So, Joel Embiid has turned into a 7ft red flag, the USA can actually play Football now, (well Soccer for the un-initiated), Australia still can’t – but hey we got the best goal so far.  The trade ban has been lifted and NLL gm’s, lathering at the mouth like a dog in heat are throwing caution to the wind along with their draft picks left right and centre, I am starting to think that the MIN* pick is a hot potato not a draft pick.  So in light of all this, as we sit less than one week out from the biggest day of the NLL Calendar – Draft Day I thought I would put together a new Mock for the Draft.  I only did the top 20 picks as by then I ran out of gas and let’s be honest it’s a crapshoot at the best of times especially after the lottery!  (Nb: I may update this following the NBA draft…)

Pick 1: Utah Jazz
Needs: C/PF/SF
Player Selected: Andrew Wiggins
Analysis: gm merencio and the Jazz have been patient.  Inheriting a team in dire need of some TLC, the man from Rio has provided that and more managing a team full of no names and youngsters to a terrible 13-69 record.  No really he wasn’t actually trying to tank!  Along the way though he has ridded the team of bad salaries and even landed Derrick Rose in a blockbuster.  So with a 25% chance of getting pick 1 the NLL gods smiled upon him and he now has a chance to select what many believe could be a franchise big man in Joel Embiid – the next great Olajuwon or Duncan?  But as luck would have it, BOOM, Embiid turns out to be made of glass with back and foot issues.  So what now?  With Wiggins and Parker available do you take a gamble or go for a sure thing?  Surely Embiid won’t be Greg Oden 2.0 or could he be?  I can assure that the man from Brazil will be having many a sleepless night this week and a lot will depend on what the NBA teams end up doing?  But for now we think Utah passes on Embiid as the risks are too great and takes the a guy with similar projected upside and loads of hype in Andrew Wiggins.

Pick 2:– Philadelphia 76ers, (from Washington)
Needs: Not much really
Player Selected: Jabari Parker
Analysis: Unlike the Jazz, the 76ers under the shrewd stewardship of gm vt have contended forever and once again have loads of talent, (although fan favourite Shane Battier did just retire).  But just like a master conductor gm vt is once again in control of the NLL universe, I mean this guy makes gm badwolf of the former evil Bucks empire look more like Luke Skywalker.  This time the bait was Vince Carter and a promise of the playoffs but instead like a thief in the night vt stripped another unsuspecting gm bare of his clothes, with darko now left holding nothing more than his crown jewels, (unless you count Corey Brewer).  It would also appear that gm vt is making it very clear what type of player he is drafting as his current team roster starting lineup is made up Noah-Aldridge-?-Martin-Lillard.  With the red flag on Embiid its pretty much a no brainer here as PHI goes with a sure thing and takes Jabari Parker.

Pick 3: Memphis Grizzlies
Needs: Guard Depth
Player Selected: Dante Exum
Analysis: The Grizwalds were in dire need of some love with former gm rasho spending most of the past three seasons wrestling wild bores in the Bolsheviks rather than focussing on being an NLL gm.  Enter a fresh faced gm bacthemac from downunder – not another bloody aussie!  Bacthemac hasn’t wasted anytime, storming into the MEM facilities and confronting the pile of poo which gm rasho left behind.  It looks like the days of being unaccountable are over in MEM with Lopez and Gallinari copping the full brunt of the new gm’s thunder.  With Lamb, (Jeremy that is) heralded as the new Sheppard and the Italian playboy out of town things are already changing.  Actually at closer examination the MEM roster is fairly deep and maybe just a bit of discipline might do the trick.  We think that with Splitter and Lopez why take Embiid and perhaps some guard depth may be lacking here so the new Griz gm takes fellow aussie Dante Exum.

