4 spg, 46.0% FG, 31.7% 3FG. A short but talented, very quick point guard and one of the most athletic players in the draft.

9) Toronto Raptors: Demar DeRozan, G/F, 6-7, 220, USC, Freshman, 13.9 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 1.5 apg, 0.9 spg, 52.3% FG, 16.7% 3FG. Super athlete who is still developing actual basketball skills.

10) Milwaukee Bucks: Brandon Jennings, PG, 6-1, 170, International. A flashy, highlight-reel of a point guard, very good on fast break and in open court.

11) New Jersey Nets: Terrence Williams, SF, 6-6, 220, Louisville, Senior, 12.5 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 5.0 apg, 2.3 spg, 43.1% FG, 38.5% 3FG. Williams defends just as well as he rebounds and passes. Can impact a team positively without putting up a lot of points.

12) Charlotte Bobcats: Gerald Henderson, SG, 6-4, 215, Duke, Junior, 16.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.2 spg, 45.0% FG, 33.6% 3FG. A versatile, strong, quick, multi-talented guard who is as good defensively as offensively, but must keep improving outside shot.

13) Indiana Pacers: DeJuan Blair, PF, 6-7, 265, Pittsburgh, Sophomore, 15.7 ppg, 12.3 rpg, 1.2 apg, 1.5 spg, 1.0 bpg, 59.3% FG. A rugged, bruising, short but long-armed power forward.

14) Phoenix Suns: Tyler Hansbrough, PF, 6-9, 250, North Carolina, Senior, 20.7 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 1.0 apg, 1.2 spg, 0.4 bpg, 51.4% FG, 39.1% 3FG. One of the best college basketball players in many years, Hansbrough is a winner and should help any NBA team's frontcourt. Not explosive athletically but extremely intense.

15) Detroit Pistons: James Johnson, F, 6-8, 240, Wake Forest, Sophomore, 15.0 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.4 spg, 1.5 bpg, 54.2% FG, 31.9% 3FG. A tweener who is probably best suited as an NBA small forward.

16) Chicago Bulls: B.J. Mullens, C, 7-0, 275, Ohio State, Freshman, 8.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 0.3 apg, 1.1 bpg, 63.8% FG. Insane athletic ability for a big guy but still very raw on both ends of the floor and as of now is best used as a backup, not a starter.

17) Philadelphia 76ers: Jrue Holiday, G, 6-3, 180, UCLA, Freshman, 8.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.7 apg, 1.6 spg, 45.0% FG, 30.7% 3FG. Didn't have a great freshman year in college, but is coming out because NBA scouts like his upside. A combo guard who still has a lot of improving to do.

18) Minnesota Timberwolves: Earl Clark, F, 6-9, 225, Louisville, Junior, 14.2 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 3.2 apg, 1.4 bpg, 45.7% FG, 32.6% 3FG. A versatile, passing, finesse, tweener, point-forward.

19) Atlanta Hawks: Ty Lawson, PG, 5-11, 195, North Carolina, Junior, 16.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 6.6 apg, 2.1 spg, 53.2% FG, 47.2% 3FG. Short but strong, smart point guard who at worst should be a very good backup, but unsure if he'll be worthy of starting on an NBA team, initially, at least.

20) Utah Jazz: Sam Young, SF, 6-6, 220, Pittsburgh, Senior, 19.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.1 apg, 1.0 spg, 50.2% FG, 37.2% 3FG. Unusual player that reminds some of Josh Howard in that he seems good at just about everything but not great at any one thing. But a real baller. He's already 24, though. So how big is his upside? Hustles hard.

21) New Orleans Hornets: Jeff Teague, PG, 6-2, 180, Wake Forest, Sophomore, 18.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.5 apg, 1.9 spg, 48.5% FG, 44.1% 3FG. Defenders find it extremely hard to stay in front of him, but still developing NBA-level skills. Must improve ball control. More of a combo guard than a pure point.

22) Dallas Mavericks: Austin Daye, F, 6-11, 205, Gonzaga, Sophomore, 12.7 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.1 apg, 2.1 bpg, 47.7% FG, 42.9% 3FG. Has to spend years adding muscle, but initially he'll be able to come off a bench and make open jumpshots.

