The NBA offseason is by no means over, but the lion’s share is behind us, so it’s a good time to take a look back at a few of the…um…let’s say “questionable” decisions of the summer. Here are my Top 10, in no particular order. Feel free to add to the list if I missed something.

1. Trevor Ariza plays spiteful hardball…and loses.
Let’s get this straight — the Lakers offered Ariza the same deal he was getting on the open market, and he refused since the Lakers could have offered more, but didn’t? Um, okay. David Lee (the agent, not the Knicks forward) says that Ariza wanted to go somewhere where he’d be “appreciated.” Lee overestimated the market for his client, and the Lakers quickly moved on to acquire Ron Artest. Now instead of playing for the world champs, Ariza is stuck in Houston on a team that faces a very uncertain future. Lee now says that Ariza turned down a deal worth $9 million more, but still picked Houston. It sounds to me like he’s just trying to save face.

2. Grizzlies acquire Zach Randolph.
Once the Clippers traded for Randolph (and his toxic contract) last season, I thought the bar for NBA general managers had hit a new low thanks to Mike Dunleavy and his wily ways. But Dunleavy proved that he wasn’t the dumbest GM in the league when he convinced the Memphis Grizzlies to take on the final two years Randolph’s contract at the tune of $33.3 million. Remember that $25 million or so of cap space that the Grizzlies were going to have next summer? Yeah, that’s down to about $8 million with this brilliant move. Just when it looked like Chris Wallace was going to rehab his image after the Pau Gasol trade — Marc Gasol panning out, trading for O.J. Mayo — he goes and does this. Sigh.

3. T-Wolves draft both Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn with no (good) plan in place.
When GM David Kahn drafted two point guards with back to back picks, everyone around the league thought that he had a trade in place. Not so, according to Kahn, who likes the idea of playing two smallish, ball-dominating guards in the same backcourt. Now Rubio is threatening to stay in Europe for another year or two, and Kahn is seemingly happy to wait until Rubio finally makes his way to the NBA to see if his unorthodox plan (and that’s being kind) will ultimately work.

4. The Magic trade for Vince Carter.
Let’s see, your team just lost in the Finals — losing two games in overtime — and your main ballhandler is a free agent. What do you do? It’s tough to create the kind of chemistry that gets a team to the Finals, so you re-sign him, right? Not the Orlando Magic, who balked at Hedo Turkoglu’s $10 million-per-season asking price and instead pulled the trigger on a trade for Vince Carter. So essentially they gave up their most consistent player (Turkoglu) and a budding star (Courtney Lee) for the 32-year-old Carter. A healthy Jameer Nelson (along with a savvy mid-level signing) may have been enough to put this Magic team over the top, but now we’ll never know.

5. Pistons sign Ben Gordon for $11 million per season.
Look, I like Ben Gordon…for about $8 million per season. The guy is a great scorer, but he has sketchy shot selection at times and is a big liability on defense. For years, the Bulls didn’t even deem him good enough to start, but the Pistons are going to throw $11 million per year at him? And it turns out that they were bidding against themselves, as the Bulls didn’t even bother to make an offer before Gordon signed with Detroit.

6. No one makes an offer (that we know of) to Ramon Sessions.
7. The Bucks don’t extend one-year offer to Charlie Villanueva and lose him without compensation.
8. The Bucks give away Richard Jefferson.
Let’s tackle my beloved Bucks all at once. First, they give away a former All-Star Jefferson in a salary dump. Then, they elect not to take the option to make Villanueva a restricted free agent, which allows the Pistons to sign him away without having to give the Bucks anything in return. I know why the Bucks made these moves — they don’t feel that this roster is worthy of being in luxury tax territory and I don’t disagree, but small market teams can’t give away assets for nothing. Yeah, maybe signing Villanueva for the final year of his rookie contract would have cost them $4 million or more, but they could have traded him for a young prospect or maybe a draft pick. And why didn’t they get a first rounder out of the Spurs for Jefferson? Small market teams have a tough time signing stars, so they have to build through the draft and via trade. Giving away the rights to a $7 million-per-season player (which is what the Pistons paid Villanueva) is not the way to get better. Lastly, why hasn’t anyone made RFA Ramon Sessions an offer? The Bucks have proven that they are trying to cut salary and they picked up Brandon Jennings in the draft. Does anyone really think that they’d match a significant ($4-$5 million per year) offer for Sessions? He had the 13th-highest PER amongst all point guards, and the 5th-highest amongst all point guards under the age of 26. Moreover, his +/- numbers are the best on the team for anyone who played more than 1200 minutes. Why hasn’t a team in need of point guard help (Portland?) jumped on this guy?

