1. Chicago Bulls - Derrick Rose, PG, Memphis
Team Needs	Team Surplus	Cap Situation	Key Free Agents
C, PF	G, G/F	Over the Cap w/ RFA	Gordon (R), Deng (R), Duhon

The Reason - Maybe John Paxson couldn't take the criticism from the first couple of days after the lottery. It now looks like he's leaning towards Rose despite what Joe Dorsey's "sources" are telling him. Rose is the correct pick here. I'm a big believer that in the NBA, you take the best player available instead of drafting for need. Rose is by far the best player with the highest potential.

2. Miami Heat - Michael Beasley, PF, Kansas State
Team Needs	Team Surplus	Cap Situation	Key Free Agents
PG, C, G	None. They're awful	$2 million under w/o RFA	J. Williams, R. Davis, Mourning

The Reason - Nothing wrong for Miami settling with Beasley. They may try to trade up to ensure they get Rose as long as the asking price isn't too high. Also, they may try to trade down or trade the pick for a veteran. I bet they could turn this pick into Mike Conley or Kyle Lowry with Mike Miller for the chance Memphis ends up with Beasley.

3. Minnesota Timberwolves - Jerryd Bayless, PG, Arizona
Team Needs	Team Surplus	Cap Situation	Key Free Agents
PG, C, G/F	PF, SG	No Cap Room	Telfair (R), Doleac, Snyder (R)

The Reason - I don't care what Talkhoops.net senior writer, Brandon Gallawa, says; this is the right pick and the best way for the Wolves to go with this pick. I don't care how many Brook Lopez rumors to the Wolves there are, I'm not accepting the fact that Minnesota may draft him. The revelation that Lopez doesn't want to go to workout for Minnesota is the best news I've had all year.

4. Seattle Supersonics - DeAndre Jordan, C, Texas A&M
Team Needs	Team Surplus	Cap Situation	Key Free Agents
PG, C, SG	F, SF	$5 million under	Wilkins (PO), Swift (R), Elson, Gelabale

The Reason - DeAndre Jordan is going to ignite a huge fire under his draft stock after he works out against other big men. His length and athleticism are maximized in workouts and he has the type of length and athleticism that GMs drool over. Jordan will quickly shoot up draft boards and you'll think I'm a genius for having him up here as early as I did.

5. Memphis Grizzlies - Anthony Randolph, PF, LSU
Team Needs	Team Surplus	Cap Situation	Key Free Agents
SG, PF, C	SF, PG	$12 million under	Kwame Brown, Juan Carlos Navarro

The Reason - The Grizzlies badly need a power forward and will settle for Randolph if the price tage for Michael Beasley is too high. Randolph is a project, much like Tyrus Thomas was coming out of LSU, but Randolph has a better motor, more desire, and the potential to be extremely good in an uptempo system like Iavaroni's.

6. New York Knicks - O.J. Mayo, SG, USC
Team Needs	Team Surplus	Cap Situation	Key Free Agents
PF, C, PG	SF, SG	Way the F Over	Fred Jones, Dan Dickau, R. Morris

The Reason - This is a dream situation for Knicks and maybe a little far-fetched. Mayo has the star potential that the Knicks desperately need. They may have talent but nobody with star potential. Mayo in D'Antoni's system would be just as dangerous as Derrick Rose in D'Antoni's system, just in a different way. Mayo has the scoring ability to be the greatest offensive version of what Barbosa could ever be in D'Antoni's system. The Knicks will feel blessed if they end up with OJ.

7. Los Angeles Clippers - Eric Gordon, SG, Indiana
Team Needs	Team Surplus	Cap Situation	Key Free Agents
PG, SG, SF	PF, C	$3 million under w/ RFA	E. Brand (PO), Maggette (PO), Livingston (R)

The Reason - Gordon is still the pick for the Clippers. Westbrook is an option but he isn't a true point guard. Gordon is the type of scorer at the shooting guard position that they paid Cuttino Mobley to be. He has the potential to be an All-Star in this league but he won't be a franchise player. He played well alongside D.J. White this past year and would excel playing off of the attention that Elton Brand receives.