23) Sacramento Kings: Eric Maynor, PG, 6-3, 175, VCU, Senior, 22.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 6.2 apg, 1.7 spg, 46.3% FG, 36.1% 3FG. An extremely experienced, smart point guard who knows the game but isn't especially blessed as an athlete.

24) Portland Trail Blazers: Marcus Thornton, SG, 6-4, 205, LSU, Senior, 21.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.1 apg, 1.6 spg, 47.2% FG, 38.8% 3FG.

25) Oklahoma City Thunder: Chase Budinger, SF, 6-7, 220, Arizona, Junior, 18.0 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1.4 spg, 48.0% FG, 39.9% 3FG. Volleyball background helped the versatile, athletic, underrated Budinger develop into a player that should help most teams' rotations.

26) Chicago Bulls: Omri Casspi, F, 6-8, 220, Israel. Versatile forward who gets at the rim but needs to keep improving his shooting ability and must get stronger.

27) Memphis Grizzlies: Wayne Ellington, SG, 6-4, 200, North Carolina, Junior, 15.8 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.7 apg, 0.9 spg, 48.3% FG, 41.7% 3FG. Pretty good at most things but tough to say how strong an impact he'll have early on.

28) Minnesota Timberwolves: Derrick Brown, F, 6-8, 230, Xavier, Junior, 13.7 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.9 apg, 0.9 bpg, 50.4% FG, 43.3% 3FG

29) New York Knicks: Darren Collison, PG, 6-0, 160, UCLA, Senior, 14.4 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 4.7 apg, 1.6 spg, 50.9% FG, 39.4% 3FG

30) Cleveland Cavaliers: Patrick Mills, PG, 6-0, 180, Saint Mary's, Sophomore, 18.4 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 3.9 apg, 2.2 spg, 40.2% FG, 33.8% 3FG

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FINAL 2008 NBA MOCK DRAFT
Last updated morning of June 26, 2008

FIRST ROUND MOCK DRAFT

1. Chicago: Derrick Rose (PG 6-4 195 Memphis)
Super athletic, strong, great point guard who can do it all, but must improve outside shot. Instant impact.

2. Miami: Michael Beasley (PF 6-9 230 Kansas State)
Super athletic versatile forward who can score in multiple ways and rebound like crazy. Instant impact.

3. Minnesota: O.J. Mayo (G 6-4 195 USC)
Tough combo guard who plays a confident game which makes him look like an instant impact player for parts of a game and a guy with flaws and a lot to learn in other stretches. Has shoot-first mentality.

4. Seattle: Brook Lopez (C 7-0 245 Stanford)
A smart, skilled, legit big man with nice legit scoring moves with strength. Takes up space nicely. Sonics also may want Jerryd Bayless. Trade with Clippers may occur, with those teams picking for each other.

5. Memphis: Kevin Love (PF/C 6-9 260 UCLA)
A multi-skilled strong, bruising power forward who can bang, score down low, and nail jumpers out to three-point range if his feet are set. Got into better shape since the season ended. Pretty regular athlete. Not as quick as the cat-like big men he'll sometimes have to face. May take Jerryd Bayless or Eric Gordon

6. New York: Danilo Gallinari (SF 6-9 210 Italy)
Very versatile small forward who can pretend to be a guard, pass, score, shoot, move without the ball, and do those good Euro-kind of things. But athletic ability is limited and that's his main issue right now. May take Russell Westbrook or another good guard if available. Will Knicks trade David Lee to Blazers?

7. LA Clippers: Russell Westbrook (PG 6-3 190 UCLA)
A combo guard who can probably be a legit NBA point guard. Pretty good at everything, but must prove he's developed and skilled enough to really help an NBA team. Can defend. Has impressed teams in workouts. NOTE: SONICS AND CLIPPPERS MAY MAKE TRADE HERE, PICKING FOR EACH OTHER

8. Milwaukee: Joe Alexander (F 6-8 230 West Virginia)
The highest-flying super-athlete in the Draft. Can leap like a lunatic, run, attack the rim, and dunk on multiple defenders without even trying.

