Commentary

Chad Ford's Mock Draft, Version 1.0: Picks 1-30

Originally Published: May 20, 2008

By Chad Ford | ESPN Insider

The lottery results are in, and Chicago and Miami are the big winners in the Michael Beasley-Derrick Rose sweepstakes. That means it's time for our first full mock draft of 2008.

At this point, very little is set in stone. The process of team workouts has just begun. And in the next few weeks, the Orlando NBA pre-draft camp, the Reebok Eurocamp and hundreds of team workouts will dramatically alter the face of the draft. So, expect this mock draft to fluctuate greatly over the next six weeks.

But for now, here's our best stab, after talking to numerous NBA team sources, about how the draft might play out in June.

CHAD FORD'S MOCK DRAFT
PICK	TEAM	PLAYER	VITALS
	Chicago	Michael Beasley	Position: PF Height: 6-10 Weight: 235 Age: 19 School: Kansas State

The skinny: This will be a very difficult choice for the Bulls.

On the one hand, Chicago has needed a low-post scorer for a long time, and Beasley fits the bill. He's also a top-notch rebounder, which would fulfill another need for the Bulls.

However, Rose, a Chicago native, would be a major upgrade over Kirk Hinrich. His strength and athleticism could really ignite the Bulls' offense.

For the moment, we're putting Beasley here because he's the best fit.

PICK	TEAM	PLAYER	VITALS
	Miami	Derrick Rose	Position: PG Height: 6-3 Weight: 205 Age: 19 School: Memphis

The skinny: The Heat are big winners, too. They don't get the No. 1 pick, but they do get their favorite player in the draft. A Rose-Wade backcourt should be awesome.

But if the Bulls select Rose No. 1, the word on the street is that the Heat might be willing to deal the pick. While Beasley would be an upgrade over Udonis Haslem, it sounds like the Heat aren't sold.

PICK	TEAM	PLAYER	VITALS
	Minnesota	Brook Lopez	Position: C Height: 7-0 Weight: 260 Age: 20 School: Stanford

The skinny: If the team drafts for need, Lopez will be the guy. The Wolves really need another big to help out Al Jefferson in the post, and Lopez should be a good fit.

But don't count out Danilo Gallinari, who could be the surprise pick here. The team also needs a small forward like Gallinari who can be a facilitator in the offense. His basketball IQ could make him an immediate contributor.

PICK	TEAM	PLAYER	VITALS
	Seattle	Jerryd Bayless	Position: PG Height: 6-3 Weight: 190 Age: 19 School: Arizona

The skinny: The Sonics fell the furthest of any team in the draft, slipping from No. 2 to No. 4. Call it bad karma for leaving the fans of Seattle.

While the team would have loved to have had a shot at Rose, Bayless should be a very good fit for Seattle. His up-tempo game and excellent shooting ability would give the Sonics a potent weapon to pair with Kevin Durant.

PICK	TEAM	PLAYER	VITALS
	Memphis	O.J. Mayo	Position: SG Height: 6-4 Weight: 195 Age: 20 School: USC

The skinny: The Grizzlies need a power forward. But although they do have a glut of guards, they also could use a guard with the strength, scoring prowess and star quality of Mayo. Team him with Rudy Gay and Mike Conley, and the Grizzlies are a big man away from having a bright future again.

PICK	TEAM	PLAYER	VITALS
	New York	Danilo Gallinari	Position: SF Height: 6-9 Weight: 212 Age: 19 Country: Italy

The skinny: Rose was the Knicks' primary target, but with Gallinari, new head coach Mike D'Antoni lands the perfect weapon for his new team: a 6-10 point forward who knows how to think the game. D'Antoni played with Gallinari's father in the Italian League for eight years and knows how good the versatile Italian forward really is.

It might not be a popular pick in New York, but D'Antoni will make it work.

PICK	TEAM	PLAYER	VITALS
	L.A. Clippers	Russell Westbrook	Position: PG Height: 6-3 Weight: 189 Age: 19 School: UCLA

The skinny: The Clippers are sweet on Danilo Gallinari and O.J. Mayo, but it looks like neither will be here at No. 7.

Look for the Clippers to make a tough choice between Westbrook and Eric Gordon. Gordon is a polished scorer and shooter, but L.A. really needs a point guard and some perimeter defense, and Westbrook looks like the better fit.

PICK	TEAM	PLAYER	VITALS
	Milwaukee	Eric Gordon	Position: SG Height: 6-4 Weight: 215 Age: 19 School: Indiana

The skinny: Milwaukee could go in a lot of different directions. Its biggest need is at small forward, but this may be too high to draft Joe Alexander or Donte Greene. With the Bucks expected to be active on the trade market this summer, they can draft the best available player and then work things out later.