8. Milwaukee Bucks - Russell Westbrook, G, UCLA
Team Needs	Team Surplus	Cap Situation	Key Free Agents
C, PF, PG	SG, G/F	No cap room	Voskuhl, M. Ruffin, R. Ivey, A. Storey, D. Noel

The Reason - The Bucks need absolutely everything at every position. They don't have anyone that could be a star and they have a bunch of guys that aren't explosive at all. Westbrook may not be the best pick but he's the most explosive player left and would definitely put some life into the Bucks' franchise. He isn't the best fit for Skiles' style of play on offense but his defensive ability would be coveted.

9. Charlotte Bobcats - Kevin Love, PF, UCLA
Team Needs	Team Surplus	Cap Situation	Key Free Agents
PG, PF, SG	C, SF	$13 million under w/ RFA	Okafor (R), D. Anderson, McInnis, Boykins

The Reason - If there was any other coach manning this team, I would say Brook Lopez probably gets picked here. However, with Larry Brown managing the team, he'll pray that Kevin Love falls to this spot and take his size, passing ability, and overall basketball intelligence. Love is easily the pick here if he's still available and Larry Brown won't think twice about it.

10. New Jersey Nets - Brook Lopez, C, Stanford
Team Needs	Team Surplus	Cap Situation	Key Free Agents
C, PF, SG	SF, PG	No Cap Room	Swift (PO), Magloire, Nachbar, Diop, Krstic (R)

The Reason - The Nets are almost forced to take Lopez here with the 10th pick. In this draft, he's a top-10 pick but in NBA reality, he's a high risk of becoming a bust. The Nets are so desperate for size that they could really use his offensive ability and hope that he turns into a good defender. The Nets may also look for a power forward here but they probably can't justify to themselves taking Darrell Arthur over Brook Lopez unless Arthur has amazing workouts.

11. Indiana Pacers - D.J. Augustin, PG, Texas
Team Needs	Team Surplus	Cap Situation	Key Free Agents
SG, PG, C	SF, PF	No Cap Room	Foster (PO), Harrison (R), Rush, Greene

The Reason - This is still the pick and a no-brainer. Jamaal Tinsley even when healthy isn't the type of point guard that can excel in Jim O'Brien's offense. He just isn't a good enough shooter that can be a danger to defenses that leave him alone. Augustin gives them a good floor general with a dangerous outside threat. He's a lock at this pick unless someone moves up in the draft to get him earlier.

12. Sacramento Kings - Darrell Arthur, PF, Kansas
Team Needs	Team Surplus	Cap Situation	Key Free Agents
PG, PF	SF, C, SG	No Cap Room	Artest (PO), Lue, Wright, A. Johnson, Udrih

The Reason - Kings are in a tough spot here because they probably aren't sold on Arthur. I wouldn't be surprised if they trade down or draft someone like Danillo Gallinari here. At this point, Danillo has fallen surprisingly far and would be a good fit here. He's the best on the board but the Kings are desperate for a power forward that can be a legit threat on offense. Basically, the opposite of Kenny Thomas.

13. Portland Trailblazers - Danillo Gallinari, SF, Italy
Team Needs	Team Surplus	Cap Situation	Key Free Agents
SG, SF	PG, PF, C	No Cap Room	James Jones (PO), Von Wafer

The Reason - If Gallinari falls here, not only does Portland steal the draft but they don't talk themselves into getting Joe Alexander at all. Gallinari would take the playmaking pressure off of Jarret Jack and let him be a natural scorer. Plus his size and length would give a healthy Blazers team the best young frontcourt in basketball.

