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Bonus Question: Who is this?

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Alright, we're dealing with a literal draft hangover today.  In lieu of my analysis (all of the other sites have beat me to this), check out the individual SBNBA blogs!  They're fun, exciting and informative! 

While you're here though, let us take a pop quiz!

1. What the hell happened to DeJuan Blair?  Didn't scout know he didn't have knees when he was a lottery projection in March?

2. Will Ricky Rubio play in the NBA this season?  Will he play for the Timberwolves?

3. Biggest happening yesterday?

4.  Favorite name in the second round: Nando, Chinemelu or Henk?

5.  Highest pick that will play in the D-League this season?

6.  David Kahn - what's his deal?

7.  Are you happy Darko was once again freed?

8.  Was Donnie Walsh drafting for his new D-League team?

9.  How disgusting is that OKC traded for BJ Mullens?

10.  The Spurs - Geek to chic?

Boom.  The floor is yours.  Discuss at will.  Whoever can get all 10 of these questions right will win a text from me, congratulating you.  I would also be willing to send some four-bean casserole my mom sent me, if interested.

1. Who will be the 2nd pick?

2. Who will be the biggest bust?

3. Who will go more than 7 picks too high?

4. Who has Ridiculous Upside?

5. Why is Scott Schroeder the man?  His poem writing abilities?

6. What are your extended thoughts on the NBA D-League?

7. Who is your favorite, not best, player in the draft?  Why?

8. Which mock draft is more agreeable through 29 picks?  SBN's own, or BDL's version?

9. What's my favorite color?

10. Which trade thus far will have the biggest impact next season?

Tie Breaker: Which player will soon be traded that hasn't been traded yet?

With the twenty-ninth pick in the SBNation Mock Draft, the Los Angeles Lakers (We know they sold it, but we're still putting this up because we felt like it), represented by Dexter Fishmore over at Silver Screen and Roll, select... (Drum Roll please)

With the next-to-last pick in the first round, assuming it hasn't been traded away by the time you read this, the Virtual Lakers select Nick Calathes of Florida. Woo... hoo?

You'll forgive Laker fans if their level of excitement for this year's draft is something less than feverish. Prospect hounds hither and yon seem to agree that the 2009 harvest is an uncommonly poor one, and even were that not the case, the end of the first round is never where a defending champ restocks for the repeat campaign. Draft day, after all, is the yearly occasion the NBA devotes to punishing the successful. You say you were the best player in the college game last year? Congratulations! Donald Sterling as a W-2 for you to fill out. Your franchise just won 65 games and a league title? Good for you. Now kindly chill for a couple hours while your vanquished opponents are afforded exclusive negotiating rights to the best prospects. Once they're done, we'll let you sift through the bargain bin for a little something for your D-League roster.

The institution bears the stink of Marxian class warfare and would no doubt make the Founding Fathers' blood run cold.

But back to Calathes. He's a 20-year-old nominal point guard who was the best player on a couple NIT Gator teams. Depending on whom you ask, he's either 6'5" or 6'6", which would normally mean that he's too tall to play the point in the Association; the Lakers' system, however, doesn't require or even really prefer a drive-and-distribute point guard in the classical mold. Phil Jackson has always had a fondness for tall, hybrid guards who can pass and defend - think Ron Harper - an archetype that Calathes fits into quite snugly. He needs to get stronger and work on his free-throw stroke, but his shooting from the field has been sound enough to suggest that the skills are there, and that improvement from the line will occur in due course.

And here's the best part: the Lakers won't have to pay him next year! He's headed off to Greece to play for Panathinaikos, which works out great for everyone concerned. The Lakers don't have any minutes for him yet and have better uses for their money than to pay a rookie benchwarmer. And in A1 Ethniki, Nick will face better competishe than he would in the D League. So while he's off doing the sorts of things all American postcollegiates do in Europe - growing unfortunate facial hair, learning to ride a Vespa and developing enthusiastic opinions about public health care - the Lakers will keep an eye on his evolving skills and, a year from now, decide whether buying out his Euro deal and putting him on a rookie scale contract is less hassle than negotiating with the Chinese government to keep Sun Yue in the States.

(Also, it will give everyone a year to learn how to pronounce Calathes, which I think rhymes with pilates. Please note, however, that I'm not entirely sure how to pronounce pilates either.)

Anyhow. Enjoy Greece, Nick. We'll call you when we need you.

Well, we couldn't get a pick from CanisHoopus... so we made one up.. -- Scott

With the 28th pick in the 2009 SBN Mock Draft, The Minnesota Timberwolves select.... (Drum Roll Please)

JONAS JEREBKO.....uhhhh who?  Yeah that's right, the Wolves are taking Jonas Jerebko, little known Swedish forward who sounds like he's from Croatia!

There are several reasons the Timberwolves need a guy like Jonas.  1.) He's from Sweden, and therefore unlike 99% of NBA players, he won't complain about the weather in Minnesota or try to flee to Miami after three season.  2.) He looks and sounds like he should be a Jonas Brother.  3.) DraftExpress.com says he's pretty good, and if you have a chance to trust that Jon Givony guy on a draft pick, you do it.