Gordon is a dynamic scorer who could free up the Bucks to trade Michael Redd.

PICK	TEAM	PLAYER	VITALS
	Charlotte	Kevin Love	Position: PF Height: 6-10 Weight: 275 Age: 19 School: UCLA

The skinny: Larry Brown loves guys who "play the right way." And Love is as fundamentally sound as anyone in the draft.

But after the Adam Morrison debacle, will they really draft another college guy noted for his lack of athleticism?

Anthony Randolph and DeAndre Jordan are other possibilities here.

PICK	TEAM	PLAYER	VITALS
	New Jersey	Anthony Randolph	Position: PF Height: 6-11 Weight: 220 Age: 18 School: LSU

The skinny: The Nets have lacked a super-athletic 4 since Kenyon Martin walked out the door. Randolph has been compared to a young Chris Bosh by some scouts. His combination of length and athleticism is exciting, but he has to get stronger and improve his perimeter game.

PICK	TEAM	PLAYER	VITALS
	Indiana	D.J. Augustin	Position: PG Height: 6-0 Weight: 180 Age: 20 School: Texas

The skinny: The Pacers need a long-term replacement for Jamaal Tinsley, and they are crossing their fingers that either Augustin or Westbrook is still on the board when they pick. Of the two, Augustin is probably the better fit in Jim O'Brien's system.

Augustin is an excellent floor leader and can really shoot the basketball. Another bonus for Pacers fans is that he is an excellent character guy.

PICK	TEAM	PLAYER	VITALS
	Sacramento	Darrell Arthur	Position: PF Height: 6-10 Weight: 225 Age: 20 School: Kansas

The skinny: The Kings are hoping that either Augustin or Westbrook falls into their laps. However, if they're not available, Sacramento will likely have to make a tough choice between a number of power forwards.

Of the group, Arthur has the greatest upside as an athlete and a scorer. But he's going to have to improve his rebounding to really make it in the league.

PICK	TEAM	PLAYER	VITALS
	Portland	Joe Alexander	Position: SF Height: 6-8 Weight: 220 Age: 21 School: West Virginia

The skinny: Alexander could be the sleeper of the draft. His combination of size, athleticism and shooting ability has GMs drooling right now. He's still learning the game, but on a team like the Blazers, his versatility could be an immediate asset.

Donte Greene is also a possibility here.

PICK	TEAM	PLAYER	VITALS
	Golden State	DeAndre Jordan	Position: C Height: 7-0 Weight: 255 Age: 20 School: Texas A&M

The skinny: At some point you just draft talent. The Warriors don't have a huge need in the middle, but Jordan's too talented to let slip any further. He has the body and athletic skills of Dwight Howard. But his lack of motivation is scaring a lot of GMs away right now.

PICK	TEAM	PLAYER	VITALS
	Phoenix (via Atlanta)	Donte Greene	Position: SF Height: 6-10 Weight: 225 Age: 20 School: Syracuse

The skinny: Greene is a steal if he slips this far. He has the potential to be a Shawn Marion-type combo forward in the pros. While his game is still raw, he has great length and athleticism and an emerging perimeter game.

PICK	TEAM	PLAYER	VITALS
	Philadelphia	Marreese Speights	Position: C Height: 6-10 Weight: 245 Age: 19 School: Florida

The skinny: The Sixers are still looking for a low-post banger. If they can't get Elton Brand this summer, they'll have to seriously consider Speights. Speights does a lot of the same things Brand does, though he doesn't have the same conditioning or drive yet.

PICK	TEAM	PLAYER	VITALS
	Toronto	Robin Lopez	Position: C Height: 7-0 Weight: 245 Age: 20 School: Stanford

The skinny: Lopez is drawing a lot of comparisons to Anderson Varejao. On a team that needs toughness and rebounding in the middle, he should be a great fit. He's kind of the anti-Andrea Bargnani.

PICK	TEAM	PLAYER	VITALS
	Washington	JaVale McGee	Position: PF Height: 7-0 Weight: 237 Age: 20 School: Nevada

The skinny: McGee is another wildcard. Long, athletic and skilled, he has huge upside and can fly up and down the court. But his thin frame and lack of position mean he's a few years away from contributing.

