Trey and I will be going head to head to pick everyone in the first round. This draft was carried out this morning and we picked based on who we think WILL BE PICKED. There will be a column later today with my extended opinion on a bunch of players. As for now, let’s get to the draft. Guyinthecorner writes in red, Trey writes in blue.

1. Los Angeles Clippers – Blake Griffin (Oklahoma)

Sorry Blake, you’re sentenced.

2. Memphis Grizzlies – Hasheem Thabeet (Connecticut)

I couldn’t disagree with this more, but this is who they’re going with. I’d take him between 18 and 22.

3. Oklahoma City Thunder – Ricky Rubio (Spain – GITC note: DKV Joventut)

Gives them the point guard that will be able to grow with the young guns of the Thunder.

4. Sacramento Kings – Tyreke Evans (Memphis)

I don’t really agree with this either and I’m not quite sure how he fits in there, but it’s nowhere near as bad as Thabeet at #2.

5. Minnesota Timberwolves – Johnny Flynn (Syracuse)

I still think the T_Wolves try and move up, but they will gladly take Flynn to try and fill a position they’ve been lacking for years.

6. Minnesota Timberwolves – James Harden (Arizona State)

If the T-Wolves make these picks the guys they want will be off the board. They want Harden and Curry/Flynn. Since Trey says they take Flynn, I guess I’m going with Harden.

7. Golden State Warriors – Jordan Hill (Arizona)

Big man they need to take over their woeful rebounding.

8. New York Knicks – Stephen Curry (Davidson)

They finally get somebody that they want, their fans want, and won’t be a bust. Frankly, I’m a little shocked.

9. Toronto Raptors – DeMar Derozan (USC)

Yes they could easily pop Jrue Holiday, but with Marion possibly out the door they need a small forward who can step in an play right away.

10. Milwaukee Bucks – Jrue Holiday (UCLA)

They could take Jennings here, but the thought is that Holiday is better on defense right now (not that the thought is correct). Skiles wants defense.

11. New Jersey Nets – James Johnson (Wake Forest)

Since the move to Brooklyn seems like it will never happen (GITC note: Well… ), it’s time for the Nets to focus a little more long term and push Ol’ man Carter to the curb.

12. Charlotte Bobcats – Terrence Williams (Louisville)

Basically there was a workout showdown this week between him and Gerald Henderson and he was more impressive. The only other guy in Jordan’s mid was Johnson, and he’s gone.

13. Indiana Pacers – Ty Lawson (North Carolina)

No matter what they do, they’ll still need too much to be a factor in the East. They take the best available.

14. Phoenix Suns – Earl Clark (Louisviille)

The Suns settle for Clark even though they wanted Johnson. Clark fits into their system though and Kerr likes him because of how versatile he is.

15. Detroit Pistons – B.J. Mullens (Ohio State)

Sorry Sparty, with the inevitable loss of Wallace all signs point to Detroit taking this mistake.

16. Chicago Bulls – DeJaun Blair (Pittsburgh)

Rumors of Psycho T are surfacing but I think they go wide instead of tall. They have Tyrus Thomas already at skinny forward and Blair might help them.

17. Philadelphia 76ers – Brandon Jennings (Some Euro Team GITC note: Lottomatica Roma)

Philadelphia was praying someone like this would fall to them. Europe didn’t work out so well for Jennings. had he gone to college, guaranteed top 10 pick.

18. Minnesota Timberwolves – Austin Daye (Gonzaga)

They probably wanted Mullens because they need a center, but they’ll take Daye’s potential because Mullens is gone.

19. Atlanta Hawks – Sam Young (Pittsburgh)

Gives them another big man to strengthen their front court.

20. Utah Jazz – Tyler Hansbrough (North Carolina)

Utah loves white people. They need his position. This makes sense.

21. New Orleans Hornets – Gerald Henderson (Duke)

Like most Duke players he probably won’t be much of a factor, but drafting in the 20s your only looking for someone who can provide a few minutes off the bench. Plus he’s one hell of an athlete.

22. Portland Trailblazers – Omri Casspi (Israel – Maccabi Tel Aviv)

Let’s put it this way: The Blazers were go#24 but they heard that the Kings might want him at #23 so they called Dallas and traded two 2nd round picks for the right to jump up and take him. He’s the toughest guy in the draft. And a Jew!

23. Sacramento Kings – Eric Maynor (Virginia Commonwealth)

Everyone seems to have pegged this guy for the steal of the draft. I disagree, he’s a career backup at best.

24. Dallas Mavericks – Jeff Teague (Wake Forest)

So far, this is the steal of the draft. The Mavs conceded Teague to the Kings when they moved from #22 to #24, but in this draft Maynor slid down (Trey’s work) so they still get him and they keep Portland’s two 2nd round picks.

25. Oklahoma City Thunder – Taj Gibson (USC)

Gibson has some potential if he commits himself.

26. Chicago Bulls – Nick Calathes (Florida, Greece – Panathinaikos)

The Bulls are hoping to get Calathes because they can stash him in Europe as they are short on roster space. He already has a European contracts with NBA out-clauses so this is perfect.

27. Memphis Grizzlies – Toney Douglas (Florida State)

Undersized, but a good shooter. The Griz will treat him like your childhood blanket and cast him off when his guaranteed money is gone.

28. Minnesota Timberwolves – Jonas Jerebko (Sweden – Pallacanestro Biella)

The Timberwolves are out of roster space after the trade with the Wiz and the draft picks they’ve already picked up. That leaves them to pick an international player. It’s either the 6″9 Jerbko or the 6″9 Claver from Spain. I like Claver, they are idiots so they take Jerebko.

29. Los Angeles Lakers – Patty Mills (St. Mary’s, Australia)

I don’t think the guy will be much in the NBA, maybe a solid backup, or a Steve Kerr-like situational player, but it seems like a pick the Lakers would make. Especially since he played down the road.

30. Cleveland Cavaliers – Chase Budinger (Arizona)

Good steal here for the Cavs as Budinger might be able to contribute off the bench by next year’s playoffs. He might even be as good as Pavlovic might have been if he hadn’t fallen off the face of the earth.

Alright everybody, it’s been fun. I’ll be online during the draft tonight. A quick wrap up of our mock draft shows that DeMare Carroll is still on the board, as is Victor Claver. The Wiz will take Carroll or Derrick Brown with the #32 and the Blazers will take Claver or Jerebko at #33 (whichever Minny didn’t take at #28). See you guys later this afternoon with my opinion on some of the players.

Guyinthecorner is an author here at spartyandfriends.com. He writes the NBA section, X-Games section, and contributes to College Basketball and MLB. He doesn’t watch hockey except when the circumstances are dire. He’s not sure how to rate Michael Phelps on the scale of athletes not only because he doesn’t directly compete against people, but because he is a fish. He doesn’t understand the hate for the 2002 National Champion Maryland Terrapins and wishes everybody would just shut up by now. He is known for having statistical formulas and might be Bill James or Joe Lunardi depending on who you ask. His identity is as hidden as many times over as the number of internet memes he employs in his comments. Some have called him “The Riddler.” He can be reached at gitc@spartyandfriends.com. “GITC” is an acronym for guyinthecorner in case you aren’t that perceptive.

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