Atlanta Hawks -The Hawks selected combo guard Jeff Teague out of Wake Forest with the 19th pick and Ukrainian shooting guard Sergiy Gladyr with the 49th selection.  With yesterday’s addition of Jamal Crawford Teague’s immediate impact will depend on whether the Hawks re-sign Mike Bibby or not, although, Teague’s selection tells me Atlanta is going to let Bibby walk without putting up much of a fight.  If the Bibby returns to the fold, barring injury, Teague will be lucky to see any real playing time.  If Bibby walks look for Teague to back up Crawford and Joe Johnson and provide instant offense off the bench.  Gladyr has the look and feel of a European project player whom we will have forgotten about in three or four years time.

Boston Celtics – Did not have a pick until the 58th selection and took Lester Hudson out of Tennessee-Martin.  Hudson can play both guard spots and is an explosive scorer.  Playing against weaker competition probably hurt his status with NBA scouts but was still seen as a late first to early second round prospect by many so the Celtic got good value here and he should be able to contribute as a shooter off the bench for Doc Rivers.

Charlotte Bobcats – The Cats did what almost everyone thought they would do by taking Duke guard Gerald Henderson with the 12th pick and then landed Xavier forward Derrick Brown with the 40th pick.  I am not entirely sold on Henderson being much of a pro.  He did a little bit of everything at Duke but did not really excel in any one area.  He arrived at Duke with a lot of hype around him and it just seemed like he never developed into the all around star player everyone was expecting him to be.  He is a solid defender and amazing athlete but he does not always assert himself on offense and struggles to get his shot at times.  He is also a streaky shooter.

I like the Brown pick though.  He can play both forward spots and gives the Bobcats some much needed verstaility and athleticism off the bench at those positions.  He is a solid shooter and should give them some rebounding.  He should, at the very least, give them some quality minutes off the bench next season.

Chicago Bulls – Chicago took a pair of forwards with its two first round picks opting for Wake’s James Johnson at 16 and USC’s Taj Gibson at 26.  It has been reported that the Bulls really wanted Hansbrough at 16 and were trying to move up higher in the draft to secure his services but it never panned out for them.  Exactly how Johnson and Gibson fit into the equation in Chicago depends largely upon whether they are able to trade Tyrus Thomas and/or Kirk Hinrich and whether Ben Gordon signs elsewhere.  If Gordon leaves then one can expect John Salmons to be moved over to the shooting guard to make room for Luol Deng to return to his starting spot at small forward.  If Thomas is moved as well then look for Johnson and Gibson to compete for the starting power forward spot.  If Chicago cannot find a taker for Thomas then one of the two face the prospect of being buried on the bench next season.

Johnson slipped down in the draft because he showed up to the pre-draft camp in Chicago 15 pounds overweight and teams starting questioning his dedication and focus.  If Johnson gets his head on straight and stays in shape he should emerge as the better of the two picks initially and see more playing time.  Gibson is too skinny to play power forward in the NBA and has no perimeter game to speak of so he will need to bulk up a bit and looks to be a bit of a project player at this time.

Cleveland Cavaliers – Not sure what the Cavs are thinking with this draft taking Christian Eyenga, whom many saw as a late second round pick and a guy who will need more seasoing in Europe before playing in the NBA, at the end of the first round when guys like Sam Young and DeJuan Blair were still on the board and would have stepped in and played right away.  It is just a curious selection given the Cavs mentality of needing to win it all next year.  The same can be said for Emir Preldzic who will need more seasoning before stepping on a NBA court.

I do like the selection of Danny Green with the 46th pick.  Green is a jack-of-all-trades sort who can play and defend both the two and three.  He worked extremely hard on honing his 3-point shot prior to his senior season and emerged as the Tar Heels top perimeter defender over the course of the season.  I do not know that Green will ever be a starter in the NBA but I do see him being one of those guys who has a nice career being the first or second guy off the bench for a team due to his versatility, work ethic, and 3-point shot.

Dallas Mavericks – Not a huge fan of what the Mavs did here.  Rodrigue Beaubois is a real reach at 25 and likely stays in Europe for another year or two and the Mavs need to get younger and more athletic now.  Someone like a Wayne Ellington or Toney Douglas who would at the very least give them at least 8-10 points a game off the bench next year would have been better picks.

They got decent value with their second round picks with Nick Calathes who should develop into a solid point guard in a year or two and big man Ahmad Nivins who should at give them a solid back up to Errick Dampier and give them some rebounding, shot blocking, and toughness off the bench.

Denver Nuggets – Love the addition of Tywon Lawson to this team.  Denver was the team rumored to be enamored with Lawson when he declared for the draft last year but without a first round pick to spend on him Lawson opted to go back to school for another year and enhance his draft status.  He is going into the perfect situation where he will not be expected to start right away, can learn from one of the best in the league in Chauncy Billups, and gives the Nuggets a nice change of pace when they feel the need to push the ball.

Detroit Pistons – An interesting draft for the Pistons taking three forwards and no big men.  They need front court players and got them taking Austin Daye at 15, DeJuan Summers at 35, and Jonas Jerebko at 39.  This could be a boom or bust draft for the Pistons they either set themselves up really well for the next 10 years or they are going to be wondering what they were thinking 3 years from now.

I am not a huge fan of Daye.  All we ever heard when he was at Gonzaga was how talented he was and how he was a top ten talent coming out of high school and he continually failed to deliver the goods playing in a pretty weak conference.  He continually struggled with consistency and, like Henderson, I kept waiting for him to become a dominant player and it never happened.  On top of that at 6′ 11″ and less than 200 pounds he is looks even frailer than Tayshaun Prince.

Summers falls into the same category as Daye.  He was much ballyhooed coming out of high school and once Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert were in the NBA Summers was going to be the next big thing to come out of Georgetown and it just never materialized.  He does not rebound particularly well and struggles to create his own shot he turned primarily into a jump shooter and never developed into the top scorer scouts thought he would.  He started the season off strongly and looked like a potential lottery pick but seemed to lose interest once the Hoyas season went down the drain.

Jerebko will likely spend another year or two in Europe before suting up for the Pistons.

