First Annual Draft Preview Part 2

Heres the second part of the three part series on the NBA draft. Lets get right into it.

11. Indiana Pacers-D.J. Augustin: I absolutely love this guy. He led the Texas Longhorns deep into the tournament, and really didn't have a whole lot around him. That is the first thing I look at when I look at point guards. He certainly showed maturity compared to his first year, and went from effectively wild to just plain effective. If I was drafting for an NBA team he would be the third guy on my draft board. I believe in him that much. Not only is he a great leader, but he can also score, and is a very good shooter. It's too bad he could go to a team like the Pacers that no one watches, but I have a feeling his name will be a household name in a couple of years.

12. Sacramento Kings-Russell Westbrook: Westbrook probably isn't going to ever be a scorer, but he can become a top of the line defender, and should be able to lead a playoff caliber team. I think this is a little high for him because of the fact that he struggles at times to score, but I've always said that you can survive in the NBA by doing one thing great, and he can certainly do that with his defense. I wouldn't ever expect much more than a 15 and 7 from him, but in this spot you could certainly do worse.

13. Portland Trail Blazers-Joe Alexander: If this was two years ago, the Blazers would take Donte Green from Syracuse here, a player who has plenty of talent but is very raw. It isn't, and the Blazers have really had some good drafts lately. I expect Alexander to help them continue down that path. This guy really impressed me last season, especially in the tournament. He can shoot, although he does need to work on his range, and he has plenty of athleticism. He also fits this team perfectly, and will work with Travis Outlaw well. I definitely have him as one of my sleepers in the draft this year.

14. Golden State Warriors-Tywon Lawson: ESPN has Kevin Love going here, and that makes me laugh. Could there be a player that fits the Warriors style of play less? Maybe Roy Hibbert, as at least Love throws good outlet passes. For me, this pick makes so much more sense. Baron Davis may or may not be staying around, but even if he does he is always an injury risk. Why not get a guy like Lawson who can come off the bench and actually run the team faster than Davis? This is a match made in heaven as far as I'm concerned.

15. Phoenix Suns-Brandon Rush: I really thought this guy was overrated his whole career, but then I watched him during this years tournament and went completely the other way. I now think he's underrated, and he is a guy who can contribute right now. For the Suns that is gold. They can't afford to wait for a guy to develop, but they also can't afford to continue to be complete idiots and trade their draft picks away. They probably should have won an NBA championship already, but they keep getting rid of their draft picks for cash. I expect this year they finally change that trend.

16. Philadelphia 76ers-Kevin Love: This is a good spot for Love, because he his weaknesses on defense won't be exposed as much with Samuel Dalembert at center and Andre Iguodola at the other forward. He can also step right into the starting rotation for the Sixers, who need a good power forward. If Love can play well I expect this Sixers team to really contend in the East, as AI2, Dalembert, Andre Miller and Louis Williams are really coming together.

17. Toronto Raptors-Chase Buddinger: This guy is a pure athlete and can really put the ball in the hoop. He's listed as a shooting guard, but I consider him more of a small forward at 6-7. The Raptors could really use a center, but at this slot I really don't see one worthy of their pick. They make take Kosta Koufos from Ohio State here, but I don't see it.

18. Washington Wizards-Marreese Speights: This guy has plenty of potential if he could just take the time to work at it. He is similar to Elton Brand in that he has a very wide frame, but the comparisons end there. He doesn't have the range of Brand, and he doesn't have the work ethic of Brand. If he can work at his game and his athleticism he can be a good player.

19. Cleveland Cavaliers-Roy Hibbert: I don't think Hibbert will ever live up to expectations, and he certainly didn't in college. That being said, he can be a productive NBA player. If he can work with Zydrunas Ilgauskas to improve his range and use the athletic ability he has to be effective then he can be a good player. He isn't ever going to wow you with his athletic ability, but he can become a smart player that starts in the league. I never thought he would amount to anything in college, but I'm starting to come around to the belief that if he is willing to work hard he can become a decent NBA player.

20. Denver Nuggets-Javale McGee: I'll be honest here, I don't know much about McGee. I do know that he is long and athletic, and at 6'10" that is what the Nuggets need. Two months ago I would have said they needed a guard here, but J.R. Smith really came on strong, and I think he can come in as the starting shooting guard next year. McGee is raw, but he should be able to help some off the bench for a team really needing defense.

~Aaron Jackson

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