NBA Mock Draft Ver.1

-This won't be a article about how big of a joke the NBA Lottery is, or how insane it is that the fate of a franchise is decided by ping pong balls when many consider the entire situation "fixed". This is a pure NBA Mock Draft the 1st of it's kind by myself this year, and while there will be speculation it will be on my part speculating who will be picked. So without further delay, let's get to it.

1.) New Orleans Hornets: Anthony Davis PF, Kentucky

-This is a 100% locked pick. This pick is so certain Anthony Davis may already be in New Orleans training and chatting with his new teammates. Anthony Davis is a specimen of a basketball player, at 6'10 220 lbs, Davis brings a big body in the paint who excels at defense and shot blocking. Anthony Davis is very athletic with his length and versatility making him even more of a danger our threat in the paint. While Davis has an excellent defensive game, he is still developing an offensive game, but only at the age of 19 years old has an enormous amount of potential. Davis will be the No.1 pick in this draft and be the future for this Hornets franchise.

2.) Charlotte Bobcats: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist SF, Kentucky

-Easily the worst team in the NBA, the Charlotte Bobcats have to be steaming after the lottery. Despite the track record of Michael Jordans' prior drafts, he couldn't have messed up with Anthony Davis. He won't get his chance now, as the Hornets lost the lottery getting the 2nd pick. At 2 the Hornets should go Best Player Available and that is Michael Kidd-Gilcrhist. MKG is one of my favorites from this draft as he has great ability to drive the ball inside for easy baskets, he also is very versatile on defense. Kidd-Gilchrist can cover both Guard and Forward positions, and at a high level. The biggest asset Michael has is his motor and heart, he plays every minute going 100%, and hustling on every play. This type of playing style is exactly what the Bobcats need.

3.) Washington Wizards: Bradley Beal SG, Florida

-The Washington Wizards have their man for the future in John Wall, but in order to continue to rise back to relevancy in the NBA they will need to give Wall some weapons. At 3 the Wizards can give Wall a complement scorer in Bradley Beal. Beal draws comparisons to Eric Gordon and those claims are spot on. Beal has a sweet stroke from the outside and has shown a wide range from beyond the 3 point line. He isn't just an outside shooter though as Beal can drive to the hoop for the And 1 as well. In Washington, Beal and Wall can develop into one of the more deadly Guard duo's in the league and give the Wizards a bright future, for the first time in a long time.

4.) Cleveland Cavaliers: Jeremy Lamb SG, UConn

-The Cavaliers spent 2 picks last year by taking PG Kyrie Irving at 1 and PF Tristan Thompson at 4. Now fast forward a year later, and both players are looking like they could be cornerstones for this franchise. The Cavaliers will again pick at 4 and try to find a complement scorer to Irving. UConn SG Jeremy Lamb can be just that guy for this team. Lamb possesses a great outside game with a tremendous ability to make 3's, and possessing the instincts and athleticism to come off screens and hit the open jump shot. Lamb has seen his stock rise up boards as of late, and while this may seem early, could be the pick for the Cavs at 4.

5.) Sacramento Kings: Thomas Robinson PF, Kansas

-Kings fans had to be heart broken when they found out once again the NBA Draft Lottery wasn't kind to them. In a year when a player like Anthony Davis or Michael Kidd-Gilchrist may have turned this franchise around, they instead will stay at the 5th pick in a difficult circumstance. At 5 the Kings may look to trade out either packaging the 5th pick with Tyreke Evans, who will enter the final year of his contact this upcoming season, and may not be extended after a disappointing 2 years following his breakout rookie season. The Kings may try to get a veteran SF like Rudy Gay or Andre Igoudala, but if neither are available they will have to pick at 5. At 5, the Kings would be happy to get PF Thomas Robinson. Robinson broke out this year displaying his size and athleticism to NBA Scouts, while also putting his toughness and explosiveness in the paint on display. A pairing of DeMarcus Cousins and Thomas Robinson could be dynamite for the Kings, even if they aren't in Sacramento.

