Cause I Got A Golden Ticket...

Quick Baseball Thoughts:

• Mark Buehrle takes the hill today. And he’ll be taking the hill for the AL on All-Star Weekend. If you had to start a rotation from scratch, the fastest worker in the Bigs would have to be one of the top choices.
• Thank you loyal reader(s). Mark Teixeira has overtaken the Great Ham-Tino in All-Star voting for AL 1B.

• Now we need to show some love to Derek Lee. I am as big Albert Pujols as there is, but Lee is deserving of the starting nod this season. And that’s not a knock against Albert. It’s just another notch in the historic Cubs-Cards rivalry.

• Cliff Floyd is the front-runner for NL Comeback Player of the Year. He has already surpassed last year’s home run total (and the year before that too). I’ve had a chance to watch this guy play a lot and he’s definitely back from the nagging injuries that have bothered him the past few seasons.

• Suddenly, Baltimore has lost 6 in a row. Sammy Sosa is batting just .239. And with yesterday’s win, the Yankees have climbed to within 3 of Baltimore. And that’s significant because the AL Wild Card will come from the AL Central.

• Oh yeah, I saw Spam-A-Lot on Sunday. Funniest thing I’ve seen in years. It’s a must see. That is, if you can get tickets.

Ok, on to the Fun stuff…

Because of this blog, I am afforded with a big opportunity. I’m talking huge. Bigger than Rick Majerus’ waist line. That’s how big. I get the chance to do a mock draft. For you folks unfamiliar with the concept of a mock draft (and since I pretty much know all 7 of you who read this thing regularly) I’m not going to bother going into a lengthy detailed break-down of what a mock draft is. Basically, a mock draft is nothing. It’s not the worth the paper it’s printed on or the time it took you to click on your favorites (You bookmarked me? I’m flattered). So then why do it? Because why the heck not (I have to refrain from swearing, as in a post week I referred to Kurt Thomas as one who bangs under the glass for tough rebounds, but it was considered profanity).

My prediction for the number of picks I get right: 3. Aside from the very top, there is a lot of uncertainty as to where everyone else will go in what is considered a deep draft. Yes, I borrowed heavily from Chad Ford of ESPN.com, though I did add some thoughts of my own on players and created some trades I think could happen. But then again, what do I know? There will be a lot of trades so slotting guys in the right position with the right team will be hard. That I do know.

1)   

Milwaukee: Andrew Bogut, C, Utah

·         This one is as close to a guarantee as I can tell. Does that mean I like it? Not really. I think Bogut is a good player with size you can’t teach and a nasty streak he’ll need to utilize in the NBA. But I don’t see him dominating. He’s not quick enough, especially laterally, and the NBA game will zoom around him for at least a season.

2)   

Atlanta: Marvin Williams, SF, North Carolina

·         From here on out, I’m not so sure about these picks. Williams fits in with the Hawks like Majerus fits into a booth: very uncomfortably. They already have Josh Childress and Josh Smith playing the 2 & 3 for the next decade so the pick makes little sense. But Williams is the consensus “Best Player in the draft”, so the chances are slim Atlanta passes on him. If anything, they draft him and ship Childress out to Golden St. where he can be reunited with Mike Montgomery.

3)   

LA Lakers (Through trade with Portland): Chris Paul, PG, Wake Forest

·         Portland will deal the pick and with the Lakers getting Phil Jackson back, I’d say they also get their way here and get the best point guard in the draft. Paul will be a major upgrade over Chucky Atkins and should fit in nicely in Jackson’s triangle offense. Whether he plays nice with Kobe is another matter entirely. If this trade happens, I’d look for Ruben Patterson and Caron Butler to be involved as well.

4)   

New Orleans: Deron Williams, PG, Illinois

·         After losing out on Marvin Williams, the Hornets grab the other Williams, a tough NBA-ready Point Guard who provides a major upgrade over their current players. Personally, I like this guy more than Paul. He’s bigger, better defensively, and has a knack for making big shots (see Arizona-Illinois NCAA Game…why do I always bring that up?)

