TSS 2011 Mock Draft

16. Philadelphia

Markieff Morris

Yeah, so this is my projected Sixers pick. Let’s say it’s not my ideal pick, but it’ll do.

With the current selection left, players that the team would look at include the twins, Kenneth Faried, Donatas Motiejunas, Jordan Hamilton, and Tobias Harris. I’m guessing they’d take Vucevic if he gets here, but I have Houston locking him up. So we have this crop of players. And here’s why I’m saying Markieff Morris goes here: my guess is that Andre Iguodala is still here after the draft. It’s not ideal, but we haven’t seen too many appealing trade offers for him. While Marcus Morris gives the team more versatility in this circumstance, with Iguodala Markieff is the better fit. I believe management has both twins ahead of Faried on their draft board as well.

17. New York

Kenneth Faried

New York needs some defense and rebounding. Faried will provide rebounding at the least, and in a system where size is mostly a suggestion, Faried fits well here.

18. Washington

Donatas Motiejunas

I honestly had no idea where to go here. They have gunners and soft bigs and a point guard, and there not much else left in the draft. So I went with the upside pick in Motiejunas, who will replace Yi Jianlian as the soft big on the team.

19. Charlotte

Marcus Morris

Charlotte could potentially pick up Marcus at number 9, but here the team would love to take him. Offers versatility and should be ready to play from day 1.

20. Minnesota

Marshon Brooks

If Minnesota drafts Derrick Williams, as the majority of people expect, they’ll likely trade Beasley. While Williams will replace some of Beasley’s scoring punch, they’ll need someone else to help replace him. Brooks is the best scorer left, so he goes here.

21. Portland

Nikola Mirotic

I don’t see anyone who will enter Portland’s rotation at this point, though I guess they could try for a point guard. In that case, they’d take Reggie Jackson. But I expect them to stash someone away and hope for the best.

22. Denver

Travis Leslie

A reach, but Leslie is the best shooting guard available here, and they need a backup for Arron Afflalo, as J.R. Smith is a free agent this offseason. Jordan Hamilton is redundant with Chandler (who I think they will bring back) and Gallinari.

23. Houston

Jordan Hamilton

Well underneath where he should be drafted, Hamilton will be a steal at 23. Houston loves undervalued assets, and Hamilton will join a crowded group of guys in Houston, presumably to trade away for a star player.

24. Oklahoma City

Justin Harper

OKC’s biggest weakness last year was their shooting, especially from the bigs. Harper is big that stretches the floor and can knock down perimeter shots. Fills a need for a team that’s ready to contend for a title.

25. Boston

Iman Shumpert

Shumpert is a versatile defender, something that Boston has misses since the departure of Tony Allen. Again, he fills a need for a team that’s ready to contend.

26. Dallas

Davis Bertans

Here, Dallas really has no holes to fill in the draft, and the ones that need to be filled may be filled internally. Bertans can be stashed away in Europe until they need him in 2 years.

27. New Jersey

Josh Selby

Backup plan in the case where Deron Williams decides not to re-sign with New Jersey. Selby will be a project, but he could fill that hole if it opens.

28. Chicago

Tobias Harris

Biggest need for Chicago is obviously a two-guard, but there’s no one that they’d really take here. Harris can be used as trade bait or may potentially replace Taj Gibson, who could be dangled for a two-guard.

29. San Antonio

Reggie Jackson

San Antonio doesn’t always take foreign players. With Tony Parker on the block, they could use another guard to go with Gary Neal and George Hill. Jackson could be that guy.

30. Chicago (again)

Jimmy Butler

Could slot in as a backup 2-guard, though that would be a little out of position. But at this point, there’s no perfect fits.