NBA Lockout: The Evil twin of the NFL Lockout

Another lockout this time in the NBA, but don't expect this one
to be solved any time soon

Another day, another lockout seems about now as if every professional sport is either locked out or headed into that direction (the NHL is likely destined for a Lockout), but the NBA Lockout is much different then the NFL Lockout we have now, or the possible NHL Lockout. With the NFL Lockout their biggest issue is revenue, all 30 teams are making money, and everyone just wants a little bigger piece of the pie. The Owners don't want to lose any regular season games because losing games, means losing money and nobody wants that to happen. The NFL Lockout will be solved in July which means fans won't miss out on Pre-Season or most importantly the regular season. The NBA Lockout however, is a much different story.

 The NBA Lockout faces a longer, harder road to being fixed, and that fix may only be temporary. As of right now 22 of the 30 NBA franchises are losing money, Owners are prepared to miss a season, and the entire salary rules as we know it are in jeopardy. First we will start out with the news that 22 of 30 NBA teams lost money this year, and a few more broke even.  This has alot to do with the facts that bigger salaries are being handed out, more money is being spent on trying to win a championship, and there is less interest in basketball then there was before. Owners are losing money and they believe the best fix to the problem is for them to get more money and for the players to get significantly less.

 Another problem the NBA faces for a new CBA is the MLE (Medium Level Exception contract). It gives teams with higher priced salaries (Lakers, Heat, Celtics, Knicks) more of an advantage of smaller teams so they can remain competitive in Free Agency. The MLE has caused problems for lesser teams because although they can beat the offer, the player may leave to play for a contender, and the team will be left with no compensation because of it. The MLE is a small issue, but it is part of the big mess that will take months to solve

 One of the bigger issues for Owners are guaranteed contracts and rookie contracts. Owners want guaranteed contracts taken out all together and every contract to be incentive based. This is one of the biggest issues for the players, and one that will be a thorn in both sides for a long time. If the players did give up guaranteed contracts, it will be interesting to see what the owners have to give in return. Another issue involving contracts and guarantees is the guaranteed 3 year contracts for rookies. As of now the first 3 years are guaranteed, and the next two are options. The Owners want an escape clause after the 2nd year, and also would like to have more financial control over the course of the contract. It is a smaller issue, and one that both sides could agree on rather quickly.

 Now we arrive at the elephant in the room, the "soft cap" that is in place right now. Several years ago David Stern put in place a "soft cap". The Owners want to put in place a flexible cap set at $65 million per year, with fluctuations depending on team performance, previous salary, and MLE contracts. The players are completely against it, they believe in the soft cap, and right now refuse to budge on the issue. For players a hard cap means contracts are cut down and limited to a certain amount, and that is exactly what they don't want. The Cap is the biggest issue for the Lockout and it will either drag this thing out late into the season if they constantly fight over it, or if resolved quickly could mean a much shorter lockout.

 There are other issues going on for the NBA including revenue sharing which both sides agree could be cut down, with the players taking 57% of the income. It will be a pesky issue especially if things like the Hard Cap and guaranteed contracts go towards the Owners favor. There are more issues including sign and trades, and free agency, and the possibility of letting HS graduates into the draft, or raising the eligible age t0 20 years old from 19 years old, which is in place now. There are several of issues that need to be fixed and as of now sides are not budging on any of them, which leads to the debate how long will this lockout last. No one can be sure of what will happen, but as of now, I would expect we will miss at least 1/4 of the season, and that will be disappointing come September.

As for how bad things are right now, and the direction the relationship between the NBA and the NBA Players is going look no further then NBA.com which has removed the face of every player in the NBA
http://www.nba.com/home/players/

Northwest 2011 Team Draft Grades

Farieds skills as a rebounder will
 have an instant impact in the NBA

Denver Nuggets

Selections:

#22: Kenneth Faried PF, Morehead State

#26:  Jordan Hamilton SF, Texas (via trade with Dallas)

#56: Chukwudiebere Maduabum PF, Nigeria

Draft Grade: B-
The Nuggets did well in the draft getting Kenneth Faried at 22. Faried was the best rebounder in the NCAA last year and was that way for his entire career at Morehead State. Jordan Hamilton is a scorer with range and he will give the Nuggets more punch off the bench. The problem I have with this draft is the Raymond Felton trade. They swapped Felton for Andre Miller, and it seemed like better offers were out there. Miller will bring more passing, but he will take away playing time from Ty Lawson, which will hurt the team more down the road. Draft wise the Nuggets did well, but they could have done much better on the trade market.

