First Annual NBA Draft Preview

Alright, here it is, the 1st annual White Hat Sports mock draft, as brought to you by Aaron Jackson. I've decided to make this a mix of two things; what I think the team should do and what I think the team will do. I'll do the series in groups of tens, and I'll start with the #1 pick.

1. Chicago Bulls-Michael Beasley: Yes, I am the guy that wrote a post saying Derek Rose should be the number 1 overall pick. And for just about any other team I would stick with that. But the Bulls need low post scoring, they have none at all. Beasley, worst case scenario, is probably Derrick Coleman, and even Coleman would be an improvement over just about anyone the Bulls currently throw out there. I do think Derrick Rose is a guaranteed superstar, and that Beasley isn't. But the Bulls have good guards already, and adding Beasley brings them to another level.

2. Miami Heat-Derrick Rose: Obviously, this draft is a two player draft at the top. While I wouldn't be surprised if the Heat traded this pick, I also know that Pat Riley is in love with Rose. A backcourt of Dwayne Wade and Rose will almost certainly be able to contend in the East, and they should have no problem adding more talent that want to play in Miami with such a talented duo. Personally, I would trade the pick if I was them because I think Rose is much more like Wade than people think, and having two similar players doesn't always work, but it'll be tough to find equal value.

3. Minnesota Timberwolves-O.J. Mayo: After the first two players in the draft the talent drops considerably. Mayo may have all kinds of talent, but he didn't wow me at any point at USC, and he doesn't seem to have a great attitude. The Wolves already have a player exactly like him: Rashad Mccants. That being said, if Mayo pans out and becomes what he potentially can, the Wolves look like idiots for not taking him. That, in the end, will force their hand into taking Mayo.

4. Seattle Supersonics-Eric Gordon: I think this guy will really do well in the NBA. A lot of scouts have the Sonics taking Jerryd Bayless here, but that is a huge gamble for them. I think Gordon has the higher upside, and I also think he is more likely to succeed in general. The problem is that Bayless is becoming the flavor of the month, and that may hurt Gordon, who's stock was higher earlier this year.

5. Memphis Grizzlies-Brook Lopez: You know how I feel about Stanford. I am the guy who said "I can't wait for the Lopez twins to be knocked out of the tournament, get drafted twenty spots too high, then go down the long road of underachieving big men." This was before they lost to Texas, and the first two parts of my prediction are right. Lopez is a lower first round talent trapped in a huge body, and his brother Robin is a guy that really probably shouldn't be drafted all together. I'll be the first one to admit I was wrong if he does well, but I don't see it happening.

6. New York Knicks-Danilo Gallinari: I haven't seen much of anything from this guy, but reading reports about him he sounds unbelievable. He may be good, he may not, but I think he will drafted here because of Mike Dantoni. I would like to see him play first, but if any of the reports are true this guy could be a great one. He will definitely fit in to Dantoni's system, and that's why he gets drafted here.

7. Los Angeles Clippers-Jerryd Bayless: I still think this is too high for him, but again, he's the flavor of the month. He could definitely be a good player, and he's shown flashes of developing into that. However, he lead Arizona almost nowhere, and that means something to me. Point guards are supposed to be leaders, and he didn't do that for Arizona. I could understand if a premier forward prospect can't lead his team far, but for a point guard to lead a very talented team nowhere shows me he doesn't have IT.

8. Milwaukee Bucks-Anthony Randolph: I don't really know where the Bucks go here. They have decent talent at every position, but besides Redd they don't have a genuine star at any position. I guess they are hoping Yi Jianlian turns into one, but I don't see it. If I was them I would've taken D.J. Augsustin here, but I think they go with Randolph because he's tall and has a lot of potential.

9. Charlotte Bobcats-Deandre Jordan: It's a toss-up for me here between Jordan and Kevin Love, but I give Jordan the advantage because of the failure so far of Sean May. May was built similarly to Love, and while Love has more range as a player, May has more athleticism. Jordan has a mix of both, and while he is all potential at this point, he could certainly pan out to become a good player.

10. New Jersey Nets-Darrell Arthur: This is basically a pick of needs only. They are set in their backcourt and small forward slots, but could use some front court depth. Sean Williams and Josh Boone are both young guys that are developing, and Arthur would fit right in with them. Arthur isn't the top player available, but he fits a need, and he isn't so far off the top slot that they can't take him here.

~Aaron Jackson