5)   

Charlotte: Gerald Green, SF, High School

·         Bernie Bickerstaff really, really wanted Paul or either Williams, but instead takes the high school phenom who’s been compared to Tracy McGrady. Last year, Bickerstaff chose experience (Emeka Okafor) over potential (Dwight Howard), but with a 2^nd pick at the end of the lottery, he rolls the dice here and takes Green.

6)     New York (Through Trade with Utah): Channing Frye, C, Arizona

·         This is the worst kept secret in the league right now: Isaiah Thomas loves Frye and had promised to take him at #8. But the rest of the league knows this and Zeke panics and sends the 1^st he got from Phoenix in the Kurt Thomas Trade to Utah to move up two spaces to grab the big man he wants. I do think it’s possible that Utah sends a player (Kris Humprhies?) to the Knicks as part of the deal.

7)   

Toronto: Danny Granger, SF, New Mexico

·         This is a crazy pick. Granger has been one of the biggest risers on draft boards since the end of the collegiate season.  He could fit in nicely with Chris Bosh, a superstar ready to explode, and last year’s #1, Rafael Araujo. But the Raptors already have Jalen Rose and Mo Peterson to play the 2/3 position, though both are upgradeable. Raymond Felton gets a serious look here. Plus, they have another pick at 16.

8)   

Utah: Raymond Felton, G, North Carolina

·         The Jazz could use a point guard as an upgrade over Howard Eisley and Raul Lopez. The bigger question is whether the explosive, and sometimes out-of-control, Felton can adjust to the slow-down style Jerry Sloan likes to employ. I’m not sure about this pick at all; the failed experiment known as Carlos Arroyo makes me think Sloan may not go with another quick guard. Fran Vasquez gets serious consideration as well.

9)   

Golden State: Ike Diogu, PF, Arizona St.

·         Mike Montgomery coached against this guy for 2 seasons, so he is familiar with his game. What he’s getting is a big bodied scorer who could be a 20-10 guy because of some extremely long arms. Plus his presence frees up space for Jason Richardson, Mike Dunleavy Jr., and Baron Davis. If he goes here, this is another step in the right direction for the Warriors.

10)                        

Portland: Fran Vasquez, C, Spain

·         This team has a lot of players who were at or near the top of their respective drafts. And they still stunk. After the deal with the Lakers, Portland winds up with a big man who could have gone as high as #6. Portland’s has two strengths: PF (Zach Randolph and Theo Ratliff) and PG (Sebastian Telfair). If they get Butler from the Lakers as well, Vasquez steps in nicely at the 5, over Joel Pryzbilla, and they are free to try and ship the player formerly known as Shareef Abduir-Rahim.

11)                        

Orlando: Sean May, PF, North Carolina

·         I’m not that high on May, a stocky power forward with limited post-up and jumping skills. But then again, I also didn’t just win a National Championship. Dwight Howard proved to be the real deal and with May as a front-court mate, the Magic could have a nice core of players: Howard, Stevie Franchise, Jameer Nelson, Hedo Turkoglu, Grant Hill, and May.

12)                        

LA Clippers: Martell Webster, SG, High School

·         I’m not sure about the player, but the position makes the most sense. They already have the PG (Livingston), the SG (Maggette), and the PF (Brand). It’s possible they lose Bobby Simmons to free agency and Kerry Kittles is 125 years old. Webster shunned Lorenzo Romar and the University of Washington for the riches of the NBA.

13)                        

Charlotte: Hakim Warrick, PF, Syracuse

·         After taking youth with the 1^st of the lottery picks, Bickerstaff picks up the explosive senior Warrick. I am huge fan of this guy. He plays way above the rim, developed a nice perimeter game this past season, and is simply a ton of energy at both ends of the court. Brevin Knight can run the point another year as a front court of Okafor, Warrick, and Green could make the Bobcats a dangerous team in the future.

14)                        

Minnesota: Joey Graham, SF, Oklahoma St.

·         Graded as the Draft’s top athlete, Graham could fit in nicely with KG in Minnesota. Then again, plenty of players could fit in nicely with Garnett. But with Sprewell, his spinners, and his $14 million-ain’t enough to feed my family skipping town, the Timberwolves will need a replacement. Graham is their guy.