Utah Jazz

Canter missed a year because of the NCAA
but he still was the No.3 pick

Selections:

#3: Enes Kanter C, Kentucky

#12: Alec Burks SG, Colorado

Draft Grade: A
The Jazz hit a gold mine with their two picks even if it could set them up in a difficult situation. Enes Kanter missed his freshman year with Kentucky because of issues with the NCAA. He is a gifted player offensively and has the length to be a good starting Center in the NBA, but he really needs to work on his defense and endurance. At 12 the Jazz picked up Alec Burks a talented shooter out of Colorado, who did not get many looks earlier in the year because he played at a smaller school. Burks still needs work on his jump shot and staying consistent but everything else is there to be an All Star. A very explosive class for the Jazz, and one that will set them up beautifully for the future.

Smith was a reach at 21, but his defense
will be some nice help for Portland

Portland Trail Blazers

Selections:

#21: Nolan Smith PG, Duke

#51: Jon Diebler SF, Ohio State

Draft Grade: C+
The Trail Blazers did well in addressing their need for a PG by trading for Raymond Felton and drafting Nolan Smith at 21. The problem, Smith was a reach for the Blazers, and could have been had later in the draft. Smith will give the team a quick ball handler who can get to the hole, and is also an excellent defender. He still really needs to work on his jump shot and getting bigger if he wants to have a bigger role in his career. Jon Diebler is a spot up shooter who can help the Trail Blazers as a 10th or 9th man. A nice draft for the Trail Blazers but it won't help them advance further in the playoffs.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Jackson will give the Thunder another
terrific young PG

Selections:

#24: Reggie Jackson PG, Boston College

Draft Grade: B
The Thunder took a big risk here, and one that also leaves a question mark. They have Russell Westbrook at PG and he is one of the key pieces in their nucleus, Reggie Jackson held out from drills so he could go to the Heat, but the Thunder didn't let that happen. Jackson is very talented and will surpass Eric Maynor on the depth chart. he gives the Thunder another great young player for the future. The Thunder only had one selection so there were no other opportunities to address their need for another big man, but there were some available at 24 that could have been selected

Minnesota Timberwolves
Selections:

Williams should have no problems
scoring as a rookie

#2: Derrick Williams PF, Arizona
#31: Malcolm Lee PG, UCLA
#57: Targuy Ngombo SF, Congo


Draft Grade: B+
The Timberwolves took Derrick Williams at 2, despite the fact they already have Michael Beasley. Williams is a scorer, he can score from anywhere at any time and that will translate to the NBA instantly. He still needs to improve his defense and rebounding, especially if he plays the PF position. At 31 David Kahn took another PG in Malcolm Lee. He will back up Rubio and could see playing time if Rubio struggles to translate his game to the NBA. A solid draft for the Timberwolves and could be great if Williams improves on the glass, and becomes a better defender.

Southwest Division Draft Grades



Fernandez will give the Mavericks
 another talented 3 point shooter



Dallas Mavericks:

Selection:

Traded Jordan Hamilton (26th overall) to the Portland Trail Blazers for Rudy Fernandez

Draft Grade: A-

While Jordan Hamilton will develop into a good player trading him for Rudy Fernandez is an outstanding deal for the Mavericks. As Jason Terry begins to get up there in age Fernandez can be his successor. Fernandez is deadly from 3 point range, and will give the Mavericks another weapon off the bench, which will make their quest for a repeat a little more achievable next year.

