NBA Mock Draft 2008

Yes, we know that the draft was last Thursday. However, the fact that both Gudy and Kamp are busy people with families and the illusion of a life meant that we weren't able to get this posted prior to the start. However, we assure you that the great majority of the picks were made previous to the actual selections. Therefore, we still feel like we're being honest. At least as far as you know.

1. Chicago Bulls - Derrick Rose, PG, Memphis

• Gudy - This is probably the obvious pick. He's from Chicago. He's a PG in the mold of Chris Paul. Everyone is claiming how PG's are more valuable in today's "New NBA", blah, blah, blah. I was going to be bold and creative and take Beasley, because he feels a need. But here's the deal with drafting: You do what makes your team better in the long run, and I feel that Rose makes the Bulls better in the long run. With him, they can shop Hinrich and Gordon for an upgrade at SF or C. He doesn't come with the baggage, or the apparent selfishness, that Beasley comes with. And, Chicago can save money and just give him Jalen Rose's old uniforms. It's really a win-win for everyone involved.
• Kamp - It's not just probably the obvious pick. It is the obvious pick. They have some more moves to do like signing Deng to a long-term contract, but the Bulls are looking good for the future.

2. Miami Heat - Michael Beasley, F, Kansas State

• Kamp - Another obvious pick, in my opinion. Beasley completely dominated the college game this past season. There are some character concerns along with questions about exactly how tall he is, but Beasley should step in and put up solid to very good numbers all season long. This will hopefully translate in to great numbers down the road. Selfishly, I want Miami to screw up the pick, but this is what I would do.
• Gudy - The one real question this raises is how will Dwyane Wade and Michael Beasley handle a shared spotlight. It worked for Shaq and Wade, since Shaq was the "crafty vet" who took Wade under his large, law-enforcing, wing. Now Wade is the vet, and will Beasley disrupt the pecking order? His talent is undeniable, though, and you worry about chemistry later.

3. Minnesota Timberwovles - O.J. Mayo, G, USC

• Gudy - Here's one (among many) major flaw in this exercise: We are both operating under the premise that each team makes their allotted pick. Essentially we're just drafting the slot. But in this case I want the T-Wolves to trade down to the 5-8 range, upgrade their team, and draft Kevin Love. Reports have Milwaukee, Memphis, and the Clippers salivating after Mayo. I'd love to pick up a PG from Memphis, a few extra picks so the Wolves can trade up and snag Augustine or Bayless at the point, or Hibbert at C, or get Villanueva from Milwaukee. Then I'd select Kevin Love, who aside from Beasley and Rose is the only other player I really like in this draft. I think he'd pair perfectly with Big Al - he does all of the little things that would allow Al to focus on scoring and rebounding. Since I don't have the ability to trade the pick, even in a fantasy/fictional scenario, Mayo is the pick. He's got perhaps the most talent of anyone in the draft, and he's easily the best player on the board. Take him, trade Foye and or McCants, and build around Mayo and Jefferson.
• Kamp - For the love of all that is holy, McHale, if you pick here, select Mayo. He has become the obvious third-best talent in the draft. I also wouldn't have a problem with the Wolves trading down to improve their team, but I'm not quite as sold on Love. The biggest advantage of selecting Kevin, besides his passing ability out of the post, is all of the really bad jokes/song references that will be made by talk radio. The biggest problem I have with picking him is the fact that he would cause Al to play another year out of position. In Gudy's senerio of possibly picking Hibbert (which I wouldn't mind doing late in the first round), you wouldn't be able to have all three players on the court at the same time since none of them can guard a perimiter player.

4. Seattle Supersonics - Kevin Love, PF, UCLA

• Kamp - I know that there are some that would prefer having Durant play power forward to completely abuse a slower defender, but I don't think that he has the strength to do that on a consistant basis. With Love, they have a big that can draw his man away from the basket and help open up the floor. They still would have dificiancies on the defensive end, but offensivly, Love helps make the world go 'round. And that's the kind of comment that I'm talking about.
• Gudy - This is a surprise here, especially with such an obvious need at PG, but I can see it. In response to your comments on Love above, Hibbert is pretty much going to be a backup in this league, anyway. With Love, Hibbert, and Big Al, the Wolves have an effective three-man rotation in the post. And I disagree about the three of them being on the court at the same time. Love could play a big three, with Al at the four, and Hibbert at the five. Then you have Foye and Brewer at the guard positions. That's a solid lineup, for a stretch.

