With tonight's lottery, the selections are now set for the 2008 NBA draft. So without further ado, here's how we see the first 14 picks of the draft playing out, for now...
MOCK DRAFT: 2008 NBA Lottery
Pick Team Player Pos. Height Weight School/Country Class
1. Bulls Derrick Rose PG 6-3 195 Memphis Freshman
The Chi-town product who wears the same number as a certain former Bull and also happens to hang out with MJ's son Marcus (the two are dating Chicago-area twin sisters) is a perfect fit for a team in search of a floor general. It was meant to be that the Bulls would land Rose, the type of talent that can and should finally turn this franchise back into contenders again.
2. Heat Michael Beasley PF 6-9 235 Kansas State Freshman
So much for karma. After a legendary tank job, the Heat will be rewarded with a franchise talent (Beasley) who will quickly help them get back into the playoffs and be a force in the East for years to come.
3. Wolves Brook Lopez C 7-0 260 Stanford Sophomore
The Timberwolves will take a long look at the guard options here with Jerryd Bayless and O.J. Mayo, but when all is said and done, look for them to go the safe route and add size with Lopez at 3. Lopez is the most NBA-ready center in the draft and should be a solid piece in their rebuilding process.
4. Sonics Jerryd Bayless PG 6-3 182 Arizona Freshman
The Sonics fell short of winning the ultimate prizes with Beasley and Rose but likely will have their choice between Bayless and Mayo. With Kevin Durant and Jeff Green already in the fold, a scoring guard like Bayless is just what they need to add to their nucleus.
5. Grizzlies O.J. Mayo SG 6-4 210 USC Freshman
Mayo's name has been dragged through the mud recently, but ultimately the story coming out about his illegal benefits will have very little impact on his draft status. While the Griz are stacked at the point guard position (Kyle Lowry, Mike Conley and Javaris Crittenton), they can always make some deals, and Mayo should be able to play the 2-guard position.
6. Knicks DeAndre Jordan C 7-0 250 Texas A&M Freshman
The Knicks begin their post-Isiah era with a long-term upside type of pick. If the decision is made that Eddy Curry isn't the ultimate answer in the middle, Jordan makes a lot of sense as an Andrew Bynum-type, high-risk/reward selection.
7. Clippers Danilo Gallinari SF 6-10 220 Italy
There is one school of thought that the struggles of countryman Andrea Bargnani will cause Gallinari to slip on draft night. That may be the case, and with the Clippers' recent history taking Yaroslav Korolev in the lottery in 2005, they could be gun-shy to go European again. Gallinari would give them an immediate-impact guy and an outside shooter to complement Elton Brand inside.
8. Bucks Eric Gordon SG 6-4 220 Indiana Freshman
With a glut of forwards (Yi Jianlian and Charlie Villanueva) and the center position in solid shape after drafting Andrew Bogut first overall three years ago, the Bucks look to grab an instant impact guy in Gordon. Above all else, the Bucks want to change their atmosphere of losing. Michael Redd isn't getting any younger, and Gordon shows star potential despite seeing a dramatic drop-off late in the season —something that could ultimately cause him to slide on draft night.
9. Bobcats Darrell Arthur PF 6-9 230 Kansas Sophomore
Michael Jordan has shown an unwillingness to sit around and wait for the fruit to ripen on the vine. Look for more of the same in this year's draft as the Bobcats could look to move their pick once again for an established veteran. If they keep the pick, Arthur makes sense as an athletic big man to groom for the future in Larry Brown's half-court-oriented system.
10. Nets Anthony Randolph SF 6-10 200 LSU Freshman
The Nets are in a great position to grab a "potential pick." They're in a rebuilding mode after their fleece job of Dallas unloading Jason Kidd and grabbing Devin Harris. Randolph has a ton of buzz, and his speed and athleticism should only help him in workouts. But his inability to come in and contribute immediately should ultimately drop him some.
11. Pacers Russell Westbrook SG 6-4 187 UCLA Sophomore
With the success of Monta Ellis and Gilbert Arenas, the combo position has never been more en vogue. The Pacers are in need of athleticism and Westbrook is athleticism personified. This might be high for Westbrook, but he should really help his cause in workouts, and was held back to a degree by the conservative UCLA system. The Pacers could also look to go big (Kevin Love?) as they're likely to let go of Jeff Foster this summer.
12. Kings Nicolas Batum SF 6-8 210 France
Batum is the perfect futures pick. And for a team like Sacramento still a long way from building a contender, Batum offers the perfect swing-for-the-fences option. Like Rudy Gay, his struggles have diminished his draft stock, but he's oozing with potential and could end up going higher.
13. Blazers Kevin Love PF 6-9 270 UCLA Freshman
Love is one of the most advanced 19-year-olds that you will ever find. His ability to knock down mid-range and outside shots gives him an excellent safety net. He's got a lot of hype surrounding him and may never live up to it, but given the right situation he can be productive. Playing at home along side a dominant big man such as Greg Oden would be the ultimate situation for Love.
14. Warriors Joe Alexander SF 6-8 230 West Virginia Junior
The Warriors could look to go in a number of directions. Alexander would be an excellent upgrade over Al Harrington at the forward position. JaVale McGee would be a nice long-term pick for them if their intention is to unload Baron Davis and build for the future around their young nucleus (Monta Ellis, Andris Biedrins, Brandan Wright).
