The NBA Development League Draft will be held tonight, via conference call, at 7 p.m. ET. Everything I've heard indicates Jamaal Tinsley will be the top pick, but as of Thursday morning, the rest is all up in the air.
I have written extensively about the best comeback stories, the best rookies and the top names in the Draft, but all of that doesn't really mean anything as there are two separate thought processes heading into tonight's festivities -- the NBA-owned/operated teams, of which there are nine, are focused on the best players with big league potential while the D-League teams just want to win.
The consensus top seven players in the draft seem to be Tinsley, Alando Tucker, Cedric Bozeman and Jamal Sampson with rookies Durrell Summers, Chris Wright and Cory Higgins all interesting youngsters with relatively ridiculous upside ... but how that list shakes out is anyone's guess.
If I were going to put together a mock draft this morning, after not deciding to gather any information until late Wednesday night, it would have to look something like this:
1. Los Angeles D-Fenders - Jamaal Tinsley, PG, Iowa State.
2. Austin Toros - Alando Tucker, SF, Wisconsin.
3. Maine Red Claws - Cedric Bozeman, SG/SF, UCLA.
4. Sioux Falls Skyforce - Osiris Eldridge, G, Illinois State.
5. Texas Legends - Jamal Sampson, C, Cal.
6. Bakersfield Jam (from Iowa Energy) - Durrell Summers, SG, Michigan State.
7. Erie BayHawks - Chris Wright, SF, Dayton.
8. Bakersfield Jam - Cory Higgins, SG, Colorado.
9. Erie BayHawks (from Idaho Stampede) - Mustapha Farrakhan, SG, Virginia
10. Fort Wayne Mad Ants - Edwin Ubiles, SF, Siena
11. Tulsa 66ers - Curtis Sumpter, SF, Villanova.
12. Dakota Wizards - Chris Daniels, C, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
13. Bakersfield Jam (from Reno Bighorns) - Mac Koshwal, C, DePaul
14. Rio Grande Valley Vipers - Jake Kelly, SG, Indiana State
15. Canton Charge - Gary Johnson, PF, Texas
16. Tulsa 66ers (from Springfield Armor) - Jarrid Famous, C, South Florida
That's an extremely rough draft. For a different mock draft, check here.
I've also heard that the Reno Bighorns are looking to move up into the first round and the Dakota Wizards are thinking about moving higher into the first round.
OS Editorial Note: Eric Musselman took the time to correct a few things in the Fox article linked to above. Here's a link to Amico's update.
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