For extra help, we turned to two esteemed members of the Mind Of Blue Panel of Ball Experts: Knicks season ticket-holder Aaron Gillespie and Warrior season ticket-scavenger Sandy White.
Below we break down the initial six lottery picks. Part II to come...
1. Los Angeles Clippers
Aaron Gillespie: Who they should and will pick is obvious: Blake Griffin. The only real question is, what will derail Griffin's career?
Sandy White: Griffin. OBVIOUS PICK. BD is gonna love this guy, but i am beyond bored with this story line. Yes he will be good. The Clips should be a lot better next year, and will be a borderline playoff team. It's dependent on who they can get for Kaman/Camby/Randolph, at least one, maybe two, of which will now be irrelevant. Not that they weren't irrelevant for the last 5 years already.
I also don't have much of a comment here, except to note the the Clippers are legally obligated to pay Zach Randolph more than $33 million over the next two years. So you know...might be time to fire somebody or give somebody a medal.
2. Memphis Grizzlies
AG: Who they should pick is Ricky Rubio. Who they will pick is Hasheem Thabeet
Like everyone else, I pretty much expect the Grizzlies to crap the bed whenever they get the chance. Enter Hasheem Thabeet. Chad Ford brings up defense and shot blocking, I bring up an inability to play offense and a tall, skinny center who will get pushed around by larger centers and have trouble defending the pick and roll because he is only slightly less awkward than Roy Hibbert. Still, he will be able to effect shots after opposing guards drive past defensive wizards Mike Conley and OJ Mayo, so he is not without value. I see 20-30 good, not great, minutes a night from Thabeet and bad value from the number 2 pick. I also see the Grizzlies taking him and thinking they have their starting 5 of the future with Conley, Mayo, Gay, Gasol the younger and Thabeet.
I take Rubio here. Given the number of teams that are really high on Rubio, you could trade him for value if Rubio refuses to come to Memphis. If you can sign him, the Grizzlies can play a below average Rubio for 20 minutes a game without harming their already miniscule playoff chances. This still leaves enough minutes to find out what you have with Conley.
SW: Thabeet. This guy would be a great fit with the Griz. Big Loser, in almost every aspect. The black Yao Ming, but without any offense. Trust me, every athletic swingman in the league is dreaming of dunking on him. Hasheem, please meet Andre Igoudala's nuts. In your face.
I'm also on board with Rubio. I actually think the Spainard is the best asset available in the draft period, but didn't dare mention him in the previous section, for fear that the Clips might actually take him.
And you know what I remember about Hasheem Thabeet's college career? It isn't the 3.8 blocks he averaged against guys who will never ever play in the NBA. It's the moment where CBS panned to the crowd during the second semi-final game to reveal that Thabeet was already sitting courtside - about 45 seconds after UConn got dropped - flirting with some dime piece and wearing Posh Spice's sunglasses. You stay hungry, big man!
Looks like Chris Wallace is dead set on Thabeet though. After all, he's quite tall!
3. Oklahoma City Thunder
AG: They should and will pick Ricky Rubio. Rubio is 6' 5'', athletic, skilled at handling the ball, and best of all - 18 years old. He can already play defense. He can already pass the ball. He may not be a scorer yet, but that is fine, he is 18 years old. I am excited to see what this kid can do with a couple of years experience in the NBA. Rubio and Durant is a core to build a team around. The only negative factor is Russell Westbrook who looks like he will be pretty good on his own and has noted some displeasure with the addition of Rubio. I try to get them to co-exist, if it does not work (either on or off the court) then you deal one of them down the road.
SW: Rubio. Kid is dirty, but he doesnt score much and I dont think that is something that develops easily. It's a concern, but Kidd and old Chauncy didnt need to and there are a lot of positive comparisons there. Sometimes you just have to throw all the stats and doubt out the window and just know a kid is gonna be good. He is also pretty tall for a point, and will fill out a lot since he is only 18. I wish the Warriors could get him, but looks like we just traded for 2 shitty PGs and have Monta thinking he can run the point. Terrible. This is an awful pick for the Thunder, but, yea, he is the best player. Just unfortunate, because they don't need him and Westbrook will cry like a girl.
