Draft Night Eve

With the draft under 24 hours away, it's that time--time to put together Beer League's attempt at guessing who will go where; otherwise known as a "mock draft".

Before we go into the actual picks, let's examine the ground rules used to determine the players chosen. First, only the lottery picks were analyzed. Second, choices were based on both need and overall player value.

Unfortunately, in a lot of cases, teams value high ceiling over actual team needs. This makes it extremely difficult to accurately predict who will go where. This is opposite of the NFL draft where a team with a major hole at a primary position is likely to fill that position with their first selection.

Additionally, draft day trades occur constantly and throughout both rounds. This process alters who goes at what slot as teams will work out a deal prior to picking.

Taking all of this into consideration, the Washington Wizards are officially on the clock:

Wizards= John Wall
-An obvious pick here as Wall is one of the more special talents to come out in a long time. He will run the point from day one, pushing Gilbert Arenas aside to the shooting guard spot (assuming they can't trade him).

76ers= Evan Turner
-The Sixers could absolutely go with a guy like Favors or Cousins here after trading away Samuel Dalembert. However, Spencer Hawes is a developing young center and they do have guys like Elton Brand, Marreese Speights, Jason Smith and Thadeous Young who can all play in the post. Turner fills a need at the wing position as a point-forward. His handle and scoring ability will take pressure off of young Jrue Holiday.

Nets= Derrick Favors
-With Brook Lopez and Yi Jianlian already on the roster, this threesome would make one of the best young post rotations in the NBA. This pick depends a lot on what the Nets believe they'll draw in from free agency. (Remember Beer League's take on a certain super star heading to the Nets? We think he'd enjoy this young, complimenting big man rotation)

Timberwolves= Wesley Johnson
-He's been their guy since day one and we don't see anything changing.

Kings= Demarcus Cousins
-After acquiring Dalembert, Cousins joins Sacramento as a perfect offensive compliment to Dalembert's post defense. Don't forget about Jason Thompson who may have something to say about one of these guys' playing time. Add these three to Tyreke Evans and Casspi, and a nice corp of young players might be looking to get the Kings out of the lottery for 2011.

Warriors= Al-Farouq Aminu
-The ultra athletic small forward may have the highest ceiling in the draft. Can he put it all together and become the superstar Golden State is hoping for?

Pistons= Greg Monroe
-This versatile center fits nicely with the players already on Detroit's roster. They could go defensive here with Aldrich or Udoh, but Monroe seems to have more of a balanced pro game and they'd be stoked if he fell this far.

Clippers= Paul George
-The Clippers have a solid core of veteran players in Kaman, Baron Davis, and Drew Gooden. They also have a young crop of talent in Eric Gordon, DeAndre Jordan, and Blake Griffin. George brings massive offensive upside and versatility to this staff and would look to see plenty of time at the small forward spot.

Jazz= Luke Babbitt
-Babbitt is a tall, slender forward who knows how to score. There may never be enough toys for Derron Williams to play with, but Babbitt is a nice one.

Pacers= Gordon Heyward
-This pick may be a slight stretch, but he's a local product and fits well with Indiana's roster. Mike Dunleavy anybody?

Hornets= Xavier Henry
-The Hornets are Chris Paul's team and he needs weapons to dish to. Peja is nice. He's got talent in the post with Emeka and David West. Now, it's time to get a sweet shooting lefty.

Grizzlies= Avery Bradley
-Assuming Rudy Gay sticks around, the Grizzlies have no gaping holes. Bradley is the best high upside athlete left on the board. We're sure he can find something positive to do in Memphis.

Raptors= Cole Aldrich
-Chris Bosh is likely getting out of town via free agency. Drafting Cole to play center allows Bargnani to shift to his more natural forward position and gives the Raptors a defensive anchor in the post.

Do we really expect to score a 100% on the "mock"? No. But, wouldn't it be cool if we did?