Some wrap up business on the Finals and my mock draft








Before I convey a few random thoughts about the quick work the Lakers made of the Magic, I'd like to respond to the slew of e-mail that I've received from some readers who wanted to take me to task about my merciless assault on Laker point guard Derek Fisher in this space. Here is my response: Fisher's still washed up.





I know that Fisher hit two very big three pointers in the Lakers game 4 overtime win. The first one tied the game with 4 seconds left in regulation and the second one gave the Lakers a 3 point lead in the overtime, a lead the Lakers would never relinquish. But that still doesn't change the fact that Fisher is athletically inferior to every guard he plays against. And who says that Shannon Brown could not have hit big threes if given the chance. I would never have played Fisher as much as Jackson in every series and I stand by it. But then again, Phil Jackson has 10 championship rings and all I have are a couple of wedding rings, so there you go.





Speaking of Philosophical Phil, I think this was his 2nd best coaching job ever. His best was the 1994 Bulls when he had a 55 win season without Michael Jordan and was a bad Hue Hollins whistle from being in the NBA finals. And his 3rd best was the Bulls 72 win season in 1996 that culminated in a title. His finest coaching moment of the series was with 10 seconds left in regulation of game 2, he was able to put a defense on the floor that had the Magic's two shot opportunities to win the game attempted by Orlando's 5th option, Courtney Lee.





A quick note on Kobe Bryant. He changed his game just enough to put the Lakers over the top. Make no mistake. Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol didn't get any better this year. Kobe just played with them more allowing their vast talent to matter for the Lakers. Kobe even starting regularly feeding Gasol in the post down the stretch of games. Don't get me wrong. Kobe isn't exactly the most humble guy in the world. But he played enough team basketball to lead his team to a title and he deserves a lot of credit for that. Now that I just threw up in my mouth, its onto my mock draft.





Most scouts and NBA executives are calling this draft the worst in years. I wholeheartedly disagree. If you need a point guard, this draft is a good place to find one. This draft may be lacking star power, but there's a lot of players in this draft who will be contributors. Too many personnel executives shoot for the moon in the draft. The same chance exists to unearth a star in drafting for contributors than drafting to find the next Michael Jordan (remember Harold "Baby Jordan" Miner). With that in mind, lets begin.





1) LA Clippers- Blake Griffin (F) Oklahoma- The closest thing there is to a sure thing in this draft. The way I see it it is the only thing that can ruin him is that Creepy Clipper Karma. And that has powers we beyond anything that can be analyzed.





2) Memphis- Ricky Rubio (G) Spain- I believe Memphis GM Chris Wallace when he says they are very interested in Rubio and will not let threats from Rubio's camp that Rubio won't come to Memphis prevent Wallace from drafting him. Rubio needs to be the highest pick he can to make enough money to buy himself out of his Spanish league contract. If Memphis selects him, Rubio will come. He'll have fellow Spanish Olympic teammate Marc Gasol waiting for him. Rubio will be a good NBA point guard. He can play NBA level defense at a very young age. He guarded Chris Paul and Deron Williams very effectively in the Olympic gold medal game. Needs to watch his turnovers





3) Oklahoma City- Hasheem Thabeet (C) Connecticut- Thabeet is in the Dikembe Mutombo mold. Very good shot blocker. Very good rebounder. He's adequate offensively. He has great size at 7'3". But needs to add toughness. Got pushed around a lot in Big East play for a guy this size. If the Tin Man finds his heart, Oklahoma City's got themselves a real good center. For the record, I do think Thabeet toughens up and becomes a good center.





4) Sacramento- Stephen Curry (G) Davidson- Curry is an excellent shooter who can fill it up quick. But I question his ability to be a point guard and he's way too skinny to be an effective wing player. Has questionable shot selection for a guy who suppossedly has a "high basketball IQ". I wouldn't take him this early, but a lot of teams are enamored with him. Probably ends up as a good bench player.





5) Washington- Tyreke Evans (G) Memphis- Evans is a great fit for the Wizards. Handles the ball enough to allow Gilbert Arenas to play some on the wing as a scoring guard. And Evans is a tremendous athlete who should evolve into a decent wing defender. He could play a big role in the Wizards turning it around fast.





6) Minnesota- James Harden (G) Arizona St.- Minnesota's back court is a mess. Harden will help stabilize it. Not the best athlete, but a good scorer and a physically tough player for 6"5". Could certainly be part of the long term solution on Minnesota.





