Mock the Draft

(Update: It's being reported around this interweb that this is our mock draft. No. A gun to my head couldn't get me to say the Cavs should take Kosta Koufos. This is just us having a little fun with ESPN's draft expert Chad Ford. We'll post our own mock draft soon, and it will be equally ridiculous, but we'll happily admit it.)

Okay, we're putting a one day hiatus on "What Went Right" (because it wasn't right enough) to talk a little about the draft. First, I saw that Chicago won the draft. Then I clicked on Chad Ford's mock draft. Even though I was appaled with who he had the Cavs taking (see below), "What Went Right" was in the works. For some reason, though, I kept reading. After finishing Chad's mock, I couldn't help but to mock Chad.

I've seen Chad get ripped over the years, mainly because of his love of foreigners, but I've never gotten involved first hand because I never cared to be an "Insider".

Also, I'm not much for mock drafts. If I do read one, it's more for the commentary and analysis on a team's needs and a player's (that I've barely seen - not much for the college game) skills, and I put little credence in the likelihood of the guesswork.

When I inevitably post my own, please rip me relentlessly.

(Picks are Chad's, as is "the skinny". "The fat" is mine, because I'm clever. To skip straight to the Cavs' pick, click here.

1. Chicago - Michael Beasley

The skinny: This will be a very difficult choice for the Bulls.

On the one hand, Chicago has needed a low-post scorer for a long time, and Beasley fits the bill. He's also a top-notch rebounder, which would fulfill another need for the Bulls.

However, Rose, a Chicago native, would be a major upgrade over Kirk Hinrich. His strength and athleticism could really ignite the Bulls' offense.

For the moment, we're putting Beasley here because he's the best fit.

The fat: I'm actually with Chad all the way to start off. Unless the character and effort issues about Beasley pan out (and he doesn't), they can't go wrong either way. They probably go Beasley unless they know Gordon is gone. Or realize Gordon sucks.


2. Miami - Derrick Rose

The skinny: The Heat are big winners, too. They don't get the No. 1 pick, but they do get their favorite player in the draft. A Rose-Wade backcourt should be awesome.

The fat: Yeah, the Heat can do no wrong here. If they had the 1, I think they'd pick Rose anyway.


3. Minnesota - Brook Lopez

The skinny: If the team drafts for need, Lopez will be the guy. The Wolves really need a center, and Lopez should be a good fit.

But don't count out Danilo Gallinari, who could be a surprise pick here.

The fat: They win 22 games and they should draft on need? Wouldn't that be most of the team? Since Al Jefferson is their bona fide stud, I wouldn't consider another big their need, anyway. Jerryd Bayless gets a lot of hype. I bet Bayless-Foye-Telfair would make a good backcourt.


4. Seattle - Jerryd Bayless

The skinny: Bayless should be a very good fit for Seattle. His up-tempo game and excellent shooting ability would give the Sonics a potent weapon to pair with Kevin Durant.

The fat: Fair enough. You need a good ballhandler to help set up Durant, and they don't seem to love Watson or Ridnour.


5. Memphis - O.J. Mayo

The skinny: The Grizzlies need a power forward.

But although they do have a glut of guards, they also could use a guard with the strength, scoring prowess and star quality of Mayo. Team him with Rudy Gay and Mike Conley, and the Grizzlies are a big man away from having a bright future again.

The fat: No way they take another guard unless there's an impending trade. Gay, Miller, JCN, Lowry, Crittenton, Conley... and exactly who rebounding? Is it possible Chad mixed up Minnesota and Memphis?


6. New York - Danilo Gallinari

The skinny: Mike D'Antoni lands the perfect weapon for his new team -- a 6-10 point forward who knows how to think the game.

It might not be a popular pick in New York, but D'Antoni will make it work.

The fat: Yup, the new Knicks regime is going to take a young foreigner to make a splash. That'll be a popular pick in Gotham. I love how often Chad hedges while trying to sound defiant.


7. L.A. Clippers - Russell Westbrook

The skinny: Look for the Clippers to make a tough choice between Westbrook and Gordon. Given that L.A. really needs a point guard, Westbrook gets the slight edge.

The fat: It's a shame Shaun Livingston is a brittle as a dry twig, but Chad is probably right here. It just makes sense for an LA product to stay local and lead a team that has a lot of talent on the floor already.


8. Milwaukee - Eric Gordon

The skinny: Gordon is a dynamic scorer who could free new GM John Hammond to trade Michael Redd.