14. Golden State Warriors - Marreese Speights, C, Florida
Team Needs	Team Surplus	Cap Situation	Key Free Agents
PG, C, SG, PF	SF	$8 million with RFA	Pietrus, Barnes, Biedrins (R), O'Bryant, Ellis, Croshere, Azuibuike, Davis (PO)

The Reason - The Warriors badly need size that can run the floor and finish on breaks. Speights is probably the best player to fill that need. Speights has enough potential for the Warriors to pass up more established big men like Joe Alexander. Speights gives them some room in case they decide they can't re-sign Andris Biedrins.

15. Phoenix Suns (via Atlanta) - Donte Greene, SF, Syracuse
Team Needs	Team Surplus	Cap Situation	Key Free Agents
PG, SF, PF/C	SG	No Cap Room	Grant Hill (PO), Piatkowski, Skinner, Giricek

The Reason - I don't see many better fits in this draft than Donte Greene in Phoenix. He could help fill the void that Shawn Marion left and be a high-flyer for the Suns. He's a good enough shooter to be a threat on the secondary break and could easily turn into the Marion type player that makes a difference on defense and gets 6 to 8 runout points per game.

16. Philadelphia 76ers - Serge Ibaka, PF, Congo
Team Needs	Team Surplus	Cap Situation	Key Free Agents
PG, SG	F, PF, C	$20 million under w/ RFA	Iguodala (R), L. Williams, Ollie, Randolph

The Reason - This is a bit of a stretch here but Ibaka is the most intriguing big man left on the board. He's extremely raw and inexperienced but he's so athletic and has such high potential in terms of developing basketball skills that he's hard to pass up. Even with Jason Smith being drafted last year, Ibaka would give them a legit chance at having a weapon in the post like New Orleans has with David West.

17. Toronto Raptors - Joe Alexander, F, West Virginia
Team Needs	Team Surplus	Cap Situation	Key Free Agents
C, PG	SF, SG, PF	No Cap Room	Calderon, Brezec, Delfino (R)

The Reason - Joe Alexander seems like a redundant pick here considering that they have Andrea Bargnani and Jason Kapono, but Alexander fits the Toronto system perfectly. He gives Chris Bosh some legit help on the offensive end and can create his own shot. Putting him in the up-tempo style with a point guard like Jose Calderon could guarantee him at least 15 points per game.

18. Washington Wizards - JaVale McGee, C, Nevada
Team Needs	Team Surplus	Cap Situation	Key Free Agents
PG, PF, C	SF, SG	$5 million under w/o PO	Jamison, Arenas (PO), Mason

The Reason - McGee is a project at the big man position but he's already a much better scorer inside than anything the Wizards have. Picking McGee allows Washington to get whatever they can for Brendan Haywood and Etan Thomas and build a future frontcourt of McGee, Andray Blatche, and Oleksiy Pecherov.

19. Cleveland Cavaliers - Brandon Rush, SG, Kansas
Team Needs	Team Surplus	Cap Situation	Key Free Agents
PG, SG, PF	SF, C	No Cap Room	Devin Brown, Daniel Gibson

The Reason - The Cavaliers badly need a scorer at the shooting guard position that can keep defenses honest when LeBron creates and also who can create his own shot. Rush fills that role really well. Courtney Lee will also be a possibility here but only if Rush is off the board. Rush already plays like an NBA veteran and they can't pass up his ability to hit the three.

20. Denver Nuggets - Ty Lawson, PG, UNC
Team Needs	Team Surplus	Cap Situation	Key Free Agents
PG, SG	SF, PF, C	No Cap Room	E. Najera, J.R. Smith (R), A. Carter, Y. Diawara

The Reason - Lawson should probably go back to college for one more year but he's a lock to go in the first round which might be enough for him. Lawson would excel in George Karl's no defense-all offense system and could probably fill in nicely as a playmaker for Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony. The Nuggets may also consider taking a big man depending who's on the board still but Lawson looks like the safe pick.