Golden State Warriors – Ended up with Stephen Curry at number seven but there is a lot of buzz that he is not going to be in a Warriors jersey by the end of the summer and that he could be headed to Phoenix in a deal for Amare Stoudamire.  I am not sure how well he fits into Golden State’s plans as his game seems fairly similar to that of Monta Ellis’.  Neither guy is really a true point guard and is more of a scorer than distributer.

Houston Rockets – With no picks of their own the Rockets spent the evening scratching checks for other team’s second round picks taking Jermaine Taylor (32nd) off of Washington’s hands, Sergio Llull (34th) off of Oklahoma’s hands, and Chase Budinger (44th) from Detroit.

Taylor is a big-time scorer and should give them instant offense off the bench and possibly sneak into the starting five depending on what happens with Ron Artest and Tracy McGrady this summer.

Llull is expected to remain overseas for the time being but is seen as a solid point guard prospect.

Budinger gives them some athleticism and versatility on the wing.  He will likely come off the bench.  He could potentially start if McGrady and Artest are playing elsewhere next season.  He can shoot from anywhere in the gym and is one of the best in this year’s rookie class at getting up and down the floor.  The main problem is he has no real half court game and plays defense only when the spirit moves him to do so.

Indiana Pacers – Love the pick of Tyler Hansbrough at 13.  Hansbrough is going to be better than people think and he is going to a team that is not expecting him to be the focal point of the offense.  He will give the Pacers the rebounding and toughness they have been lacking for a while now.

A. J. Price, whom they got from the Mavericks, could develop into a nice role player but he needs to improve on his consistency and commit to being an on-the-ball defender.

Los Angeles Clippers – Not much to say about the Blake Griffin pick that has not already been said.  It will be interesting to see what shakes out with this team if the Clippers fail to move Zach Randolph and/or Marcus Camby over the summer.

Los Angeles Lakers – Nothing much to say here they auctioned off the rights to Toney Douglas and Patrick Beverly and took a long-term project player in Chinemelu Elonu.  Did nothing to obtain any talent for the long term.

Memphis Grizzlies – I am not a huge Hasheem Thabeet guy he just looks like he has bust written all over him.  He is just too soft to survive in the NBA and has little to speak of offensively but the Grizz need somebody in the middle who can blocks shots and rebound.  It will not be surprising if Marc Gasol beats him out for the starting job at center.

Getting Demarre Carroll at 27 and Sam Young at 36 are nice pickups for Memphis.  Young was seen by most as a mid-to-late first round prospect so they get great value for him at 36 and is a versatile offensive player who runs the floor well and can hit jumpers in the half court offense.  Carroll and Young both have a bit of work to do but they should at least give the Grizzlies some much needed depth and versatility at the forward positions off the bench.

Miami Heat – Without any first round picks the Heat did not have the opportunity to do much to improve themselves last night.  Patrick Beverley, whom they obtained from the Lakers, should see some minutes off the bench backing up Mario Chalmers at the point and could see some time at the off guard spot.

Robert Dozier, taken with the last pick of the draft, should give them some rebounding and a defensive presence at forward off the bench but he needs to bulk up a bit and refine his post game if he wants to be anything more than that.

Milwaukee Bucks – The Bucks may regret taking Brandon Jennings at the tenth pick.  Considered by many to be the top player in his high school class he opted to spend the past year playing in Italy when he failed to qualify academically to attend Arizona.  There is no denying Jennings’ athletic talent and ability but he has a lot of growing up to do and could be in for a rude awakening in the NBA.  He called out Ricky Rubio as beeing overhyped and not much of a player and then backtracked, likely after his handlers mentioned it might be a good idea to do so, and then decided not to show up in the ‘green room’ at the Garden because he was afraid of how far his stock might be falling.  Sebastian Telfair comes to mind when I see Brandon Jennings.

Second round pick Jodie Meeks could score with the best of them in college the only problem is that as long as Michael Redd is healthy enough to play Meeks is going to be buried on the bench and is likely to see little to no playing time.

Minnesota Timberwolves – I have no clue what the Wolves are doing by taking both Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn back-to-back at five and six respectively.  It might make sense if one of them could conceivably play the two guard but neither one of them has the game to do so.  Rubio is a pass first shoot second point guard whose shooting acumen is mediocre at this stage of his career while Flynn is quick off the dribble and can finish going to the basket but he lacks the size and the consistent jump shot to play off the ball.  There are rumors now circulating that Rubio’s camp is not happy with the Wolves taking Flynn and is threatening to stay in Spain indefinitely.  Surely the Wolves are going to be dealing one of these guys right?

I do like the addition of Wayne Ellington with the 28th pick though.  After dealing both Randy Foye and Mike Miller the Wolves had a need for a shooting guard and Ellington fits the bill.  I am not sure how good of a pro he is going to be initially though.  He struggles at times to shoot off the dribble, he can be a very streaky shooter at times, and does not defend terribly well.

I don’t really see second round pick Henk Norel ever contributing much, if anything, for the Wolves.

New Jersey Nets – Terrence Williams is going to be a boom or bust type of player.  He has no real half court game to speak of and his shot selection and decision-making skills can be non-existant at times.  He has the body and ahtleticism that teams love it is just a matter of whether or not he reins in his skills and develops a better basketball IQ.  With Vince Carter being shipped off to Orlando he will likely compete with Courtney Lee for the starting two guard spot and should get plenty of playing time.

New Orleans Hornets – The Hornets needed frontcourt depth and failed to add any in this draft.  Darren Collison and Marcus Thornton are nice additions they simply don’t fill any pressing needs.  Collison gives them a back up for Chris Paul but it seems like someone like B. J. Mullens or DeJuan Blair who would have given them some much needed depth in the frontcourt would have been better options at 21.

Second rounder Thornton gives them some needed scoring at the two guard spot.

New York Knicks – Opted for the best available player in Jordan Hill at 8 instead of the best available point guard.  I am somewhat surprised they did not opt for Brandon Jennings as that type of point guard tends to thrive in Mike D’Antoni’s offense.  One wonders if the addition of Hill means David Lee plays elsewhere next season.