9. The Suns give away Shaquille O’Neal.
Regular readers know that I’m not fond of the job Steve Kerr is doing in Phoenix. First, he trades Rudy Fernandez away for cash. Then he ruins one of the most exciting teams in NBA history by trading Shawn Marion for Shaquille O’Neal. Now he seemingly admits that the Shaq trade was all for naught by giving him away in a salary dump. Shaq made the Third Team All-NBA last year, and Kerr traded him for Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic’s expiring contracts. Geesh.

10. Six teams pass on DeJuan Blair IN THE SECOND ROUND!
When I first heard that there were concerns about Blair’s knees, I thought he might fall into the bottom third of the first round. Even if the guy is missing ligaments in his knees, he was still one of the best rebounders in all of college basketball last season and he ate up #2 pick Hasheem Thabeet in Connecticut. When Blair fell into the second round I was stunned as the Kings, Wizards, Blazers, Nuggets, Pistons and Grizzlies all passed on Blair. A second round pick doesn’t require the same kind of financial commitment as a first round pick, so there’s very little downside if the guy doesn’t pan out. Blair fell and fell, right into the inviting arms of the Spurs, who will be lucky to have him on the roster for the foreseeable future.

Probably the most perplexing sequence of events occurred early last night when the Minnesota Timberwolves picked Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn — two pure point guards — with back-to-back picks. My first instinct was that GM David Kahn (Kaaaaaaaaaahn!) was working out a trade for one of the guards, possibly moving Rubio to the Warriors or Knicks or some other team for a pick and/or veteran help. But then Ric Bucher popped his head in to inform us that Kahn said that he plans to play Rubio and Flynn together. Later on, Kahn mentioned a few examples of point guard duos that have played well in the past, citing Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars, Dennis Johnson and Danny Ainge, and…gulp…Michael Jordan and John Paxson.

Setting aside the Jordan/Paxson comparison for a moment, let’s look at the other two examples. DJ and Ainge were both 6’4″ combo guards and neither guy had to have the ball in his hands to be effective. I don’t think the same will be said about Rubio or Flynn (certainly not Rubio). Dumars was 6’3″ defensive stopper and deadeye shooter, while Zeke was a ball-dominant playmaker. In short, Thomas was a pure point guard, while Dumars, Ainge and DJ were combo guards. Those backcourts worked because the two players complemented each other.

But back to Jordan/Paxson — if I’m a Timberwolves fan and I hear that my general manager is referring to Michael Jordan as a point guard, I’m getting out on the ledge. MJ was a 6’6″ wing, who could do everything — handle, shoot, post up and play defense. He was more of a 2/3 who could run the point if necessary. If Kahn really thinks that he was a point guard, then that shows an alarming lack of basic knowledge about the game.

But that’s not the only reason the comparison is invalid. A general manager should not be invoking Jordan’s name when discussing his first few picks in the draft. He is arguably the greatest player ever to play the game, so it’s not fair to expect your rookies to do the same things he did. Any backcourt that featured Jordan would have worked. He was that good.

