FanNation - The Republic of Sport

    1 PF Blake Griffin Oklahoma Soph. 6-10 248 Hours after winning the lottery May 19, the Clippers committed to Griffin, the surest thing in a shaky draft. He is raw offensively and needs to develop a low-post game, but Griffin has the size, athleticism and work ethic to become a go-to frontcourt starter on a good team. "I don't know if he'll be an All-Star," an Eastern Conference general manager said, "but I look at all of the things he has going for him, and I don't think he can fail." 2 C Hasheem Thabeet Connecticut Jr. 7-2 267 Some ambivalence here: The Grizzlies aren't totally sold that Thabeet should be the guy, and he would rather not go there based on their recent payroll-slashing. But he gives them the size and defense they need. The question now is whether anyone trades up for this pick. 3 PG Stephen Curry Davidson Jr. 6-3 181 The Thunder could go with shooting guard James Harden, Ricky Rubio, Tyreke Evans or even Jrue Holiday here. But the latest hunch is that they'll complement Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook with a shooter and playmaker. As Oklahoma City turns into a playoff team, Curry could become his generation's Manu Ginobili off the bench. 4 PG Ricky Rubio DKV Joventut (Spain) -- 6-4 180 Torn between Tyreke Evans and Rubio, they'll go with the Spaniard to provide the franchise with a fast-break identity. A worthy gamble for the Kings. 5 PG Tyreke Evans Memphis Fr. 6-5 221 It's unlikely the Timberwolves would package Nos. 5 and 6 to move up in a draft that is so evenly talented among picks 2-10. They need to rebuild their backcourt after packaging Mike Miller and Randy Foye to Washington for this pick, and Evans -- long and athletic -- is viewed by some in the league as the best point guard in the draft. 6 SG James Harden Arizona State Soph. 6-5 222 If Harden is available here, he'll give the Timberwolves a versatile shooting guard who will create for Al Jefferson and take pressure off Evans. Drafting Harden and Evans together would give Minnesota the makings of a tall backcourt for the next decade. 7 PF Jordan Hill Arizona Jr. 6-10 232 The Warriors need scoring up front, and Hill could help at center as well as power forward. He can score in the paint as well as out on the floor, and -- apart from Griffin -- is the only skilled big man in the lottery. 8 PG Jrue Holiday UCLA Fr. 6-4 199 A combo guard with big upside, he could eventually learn to run the point for New York. One scout refers to Holiday as "a reluctant scorer," but that may change once he embraces Mike D'Antoni's offense. 9 PG Jonny Flynn Syracuse Soph. 6-1 196 The Raptors are desperate for help at point guard behind Jose Calderon, and Flynn will relieve them of those worries. In time he could be viewed as a starter in the league -- making him a potentially strong asset for Toronto over the long term. 10 SG DeMar DeRozan USC Fr. 6-6 211 With Milwaukee having traded Richard Jefferson to San Antonio, is DeRozan going to be his long-term replacement on the wing? He's a talented athlete who needs to extend his shooting range, but he has a good overall feel for the game. 11 PG Jeff Teague Wake Forest Soph. 6-1 175 An explosive guard, he needs to develop his skills at the point. But he'll be able to score from Day 1, and that will enable him to be a helpful third guard coming off the bench to supplement starter Devin Harris. 12 SG Gerald Henderson Duke Jr. 6-5 215 He's an in-state star and a versatile talent who can defend three positions. That's all Larry Brown needs to hear. 13 PG Brandon Jennings Lottomatica Roma (Italy) -- 6-2 165 The Pacers have two strong point guards in T.J. Ford and restricted free agent Jarrett Jack, but they can't afford to pass on a talent like Jennings. He is perfectly suited to push the ball for coach Jim O'Brien. 14 PF Tyler Hansbrough North Carolina Sr. 6-10 234 He may not have high "upside", but Hansbrough is a sure thing. He'll have a long NBA career as a hard worker who will raise the energy of practices and at the very least provide reliable frontcourt play off the bench. 15 PF James Johnson Wake Forest Soph. 6-8 257 The Pistons may package this pick in pursuit of extra cap space to use on free agents this summer; otherwise, they'll do well to incorporate Johnson's versatile offensive skills while rebuilding their frontcourt. 16 PG Ty Lawson North Carolina Jr. 6-1 199 If they re-sign Ben Gordon, will the Bulls trade Kirk Hinrich? If so, they'll need a point guard to back up Derrick Rose, and Lawson is the ideal candidate with the major-program (and championship) pedigree the Bulls covet. 17 SF Austin Daye Gonzaga Soph. 6-11 192 They'll have to be patient, but the Sixers need as much perimeter shooting as they can get -- and they'll love it from a player who also provides length and athleticism. In two or three years, he could fit nicely with their up-tempo rotation. 18 PG Eric Maynor VCU Sr. 6-3 164 A four-year collegian, Maynor will instantly provide solid direction at point guard. Nothing flashy here, but he'll be a reliable addition and a nice find for a team that needs long-term backcourt help. 19 SF Earl Clark Louisville Jr. 6-10 226 With most of the point guards off the board, the Hawks supplement their frontcourt with this versatile (but occasionally tentative) 'tweener. Atlanta is another team that could deal its pick. 20 SF Omri Casspi Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel) -- 6-9 211 He needs to improve his shooting, but this ultra-aggressive forward looks like an eventual high-energy replacement for Matt Harpring. Casspi is a Jerry Sloan player.   21 PF DeJuan Blair Pittsburgh Soph. 6-6 277 Viewed as a lottery pick before teams got wind of his knee issues, Blair has been sliding. He shouldn't get past New Orleans, which is desperate for frontcourt help off the bench and could live with him playing limited minutes in exchange for his production. The Hornets, however, could also package this pick in hopes of cutting payroll for next season. 22 SF Sam Young Pittsburgh Sr. 6-7 223 He may lack upside, but Young defends, rebounds, plays hard and can score in the paint. What more can you ask from a No. 22 pick? 23 C B.J. Mullens Ohio State Fr. 7-1 258 He accomplished little as a freshman, but Mullens has the physical abilities to become a versatile NBA center. The Kings can afford to be patient in developing him behind Spencer Hawes. 24 SG Terrence Williams Louisville Sr. 6-6 213 The biggest surprise would have the Blazers sticking with this pick, based on their history of draft-day trading. They'll do well to find someone who can help their second unit, and to that end, Williams' defense should impress coach Nate McMillan. 25 PG Rodrigue Beaubois Cholet (France) -- 6-2 182 The Thunder won't want to invest their precious cap space on such a late pick, and yet the selection has value. So they'll invest in someone like Beaubois, a quick French point guard, and leave him in Europe to develop. 26 SG Wayne Ellington North Carolina Jr. 6-5 202 At this stage of the draft, you're lucky to find someone to make the rotation. Could Ellington's shooting help the Bulls in a backup role to Ben Gordon? His chances for minutes would improve if Gordon were to leave as a free agent. 27 PF Josh Heytvelt Gonzaga Sr. 6-11 246 He provides size -- a huge need in Memphis -- as well as perimeter-shooting range. 28 PG Nick Calathes Florida Soph. 6-5 185 If the Timberwolves don't move this pick, they'll draft Calathes knowing that the combo guard has already committed to play in Europe next season. 29 SF Jonas Jerebko Angelico Biella (Italy) -- 6-9 220 The champs face the luxury tax while trying to re-sign key free agents. They'll draft an international player and keep him off the payroll for now. 30 SG Chase Budinger Arizona Jr. 6-7 206 He's a ready-made shooter, and heaven knows the Cavaliers need as much shooting as they can get.