The fat: The Bucks have Mo Williams locked up for big bucks; Ramon Sessions was a late season revelation. With the 8th pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, the Milwaukee Bucks elect to give themselves a tiny and defensively inept backcourt for the next 5 years. I would actually really like this pick if Gordon could stand on OJ Mayo's shoulders. This is the year of the undersized 2, though, so I guess they can't do much better. And if it means Redd to the Cavs, I love it.


9. Charlotte - Kevin Love

The skinny: Larry Brown loves guys who "play the right way." Love is as fundamentally sound as anyone in the draft.

The fat: Translation: Love is white. Is Creaky McLeavin-in-2-years going to want a weak, unathletic, 19 year old on the floor next season? No. Besides, Brown is a great teacher. Why take the already fundamentally sound kid?


10. New Jersey - Anthony Randolph

The skinny: The Nets have lacked a super-athletic 4 since Kenyon Martin walked out the door. Randolph has been compared to a young Chris Bosh by some scouts. His combination of length and athleticism is exciting, but he has to get stronger and improve his perimeter game.

The fat: The #10 pick is the first kid I don't know anything about. The Nets should take the best available, so Chad may be right.


11. Indiana - D.J. Augustin

The skinny: The Pacers need a long-term replacement for Jamaal Tinsley, and they are crossing their fingers that either Augustin or Westbrook is still on the board when they pick. Of the two, Augustin is probably the better fit in Jim O'Brien's system.

Augustin is an excellent floor leader and can really shoot the basketball. Another bonus for Pacers fans is that he is an excellent character guy.

The fat: I don't know much about character. Could a PG here mean Tinsley is on the move? To the Cavs? Would you want him? I'd take that chance on the cheap.


12. Sacramento - Darrell Arthur

The skinny: The Kings are hoping that either Augustin or Westbrook falls into their laps. However, if they're not available, Sacramento will likely have to make a tough choice between a number of power forwards.

Of the group, Arthur has the greatest upside as an athlete and a scorer. But he's going to have to improve his rebounding to really make it in the league.

The fat: Chad is right about Arthur's upside. The likelihood of keeping Artest and Udrih probably decides whether they take Arthur or somebody more ready. I think the Kings could make noise if they can add talent rather than losing pieces.


13. Portland - Joe Alexander

The skinny: Alexander could be the sleeper of the draft. His combination of size, athleticism and shooting ability has GMs drooling right now. He's still learning the game, but on a team like the Blazers, his versatility could be an immediate asset.

Donte Greene is also a possibility here.

The fat: The Blazers are the most stacked team in the lottery. With Roy, Aldridge, and Oden, 3 positions are locked up. With 6 other guys worth 20+ minutes (Fernandez, Outlaw, Webster, Przybilla, Blake and Jack) the don't need immediate versatility. Plus, they've gotta be the team most ready to deal. I'd love to see them move up for Augustin or Westbrook.


14. Golden State - DeAndre Jordan

The skinny: At some point you just draft talent. The Warriors don't have a huge need in the middle, but Jordan's too talented to let slip any further. He has the body and athletic skills of Dwight Howard. But his lack of motivation is scaring a lot of GMs away right now.

The fat: Once again, Chad is right, and no team is more likely to go with talent over need. However, Chad is way off when he says they don't have a need in the middle. If they can beef up inside without losing much athleticism, they might make a serious run sometime.


15. Phoenix (via Atlanta) - Donte Greene

The skinny: Greene is a steal if he slips this far. He has the potential to be a Shawn Marion-type combo forward in the pros. While his game is still raw, he has great length and athleticism and an emerging perimeter game.

The fat: At this point, I'm really reaching if I pretend to know much about the prospects. If this guy is really a Shawn Marion clone, he should use some aging cream to get into his prime before the Suns' Nash/O'Neal window closes completely.


16. Philadelphia - Marreese Speights

The skinny: The Sixers are still looking for a low-post banger. If they can't get Elton Brand this summer, they'll have to seriously consider Speights. Speights does a lot of the same things Brand does, though he doesn't have the same conditioning or drive yet.

The fat: So you make a big late season push into the playoffs, threaten the #2 team in the league in the first round, and take a flyer on someone young and unproven and, per Chad, out of shape and unmotivated? Speights and Brand are polar opposites.