21. New Jersey Nets (via Dallas) - Chase Budinger, SG, Arizona
Team Needs	Team Surplus	Cap Situation	Key Free Agents
C, PF, SG	SF, PG	No Cap Room	Swift (PO), Magloire, Nachbar, Diop, Krstic (R)

The Reason - Budinger has lottery type talent but a late first rounder's ability to capitalize on that talent. Budinger would be a nice role player for the Nets until Vince Carter can be shipped away. Budinger has a great outside stroke and would play very well with the penetrating nature of Devin Harris. Budinger's athleticism would also press Lawrence Frank to run more with Harris, Chase, Vince Carter and Jefferson on the court.

22. Orlando Magic - Kostas Koufos, C, Ohio State
Team Needs	Team Surplus	Cap Situation	Key Free Agents
C, PF, SG, PG	SF	$1 million under	Carlos Arroyo, Garrity, Dooling, Evans

The Reason - This is a steal if Koufos falls to the Magic. They could immediately put him alongside Dwight Howard and have the two develop together. Dwight Howard would be allowed to slide to power forward and dominate against smaller defenders. Koufos has the ability to play inside and outside so he wouldn't get in the way of Dwight. Koufos is still pretty raw but could learn a lot from Dwight and Magic assistant Patrick Ewing.

23. Utah Jazz - Nicolas Batum, SF, France
Team Needs	Team Surplus	Cap Situation	Key Free Agents
C, SG, PG	SF, PF	No Cap Room	C.J. Miles

The Reason - Batum is the best potential left on the board here and gives the Jazz the flexibility of leaving him in Europ for a couple of seasons while he matures and figures out how to play more physical. Batum will eventually replace Andrei Kirilenko and could find a way to fit in nicely with his ability to score alongside Boozer and Deron Williams. Courtney Lee is also a possibility here in case Ronnie Brewer doesn't continue to grow as a player.

24. Seattle Supersonics (via Phoenix) - J.J. Hickson, PF, NC State
Team Needs	Team Surplus	Cap Situation	Key Free Agents
PG, C, SG	F, SF	$5 million under	Wilkins (PO), Swift (R), Elson, Gelabale

The Reason - The Sonics are desperate for size inside that can score the ball with their backs to the basket. Hickson has the potential to be a very good post player and has enough athleticism to run with Durant, Green and everybody who Sam Presti brings in to run the point. Hickson is a little undersized but he has enough strength to make up for his height. Mario Chalmers is also a possibilty here. They would love to get a point guard who has a veteran mentality.

25. Houston Rockets - Robin Lopez, C, Stanford
Team Needs	Team Surplus	Cap Situation	Key Free Agents
PF, C, SF	SG, PG	No Cap Room	Chuck Hayes, Mutombo, G. Green

The Reason - The Rockets are desperate for size at the center position that will stay healthy and not be 80 years old. Lopez is the more of an intriguing prospect of the Disney Twins. He's a good defender with the capability of becoming a good post scorer. He is a smart defensive player that would allow the Rockets to play a defensive style for 48 minutes without losing mobility or offensive rebounding.

26. San Antonio Spurs - Ante Tomic, C, Croatia
Team Needs	Team Surplus	Cap Situation	Key Free Agents
PG, SG, SF	C, PF	No Cap Room	K. Thomas, Horry, Finley, Stoudamire

The Reason - A pretty typical San Antonio pick here. Ante Tomic is a very skilled big man who happens to be the best big man prospect in Europe. He's a safe pick that you can stash in Europe for the next 4 to 5 years and bring him over right after Tiago Splitter is ready to contribute in the NBA. That's not a bad international big man tandem for the Spurs build with for the future. Putting guys like that with Tony Parker will work out well for R.C. Buford.

27. New Orleans Hornets - Courtney Lee, SG, Western Kentucky
Team Needs	Team Surplus	Cap Situation	Key Free Agents
PG, SG, C	SF, PF	No Cap Room	Bonzi Wells, Pargo (PO), Ely

The Reason - This is the best late round pick that the Hornets could possibly get. I'm extremely high on Courtney Lee and think that he will end up being the best or second best shooting guard in this draft class. Lee has a great pro body and can be a mixture of Kirk Snyder and Kevin Martin. He basically has Snyder's body with Kevin Martin's scoring ability and putting him next Chris Paul could get him an All-Star appearance or two.