9. Charlotte: Eric Gordon (SG 6-4 205 Indiana)
A short but thick, strong, aggressive shooting guard who can score like a master but is still improving other aspects of his game. May get Kevin Love if available

10. New Jersey: Anthony Randolph (F 6-11 215 LSU)
A lanky, offensively-versatile talent, big upside but hit or miss player, and we aren't sure exactly which forward spot he's going to wind up playing in a few years after he fills out a bit. Nets are making a trade, and this pick may not stay with them.

11. Indiana: Kosta Koufos (C 7-0 260 Ohio State)
A legit, big center who takes up space who is developing nicely.

12. Sacramento: Jerryd Bayless (PG 6-3 190 Arizona)
A big-time scorer, very quick, with explosive moves and a great jumper in the body of a point guard.

13. Portland: D.J. Augustin (PG 5-11 180 Texas)
A true point guard, passer, leader, but very undersized, who can also score quite easily.

14. Golden State: DeAndre Jordan (C 7-0 240 Texas A&M)
Very quick and athletic big guy who is extremely raw and has more developing to do than the majority of players on this first round list.

15. Phoenix (From Atl): Brandon Rush (SG 6-7 200 Kansas)
A shooting guard can can probably pretend to be a small forward for stretches. Smart, athletic, outside shooter.

16. Philadelphia: Marreese Speights (F/C 6-10 240 Florida)
A scoring and rebounding big man who is still developing on the defensive side of the floor.

17. Toronto: Donte Green (SF 6-8 215 Syracuse)
A shooter and scorer who loves shooting lots of outside shots. Still developing other aspects of his game.

18. Washington: Robin Lopez (C 7-0 255 Stanford)
An energetic, hustling big guy who can take up space and make some noise but isn't particularly skilled at much of anything.

19. Cleveland: Darrell Arthur (F 6-10 215 Kansas)
He can move, and score, handle the ball, but probaby destined to be a somewhat decent contributor off a bench.

20. Denver: Roy Hibbert (C 7-2 265 Georgetown)
A tall center. He's tall. Did we mention that he's tall. Hibbert has size, especially height. A smart, tall player.

21. New Jersey (from Dal): JaVale McGee (C 7-0 235 Nevada)
A tall dude who is still developing his basketball skills.

22. Orlando: Jason Thompson (F/C 6-11 250 Rider)

23. Utah: Alexis Ajinca (PF/C 7-1 240 France)
A Euro type center, meaning he can pass and understands basketball but needs to get stronger.

24. Seattle (from Pho): J.J. Hickson (PF 6-9 240 NC State)
A nice combo of strength, wingspan, quickness, and a lot of offensive moves.

25. Houston: Chris Douglas-Roberts (SG 6-7 200 Memphis)
Gets to the rim, scores, shoots and can defend. Some wonder if his upside is limited.

26. San Antonio: Nicolas Batum (SF 6-8 212 France)
A quick, leaping scorer with nice potential and very good defensive ability.

27. New Orleans: Mario Chalmers (PG 6-1 190 Kansas)
A defender, passer and shooter who can strengthen a team's bench.

28. Memphis (from LAL): Courtney Lee (G 6-5 200 Western Kentucky)
Would make a good backup.

29. Detroit: Nathan Jawai (C 6-10 270 Australia)
Athletic, quick guy with big wingspan who is still raw and learning to play basketball. He's like a more explosive Glen Davis, says an InsideHoops.com source in Australian basketball.

30. Boston: Omer Asik (F/C 6-11 230 Turkey)

UPPER SECOND ROUND / FIRST ROUND BUBBLE:
DJ White (PF 6-9 250 Indiana)
Richard Hendrix (PF 6-9 255 Alabama)
Ryan Anderson (PF 6-10 225 California)
Bill Walker (SF 6-6 220 Kansas State)
Gary Forbes (G/F 6-7 220 Massachusetts)
Mike Taylor (G 6-2 190 Iowa State/D-League)
Ante Tomic (C 7-2 245 Croatia)
DeVon Hardin (C 6-11 250 U of Cal)
Serge Ibaka (PF 6-10 220 Congo)

MID/LOWER SECOND ROUND:
Joe Crawford
Trent Plaisted
James Gist
Davon Jefferson
Shawn James
Drew Neitzel
JR Giddens
James Mays
Josh Duncan
Malik Hairston
Sasha Kaun
George Hill
Josh Duncan
Richard Roby
Pat Calathes
Joey Dorsey
Sean Singletary
Vladimir Gulubovic


Key Underclassmen Who Withdrew From Draft: Blake Griffin, Hasheem Thabeet and Tyler Hansbrough would have gone upper or mid first round. Chase Budinger would have gone mid/low first round. Ty Lawson would have gone late first, possibly early second round. Wayne Ellington would have gone early second round, possibly late first.