17. Toronto - Robin Lopez

The skinny: Lopez is drawing a lot of comparisons to Anderson Varejao. On a team that needs toughness and rebounding in the middle, he should be a great fit. He's kind of the anti-Andrea Bargnani.

The fat: Chad probably has Colangelo and the Raptors taking Robin because Lopez sounds foreign. It would be funny if Robin becomes the more successful Lopez on hustle and toughness. Shouldn't the anti-Bargnani go underdrafted in Chad Ford-land? Regardless, this should be a decent pick, even if it's a little high. If Robinho (more foreign sounding, a plus) is athletic enough to handle the bigs and the boards Bosh shies away from, the Raptors might be scary.


18. Washington - JaVale McGee

The skinny: McGee is another wildcard. Long, athletic and skilled, he has huge upside and can fly up and down the court. But his thin frame and lack of position mean he's a few years away from contributing.

The fat: Chad has already resorted to just plugging in a random name. I can't blame him. What do the Wizards actually need? If they hold on to Arenas and Jamison, I'd be looking for a PG who can contribute soon. Wouldn't a project like McGee be a waste for a team that thinks it's legit when healthy? I just talked myself into Ty Lawson to the Wiz. It makes too much sense.



19. Cleveland - Kosta Koufos

The skinny: If Koufos slips this far, it will be tough for the Cavs to pass on him. He's a very skilled big man who gets up and down the floor really well.

Some scouts compare him to a young Zydrunas Ilgauskas. He needs to get stronger, but he's got great upside for a pick this low in the draft.

The fat: White. Center. Foreign name. Cavs. Aha! A young Ilgauskas. So now the Cavs plan to build around Lebron is to draft a young, overhyped center who has bust written all over him. Will he be good in 5 years as Lebron leads the Nets to a title?

Seriously, what would be the logic of this pick? Did anybody actually see him play and think "Top 20 talent"? Did he have an impact at all in a Big 10 that has one other potential first rounder? Are we just trying to prove that northeast Ohio is a breeding ground for talent? I'd love to trot out a Snow-Redd-Lebron-Koufos-...Patterson? lineup at least once next year.

I got wrapped up in the Koufos-to-OSU hype, too, and still think he could carry the team deep into the tourney in a year or two. But there is absolutely no way that translates to production in the NBA right now, and the Cavs absolutely need to find somebody who can help sooner rather than later.

We'll talk more about who the Cavs should pick later, but if they do pick Koufos, I might just give up on my Cavs now and hitch my wagon to somebody out west.

(We're taking Brandon Rush if he's here and we don't already have Redd.)


20. Denver - Ty Lawson

The skinny: The Nuggets need a floor leader who can push the ball up and down the floor. While Lawson has his weaknesses, he should be an excellent fit in George Karl's up-tempo system.

The fat: Can you imagine a backcourt of Iverson and Lawson? You could post me up against that! I guess it's true that they need somebody to push it, and they did look a lot better back when they had Steve Blake. Chad might be right here, but no way the Nuggets ever make the leap getting smaller and softer defensively.


21. New Jersey (via Dallas) - Chase Budinger

The skinny: Budinger could easily be a late lottery pick, but he could also slip. Teams love his size and shooting ability but worry a bit about his lack of aggressiveness and defense. At this point in the draft, the Nets will be glad to take the risk.

The fat: This is another perfect of me not being the expert. If Budinger really should be a late lottery pick, kudos to the Nets for getting a steal. But if all those teams that actually need scorers and ball handling guards (see the last 10 teams) pass on Chase, why would the Nets put him behind Jefferson and Carter instead of trying to replace Nenad Krstic's rotting corpse or at least go with the more NBA ready Brandon Rush, who would fit a system that utilizes RJ and VC much better? Jeez, Chad, can't you see how your ridiculous picks lead to ridiculous run-ons? You're only hurting the children.


22. Orlando - Brandon Rush

The skinny: There's quite a bit of buzz over Rush at the moment. He's got the size, athleticism and shooting ability needed to excel as an NBA 2-guard. He is also an excellent defender and should be ready to step in and contribute right away. He's a perfect fit for Orlando.

The fat: I'll tell you why there's a buzz about Rush. He seems an awful lot like an NBA player and he was damned good for a damned good team that went damned far in the tourney. He has the same combination of ballhandling and 3 point shooting that Hedo and Rashard Lewis, so he'd be an added weapon to that system. Orlando might just be the happiest place on earth, if Jameer Nelson is for real. Otherwise, you know, Orlando might want a point guard. It's not like they're going to have a ton of cap space to sign one with their big 3.