Once Hasheem Thabeet, James Harden and Tyreke Evans were off the board, I thought for sure the T-Wolves would take a point guard (Rubio or Flynn) and Stephen Curry, who is a smallish combo guard that can shoot the lights out. If you want to run him at off guard, you need to pair him with a pure point guard to set him up. A Flynn/Curry or Rubio/Curry backcourt would have had a real chance at working. Rubio/Flynn would serve as the playmaker, while Curry’s shooting would create space for Al Jefferson and Kevin Love to work in the post. Defensively, a backcourt like that would have its share of problems, but at least it would make sense on the other end of the court.

I just don’t think a Rubio/Flynn backcourt will work. Both players are ball-dominant and neither guy shoots the ball very well. Rubio isn’t strong enough to cover most opposing shooting guards and Flynn isn’t tall enough to cover big guards on the block. Throw in the fact that Rubio doesn’t sound too thrilled about the prospect of playing in Minnesota, and Kahn might have one big mess on his hands.

Here is some more commentary about Minnesota’s first two picks…

Bill Simmons, from his draft day diary: An orgasmic Fraschilla says Rubio is “the best passer in the last decade of drafts” and he’s “got a Gretzky-like feel, he sees the game two and three plays ahead.” Totally agree. So much for Minnesota doing the right thing. The Wolves just took Syracuse’s Jonny Flynn … whom I really like … but … well … he’s a point guard. Didn’t they just take Rubio? Did I black out? You’re going to have two young ball handlers playing together — one who’s 5-foot-11, the other who’s 18 years old and weighs 180 pounds (and 30 of that is his hair), and that’s your plan? Who’s guarding the Kobes and Vinces out of those two? Why didn’t they just take Curry? And why aren’t the ESPN guys wondering about a trade here or, at the very least, murdering this pick? THEY JUST TOOK TWO STRAIGHT POINT GUARDS!!!!!!!!!!

Chris Mannix, SI.com: In a draft deep with point guards, Minnesota seemingly picked all of them. At least that’s what it felt like as four of the first five picks by new GM David Kahn play the point. After a couple of trades, the Timberwolves were left with Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn, along with UNC shooting guard Wayne Ellington and forward Henk Norel of the Netherlands. For now, the Timberwolves say they will go to camp with both Rubio and Flynn. But Rubio may have something to say about that. Sources close to Rubio say he is less than enamored with the prospect of playing in the Twin Cities and that his buyout situation with his Spanish club remains sticky. If Rubio balks at coming to Minnesota or if he is forced to remain in Spain for another year (a long shot, but possible), the Timberwolves could be forced to deal him.

Tom Powers, Pioneer Press: At first, we thought Kahn had a trade up his sleeve. After all, he had just sent his two top shooting guards to Washington. Randy Foye and Mike Miller saw the bulk of the action at that position for the Wolves last season. As near as I can tell, someone named Bobby Brown currently sits at the top of the Wolves’ depth chart at that position. That’s because he is the only veteran two-guard left on the roster. And he’s not even a true shooting guard. But Kahn quickly sent word that he planned to keep both players, giving examples of how two point guards have co-existed in the same backcourt — Michael Jordan and John Paxson, for instance.

Chad Ford, ESPN: Rubio and Flynn might have been the two best point guards in the draft. But to fall in love with them both and actually take them both amounts to point guard polygamy. I really don’t know what to think about the Timberwolves’ draft. I keep waiting to hear about a trade that tells us where Rubio or Flynn is really going, but it hasn’t come, and GM David Kahn says he wants to keep them both. So, to recap: The Wolves traded two key players on their roster, Randy Foye and Mike Miller, and took back bad contracts to get the No. 5 pick, a questionable move. Then they got the two guys they love, Rubio and Flynn. Terrific. Then Kahn announced his idea to have Rubio and Flynn play together in the backcourt. Huh? I could see it, I guess, had it been Stephen Curry they drafted to play alongside Rubio. But Flynn as a 2 guard? Really? The Wolves appear to have outsmarted themselves. Here’s the problem: Even if the Wolves’ idea to play them together was a good one (and it isn’t), I don’t think Rubio would go for it. If he wants to, he can go back to Spain for the next year or two (or more) and really foul things up for the Wolves. Given how things look right now, I think he just might do it.