5. Memphis Grizzlies - Joe Alexander, SF, West Virginia

• Gudy - I have two reasons for making this pick, and they both involve Memphis being the one team in the league that is consistently better than the Timberwovles at making the worst possible decision with player personnel. Alexander is the highest rising name in the draft. He's athletic, he's aggresive, and he's a project. With Love off the board, and the lack of ability to make a trade here, Memphis tries another home run swing on a knuckleball. Alexander should be slotting closer to 10, but Memphis is massively screwed up, and I think this pick makes sense if I'm channeling my inner Chris Wallace.
• Kamp - Wow. 40% of the draft so far is white. I'm shocked. I could see Joe being essentially a more athletic version of Adam Morrison with a worse shot. I would point out at this point that we should be making the pick that we would make if we were the team. Not what Chris Wallace or Kevin McHale would do. Also, they have Rudy Gay at the position right now, so I don't see how this pick makes much sense at all. But I still love you, Gudy.

6. New York Knicks - Eric Gordon, G, Indiana

• Kamp - The Knicks are a mess. I don't know of anyone outside of the Dolon family that thinks they're close to winning. I don't know how well Gordon will do as a pro, but he brings a lot of talent to the table. In my mind, he's a poor man's O.J. Mayo. He will be asked to run the point for stretches in New York or playing next to Nate Robinson when the Knicks go small.
• Gudy - I'm not sure I like this pick here. Gordon is already coming from one volatile situation at IU. The Knicks would be a terrible fit for him...well, for almost anyone, really. I should also mention here that I lost interest in this draft as soon as Kevin Love went off the board. Just wanted to point that out.

7. L.A. Clippers - Jerryd Bayless, PG, Arizona

• Gudy - I go Bayless here over Westbrook because of the Chauncy Billups comparisons. The Clips may be on the verge of losing both Corey Maggette and Elton Brand. They need to build from scratch. In Bayless, they get a floor general who can score on his own and distribute. He has the chance to become the best player on the court for their team, a la Brandon Roy. Had they more mature scoring and leadership options available, I would have gone with Westbrook.
• Kamp - Love this pick. They can't rely on Livingston coming back healthy at this point. Bayless could come in and go for a run with Thornton. His distribution skill are still in question, but when you're drafting in the top ten, you go for talent, and Bayless has that in abundance.

8. Milwaukee Bucks - Russel Westbrook, PG, UCLA

• Kamp - Milwaukee is another team that has a mess for a roster. If they're serious about shopping Mo Williams, they need a point. There's also talk about them shopping Michael Redd, so a guy that could play in either guard position really helps hedge their bets about being able to trade one or both of the players. Westbrook will hopefully provide them with a good young core to go with Bogut and Yi. I admit that my initial pick was going to be Brook Lopez, but I have to factor in the fact that they still have Bogut, Gadzuric, and Villanuava in the front court.
• Gudy - Makes sense, and as you mentioned, Milwaukee's roster is a mess right now, so I really can't argue drafting a point here.

9. Charlotte Bobcats - Brook Lopez, C, Stanford

• Gudy - Even though I'm supposed to take into account who I would pick here, there are a number of factors that went into this decision. First, Gallinari has stated he wants to play in NY. The Knicks didn't take him, so the Nets are the next logical destination for him. Second, Larry Brown loves ready-to-contribute college players, and if Brown's my coach, you make him happy. Lopez isn't a project, so he can step right in and be a bust alongside Adam Morrison and Emeka Okafor. With this pick, the Bobcats might have the most disappointing young frontline in the NBA.
• Kamp - For the Bobcats, it's a case of sticking with what you're good at. I don't think that Lopez with be a complete bust. He'll be a contributer to a team. The only problem is that I don't know if that team can be the Bobcats with the questionable moves that they've been making.

10. New Jersey Nets - Kosta Koufos, C, Ohio State

• Kamp - Right now all of New Jersey is horribly mad at the Bobcats for having taken the center that they really wanted. They settle for the second best white center in the draft. Koufos helps them a bit in the rebounding and should also help protect the rim (he averaged 1.8 blocks per game). As an added bonus, his name sounds like he could have been the villan of a mid-80's spy novel.
• Gudy - We have a slider on our hands. Who will take Gallinari?