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FINAL 2007 NBA MOCK DRAFT

The InsideHoops.com NBA Mock Draft is the consensus opinion of national NBA analyst and site editor Jeff Lenchiner plus several NBA team scouts and league sources.

The 2007 NBA Draft is deep, in that plenty of players who may go mid or mid/late first round may turn out just as good as players who get taken late or even mid lottery.

Also see the NBA Draft early entry list. And post your analysis on the InsideHoops NBA Draft message board.

INSIDEHOOPS.COM 2007 NBA MOCK DRAFT

Updated June 28. For player descriptions, scroll down.

1. Portland -- Greg Oden (Ohio State) 7-0, 245, C, Freshman

2. Seattle -- Kevin Durant (Texas) 6-9, 215, SF, Freshman

3. Atlanta -- Al Horford (Florida) 6-9, 240, PF, Junior
Rumor: Yi Jianlian could go here.

4. Memphis -- Mike Conley Jr. (Ohio State) 6-1, 180, PG, Freshman.
Rumor: Joakim Noah could go here.

5. Boston -- Yi Jianlian (China) 7-1, 235, C/PF.
Rumor: Jeff Green or Corey Brewer could go here.

6. Milwaukee -- Jeff Green (Georgetown) 6-9, 235, F, Junior.

7. Minnesota -- Spencer Hawes (Washington) 6-11, 235, PF, Freshman
Rumor: Mike Conley or Joakim Noah could go here.

8. Charlotte -- Corey Brewer (Florida) 6-8, 190, G, Junior

9. Chicago (from NY) -- Joakim Noah (Florida) 6-11, 230, F/C, Sophomore.

10. Sacramento -- Brandan Wright (North Carolina) 6-9, 200, F, Freshman

11. Atlanta (from Indiana) -- Acie Law (Texas A&M) 6-3, 183, PG, Senior

12. Philadelphia -- Al Thornton (Florida State) 6-7, 215, SF, Senior

13. New Orleans -- Nick Young (USC) 6-6, 200, SG, Junior

14. LA Clippers -- Javaris Crittenton (Georgia Tech) 6-5, 198, G, Freshman

15. Detroit (from Orlando) -- Rodney Stuckey (Eastern Washington) 6-5, 205, G, Sophomore

16. Washington -- Julian Wright (Kansas) 6-8, 225, SF, Sophomore

17. New Jersey -- Sean Williams (Boston College) 6-10, 235, PF/C, Junior

18. Golden State -- Jason Smith (Colorado State) 7-0, 240, F/C, Junior

19. LA Lakers -- Thaddeus Young (Georgia Tech) 6-8, 210, SF, Freshman

20. Miami -- Josh McRoberts (Duke) 6-10, 230, F, Sophomore

21. Philadelphia (from Denver) -- Morris Almond (Rice) 6-6, 210, SG, Senior

22. Charlotte (from Toronto via Cleveland) -- Marco Belinelli (Italy) 6-6, 200, SG

23. New York (from Chicago) -- Wilson Chandler (DePaul) 6-8, 230, Forward, Soph

24. Phoenix (from Cleveland via Boston) -- Tiago Splitter (Brazil) 7-0, 240, PF/C

25. Utah -- Rudy Fernandez (Spain) 6-6, 180, SG, Age 22

26. Houston -- Nick Fazekas (Nevada) 6-11, 230, PF, Senior

27. Detroit -- Glen Davis (LSU) 6-9, 285, PF, Junior
28. San Antonio -- Jared Dudley (Boston College) 6-7, 225, SF, Senior

