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Wednesday (NBA mock draft) edition: Wha’ Happened?

Posted on June 25th, 2008 – 9:07 AM
By Michael Rand

mock.jpgWell, it’s about that time. We’re a little less than 36 hours away from the NBA draft, where we will finally sort out all the speculation (and stop getting excited early-morning e-mails from Stu, who saw and heard another rumor of the Heat taking O.J. Mayo on SportsCenter this morning). The Redactular is set. The pleas for your mock drafts have been asked for and, in some cases, answered (still time and room for many more). Now it’s time to break it down, lottery-style. We’ll slot in each player according to where we expect them to be picked, then detail any local-based trades we think might happen. Not even back-to-back homers by Brendan Harris and Brian Buscher and news that several prominent former NFL players are in town to shoot a commercial can derail us from the topic at hand (though more on the latter subplot later, we hope). Let’s get right to it:

1. Chicago — Derrick Rose. Will they regret it?
2. Miami — Michael Beasley. Sorry, Stu.
3. Minnesota — O.J. Mayo. Not for long.
4. Seattle — Russell Westbrook.
5. Memphis — Kevin Love.
6. Knicks — Jerryd Bayless.
7. Clippers — Eric Gordon.
8. Bucks — Joe Alexander.
9. Charlotte — Brook Lopez.
10. Nets — Danilo Gallinari.
11. Pacers — D.J. Augustin.
12. Kings — Mario Chalmers.
13. Portland — Anthony Randolph.
14. Warriors — Kosta Koufus.

Most likely trade scenarios (according to nobody but the sources in our heads): Wolves deal Mayo and the ghost of Antoine Walker to the Grizzlies for Love and Mike Miller. Miller gives the Wolves a sharpshooter they very much need. The salaries of Miller and Walker match, though Miller has an extra year, which gives the Grizz much-needed cap space down the road. Mayo fits seamlessly into Miller’s role. OR: If for some reason Memphis passes on Love and he falls to Milwaukee at No. 8, the Wolves package Mayo and another player to the Bucks for Love and Charlie Villanueva (his $2.7 million salary makes him a pretty easy salary match). The Wolves get bigger and stronger in a hurry, while the Bucks get another backcourt piece to the puzzle.

As you can see, both scenarios involve Kevin Love coming here. Whether that’s simply wishful thinking, we’re not sure. And why exactly we have such a hankering for Love over Mayo is unclear. Also, how long will Love last on the board? Again, we’re not sure. But we are unabashedly aboard the Love Boat, and we think he makes sense here. If he and Al Jefferson could work to at least become adequate low post defenders, the Wolves would have a great front court. On offense, they would be very hard to stop. The question, then, is whether the Wolves love Love enough to take him at No. 3, which some folks feel is too high. We think they can squeeze some extra value from the pick by taking Mayo, who is generally seen as the more enticing prospect, and then packaging him to get Love and another piece. Then again, if Miami writes a surprising final chapter in Stu’s erotic fiction novel and takes Mayo at No. 2, all bets are off. As much as we dig Love, the Wolves would steal Beasley at No. 3 and we’d be ecstatic. In any event, it figures to be one of the more intriguing drafts from a local perspective in quite some time.

Fasola-link! Machine gun camp?

27 Responses to "Wednesday (NBA mock draft) edition: Wha’ Happened?"

Brandon says:

June 25th, 2008 at 9:13 am

Quick threadjack: anyone know how to fix a site that’s been hacked? Any help would be appreciated. I’ve been openly weeping at my cube and the co-workers are getting annoyed.

/Crawls back under desk

jama says:

June 25th, 2008 at 9:16 am

Who said this quote?

“We look in every orifice they’ve got.”

A. Ron Jeremy
B. The Strib’s OBGYN expert
C. Gen Michael V. Hayden, Director of the CIA
D. The Wolves sweater clad GM, Kevin McHale

jama says:

June 25th, 2008 at 9:21 am

Hint: The above quote is from a person in this picture.(And it’s not Kurt Rambis)

http://www.kurtrambis.com/fight.jpg

jama says:

June 25th, 2008 at 9:26 am

It’s nice to see Michael Rand’s name in an article rather than at the top of it. Reusse really likes to pick on you doesn’t he? Either that or you really are a soccer kisser-upper.

9 — Corey Brewer (7th, 2007). Recently lost in golf to sportswriter Mike Rand on startribune.com. Rand denies Brewer chose to take him on in golf rather than risk a loss in H-O-R-S-E.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/wolves/20916284.html?page=2&c=y

Brandon says:

June 25th, 2008 at 9:28 am

Soldiering on through the tears…

1. CHI- Derrick Rose
2. MIA - Michael Beasley
3. MN - OJ Mayo
4. SEA - Jerryd Bayless
5. Mem - Danilo Gallinari
6. NYK - Russell Westbrook
7. LAC - Eric Gordon
8. MIL - Joe Alexander
9. CHA - Kevin Love
10. NYN - Brook Lopez
11. IND – Mario Chalmers
12. SAC – D.J. Augustin
13. POR – Darrell Arthur
14. GSW – Kosta Koufus

Jon says:

June 25th, 2008 at 9:33 am

Brandon - what’s gone wrong? There’s a Mike-Lamb-batting-average chance I’ll be able to help.

