UPDATED 2009 NBA Mock Draft due to Patrick Patterson withdrawing from the draft.
Here is Ridiculous Upside's 2009 NBA Mock draft, version 2.0, as the lottery on May 19 will certainly bring more changes. As always, check out our Guide To Mock Drafts to answer any questions before any flambéing occurs. After the jump we provide brief analysis on all 30 picks, along with links to blogs about each team and player. Feel the excitement!!
Also, any issues? Leave feedback in the comments! Unless it's where I slotted a big man.. Then just know I hate them just as much as you do, but I did have reasoning for selecting them there. If your mock draft is better, post it in the fan shots and, if we like it, it could make the front page!
| Pick | Team | Selection |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sacramento Kings | Ricky Rubio |
| 2 | Washington Wizards | Blake Griffin |
| 3 | Los Angeles Clippers | James Harden |
| 4 | Oklahoma City Thunder | Hasheem Thabeet |
| 5 | Minnesota Timberwolves | Brandon Jennings |
| 6 | Memphis Grizzlies | Jordan Hill |
| 7 | Golden State Warriors | Tyreke Evans |
| 8 | New York Knicks | Ty Lawson |
| 9 | Toronto Raptors | Demar DeRozan |
| 10 | Milwaukee Bucks | Jonny Flynn |
| 11 | New Jersey Nets | James Johnson |
| 12 | Charlotte Bobcats | Gerald Henderson |
| 13 | Indiana Pacers | Jrue Holiday |
| 14 | Phoenix Suns | Earl Clark |
| 15 | Detroit Pistons | DeJuan Blair |
| 16 | Chicago Bulls | Stephen Curry |
| 17 | Philadelphia 76ers | Jeff Teague |
| 18 | Minnesota Timberwolves | Terrence Williams |
| 19 | Atlanta Hawks | BJ Mullens |
| 20 | Utah Jazz | Eric Maynor |
| 21 | New Orleans Hornets | Tyler Hansborough |
| 22 | Dallas Mavericks | Patrick Mills |
| 23 | Sacramento Kings | Sam Young |
| 24 | Portland Trailblazers | Austin Daye |
| 25 | Oklahoma City Thunder | Darren Collison |
| 26 | Chicago Bulls | Gani Lawal |
| 27 | Memphis Grizzlies | Chase Budinger |
| 28 | Minnesota Timberwolves | Omri Casspi |
| 29 | Los Angeles Lakers | Nick Calathes |
| 30 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
Wayne Ellington |
1. Sacramento Kings - Ricky Rubio PG (DKV Joventut)
Griffin has been the consensus number one overall, but according to Sactown Royalty, fans wouldn't be against Rubio either (They started Beno Udrih in many games last season, why would they be against finding a better PG?) Rubio's been getting hyped forever, and with good reason - ater a solid Olympic performance with Team Spain, scouts are drooling even more. Rubio's young, gifted and a true point guard. Plus, isn't this just a Maloof sexy pick waiting to happen after drafting bigs in the lottery the past two seasons? First Year D-League probabilty - 0%
2. Washington Wizards - Blake Griffin PF (Oklahoma Sophomore)
Griffin is a complete monster, shown via his domination of all things college basketball, including the ladies. Typically considered the top player of the draft, he falls to the Wizards based purely on team needs. Drafting Blake Griffin, I assume would be that the Wizards would go big with Butler at the 2 and Jamison at the 3 to fit Griffin in the starting lineup. There are some bullets in that lineup. FYDLP - 0%
3. Los Angeles Clippers -James Harden SG/SF (Arizona State Sophomore)
He is not the best athlete in the draft - he plays more like a crafty vet with high basketball IQ and strong fundamentals. I really like Harden, and the Clippers seem reasonably set for bigs. The wing though, could use some definite work - Ricky Davis looks like a starter as it stands. FYDLP - 0%
4. Oklahoma City Thunder - Hasheem Thabeet C (UCONN Junior)
Thabeet is a rare player, a 7'3 center who blocks everything. Just his presence makes players flinch and blow easy lay-ups. He also can hit a 15-foot jump shot and is not a horrible FT shooter for a player of his size. The ThunderSonics have not had the greatest luck drafting 7-foot+ dudes (Mo Sene, Robert Swift, Johan Petro), but I think Thabeet would fit very well with this team. FYDLP -0%
5. Minnesota Timberwolves - Brandon Jennings PG (Lottomatica Roma, Italy)
Jennings was rated by some people as the #1 player in his high school class. He has tons of talent, but ended up in Italy after his grades didn't live to Arizona's standards. He didn't do anything special in Europe, but we think he'll be a better NBA player. Jennings is special and the Wolves desperately need a point guard. FYDLP - 0%
6. Memphis Grizzlies -Jordan Hill PF (Arizona Junior)
