Final 2007 NBA Mock Draft

The most anticipated NBA Draft in recent memory is upon us (7 PM tonight)!!

Assuming there will be no trades (there will be at least several), I have pegged this draft (in particular, the lottery). But as Bill Simmons has always said, it's exceptionally difficult to assume what the likes of Billy King, Chris Wallace, Kevin McHale, etc. will do when up against the clock. Simply put, NBA general managers are the worst franchise managers in America. Seventy-five percent of NBA GM's are scared, clueless jerkoffs. How have no trades gone down yet???? I mean, 29 teams failed this past season -- thus, 29 teams have obvious team needs to address.

Anyways, the only change I made (with the lottery selections) between last night and now is that I have flip-flopped Al Thornton & Spencer Hawes (#10 and #12, respectively).

1. Portland - Greg Oden, C (make room for him in Springfield -- barring an injury, Oden is a LOCK for the Hall of Fame)
2. Seattle - Kevin Durant, SF (not even in the same stratosphere as Oden)
3. Atlanta - Al Horford, PF (supposedly, Atlanta owners now want Yi...I highly doubt they pass on Horford - they will be crucified)
4. Memphis - Mike Conley, PG (also considering Noah)
5. Boston - Yi Jianlian, PF (praying that Al Horford drops - he won't...Jeff Green & Brewer are the other possibilities, probably in that exact order)
6. Milwaukee - Jeff Green, SF (Conley, Yi, Brewer, & Brandan Wright must also be considered here...if the Mavs trade up to #6, they will likely opt for Corey Brewer)
7. Minnesota - Corey Brewer, SF (if Brewer slides past McHale here, he should be fired by midnight tonight...the ONLY other possibility would be Noah here, thus, messing everything up -- as the Bulls would then likely lean towards Hawes at #9)
8. Charlotte - Brandan Wright, PF (Brandan Wright sucks)
9. Chicago - Joakim Noah, PF (Bulls also love themselves some Yi & Hawes)
10. Sacramento - Al Thornton, SF (can flat-out score...joined with Kevin Martin, this duo will be exciting to watch for many years to come)
11. Atlanta - Acie Law, PG (if pick is kept, this selection SHOULD be a lock...keep in mind, however, Toronto sweats Nick Young)
12. Philadelphia - Spencer Hawes, C (Hawes could go as early as #7, and as late as #16...the Sixers will be hard pressed to pass on Julian Wright here, but I must slot Hawes in somewhere)
13. New Orleans - Thaddeus Young, SF (Nick Young & Julian Wright will also be in the mix here)
14. LA Clippers - Julian Wright, SF (Nick Young makes the most sense here, but I can't fathom leaving Julian Wright out of the lottery -- if Wright slides down to the #14 - #16 range, he's the steal of the draft...no if's, and's, or but's about it)

15. Detroit - Rodney Stuckey, SG (Nick Young & Julian Wright will make it VERY difficult for Dumars to take his infatuation interest...that being Stuckey)
16. Washington - Nick Young, SG (Young possesses an offensive game that lasts for days - would have an immediate impact coming off the bench)
17. New Jersey - Sean Williams, C (everyone in the NBA smokes weed...this pick should be a no-brainer, as Williams is a game-changer...however, I wouldn't be surprised if Williams & Jason Smith swapped draft positions)
18. Golden State - Jason Smith, PF (the Warriors desperately want Yi...and, desperately want to trade Monta Ellis)
19. LA Lakers - Rudy Fernandez, SG (Lakers' brass love him...Crittenton must also be considered here, based on potential alone - if Crittenton is the pick, a future PG battle should ensue between Farmar & Crittenton...a good problem to have)
20. Miami - Javaris Crittenton, PG (Miami wants to trade this pick...if they keep it, they'll likely opt for another guard -- Gabe Pruitt could also be an option here)
21. Philadelphia - Daequan Cook, SG (again, this is a guess...as I'd be shocked if Philly kept all 3 1st Round picks...is it obvious yet how much I enjoyed watching Ohio State run ball this past year?)
22. Charlotte - Tiago Splitter, SF (it's been rumored that he'd enter the NBA Draft for 3 years now, thus, it comes as no surprise that he'll likely play another year in Brazil before making his American debut)
23. New York - Wilson Chandler, SF (bad pick, but there are many rumors which indicate that Isiah has made a "promise" to Chandler here)
24. Phoenix - Marco Bellinelli, SG (everything that I hear about Bellinelli is "silky smooth"...can shoot the pill)
25. Utah - Morris Almond, SG (shouldn't last beyond this pick...Charlotte would be another good destination for Almond, as well as Portland -- if so, Derrick Byars would have to be considered by Utah)
26. Houston - Nick Fazekas, PF (this pick would make the most sense in the entire draft)
27. Detroit - Glen Davis, PF (could be a steal here...but, call me crazy if I'm not sold on the notion of this fat a$$ staying trim)
28. San Antonio - Jared Dudley, SF (as a diehard PC and Big East fan, I hate Dudley -- but let's be honest, he is the exact mold of Ryan Gomes...the Spurs will also be in the mix for Petteri Kopenen, Virginia Tech's Zabian Dowdell, and Pau's brother, Marc Gasol)
29. Phoenix - Petteri Kopenen, PG (only 19 years old...would likely remain overseas to fine tune his skills)
30. Philadelphia - Josh McRoberts, PF (if McRoberts falls this low, the Sixers' brass should run to the podium...especially considering that the Sixers were said to be considering him at #12 overall just a few weeks ago)

Other potential 1st Rounders: Alando Tucker, Derrick Byars, Gabe Pruitt, Aaron Brooks, Marcus Williams, Arron Afflalo, Zabian Dowdell, and Taurean Green (a "hot" name of late)

* I would love to land GABE PRUITT at #32 overall, but don't be overly surprised if you hear the Celtics call STANKO BARAC'S name.

** I love Maryland's DJ Strawberry as a 2nd Round prospect. Yes, I definitely favor lock-down defenders.

*** Here's to hoping recent PC grad, Herbert Hill, lands himself in a favorable position in the 2nd Round.

http://thewincolumn.blogspot.com/2007/06/2007-nba-mock-draft-version-30.html