Toney Douglas, whom they bought off of the Lakers, is a nice addition and with Quentin Richardson being shipped to Memphis on draft day he should see playing time right away at the shooting guard spot.  Douglas tried marketing himself as a point guard but he is really a slower version of Ben Gordon.

Oklahoma City Thunder – The Thunder did fairly well for themselves adding James Harden, who most consider the best scorer in the draft, and a big man in B. J. Mullens to man the middle.  Harden is seen as a guy who needs some work but given that he is joining a lineup that already features Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Jeff Green they won’t need him to be a prolific scorer right off the bat.

Mullens, on the other hand, is an intriguing player.  There are those who said he would have been one of the top two or three players taken had he been eligible for last year’s draft only to see his stock plummet after a lack luster season at Ohio State.  Mullens has a ton of upside and is potentially a huge steal that late in the first round and in the right situation he could be a great addition to a young Thunder squad.

Orlando Magic – No picks.

Philadelphia 76ers – Arguably got the best value in the draft picking up Jrue Holiday with the 17th pick after some had him going as high as 4th to Sacramento.  The consensus on Holiday is he would have been the top point guard in next year’s draft and he has some development ahead of him before he is ready to lead a NBA team which means the Sixers still need to find a veteran point guard to plug into the lineup for the short term until Holiday is ready to roll.

Phoenix Suns – Earl Clark is another one of those athletes that scouts fall in love with but only has minimal basketball skills to back it up on the court.  Clark is lucky he landed in Phoenix where they like to run the ball a lot because Clark’s half court game is lacking and he is a bit soft and tends to get out-muscled in the post.

Second round selection Taylor Griffin is a career bench player and likely does not get picked if not for being Blake’s older brother.

Portland Trail Blazers – First round pick Victor Claver is seen as a guy not quite ready for the NBA and is someone they are going to have to wait on for a couple of years to see any real return on him.  Second round acquisitions Jeff Pendergraph and Dante Cunningham give some depth forward off the bench but neither is expected to compete for serious minutes right away.  Patrick Mills is a good value pick at the end of the second round and should give them some scoring and energy at the point off the bench.

Sacramento Kings – Tyreke Evans is a good prospect but how does he fit in the Kings lineup?  The thing about Evans is he really is more of a scoring guard than a true poitn guard and they already have an elite scorer in Kevin Martin at the two guard spot.  Omri Casspi will give the Kings some toughness off the bench at the small forward spot while Jon Brockman will do the same in the post.

San Antonio Spurs – Potentially got a steal grabbing DeJuan Blair in the second round.  Blair should help take some of the rebounding burden off of Tim Duncan’s shoulders possibly affording him to play fewer minutes during the season and not have the Spurs miss a beat.  Jack McClinton’s range is from anywhere in the gym and he gives them a guy who can come off the bench and fill it up from the outside a-la Eddie House.  Given the Spurs track record with international players I won’t be surprised if Nando De Colo plays overseas next season.

Toronto Raptors – The Raptors needed a scoring guard and got one in DeMar DeRozan.  The only problem is he is still very raw and lacks a 3-point shot so it may be a couple of years until they see any real production out of him.  He likely would have emerged as one of the top two or three prospects for next year’s draft had he gone back to school.

Utah Jazz – Got the backup point guard they needed in VCU’s Eric Maynor.  Maynor is widely considered one of the most NBA ready players in this year’s draft.  He is a solid all around player who should contribute right away for the Jazz.  It is expected that second round pick Goran Suton will spend next year overseas.

Washington Wizards – No picks.  Dealt their first round pick for Randy Foye and Mike Miller and traded their second pick to Houston.

There is no way the Wolves will deal both the 5th and 6th for the second and honestly I am not sure any player in this draft is worth multiple number one picks.  This move assures the Wolves be taking a point guard and a scoring guard with their top two picks.  The Wolves are essentially barren in the backcourt now with only Sebastian Telfair and Bobby Brown under contract for next season.

Whether or not Memphis opts to trade out of the second spot will depend on which player they ultimately settle on.  The rumor of them leaning towards Tyreke Evans with the second pick seems to be growing legs.  If Evans is their guy they should be able to trade back to the fifth pick to get him as nobody else in the top five was rumored to have any interest in him.  If Memphis wants Hasheem Thabeet or Rubio then they will not be moving out of the second spot.   If the Wolves move up and land Rubio expect them to target someone like James Harden, DeMar DeRozan, or Stephen Curry with their second pick.

As for the Wizards they got the veteran talent they were looking for in return for the 5th pick and successfully unloaded some dead weight contracts of players who contributed little to nothing to the team’s success.  Foye gives the Wizards a Gilbert Arenas clone who can play both guard positions and give them 15-20 points a night.  Miller struggled to find his niche in Minnesota but is a guy who can play both the two and three spots on the floor and gives them some more versatility on the floor and another three-point shooter.  Washington now has the talent to reach the postseason but a lot will hinge on Arenas and Foye staying healthy enough to provide the backcourt scoring they will need to do so.

In other news, it is being reported that Bruce Bowen is likely to be waived by the Bucks and Fabricio Oberto, whom the Bucks later dealt to the Pistons for Amir Johnson, is likely to be cut loose by the Pistons before July 1 meaning that, theoretically, the Spurs could end up getting Richard Jefferson for Kurt Thomas if they choose to bring Bowen and Oberto back in a month.

The Mavs are hoping to package Jerry Stackhouse in a deal similar to what the Spurs pulled off yesterday.  No word on who they may be targetting though.

A rumor out of Philly has the Sixers dealing Samuel Dalembert and the 17th pick in the draft to Charlotte for Nazr Mohammed, Vladimir Radmanovic and the 12th pick.  The Bobcats reported interest in Dalembert is probably legitimate given Larry Brown initially drafted him when he was the Sixers’ head coach.  The trade does little for either team really.  Radmanovic would give them another 3-point shooter the only problem being that they just traded for Jason Kapono who is essentially the same player Radmanovic is.  What it potentially does do for the Sixers is it guarantees they will be able to get the point guard they were targetting at 17 or potentially grab someone rated a notch higher at the position that surely would not be there at 17 but might be there at 12.