Hill is big, strong, athletic and willing to pound the glass and defend the post - you will have a man crush on him soon. He averaged 18 points and 11 rebounds per game this past season at Arizona - double-double's in college aren't easy to come by. Darrell Arthur, as he showed last season, is not the answer. Hill could be. My favorite part? He says himself he has "Ridiculous" Upside. FYDLP - 4%
7. Golden State Warriors - Tyreke Evans G (Memphis Freshman)
Evans began his freshman season as a 2-guard at Memphis, but exploded when John Calipari moved him to the point. The Golden State Warriors would be very happy to have him here, as he's big enough to play either position and can handle the ball. Hopefully his size would be able to offset what Monta Ellis brings to this team as his backcourt mate. FYDLP - 7%
8. New York Knicks - Ty Lawson PG (UNC Junior)
Mike D'antoni wants to play at high speeds and no one knows how to play fast better than Lawson. He's the type of point D'antoni likes - perfect for the Knicks. If Griffin wasn't the biggest no-brainer of the draft at the two-spot, this is. FYDLP - 5%
9. Toronto Raptors - Demar DeRozan SG (USC Freshman)
DeRozan is a pure scorer, as he can hit from deep or remind you of Vince Carter with his finishes at the rim. He was the best freshman coming into this draft and improved at USC as the season wore on. Could he one day evolve into the 2nd coming of Vince Carter for the Raptors? If he can find some handles and bring some defense, the Raptors will be getting a steal. FYDLP - 11%
10. Milwaukee Bucks - Jonny Flynn PG (Syracuse Sophomore)
The Bucks will more than likely either be without Charlie Villanueva or Ramon Sessions next season. In a weak draft for forwards, it seems like a good idea to hold onto Villanueva and let Sessions find greener pastures. He actually has ridiculous upside and can be a stud in the NBA. The only thing that worries us is his shooting, but not enough to hurt his stock after his impressive Big East tourney. FYDLP - 16%
11. New Jersey Nets - James Johnson SF (Wake Forest Sophomore)
The Nets need a small forward. Johnson can play the small forward. He's got a big body, he's versatile, he can score, and he's only going to get better. He should be able to contribute right away. FYDLP - 9%
12. Charlotte Bobcats - Gerald Henderson SG (Duke Junior)
Henderson is a stud. At defense anyway. Offensively, he's a bit questionable, but I think he can develop this aspect of his game. Raja Bell is an expiring contract for next season, meaning Henderson will be able to develop under him before pairing with Gerald Wallace as one of the better defensive tandems in the league. FYDLP - 21%
This is going to be a good pick for the Pacers, as they're looking for a player to shore up the point guard spot and I think Holiday could make a good filler. He plays great defense, he rebounds the ball well for his size, and he's quick enough to get to the rim and finish. FYDLP - 27%
14. Phoenix Suns - Earl Clark SF/PF (Louisville Junior)
This pick is basically best available, and I don't have any player better left on the board. Grant Hill and Matt Barnes are both expiring contracts, leading me to believe that they could possibly look for a small forward. Clark is more of a combo-forward at 6'9", he plays more like point-forward with his high basketball IQ. Not much of a shooter, but he's pretty well-rounded otherwise. FYDLP - 18%
The Pistons are potentially losing Rasheed Wallace, Jason Maxiell and Antonio McDyess. Needless to say, they could use a power forward. In a draft that is weak on bigs, Blair is the only player semi-deserving of this spot. He is, at least, big, if not quite tall enough. Hopefully he measures out as a lot longer than you'd assume. FYDLP - 32%
The Bulls seem to be losing Ben Gordon this season - an unconcious shooter with a slight frame. Fortunately, at least in this version, Curry is going to be here, and be a scorer in the NBA. He is going to come into the NBA and hit shots, possibly filling in for Gordon and filling into a rotation at the point as well. I don't like Stephen Curry, but I like him here. FYDLP - 37%
17. Philadelphia 76ers - Jeff Teague PG (Wake Forest Sophomore)
Andre Miller's contract is up and it doesn't seem like he'll be back. Teague would have been a lottery pick earlier in the year - the Sixers are getting a steal as a replacement for Miller. Teague is very athletic and fun to watch - scorer first, but learning to be a distributor. FYDLP - 30%
18. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Heat) - Terrence Williams SF (Louisville Senior)