11. Indiana Pacers - Danilo Gallinari, SF, Italy

• Gudy - Best player on the board. I rest my case.
• Kamp - Not a bad pick. With the flops of high-profile Europeans (e.g. Tskitishvili, Bogut), G.M.s should have a bit of hesitation with drafting them so high. Gallinari has potential. It's another question of if he will realize that potential.

12. Sacramento Kings - D.J. Augustin, PG, Texas

• Kamp - We finally start getting to teams that don't have complete messes for rosters. Sacramento has servicable pieces in most of the other positions, but lack much of anything at the PG positino. They would be very excited to have Augustin fall to them here. He'll step in and immediately upgrade the offense as possibly the second best pure PG in the draft.
• Gudy - As long as Sacramento keeps their defensive core (read: Ron Artest) intact, a PG like Augustin with such glaring defensive liabilities makes sense. I like the pick.

13. Portland Trail Blazers - Brandon Rush, SG, Kansas

• Gudy - I almost went Mario Chalmers here, which would free up Roy offensively at the two. But Roy has proven that he is at least adequate at running the point, and Rush will be a better pro, in my opinion.
• Kamp - I love this pick. Rush is my choice to be the player selected way too late for how good he is. Secretly, I'm hoping that if the Wolves make a draft-day deal, Rush will slide to the point where they'd be able to get him. I don't hold out too much hope of that happening, though.

14. Golden State Warriors - Marresse Speights, PF/C, Florida

• Kamp - The Warriors have no rebounding or toughness on the inside. Speights provides both of those after averaging over 8 rebounds per game in just over 25 minutes per game. If he maintains that over 40 minutes, he's a solid 18/11 guy with around 2 blocks per game. If they can teach him to pass out of the post, he could help them generate their fast break very well.
• Gudy - Right now, Speights is the anti-Joe Alexander. He's slipped further than...I can't even come up with a proper analogy here. Solid pick for the Warriors, who could use a solid big to help protect Andres Biedrins, if he stays.

15. Phoenix Suns - Mario Chalmers, PG, Kansas

• Gudy - Because Steve Nash isn't going to live forever, and because Barbosa is being talked about hotly in trade rumors as we speak, er, type.
• Kamp - Here's what we know: the odds of Phoenix actually being the ones to make and keep this pick are very, very low. In fact, Bill Simmons has written about the team that they could have had. I consider Chalmers to be projected higher than he deserves because of the Final Four heroics. My thought for right now is high bust potential.

16. Philadelphia 76ers - Anthony Randolph, PF, LSU

• Kamp - What's a team to do? They need size and a shooting guard. Unfortunately, the best prospects on the board at those positions have some major questions. We don't know if Randolph will be able to fill out to handle the rigors of holding down the paint. We don't know if Darrel Arthur will be able to keep himself motivated to give consistent effort. At this pick, the talent and potential of Randolph wins out.
• Gudy - I'm fine with this pick here. The 76ers are a young team that can afford to develop someone like Randolph. He seems to be a good fit here.

17. Indiana Pacers - Donte Green, SF, Syracuse

• Gudy - The Pacers just picked up TJ Ford from Toronto with a pick for Jermaine O'Neal. They'll have to start rebuilding their front court. Green is the best player on the board. This works.
• Kamp - Um, the Pacers already have a very good SF in Granger. Are either of them quick enough to defend shooting guards in the league? Questionable pick, in my opinion. They need size with the trading of O'Neal.

18. Washington Wizards - Robin Lopez, C, Stanford

• Kamp - Washington is in need of a big body for the middle that isn't a head case (I'm looking at you Brendan Haywood!) Lopez isn't going to be a top-flight scorer, but the Wizards have scoring covered. They need rebounding and defense, so Lopez won't have too much to learn.
• Gudy - They need a big, but that's all they're getting here. Lopez struggled with rebounding in a weaker PAC-10, we can't expect that the light is suddenly going to turn on in a faster, more talented NBA. At least this isn't a lottery pick, or this would have bust written all over it.

19. Cleveland Cavaliers - Roy Hibbert, C, Georgetown

• Gudy - Varejao is expected to be gone, and Ilgauskas isn't getting any younger. Hibbert will provide a more than serviceable option for the current rotation, and someone who can move into a more prominent role as time moves on. I like him almost infinitely more than Robin Lopez.
• Kamp - Excellent pick. I probably should have taken him the pick earlier, to be honest. Maybe I was secretly hoping he'd fall to the mid-20's so the Wolves could move up and get him.

