January 2008 NBA Mock Draft

Michael Beasley, Derrick Rose Tops the List of NBA Prospects

© Phil Partington

Jan 4, 2008

It's obviously too early to make much of a reasonable prediction as to which college basketball and international prospects are NBA-bound in 2008 and which are destined for another year of developing their skills elsewhere. Still, it's fun to think about what names might headline the future of the league. With that in mind, here's a best-guess mock draft with some assessments and hypotheses of what teams' rosters could look like at the start of the 2008-2009 NBA season.

1. Minnesota Timberwolves selects F. Michael Beasley (6-9 235lbs) - Beasley is a scoring machine and would be a great pairing for big man Al Jefferson.
2. Miami Heat selects PG. Derrick Rose (6-4 195lbs) - Rose would be a great partner for Dwayne Wade in the back court. Both have great size and are incredibly athletic, but while Wade is more of a scorer/attacker, Rose is more of a pure point guard.
3. Memphis Grizzlies selects G. Eric Gordon (6-4 220lbs) - The Grizzlies need help in the middle, but passing on this phenom would be a mistake. If the Grizzlies make this move, expect everyone not named Pau Gasol, Mike Conley or Rudy Gay to be on the trade block.
4. New York Knicks selects F. Donte Greene (6-10 225lbs) - Who knows what's on Isiah Thomas' mind when it comes to drafting players. The Knicks have an overabundance of young small forwards, but Greene seems to fit what Thomas looks for in a player. Plus, he's a better shooter than most of the options they have at that position.
5. Seattle Supersonics selects C. DeAndre Jordan (7-0 250lbs) - He's young and a bit raw, but has the talent to far surpass any of the big man projects they currently have.
6. Los Angeles Clippers selects SG. OJ Mayo (6-5 210lbs) - Corey Maggette might be gone via free agency, and though Mayo has some off court issues and never met a shot he didn't like, his upside is incredible.
7. Milwaukee Bucks selects PF. Blake Griffin (6-9 245lbs) - Milwaukee has a lot of talent, but badly needs some toughness in the paint to help the finesse players they have.
8. Charlotte Bobcats selects SG. Nicolas Batum (6-8 210lbs) - Batum would give Charlotte another versatile wing who can shoot.
9. Sacramento Kings selects PG. Jerryd Bayless (6-3 180lbs) - The Kings might need insurance at the point guard spot with Mike Bibby likely on his way out of town.
10. Chicago Bulls selects PF. Kevin Love (6-9 260lbs) - Some say he's not athletic enough, but what he lacks in athleticism, he makes up in basketball IQ and toughness. Love would be a great fit for Chicago.
11. Philadelphia 76ers selects PG. Darren Collison (6-1 170lbs) - Andre Miller has been on the trade block for a while and Louis Williams is more of a scoring guard than a true point guard.
12. Cleveland Cavaliers selects C. Brook Lopez (7-0 260lbs) - Solid fundamentals with smooth touch. Could be mentored by Zydrunas Ilgauskas.
13. Houston Rockets selects SG. Chase Budinger (6-7 215lbs) - Isn't much at the defensive end, but could help Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady right away offensively.
14. Utah Jazz selects C. Roy Hibbert (7-2 280lbs) - Coach Jerry Sloan prefers the big, bruiser type of post players.

Also see April 2008 Mock Draft.

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