Jim Souhan, Star Tribune: Kahn assures us the two will play together, in the manner of Dennis Johnson and Danny Ainge or Joe Dumars and Isiah Thomas. That concept, along with Flynn’s toughness, is intriguing, but this draft will be defined by Rubio. He could be great. He could be a soft Euro who gets eaten up by stronger, fiercer players such as Tyreke Evans and Flynn. I lean toward the former view. In a league that has outlawed handchecking, skilled guards — and especially skilled guards with size — can dominate. The key for Rubio will be working with a coach who can help him develop and teammates who can make use of his passing. That’s where this gets tricky. At this moment the Wolves’ two cornerstone players — Al Jefferson and Rubio — might as well play different sports. Jefferson needs room and time in the low post, and the Wolves didn’t draft Rubio to stand outside, dump the ball in to Jefferson and get back on defense.

Henry Abbott, TrueHoop: [Kahn] called Rubio potentially a “transformational” player, and was clear that “it was not an attempt to take Ricky to trade him.” (There was a report from a TrueHoop reader in Minnesota that Kahn was effusive about Jonny Flynn, and mentioned to the assembled crowd that it was possible Rubio would not come over this season, which was odd as Rubio had said time and again he would come.) Whether Kahn intends to keep Rubio or trade him, it’s a good strategy to say he’s in Minnesota to stay. Were Kahn to say that he drafted Rubio to trade him, he’d lose leverage in trade negotiations. (He needs his suitors to think that he’d hate to part with Rubio, but for the right price … we could talk.) Remember when the Bucks drafted Yi Jianlian, and there was much bellyaching about whether not the Chinese player would report to Milwaukee? A year later, Yi was later traded to a team more to his liking, in New Jersey. His hard-bargaining agent was Dan Fegan — who also represents Rubio. That’s no sign the relationship between the Timberwolves and Rubio will end the same way — culminating in an eventual departure. But it’s starting out in similar vein.

The draft is just a few days away, so it’s a good time to take one final stab at mocking the first round of this draft. I’ll continue to update the consensus draft this week, but this will be my last attempt at predicting what will happen this Thursday.

First, let’s take a look at the most recent consensus. Chad Ford released the most recent version of his mock draft today, NBADraft.net also updated today, while DraftExpress updated their mock yesterday.

Now I’ll go, pick by pick, through the first round, taking the consensus into account while also throwing in my $0.02 here and there.

#1 CLIPPERS
The Clips have shown no signs of trading away their opportunity to draft Blake Griffin. There is much fluidity with the next few picks, but the Oklahoma product is pretty much guaranteed to be the first pick. The Clippers will then (reportedly) try to move Zach Randolph or Chris Kaman, though it might be wise to move forward with Kaman and Griffin in the front court, Baron Davis at the point, and Eric Gordon and Al Thornton on the wing. Randolph is going to be tough to move. (I still can’t believe that Mike Dunleavy traded for him last season.)
Pick: Blake Griffin, PF, Oklahoma

#2 GRIZZLIES
The consensus says that Hasheem Thabeet will be the pick and I don’t disagree, even though he just pulled out of a workout with Memphis due to a shoulder injury. DraftExpress thinks that Memphis will go with James Harden and move O.J. Mayo to the point, which they say is his natural position. I don’t know that they’ve given up on Mike Conley yet, so I think they will go big with this pick. Their biggest need is at power forward, so trading down and drafting Jordan Hill is a possibility. But if they stand pat, Thabeet could very well be the pick, even though he doesn’t seem to want to play in Memphis.
Pick: Hasheem Thabeet, C, UConn

#3 THUNDER
This pick mostly depends on what the Thunder think they have in Russell Westbrook. Is he their point guard of the future? If so, OKC might go with Harden, a savvy off guard who tested much better athletically at the combine than expected. If not, they could go with Ricky Rubio or another point guard and move Westbrook to off guard. If Thabeet is available, he’s a possibility as well.
Pick: James Harden, SG, Arizona State

