The Times’ NBA mock draft
PICK: 1. Chicago
PLAYER: Derrick Rose
HT: 6-1 1/2
WT: 196
CL: Fr.
SCHOOL: Memphis
HEISLER’S COMMENT: Pass-first point guard whose size and athleticism make him a physical prodigy at the position.
--
PICK: 2. Miami
PLAYER: Michael Beasley
HT: 6-7
WT: 239
CL: Fr.
SCHOOL: Kansas State
HEISLER’S COMMENT: After all that trade talk, they can’t pass up a major talent capable of putting up big numbers as a rookie.
--
PICK: 3. Minnesota
PLAYER: O.J. Mayo
HT: 6-3 1/4
WT: 200
CL: Fr.
SCHOOL: USC
HEISLER’S COMMENT: Half the league tried to trade up for Mayo, who tested off the board athletically with a 41-inch vertical leap.
--
PICK: 4. Seattle
PLAYER: Brook Lopez
HT: 6-11 1/4
WT: 258
CL: So.
SCHOOL: Stanford
HEISLER’S COMMENT: Wanted to trade down to get a starting player and still take Russell Westbrook. When that didn’t happen, they went for a big man.
--
PICK: 5. Memphis
PLAYER: Eric Gordon
HT: 6-2
WT: 222
CL: Fr.
SCHOOL: Indiana
HEISLER’S COMMENT: After the heat Grizzlies got for giving Pau Gasol away, may do this just to avoid a controversy over taking Kevin Love, a tweener.
--
PICK: 6. New York
PLAYER: Russell Westbrook
HT: 6-2 1/4
WT: 192
CL: So.
SCHOOL: UCLA
HEISLER’S COMMENT: With enough shoot-first point guards (Stephon Marbury, Jamal Crawford, et al.) GM Donnie Walsh starts with gutty call, passing up Jerryd Bayless.
--
PICK: 7. CLIPPERS
PLAYER: Jerryd Bayless
HT: 6-1 3/4
WT: 204
CL: Fr.
SCHOOL: Arizona
HEISLER’S COMMENT: Still going back and forth between Bayless, who has star potential, and D.J. Augustin, who’s only 5-10 but a real point guard.
--
PICK: 8. Milwaukee
PLAYER: Joe Alexander Jr.
HT: 6-7 1/4
WT: 220
CL: Jr.
SCHOOL: West Virginia
HEISLER’S COMMENT: Will need a small forward since Charlie Villanueva and Coach Scott Skiles won’t last long.
--
PICK: 9. Charlotte
PLAYER: Kevin Love
HT: 6-7 3/4
WT: 255
CL: Fr.
SCHOOL: UCLA
HEISLER’S COMMENT: New Coach Larry Brown loves him. Tweener, anomaly or whatever he is, he’s off the charts as a passer.
--
PICK: 10. New Jersey
PLAYER: Danilo Gallinari
HT: 6-9
WT: 212
CL:
SCHOOL: Italy
HEISLER’S COMMENT: After Darko Milicic and Andrea Bargnani, GMs are leery of Europeans or this crack shooter might have gone in top five.
--
PICK: 11. Indiana
PLAYER: Robin Lopez
HT: 6-11 1/4
WT: 255
CL: So.
SCHOOL: Stanford
HEISLER’S COMMENT: With Jermaine O’Neal ticketed to ride, Pacers have front line to rebuild.
--
PICK: 12. Sacramento
PLAYER: D.J. Augustin
HT: 5-10
WT: 171
CL: So.
SCHOOL: Texas
HEISLER’S COMMENT: If he were 6 feet, he’d have been in the top five. Great pick here.
--
PICK: 13. Portland
PLAYER: Anthony Randolph
HT: 6-9
WT: 197
CL: Fr.
SCHOOL: Louisiana St.
HEISLER’S COMMENT: Wanted to trade this pick but can’t resist this talented young forward.
--
PICK: 14. Golden State
PLAYER: Jason Thompson
HT: 6-8 1/2
WT: 250
CL: Sr.
SCHOOL: Rider
HEISLER’S COMMENT: Big man who’s skilled enough to play their up-tempo game.
--
PICK: 15. Phoenix-a
PLAYER: Brandon Rush
HT: 6-4 1/2
WT: 210
CL: Jr.
SCHOOL: Kansas
HEISLER’S COMMENT: Switching over from their free-wheeling style, they want players who can defend as well as score.
