#1) The Washington Wizards select John Wall, PG - Kentucky
There will be no suspense with this pick. John Wall will probably already be leading this team in jersey sales before draft night.
#2) The Philadelphia 76ers select Wesley Johnson, SF - Syracuse
This would be a surprise pick, but the 76ers need outside shooting, and the consensus number two player Evan Turner does not provide that.
#3) The New Jersey Nets select Derrick Favors, PF/C - Georgia Tech
The Nets get much tougher up front by replacing Yi Jianlian with the more rugged Favors. The front line of Favors (pictured to the right) and Lopez will quickly develop into one of the league's best.
#4) The Minnesota Timberwolves select DeMarcus Cousins, PF/C - Kentucky
This is partially an insurance pick in case Al Jefferson leaves Minnesota (which he should). Cousins could step into the starting frontcourt with Kevin Love and the Wolves rebuilding project wouldn't miss a beat.
#5) The Sacramento Kings select Evan Turner, SG/SF - Ohio State
Turner finally comes off the board here, as he will replace the scoring role that was left behind by Kevin Martin last year. Turner will join a solid core group of players that includes Tyreke Evans, Jason Thompson, Omri Cassipi, and Spencer Hawes
#6) The Golden State Warriors select Al-Farouq Aminu, SF/PF - Wake Forest
The Warriors get another athletic freak that can run and jump with anyone. Unfortunately he can't do much else. This year's draft had a five man class of elite players...the Warriors pick number six.
#7) The Detroit Pistons select Greg Monroe, PF - Georgetown
The Pistons need to get physical inside in order to start resembling their championship teams. Monroe will be the first step towards doing so. He doesn't have the mean streak that most Detroit big men have, but he has the same post passing skill set as Chris Webber, which will open up tons of shots for the likes of Ben Gordon, Richard Hamilton, and Rodney Stuckey.
#8) The Los Angeles Clippers select Xavier Henry, SG/SF - Kansas
If Henry is as good as advertised, and can step into the 3-spot for the Clips next season, the Clippers become a dangerous team with the return of Blake Griffin next season.
#9) The Utah Jazz select Cole Aldrich, C - Kansas
Aldrich has the easiest job in the draft if he goes to Utah. All he has to do is be better than Greg Ostertag, and Salt Lake City will love him forever.
#10) The Indiana Pacers select Donatas Motiejunas, SF/PF/C - Lithuainia
The draft's top foreign born player gives the Pacers size and skill around the basket with a bit of shooting touch away from the basket. Motiejunas (pictured to the right) can play three positions for Indy which will make them a much deeper squad.
#11) The New Orleans Hornets select Patrick Patterson, SF/PF - Kentucky
The Hornets have seemingly swung and missed on 2007 lottery pick Julian Wright. Patterson is a bigger, stronger version of the player that they expected Wright to be.#12) The Memphis Grizzlies select Ekpe Udoh, PF - Baylor
Udoh has always been an intimidating shot blocker, but it was the development of his offensive game that has him sneaking into the lottery. The Grizz are in dire need of someone who can score from the four spot, and now Udoh fits the bill along with being one of the best defensive players in the draft.
#13) The Toronto Raptors select Avery Bradley, SG - Texas
The Raptors organization lacks talent and is on its way towards losing its best player for nothing in return. Their gameplan should be to take the player on the board with the highest ceiling. It looks like that player will be Bradley. He has all the makings of being the type of player who can score 20 per game on a bad team for years to come.
#14) The Houston Rockets select Hassan Whiteside, C - Marshall
The Rockets have a good team that is built for playoff basketball. The front office owes it to them to have a viable insurance policy at the center position in case Yao is unable to return to all-star form (even though he will probably be an all-star every year until he retires because their are a billion all-star voters in China and half of them vote twice). Whiteside (pictured to the right) can be the insurance policy the Rockets can depend on if Yao can't return.
#15) The Milwaukee Bucks select James Anderson, SG - Oklahoma State
Anderson is a fitting replacement for Michael Redd. He can flat out score the basketball. He has a rep for disappearing in big games but he won't be the man down the stretch playing with Brandon Jennings and Andrew Bogut.
#16) The Minnesota Timberwolves select Gordon Heyward, SG/SF - Butler
The Wolves can do no wrong as long as they don't take a point guard in this draft. Heyward gives the team an outside shooter with a high basketball IQ. There is the chance that he may prove to be a defensive liability, but he more than held his own while in college.
