NBA Mock Draft 2009: Blake Griffin, Ricky Rubio Top List

The NBA Draft is set for June . Now that the Draft Lottery is over, we can focus on 2009 mock drafts filled with endless speculation of what each team will do.

Of course, such speculation is essentially a mug's name. It's impossible to figure out what each will team do. Who knows what's going on behind closed doors? There could be all manner of trades and secret deals in the works. And, seriously, is anyone able to predict what Mike Dunleavy is going to do? He doesn't know what he's doing. How could we?

That being said, here's a look at what might happen on 2009 NBA Draft:

1. Los Angeles Clippers Blake Griffin (Oklahoma) Finally, something Mike Dunleavy can't screw up and a prediction I can't screw up. Dunleavy has all but said that he is going to draft Griffin, the best player in the draft who has often been described as the next Karl Malone.

2. Memphis Grizzlies Hasheem Thabeet (Connecticut) Most teams would take young Spanish phenom Ricky Rubio with this pick, but the Grizzlies already have a solid backcourt with O.J. Mayo and Mike Conley. They do, however, need a big man. We're talking about a franchise that's best big man in history was Bryant "Big Country" Reeves. Don't be surprised if the Grizz trade the pick for someone who wants Rubio and then wind up with Thabeet, easily the best seven-footer in the draft.   

3. Oklahoma Thunder Ricky Rubio JKV (Juvenut) Hola, Ricky. Que tal? Listen, I know that you were raised in Barcelona, one of the most beautiful, cosmopolitan cities in the world and you played in your home province of Catalonia. But we're going to have to ask you to move to beautiful Oklahoma City. It's sort of the Barcelona of the US, if you ask me. Barcelona has Gaudi architecture. Oklahoma City has the National Softball Museum. That's a fair trade, right? No? Well, that's the price you have to pay for being the next Pistol Pete Maravich.

4. Sacramento Kings Jordan Hill (Arizona) Before they even make a pick, the Kings are already losers. They had the worst record in the NBA and had the best chance of getting the #1 pick. Yet here they are at #4 in a draft where there is a pretty steep drop-off talent after the first three picks. The Kings have a ton of needs, but Hill will deal with their most pressing concern: front-court toughness.

5. Washington Wizards James Harden (Arizona State) Gilbert Arenas needs some backcourt help if he's ever healthy. Harden might be a good fit.

6. Minnesota Timberwolves DeMar DeRozan (USC) If he's still available at the six spot, DeRozan could be one of the best players in the draft, although he is raw. But look at it this way, Minnesota: if you draft DeRozan, you'll not only get him, but his buddy Lil Romeo, who seems to follow him wherever he goes. That sure beats the old days when the only celebrity you had courtside at Wolves games was Jimmy Jam.

7. Golden State Warriors Ty Lawson (North Carolina) The Warriors have a host of wing players, but could use a real ball-distributing point guard. Lawson may be that guy.

8. New York Knicks Brandon Jennings Jennings made waves by forgoing college to play a year in Europe, a move that ruffled a few feathers in the basketball world. It'll be interesting to see how he'll fair after a year overseas, especially if he's playing at MSG, the game's biggest stage.

9.Toronto Raptors Gerald Henderson The Raptors season hinges on whether they can re-sign Chris Bosh and/or Shawn Marion. Either way, the team needs a decent shooter, which makes Henderson a good fit.

10. Milwaukee Bucks Jrue Holiday (UCLA) The Bucks may be looking to part with Ramon Sessions at the point. Holiday, who has the all-around skill set to step in and play immediately. They could go with DeJuan Blair, who would provide some toughness on the front line. Holiday's upside combined with his defensive abilities should give him the edge here.

11. New Jersey Nets Wayne Ellington (North Carolina) Don't be surprised if they go for Gerald Henderson if he's still available. If not, they'll likely go for Ellington to bolster their depth at shooting guard.

12. Charlotte Bobcats Earl Clark (Louisville) If the 6'9” guard can transfer his skills to the NBA, he could be dangerous. Clark looked great in college, a smooth-shooting big man a la the two Kevins: Garnett and Durant.

