I know the attention is on the Lakers, but I didn't see this posted. If the Spurs get Batum, I would be stoked. Work in Ian and Tiago this year, let Batum develop a bit and then bring him over next year (when we won't have a 1st round draft pick.)
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2...ckDraft-080520
Chad Ford's Mock Draft, Version 1.0: Picks 1-30
Ford
By Chad Ford
ESPN Insider
(Archive)
Updated: May 20, 2008
* Comment
The lottery results are in, and Chicago and Miami are the big winners in the Michael Beasley-Derrick Rose sweepstakes. That means it's time for our first full mock draft of 2008.
At this point, very little is set in stone. The process of team workouts has just begun. And in the next few weeks, the Orlando NBA pre-draft camp, the Reebok Eurocamp and hundreds of team workouts will dramatically alter the face of the draft. So, expect this mock draft to fluctuate greatly over the next six weeks.
But for now, here's our best stab, after talking to numerous NBA team sources, about how the draft might play out in June.
CHAD FORD'S MOCK DRAFT
PICK
TEAM
PLAYER
VITALS
Chicago
Michael Beasley Position: PF
Height: 6-10
Weight: 235
Age: 19
School: Kansas State
The skinny: This will be a very difficult choice for the Bulls.
On the one hand, Chicago has needed a low-post scorer for a long time, and Beasley fits the bill. He's also a top-notch rebounder, which would fulfill another need for the Bulls.
However, Rose, a Chicago native, would be a major upgrade over Kirk Hinrich. His strength and athleticism could really ignite the Bulls' offense.
For the moment, we're putting Beasley here because he's the best fit.
PICK
TEAM
PLAYER
VITALS
Miami
Derrick Rose Position: PG
Height: 6-3
Weight: 205
Age: 19
School: Memphis
The skinny: The Heat are big winners, too. They don't get the No. 1 pick, but they do get their favorite player in the draft. A Rose-Wade backcourt should be awesome.
But if the Bulls select Rose No. 1, the word on the street is that the Heat might be willing to deal the pick. While Beasley would be an upgrade over Udonis Haslem, it sounds like the Heat aren't sold.
PICK
TEAM
PLAYER
VITALS
Minnesota
Brook Lopez Position: C
Height: 7-0
Weight: 260
Age: 20
School: Stanford
The skinny: If the team drafts for need, Lopez will be the guy. The Wolves really need another big to help out Al Jefferson in the post, and Lopez should be a good fit.
But don't count out Danilo Gallinari, who could be the surprise pick here. The team also needs a small forward like Gallinari who can be a facilitator in the offense. His basketball IQ could make him an immediate contributor.
PICK
TEAM
PLAYER
VITALS
Seattle
Jerryd Bayless Position: PG
Height: 6-3
Weight: 190
Age: 19
School: Arizona
The skinny: The Sonics fell the furthest of any team in the draft, slipping from No. 2 to No. 4. Call it bad karma for leaving the fans of Seattle.
While the team would have loved to have had a shot at Rose, Bayless should be a very good fit for Seattle. His up-tempo game and excellent shooting ability would give the Sonics a potent weapon to pair with Kevin Durant.
PICK
TEAM
PLAYER
VITALS
Memphis
O.J. Mayo Position: SG
Height: 6-4
Weight: 195
Age: 20
School: USC
The skinny: The Grizzlies need a power forward. But although they do have a glut of guards, they also could use a guard with the strength, scoring prowess and star quality of Mayo. Team him with Rudy Gay and Mike Conley, and the Grizzlies are a big man away from having a bright future again.
PICK
TEAM
PLAYER
VITALS
New York
Danilo Gallinari Position: SF
Height: 6-9
Weight: 212
Age: 19
Country: Italy
The skinny: Rose was the Knicks' primary target, but with Gallinari, new head coach Mike D'Antoni lands the perfect weapon for his new team: a 6-10 point forward who knows how to think the game. D'Antoni played with Gallinari's father in the Italian League for eight years and knows how good the versatile Italian forward really is.
It might not be a popular pick in New York, but D'Antoni will make it work.
PICK
TEAM
PLAYER
VITALS
L.A. Clippers
Russell Westbrook Position: PG
Height: 6-3
Weight: 189
Age: 19
School: UCLA
The skinny: The Clippers are sweet on Danilo Gallinari and O.J. Mayo, but it looks like neither will be here at No. 7.
Look for the Clippers to make a tough choice between Westbrook and Eric Gordon. Gordon is a polished scorer and shooter, but L.A. really needs a point guard and some perimeter defense, and Westbrook looks like the better fit.