Los Angeles Clippers – According to DraftExpress.com the Timberwolves offered the Clippers Mike Miller for Chris Kaman but were turned down and the Clippers countered with Marcus Camby.  With Zach Randolph, Chris Kaman, and Marcus Camby all under contract for next year the Clippers need to move someone to make room for Blake Griffin.  The Clippers want to keep Kaman because he is a true center who can score in the low post and the Wolves like the idea of adding Kaman so they can slide Al Jefferson over to his more natural power forward spot.

Memphis Grizzlies – According to ESPN Insider GM Chris Wallace wants Ricky Rubio, the scouts like Hasheem Thabeet, and coach Lionel Hollins wants Stephen Curry.  This is just more evidence that Memphis is still a poorly run franchise.  Taking Curry or Rubio makes little to no sense unless they have already decided they are dealing Mike Conley or O. J. Mayo this summer.  Curry is probably going to be more of a shooting guard in the NBA anyway.  ESPN’s Chad Ford says the Grizz will take Thabeet at number two unless they deal the pick.

But, according to Sam Smith on NBA.com the owner is enamored with Thabeet while the staff likes Tyreke Evans.  Apparently they are enamored with the idea of a backcourt of Evans and Mayo for next season.

Sacramento Kings – Ric Bucher reportedly says the Kings now have no interest in Rubio which seems to contradict what has been reported the past few weeks.  It could just be a smoke screen on Sacramento’s part though as teems are wont to do leading up to the draft.  But According to Chad Ford the Kings had Rubio in yesterday for a workout and while they were not blown away he still remains a possibility here.

Washington Wizards – According to Ian Thomsen of Sports Illustrated the Wizards are soliciting any and all comers in an effort to deal the pick.  They are reportedly looking to add a veteran that can help get them back into the playoffs while potentially shedding some salary in the process.  No word on who those potential suitors may be though.  But one would think the Wizards are looking to add another scorer who can also handle the ball in the event that Gilbert Arenas never makes it back to full speed.

Chad Ford reports that Portland is talking to the Wizards about dealing up for the fifth pick if Rubio slips out of the top four.  The Wizards are requiring that whoever wants the fifth pick take Etan Thomas’ contract off their hands as part of the deal.  Jerryd Bayless, Travis Outlaw, and Nicolas Batum are thought to be the players Washington has an interest in.

Minnesota Timberwolves – According The Hoops Report the Timberwolves are targetting Austin Daye at 18.

They are definitely targetting a point guard with the sixth pick as Jonny Flynn, Tyreke Evans, Ty Lawson, Brandon Jennings, Jrue Holliday, and Jeff Teague were all in for workouts over the weekend.

Houston Rockets – The Rockets are reportedly looking to get into the lottery and are willing to part with Carl Landry to make that happen.

Phoenix Suns – The Suns had Earl Clark, James Johnson, Jennings, Nick Calathes, Jack McClinton and Jonas Jerebko in for workouts over the weekend.  The Hoops Report says the Suns have their sites set on Clark if he is available.  I still like Johnson over Clark.  Clark just seems like one of those athletes with no real basketball skill that will never amount to much in the NBA.

Cleveland Cavaliers – According to The Chronicle-Telegram the Cavs are willing to spend what it takes to win a championship next year and may be looking to buy another team’s pick in an effort to move up in the draft and get the best available player.

Golden State Warriors – Sam Smith says the Warriors are targetting Curry with the seventh pick and if they land him will look to deal Monta Ellis, who fell out of favor with managment after his scooter accident, over the summer.

1. Los Angeles Clippers – As was already mentioned Blake Griffin will be the guy here.  The Clippers have even gone so far as to say they had decided on him being their guy if they ended up with the top pick in the draft.

2. Memphis Grizzlies – Initial reports had the Grizzlies looking long and hard at taking Spanish wunderkind Ricky Rubio here.  Thing of it is point is not the biggest need for the Grizzlies as Mike Conley came on strong down the stretch after Kyle Lowry was moved to Houston.  The Grizz need to enhance the low post presence more than anything else and conventional wisdom says Connecticut center Hasheem Thabeet is the likely selection here.  But with Thabeet canceling a workout with Memphis over the weekend that remains up in the air and Rubio becomes more and more of a possibility.  If it is Rubio it is likely a selection for someone else or they are going to be dealing Conley to another team.

3. Oklahoma City Thunder – There has been some thought out there that the Thunder have an interest in Rubio as well but I just do not see it.  They already have Russell Westbrook who was one of the big surprises in the league as a rookie this past year and the offense really runs through Kevin Durant anyway so what would be the point of taking another point guard here?  Like the Grizz the Thunder are in need of a low post presence but #3 is probably a bit high to take Jordan Hill if Thabeet ends up in Memphis.  This leaves them with the prospect of taking a shooting guard with the pick.  If Thabeet goes to Memphis then expect Arizona State’s James Harden, considered the best scorer available, to go here.

4. Sacramento Kings – The Kings biggest need right now is finding a point guard.  Beno Udrih is a solid point guard but he is clearly better suited at being a role player off the bench than being a starter.  The Kings would love for Rubio to drop to them at four and that remains a very real possibility.  A lot of reports have the team becoming enamored with UCLA point guard Jrue Holliday who has apparently wowed a lot of people with his pre-draft workouts and his tenacions on-the-ball defense would be a welcome addition to a team that surrendered over 109 points last season.

5. Washington Wizards – The Wizards have a few different needs.  They need a point guard and/or a shooting guard to potentially fill Gilbert Arenas’ shoes.  Arenas was, and may still be, the player whom the Wizards built the franchise around.  I question whether or not his knee is going to let him still be an elite player who can fill it up at 25+ points a night.  Their backcourt is currently a motley crew of a hobbled Arenas, a group of aging veterans and unproven talent.  But, the Wizards also need some frontcourt help as Antawn Jamison reaches his mid-30s and Brendan Haywood is coming off of a major injury.  Arizona’s Jordan Hill is the best available prospect at this stage and if Harden is not available they will likely go with Hill here.

6. Minnesota Timberwolves – The Wolves need a point guard plain and simple.  Randy Foye was supposed to be that guy when they got him three years ago.  There were many who thought Foye was going to be the best player in the 2006 draft but he has struggled mightily to stay healthy and is really more of a scorer than he is a distributer.  Memphis’ season really took off when John Calipari moved Tyreke Evans from the two spot to the lead guard spot so look for the Wolves’ to nab him to be their floor general.