Pick 4: Orlando Magic, (from Minnesota)
Needs: C/PF
Player Selected: Joel Embiid
Analysis: Yes time has passed but of course you knew I wouldn’t let this old chestnut go – after dealing away his lottery pick to BOS for penny’s on the dollar you just knew that gm laddas being the fighter that he is would find a way back into the lottery regardless of the price – and he has done it.  And now that he is here gm laddas has made it quite clear that he would select Embiid if he fell to him at 8, so there really is no reason that now he has pick 4 that he would let him slip any further.  It really is a perfect fit in many ways for laddas and ORL as when the guys on your team who are over 6’11 are called, Gobert, Mullens, Ezeli and Kuzmic – you NEED a big man!  The risk associated with Embiid is also a perfect fit for gm laddas who is known around the NLL as a risk taker, a man who rolls the dice, a man who wears his heart on his sleeve, a gambler – I mean shit the guy lives in Kalgoorlie – a place known for its gambling, (yes look it up it makes sense).  Will gm laddas have the last laugh and look like a genius as Embiid rises to superstardom, or will the man from the desert be once again forced into a trading frenzy to cover his tracks, only time will tell?!

Pick 5: Atlanta Hawks
Needs: General depth
Player Selected: Noah Vonleh
Analysis: The Hawks have had rotten luck and another dismal season.  Houndy gave up on the injury plagued Rose and Bogut and is now left with a squad which at least looks like it might stay healthy.  With good big men in Bosh and Jefferson as well as solid guards in Lowry, Bradley, Bazemore and Beverley the Hawks really just need to pick the best player on the board – preferably a guy who can score the ball as they were one of the poorest offensive teams last season, (ranked 26^th).  The Hawks look closely at Smart and Randle but end up taking Vonleh as he is a slightly better athlete.

Pick 6: Houston Rockets
Needs: Everything
Player Selected: Julius Randle
Analysis: How to destroy a team?  Just watch former HOU GM, (felipe?) – some guy from the Philippines who had an unhealthy man-love for Kobe Bryant.   Anyway the crux of the matter is he gave away the 1^st round pick and any cap flexibility for Kobe Bryant who then sat out the entire season only to be rewarded with another exorbitant deal.  Of course the gm had enough / got fired too and now the Rockets are left languishing under NLL management care and maintenance.   On a trivia note, I think the guy had also dealt this year’s pick to NY for a bag of doritos or something so I’m guessing gm dunadan was the only guy disappointed to see the former HOU gm leave.  Looking down the roster it’s basically a D-League team and could use help everywhere.  With no real PF on the roster they take Randle.

Pick 7: Oklahoma City Thunder
Needs: Shooting
Player Selected: Doug McDermott
Analysis: Similarly to Utah, OKC have taken a slow and steady approach to rebuilding a franchise once torn down by former slapstick NLL gm magritte.  They have gradually re-tooled with solid young players and made some savvy trades for injured big men such as Horford and McGee.  Their roster is now taking shape however the one thing it sorely lacks is shooting - ranking 28^th in shooting last season.  When your best shooter is Channing Frye – you need to upgrade!  Alot will depend on gm nenjabin’s view on the world here as Smart and Gordon are still on the board, but the Thunder are quite deep at the guard spots with lots of youth and have decent bigs.  They are very weak at SF so they fill their need here and take the best shooter in this draft class in McDermott.

Pick 8: Miami Heat, (from Chicago)
Needs: Guard Depth
Player Selected: Marcus Smart
Analysis:  Well it’s great to have gm proid back and true to form he is not shy throwing his weight around early and often to announce his return.  Ironically inheriting a pretty decent team from a former rival he is quickly making it his own already having converted 3 trades and moved 4 players including Stephen Curry.  He’s still got his boy Paul Pierce and another guy he has always coveted in Rudy Gay.  The team already looks a lot better than the Nets team he left – as they say a change is a as good as a holiday.  Perhaps only lacking in guard depth, proid nearly falls off his chair when he looks on the board and Marcus Smart is still available – snaffling him up without a second thought.