20. Denver Nuggets - J.J. Hickson, PF, NC State

• Kamp - The Nuggets are currently one of the more disfunctional teams in the league. Who knows if Iverson or Anthony will be back for next season. What they need right now is some size up front to help Camby out with the rebounding chores and also to hedge their bets in case Nene isn't able to return.
• Gudy - My initial reaction to this pick: Who?!? I stand by my initial reaction.

21. New Jersey Nets - Chris Douglas-Roberts, SF, Memphis

• Gudy - Our fake Nets landed Kosta Koufos with their first pick. They'll be gunning for LeBron in a couple of years, and have been shopping Richard Jefferson to create cap space. CDR could and would provide them with instant scoring ability to make up for that loss, should it ever materialize. He was being talked about as a potential lottery pick just a few months ago.
• Kamp - Excellent pick by the fake Nets. Douglas-Roberts should be able to step in and contribute on a regular basis right away either from the bench or starting if they should trade Jefferson.

22. Orlando Magic - Courtney Lee, SG, W. KY

• Kamp - Easy pick. I knew that whichever of the two NJ didn't pick would be the choice here. They have their PG, SF and PF positions set for a while. They could really use an athlete that can get to the rim and score. Lee provides that.
• Gudy - I debated for about 1/2 second before I took CDR over Lee. That said, this is a solid choice for the magic, especially considering that the two best players in the draft with female names were already off the board.

23. Utah Jazz - DeAndre Jordan, C, Texas A&M

• Gudy - The Jazz need to get bigger. Jordan is a project, for sure, but who better to learn the game from than Jerry Sloan and Deron Williams? This is a nice fit for him, and he could be making a big splash in a couple of years.
• Kamp - The only problem I have with this pick is if Jordan is going to completely frustrate Sloan. Sloan strikes me as a guy that doesn't have patience for the "potential" guys.

24. Seattle Supersonics - Serge Ibaka, PF, Congo

• Kamp - Seatle, as previously stated, needs help up front. Using their second first round pick on a project big man can be afforded. The fake Sonics shake their fists in frustration at the fake Jazz. That's the pick they were going to make.
• Gudy - At the 24th pick, I can't argue with any selection, much less this one. However, Ibaka's people warned NBA teams to not take his client in the first round. Apparently, he's got a rather large offer from a team overseas. Chad Ford's latest mock has him going to the Wolves with the first pick in the second round.

25. Houston Rockets - Alexis Ajinca, C, France

• Gudy - Off the top of my head, I'd consider Houston a pretty international savvy team. Ajinca has been going all over the board in various mock drafts. He's a workout warrior that struggled in competition overseas, which is a huge red flag. He's also a project, but with Yao's injury history, I take my chances on the seven-footer.
• Kamp - Workout warriors always scare me. Sure, they have great measurables, but that doesn't always translate to play on the court.

26. San Antonio Spurs - 26. SA - Nicolas Batum, SF, France

• Kamp - Back to back French picks! The international melting pot of San Antonio continues. Finally Parker has someone with whom he can talk French. Batum is reportedly talented. We'll see.
• Gudy - I think at this point, you could say, "Batum reportedly has four legs and breathes nitrogen gas" and I couldn't refute it.

27. New Orleans Hornets - Darrell Arther, PF, Kansas

• Gudy - This pick is actually Portland's now, and I'm going with the "best player available" defense here.
• Kamp - Not a horrible pick for Portland. Though, I would point out that their front court is getting kind of crowded.

28. Memphis Grizzlies - Jason Thompson, PF, Rider

• Kamp - They need a big body after giving away Pau. Thompson should provide immediate rebounding help.
• Gudy - I'm not so sure about immediate, but at least he might get a rebound.

29. Detroit Pistons - Ryan Anderson, PF, Cal

• Gudy - At this point I shouldn't have to explain my pick.
• Kamp - And welcome to they "we're just picking guys off of a rankings list" portion of the mock draft!

30. Boston Celtics - Valium, Sedative

• Kamp - Well, they need something to calm down KG.
• Gudy - A solid pick, however, Valium lacks the jumpability and freakish athleticism that other prescription drugs could offer here.