13. Indiana Pacers Jonny Flynn (Syracuse) The Pacers seem enamored with the 6-4 point guard and what's not to like? He played hard at 'Cuse, especially during the epic six overtime game against Connecticut in the Big East tournament. Plus, I kinda like his name. It sounds like a comic book character from the 1950s. Jonny Flynn: Boy Detective or Jonny Flynn: All-American.

14. Phoenix Suns Tyreke Evans (Memphis) The Suns aren't used to being in the lottery. They are used, however, to making the most of their draft picks (eg. Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire, Mike Finley, Shawn Marion). Don't be surprised if they take a chance with Evans.

15. Detroit Pistons Austin Daye (Gonzaga) The Pistons will be rebuilding big time this year. They may make a run at either Carlos Boozer and Paul Millsap. Either way, you can always use a little more size and Daye might be the best big guy left on the board.

16. Chicago Bulls Chase Budinger (Arizona) Budinger could become a great bench guy on a deep team or may even step up and start if Ben Gordon leaves as a free agent.

17. Philadelphia 76ers Eric Maynor VCU The Sixers will be looking for a PG since Andre Miller could leave via free agency.  Maynor should be ready to go and play big minutes in the NBA. Of course, they could go with Jeff Teague.

18. Minnesota Timberwolves Patrick Mills (St. Mary's) The T-Wolves need help in the backcourt and will likely use at least one of their picks to fill some gaps back there.

19. Atlanta Hawks James Johnson (Wake Forest) I'm looking for the Hawks to go with Johnson just so that they'll have some of the blandest names in the NBA: James Johnson, Joe Johnson, and Josh Smith. What a trio. If only they signed veteran Joe Smith, a third of the roster would consist of names that guys use when they check into a hotel with their mistress. Side note: James Johnson is actually a nice little player.

20. Utah Jazz B.J. Mullens (Ohio State) Drafting the young big man would indicate that the team believes that at least one of their frontcourt players—Carlos Boozer, Paul Millsap, and Mehmet Okur—will be leaving Utah.
 
21. New Orleans Hornets Gani Lanwal (Georgia Tech) With Tyson Chandler's career in doubt, the Hornets might look to bulk up in the frontcourt and Lanwal may work.

22. Dallas Mavericks Jeff Teague (Wake Forest) If Teague is still available, the Mavs will take him in a heartbeat. He's a quick, explosive point guard, quite a departure from Jason Kidd. They'd also be happy with Ty Lawson, although he is a very different kind of player.

23. Sacramento Kings Omri Casspi (Israel) The Kings have never shied away from international players. Their best years came off the backs of Peja Stojakovic and Vlade Divac. Casspi may not be in their league, but he is an intriguing prospect. He could end up being another Kings draft pick: Hedo Turkoglu.

24. Portland Trailblazers Darren Collison (UCLA )The Blazers seem to have it all: a roster of athletic, versatile players. They're still looking, however, for a solid point guard. Collison is quick and is willing to play defense.

25. Oklahoma City Thunder Terrance Williams (Louisville) Who knows what the deal is with Terrance Williams? He could be a star, thanks to size and athleticism. He's also wildly inconsistent. The Thunder have a couple of picks in the first round, and may just use one to take a chance that could pay off huge.

26. Chicago Bulls DeJuan Blair (Pittsburgh) The Bulls have a tenacious frontline. Blair could add a little offensive flair, which would be a nice addition.

27. Memphis Grizzlies Derrick Brown (Xavier) The Grizzlies have plenty of needs. Brown would be a nice addition, providing athleticism and a decent shooting touch. Plus, he's left-handed, which doesn't hurt.

28. Minnesota Timberwolves Taj Gibson (USC) As mentioned, the T-Wolves are looking to bolster their backcourt. They might use this pick to go with Patrick Mills if he's still hanging around at the end of the first round. If not, they might go with a shooting guard like Gibson.

29. Los Angeles Lakers DaJuan Summers (Georgetown) A nice wing player who can overpower other perimeter players. Hasn't developed a killer instinct. Kobe can help with that.

30. Cleveland Cavaliers Sam Young (Pitt) The Cavs have LeBron and don't need much else. Young, however, can provide a little extra scoring and defense. The kind of decent all-around player that could come in off the bench and contribute.