Williams can't shoot, but he can do pretty much everything else. He plays exceptional defense, he's strong, and he's one of the better athletes in this draft. His weaknesses come mainly from his basketball IQ, as he just doesn't seem to understand how to score on the offensive end. Regardless, kid can play. FYDLP - 70%
19. Atlanta Hawks - B.J. Mullens C (Ohio State Freshman)
Mullens is a long way way from contributing in the NBA. He is big and young though and can develop if he puts in work. Good hands, soft touch, and reasonably athletic raw big men have went much higher than this in previous drafts. Does that mean this will work out? Almost certainly not. Zaza's expiring this year though, and they don't have another center on the roster, so this might not be a bad pick. FYDLP - 82%
20. Utah Jazz - Eric Maynor PG (VCU Senior)
Most people haven't heard much about Maynor, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have talent. He's very quick, sees the floor well and is developing his jump shot (though it's not as bad as that sounds). He's a guy that lives for clutch situations - and does well when he gets into them. FYDLP - 42%
21. New Orleans Hornets - Tyler Hansbrough PF (UNC Senior)
The Hornets are weak up front. Hansbrough, if nothing else, is tough. With Sean Marks, Melvin Ely and even Ryan Bowen expiring this season, I don't think this is much of a reach. Regardless, I like this pick FYDLP - 74%
22. Dallas Mavericks - Patrick Mills PG (St. Mary's Sophomore)
Basically, Dallas is not going to find a starter in this draft. They just won't. With Kidd expiring though, they should be looking for a point guard, so why not take the best available. Mills is quick and knows how to play basketball. My only hope would be that they don't trade him right before he breaks out like they did Devin Harris. FYDLP -75%
23. Sacramento Kings (From Rockets)- Sam Young SF (Pittsburgh Senior)
For some reason, I really like Young. I don't think Sacramento would mind him either. While they started Francisco Garcia at small forward this season, he's more of an offensive specialist. Bringing Young off the bench as a lockdown defender would be a great scenario as he compliments Sacramento well with his defense. FYDLP - 68%
24. Portland Trailblazers - Austin Daye F (Gonzaga Freshman)
Daye could easily be a lottery pick because of his size and skill set as a 6'10 wing, but he could also be the next Jared Jeffries. I don't think he is ready yet for the NBA and needs to add some weight and another year of seasoning at Gonzaga. If he stays in, somebody will take a flyer on him, and probably higher than this. Plus, he's semi-local! Fun for the whole family! FYDLP - 88%
26. Chicago Bulls (From Nuggets) - Patrick Patterson PF (Kentucky Sophomore)
Patterson has good low post skills and can really finish, though he's undersized at what looks to me a generous listing of 6'8". As of today, there are rumors he'll return to Kentucky, though nothing official yet, so we're keeping him in. Patterson would be a steal for the Bulls if he falls this far, and would also be a great fit. Now if only VDN remembers he can use power forwards rather than four guards a center... FYDLP - 80% UPDATE: Since Patterson is going back to Kentucky, Gani Lawal, Georgia Tech PF is our new pick. VDN obviously doesn't like Tyrus Thomas, so by default, I'm giving him the best power forward available at this spot.
27. Memphis Grizzlies (From Magic) - Chase Budinger SF (Arizona Junior)
Budinger, even though his stock has fallen ever since winning the McDonald's dunk contest, wouldn't be a terrible pick here. I don't like him, but I feel he'll probably go higher than this. FYDLP - 84%
28. Minnesota Timberwolves (From Celtics) - Omri Casspi SF/PF (Maccabi Tel-Aviv)
Simply put, Minnesota probably won't bring all three picks in this season. Casspi could shore up the forward spot next season once they decide that Brewer and Gomes just aren't great options. I know this isn't a sexy pick, but I don't think it's a bad pick. FYDLP - 84%
29. Los Angeles Lakers - Nick Calathes PG (Florida Sophomore)
Calathes can play. He's tall, he has good court vision, and knows how to run an offense. Passing is what he do though. All the time, which ocassionally causes problems - like when he tries passes only Steve Nash could make - back in the day. FYDLP - 80%
30. Cleveland Cavaliers - Wayne Ellington G (UNC Junior)
Ellington can shoot the basketball for a living. He's got ice in his veins. Cleveland doesn't really have a position of need, meaning they're free to take the best player available. In this situation, it looks Ellington goes to the LeBron's - not a bad gig as a shooter off the bench. FYDLP - 80%
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