Alright, alright. Here it is. It took me a long time for me to get back to my neglected blog, but here I am. After hearing several complaints from my loyal fans (by that, I mean my mom), I have decided to break the slump with a mock of the first-round of the NBA draft that is on Thursday night. Don't thank me for writing this post; thank my ear infection that is keeping me up at 3:30 in the morning. (If you just want to read the mock draft and not listen to me cry about my life, scroll down.)
My reasons for not blogging lately are simple. After the Bulls lost to the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, I spent most of my time talking myself down from the ledge. (They're a young team, they'll sign a real shooting guard. the Heat didn't win it all, Derrick Rose, Derrick Rose, Derrick Rose!). I finally came to realize the team is on the right track and came down.
Unfortunately, the Bulls being eliminated made it so much harder to ignore the huge white elephant in the room. That, of course, is the Chicago Cubs. Being as optimistic as a Cubs fan can be, I can normally find a reason to pretend they will be contenders. At least in June. For a little.
This year is different. The team is awful in a Paranormal Activity sort of way; there is just no excuse to watch them, and yet thousands do and pretend it's enjoyable. (Shut up, Paranormal Activity fans, that movie is terrible. Oooh a curtain is moving, I'm so scared.)
So, after it took weeks to move on from the Bulls' heartbreaking failure, I have to endure a painfully bad team. If it weren't for the fantastic young middle infielders Darwin Barney and Starlin Castro, I'd have lost my mind by now.
It took me a while to accept that this team will not be doing anything this year, and realistically won't be a contender until all of their major contracts come off the books.
But here I am! Ready to talk about the NBA draft. I don't pretend to know any inside information from teams, but I have read hundreds (okay, about twenty) of mock drafts and accumulated as much information as possible. Mock drafts are extremely difficult, because one unknown factor (a trade, a team not being sold on a guy, etc) can affect every player behind it. However, this is my projection of what happens Thursday.
1.) Cleveland Cavaliers Kyrie Irving PG Duke Barring some unforeseen circumstances, Irving will be selected first overall. Being a perennial all-star in a conference stacked with stud point guards (Deron Williams, Rajon Rondo, and Rose) will be difficult for Irving, but playing against such talent will only speed up his development.
2.) Minnesota Timberwolves Derrick Williams SF/PF Arizona This pick may be traded, but it is doubtful anyone else goes 2nd. Williams is the 2nd most talented player in this draft, and he has the potential to be a dynamic player in the NBA. If the Wolves keep him, they will hope he can successfully play the 3 alongside Kevin Love, and likely would try to move Michael Beasley.
3.) Utah Jazz Brandon Knight PG Kentucky Although I think Enes Kanter is the most talented player left, Jazz GM Kevin O'Connor appears to be enthralled with the potential of Knight and is not sold on Devin Harris as the point guard of the future. Knight is the type of prospect that is big-time or bust. His athletic ability and play-making skills are remarkable, but his fundamentals and decision-making leave a lot to be desired.
4.) Cleveland Cavaliers Enes Kanter Pf/C Turkey One of the great unknowns of the draft, Kanter has remarkable upside. A talented and physically remarkable speciman, Kanter could give the Cavaliers the scoring threat they need alongside Anderson Varejao down low.
5.) Toronto Raptors Jonas Valanciunas PF/C Lithuania Although a lot of mocks have Kemba Walker going here, I think the talent of the big Lithuanian will be too much to pass up for the Raptors. The uncertain contract situation should not deter the Raptors, as they have no chance of contending next year anyway. (Besides, there might not be a next year)
6.) Washington Wizards Jan Vesely SF/PF Belgrade If Valanciunas is off the board, look for the Wizards to take the frontcourt player from Belgrade to pair with the dynamic John Wall. Vesely is 6-11 and still able to make athletic plays. He will need to develop, but the Wizards are a team looking to contend in 3 or 4 years at best, so that is not an issue.
7.) Sacramento Kings Kemba Walker PG UConn If things go as projected before this, the Kings will be deciding between Walker, Jimmer Fredette, and Kawhi Leonard. It seems the Kings would like to move Tyreke Evans off the ball in the backcourt, and Walker could do that. He has shown the ability to run the point in college; the question will be if he can handle not being the top dog in crunch time.
8.) Detroit Pistons Kawhi Leonard SF San Diego St Some Pistons fans are pining for Bismack Biyombo, who has drawn comparisons to Ben Wallace. But with his job on the line, Joe Dumars will probably opt for the safer pick in Leonard, who will contribute right away with his defensive ability.
9.) Charlotte Bobcats Tristan Thompson PF Texas Thompson is another high-risk, high-reward pick, but his potential should be enough for the Bobcats to take him here. A high-motor guy down low, Thompson must fill out his frame to merit his top 10 status.
