2009 Mock Draft: Sekou Smith
Mock Draft Index | Kerber | Smith
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The Los Angeles Clippers have been here before, holding the keys to their future, only to fumble it away one way or another. They won the right to the top overall pick in the June NBA Draft on Tuesday night, snagging the big prize for the third time in franchise history. Now all they have to do is find a way to make sure Oklahoma power forward Blake Griffin shows up in Clipperland in time for training camp in the fall. There is no great debate in this year's draft, a stark contrast to the last two. The debate was between Greg Oden and Kevin Durant two years ago, and Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley last year. Pretending to be interested in Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio or even Connecticut center Hasheem Thabeet will be strictly for show. The Clippers brass would be wise to dispense with the charades early and do the right thing. Then they can sit back like everyone else and watch the high-stakes game of poker that'll be played for the 29 other first-round picks. |
 Blake Griffin. (Getty Images) |
| 2009 NBA Mock Draft (Updated on May 20, 2009) |
| 1. L.A. Clippers | ||
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Blake Griffin, PF, Oklahoma: This is by far the easiest decision any team will make on draft night. Griffin is a walking double-double waiting to happen. There won't be any messy transition from the college game to the NBA, and the Clippers won't have to worry about having a player who isn't interested in playing for one of the most dysfunctional organizations in all of professional sports. The real work for the Clippers comes after the draft, when they have to figure out what to do with their existing frontcourt talent -- namely, Zach Randolph, whose huge contract will make him almost impossible to move in this current economic climate. With coach/general manager Mike Dunleavy wielding the ultimate power, there's no way Griffin won't be in a Clippers uniform on opening night next season. | |
| 2. Memphis Grizzlies | ||
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Hasheem Thabeet, C, Connecticut: As mesmerizing as Ricky Rubio's name and game might be, the Grizzlies already played the point guard card two years ago with Mike Conley Jr. Now that he's finally ready for prime time, to bring in a talent like Rubio would force them to part with another high lottery pick without being able to get anything comparable in return. Thabeet is a much more reasonable pick here anyway for a Grizzlies team that doesn't need to sell the fantasy of hope with the unknown that is Rubio. The Grizzlies need a shot-blocking big man in the worst way, and if Thabeet is anything, it's that. His offensive game is limited and will require major work, but the Grizzlies have Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo to handle the scoring load. | |
| 3. Oklahoma City Thunder | ||
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Ricky Rubio, PG, Spain: Thunder general manager Sam Presti has worked the draft as well as anyone the past two years, snagging franchise cornerstones in Kevin Durant, Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook, among others, since taking over the job. Now he gets a gift that keeps on giving in the mercurial Rubio, who will be paired in the backcourt with Westbrook for years to come. Westbrook is versatile enough to play off the ball, allowing Rubio to play where his natural abilities fit best. And put Durant, Green, Westbrook and Rubio in your starting five two years from now and you're talking about as potent a young nucleus as any in the league. | |
| 4. Sacramento Kings | ||
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Jordan Hill, PF, Arizona: Hill isn't going to help ease the sting of the Kings dropping out of the top three and losing out on Griffin. But he's the next-best thing in this draft if a team is looking for a physical post presence capable of putting up a double-double every night. Hill's steady work and improvement the last two years in Tucson opened eyes around the NBA. And unlike many of his higher-profile contemporaries, Hill doesn't have any of the bad habits accrued during his grassroots basketball days. | |
| 5. Washington Wizards | ||
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Tyreke Evans, PG/SG, Memphis: Without a clear-cut choice here, the Wizards can basically scan the draft for the best long-term talent available. Evans fills that bill in almost every way. While he's not as seasoned as James Harden or as explosive as DeMar DeRozan, he has as much or more upside than any player in the draft. Memphis took off last season when John Calipari switched Evans to point guard, an experiment Flip Saunders might want to continue with the rookie playing minutes behind Gilbert Arenas on a Wizards team that should be much improved with healthier pieces. | |
| 6. Minnesota Timberwolves | ||
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DeMar DeRozan, SF, USC: The Timberwolves were hoping to get their hands on a higher pick and land either Thabeet or Rubio. Since they dropped outside of the top three they'll have to address another need at small forward with DeRozan, arguably the most explosive athlete in the entire draft. His outside stroke needs work, but he'll add a dose of high-flying athleticism currently missing in the Twin Cities. | |
| 7. Golden State Warriors | ||
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Brandon Jennings, PG, Italy: Monta Ellis, say hello to your new best friend. No coach in the league is better at affixing hybrid players in the perfect position, so expect Don Nelson to enjoy his latest backcourt brew. Jennings is a fantastic playmaker with a lighting-quick speed. After a year spent in the rugged Italian league, he'll be more NBA ready than he would have been after a year in college. Paired with Ellis, he'll be even more dangerous because teams won't be able to lock down on either one of them. | |
| 8. New York Knicks | ||
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Stephen Curry, PG, Davidson: While there are still some NBA types uncertain that Curry has the physical ability to defend his position at a high level, no one is worried about his fit on the offensive end. And since Mike D'Antoni teams rarely focus on defense, Curry is the ideal fit for a Knicks team in desperate need of an elite shooter. Curry's swashbuckling style should make him a huge fan favorite at Madison Square Garden. | |
| 9. Toronto Raptors | ||