San Antonio Spurs

Selection:

#15: Kawhi Leonard SF, San Diego State (from IND)

Leonard is not known for his offensive game, but he will bring
immediate help because of his defense and rebounding ability

#29: Cory Joseph PG, Texas

#42: Davis Bertans SF, Latvia

#59: Adam Hanga SG, Hungary

Draft Grade: A-

Many believed the Spurs were set to trade Tony Parker leading into the draft and that George Hill would be the new starting PG. Instead, the Spurs traded Hill to Indiana for Kawhi Leonard. Leonard is a terrific defender and rebounder and will give the Spurs a stopper off the bench who can help shut down opposing Forwards. The Spurs then addressed the departure of Hill by reaching for Cory Joseph at the end of the 1st round. The Spurs went back to Indiana and acquired Euro baller Davis Bertans who scouts say is immensely talented, but will take 3-4 years to develop in Europe. A very good draft for the Spurs, that will help them start this youth movement they are starting to build.

New Orleans Hornets:
Selections:
NONE

Draft Grade: D
The Hornets traded their 1st round pick during the season for Jerryd Bayless, and they traded their 2nd rounder (Josh Harrelson) for Cash. Even in a weak draft this team could have used more help. Tobias Harris would have been a nice fit, and was available at their original spot. Looking back on the trades they really didn't help the team much, and were not worth it in the end.

Selby has a chance to be an
electrifying scorer in the NBA

Memphis Grizzlies:
Selections:
#49: Josh Selby PG, Kansas

Draft Grade: A
The Grizzlies ended up with an excellent value by getting Josh Selby at 49. Selby is an extremely gifted player who on skills alone was worth a lottery pick. But because of some character concerns and poor production as a freshman he fell into the mid 2nd round. Selby will join a team full of shooters, but should find some opportunities later in the season. He is an explosive athlete and dynamite scorer. He could easily turn into a Monta Ellis, or never catch on and be in the D-League in a year. Either way very little risk to this pick, and it could be VERY rewarding in the future.


Houston Rockets:
Selections:
#14: Marcus Morris PF, Kansas

Marcus (Morris) will help give the Rockets another
talented 3 point shooter.

#20: Donatas Motiejunas PF, Lithuania (via TRADE from MIN)
#38: Chandler Parsons SF, Florida

Draft Grade: B
The Rockets continued to build their front court both for the present and the future. Marcus Morris can be a solid SF, his ability to shoot the 3, matched with his jump shot and long range will make him a nice offensive threat for his position. He still needs to work on his defense and his size makes it hard to figure out what position he is better suited for. The Rockets then traded for Donatas Motiejunas a big man from Lithuania. Donatas is extremely gifted offensively but still needs to bulk up and improve his presence in the paint and work on his defense. He is also 4 years away from making a transition to the NBA, so it will be awhile before anyone sees him. Chandler Parsons has shown to be a gifted player, but has never been able to translate that to the court. If he can he will be a great value for where they got him. A very risky draft for the Rockets, but if everything works out could make them a much better team down the road.

Pacific Division Team Draft Grades

Los Angeles Lakers:
Selections:

Darius Morris could end up the steal
of the draft, because of his passing skills.

#41: Darius Morris PG, Michigan

#46: Andrew Goudelock PG, Charleston

#56: Chukwudiebere Maduabum SF, NBADL (traded to Nuggets for future 2nd)

#58: Ater Majok PF, Australia

Draft Grade: B+

The two names here of most importance are Darius Morris and Andrew Goudelock. First off is Morris one of my favorite players in the draft who fell to 41 for concerns over his shooting. He is a tall PG (6'4) who can drive to the whole and is also a terrific passer. Let him learn the game behind Derek Fisher and he can be a starter in this league. Andrew Goudelock out of Charleston is a two guard scorer. At 6'2 he doesn't have ideal size to be a SG, but he has the shot to do it. He shot over 40% last year from beyond the 3PT line, and he showed he will have no problems making the transition to the NBA. Two very solid picks followed by a trade that will likely end up as nothing and a Australian PF who projects as a backup at best in 4 years.



