5 Questions to the Editor

Tweet tweet. Pay's most recent 2-round mock is HERE. I plan on having my final mock tonight or early tomorrow. Tweet tweet.

I threw out a dozen-or-so draft-related questions to the editor (aka Pay) and let him decide which ones he'd address. Also a few random thoughts of my own (shocker!) might sneak their way in.

Question #1: Which Louisville prospect is most likely lottery bound: Terrence Williams or Earl Clark?
Pay: Two months ago, I would have said Earl Clark. After workouts, Williams' stock has risen because teams love his versatility. He may also be the best defender in this draft class, and he won't last past the 12th pick.
Clement: It's just as likely both slip into the late lottery, potentially even back-to-back, as they both slip into the late teens. Personally, I question what position and what type of shooting range either possesses on the NBA level. Nevertheless, I agree with Pay about Williams (slightly) over Clark. He seems more equipped to be a leader, a scorer, and a defender.

Question #2: Which second round prospect most intrigues you?
Pay: Danny Green. On the right team and in the right situation with the right coaching, he will be an All-Star. If you watched him at Carolina like I did, he's not short of desire and concentrated power of will. Unlike most other second-round talents, Green is a 94-foot player, and he has steadily improved his jump shot, defense, and demeanor in the last four years.
Clement: A lot of teams are desperate for a point guard, or depth at the position, and the first round offers tons of depth at the position. However, if you're willing to sweat it out in the second round, FSU's Toney Douglas (admittedly a combo guard) might be the Mario Chalmers of this draft. He has a knack for scoring but also distributes well and can continue to improve on defense.

Question #3: Who is the "safest" selection outside the top 5?
Pay: Tyler Hansbrough. According to NBA GMs and anyone with a pulse, he's a known quantity who will work hard and never quit.
Clement: Ty Lawson. While I'm not sure if he can be an elite point guard in the NBA, his speed, quickness, clutch shooting, and overall work effort (especially fighting through injuries) will keep him in this league for 10+ years.

Question #4: Which team has been the most difficult to analyze and predict in the top 10?
Pay: Memphis. What will they do at #2? They have a major need at the center position, but they do not seem enamored with Hasheem Thabeet who skipped out on a workout. Increasingly, I believe that they will select the best player available (Ricky Rubio) and trade him to the highest bidder (Minnesota).
Clement: Golden State. At #7, they are Donnie Walsh's biggest nemesis right now (if the affection for Curry is legit, which it clearly appears to be). The Warriors and their front office perplex me more and more, especially since Don Nelson is still calling most of the shots, with a roster that needs to downsize rather than adding another lottery selection. Filled with tweeners galore, I don't believe Stephen Curry would fall past them at 7. However, assuming he's already gone (likely to Minnesota), I have no idea what this team is thinking. NONE.

Question #5: Is Milwaukee better off drafting a rookie point guard (i.e. Johnny Flynn or Ty Lawson) or resigning Ramon Sessions?
Pay: From a dollars and sense perspective, you draft a point guard in the 1st round. But, Scott Skiles seems to really like Sessions, so I expect the Bucks to make every effort to re-sign him. Do not be shocked if the Bucks draft a point guard with the 10th pick and sign Sessions, only to trade Sessions, Ridnour, or the point guard taken with the 10th pick.
Clement: I have always felt Sessions could be a very very good point guard in this league. No, he isn't going to be CP3, Deron Williams, or Derrick Rose; however, I grade him higher than any point guard in this draft (even on their potential). With that being said, Milwaukee has made a mess of their cap and the trade market for the underrated Sessions may not be too strong. With a nucleus of Bogut, Redd, and Villenueva, I'd re-sign Sessions and trade down in this draft (targeting perhaps the aformetioned Terrence Williams or even Gerald Henderson).

Random Thought
After dealing players and picks with the Wizards (notably Randy Foye and Mike Miller), the Minnesota Timberwolves have the 5th and 6th overall picks in tomorrow night's draft. Question now becomess, is Minnesota looking for the best two players available? The best guard and best forward? What if Thabeet slips to them? Do they envision a Thabeet/Jefferson/Love front line? Are they going with the best two guards, regardless of position? Do they really expect to draft four guys in the 1st round? Might they be the team who deals up to #2 with Memphis for Ricky Rubio? If I were the GM in Memphis, I'd get whatever I could from Minnesota (as long as I liked someone enough at #5), take Rubio, and then deal the Spanish phenom to the land of a thousand lakes.

As for the rest of the day, check out the Twitter feed (don't you always?), as I'm off to Transformers 2 right now. And no critics, I'm not expecting the next Godfather, Citizen Kane, or even Terminator 2. Instead, I'm anticipating quite a bit of this...

In a word...HELLO!!!!
Credit: Megan-Fox.net

I know, I'm a sexist pig. I'll listen to the lecture from Jessie Spano later.
Although, she has a checkered past herself, you know.

InClement Weather: Midnight Musings

Here are twenty-or-so random thoughts running throw my head, sitting in front of my computer screen at 12:36am.

I'll try my best to make them relevant, my friends.