29. Phoenix -- Daequan Cook (Ohio State) 6-5, 210, G, Freshman

30. Philadelphia (from Dallas via Denver/GS) -- Gabe Pruitt (USC) 6-4, 170, G, Junior


UPPER SECOND ROUND:
Alondo Tucker (Wisconsin) 6-6, 205, G/F, Senior

Taurean Green (Florida) 6-0, 180, Guard, Junior
Marcus Williams (Arizona) 6-7, 205, SF, Sophomore
Petteri Koponen (Finland) 6-4 194 PG
Ramon Sessions (Nevada) 6-3, 190, Guard, Junior
Aaron Gray (Pittsburgh) 7-0, 270, C, Senior
Derrick Byars (Vanderbilt) 6-7, 230, F, Senior
Arron Affalo (UCLA) 6-5, 210, SG, Junior
Aaron Brooks (Oregon) 6-0, 160, G, Senior
Kyle Visser (Wake Forest) 6-11, 245, C, Senior

MIDDLE SECOND ROUND:
Dominic McGuire (Fresno State) 6-8, 210, SF, Junior
Kyrylo Fesenko (Ukraine) 7-1, 270, C
Quinton Hosley (Fresno State) 6-6, 210 G/F, Senior
Stephane Lasme (Massachusetts) 6-8, 220, Forward, Senior
Demetris Nichols (Syracuse) 6-8, 210, SF, Senior
Marc Gasol (Spain) 7-0, 265, C
Sun Yue (China) 6-9, 205, SF
Reyshawn Terry (North Carolina)
D.J. Strawberry (Maryland) 6-5, 204, G, Senior
Stanko Barac (Siroki-Bosnia) 7-2

MID/LATE SECOND ROUND OR UNDRAFTED:
Ali Traore (France) 6-10, 245, Forward, Age 22
Zabian Dowdell (Virginia Tech) 6-3, 190, Guard, Senior
JamesOn Curry (Oklahoma State) 6-3, 190, G, Junior
Bobby Brown (Cal State-Fullerton) 6-2, 175, Guard, Senior
Jared Jordan (Marist) 6-2, 185, PG, Senior
J.R. Reynolds (Virginia) 6-3, 190, G, Senior
Curtis Sumpter (Villanova)
Lee Humphrey (Florida)
Chris Lofton
Herbert Hill (Providence) 6-10, 240, F/C, Senior
Carl Landry (Purdue) 6-7, 250, Forward, Senior
Mustafa Shakur (Arizona)
Ralfi Silva Ansaloni (Praia Club-Brazil) 7-0
Sammy Mejia (DePaul) 6-6, 195, SG, Senior
Trey Johnson (Jackson State) 6-5, 218, Guard, Senior
Brad Newley (Australia)
Jermareo Davidson
Ivan Radenovic
Ryvon Covile (Detroit) 6-9, 240, F/C, Senior
Ron Lewis (Ohio State) 6-4, 200, Guard, Senior
Kyrylo Fesenko (Cherkasy-Ukraine) 7-0
Coby Karl



INSIDEHOOPS.COM NBA DRAFT PROSPECT PLAYER DESCRIPTIONS:

1) Greg Oden (Ohio State) 7-0, 245, C, Freshman
Big rebounding shot-blocker with ridiuculous quickness for a big guy. Doesn't have a refined offensive game yet, though, and passing skills are limited. He'd have gone first in last year's draft. This year either Oden or Kevin Durant will go first. As of March 25 we say there's a 65% chance Oden goes first, 35% Durant does. Months ago it was 90% Oden 10% Durant.

2) Kevin Durant (Texas) 6-9, 215, F, Freshman
A skinny, long, tall swingman who slashes, nails jumpers in the faces of defenders, has distance on his shot, and rebounds well considering his very skinny frame. We see him as a shooting guard who can become an NBA small forward if he gets stronger. He doesn't have the frame to ever become a power forward.

3) Brandon Wright (North Carolina) 6-9, 210, SF, Freshman
Versatile, long player with arms that seem to stretch. He's pretty good at almost everything, but not awesome at any one thing. Although you may hear "Wright going 3rd" from lots of people, he is absolutely not a lock to stay up here. But InsideHoops.com does expect him to go no lower than 6th or 7th.