7. Golden State Warriors – This team seems to be a bit of a mess personnel wise.  Monta Ellis was supposed to be the guy they were building around until he got into a scooter accident that shredded up his ankle putting him out of action until January.  This team is loaded with a lot of young talent and veteran cast-offs that wore their welcomes out elsewhere.  A lot of the buzz around the Warriors has them going against Ellis’ wishes and taking a point guard.  With that said, if they opt to go that route, then expect them to pick between whichever player is remaining between Evans, Holliday, and Brandon Jennings.  Jennings is probably the best fit for Don Nelson’s open court run-and-gun offense.  He tends to favor smallish uber-quick guards who can push the ball up and down the floor at a moment’s notice.  Ty Lawson would probably be the best fit for this offense but seven is a bit high for him and Jennings is seen as someone with a bit more upside and scoring ability.  A dark horse here could be Syracuse’s Jonny Flynn who has reportedly been impressing a lot of teams and is said to be rocketing up a lot of draft boards around the league.

8. New York Knicks – It is widely believed that the Knicks covet Stephen Curry and have promised to take him if he is available when their turn comes.  The Knicks have needs all over the place primarily they need a big man and a scoring guard who can shoot consistently.  Curry would give them the wing man whose shot selection is sound and who can score from anywhere on the floor.  He would also give them some toughness and his leadership at Davidson was unquestionable.

9. Toronto Raptors – The Raptors need to find a third scorer to pair with Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani and with Jermaine O’Neal being shipped to Miami for Shawn Marion and with Marion due to hit the open market this summer they also need find some low post and/or rebounding help for Bosh.  USC’s Demar DeRozan looks to be the best scorer available at this spot in the draft.

10. Milwaukee Bucks – With power forward Charlie Villanueva hitting the free agent market and the Buck likely being unable to afford re-signing him power forward becomes a big need for the Bucks along with point guard.  Incumbants Ramon Sessions and Luke Ridinour are solid players but neither is really suited for the starting role.  They are both solid ball handlers but neither are exceptionally strong scorers.  With the depth of quality talent at the point in this draft the Bucks will likley opt for a point man and Jonny Flynn looks to be that best available at this spot.  A darkhorse here could be UNC’s Tyler Hansbrough who, reportedly, measured a lot bigger than scouts were expecting him to and has impressed at workouts.  He could sneak into the lottery and end up going to a team starved for a power forward and is not convinced DeJuan Blair does have the size or stability in his knees to be a long term solution.

11. New Jersey Nets – The Nets are pretty well set in the backcourt with Devin Harris and Vince Carter and at center with Brook Lopez coming off a rookie season that only saw him get better as the season went on.  With Yi Jianlin, Josh Boone, and Sean Williams failing to live up to expectations the Nets are in dire need of quality forwards to go with the aforementioned trio.  Earl Clark looks to be the top rated forward still available here but he is not terribly strong in the halfcourt game and DeJaun Blair or Hansbrough would probably be better fits.  Look for the Nets to go with whichever forward they feel fits their system the best.

12. Charlotte Bobcats – It seems that everyone and their brother has the Bobcats taking Duke’s Gerald Henderson here which is a bit of a head scratcher to me.  The Bobcats two biggest needs are a go-to-scorer who can drop 20+ a night or a low post player to help take some of the weight off of Emeka Okafor’s shoulders.  Henderson does not fit either of these bills.  There is no questioning his talent but he never emerged as that superstar type of player everyone thought he would at Duke.  Given Michael Jordan’s love of everything Carolina don’t be shocked if he takes fellow Tar Heel alum Tyler Hansbrough here.

13. Indiana Pacers – The Pacers need a true low post banger.  Roy Hibbert is a bit of a slug and has always been a bit soft and Troy Murphy really operates better on the wing as opposed to down in the post.  Hibbert was fairly productive as a rookie but they need someone who is going to give them more than 14 minutes a night.  Blair seems to be the favorite and Hansbrough could always land here as well.

14. Phoenix Suns – Phoenix just needs to get younger.  Steve Nash is 35, Shaquille O’Neal is 37, and Grant Hill is 36 and all three started the bulk of Phoneix’s games this past season and are showing signs of slowing down a bit.  Shaq is at his best when he gets a couple of days off between games and struggles to play 30 minutes when he has to go on back-to-back nights and Hill is more suited to being a sixth man off the bench playing 25 minutes a game these days.  Wake’s James Johnson or Louisville’s Earl Clark are probably the best fits for Phoenix.  They are both athletic and big enough to play both forward positions and excel in open court offenses.

15. Detroit Pistons – The Pistons need to find a low post player this summer.  With Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, and Rodney Stuckey on the roster Detroit is set in terms of perimeter scoring but it has nobody to compliment them under the bucket.  James Johnson and Gani Lawal, before he decided to return to Georgia Tech, both got mentioned here but B. J. Mullens, once seen as the best prospect in the ’08 freshman class, looks to be the strongest contender for the Pistons.  Hansbrough could also be a contender here and would fit in well with the rough and tumble city of Detroit.

16. Chicago Bulls – The Bulls are still in search of that physical low post presence.  Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah are big and ahtletic but are more finesse players than power players and neither one has a good feel for the half court game.  Look for the Bulls to focus on the trio of Blair, Mullens, and Hansbrough with this pick.  If none of those three are left then do not be surprised if they take a guard in the event Ben Gordon ends up elsewhere this summer.  Maynor or Jeff Teague could be fits here.  Both are seen as point guards but are the same type of player that Gordon is in the sense they look shoot first and are better scorers than distributers.

17. Phildadelphia 76ers – Philly needs to find a point guard.  Andre Miller is a free agent and could possibly return but even with Miller the cupboard is rather bare as Lou Williams has yet to develop into the point guard the team hoped he would by now.  The Sixers seem to have narrowed it down to either Maynor or Lawson.  It just depends on what first year coach Eddie Jordan prefers.  Maynor is the better scoring threat but Lawson is more of pure point guard and arguably the best distributer available in the draft.