#17) The Chicago Bulls select Ed Davis, PF - North Carolina
Second rounder Taj Gibson played way above his head in his rookie season, but the Bulls can't pass on the opportunity to draft a player that would be going in the top five if not for injuries. Chicago is the first team on the board that can take the risk of missing on Davis. Especially, if they land Lebron James in free agency.
#18) The Miami Heat select Larry Sanders, PF - Virginia Commonwealth
The Heat need to impress Dwayne Wade enough for him to stay in South Beach. Unfortunately, there are no players available at #18 that will sway his decision. Regardless, Sanders will still be an upgrade over Udonis Haslem at the 4-spot.
#19) The Boston Celtics select Luke Babbitt, SF - Nevada
Best case scenario: Babbitt is the next Larry Bird. Worst Case Scenario: Babbitt is the next Brian Scalabrine.
#20) The San Antonio Spurs select Kevin Seraphin, PF/C - France
This is a typical international pick for the Spurs. We won't see Seraphin in the States for another year or two most likely, but when we do...he's probably going to be really good.
#21) The Oklahoma City Thunder select Paul George, SF - Fresno State
The Thunder were probably one long range shooter away from upsetting the Lakers in the playoffs this year. George (pictured to the right) can be the gunner they are looking for. At Fresno State, George shot over 40% from three point range and has the height (between 6'7 and 6'9 depending on who you ask) to get his shot off against NBA defenders. He is also very athletic and finishes superbly on the break. He could become Russell Westbrook's best friend.
#22) The Portland Trailblazers select Solomon Alabi, C - Florida State
This is the official waving of the white flag on Greg Oden's career. The Blazers have to make this pick based on the fact that they can't be caught with their pants down if Oden's health continues to resemble the age he looks rather than the age that he is.
#23) The Minnesota Timberwolves select Stanley Robinson, SF/PF - Connecticut
Stanley Robinson is another athletic role player that the Wolves can mold into their system. With five picks in this draft, and the possible return of Ricky Rubio. Minnesota's 2010 draft class could resemble a John Calipari recruiting class...except these players are supposed to get paid.
#24) The Atlanta Hawks select Eric Bledsoe, PG - Kentucky
This seems like an obvious pick. After passing on Chris Paul and trying to cover up the mistake by picking Acie Law in 2007, the Hawks should be picking a point guard every year until they get it right. If that isn't a good enough reason to take Bledsoe. The Hawks do not have another player on their roster listed as a poing guard besides 32 year old Mike Bibby. They better not screw this up.
#25) The Memphis Grizzlies select Elliot Williams, SG - Memphis
This is a hometown pick for the Grizz, and it would be one of the stories of the draft if Williams would be able to continue to be close to his family. On the basketball side, Memphis gets a long perimeter defender who will play hard and smart for 15-20 minutes a game. That isn't all that easy to find in the NBA these days.
#26) The Oklahoma City Thunder select Daniel Orton, PF/C - Kentucky
The Thunder add another athletic big man to the roster, but this one has enough size to usurp the starting center position from Nenad Krstic in time.
#27) The New Jersey Nets select Devin Ebanks, SF/PF - West Virginia
The Nets can add another very impressive name to their roster with this pick. Ebanks (pictured to the right) would have been a sure lottery pick if he stayed at West Virginia a little longer, but he can definitely thrive in this enviroment. In Jersey, there will be no pressure and plenty of other people making mistakes around him.
#28) The Memphis Grizzlies select Damion James, SF - Texas
Memphis can continue to address their defense in this draft by taking James. It would be in the team's best interest to build the roster in the image of Marc Gasol (tough, gritty, hard working) rather than OJ Mayo (he can score 40, but we still might not win).
#29) The Orlando Magic select Quincy Pondexter, SF - Washington
The Boston Celtics have proven that Vince Carter is not the answer on the wing in Orlando. So why not take a late first round pick and use it on a kid who has never been accused of not working hard and has willed his team to a few victories at Washington. He even dunks every now and then.
#30) The Washington Wizards select Gani Lawal, PF - Georgia Tech
The Wizards traded the two forwards that have been synonomous with their organization for half of the last decade. The Wiz have to take a forward that has enough potential to fill one of those spots left behind by Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison.