Los Angeles Clippers



Leslie will give the Clippers another
high flying, energy guy off the bench



Selections:

#37: Trey Thompkins PF, Georgia

#47: Travis Leslie SG, Georgia

Draft Grade: B -

Even while trading away the 1st overall pick to rid themselves of Baron Davis, the Clippers still manged to make some nice picks. Trey Thompkins the big man out of Georgia is very talented offensively and also shows he has the size and shot blocking ability to get even better in the NBA. Later in the draft they got great value with the addition of Travis Leslie. Leslie is a high flying dunker who is extremely athletic and can play multiple positions. He will provide a spark off the bench for the Clippers

Golden State Warriors:

Selections:

#11: Klay Thompson PG, Washington State

#39: Jeremy Tyler C, Japan (via trade from Bobcats)
#44: Charles Jenkins SG, Hofstra

Draft Grade: C+

Thompson will give the Warriors another
deadly shooter

The Warriors finished off a good draft with new Head Coach Mark Jackson. At 11 they took Klay Thompson a prolific scorer from Washington State who reminds scouts alot of Kevin Martin because of his deep range and ability to draw fouls. Then they traded 2 million in cash to the Bobcats for the rights to Jeremy Tyler. Tyler a former 5 star basketball recruit who skipped college and went overseas to play basketball is a very raw bu high ceiling player. The Warriors finished it off with Charles Jenkins a combo guard out of Hofstra who is another skilled scorer who can pass the ball well. The real problem with this draft is that the Warriors failed to address their immediate need for rebounding and defense, and it leaves Mark Jackson with the same type of players he had before.

Phoenix Suns:

Selections:                                                                           

#13: Markieff Morris PF, Kansas

Morris will give the Suns a great
presence in the low post

Draft Grade: B

The Suns addressed one of their biggest needs in the draft and that was size and toughness up front. For the past year they have showed little strength or inside presence after Amare left, but now Morris can bring that to him. He wasn't as productive as his brother (Marcus) last year, but his size and strength make him a valuable asset for the Suns. He will spend most of his time down low, but he can come outside to shoot the 3. For having one pick in the draft the Suns did a good job even if Morris will never be a star, he will help them out immediately.

Sacramento Kings:

Fredette will put more fans in
the seats, and score alot of points

Selections:

#10: Jimmer Fredette PG, BYU (via trade with MIL)

#35: Tyler Honeycutt SF, UCLA

#60: Isaiah Thomas PG, Washington

Draft Grade: A-
The Kings made one of the worst trades in recent memory when they moved 3 spots back in the draft, and swapped PG Beno Udrih for SF John Salmons. Salmons a former King is known for being a ball hog, and his selfish ways are a concern for a young team. As for the draft the Kings once again did a great job. Even after trading back 3 spots they picked up fan favorite Jimmer Fredette who will bring more fans to the games, and provide another source for offense. Then in the 2nd round they took Tyler Honeycutt a smart SF , who is a gym rat and is skilled as a 3 point shooter and shot blocker. They ended the draft by taking Isaiah Thomas who fell because of his size (5'8), but once he develops his shooting and decision making more could end up starting for the Kings down the road. An excellent draft for the Kings, but loses some of it's lsuter because of the horrific trade they amde earlier in the day.

Kyrie Irving: A Long Road to Greatness

Kyrie Irving has already started
drawing comparisons to Chris Paul/

 When David Stern walks onto the stage at the Prudential Center in New Jersey, it is widely expected the first name we here will be Kyrie Irving, the freshman PG out of Duke. Irving at 6'3 191 lbs, has the size to be a terrific PG in the NBA, and he has the skills to go along with it. He is a "true"PG by today's NBA standards who can shoot the 3, pass the ball with precision, and be a general on the floor. His skills are unquestioned, his desire is there, but yet the dark cloud still follows him wherever he goes.
 