As far as the Memphis trade - I don’t understand why they’d move up just two spots, given that they know Love is virtually guaranteed to fall to #5. Also, if the Wolves draft Mayo, then trade him, it’s just a guarantee that he’s the next big star out of this class, and I’m not sure I can handle that.

fasolamatt says:

June 25th, 2008 at 9:55 am

1. CHI- Derrick Rose
2. MIA - Michael Beasley
3. LAC from MN - OJ Mayo
4. SEA - Russell Westbrook
5. Mem - Eric Gordon
6. NYK - Danilo Gallinari
7. MN from LAC - Kevin Love
8. MIL - Joe Alexander
9. CHA - Jerryd Bayliss
10. NYN - Brook Lopez
11. IND – D.J. Augustin
12. SAC – Mario Chalmers
13. POR – Alexis Ajinca
14. GSW – Kosta Koufus

Clippers, desperate for Mayo, take old friend Marko Jaric and give us back our pick and some stiff with a high salary.

jama says:

June 25th, 2008 at 9:56 am

Brandon

I warned you about making fun of P3. Now he has returned as Ghost61. I’d check around area shelters and under bridges, he’ll surface soon.

jama says:

June 25th, 2008 at 9:57 am

2 players you guys have ranked too high.

Kosting Koufas and Super Mario Chalmers. Otherwise the rest of the picks look okay.

StraightCashHomey says:

June 25th, 2008 at 10:00 am

Seems like the first step is finding this mysterious “Zehra”… Even Ghost61 can be gotten to.

jama says:

June 25th, 2008 at 10:01 am

I haven’t sent Rand my Mock yet, but I sure hope you guys like players that have no hair on their entire body, because the Wolves will be employing Charles Villanueva next year. I think they miss having Sam Cassel and have a mantra about really ugly NBA players.

lattewarrior says:

June 25th, 2008 at 10:16 am

Best-case scenario: Miami takes Mayo, leaving Beasley for the Wolves at 3. Bidding war ensues for the pick and Wolves end up prying Conley Jr. from MEM and taking Love with their pick. Wolves ship expiring contract of Antoine Walker and the No. 31 pick to Phoenix for No. 15, where they select Chris Douglas Roberts or Brandan Rush.

Stu says:

June 25th, 2008 at 10:47 am

Here goes nothing:

1. CHI- Derrick Rose
2. MIA - OJ Mayo
3. MN - Michael Beasley!!11!!1eleven!!
4. SEA - Russell Westbrook
5. MEM - Eric Gordon
6. NYK - Danilo Gallinari
7. LAC - Jerryd Bayless
8. MIL - Joe Alexander
9. CHA - Kevin Love
10. NYN - Brook Lopez
11. IND – Mario Chalmers
12. SAC – D.J. Augustin
13. POR – Brandon Rush
14. GSW – Kosta Koufus

I don’t anticipate being right about Beasley, but you should know that I’ll be positively insufferable about this if I’m somehow correct.

Jon says:

June 25th, 2008 at 10:51 am

Stu - my sense is that Miami would sooner swap #2 for #4 and an old dead chicken than draft Mayo. But I hope I’m wrong.

Stu says:

June 25th, 2008 at 11:01 am

Jon: the conventional wisdom does seem to be coalescing around them trading down.

Brandon says:

June 25th, 2008 at 11:03 am

First Shaq freestyles against Kobe, and quickly gets stripped of his police badge. I ape the verse and direct it toward Stu, and my site gets hacked. A case of instant karma, or is Stu more devious than we thought?

The former is the obvious answer here, but just to be safe I’m never going toe-to-toe with Stuart ever again.

Jon says:

June 25th, 2008 at 11:03 am

Thus the problem for the Wolves: it’s hard to get much from a trade down when a) the pick before yours is on the market and b) nobody wants your pick anyway.

fasolamatt says:

June 25th, 2008 at 11:10 am

Thus the problem for the Wolves: it’s hard to get much from a trade down when a) the pick before yours is on the market and b) nobody wants your pick anyway.
Which means not only do we have Kevin McHale making the decisions, but we have Kevin McHale making the decisions with the clock ticking and less than ten minutes until the pick is due.
Ugh.

StraightCashHomey says:

June 25th, 2008 at 11:28 am

I don’t know what you’re worried about, fasola… Forbes Magazine said he’s awesome. I know that helps me get to sleep at night.

jama says:

June 25th, 2008 at 11:47 am

Rand

Contact all known friends and relatives in the Fargo metropolitan area. It seems a certain RB is on the loose again.

http://www.startribune.com/local/21443404.html?location_refer=Homepage:highlightModules:4

Stu says:

June 25th, 2008 at 11:49 am

Which means not only do we have Kevin McHale making the decisions, but we have Kevin McHale making the decisions with the clock ticking and less than ten minutes until the pick is due.

I now have the mental picture of McHale as MacGruber. I am amused.

lattewarrior says:

June 25th, 2008 at 11:51 am

McGruber!
Taking European projects instead of NBA-ready college players… McGruber!
Trading picks for below-average players with even worse salaries… McGruber!

Stu says:

June 25th, 2008 at 12:10 pm

Make that highly amused.

Mark H says:

June 25th, 2008 at 4:09 pm

1. Bulls: Rose
2. T-Wolves: Beasley!
3. Heat: Mayo

The T-Wolves trade Heat back their #1 pick and throw in McHale for Blount’s expiring contract and the #2 pick…

hey, we can hope, can’t we?

Mark H says:

June 25th, 2008 at 4:10 pm

excuse me, *Blount’s non-expiring contract*

roughkat says:

June 26th, 2008 at 4:50 pm

I have to get this in for the record.

1. CHI - Derrick Rose
2. MIA - Michael Beasley
3. MIN - Kevin Love
4. SEA - OJ Mayo
5. Mem - Jerryd Bayless
6. NYK - Danilo Gallinari
7. LAC - Russell Westbrook
8. MIL - Brook Lopez
9. CHA - Joe Alexander
10. NYN - D.J. Augustin
11. IND – Eric Gordon
12. SAC – Kosta Koufos
13. POR – Brandon Rush
14. GSW – Donte’ Greene