--
PICK: 16. Philadelphia
PLAYER: Darrell Arthur
HT: 6-7 1/2
WT: 216
CL: So.
SCHOOL: Kansas
HEISLER’S COMMENT: This is the rare draft with big men dropping rather than climbing. For all Arthur’s talent, he wasn’t overly active.
--
PICK: 17. Toronto
PLAYER: Kosta Koufos
HT: 6-10
WT: 252
CL: Fr.
SCHOOL: Ohio State
HEISLER’S COMMENT: If the O’Neal deal goes through, this will become Indiana’s pick, giving Pacers another big man who can shoot.
--
PICK: 18. Washington
PLAYER: J.J. Hickson
HT: 6-7 1/2
WT: 235
CL: Fr.
SCHOOL: N. Carolina St.
HEISLER’S COMMENT: Their next Etan Thomas, they hope.
--
PICK: 19. Cleveland
PLAYER: Mareese Speights
HT: 6-8 1/2
WT: 250
CL: So.
SCHOOL: Florida
HEISLER’S COMMENT: Raw but athletic. Their next Ben Wallace, they hope.
--
PICK: 20. Denver
PLAYER: DeAndre Jordan
HT: 6-9 3/4
WT: 250
CL: Fr.
SCHOOL: Texas A&M;
HEISLER’S COMMENT: They can’t pass him up here. Projected in top five before freshman year, but his output barely moved the needle.
--
PICK: 21. New Jersey-b
PLAYER: JaVale McGee
HT: 6-11
WT: 241
CL: Fr.
SCHOOL: Nevada
HEISLER’S COMMENT: Dropped like a rock in pre-draft workouts but still has promise.
--
PICK: 22. Orlando
PLAYER: Courtney Lee
HT: 6-3 1/2
WT: 200
CL: Sr.
SCHOOL: W. Kentucky
HEISLER’S COMMENT: Not huge or explosive but physical and can play.
--
PICK: 23. Utah
PLAYER: Roy Hibbert
HT: 7-0 1/2
WT: 278
CL: Jr.
SCHOOL: Georgetown
HEISLER’S COMMENT: Glacially slow but skill-wise far ahead of athletic wunderkind Kyrylo Fesenko, who’s still a year or two away.
--
PICK: 24. Seattle-c
PLAYER: Alexis Ajinca
HT: 6-10
WT: 216
CL:
SCHOOL: France
HEISLER’S COMMENT: Talented but could blow away if air conditioning is up too high. Perfect for team on shoestring budget to leave in Europe.
--
PICK: 25.
SCHOOL: Houston
PLAYER: Donte Greene
HT: 6-8 1/4
WT: 221
CL: Fr.
SCHOOL: Syracuse
HEISLER’S COMMENT: Second coming of Tim Thomas; great body and athleticism, likes to sit outside and shoot.
--
PICK: 26. San Antonio
PLAYER: Mario Chalmers
HT: 6-0 1/2
WT: 181
CL: Jr.
SCHOOL: Kansas
HEISLER’S COMMENT: Not really a point guard but a backup who can shoot and would be an upgrade over Jacque Vaughn.
--
PICK: 27. Portland-d
PLAYER: Serge Ibaka
HT: 6-8 1/2
WT: 250
CL:
SCHOOL: Spain
HEISLER’S COMMENT: Congo native who just started playing but a fabulous athlete they can leave overseas to develop.
--
PICK: 28. Memphis-e
PLAYER: Nicolas Batum
HT: 6-6 1/2
WT: 210
CL:
SCHOOL: France
HEISLER’S COMMENT: Second pick lets them gamble on this athletic small forward who was in teens before he was red-flagged for a heart issue.
-
PICK: 29. Detroit
PLAYER: D.J. White
HT: 6-6 1/2
WT: 242
CL: Sr.
SCHOOL: Indiana
HEISLER’S COMMENT: Not as bouncy as Jason Maxiell but as tough.
--
PICK: 30. Boston
PLAYER: Ryan Anderson
HT: 6-8
WT: 230
CL: So.
SCHOOL: California
HEISLER’S COMMENT: Want to trade pick, but if they keep it, he would give them another shooter. Spurs like Anderson, so who knows?
--
a-from Atlanta; b-from Dallas; c-from Phoenix; d-from New Orleans; e-from LAKERS.
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