18. Minnesota Timberwolves – A lot depends on what they take at #6.  A wing player like Terrence Williams or Austin Daye seem to be the most likely pick here.  Mike Miller never seemed to find his niche last season, Ryan Gomes is a nice player but has never developed into the player folks thought he would after a strong rookie season, and Corey Brewer is beginning to look more and more like a bust.

19. Atlanta Hawks – With Mike Bibby’s pending free agency and Acie Law rumored to be on the outs in Atlanta the Hawks are reportedly leaning towards taking a point guard this week.  The Hawks will likely end up with whomever is left between Lawson, Maynor, and Teague with UCLA’s Darren Collison or Florida’s Nick Calathes being possibilities if the aforementioned all come off the board prior to the Hawks’ selection.

20. Utah Jazz – It is a widely held belief that, with Carlos Boozer’s impending free agency, Utah covets Hansbrough and he will not slip past the 20th spot.  However, Hansbrough has been generating good buzz on the workout circuit and could go earlier than twenty.  Other than potentially filling Boozer’s spot the Jazz does not have a lot of holes to fill and will look at taking someone to add some depth to the team if Hansbrough is gone.  Someone like Daye or Arizona’s Chase Budinger would be good options to fill in for the inevitable trip Andrei Kirilenko makes to the injured list.

21. New Orleans Hornets – The Hornets need a true low post presence and could use a third scoring option to go with Chris Paul and David West.  Someone like Budinger or Pittsburgh’s Sam Young seem like good fits for the Hornets.  They both run the floor well and can shoot the three. Young could be the better fit here as he runs the floor and can score in the halfcourt set as well.

22. Dallas Mavericks – Jason Kidd is 36 years old and is starting to show signs of slowing a bit and the Mavs need to start thinking about who his successor is going to be.  Teague would be a good fit for the Mavs and if he is not available look for the Mavs to go with a forward who brings some rebounding skill to the floor.  James Johnson would get consideration if he is still on the board with Sam Young being a possibility as well.

23.  Sacramento Kings – After point guard finding a small forward who can score is the Kings next priority.  They should be set in the low post with blossoming young stars in Jason Thompson and Spencer Hawes at power forward and center respectively.  Andres Nocioni is a nice player but is more of a defensive stopper and spot up jump shooter.  Budinger will get strong consideration here and would give the Kings some needed athleticism and versatility on the wing.  Omri Casspi and Sam Young are possible options here as well.

24. Portland Trail Blazers – The Blazers are still in search of that elusive point guard to get them over the hump.  Fortunately, for them, shooting guard Brandon Roy is comfortable having the offense flow through him and he is adept at handling the ball.  Last year’s top pick Jerryd Bayless spent most of the season on the bench and showed no real signs of improvement as the season wore on.  It is debatable as to whether the Blazers will find a point guard they like at 24 and could opt to go for a small forward instead as Martell Webster is coming off a significant injury and Travis Outlaw has yet to become the player everyone thinks he should be.  Darren Collison and Nick Calathes look to be the top point men available with Budinger, Casspi, and DaJuan Summers the top prospects potentially available.

25. Oklahoma City Thunder – If they do not go with Thabeet at number three the Thunder are likely to go with the best available post player at 25.  Xavier’s Derrick Brown, USC’s Taj Gibson, and Arizona State’s Jeff Pendergraph look to be the top inside options towards the tail end of the first round.

26. Chicago Bulls – If the Bulls go backcourt at 16 they will go front court with this pick.  Brown, Pendergraph, or Gibson would be the top post men available with UNC’s Wayne Ellington, LSU’s Marcus Thornton, and Florida State’s Toney Douglas the top shooting guard prospects.

27.  Memphis Grizzlies – The Grizzlies are loaded with perimeter talent and will look for the best available post player.  A lot will depend on whether or not they grab Thabeet with the second pick.  If they do not grab Thabeet then Gonzaga’s Josh Heytvelt is likely the best available post player who projects as a potential center in the NBA.  Pendergraph, Gibson, Brown, and potentially Missouri’s Demarre Carrol look to be the top power forward prospects.

28. Minnesota Timberwolves – With no true center prospects the Wolves are likely to go with the top available player.  They could opt for Josh Heytvelt but are likely to look at someone like DaJuan Summers, Austin Daye, Omri Casspi or Ellington.

29. Los Angeles Lakers – With point guard Derek Fisher in his twilight years and Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza entering free agency the Lakers are likely to with the best available point guard or forward.  Patrick Mills, Calathes, or Collison are potential PG options with Gibson, Summers, or Brown as potential options at forward.

30. Cleveland Cavaliers – The Cavs will look to get scoring help for LeBron.  Expect them to hone in on someone like Ellington, Toney Douglas, or Marcus Thornton.

Ultimately this draft is short on big time elite talent but looks to be deep on talent that should develop into NBA starters.

Let us take a look at the last draft, 2005, to allow high school players as an example.  Martell Webster was the top high school player taken in that draft going to Portland at number six.  Webster started 18 games his rookie season averaging 6.6 points and shooting .399 from the field for a team that won 21 games that year.  During his first three years in the league Webster has developed into a quality 3-point shooter who even started 70 games his third year in the season.  To-date his best season has seen him score 10.7 points per game.  The player taken immediatly after Webster, Charlie Villanueva, played college ball and enjoyed the best season of his career last year posting career highs in scoring, 16.7 points per game, and rebounding, 6.7 rebounds per game.

The next high school player taken in that draft, Andrew Bynum, has shown flashes of being an all star center but he has struggled mightily with injuries and maturity.  He averaged a career high 14.3 points per game this past season but he also missed 30 games and was merely a big body taking up space on the floor during the playoffs.  It was not until his third season in the league that Bynum was any kind of a siginificant contributer to the success of the Lakers.

Gerald Green, the third high school player taken in the ’05 draft going to Boston at number 18 looked like he was going to be the next big thing his first couple of years in Boston.  He won the dunk contest and averaged 10.4 points a game by the end of his second year in the league and it seemed the sky was the limit for this young budding star in Boston.  Sadly, it was not to be for the young Green and he has wallowed away on the bench in Minnesota, Houston, and Dallas the past two seasons managing to appear in only 68 games over that time span.