4) Al Horford (Florida) 6-9, 240, PF, Junior
Banger with basketball brains and terrific athletic ability. Physically he's ready for the NBA right now. Horford is no lock to go #3.

5) Joakim Noah (Florida) 6-11, 230, F/C, Sophomore
Big athletic smart player who hustles, passes extremely well and defends hard. His offense is still in development. Noah likely would have been taken first in last year's Draft had he declared.

6) Mike Conley Jr. (Ohio State) 6-1, 180, PG, Freshman
Stats: 11.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 6.1 apg, 2.2 spg, 51.8% FG, 30.4% 3FG
Many felt Conley was the best player on OSU this season and the driving force behind a lot of their success. He'll definitely keep improving.

7) Roy Hibbert (Georgetown) 7-2, 260, C, Junior
He's big and shoots an insane field goal percentage because of all his up-close shots, but mostly just seems like a solid size guy who can take up space. A solid big guy.

8) Jeff Green (Georgetown) 6-9, 235, F, Junior
Green is an all-around talent that isn't amazing at any one skill but seems like a player who can definitely help a pro team.

9) Acie Law (Texas A&M) 6-3, 183, PG, Senior
A solid all-around point guard who also pours in points and barely misses any shots.

10) Yi Jianlian (China) 7-1, 235, C/PF
A power forward who thinks he's a small forward, even though he's the height of a center.

11) Corey Brewer (Florida) 6-8, 190, G, Junior
Long-limbed Brewer can run and defend. We're not sure how his outside shooting will work in the pros. But the kid is a "baller" who makes a difference.

12) Spencer Hawes (Washington) 6-11, 220, PF, Freshman
Considered the best big man of the incoming freshmen. Isn't spectacular at anything but has size and true low-post moves.

13) Julian Wright (Kansas) 6-8, 225, SF, Sophomore
Versatile, athletic forward who scores inside in multiple ways. He has hops, can get inside and explode, passes well. But he's the size of an NBA small forward and can barely make three-pointers. Or free throws. His shot needs expanded range.

14) Al Thorton (Florida State) 6-7, 215, SF, Senior
Veteran-aged great athlete who scores, rebounds, defends with outside shooting range.

15) Nick Young (USC) 6-6, 200, SG, Junior
A scorer who scores and nails shots from anywhere on the court, still developing his decision-making.

16) Thaddeus Young (Georgia Tech) 6-8, 210, SF, Freshman
Ridiculous athlete with big-time speed and quickness who like many other freshmen needs to add strength and fill out.

17) Josh McRoberts (Duke) 6-10, 230, F, Sophomore
A fairly complete, pretty athletic player who can do everything except shoot outside. Passes better than most forwards on this list. We're not sure what his ideal position is in the NBA.

18) Derrick Byars (Vanderbilt) 6-7, 230, F, Senior
Stats: 17.0 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 3.4 apg, 45.7% FG, 37.3% 3FG

19) Marco Belinelli (Italy) 6-6, 200, SG
A thin combo guard who seems to have three-point range that depends almost entirely on what type of offense the team runs. Plays smart, moves correctly, has the fundamentals down, but tosses lots of bricks from outside for stretches of games.

20) Jason Smith (Colorado State) 7-0, 240, F/C, Junior
Stats: 16.8 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.6 bpg, 57.9% FG

21) Marcus Williams (Arizona) 6-7, 205, SF, Sophomore
Versatile, defensive player who scores and fills in some blanks but misses lots of free throws and seemed to forget how to make three-pointers from freshman to sophomore year.

22) Morris Almond (Rice) 6-6, 210, SG, Senior
A scoring madman who hits shots any way he wants. Rips the nets from three-point range. Rebounds pretty well. The rest of his game, and his defense, doesn't impress us, but every time we remember that he scores about two seconds later, which helps us forget.

23) Nick Fazekas (Nevada) 6-11, 230, PF, Senior
A constant 20-10 guy who as a senior did wonders for his outside shooting range. A real scorer, and always makes his free throws. Mediocre athlete but a winning type of player and we think someone's going to decide he's worthy of a first round pick.