7) Golden St.- Jrue Holiday (G) UCLA- Warrior coach Don Nelson (who's back in charge after inserting a ginsu into Chris Mullin's delicate back) will not be able to resist an athlete like Holiday. Holiday's workouts have suppossedly been off the charts. Scouts are drooling over him ignoring the fact that he wasn't all that good a player for UCLA last year. He could develop, but a coin toss is more certain.





8) New York- Ty Lawson (G) North Carolina- Many scouts think this is early for Lawson and maybe a little wishful thinking by this Knick fan, but I think Lawson is going to be one of the top 3 point guards in the league. He's fast, strong, and unselfish. He's a decent shooter, an agressive and willing defender, and he doesn't turn the ball over much. Scouts are concerned about his height and his work ethic. Last time I checked, the best point guard in the league Chris Paul is 5"11" and strong as an ox, just like Lawson. Thats right, I went there. Lawson was the most important player for the champion Tar Heels and played the NCAA tournament with a very bad toe. A great fit in Knick coach Mike D'Antoni's up tempo system. My favorite player in this draft.





9) Toronto- Jordan Hill (F) Arizona- Toronto will think they are a getting a bookend to Chris Bosh to help Bosh with all of the grunt work. But they're getting a tentative player with a low motor. Not a Jordan Hill fan.





10) Milwaukee- Jonny Flynn (G) Syracuse- A good fit for Milwaukee. Flynn is exactly the kind of floor leader Buck Coach Scott Skiles needs running the point. Needs to improve the shooting and watch the turnovers, but he'll be a good one.





11) New Jersey- Earl Clark (F) Louisville- Clark is a very well rounded basketball player. One of the more talented players in this draft. Has been unfairly downgraded by scouts because of work ethic questions. His college coach Rick Pitino believes he has what it takes. Similar skill set to Lamar Odom. That makes Earl my second favorite player in this draft behind Lawson. He'll be a very good player on a championship contender before all is said and done.





12) Charlotte- Demar DeRozan (F/G) USC- Charlotte thinks they're getting a replacement for Raja Bell as a shutdown wing defender with tremendous athletic ability. What they're really getting is a tremendous athlete who is disinterested and selfish and will be impossible for Larry Brown to coach. This guy has bust written all over him.





13) Indiana- Gerald Henderson (G) Duke- Indiana GM Larry Bird will grab his ex teammate Gerald Henderson's son. The Pacers could use a reliable off guard and Bird knows this kid's a good citizen, which is very important in Indiana. Henderson will be a solid NBA player, but not much more.





14) Phoenix- Eric Maynor (G) Virginia Commonwealth- Maynor can serve as the heir apparent to Steve Nash. Maynor has a complete game. Good at just about everything, great at nothing. But he is a legitimate floor leader who plays wiith passion and guts.





15) Detroit- James Johnson (F) Wake Forest- This guy is billed as being able to play both small forward and power forward. My guess is that he won't play either that well. He's suppossedly a black belt in jujitsu, which will onlly draw him flagrant fouls in the NBA. This pick will not end up at the top of Piston GM Joe Dumars' resume when he ends up looking for a new job.





16) Chicago- Tyler Hansbrough (F) North Carolina- The Bulls are not all that pleased with their 2006 first rounder Tyrus Thomas at power forward. Hansbrough is a hard working physical forward who can shoot. Sort of the anti Tyrus Thomas, who is athletic, but immature. The perfect player to either push Thomas or replace him





17) Philadelphia- Brandon Jennings (G)- Italy- Jennings played professionally in Italy this past season. I'm using the word played loosely because from what in understand, all he did was sit on the bench last season and complain about it. The Sixers figure he can replace free agent point guard Andre Miller, but they might as well be throwing their money on black or red at the roulette table.



18) Minnesota- B.J. Mullens (C) Ohio St.- Minnesota will figure that Mullens can be a project with lots of upside. I think he's the dictionary definition of a bust who never should have left college this early.



19) Atlanta- Jeff Teague (G) Wake Forest- Not a big fan of Teague's game. Clearly should be staying in school at least another year. But the Hawks need a replacement for free agent point guard Mike Bibby. Teague may develop eventually, but will certainly disappoint in the short term.