There are two schools of thought on Ricky Rubio. The first is that his supposed poor pre-draft work outs are troubling. This view is generally held by certain in-the-know front office and media types.
The second is that at the age of seventeen and while injured he held his own against Chris Paul, the world's greatest point guard since Isiah Thomas, on a massively-pressured stage. This view is generally held by people who own televisions and enjoy watching basketball games on them.
Sam Presti is way too smart to not make this pick. Plus, the ghost of James Naismith desires to see Ricky Rubio run the break with Kevin Durant.
4. Sacramento Kings
AG: Who they should pick is Tyreke Evans/James Harden/Stephen Curry. Who they will pick is Johnny Flynn.
A team as bereft of talent as the Kings needs to take the best player available period. It does not matter if they share the same position as Kevin Martin, so I am not reaching down for Jordan Hill or Earl Clark when there are better guards available. I like Evans - he has good height, great athleticism and held together a Memphis team that lost its core to the NBA a year prior - but there are a number of picks who seem pretty close here. The ever helpful Chad Ford provides unattributed quotes from "sources" that have the front office split between Evans, Flynn and Rubio. I think they go with Flynn to avoid having two SGs (although Evans is almost a PG, it still seems like his future will be SG). As much as I loved Flynn in college, I just do not see why he is going in the lottery. He was a good but not dominant college player. He is not a great shooter. He is extremely fast and athletic. He can score in the lane and Rajon Rondo has shown us the value of that skill. However, he is the definition of high risk, high reward and I prefer Evans or Harden as having higher upside or Curry as a better shot at being a solid PG.
SW: I'll take Tyreke. Evans is a Gangsta . Went to Memphis and has been shit kicking every PG in draft workouts. He should though, because hes basically a 2. Every year, the draft tries to take undersized, turnover-prone 2 guards and say they can play point in the league. I don't think it has ever worked out. I could be wrong but who has made that transition well? Dont say Arenas.
True, Johnny Flynn might look something like Rajon Rondo in the league. I also think he might look something like Earl Boykins. Maybe somewhere in between if that makes sense. I also like Tyreke Evans from the remaining guards, but I truly have no idea who the Kings will pick. What kind of player should a flat, characterless team go after in an utterly mediocre draft? I can't remember...
Let's go with the red-hot Stephen Curry to mix things up.
5. Minnesota Timberwolves
AG: Who they should and will pick is James Harden.
SW: Honestly, I really don't know what Minny is looking for. In any case, I think Harden is overrated, but I guess they'll take him. The PAC 10 was terrible this year and ASU has not turned out good talent in the past. I hate Eddie House and Ike Diogu went from PAC-10 player of the year to bench warmer to trade chip in under 3 seasons. Doesn't bode well.
I'll go with Harden on my board too.
6. Minnesota Timberwolves
AG: Who they should pick is Tyreke Evans. Who they will pick is Stephen Curry
I like the trade the Timberwolves pulled off even if this draft is weak. I think Harden and Evans are the best two players left, but they play the same position. That means Curry is the selection along with Harden. I think Curry is going to be a good pro, maybe not a star. Still, the Timberwolves have to be happy with this - they get a potential lethal scorer in Harden and a solid PG in Curry.
SW: I like Stephon Curry here, and I think he is going to be really good...eventually. His game depends on where he plays though. He's going to be like Monta Ellis or Kevin Martin - very talented but small and needs to be paired in the backcourt with either a large PG who can D up or a 2 guard who can ball handle well. Also a 2 guard masquerading as a PG, but i think he is the real deal and might be able to do it. Seems much more mature and focused than a lot of these clowns.
I'll have the Wolves taking the Evans here. They fill both guard spots with him and Harden, and can pair them with Kevin Love and Big Al Jefferson (an awesomely underrated frontcourt as far as I'm concerned). I got to say though: I think both these guys could be decent one day, but will either be better than Randy Foye? I know there were other reasons for that trade, but still seems lateral to me.
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