#4 KINGS
The consensus says that Rubio will be the pick even though his visit to Sacramento didn’t go all that well because he was too sick to work out. He has time to make another visit, but I think Evans’ performance at a recent workout has made him the frontrunner in Sacramento.
Pick: Tyreke Evans, PG, Memphis

#5 WIZARDS
The Wizards think they’re in “win now” mode, so they should probably trade this pick for some veteran help, especially at off guard. If they keep the pick, they could go with one of the combo guards — Holiday, Evans, Curry or Harden, if available — or go for some upside in the front court and draft Jordan Hill. They are reportedly really high on Rubio, even though he isn’t the greatest fit with Gilbert Arenas in the Wizards’ backcourt.
Pick: Ricky Rubio, PG, Spain

#6 TIMBERWOLVES
Minnesota looks to be set on drafting a point guard, which will allow Randy Foye to play off guard (probably his natural position). They should have their pick of Curry, Holiday, Evans, Flynn and Jennings, but it was Evans that reportedly dominated the massive point guard workout in Minnesota. Curry didn’t attend, but with both Rubio and Evans already off the board, he may be their pick.
Pick: Stephen Curry, PG, Davidson

#7 WARRIORS
Golden State really likes Stephen Curry, but now that he’s off the board, this becomes a crapshoot. Larry Riley said recently that he’d like some “beef,” and Jordan Hill fits the bill. Brandon Jennings and Terrance Williams are reportedly quite high on the Warriors’ draft board.
Pick: Jordan Hill, PF, Arizona

#8 KNICKS
The Knicks would like to draft Curry or Hill here, but with both players gone, look for them to go with another point guard. Jennings, Holiday, Flynn and even Ty Lawson are possibilities here. They’re reportedly trying to get Holiday in for a second workout, which tells me that he may be their backup plan if Curry and Hill are off the board.
Pick: Jrue Holiday, PG, UCLA

#9 RAPTORS
DeMar DeRozan has been penciled in for Toronto for the last few weeks, though NBADraft.net has the Raptors taking Gerald Henderson in their most recent mock. John Hollinger’s Draft Rater doesn’t like DeRozan, but there’s no telling if Bryan Colangelo, who has a reputation for having a great eye for talent, will care.
Pick: DeMar DeRozan, GF, USC

#10 BUCKS
From the sound of it, GM John Hammond is looking for a point guard here, and with Jonny Flynn, Brandon Jennings and Ty Lawson on the board, he has a nice group to choose from. Of that group, I think Flynn is most likely to be the pick. He’s the best defender of the bunch (including Evans and Curry) and has the right attitude to thrive in a small market like Milwaukee. The Bucks already have Ramon Sessions, and probably should be looking at a front court pick like DeJuan Blair (or moving up for Jordan Hill), but it sounds like they have point guard on the brain. Jrue Holiday is another possibility, if available.
Pick: Jonny Flynn, PG, Syracuse

#11 NETS
Even though the Nets already have Devin Harris, it’s entirely possible that they’ll decide to go with the best player available, even if it’s a point guard like Flynn, Jennings or Lawson. Gerald Henderson is another possibility with Vince Carter getting on in years, but the rumors all seem to be swirling around a front court pick like DeJuan Blair or Tyler Hansbrough. Both players are hard-nosed rebounding types, but they each have their faults. For Blair, it seems to be his height (6’5″ w/o shoes) and concerns about his knees. For Hansbrough, it’s a perceived lack of upside. Blair’s reach makes up for his height, and I think his game will translate a little better to the NBA given his strong post moves inside. (Hansbrough is more robotic on the block.)
Pick: DeJuan Blair, PF, Pittsburgh

#12 BOBCATS
Again, Charlotte could very well go with Jennings or Lawson here and maybe look to make a trade with a team searching for point guard help. If not, they’ll probably look to the wing where a guy like Gerald Henderson could really make an impact. He’s a terrific athlete and has an improving offensive game. He should fit in with what Larry Brown is trying to do.
Pick: Henderson, SG, Duke