   

Long lost brothers? Jonas Jerebko is gonna bring the noise and the funk to the T-Wolves

Find out more about Jonas Jerebko after the Jump!

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This morning I had planned to debut our final mock draft.  That mock was going to have elaborate explanations that no one would disagree with, making me the top mock drafter in the World.  Unfortunately, after doing my research (checking out the mock's of Jon Givony and Chad Ford, reading through the rumors round up, writing a poem, etc.), I found that this is going to be one of the most random drafts in awhile, and instead decided to keep my credibility.  I mean, essentially after Shaq trade among others, I would have had to develop a whole new thought process in 12 hours!  Instead, we're foregoing the final mock and doing a post on just how random the NBA Draft process is.

Remember last year, when Brandon Jennings was the top point guard in his class, dominated the McDonald's All-American game while showing some swagger, and everyone thought he was going to be the next big thing?  Well, now the mocks are ranking him in the late teens.  At the beginning of this process, six weeks ago, he was top sevenish.  Since then, he's called Ricky Rubio out, performed well at some workouts, and skipped the Eurocamp.  I don't really get it.  I want to blame his falling stock on heading to Europe instead of heading to the D-League, but I really don't know how he slips so many picks in so little time.

How about Stephen Curry?  People didn't think he'd be able to get much better.  Late lottery at best as of last season, many people thought.  Instead, he developed some point guard skills and turned himself into a top 10 pick.  The biggest downside, I had heard, was that his athleticism just wouldn't suffice in the NBA.  Well, his combine numbers showed that's improved, and yesterday I got an e-mail from someone in the know, giving me some insight as to why:  

We hear that Stephen Curry is preparing his body for the NBA under the watchful eye of private strength coach Steve Kostorowski at the Water Street Gym. Not a bad place to start when you the consider the pros that have been through his program. All-Stars Chris Paul and David West both trained for their initial assault on the league with Steve and recent years have seen Rudy Gay and Joey Dorsey lifting, squatting and jumping at the private facility in Washington's Georgetown neighborhood. We understand that the workouts are big on injury-prevention and improving the player's "Athleticism."

Remember Jonny Flynn this regular season? No? Well, do you remember him come tournament time? I thought so. In about a month's span, he improved his stock tremendously via his smile and toughness in the million overtime game - in the process, stealing Holly MacKenzie's heart. Now, he's a possible top five pick in a draft loaded with talent at his position!

Essentially, what I'm getting at, is the NBA Draft process is, in a word, fickle.  Things are constantly changing, mostly behind closed doors.  Some player's stock rises, some stock falls, but through it all, it's exciting.  Ever changing, excruciating to try and keep track of, but awesome and easily one of the top moments of the year.

'Twas the night before the Draft and all through the 'net,

All the creatures are stirring to spew idle threats!

"Jrue won't play here! Or there!" super(?)agent Dan Fegan'll say,

But that tone may change, come 6 o'clock Thursday.

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Due to me having no idea what's going to happen with the Timberwolves pick at 28 (Do they keep it? Draft a big? Draft a point? Draft and stash an overseas player? Sell it? Trade it? the options are ENDLESS) and  a lack of return emails (not naming any names, specifically of the scientific variety), this mock draft is going to go on hold.  In the mean time, Silver Screen and Roll for Lakers info (29th pick),  Fear The Sword for Cavs info (30th pick) and the BDL Mock Draft with SB Nation picks.

Though it may not be at pick number 27, the Rockets are looking to buy a late first round pick or early second round pick in this year's draft. But because we are assuming that Memphis is a possible suitor at 27 (or, rather, since we've run dry of Grizz bloggers), with the pick, the Houston Rockets, represented by the Tom Martin over at The Dream Shake, select shooting guard Marcus Thornton of LSU.

The Rockets don't have too many holes to fill, and adding the best guard available, Nick Calathes, as a possible Euro option was certainly intriguing. But GM Daryl Morey likes our current point guard situation (especially Kyle Lowry) so much that he'll address our foremost need, that being the shooting guard position. Houston's best case scenario is that Tracy McGrady comes back healthy and produces from the 2-guard position. But if that doesn't work out, adding Thornton to the mix of shooting guards on our roster would be a smart decision. He would push James White for his roster spot right off the start in camp, assuming we don't re-sign Von Wafer. If Wafer stays, then one of the three may not make the team, but at least the Rockets will give themselves as many options as possible.

Drafting a center, such as Josh Heytfelt, to back up Yao Ming was also an option here, but the Rockets will most likely address that need in free agency.

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With the twenty-sixth pick in the SBNation Mock Draft, the Chicago Bulls, represented by BlogABull, select... (Drum Roll please)

From yfBB: Chase Budinger.  Another projected role player who should at least have one set NBA skill, shooting. The Bulls don't really have an offensive system besides letting Rose run around while others launch a lot of 3s, and Budinger can do that for a few minutes a game. I could say losing Gordon or Hinrich makes shooting an actual need, but I won't pretend the 26th pick in this draft is going to solve any real problems that losing either or both of those rotation players would cause.

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