A preview of the 2010 NBA draft

Feeling drafty already

I’m coming to you live from The Times’ Draft Central, which we’re not showing you because it’s my office at home and I haven’t picked up lately.

Not that this is a scoop, but a furious debate is already underway . . . as to who the No. 2 pick will be.

Forget No. 1. That’s locked up.

1. John Wall, 6-4, 195, Fr., Kentucky. Imagine Kobe Bryant as a point guard at 17.

“I was sitting there with [a Western GM],” said another Western team official of Kentucky’s Dec. 9 win over Connecticut in New York. “After five minutes, we just looked at each other and started laughing.

“If New Orleans has the top pick, they would take John Wall, even with Chris Paul. That’s how good Wall is. You would just take him and then work it out later.”

2. (tie) Al Faroug-Aminu, 6-8, 218, So., Wake Forest.

Would have been top 10 last season but went back, going from 13-8 as a freshman to 16-10.

2. (tie) Wes Johnson, 6-7, 205, Jr., Syracuse.

Here’s a guy who is having an eye-popping season, a transfer from Iowa State who wasn’t even on the radar when it started. While sitting last season out, turned himself from an undersized power forward to a prototypical small forward, averaging 17 points, shooting 59% and 54% on threes.

2. (tie) Derrick Favors, 6-9, 245, Fr., Georgia Tech.

Reputation pick this high now. Has huge upside, but some thought he could make it a contest for No. 1, but he’s off to a merely solid start at 14 points and 8.8 rebounds a game.

2. (tie) Ed Davis, 6-10, 245, So., North Carolina.

Long and lithe, he got top-10 mention last spring and has raised his freshman numbers from 7-7 to 14 and 9.5.

More explosive than Brandan Wright, which is good since Wright hasn’t turned the NBA on its ear. Just scored 21 points in Saturday’s loss to Texas but looked like a little kid asking Texas center Dexter Pittman for his autograph

6. Evan Turner, 6-6, 205, Jr., Ohio State.

Vying for No. 2 until he fractured vertebrae in a fall. Compared to Joe Johnson and Brandon Roy as a big playmaking guard. Expected back in February.

7. Cole Aldrich, 6-11, 245, Jr., Kansas.

Admirers see Joel Przybilla with an offensive game. Skeptics see Przybilla, but not as athletic. Still the first center off the board at this point.

8. Solomon Alabi, 7-1, 260, So., Florida State

No one has him this high (ESPN’s Chad Ford has him No. 12; NBADraft.net has him No. 6 on its 2011 mock draft) and he could get even higher.

Considered a more advanced Hasheem Thabeet, he’s starting to shed his “project” label, averaging 19 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in his last four games, going into today’s meeting with Georgia Tech and Favors.

9. Xavier Henry, 6-6, 220, Fr., Kansas. More athletic James Harden. Not the playmaker Harden is, but an even better shooter, 25 for 45 on threes in first nine games.

10. Dexter Pittman, 6-10, 280, Sr., Texas. I had 7-0 Lithuanian small forward Donatas Motiejunas here until Saturday. NBA people have Pittman No. 20-35, but even if he’s limited, this former 388-pounder is very wide and pretty athletic.

-- Mark Heisler