PICK
TEAM
PLAYER
VITALS
Milwaukee
Eric Gordon Position: SG
Height: 6-4
Weight: 215
Age: 19
School: Indiana
The skinny: Milwaukee could go in a lot of different directions. Its biggest need is at small forward, but this may be too high to draft Joe Alexander or Donte Greene. With the Bucks expected to be active on the trade market this summer, they can draft the best available player and then work things out later.
Gordon is a dynamic scorer who could free up the Bucks to trade Michael Redd.
PICK
TEAM
PLAYER
VITALS
Charlotte
Kevin Love Position: PF
Height: 6-10
Weight: 275
Age: 19
School: UCLA
The skinny: Larry Brown loves guys who "play the right way." And Love is as fundamentally sound as anyone in the draft.
But after the Adam Morrison debacle, will they really draft another college guy noted for his lack of athleticism?
Anthony Randolph and DeAndre Jordan are other possibilities here.
PICK
TEAM
PLAYER
VITALS
New Jersey
Anthony Randolph Position: PF
Height: 6-11
Weight: 220
Age: 18
School: LSU
The skinny: The Nets have lacked a super-athletic 4 since Kenyon Martin walked out the door. Randolph has been compared to a young Chris Bosh by some scouts. His combination of length and athleticism is exciting, but he has to get stronger and improve his perimeter game.
PICK
TEAM
PLAYER
VITALS
Indiana
D.J. Augustin Position: PG
Height: 6-0
Weight: 180
Age: 20
School: Texas
The skinny: The Pacers need a long-term replacement for Jamaal Tinsley, and they are crossing their fingers that either Augustin or Westbrook is still on the board when they pick. Of the two, Augustin is probably the better fit in Jim O'Brien's system.
Augustin is an excellent floor leader and can really shoot the basketball. Another bonus for Pacers fans is that he is an excellent character guy.
PICK
TEAM
PLAYER
VITALS
Sacramento
Darrell Arthur Position: PF
Height: 6-10
Weight: 225
Age: 20
School: Kansas
The skinny: The Kings are hoping that either Augustin or Westbrook falls into their laps. However, if they're not available, Sacramento will likely have to make a tough choice between a number of power forwards.
Of the group, Arthur has the greatest upside as an athlete and a scorer. But he's going to have to improve his rebounding to really make it in the league.
PICK
TEAM
PLAYER
VITALS
Portland
Joe Alexander Position: SF
Height: 6-8
Weight: 220
Age: 21
School: West Virginia
The skinny: Alexander could be the sleeper of the draft. His combination of size, athleticism and shooting ability has GMs drooling right now. He's still learning the game, but on a team like the Blazers, his versatility could be an immediate asset.
Donte Greene is also a possibility here.
PICK
TEAM
PLAYER
VITALS
Golden State
DeAndre Jordan Position: C
Height: 7-0
Weight: 255
Age: 20
School: Texas A&M
The skinny: At some point you just draft talent. The Warriors don't have a huge need in the middle, but Jordan's too talented to let slip any further. He has the body and athletic skills of Dwight Howard. But his lack of motivation is scaring a lot of GMs away right now.
PICK
TEAM
PLAYER
VITALS
Phoenix
(via Atlanta)
Donte Greene Position: SF
Height: 6-10
Weight: 225
Age: 20
School: Syracuse
The skinny: Greene is a steal if he slips this far. He has the potential to be a Shawn Marion-type combo forward in the pros. While his game is still raw, he has great length and athleticism and an emerging perimeter game.
PICK
TEAM
PLAYER
VITALS
Philadelphia
Marreese Speights Position: C
Height: 6-10
Weight: 245
Age: 19
School: Florida
The skinny: The Sixers are still looking for a low-post banger. If they can't get Elton Brand this summer, they'll have to seriously consider Speights. Speights does a lot of the same things Brand does, though he doesn't have the same conditioning or drive yet.
PICK
TEAM
PLAYER
VITALS
Toronto
Robin Lopez Position: C
Height: 7-0
Weight: 245
Age: 20
School: Stanford
The skinny: Lopez is drawing a lot of comparisons to Anderson Varejao. On a team that needs toughness and rebounding in the middle, he should be a great fit. He's kind of the anti-Andrea Bargnani.
PICK
Washington
JaVale McGee Position: PF
Height: 7-0
Weight: 237
Age: 20
School: Nevada
The skinny: McGee is another wildcard. Long, athletic and skilled, he has huge upside and can fly up and down the court. But his thin frame and lack of position mean he's a few years away from contributing.