Pick 9: Detroit Pistons
Needs: Help everywhere
Player Selected: Aaron Gordon
Analysis: gm mavs4life has had a bit of a rough run of things in Detroit.  Saddled with a bunch of expiring contracts he goes in to this offseason with only four players under contract and a lot of question marks ahead?  Who will stay, who will go, will Amare ever be healthy again, will Granger ever play a full season, who is Jorge Gutierrez etc?  The Pistons have been bottom feeders for quite some time now, (5 years since the playoffs in 2008-09) and really need help everywhere and especially in the big man and defensive department, (ranking 26^th in defense last season) - so they take the best talent on the board in athletic, all out hustle big, Aaron Gordon.

Pick 10: Charlotte Bobcats, (from Brooklyn)
Needs: Shooting and Offense
Player Selected: Nik Stauskas
Analysis: The Bobcats have actually got quite a well rounded roster.  They suffered some injury woes last season and with a healthy Asik may have contended for the playoffs.  Overall the team has decent depth but after finishing 26^th in shooting and 24^th in offense last season it would seem that these are areas for improvement  With guys like MKG, Burke, Shumpert and even Gordon seeing major time it could be time for the Cats to look seriously at improving their wing scoring efficiency.  They look to address this and take the best shooter left on the board in Nik Stauskas

Pick 11: Los Angeles Lakers, (via Golden State)
Needs: Point guard
Player Selected: Gary Harris
Analysis:  The Lakers went deep this year only getting knocked out in the Conference Finals by the Kings.  If they can keep their core together gm greenmig has made it clear that he would like to make another run with this group.  The big key would be, can you add a rookie who will contribute now?  It’s no surprise that the Lakers gm has been shopping this pick in the hopes of bringing in a starting calibre PG – an area where the team is perhaps its weakest.  With both Chalmers and Augustin entering free agency this would seem the biggest need.  If the Lakers cannot trade the pick they would appear to have three choices here with Zach LaVine, Elfrid Payton and Gary Harris.  Knowing the Lakers penchant for two way players and guys who can contribute right away they take Harris in the hope of turning him in to a combo PG who can shoot the ball and play solid defense.

Pick 12: Minnesota Timberwolves, (from Orlando)
Needs: Everything
Player Selected: Zach LaVine
Analysis:  The Timberwolves had a shocker last season.  Finishing 28^th in overall rankings, last in defense and second to last in rebounding.  These guys really need help.  The good news is that the team actually looks pretty decent on paper.  Hopefully last year’s 1^st round pick Nerlens Noel will be fully healthy, combining with Dion Waiters and Harrison Barnes, gm javijoe has a nice looking young core.  They also have Patty Mills!  Make sure you sign that guy!  With decent players in most slots and 8 guys under contract it really will depend on what javi thinks he needs as there are no real obvious positional gaps.  With Dario Saric declaring he is staying in Europe we think javi stays the youth course and takes the guy with the biggest potential upside in Zach LaVine.

Pick 13: Denver Nuggets, (from Charlotte)
Needs: No real need
Player Selected: Dario Saric
Analysis:  Denver has a pretty solid team with youth and depth at all positions.  There are no real holes to fill.  If anything the team needs a bit more veteran experience.  New gm rootsey has already made one move which could prove very fruitful in bringing in a veteran who can really shoot the ball in Danilo Gallinari – although he did chew into +$10M in cap space.  As for the 13^th pick it really is anyone’s guess as to which way rootsey goes.  With Wall, (+$13M) and Favours still to come on to the books it looks like the Nuggets may struggle to stay under the cap.  They decide to go with a Euro-stash pick and take Dario Saric to help avoid the luxury tax.