Memo to Greg Oden:
1) Everyone owns a digital camera.
2) Anyone can upload to YouTube
3) Don't ever trust girls wearing outfits like THAT.
4) Seriously bro. Watch the knees!!!
Credit: Deadspin

1) I'm glad the election frenzy is nearly a month behind us. As excited as I was (especially being an 8th grade Civics teacher), it's nice to focus on what "really matters".
2) LeBron James (5) already has more 50 point games than Larry Bird (4). Did you know that Iverson (11) and Kobe (23!) lead the way with active players with 50+-point outings?
3) Ramon Sessions is gonna be a very good point-guard in the NBA for a long time. Gee, I wonder which two writers on this staff predicted that?
4) The Wizards should be embarrassed losing to a 7-man Knicks squad tonight. Especially since they gave up 7 treys to the Q. Pathetic.
5) When's Lost coming back? Seriously? WHEN!?!?

6) Dan Patrick still remains the best thing on radio...but not on television.
7) Pete Prisco of CBSSportsline.com HATES my Jets. GOOD! He can dine with Peter "Always a Fatty" King. Yeah, that nickname is perfect.
8) I hate how much impact November games have on the selection status come mid-March for the NCAA tournament. I think dates of these early pre-conference games should come into effect when you count wins and losses.
9) There might not be a better ending than Friday afternoon's hoopla between Xavier (Santos!) and Virginia Tech.
10) Texas beat Oklahoma on a neutral field. Therefore, they deserve a higher BCS ranking than the Sooners.

11) Casino Royale was supposed to be the "return" of the Bond franchise. After Quantum of Solace...the franchise has slipped big time again (thanks Mr. Director!).
12) Brazilian film City of God is the best movie none of you have ever seen. Rent it!
13) Major League Baseball needs to hand out its awards during the postseason. Even if Pujols has to receive his MVP on vacation in San Juan or on his recliner in the Lew.
14) Props to Mike Mussina. Going out without a ring but with a 20-win season. Props.
15) Psycho T will be Psycho T soon enough. Be patient UNC fans.

16) Alabama vs. Florida can't be half the stinker Texas Tech/Oklahoma was, right? PLEASE!!!
17) The Heisman trophy grows more irrelevant with every passing year.
18) Elton Brand had to enjoy that game-winning bucket against the Clippers more than he showed. Right?
19) Stay healthy Greg Oden. Please. Please. Please.
20) I really am pulling for Oregon State to win the Civil War. Just like I pulled for the Union army.

See ya next time...

Oden Headlines Potential Ohio State and Nevada Exodus

Later today, Greg Oden is expected to formally announce that he will declare himself eligible for this year's NBA Draft. He will hire an agent, who is rumored to be Mike Conley Sr. Additionally, freshmen teammates Mike Conley Jr. and Daequan Cook will also declare for the draft, but will not reportedly hire an agent.

As we know, Oden is the odds-on #1 pick overall. Conley Jr.'s display in the NCAA tournament catapulted him into the mid-to-late lottery. At most draft projection sites, the elite point guard is expected to go to the Atlanta Hawks (via trade with Indiana) with what is now the 12th pick overall. His talent posits that can go higher, but he may slip due to teams needing bigger players. The third wheel, Daequan Cook, flourished within the open court system that the Buckeyes employed prior to Greg Oden's arrival. Cook's explosiveness in and around the hoop, shooting range and general upside make him a potential mid-to-late 1st round pick should he excel in pre-draft workouts.

One Way to Guarantee Conley Jr. Staying in the Draft
By now, we know for sure that if given the chance, Greg Oden and Mike Conley Jr. would love to play on the same team in the NBA. However, it's just not likely. By not likely, it's about 11.9% likely. Currently, the Phoenix Suns hold the 4th pick overall, which they received from the Atlanta Hawks via the trade for Joe Johnson. That pick has a top 3 protection, meaning that the pick will belong to Atlanta if they somehow get drawn into the top 3. If the Hawks get the luck of the draw and somehow land the #1 pick overall, they will have a chance at drafting the dynamic duo.

Nevada Guards Testing Waters
Nevada junior guards Marcelus Kemp and Ramon Sessions are also entering the draft, but will not be hiring an agent. Though Wolfpack head coach Mark Fox has praised the duo, he has recommended that both return to school for their senior seasons if they are not guaranteed first-round draft picks. This is not new territory for Fox or for the guards, because last year, teammate Nick Fazekas explored his draft possibilities, but ultimately returned to Reno for his senior year. At present, both Kemp and Sessions have potential 2nd-round stock.

Given that many NBA teams attempt to hit home runs in the 2nd round by drafting project-type players from overseas, the guards may slip out of the draft entirely.

Draft Stock Summary

Greg Oden -- 1st pick overall
Mike Conley Jr. -- Could be taken as high as 5, if Seattle decides to go with a point guard. Sacramento and Philadelphia at 10 and 11, respectively, may go with Conley should Mike Bibby and Andre Miller not be in the long term picture for their teams. If not, he'll go to Atlanta, who should have the ammunition to move up in the draft.
Daequan Cook -- Late first round to undrafted. Boatloads of upside yet to be realized (AKA "The NBA Dream"). Unlike his playing time that dwindled during the season, Cook will have a say in his ability to be drafted in the 1st round.
Marcelus Kemp -- A likely second round pick, if drafted at all. Is considered behind shooting guards such as Nicholas Batum (France), Nick Young, Arron Afflalo, Marco Belinelli (Italy), Derrick Byars, Rudy Fernandez (Spain), Marcus Williams, Morris Almond, and Rodney Stuckey.
Ramon Sessions -- Unlikely to be drafted. Sessions may benefit as a result of a relatively weak point guard class. The point guard has plenty of ground to make up including a list not limited to the aforementioned Conley Jr., Acie Law IV, Aaron Brooks, Taurean Green, Bobby Brown, Dominic James (if he declares), and a number of international prospects.