Of the 14 players from the 2006 draft who have career scoring averages of 10 or more points per game only one player entered the NBA directly of high school and that was Monta Ellis who lasted all the way until the 40th pick of the draft.  Ellis was not ready to play straight away when he got to Golden State, he struggled to adapt quite a bit to the NBA game averaging just 6.8 points per game and shooting .415 from the field.

Out of the 8 high school players to be taken in that draft only Monta Ellis has established himself as a potential all star while Bynum looks like a stud in the middle,  and Martell Webster, Andray Blatche, Lou Williams, C. J. Miles and Amir Johnson have carved out niches as role players in the league.  None of these players contributed immediately while several of the college players taken in that draft like Chris Paul, Deron Williams, and Danny Granger are budding all stars and in Paul’s case superstars.

The 2004 draft had slightly different results but the trends are still hold fairly true.  The first player taken in that draft was indeed a high school star in Dwight Howard and he has gone on to become one of the best young big men in the game today.  He was ready to play in the NBA averaging 12 points and 10 rebounds per game during his rookie season.  But, Shaun Livingston, Robert Swift, and Sebastian Telfair were not.  Livingston has suffered through numerous knee injuries during his career and has never been able to get his career on track.  Swift has battled through injuries as well but even when healthy has only ever managed to average little more than 6 points per game.  Telfair, the much ballyhooed New York playground legend has never managed to average more than 10 points or 6 assists per game.

After that there was a string of successful picks with Al Jefferson, Josh Smith, and J. R. Smith who have gone on to have solid careers.  Jefferson has developed into a 20/10 player but it took three years until he was a starter in the NBA and four years until he was consistently scoring 20 points and pulling down 10 boards a game.  Josh Smith was able to contribute right away to the Hawks scoring 9.7 points and grabbing 6.2 rebounds per game.  J. R. Smith played a lot early in his career but he really did not find any consistency in his game or jumper until his third season in the league.  Of the top 13 scorers in that draft 9 of them went to college with Dwight Howard being the only player without college experience of the five from that draft who currently own scoring averages of better than 15 per game.

On the whole the number of players who are truly ready to play in the NBA straight out of high school are so few and far between and the only ones able to accomplish it are typically either players deemed worthy of being one of the top two or three picks like LeBron or Dwight Howard or they are big men like Amare Stoudamire who have the physique to stand up to the NBA game.  When one considers some of the poster children for NBA superstars who skipped college some of them were not ready to play in the NBA and likely would have benefited from a year or two of college ball to develop both mentally and physically.

It took Tracy McGrady three seasons until he was ready to play significant minutes and contribute.  Kobe Bryant played just 15 minutes a game his rookie season and did not win a starting gig until his third season in the league.  Jermaine O’Neal rotted away on Portland’s bench for four seasons before getting an opportunity to start for the Pacers.  However that is not to say that playing college ball necessarily translates to being a better pro but, typically speaking, those players that succeed immediately in the NBA played some college basketball before entering the league.  The numbers do not bear it out that these kids are able to play and contribute significant minutes at the NBA level.

The most compelling argument for abolishing the the age limit for the NBA comes at the college level.  Having the age limit means college coaches are now forced to recruit ‘one-and-done’ players to remain competitive.  Meaning they have to spend time, money, and resources on recruiting a player that is likely to stay for one year before bolting for the NBA.

Take O. J. Mayo for example.  He was a one-and-done guy who apparently solicited some cash from former USC head coach Tim Floyd.  I question whether Mayo was even showing up for classes or really doing any work and one can be rest assured that he stopped doing anything at all once the basketball season ended and he declared for the NBA draft.  Or, how about Derrick Rose who reportedly had a grade changed so he would be eligible to play when his transcripts were submitted only to have the grade changed back at a later date?  Memphis may now have to vacate its Final Four appearance for using an academically ineligible player.

Not only is it a scholarship management issue for coaches but now they are forced to basically baby sit kids who are likely not going to class or taking that year seriously potentially putting their programs at risk for punishment.  It seems to opening the door for more corruption behind the scenes to keep these kids eligible for a season because they really have nowhere else to go.  Should college coaches be forced to take on players like Mayo or Rose who clearly have no intentions of contributing anything more than being a star basketball player for those schools?

The question remains why can’t the NBA figure out how to manage this situation aside from throwing it back on the NCAA to do something about it?  The NFL gets away with the age limit because everyone knows NFL teams would not touch a kid coming out of high school.  The league recognizes the fact that there is such a vast difference in the speed in skill level that a player faces between high school and college and those kids need two or three years of college ball to adjust to playing with and against faster, bigger kids and comparable competition.  Think about how many kids we read about who score 100 touchdowns in high school only to flame out in college because they fail to adjust to the speed and level of competition at college.  NFL teams have no interest in high school kids and quite frankly probably do not relish spending the time and money scouting these kids.

Whatever the reason may be the NBA has convinced itself that it needs to scout and draft high school talent as opposed to watching college kids play ball.  They are worried about losing out on the next LeBron or KG and are willing to spend $10 million on a kid who may never average more than 8 or 9 points a game his first three years in the league.  The NBA merely pays lip service to the NBDL rather than trying to maintain it as a legitimate developmental league the way MLB teams subsidize minor league baseball.

I have always felt that Major League Baseball does the best at managing the issue of what to do with high school kids and I just cannot help but wonder why it is this cannot be instituted in basketball.  Let them all put their names in the draft if they don’t like where they end up they can still go to college with the caveat that they are ineligible to re-enter the draft until after their junior season at college or sophomore season if you like.  This is really the ultimate solution for the NBA and college basketball.  This way college coaches are assured of a commitment of more than a year from a kid and on the flipside of that it gives the kid a chance to develop his game and possibly earn some semblence of an education while he is at it.

The current way of doing things is not the optimal way and the notion that a baseball player can get drafted and still retain his scholarship if he does not like his draft status but a basketball player seems ludicrous to me.  I have never understood why it is the NCAA feels compelled to have so many different rules and standards for its student athletes depending on what sport they play.  It seems like it is about time for the NCAA to sit down with the professional sports leagues and evaluate its standards and draft up a policy that is equitable and fair to every student athlete and not just certain ones.