24) Rodney Stuckey (Eastern Washington) 6-5, 205, G, Sophomore
Stats: 24.2 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 5.5 apg, 2.4 spg, 45.3% FG, 26.7% 3FG

25) Javaris Crittenton (Georgia Tech) 6-5, 198, G, Freshman
Stats: 14.4 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 5.8 apg, 2.0 spg, 45.0% FG, 35.6% 3FG

26) Brandon Rush (Kansas) 6-6, 200, SG, Sophomore
Long-armed, versatile swingman type with outside shooting ability, though he didn't seem to improve much from freshman to sophomore year.

27) Aaron Gray (Pittsburgh) 7-0, 270, C, Senior
Huge, legit center who takes up space and gets some boards. Doesn't appear to have much upside, but there's always room in the league for a new huge backup.

28) Arron Affalo (UCLA) 6-5, 210, SG, Junior
A scorer who defends and relies on his basketball smarts, doing lots of the little things that help a team win.

29) Tiago Splitter (Brazil) 7-0, 240, PF/C
This is the year he stays in the draft. A solid big guy who defends but is pretty average at everything.

30) Alondo Tucker (Wisconsin) 6-6, 205, G/F, Senior
Stats: 19.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.0 apg, 47.0% FG, 65.9% FT

----------


FINAL 2006 NBA MOCK DRAFT

1. Toronto Andrea Bargnani (Italy, 7-0, 225, PF, 20)
2. Chicago (via New York) Tyrus Thomas (LSU, 6-9, 229, PF, Fr.)
3. Charlotte Adam Morrison (Gonzaga, 6-8, 205, SF, Jr.)
4. Portland LaMarcus Aldridge (Texas, 6-10, 240, PF, So.)
5. Atlanta Hawks Shelden Williams (Duke, 6-9, 250, PF, Sr.)
6. Minnesota Rudy Gay (UConn, 6-9, 222, SF, So.)
7. Boston Celtics Brandon Roy (Washington, 6-5, 195, SG, Sr.)
8. Houston Rockets Marcus Williams (UConn, 6-3, 205, PG, Jr.)
9. Golden State Warriors Randy Foye (Villanova, 6-4, 205, SG, Sr.)
10. Seattle SuperSonics Patrick O'Bryant (Bradley, 7-0, 260, C)
11. Orlando Magic JJ Redick (Duke, 6-4, 190, SG, Sr.)
12. NO/OK Hornets Cedric Simmons (NC State, 6-9, 225, PF, So.)
13. Philadelphia 76ers Ronnie Brewer (Arkansas, 6-7, 220, G/F, Jr.)
14. Utah Jazz Rodney Carney (Memphis, 6-7, 205, SF, Sr.)
15. Hornets (via Bucks) Hilton Armstrong (UConn, 6-11, 245, PF/C, Sr.)
16. Chicago Bulls Thabo Sefolosha (Switzerland, 6-7, 210, SF)
17. Indiana Pacers Jordan Farmar (UCLA, 6-2, 180, PG, So.)
18. Washington Wizards Saer Sene (Senegal, 7-0, 230, PF/C)
19. Sacramento Kings Alexander Johnson (Florida State, 6-10, 230, Jr.)
20. Knicks (via Nuggets) Shawne Williams (Memphis, 6-9, 225, SF, Fr.)
21. Suns (via Lakers) Shannon Brown (Michigan State, 6-3, 190, G, Jr.)
22. Nets (via Clippers) Quincy Douby (Rutgers, 6-3, 175, G, Jr.)
23. New Jersey Nets Oleksiy Pecherov (Ukraine, 6-11, 220, PF)
24. Memphis Grizzlies Mardy Collins (Temple, 6-6, 205, PG, Sr.)
25. Cleveland Cavaliers Sergio Rodriguez (Spain, 6-3, 185, G)
26. L.A. Lakers (via Heat) James White (Cincinnati, 6-7, 200, G)
27. Phoenix Suns Rajon Rondo (Kentucky, 6-1, 175, PG, So.)
28. Dallas Mavericks Maurice Ager (Michigan State, 6-5, 180, SG, Sr.)
29. Knicks (via Spurs) Marcus Vinicius (Brazil, 6-10, 230, SF, Age 22)
30. Blazers (via Pistons) Damir Markota (Croatia, 6-11, 240, F)




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