PICK
TEAM
PLAYER
VITALS
Cleveland
Kosta Koufos Position: C
Height: 7-0
Weight: 265
Age: 19
School: Ohio State
The skinny: If Koufos slips this far, it will be tough for the Cavs to pass on him. He's a very skilled big man who gets up and down the floor really well.
Some scouts compare him to a young Zydrunas Ilgauskas. He needs to get stronger, but he's got great upside for a pick this low in the draft.
PICK
TEAM
PLAYER
VITALS
Denver
Ty Lawson Position: PG
Height: 5-11
Weight: 195
Age: 20
School: North Carolina
The skinny: The Nuggets need a floor leader who can push the ball up and down the floor. While Lawson has his weaknesses, he should be an excellent fit in George Karl's up-tempo system.
PICK
TEAM
PLAYER
VITALS
New Jersey
(via Dallas)
Chase Budinger Position: SG
Height: 6-7
Weight: 205
Age: 20
School: Arizona
The skinny: Budinger could easily be a late lottery pick, but he could also slip. Teams love his size and shooting ability but worry a bit about his lack of aggressiveness and defense. At this point in the draft, the Nets will be glad to take the risk.
PICK
TEAM
PLAYER
VITALS
Orlando
Brandon Rush Position: SG
Height: 6-7
Weight: 205
Age: 22
School: Kansas
The skinny: There's quite a bit of buzz over Rush at the moment. He's got the size, athleticism and shooting ability needed to excel as an NBA 2-guard. He is also an excellent defender and should be ready to step in and contribute right away. He's a perfect fit for Orlando.
PICK
TEAM
PLAYER
VITALS
Utah
Roy Hibbert Position: C
Height: 7-2
Weight: 275
Age: 21
School: Georgetown
The skinny: Is there a better fit for Hibbert than Utah? He needs a team that excels in half-court sets. His size and scoring ability make him an asset as long, as you don't ask him to run the floor or play 40 minutes a game.
PICK
TEAM
PLAYER
VITALS
Seattle
(via Phoenix)
Serge Ibaka Position: PF
Height: 6-10
Weight: 220
Age: 18
Country: Congo
The skinny: Expect Sonics GM Sam Presti to use a trick or two from his days in San Antonio and look internationally with his second pick. Ibaka has the talent to be a potential lottery pick someday, but he's still very raw. The Sonics can leave him over in Spain and reap the benefits down the road.
PICK
TEAM
PLAYER
VITALS
Houston
J. J. Hickson Position: PF
Height: 6-9
Weight: 240
Age: 19
School: NC State
The skinny: The Rockets got a big boost from rookie Luis Scola this season, but they could still use another strong, bruising power forward like Hickson. He's not ready for the NBA yet, but the Rockets can afford to develop him.
PICK
TEAM
PLAYER
VITALS
San Antonio
Nicolas Batum Position: SF
Height: 6-8
Weight: 210
Age: 19
Country: France
The skinny: This low in the draft, the Spurs almost always look to the future, and I expect them to do it again. Batum has a lot of talent, but he needs more time in France to develop it. In a couple of years, San Antonio will look really smart.
PICK
TEAM
PLAYER
VITALS
New Orleans
Bill Walker Position: SF
Height: 6-6
Weight: 235
Age: 20
School: Kansas State
The skinny: Walker could be a major coup for the Hornets if he's still on the board here. A year and a half ago, teams were talking about him as a top-5 pick. An ACL injury stopped that talk, but sources say his weight is finally down and his explosiveness is back. He and Chris Paul could make for a dynamite backcourt if Walker plays 2-guard.
PICK
TEAM
PLAYER
VITALS
Memphis
Nathan Jawai Position: PF
Height: 6-10
Weight: 270
Age: 21
Country: Australia
The skinny: The Grizzlies need a power forward with some real power, and Jawai has that in abundance. He's coming off a big year in Australia, and his game resembles Elton Brand's a little. At this point in the draft, he's worth the risk.
PICK
TEAM
PLAYER
VITALS
Detroit
Chris Douglas-Roberts Position: SG
Height: 6-6
Weight: 195
Age: 21
School: Memphis
The skinny: The Pistons thrive on getting players who don't get the respect they probably deserve. Adding CDR as a reserve who can play the 2 and 3 and provide some scoring off the bench seems like a steal here.
PICK
TEAM
PLAYER
VITALS
Boston
Ante Tomic Position: C
Height: 7-2
Weight: 237
Age: 21
School: Croatia
The skinny: The Celtics don't need rookies right now, and Tomic is stuck in a contract for the next few years overseas. They can afford to let him develop and hope in a few years he can be a building block.
Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN Insider.
