1. Cleveland Cavaliers: Nerlens Noel, C, Kentucky. I don't know if this is the right pick. Centers coming off of injury, especially super-skinny centers, aren't exactly ideal. Were I the Cavaliers, knowing I have a core of Kyrie Irving, Dion Waiters, Tristan Thompson and Cody Zeller for years to come, I add a small forward. Otto Porter is the safe pick, but may not be a superstar. Anthony Bennett could be Larry Johnson, but may also be a bust. I'd take them both over Noel or Alex Len, to be honest.
2. Orlando Magic: Victor Oladipo, SG/SF, Indiana. He was one of the best players in college all year (except when he played Syracuse). He could be a combo guard, or play SF in a small lineup. He has a motor and solid defense. Orlando just needs bodies that want to play right now, and Oladipo is a good fit.
3. Washington Wizards: Otto Porter Jr., SF, Georgetown. Otto Porter haunts my nightmares. He destroyed my Syracuse Orange twice this past season (but not in the Big East Tournament, HAHA!). He is the safe pick for an organization that can't afford a boom/bust guy like Anthony Bennett, as talented as he may be. Wall, Beal, Porter, Nene, and Okafor? That is probably a playoff team. Not a title contender, but the Wiz should be back playing basketball in May.
4. Charlotte Bobcats: Ben McLemore, SG, Kansas. Interesting stat I read recently regarding the number of players from historically strong NCAA programs that succeed in the pros over the past decade or so. Kentucky has a bunch. Duke and Syracuse have a few. Michigan State doesn't have many. Kansas has virtually none. Other than Kirk Heinrich and Nick Collison from the 2003 NCAA runner-up team, it is difficult to name a Kansas player who has a serious impact on their team. Mario Chalmers may be closest, and he is at best #4 on the Heat. Nevertheless, McLemore is considered the best pure scorer in the draft, and the Bobcats need everything. Look for them to somehow mess up this pick though, because Michael Jordan is the worst owner/GM/President of Basketball Operations I have ever seen.
5. Phoenix Suns: Alex Len, C, Maryland. Another team that needs a ton of help. They ended the year playing Luis Scola at center, and he is barely 6'9. I think Bennett or one of the top 3 PGs could go here, but Len may fill the biggest need right away. Not a huge fan of his, but he has potential.
6. New Orleans
7. Sacramento Kings: CJ McCollum, PG, Lehigh. That's right, Lehigh. The Kings need a pointguard that can shoot. MCW is the best pure passer and defender, but his J needs work. Burke is a good scorer, but is undersized. McCollum fits the mold that the Kings want.
8. Detroit Pistons: Trey Burke, PG, Michigan. I think Burke is the pick over Michael Carter-Williams for two reasons. First, while MCW has the size and passing ability, he can't shoot the jumper as well as Burke. Second, Burke instantly has a built in fanbase in Detroit, having led Michigan to the NCAA Finals. I don't know if I would pick Burke over MCW, but I am biased.
9. Minnesota Timberwolves: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, SF, Georgia. I know nothing about him, and the Wolves are a constant mess or disappointment. Apparently this is the pick that will happen.
10. Portland Trailblazers: Cody Zeller, C, Indiana. JJ Hickson, the Blazers' starting center, is 6'9. That won't do. Zeller isn't ideal, and looked terrible against Syracuse's huge frontcourt in the Sweet 16, but he has a polished offensive game and a nose for the ball.
11. Philadelphia 76ers: Steven Adams, C, Pittsburgh. He is raw. Very raw. So raw that he may have to be the 9th man in your rotation for a year or two. But he has the size and potential to be a great center.
12. Oklahoma City Thunder: Michael Carter-Williams, PG, Syracuse. My boy MCW would be thrilled to land in this spot, I am sure. Not only would he get to play right away due to the injury to Russell Westbrook, but he would be able to join a very talented young team. Imagine a pass-first PG that plays defense to go with the offense of Westbrook at the 2 and Durant on the wing. That'd be scary. The Thunder could also reach for a big man, but they have other picks to fill that need.