10.) Milwaukee Bucks Alec Burks SG Colorado Burks has seen his stock take a hit since the start of workouts, but he still may be the best shooting guard in the draft. The Bucks need a perimeter scorer, and Burks fits that need.
11.) Golden State Warriors Chris Singleton SF Florida St If Burks is available, the Warriors likely grab him here. A lot of mocks have the Warriors selecting Klay Thompson, but the Warriors already have the outside bomber in Curry. Golden State has said they are pursuing players that would make them better defensively. Singleton fits the bill, and has been showing in workouts he is better than advertised on the other side of the ball as well.
12.) Utah Jazz Jimmer Fredette SG BYU Although some have said the Jazz will certainly not take 2 guards, it seems plausible if they feel they can sign Andre Kirilenko to an extension. Fredette can be the instant offense that Utah needs in its backcourt.
13.) Phoenix Suns Marcus Morris SF/PF Kansas If Marcus Morris is still available, the Suns will probably grab him here. They need a versatile player that can score inside, and Marcus can fill that need.
14.) Houston Rockets Donatas Motiejunas PF/C Lithuania Motiejunas is a talented scorer, but horrific defensively. He'll need to improve dramatically on that end to be a star, but his offensive skills should translate well to the NBA, and the Rockets almost certainly will take a frontcourt player here.
15.) Indiana Pacers Klay Thompson SG/SF Washington St Pacers fans would be ecstatic if the talented Thompson was left on the board. He can shoot the ball extremely well. However, if the Pacers want to gamble, they could take Marshon Brooks here. The Pacers are in dire need of a playmaker, and Brooks has those capabilities. In the end though, getting a guaranteed solid player in Thompson may prove too tempting to pass up.
16.) Philadelphia 76ers Nikola Vucevic PF/C USC The 76ers do not seem content with Spencer Hawes starting, and will probably select a frontcourt player here. Reports are that they are high on Vucevic, an experienced big who seems to be a better version of Hawes.
17.) New York Knicks Markieff Morris PF Kansas The Knicks are in desperate need of some rebounding, and Markieff Morris is tough and rebounds well. He also shoots well enough to play in Mike D'Antoni's system.
18.) Washington Wizards Marshon Brooks SG Providence Brooks has created a lot of buzz leading up to draft day. The Wizards will hope he can live up to the hype if they select this dynamic scorer.
19.) Charlotte Bobcats Bismack Biyombo PF Spain No player seems to have as wide a draft range as Biyombo; he could go in the top 10 or as late as the early 20's. The Bobcats would be extremely grateful if the defensively-gifted Biyombo fell to them here.
20.) Minnesota Timberwolves Jordan Hamilton SF Texas My gut is that someone trades up to take the talented Hamilton, who was projected as a lottery pick for a lot of the year before seeing his stock plummet.
21.) Portland Trail Blazers Kenneth Faried PF Morehead St Faried would be an intriguing option for the Trail Blazers. The best rebounder in college basketball may not help the offensively challenged Blazers on that end, but putting him at a forward spot alongside Gerald Wallace would be an excellent defensive and rebounding combination.
22.) Denver Nuggets Tobias Harris SF/PF Tennessee Harris may have been better served staying in school one more year. Still, he has enough upside that the Nuggets consider him here.
23.) Houston Rockets Iman Shumpert PG/SG Georgia Tech Shumpert is a big, athletic guard that could give Houston an excellent athlete and defender.
24.) Oklahoma City Jeremy Tyler C Tokyo Sam Presti has an eye for steals in the draft, and could see Tyler, once touted as a lottery prospect, as one late in the first round.
25.) Boston Celtics Jordan Williams C Maryland The Celtics will probably go big here, as their frontcourt has been depleted by stupid trades, retirements, and deportations (just kidding, Nenad Krstic. Have fun in Russia!) Williams has shed a ton of weight and shot up the draft board as a result.
26.) Dallas Mavericks Josh Selby PG/SG Kansas The Mavericks may take a risk with Selby, who has enormous offensive potential, at the end of the first round.
27.) New Jersey Nets Chandler Parsons SF Florida Parsons has seen his stock rise after some impressive workouts, and he would be a matchup problem for most small forwards at 6-10.
28.) Chicago Bulls Travis Leslie SG Georgia Bulls fans would love to see an explosive scorer next to Derrick Rose, and Leslie has that kind of potential. If he falls to 28, look for the Bulls to nab him.
29.) San Antonio Spurs JaJuan Johnson PF Purdue Johnson's lack of muscle concerns any suitor, but the Spurs take him as a value pick late in the first round and hope he continues to fill out.
30.) Chicago Bulls Davis Bertans SF Latvia If the Bulls do keep both picks, look for this pick to be Bertans. It makes sense for the Bulls to pick Bertans, as they can wait out the sharpshooter's stay in Europe for at least one more year.
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