After the top pick things get murky and could go several different ways.  Accordin to PopPickle’s NBA Draft database the experts seem split on who the Grizzlies are going to take.  Six mock drafts have them opting for Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio while five have them opting for Connecticut big man Hasheem Thabeet while Arizona State swing man James Harden is getting some attention here.  Of the three mentioned Hasheem Thabeet fills the biggest need, Ricky Rubio has the most upside, and Harden seems the least likely to get the call unless Memphis is working a deal with another team to try and save some cash by not having to pay its top pick #2 money.

Rubio is seen by many as the top point guard prospect in the draft and many see him as #2 overall behind Griffin.  The quandary here is what to do with Mike Conley, Jr. who really came on strong after All Star Break posting 14.5 points and 5.6 assists per game while nailing 43.5% of his 3 point attempts.  Essentially, once Kyle Lowry was dealt to Rockets and it was Conley’s team his game took off and he started playing like the player Memphis thought it was getting when it drafted him two years ago.

With Rudy Gay and O. J. Mayo already in the fold there is no way Harden goes second unless the aforementioned trade comes to fruition.  The Girzzlies already have a quality shooting guard and small forward and you don’t draft a 6th man with the second pick of the draft.  Given the talent the Grizzlies currently have Thabeet makes the most sense.  Marc Gasol led the team in rebounding and block shots with 7.4 and 1.1 per game respectively while Thabeet averaged 10.8 boards and 4.2 swats per game.  Thabeet will likely never be an elite big man, he is just too soft and will get pushed around, but he should be able to give whoever drafts him rebounding and shot blocking due to his size alone.

The same three players being mentioned with the Grizzlies are all in play at number three for the Oklahoma City Thunder.  As with Memphis Thabeet makes the most sense for the Thunder as well.  The Thunder is loaded with good young talent at the perimeter positions with Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, and Jeff Green all averaging over 15 points per game and entering either their second or third seasons in the league.  Taking a point guard does not make a lot of sense given that Durant handles the ball as much as he does and Westbrook proved more than capable in his rookie season.  There is little chance Harden gets the nod given scoring from the wing is a strength of the team.  What the Thunder really lacks is a strong rebounding and shot blocking presence.  If Thabeet is gone then expect the Thunder to go with Rubio since he will be seen as the most talented player available.

After the Thunder things get even murkier.  The only thing the experts can seem to agree on is the Kings will take a point guard with the 4th pick the $64,000 question is which one.  Obviously if he slides to four then Rubio will be the guy but it seems somewhat unlikely that will happen.  After Rubio, Memphis’ Tyreke Evans and UCLA’s Jrue Holliday seem to be getting the most attention.  Both are still pretty raw and have a lot to learn about running the point at the next level.  Evans started the season as a shooting guard for Memphis before being moved to the point while Holliday spent a lot of his time playing off the ball in deference to incumbent point guard Darren Collison.  Evans appears to have the slight edge amongst the experts over Holliday but I would not be surprised if Holliday ends up being the guy over Evans as he seems to be more of a pure point guard whereas Evans is more of a point guard who looks to shoot first and pass second.

With the fifth pick the Wizards are likely to settle on either Jordan Hill or James Harden.  The two biggest holes on the Wizards are the lack of a rebounder/shot blocker in the middle and someone to fill in for Gilbert Arenas.  I would not be shocked if Arenas’ career is done for all intents and purposes and the Wizards need a back court player to take his spot.  The Wizards floundered all season due to his and Brendan Haywood’s absence.  Arenas is the team’s primary ball handler and go-to-guy while Haywood takes some of the rebounding pressure off of Antawn Jamison’s shoulders and provides a shot blocking presence on defense.  Harden would give the Wizards that additonal explosive scorer out of the backcourt but he does not yet have the handle to be a primary ball handler in the NBA.  He does not have a strong handle and is not a terribly explosive athlete.  Hill, on the other hand, would give the Wizards some added size in the middle and can block some shots for you.  However, he is still very raw offensively and his post game is still developing at the very least he would help pick up some of the slack under the boards for the Wizards.

Andre Miller’s agent tells the Philadelphia Daily News that his client has not ruled coming back to Philadelphia if the money is right.  It sounds as though the veteran point guard is just looking to sign for the most money possible and winning a championship is not at the forefront of his mind right now.

The Sacramento Bee is reporting that Kurt Rambis has emerged as the top candidate for the Kings head job despite GM Geoff Petrie there is no clear cut candidate at this time.  The consensus seems to be that Rambis, Paul Westphal, and Boston associate head coach Tom Thibodeau are the three finalists to land the gig.

The Charlotte Observer reports that the Portland Trail Blazers are putting feelers out around the league about trading into the lottery in an attempt to land Davidson sharp-shooter Stephen Curry.  This would definitely be an interesting development given the Blazers currently have last year’s number 11 pick Jerryd Bayless on the roster.  The thought is that given that Brandon Roy is generally the primary ball handler the Blazers would like to get a scoring guard with some point guard abilities to pair with Roy in the backcourt.  The Blazers have five picks in the upcoming draft and would likely be willing part with Bayless, Sergio Rodriguez, or Rudy Fernandez if it meant landing Curry who is a more dynamic scorer.

Peter Vecsey says Carlos Boozer is telling friends he wants to play for either the Nets or Pistons next season.  The Jazz are probably inclined to go with the younger up-and-coming Paul Milsap in favor of the oft-injured Boozer who has managed to play more than 51 games just twice in his five seasons with the Jazz.  The Nets are currently in cost cutting mode and would need to swing a sign-and-trade to land Boozer so that scenario seems a bit unlikely.  The Pistons, on the other hand, will have tons of cap flexibility this summer with both Allen Iverson and Rasheed Wallace’s contracts clearing about $34 million worth of salary from the books.  It remains to be seen if Joe Dumars is secure enough in his position to sit on the money looking towards the summer of 2010 when there looks to be a bevy of talent hitting the market.  If Dumars makes a play for Boozer it may signal a hint of him feeling the hot seat a bit and needing to get back into contention in the East.  Boozer would be a good fit for the Pistons as they currently do not have any kind of a low post presence under contract for the next season.