I'm going to join the bandwagon and create my own NBA Mock Draft 2008. The NBA Draft 2008 is going to be held at the Wamu Theater in Madison Square Garden on June 26. Here I will try to predict which players lottery teams will pick in the upcoming draft.
1. Chicago - Derrick Rose - A lot of people are telling me that the Bulls have been longing for the ultimate post guy that will lead them to being a contender. But when you have a point guard who can orchestrate your offense in masterful way, passing up on Beasley wouldn't be so hard. Rose can create wide open shots with his dribble penetration, as there is no player he couldn't beat off the dribble. Rose is an excellent shooter, rebounder and defender.
2. Miami - Michael Beasley - Adding a talented big man into the Miami roster would help take the pressure off Dwyane Wade. With the presence of a big man, the floor can open up more for Dwyane Wade. Heat fans won't miss Shaq as they will be having a young dominant big man in a Heat jersey soon.
3. Minnesota - Brook Lopez - Lopez isn't in the same league as Rose or Beasley, but if paired with Al Jefferson, he could be a headache for other teams. Lopez has an amazing touch from the outside which can be a weapon if Al Jefferson would be double-teamed a lot. One of Lopez's strengths is his amazing conditioning.
4. Seattle - Jerryd Bayless - Bayless reminds me of Ben Gordon. He isn't that tall for the average shooting guard in the NBA, like Gordon. If Seattle picks him, he might see some time as a point guard, a position he proved he can play at. But his natural position would be shooting guard especially with his high-elevating jump shot.
5. Memphis - O.J. Mayo - I picked O.J. Mayo at this spot mainly because I don't see him not being in the top 5. Rudy Gay is the Grizzlies' main wing man, and Mayo may be in the same position as Gay. But Mayo's one-on-one game is far superior than Gay's. O.J. Mayo may end up being one of the great one-on-one players in the NBA. Whether its taking a shot off the dribble or backing his opponent up, Mayo can definitely score at will. He just has to control all the off-court distractions that are happening to him.
6. New York - Danilo Gallinari - Now that Mike D'Antoni is the head coach, I think Danilo Gallinari fits the New York Knicks. Gallinari is an open-court type of player and can be a weapon used by D'Antoni. For a 6-9 player, he has great ball handling skills. We may see him be used as a point-forward at times.
7. L.A. Clippers - Eric Gordon - Gordon is also like Mayo is terms of creating his own shot. But Eric Gordon is undersized for his position which can be a problem on defense. The Clippers would need a tall point guard (Shaun Livingston) to compensate with the height mismatch on the defensive end.
8. Milwaukee - Anthony Randolph - Randolph is a very skilled and athletic power forward. The only problem is, he is still very raw and young, something I'm not sure the Bucks would want. Randolph needs time to develop in the NBA before he can be a force. One aspect of his game that is amazing is how he creates plays of the dribble.
9. Charlotte - DeAndre Jordan - Like Randolph, Jordan is still very young but has a lot of promise. He reminds me of a not so stable Dwight Howard. When Jordan goes for dunks, he is amazing. But sometimes, he looks like he doesn't have a strong core or lower body. He needs to develop his body in order for him to become a threat in the low post.
10. New Jersey - Marreese Speights - Speights isn't one of those talked about prospects but is one of the more solid power forwards in this draft. The Nets are loaded with wing men and shooters, so drafting Speights could be a great addition.
These are my predictions for the 2008 NBA Draft this coming June. Let's see if my NBA Mock Draft 2008 would be accurate or not.
Niko's Sports Blog
1. Chicago - Derrick Rose - A lot of people are telling me that the Bulls have been longing for the ultimate post guy that will lead them to being a contender. But when you have a point guard who can orchestrate your offense in masterful way, passing up on Beasley wouldn't be so hard. Rose can create wide open shots with his dribble penetration, as there is no player he couldn't beat off the dribble. Rose is an excellent shooter, rebounder and defender.
2. Miami - Michael Beasley - Adding a talented big man into the Miami roster would help take the pressure off Dwyane Wade. With the presence of a big man, the floor can open up more for Dwyane Wade. Heat fans won't miss Shaq as they will be having a young dominant big man in a Heat jersey soon.
3. Minnesota - Brook Lopez - Lopez isn't in the same league as Rose or Beasley, but if paired with Al Jefferson, he could be a headache for other teams. Lopez has an amazing touch from the outside which can be a weapon if Al Jefferson would be double-teamed a lot. One of Lopez's strengths is his amazing conditioning.
4. Seattle - Jerryd Bayless - Bayless reminds me of Ben Gordon. He isn't that tall for the average shooting guard in the NBA, like Gordon. If Seattle picks him, he might see some time as a point guard, a position he proved he can play at. But his natural position would be shooting guard especially with his high-elevating jump shot.
5. Memphis - O.J. Mayo - I picked O.J. Mayo at this spot mainly because I don't see him not being in the top 5. Rudy Gay is the Grizzlies' main wing man, and Mayo may be in the same position as Gay. But Mayo's one-on-one game is far superior than Gay's. O.J. Mayo may end up being one of the great one-on-one players in the NBA. Whether its taking a shot off the dribble or backing his opponent up, Mayo can definitely score at will. He just has to control all the off-court distractions that are happening to him.
6. New York - Danilo Gallinari - Now that Mike D'Antoni is the head coach, I think Danilo Gallinari fits the New York Knicks. Gallinari is an open-court type of player and can be a weapon used by D'Antoni. For a 6-9 player, he has great ball handling skills. We may see him be used as a point-forward at times.
7. L.A. Clippers - Eric Gordon - Gordon is also like Mayo is terms of creating his own shot. But Eric Gordon is undersized for his position which can be a problem on defense. The Clippers would need a tall point guard (Shaun Livingston) to compensate with the height mismatch on the defensive end.
8. Milwaukee - Anthony Randolph - Randolph is a very skilled and athletic power forward. The only problem is, he is still very raw and young, something I'm not sure the Bucks would want. Randolph needs time to develop in the NBA before he can be a force. One aspect of his game that is amazing is how he creates plays of the dribble.
9. Charlotte - DeAndre Jordan - Like Randolph, Jordan is still very young but has a lot of promise. He reminds me of a not so stable Dwight Howard. When Jordan goes for dunks, he is amazing. But sometimes, he looks like he doesn't have a strong core or lower body. He needs to develop his body in order for him to become a threat in the low post.
10. New Jersey - Marreese Speights - Speights isn't one of those talked about prospects but is one of the more solid power forwards in this draft. The Nets are loaded with wing men and shooters, so drafting Speights could be a great addition.
These are my predictions for the 2008 NBA Draft this coming June. Let's see if my NBA Mock Draft 2008 would be accurate or not.
Niko's Sports Blog