  Going into his freshman season he was ready to dominate the college game, and he did that averaging 17 ppg and 5 apg in just his first 8 games. His season was cut short soon after suffering a toe injury in the 2nd half of a game vs. Butler. He would miss the rest of the regular season resting and rehabbing. He finally came back in the 2nd round of March Madness against Hampton. In his first game back, he was limited to 20 minutes, but in that time managed to score 14 points. He went on to play in Dukes next 2 games scoring a total 39 points in 52 minutes. His stock was again on the rise, and he was now looking like a sure fire Top 5 pick. Then after seeing big names like Harrison Barnes, Perry Jones, and Terrence Jones he was now a lock to go in the Top 2. It was then time for him to go to work and show teams that he was 100% healthy, and he could be the best PG down the road

   Kyrie Irving surprised many scouts and basketball experts when he decided not to participate in any of the athletic workouts during the NBA Combine in Chicago. This left many wondering if the ankle was truly healthy, many also started to question his decision making. In the end it came down to him being confident he had already proved himself enough, and that he should focus more on interviewing with teams and presenting himself more as a person. It was a rare decision, but one that will end up not hurting him.
 
   Irving is a tremendously talented player who can do everything you could ask for in a PG. The two biggest question marks are ability to stay healthy and can he add more strength to handle the bigger, and tougher players in the NBA. He only played in 11 games as a freshman, leaving many to wonder how long will the transition take to go from essentially high school to the NBA, while also dealing with the pressure of being the 1st overall pick. It will be tough but if you look back on the life Irving has lifted, dealing with adversity is nothing new. When he was 4 years old his mother Elizabeth passed away with health problems. Leaving his father to raise him along with help from his 2 aunts. Kyrie and his father pulled through it and it made them stronger and here they are today  preparing to hear Kyrie Irving's name called with the 1st overall pick.

   In my mind if you had to build a perfect PG who you could build around and watch him develop, Kyrie Irving is the player I would take. His experiences in life, his high character, his skills on the court, and his ability to be a leader and a role model. Many will look at his toe injury as a health concern, I see it as a rare occurrence. If the Cavaliers select Kyrie Irving with the 1st overall pick it will be the best decision they have made in the clubs history, and they will reap the benefits of him both as a player and a person. We will all be witnesses to Kyrie Irving throughout his career, and it will be fun to watch.

NBA Mock Draft Ver.3

2011 NBA Draft Thursday, June 23rd

1.) Cleveland Cavaliers (via LAC) : Kyrie Irving PG, Duke
-No change here since they day the cavaliers got the 1st pick. While they are still debating a little on Williams they will focus on trying to trade up to the 2nd pick to get them. They love Irving and believe he can be the next Chris Paul, which he very easily could. A great pick for the Cavaliers. Irving could be the start of a new dynasty for the Cavs, and he will give the fans something to watch.

2.) Minnesota Timberolves: Derrick Willians PF, Arizona
-The Timberwolves have explored trading out of this spot to add a veteran presence to their team, but it appears they aren't getting the offers they wanted. So they will take Williams a very talented but undersized player for his position. A transition to SF is most likely, which would allow Minnesota to trade Anthony Randolph and Michael Beasley later.

3.) Utah Jazz (via NJN): Brandon Knight PG, Kentucky
-I am going to stick with the belief that the Jazz select Brandon Knight with the 3rd pick, despite the rumors about Enes Kanter. While Kanter has alot of potential and could be a very good big man, the Jazz already have plenty of the depth at that spot. Brandon Knight is a perfect fit for the Jazz system and will only grow as a PG.

4.) Cleveland Cavaliers: Jonas Valanciunas C, Lithuania
-Assuming the Cavaliers don't trade up to get Derrick Williams at 2, they will be looking for a big man with potential at 4. That would come down to Enes Kanter or Jonas Valanciuanas. Both players have very high upside and look like they could be very good in the NBA. When all is said and done the Cavs like Valanciunas more for his athleticism.

5.) Toronto Raptors: Kemba Walker PG, UConn
-The Raptors will be hoping the Jazz decide to pass on Brandon Knight and he falls to them. But with Knight gone they go with Walker a terrific scorer and ball handler, who has proven to be good in the clutch and is also a leader. He will give the Raptors a new scoring threat at the PG position to pair with the ever rising Demar Derozan