PICK	TEAM	PLAYER	VITALS
	Cleveland	Kosta Koufos	Position: C Height: 7-0 Weight: 265 Age: 19 School: Ohio State

The skinny: If Koufos slips this far, it will be tough for the Cavs to pass on him. He's a very skilled big man who gets up and down the floor really well.

Some scouts compare him to a young Zydrunas Ilgauskas. He needs to get stronger, but he's got great upside for a pick this low in the draft.

PICK	TEAM	PLAYER	VITALS
	Denver	Ty Lawson	Position: PG Height: 5-11 Weight: 195 Age: 20 School: North Carolina

The skinny: The Nuggets need a floor leader who can push the ball up and down the floor. While Lawson has his weaknesses, he should be an excellent fit in George Karl's up-tempo system.

PICK	TEAM	PLAYER	VITALS
	New Jersey (via Dallas)	Chase Budinger	Position: SG Height: 6-7 Weight: 205 Age: 20 School: Arizona

The skinny: Budinger could easily be a late lottery pick, but he could also slip. Teams love his size and shooting ability but worry a bit about his lack of aggressiveness and defense. At this point in the draft, the Nets will be glad to take the risk.

PICK	TEAM	PLAYER	VITALS
	Orlando	Brandon Rush	Position: SG Height: 6-7 Weight: 205 Age: 22 School: Kansas

The skinny: There's quite a bit of buzz over Rush at the moment. He's got the size, athleticism and shooting ability needed to excel as an NBA 2-guard. He is also an excellent defender and should be ready to step in and contribute right away. He's a perfect fit for Orlando.

PICK	TEAM	PLAYER	VITALS
	Utah	Roy Hibbert	Position: C Height: 7-2 Weight: 275 Age: 21 School: Georgetown

The skinny: Is there a better fit for Hibbert than Utah? He needs a team that excels in half-court sets. His size and scoring ability make him an asset as long, as you don't ask him to run the floor or play 40 minutes a game.

PICK	TEAM	PLAYER	VITALS
	Seattle (via Phoenix)	Serge Ibaka	Position: PF Height: 6-10 Weight: 220 Age: 18 Country: Congo

The skinny: Expect Sonics GM Sam Presti to use a trick or two from his days in San Antonio and look internationally with his second pick. Ibaka has the talent to be a potential lottery pick someday, but he's still very raw. The Sonics can leave him over in Spain and reap the benefits down the road.

PICK	TEAM	PLAYER	VITALS
	Houston	J. J. Hickson	Position: PF Height: 6-9 Weight: 240 Age: 19 School: NC State

The skinny: The Rockets got a big boost from rookie Luis Scola this season, but they could still use another strong, bruising power forward like Hickson. He's not ready for the NBA yet, but the Rockets can afford to develop him.

PICK	TEAM	PLAYER	VITALS
	San Antonio	Nicolas Batum	Position: SF Height: 6-8 Weight: 210 Age: 19 Country: France

The skinny: This low in the draft, the Spurs almost always look to the future, and I expect them to do it again. Batum has a lot of talent, but he needs more time in France to develop it. In a couple of years, San Antonio will look really smart.

PICK	TEAM	PLAYER	VITALS
	New Orleans	Bill Walker	Position: SF Height: 6-6 Weight: 235 Age: 20 School: Kansas State

The skinny: Walker could be a major coup for the Hornets if he's still on the board here. A year and a half ago, teams were talking about him as a top-5 pick. An ACL injury stopped that talk, but sources say his weight is finally down and his explosiveness is back. He and Chris Paul could make for a dynamite backcourt if Walker plays 2-guard.

PICK	TEAM	PLAYER	VITALS
	Memphis	Nathan Jawai	Position: PF Height: 6-10 Weight: 270 Age: 21 Country: Australia

The skinny: The Grizzlies need a power forward with some real power, and Jawai has that in abundance. He's coming off a big year in Australia, and his game resembles Elton Brand's a little. At this point in the draft, he's worth the risk.

PICK	TEAM	PLAYER	VITALS
	Detroit	Chris Douglas-Roberts	Position: SG Height: 6-6 Weight: 195 Age: 21 School: Memphis

The skinny: The Pistons thrive on getting players who don't get the respect they probably deserve. Adding CDR as a reserve who can play the 2 and 3 and provide some scoring off the bench seems like a steal here.

PICK	TEAM	PLAYER	VITALS
	Boston	Ante Tomic	Position: C Height: 7-2 Weight: 237 Age: 21 School: Croatia

The skinny: The Celtics don't need rookies right now, and Tomic is stuck in a contract for the next few years overseas. They can afford to let him develop and hope in a few years he can be a building block.

Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN Insider.