THE Mock Draft: Does John Wall Deserve To Go #1?

Talent runs deep in the 2010 NBA draft.  It's no surprise John Wall will jump off the board at number one, but is Wall a better player than Evan Turner?


2010 NBA Mock Draft:



1. Washington Wizards - Point Guard, John Wall, Kentucky.  The man with the most upside in the draft is the near unanimous selection here.  Wall will give Washington a pure point guard, and will blend smoothly into the current roster.  The Wizards will probably slide Gilbert Arenas to shooting guard to make room for Wall.


2. Philadelphia 76ers - Point Guard/Shooting Guard/Small Forward, Evan Turner, Ohio State.  The 76ers lost out on Wall, but landing in the second slot will work out nicely as the 21 year old Turner is the most polished player in this draft.  Turner won the Naismith Player Of The Year award, and will continue producing in Philly.







3. New Jersey Nets - Power Forward, Derrick Favors, Georgia Tech.  Favors didn't have the impressive years some of the other prospects did, but his talent and upside will make him a nice consolation for the Nets after losing out on Turner and Wall.  Favors could take some time to impress in the NBA, but down the line the rewards will most likely be well worth the risk.

4. Minnesota Timberwolves - Small Forward, Wesley Johnson, Syracuse.  Johnson is an athletic player with a high basketball IQ.  He won't cause problems in the locker room and will provide Minnesota with another scoring threat.


5. Sacramento Kings - Power Forward, Demarcus Cousins, Kentucky.  Drafting Cousins will add another needed presence to the frontcourt for the Kings.  Cousins will be a good one, and could be a steal with the 5th pick for Sacramento.

6. Golden State Warriors - Power Forward, Ed Davis, North Carolina.  Davis going here could come as a surprise, but he's a good sized power forward with exceptional blocking ability.  The big man averaged nearly three blocks a game in his sophomore season.

7. Detroit Pistons - Power Forward, Al-Farouq Aminu, Wake Forest.  Admit it, you love his name.  Al-Farouq Aminu is another player that possibly could exceed expectations and vie for Rookie Of The Year honors.  Aminu's diverse post-up game combined with an excellent defensive skill set will give Piston fans something to look forward to going into next season.

8. L.A. Clippers - Power Forward/Center, Ekpe Udoh, Baylor.  Udoh's defensive presence is one that Clippers fans will love in the next few years.  He might be a little undersized coming into the league, but the 6'9" power forward possesses great leaping ability and a knack for blocking shots.  On the offensive end Udoh is fairly limited, but his defense will more than make up for it.

9. Utah Jazz - Power Forward/Center, Cole Aldrich, Kansas.  Aldrich doesn't have the toughness needed for a big to excel in the NBA, but Utah will grab him as he is probably the best talent available.  It doesn't hurt that their front-court could use another talented big man in the rotation.

10. Indiana Pacers - Power Forward, Greg Monroe, Georgetown.  Monroe barely made the cut in the top 10, but if he does land with the Pacers, they will be thrilled to have the 6'10" multi-skilled Georgetown star.  His decision to stay in college definitely resulted in a more finished product coming into the 2010 draft.

11. New Orleans Hornets - Power Forward, Patrick Patterson, Kentucky.  Patterson led the Wildcats in his first two years, before the arrival of Calipari and Wall.  Patterson will give the Hornets another big man in the front-court, and will bring an above average low-post game to the mix.

12. Memphis Grizzlies - Power Forward/Center, Hassan Whiteside, Marshall.  Hassan Whiteside would be a high risk-high reward  pick here.  His size and length led to monstrous block totals in his year at Marshall, and Whiteside's combination of athletic ability and size could soon have Grizzlies fans drooling.

13. Toronto Raptors - Center, Donatas Motiejunas, Lithuania.  Motiejunas will most likely go here above Daniel Orton, and will do his best to make Raptors fans forget about the loss of Chris Bosh.  Motiejunas offensive post-up moves are well refined and he could be a project, but his seven foot frame provides a lot to get excited about.

14. Houston Rockets - Center, Daniel Orton, Kentucky.  The Rockets lost out on Whiteside and Motiejunas, but Daniel Orton is a nice prospect who was hidden behind Patrick Patterson and Demarcus Cousins in Kentucky.  Orton doesn't have a ton of upside, but he could easily be a solid piece in the Rockets frontcourt in the near future.