Pick 14: Houston Rockets, (from New Orleans)
Needs: Everything
Player Selected: Elfrid Payton
Analysis: The Rockets already landed promising big man Julius Randle at pick 6, so new gm thebirdfalcon24, (can we call him tbf24?) now has a nice young frontline in Vucevic and Randle.  With Kobe in the backcourt, tbf24 has suggested he will look to sign Farmar and / or Blake at PG.  With Morris and Copeland SF looks decent.  Hard to gauge what the Rockets take here but since they need more help and depth almost everywhere and keeping in mind this is still Kobe’s team they go with a guy which will pass first and is defensive minded in PG Elfrid Payton.

Pick 15: Milwaukee Bucks
Needs: Shooting
Player Selected: Rodney Hood
Analysis: With no freshman left on the board, gm badwolf nearly has a heart attack.  Badwolf, a man synonymous with falling in love with freakish, athletic kids has desperately been trying to get into the Lottery – but things just haven’t worked out if he still holds pick 15.  So what does he take?  Looking down the Bucks roster there is clearly talent there but no one actually knows how to shoot the ball.  The Bucks finished 20^th in shooting last season with perhaps their rookie KCP being the only guy who could throw it in the ocean if they were sitting in a boat!  Badwolf – athletes are cool, BUT you need people who can actually play basketball and shoot too!  Who knows what the mad genius from Slovenia does but we suggest he takes the best shooter left on the board, being Rodney Hood.

Pick 16: Phoenix Suns
Needs: Wing scorer
Player Selected: TJ Warren
Analysis: The Suns had a tough season, perhaps being the team hit with the most games missed due to injury.  The defensive minded gm pennywise tried to instil a defense first mentality however was never quite able to get all the pieces together to really make a push bowing out in the first round.  With Rondo, Smith and Sanders you have a solid defensive core.  Add in Blatche and Parsons and that’s a nice starting five although is Parson really a SG and is Smith a SF?  The Suns have struggled to score the ball consistently from the wing and I don’t think guys like Babb, Singleton and Terry are the answer although Muhammad has been decent.  The Suns address this need and go with the best wing scorer here taking TJ Warren.

Pick 17: Detroit Pistons, (from LA Clippers)
Needs: Point Guard
Player Selected: Tyler Ennis
Analysis:  The Pistons took athletic big man Aaron Gordon with their lottery pick so since they need help everywhere they now look to a backcourt player.  Their PG situation could be described as dire or close to it with no one under contract.  With Stuckey and Barbosa both UFA’s who knows what might happen here and I wouldn’t be putting my stock in Gutierrez.  The Pistons address this need and take the best PG on the board in Tyler Ennis.

Pick 18: Miami Heat
Needs: Big man Depth
Player Selected: Adreian Payne
Analysis:  The Heat already landed combo guard Marcus Smart with their lottery pick so now they look to bolster their frontcourt which looks slightly slim behind Randolph, Biyombo and Amir Johnson.  Gm proid generally likes guys who can contribute immediately so the perfect fit here is senior Adreian Payne.

Pick 19: Memphis Grizzlies, (from Denver)
Needs: Power Forward Depth
Player Selected:  James Young
Analysis:  The Griz took Dante Exum at pick 3.  They have plenty of decent small forwards but perhaps lack in depth behind David West.  With a roster full of C’s and no real PF’s available around this pick on the board the Griz decide not to reach and take the best player left in James Young with the plan to look for a trade to bring in another big.

Pick 20: Toronto Raptors
Needs:  Small Forward depth
Player Selected:  Kyle Anderson
Analysis:  The Raptors are in an interesting predicament.  Only 7 guys under contract if you count Gal Mekel.  They have also just executed one of the biggest and perhaps most controversial trades in NLL history shipping off the league MVP in Kevin Durant for Batum, Gasol and MCW.  So this is the new core.  Add in Gibson and Ariza and you should have a playoff team, but can you contend?  Anyway, that discussion is for another day…Assuming most decent free agents, (Allen, Thomas etc) re-sign it looks like the Raptors will still be left with a lack of depth behind Batum.  They address this need and grab Kyle Anderson who at 6’9 has excellent size and can play multiple positions and is the most talented guy left on the board.