Because they don't already with late round French picks.San Antonio
Nicolas Batum Position: SF
Height: 6-8
Weight: 210
Age: 19
Country: France
The skinny: This low in the draft, the Spurs almost always look to the future, and I expect them to do it again. Batum has a lot of talent, but he needs more time in France to develop it. In a couple of years, San Antonio will look really smart.
Maybe the Spurs shock us and go domestic in the 1st round.
On second thought, I hope not.
Draft-n-Stash on autopilot even in the predictions now.
Yeah...uh Chad, if you're guessing it, we aren't doing it.
I've not seen Batum that low in mocks yet, but Joe Alexander is rising fast and Budinger may take his earlier spot, too. Time was, Batum closely followed Galinari at the SF position, but questions about his passiveness abound. Still, if he falls to us, he'd be a good pick.
Has anybody guessed our picks correctly in the last 10 years ? Duncan was probably the last time.
1) Picks that late are almost impossible to guess, unless word of a promise has come out.
2) The Spurs keep their cards close to their chest.
3) But, we know what kinds of players the Spurs like and what positions they need.
4) We can get a sense of who they may be looking at.
5) It's still fine to discuss it.
Spurs may have some interest in Casspi at #26.
Bill Walker at 26 would be a bit of a reach. If he's around at 47 he might be worth it.
Batum sounds good. But it would seem that the Spurs need to find a replacement for the Finley/Barry tandem -- they have plenty of young bigs stashed away.
Rodrigue Beaubois perhaps in the 2nd round.
I'll be in shock if we get him
I even hear raptors fans wanting him -_-
Agreed. I just gave up trying to guess a long time ago. Ian Mahinmi ? Forget about it.
If Batum fell it would be the second year in a row of getting a lottery-potential foreign player because too many teams either wanted immediate production or fell in love with 'their player'. Splitter never should have lasted that long.
That said, I doubt Batum is around. If he is, the Spurs would be hard-pressed not to take him.
Given the scenario that Chad layed out, I would take Walker in the Spurs place. That would leave them with
Bigs - Bonner, Duncan, Oberto, Mahinmi, Splitter, FA (Likely Thomas resigned with Bird Rights)
Wings - Ginobili, Barry, Bowen, Udoka, Walker, MLE FA
PGs - Parker, Vaughn (He has a player option for another year, which I suspect he will take), 2nd round pick or FA for the LLE
Picking Batum to leave him in Europe puts them into a weaker position, as they will be forced to either go for a player for the minimum or split the MLE. If they intend to offer a short contract (in accordance with the Major rebuild in 2010 scenario), splitting the MLE would leave them very short of leverage...
Brandon Rush might be nice there, but i doubt Batum or Rush will be at 26.
This kid's been projected as a lottery pick pretty much since forever, I could have sworn not too long ago (a year or so) I even saw him going no. 1 in some mock drafts, and even now he's at worst projected to go 10 spots earlier than we pick. So my question is, did something happen that his stock plummeted, or is Chad Ford on drugs?
AFAIK there's no reason Batum has to stay over in Europe, although it's an option. I don't know about any buy-outs.
Bill Walker is strictly a second rounder, to me. I don't get the appeal, especially with his at ude. He doesn't seem to be a Spurs player. He'll never be the player Batum is right now, given Batum's flaws. Given Ford's board, and if Batum weren't available, I'd look to Courtney Lee, JR Giddens, or for a back-up point.
Chad Ford is on drugs. Or published his draft mock draft.
Am I the only one that thinks Love will be a huge lottery bust?
I think you're seriously underestimating young Mr. Walker. He's shown a freakish level of athleticism and body strength. He's shown a willingness to commit to putting effort in on D. He's only 20 years old. He's shown flashes of a jumpshot and midrange game. He is a devestating slasher who can get to the hoop. He also rebounds strongly... His game is not very polished, but there's very little wrong with it. He's also shown significant mental toughness, coming back from significant injuries, and he raised his game in the NCAA tournament at crunch time for his team... His at ude problems appear no worse than those of SJAX, and he was really useful...
Also, Batum is, IMO, not ready to come to the NBA now. Bill Walker could survive limited minutes and develop as he went.
I agree. Spurs like to go overseas with a low first round position pick to save immediate dollars.
Batum probably won't fall that far and Casspi is the next project from overseas on the charts that would fit.
pad, if Bill Walker turns out to be anything like a decent bench player and the Spurs have picked him, I will be happy. But I doubt the first will happen and the second has something like a negative ratio.
Few days ago Batum said in french newspaper that he has 2 options for next year : either playing one more year in a good Euroleague team (in Spain, Italy or Greece), either comming in NBA. Then He said he's made his decision and he now wants to join NBA next year.
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