NBA Mock Draft - Version 3.0 (Lottery Picks)

Player: Derrick Rose
Position: PG
College: Memphis
Year: Freshman
Age: 19 year old
Ht/Wt: 6′3″/195
V1.0: 1^st
V2.0: 1^st

Notes: To me this is a no brainer, even though the more I read the more it seems it might not be so easy for the Bulls front office. I am going to keep Rose at the number one position, but he might fall in the next one. However I see it as a huge mistake if the Bulls do not go after a home town hero who can be a floor general and a good defender.

Player: Michael Beasley
Position: PF
College: Kansas State
Age: 19 year old
Ht/Wt: 6′8″/238
V1.0: 2^nd
V2.0: 2^nd

Notes: Here too, just like with Rose, it seems that the team and the player might not be as sure fitting as it was when I did V2.0 of my mock draft. Again I am going to keep this one the same for this time, but I have a feeling that here to there might be a switch come V4.0. Again, just like with the top pick, I see not taking Beasley as a mistake, since this young man can score on each and every possession and can do so from inside or outside.

Player: O.J. Mayo
Position: SG
College: USC
Age: 20 year old
Ht/Wt: 6′4″/200
V1.0: 6^th
V2.0: 6^th

Notes: It seems that Mayo has been catching fire with his work outs. It also seems that whatever happened off the field is not going to affect him come June 26^th one bit. It is hard to believe that the Timberwolves will draft the guard out of USC, but that is what I am reading more and more. I have to believe that when it is said and done this is going to be a trade bait of sorts. And by that I mean either they are hyping this up so that someone comes and makes a trade for their pick or they are going to draft the young man to then send them elsewhere for some veteran top player.

Player: Jerryd Bayless
Position: PG
College: Arizona
Age: 19 year old
Ht/Wt: 6′3″/205
V1.0: 4^th
V2.0: 4^th

Notes: Bayless seems to be bound for this spot, one that fits him and the Sonics well. Of the top five picks in this year’s draft I am starting to believe that this one is the closest to being a lock, but with what is going on above them, I wouldn’t be surprised if Seattle moves out of this spot. As I said in the first mock he might not be the pure point guard, but he will do a great job for this team.

Player: Kevin Love
Position: PF
College: UCLA
Age: 19 year old
Ht/Wt: 6′10″/255
V1.0: 9^th
V2.0: 5^th

Notes: One thing is for sure, Memphis needs a presense inside. The unsure part of this is who they are going to pick. Love is pretty much NBA ready and that is why I have him in this spot, but do not count out Brook Lopez or Anthony Randolph from going here. If I was the Grizzlies I would take the big man from UCLA because they know what they will have for years to come, but if this team is looking for the magic word (potential) Love might just slip from this spot.

Player: Russell Westbrook
Position: PG
College: UCLA
Age: 19 years old
Ht/Wt: 6′3″/195
V1.0: 15^th
V2.0: 12^th

Notes: The rising star of my mock draft has to be Westbrook, as he went from out of the lottery pick all the way to sixth. I think that the Knicks need a leader, and with the way that team is all messed up it only makes sense that an East coast squad would find a West coast player to lead it!

Player: Eric Gordon
Position: SG
College: Indiana
Age: 19 year old
Ht/Wt: 6′3″/215
V1.0: 7^th
V2.0: 7^th

Notes: This is another pick that could be a lock if not for the fact that the team is looking to move up at all costs. Gordon is going to be the “fall back” player if the team can not move up with a trade of sorts. I think that Gordon can do a good job for them, since this LA team need a scorer and the young man from Indiana fits that bill well. Look for the Clippers to trade at all costs from this spot, to either move up for a point guard or move down to get a veteran and someone else.

Player: Joe Alexander
Position: SF
College: West Virginia
Age: 21 year old
Ht/Wt: 6′8″/220
V1.0: 13^th
V2.0: 13^th

Notes: The team needs a small forward, the top two available are Gallinari and Alexander. I put Alexander here because from what people are saying too many people figure that getting Gallinari would be just having another Yi Jianlin. On the other hand, while Alexander is good, he does not seem to be ready for the NBA right away and will Milwaukee want to wait having a top ten pick. This is definitely a pick I could change in the next mock draft.

Player: Brook Lopez
Position: C
College: Stanford
Age: 20
Ht/Wt: 7′0″/255
V1.0: 3^rd
V2.0: 3^rd

Notes: While Westbrook has risen in every draft, Lopez has slipped for me. Not to say that he couldn’t be a top five pick, because when you get right down to it a good big man everyone wants. If Lopez does slip this far down, which I think he might, Michael Jordan and Larry Brown won’t hesitate to bring him to Charlotte.

Player: Anthony Randolph
Position: PF
College: LSU
Age: 18 year old
Ht/Wt: 6′10″/197
V1.0: 5^th
V2.0: 10^th

Notes: The Nets are set in the backcourt and need someone in the front court to do something for them. How can you let go of a player like Randolph, with the upside that he has? I think that this would be a great fit for both the team and the player, however I would not be surprised if the Nets go after someone like Gallinari as well. For now I am going to stick with Randolph since I think that he will be one of the players that five years from now people will think “we shouldn’t have passed up on him”.

Player: D.J. Augustin
Position: PG
College: Texas
Age: 20 year old
Ht/Wt: 6′0″/175
V1.0: 11
V2.0: 11^th

Notes: Again, another lock pick I think, as the Pacers need a point guard and the top one on their list (Westbrook) will be long gone. The second one, Augustin, will be there for them to bring to Indianapolis. If the Pacers do not go for this point guard it is because they are planning to trade whomever they draft (or someone on their roster) for a veteran guard. I think they will go for D.J. though, and they will be very happy for it.

Player: Kosta Koufos
Position: C
College: Ohio State
Age: 19
Ht/Wt: 7′1″/265
V1.0: 16^th
V2.0: 18^th

Notes: A player that in my opinion needs time to develop, but in time he can be a force inside and all the way out to the 3 point line. The biggest problem for Koufos is that his defense is not that good, even for the NBA standard. If a team believes that he can improve that part of the game he is definitely a lottery pick.

Player: Danilo Gallinari
Position: SF
College: (International/Italy)
Age: 19 year old
Ht/Wt: 6′9″/210
V1.0:
V2.0:

Notes: The young man from Italy has been slipping on my board, mainly because I think that has he works out a lot of GMs are seeing that maybe there is plenty of US born players just as good as this one from oversea. Portland can use someone that can do it inside and out, and Gallinari is called a point forward, making me feel that the this could be a good fit for both teams.

Player: Donte Greene
Position: SF
College: Syracuse
Age: 20 year old
Ht/Wt: 6′9″/220
V1.0: 14^th
V2.0: 14^th

Notes: As I have said in the two mock drafts before this one, Don Nelson loves big men that can shoot. Donte Greene fits that to a tee. I think that if he can work a bit on his paint offense he will become a very good pro player.