13. Dallas Mavericks: Sergey Karasev, SF, Russia. He's foreign, and is probably trade bait. That's all I got.
14. Utah Jazz: Lucas Nogueira, C, Brazil. The Jazz may lose Al Jefferson and Paul Milsaps. They need bigs. I'm sure a 7-foot Brazilian dude will fit right in with the people of Utah...
15. Milwaukee Bucks: Dennis Schroeder, PG, Germany. He is bigger than Shane Larkin, and that may be all the difference.
16. Boston Celtics: Kelly Olynyck, PF/C, Gonzaga. The Celtics are rebuilding, and are looking at losing KG and Paul Pierce. Rondo and Jeff Green will still be there, but they need a legit offensive weapon in the post. Olynyck has the size and offensive ability to be a consistent scorer down low, and can also stretch the floor with solid mid-range and deep jumpers.
17. Atlanta Hawks: Giannis Antetokounmpo, SF, Greece. Not sure that will fit on a jersey...
18. Atlanta Hawks: Mason Plumlee, PF/C, Duke. He can play right now, unlike the Greek dude, and gives the Hawks a nice frontcourt with Al Horford.
19. Cleveland Cavaliers: Shabazz Muhammad, SF, UCLA. He is completely one-dimensional, and apparently has a bad attitude, but the Cavs need a scoring wing, and that is the only thing Shabazz does well.
20. Chicago Bulls: Reggie Bullock, SG/SF, UNC. A scoring wing player that can come in and help a team with a great defense, especially if they end up trading Luol Deng.
21. Utah Jazz: Shane Larkin, PG, Miami. They went big with their first pick, now they need someone to get him the ball. The only knock on Larkin, it seems, is his height. If he plays well enough, everyone will forget how tall he is.
22. Brooklyn Nets: Gorgui Dieng, C, Louisville. The rumor is that the Nets are tryign to trade some of their big men, so this could be a replacement pick. I wouldn't be shocked if new coach Jason Kidd tried adding a guard.
23. Indian Pacers: Isaiah Canaan, PG, Murray State. During the season, many of the experts said the Pacers were a point guard away from being contenders. Well, they got to the Eastern Conference finals and pushed the Heat the entire series, so I think they have a damn good roster. Canaan adds another scoring threat and some passing ability to a stacked team.
24. New York Knicks: Mike Muscala, PF, Bucknell. They won't do this. No team will. But Muscala looks like a complete PF, who has size, can play inside and out, rebounds, and can score. The Knicks would be wise to pick a complete player who can help them instead of a one-dimensional one who hurts them in the playoffs.
25. Los Angeles Clippers: Jamaal Franklin, SG/SF, San Diego State. A natural scorer to help a team on the verge of greatness. Doc Rivers will know how to use him well, especially paired with CP3.
26. Minnesota Timberwolves: Tony Snell, SF, New Mexico. More scoring is needed in Minnesota, so that's what they get.
27. Denver Nuggests: Allen Crabbe, SG/SF, California. Andre Iguodola may not re-sign, so the Nuggets need another scorer. Crabbe is the best available, and has the size to play the 3 fairly well.
28. San Antonio Spurs: Rudy Gobert, C/PF, France. The Spurs love their international prospects. They can keep him overseas for a year or two, like they did with Tiago Splitter, and bring him in when Tim Duncan finally calls it a career.
29. Oklahoma City Thunder: Tim Hardaway Jr, SG, Michigan. The Thunder couple the MCW pick, a pass-first PG, with a dynamic offensive SG in Hardaway. He could instantly become the new James Harden.
30. Phoenix Suns: Glenn Rice, Jr., SF, NBDL. Again, the Suns just need people that want to play and can score. Alex Len helped up front. Rice is a big time shooter, and will be a test to see if dominating the NBDL can translate to pro success.
Enjoy the draft!
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