28. Memphis Grizzlies (via Lakers) - Chris Douglas-Roberts, SG, Memphis
Team Needs	Team Surplus	Cap Situation	Key Free Agents
SG, PF, C	SF, PG	$12 million under	Kwame Brown, Juan Carlos Navarro

The Reason - This not only is a good scoring shooting guard that flourishes next to top notch point guards but he's from the hometown college that happens to be more popular than the Grizzlies. CDR will be great for spreading the floor with Mike Miller and Rudy Gay. He allows the Grizz to play small without losing a lot of talent on the floor. And with Conley and Lowry running the point, he should get plenty of opportunities to score.

29. Detroit Pistons - Bill Walker, SF, Kansas State
Team Needs	Team Surplus	Cap Situation	Key Free Agents
C, SF	PF, PG, SG	No Cap Room	Dixon, Hunter, Herrmann, Ratliff

The Reason - Bill Walker fits in nicely with what the Pistons like to do. He's a strong, athletic forward that can knock down the outside shot and play lockdown defense. Walker was a lottery pick 2 years ago but blew out his ACL. He was compared to Vince Carter in terms of athleticism. He's a steal here at 29 if he can lose the weight he's gained from his knee injury. If not, he's still a solid pick here because of his ability to do the things that the Pistons covet.

30. Boston Celtics - Mario Chalmers, PG, Kansas
Team Needs	Team Surplus	Cap Situation	Key Free Agents
PG, SG, C	PF, SF	No Cap Room	Posey (PO), T. Allen (R), Pollard, P.J. Brown, Cassell

The Reason - Chalmers falling to the Celtics at the end of the first round would be a case of the rich getting richer. Chalmers has mid to late first round talent and is one of the more complete point guards in this draft that doesn't have any holes in his game except for his athleticism. Chalmers would give steady hand at the point guard when Rondo isn't in the game and would guarantee that the Celtics are set at the point guard position for the next 10 years.

2nd Round Mock Draft

31. Minnesota - Davon Jefferson, SF, USC	32. Seattle - Rudy Mbemba, PG, France
33. Portland - Danny Green, SF, UNC	34. Minnesota - Roy Hibbert, C, Georgetown
35. LA Clippers - Devon Hardin, C, Cal-Berkeley	36. Portland - Rodrigue Beaubois, PG, France
37. Milwaukee - D.J. White, PF, Indiana	38. Charlotte - John Riek, C, Prep School
39. Chicago - Ryan Anderson, PF, Cal-Berkeley	40. New Jersey - Nathan Jawai, PF, Australia
41. Indiana - Jason Thompson, PF, Rider	42. Sacramento - Alexis Ajinca, PF, France
43. Seattle - Wayne Ellington, SG, UNC	44. Golden State - Tyrone Brazelton, PG, WKU
45. Sacramento - Nando De Colo, PG, France	46. Utah - Trent Plaisted, C, BYU
47. San Antonio - Josh Duncan, SF, Xavier	48. Washington - Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, SF, UCLA
49. Phoenix - Sasha Kaun, C, Kansas	50. Seattle - Jamont Gordon, SG, Mississippi State
51. Dallas - Keith Brambaugh, SF, Hillsborough CC	52. Miami - Shan Foster, SG, Vanderbilt
53. Utah - J.R. Giddens, SG, New Mexico	54. Houston - Richard Hendrix, PF, Alabama
55. Portland - Victor Claver, SF, Spain	56. Seattle - Derrick Caracter, PF, Louisville
57. San Antonio - Kyle Weaver, SG, Wisconsin	58. LA Lakers - Omni Casspi, SF, Israel
59. Detroit - Joey Dorsey, PF, Memphis	60. Boston - David Padgett, C, Louisville