15. Milwaukee Bucks - Small Forward, Damion James, Texas.  A small forward like James could help to complete this team, and possibly allow them to advance past the first round of the playoffs.  James could surprise and play well with the Bucks.  Watch James' rookie season closely.

16. Minnesota Timberwolves - Shooting Guard, James Anderson, Oklahoma State.  With James off the board, the next to Minnesota will grab Anderson.  Anderson's athletic ability and 6'6" frame will make the Timberwolves very happy with this pick.

17. Chicago Bulls - Shooting Guard, Xavier Henry, Kansas.  This pick right here would possibly be the steal of the draft.  Henry would be the perfect complement to Rose and the rest of the Bulls due to his pinpoint shot, and his size at the shooting guard position.  There's some serious potential here.

18. Miami Heat - Center, Solomon Alabi, Florida State.  The Heat's roster isn't exactly stacked as of now, and picking 18th won't do much to change that, but Alabi would be a step in the right direction.  Alabi brings much needed size to Miami.

19. Boston Celtics - Small Forward, Gordon Hayward, Butler.  The hero of the NCAA tournament would most likely begin his career on the bench with Boston, but Hayward is able to create his own shots, and his lack of athletic ability is made up for with a high basketball IQ.

20. San Antonio Spurs - Shooting Guard, Eric Bledsoe, Kentucky.  Bledsoe's freakish athletic ability might lead to a productive first year with the Spurs.  San Antonio could follow up its steal of George Hill last year with another one in the talented Bledsoe.

21. Oklahoma City Thunder - Power Forward, Larry Sanders, Virginia Commonwealth.  Sanders is a gem this deep in the draft with his skill on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball.  The talented, young Thunder are a good fit for him.

22. Portland Trail Blazers - Shooting Guard/Small Forward, Paul George, Fresno State.  If there was a draft picked purely based on athleticism, George would be the number one pick hands down, but since there is more to basketball than leaping ability, George likely will land with Portland.

23. Minnesota Timberwolves - Power Forward/Center, Kevin Serafin, France.  Minnesota will pounce on the talented, international big here and will definitely be satisfied with what they will get in Serafin.  His game resembles Marreese Speights, eh?  The 6'10" prospect out of France will have a good chance at success with his skill in the low post.

24. Atlanta Hawks - Small Forward, Luke Babbit, Nevada.  Babbit is a great shooter from the outside, and rebounds well for a small forward due to his size.  He isn't much of a risk at this point in the draft, but his upside isn't considerably high.  Think a taller Kyle Korver, but with more upside.

25. Memphis Grizzlies - Small Forward, Stanley Robinson, Connecticut.  Robinson doesn't have the huge upside teams would like to get in a first rounder, but he provides an explosive athletic ability and rebounds well for a small forward.

26. Oklahoma City Thunder - Shooting Guard, Avery Bradley, Texas.  Bradley is a good shooter from the outside and will attract some attention if he is able to improve his all-around game in the NBA.  Otherwise, he will probably be a solid contributor off the bench.

27. New Jersey Nets - Shooting Guard, Elliot Williams, Memphis.  Williams is in the mold of a lock-down defender.  He could give the Nets solid contributions on defense, but his upside is limited due to his lack of scoring ability.

28. Memphis Grizzlies - Power Forward, Gani Lawal, Georgia Tech.  Lawal is an athletic big that would be a project pick for Memphis.  He's a hard worker that will eventually make an impact but that will be a few years from now.

29. Orlando Magic - Small Forward, Quincy Pondexter, Washington.  The Magic will grab Pondexter with their late first round pick.  Pondexter will bring athleticism and scoring ability to the Magic, and has the potential to surprise from this spot in the draft.

30. Washington Wizards - Point Guard/Shooting Guard, Willie Warren.  We end the draft just the way it started, with Washington.  Warren will be the last selection in the first round.  He was a disappointment in Oklahoma, as many thought that Warren would grow into a Player Of The Year candidate.  Warren is a pure scorer and could bring some offense to the Wizards' bench.

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