23. Utah - Roy Hibbert

The skinny: Is there a better fit for Hibbert than Utah? He needs a team that excels in half-court sets. His size and scoring ability make him an asset as long, as you don't ask him to run the floor or play 40 minutes a game.

The fat: You're right Chad. Big and slow is right up their alley. He's as ready as he'll ever be, he'll let Mehmet stay outside and Boozer vanish. I hope they do take him and the Jazz maintain a level of suberb mediocrity for years to come. Or at least as long as they have Boozer.


24. Seattle (via Phoenix) - Serge Ibaka

The skinny: Expect Sonics GM Sam Presti to use a trick or two from his days in San Antonio and look internationally with his second pick. Ibaka has the talent to be a potential lottery pick someday, but he's still very raw. The Sonics can leave him over in Spain and reap the benefits down the road.

The fat: Presti comes from San Antonio, home of the late round foreigners and Chad Ford's wet dream. If he's wrong about this, up is down and black is white.


25. Houston - J. J. Hickson

The skinny: The Rockets got a big boost from rookie Luis Scola this season, but they could still use another strong, bruising power forward like Hickson. He's not ready for the NBA yet, but the Rockets can afford to develop him.

The fat: Dikembe. Landry. Yao. Hayes. Scola. Bonzi. Those are all the players who averaged more than 10 boards per 48 for the Rockets last year. 3 of them are power forwards. The last thing they need is another in the exact same mold. Tracy McGrady. That is the "star" who admitted to being too tired to compete in the 4th quarter of a home playoff game. Maybe the Rockets need to draft a weakness.


26. San Antonio - Nicolas Batum

The skinny: This low in the draft, the Spurs almost always look to the future, and I expect them to do it again. Batum has a lot of talent, but he needs more time in France to develop it. In a couple of years, San Antonio will look really smart.

The fat: He's from France, so this one is a given. However, if the Spurs want to reload while Tim Duncan is still the best, a Bill Walker or Chris Douglas-Roberts would help.


27. New Orleans - Bill Walker

The skinny: Walker could be a major coup for the Hornets if he's still on the board here. A year and a half ago, teams were talking about him as a top-5 pick. An ACL injury stopped that talk, but sources say his weight is finally down and his explosiveness is back. He and Chris Paul could make for a dynamite backcourt if Walker plays 2-guard.

The fat: Nobody has him going much higher, but I can't believe he'll fall this far. The further he falls the better he'll be. After all the talk of Mayo and Walker became talk about Mayo and Mayo, Walker used that as a chip on his shoulder to destroy OJ at both ends in March. So, yeah, I agree with Chad again; Walker would be a great pick here if none of the 10 previous teams come to their senses.


28. Memphis (via LA Lakers) - Nathan Jawai

The skinny: The Grizzlies need a power forward with some real power, and Jawai has that in abundance. He's coming off a big year in Australia, and his game resembles Elton Brand's a little. At this point in the draft, he's worth the risk.

The fat: So Memphis is going to skip on the big they need early in the draft, when they could get somebody who can start contributing soon, to bet on Nathan Jawai? That might be the last time you ever hear that name.


29. Detroit - Chris Douglas-Roberts

The skinny: The Pistons thrive on getting players who don't get the respect they probably deserve. Adding CDR as a reserve who can play the 2 and 3 and provide some scoring off the bench seems like a steal here.

The fat: Right now, the 2012 Pistons are Afflalo, Stuckey, Prince, Maxiell and Amir Johnson. Could CDR crack that lineup? Maybe, but Afflalo is probably the least likely to stick around, and I think Mario Chalmers is a lot like Chauncey Billups.


30. Boston - Ante Tomic

The skinny: The Celtics don't need rookies right now, and Tomic is stuck in a contract for the next few years overseas. They can afford to let him develop and hope in a few years he can be a building block.

The fat: Chad needed to slip in one more, so he could sleep at night.

I don't know Chad's track record, though he must've brainwashed Joe Dumars into the Milicic pick. There sure are a lot of dumb draft picks, so he could be right on every one this year. And really, as long as the Cavs turn it around with a smart pick, I hope he nails every other bust.

In the meantime, we'll get back to what went right for the Cavs and then start figuring out what the Cavs do this off-season, even if that means bringing Koufos-mania to the north shore.



How do you see the draft shaping up? Go Cavs!