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James Harden, SG, Arizona State: Outside of Griffin there might not be a more NBA-ready player in this draft than the ultra-smooth Harden. Harden isn't the best athlete or physical specimen at his position in this draft, but he is by far the most skilled. He has NBA 3-point range as well as the ability to work off the dribble and the mettle to finish in traffic at the rim. The Raptors get a complete player and backcourt staple. | |
| 10. Milwaukee Bucks | ||
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DeJuan Blair, PF, Pittsburgh: There might not be a better coach-player fit than Scott Skiles and Blair in Milwaukee. The hard-nosed Bucks coach is going to need help in the frontcourt if Charlie Villanueva bolts in free agency. Blair, who dazzled all season while outplaying Thabeet and all the other big men in the Big East, moves into the playing rotation immediately for Skiles. | |
| 11. New Jersey Nets | ||
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Earl Clark, SF, Louisville: Clark's a top 10 talent who didn't play up to his potential at Louisville. But that won't deter teams like the Nets, searching for versatile frontcourt talents to play off of Devin Harris and Vince Carter. Someone will have to keep Clark's motor revved, though. | |
| 12. Charlotte Bobcats | ||
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Jrue Holliday, PG/SG, UCLA: The more people study Holliday's game, the more they like him. A proficient performer on both ends of the floor, he has the kind of high basketball IQ that will keep him on Larry Brown's good side (for however long that's possible). Pair him with D.J. Augustin in the backcourt and the Bobcats are set for years at both positions. | |
| 13. Indiana Pacers | ||
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James Johnson, PF, Wake Forest: With Troy Murphy's time in Indiana coming to an end, Larry Bird is searching for a power forward who actually prefers working in the paint. The versatile and athletic Johnson fits the mold perfectly. He's in the DeJuan Blair mold, only taller and more explosive. | |
| 14. Phoenix Suns | ||
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Terrence Williams, SF, Louisville: Grant Hill can't play forever, and the Suns need an infusion of energy and athleticism basically up and down the lineup. Williams is a do-it-all swingman capable of defending three and possibly four positions while blending into any offensive system. | |
| 15. Detroit Pistons | ||
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Jonny Flynn, PG, Syracuse: The big man the Pistons need won't be found in the draft. They'll have to find him in free agency of via trade. That means they snag a feisty backup point guard for Rodney Stuckey in Flynn, whose size keeps him from going higher. | |
| 16. Chicago Bulls | ||
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Gerald Henderson, SG, Duke: The Bulls are loaded in the frontcourt and at point guard, so Henderson fills a need as a swingman capable of playing in the backcourt as well as small forward in certain situations. A solid but not flashy pick. | |
| 17. Philadelphia 76ers | ||
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Eric Maynor, PG, VCU: Louis Williams has always been more of a scorer than facilitator, so Maynor fills the role of playmaker off the bench for the 76ers, whether they keep Andre Miller or not. | |
| 18. Minnesota Timberwolves | ||
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B.J. Mullens, C, Ohio State: Mullens, a top 10 talent, scared teams away with an uneven freshman season in Columbus. But the Timberwolves need a true center and Mullens is the only one left. | |
| 19. Atlanta Hawks | ||
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Ty Lawson, PG, North Carolina: After years of getting it wrong at point guard (Speedy Claxton, Acie Law), the Hawks finally get lucky when Lawson falls into their lap here. The best end-to-end player in the college game, Lawson fits nicely with the Hawks' young nucleus. | |
| 20. Utah Jazz | ||
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Tyler Hansbrough, PF, North Carolina: Jerry Sloan will love the relentlessness of this blue-collar worker. Hansbrough couldn't be a more perfect fit if he were Mormon. | |
| 21. New Orleans Hornets | ||
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Austin Daye, SF, Gonzaga: The Hornets have to go with the best talent available here, and that's Daye. He has all the skills a team could want but remains a work in progress because of his slight frame and lack of maturity. | |
| 22. Dallas Mavericks | ||
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Jeff Teague, PG, Wake Forest: Jason Kidd's not getting any younger, and JJ Barea isn't the long-term solution at point guard. The Mavericks tried this before but gave up on Devin Harris too soon. They won't make the same mistake twice. | |
| 23. Sacramento Kings | ||
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Nick Calathes, PG, Florida: The Beno Udrih experience fizzled quickly for the Kings. Calathes is a solution, albeit one that won't be realized for a couple of years. | |
| 24. Portland Trail Blazers | ||
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Gani Lawal, PF, Georgia Tech: Lawal won't blow you away with any part of his game. He's a lunch-pail guy who will rebound and play defense until he drops. | |
| 25. Oklahoma City Thunder | ||
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Sam Young, SF, Pittsburgh: An undersized bulldozer, Young is already 24, so he'll add a dose of maturity to a Thunder roster filled with talented but still maturing players. | |
| 26. Chicago Bulls | ||
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Toney Douglas, SG, Florida State: The Bulls need Ben Gordon insurance, just in case he cashes in on his free agency elsewhere this summer. Douglas is cut from the same cloth, a shooting specialist in a point guard's body. | |
| 27. Memphis Grizzlies | ||
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Patrick Mills, PG, Saint Mary's: The Grizzlies passed on Rubio but rebound with a fantastic catch here in Mills, who has the full range of point guard skills. | |
| 28. Minnesota Timberwolves | ||
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Darren Collison, PG, UCLA: The Timberwolves finish off a huge first round with the classic point guard they haven't had in Sebastian Telfair and Randy Foye. | |
| 29. L.A. Lakers | ||
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Wayne Ellington, SG, North Carolina: Since the Lakers have the luxury of picking and choosing whatever they need, they can snag Ellington here and groom him for a bigger role down the road. | |
| 30. Cleveland Cavaliers | ||
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Chase Budinger, SF, Arizona: Budinger is an excellent offensive role player for a team like the Cavaliers, who have a roster stocked with defensive-minded role players. | |