20) Utah- DeJuan Blair (F) Pittsburgh- I definitely have concerns about Blair, but if he lands in
Utah, he'll have landed in the right place. Utah's coach Jerry Sloan has had outstanding success with undersized, but strong power forwards Carlos Boozer and Paul Milsapp. And with all indications appearing that Boozer will opt out of his contract and explore free agency and with Milsapp entering restricted free agency, who better to bring in than an undersized strong power forward in DeJuan Blair. Blair stock has dropped recently due concerns about his knees. And if he drops to 20, the Jazz will bethrilled and rightfully so. He won't be a star, but he will be a significant contributor in the right situation.



21) New Orleans- Nick Calathes (G) Florida- New Orleans would rather not pay a rookie contract this year, so they'll select Calathes because he signed a contract to play in Greece, so they can wait a few years to bring him in and start paying him. Calathes' game is probably more suited to Europe anyway.



22) Dallas- Sam Young (F/G) Pittsburgh- Young is a very effective wing player who plays strong, defends well, and can shoot. He goes this low because he's ancient by draft standards at 24. Not a lot of upside for him from where he is now. But the good news is that he's pretty damn good now. He may just end up the reason the Mavericks are able to move Josh Howard, which just might net them Chris Bosh.



23) Sacramento- Austin Daye (F) Gonzaga- Sacramento may go European here instead to save a contract, but I think they'll like Daye a lot here. Personally, I don't think Daye deserves to go in the first round. Even though he's 6'11". he's softer than the stay puff marshmallow man. He's only 190 pounds and his only discernible skill is his ability to shoot. Guys like this get thrown around in the NBA like rag dolls.



24) Portland- Darren Collison- (G) UCLA- Certain things about the draft make me scratch my head. Jrue Holiday spent the year last year as Collison's backup, rightfully so. Yet Holiday will go in the lottery and Collison will be lucky to go in the first round because Holiday is a workout star. If Portland selects Collison, they'll be getting a pass first point guard who is a tenacious defender. Collison may be a little small, but he makes up for it with a great motor. He's a perfect fit for the Trailblazers.



25) Oklahoma City- Terrence Williams (G/F) Louisville- If the Thunder get Williams here, they'll have gotten good value. A good athlete and a smart player. He is just not that great an offensive player. he handles the ball decently, but does not have a nose for the basket. He'll defend well on the NBA level. Many scouts have him as a top 10 pick, but you can do better in this draft. He'll be a contributor wherever he goes. Thats his ceiling, but at this stage of the draft thats a good thing.



26) Chicago- Wayne Ellington (G) North Carolina- This would be a great value pick for the Bulls. With it looking likely that they lose Ben Gordon to free agency ( a blessing by the way) Ellington will fill that role and be a much better complement to star point guard Derrick Rose. Gordon dominates the ball way too much. If the Bulls add Hansbrough and Ellington with losing Gordon to free agency, they will be a much better team this year and possibly contend in the East. Both would be excellent chemistry picks.

27) Memphis- Omri Casspi (F) Israel- Everything I've seen on this guy I loved. He didn't want to work out for many teams because in his eyes, the workouts are not reflective of the kind of player he is. And although he changed his mind (as he should have) and blew teams away with his workout , the man has a point. He's a very athletic and energetic forward. He would provide Memphis with some much needed grit. In the words of Judge Smails from Caddyshack, "the world needs ditch diggers too!!" Casspi is a ditch digger.

28) Minnesota- Patrick Mills (G) St. Mary's- Mills is a shoot first point guard and lord knows Minnesota has plenty of them. But Mills just might be the best point guard on their roster if they draft him. Questionable shot selection and lots of turnovers work against Mills. But he might just give them a better chance to win than current point guards Randy Foye and (gulp) Sebastian Telfair.

29) L.A. Lakers- Chase Budinger (G/F) Arizona- If Budinger is here when the Lakers pick, and I think he will be, he will be just the excuse they need to part ways with the psychotic Sasha Vujacic. Watching Vujacic hug his teammates while their nostrils flair at the smell has become downright uncomfortable. Budinger can play the same role as a shooter off the bench, which is really Budinger's only future in the league.

30) Cleveland- Danny Green (F) North Carolina- If I'm correct, the national champion Tar Heels will have placed 4 players in the first round. Green is an excellent shooter and an excellent defender. He doesn't create a lot offensively, but he shoots it real well, and is a very athletic and willing defender. Green is exactly the type of player the Cavaliers were missing in their loss to the Magic in the Eastern Conference finals. Green is an excellent wing complement to LeBron James.

There you have it. I'll be back before the draft with rumors. Giddyap. Y'all be cool.