#13 PACERS
Indiana would probably be thrilled if they have the choice between Brandon Jennings and Ty Lawson here. Lately, the buzz about Lawson has been good, and concerns about slipping out of the lottery has Jennings working out for some of the teams working in the mid-first round. With GM Larry Bird calling the shots, I think he’ll go with the safer pick (Lawson) leaving the upside of Jennings on the table.
Pick: Ty Lawson, PG, North Carolina

#14 SUNS
While there are a few guys that might be able to help immediately, with Steve Nash’s career on the decline, GM Steve Kerr could look at finding his eventual replacement. I don’t think he would pass on Jennings’ potential here. The Suns seem to want to move forward with Nash running the show, so it would give Jennings a year or three to develop.
Pick: Brandon Jennings, PG, via Italy

#15 PISTONS
The word is that the Pistons have made a promise to draft B.J. Mullens if he’s on the board at #15, but Mullens himself says there is no promise, and Chad Ford says that the team is more interested in Earl Clark. If Clark beefs up, he can play the 4, so he’d help with the Pistons’ problems on the front line. (And if they draft Clark, what does that mean for Carlos Boozer potentially signing with Detroit?)
Pick: Earl Clark, F, Louisville

#16 BULLS
Chicago reportedly has interest in Hansbrough here, but they may not be able to pass on the upside of B.J. Mullens. They should be aware that there are long odds of a seven-footer drafted outside of the lottery going on to have a great NBA career.
Pick: B.J. Mullens, C, Ohio State

#17 SIXERS
Philly fans may be hoping that Ty Lawson or Brandon Jennings slips to them here at #17, but Eric Maynor would be a nice pick as well. He’s being overlooked in a great point guard draft, but he does everything well and should be able to contribute immediately, a la Courtney Lee. Jeff Teague is another possibility. His outside shooting should help Elton Brand down low.
Pick: Eric Maynor, PG, VCU

#18 TIMBERWOLVES
If Minnesota gets their point guard (Evans) at #6, their fans should be happy if they can land someone like Terrance Williams at #18. Corey Brewer’s career is off to a rocky start, and Randy Foye isn’t exactly lighting things up, so Williams gives the T-Wolves another option on the wing.
Pick: Terrance Williams, GF, Louisville

#19 HAWKS
Truth be told, the Hawks should have taken Chris Paul or Deron Williams in the ’05 Draft, but they didn’t and they’re still looking for their point guard of the future after drafting Acie Law two years ago. Enter Jeff Teague, a smooth shooter in the same mold as current Hawk Mike Bibby.
Pick: Jeff Teague, PG, Wake Forest

#20 JAZZ
I may be wrong, but if Hansbrough is available at #20, I don’t see the Jazz passing on him. It’s just too good of a fit (especially with Carlos Boozer likely on his way out of town).
Pick: Tyler Hansbrough, PF, North Carolina

#21 HORNETS
New Orleans needs wings who can shoot, because Peja Stojakovic and Rasual Butler aren’t going to get the Hornets to the Finals. While Wayne Ellington is a possibility, LSU’s Marcus Thornton might be the better fit. He’s sort of a Rip Hamilton type who scores a lot off of screens. He also does a nice job of knocking down contested jumpers which will help in the NBA.
Pick: Marcus Thornton, G, LSU

#22 MAVERICKS
The Mavs probably need to think point guard first, but they might still be in denial about that Devin Harris-for-Jason Kidd trade. Darren Collison is a possibility, but the Mavs should be able to re-sign Kidd for another season or two, and they may look at trading Josh Howard due to his tendency to be an off-court distraction. This is where James Johnson comes in. He can play either forward position and was considered a borderline lottery talent before questions about his attitude started to weigh down his stock.
Pick: James Johnson, F, Wake Forest

#23 KINGS
If the Kings go with a point guard at #4, they would have a tough time passing on the potential of Austin Daye here. Draft Express has him rated as the #2 small forward in this draft, but he’s going to need some time to develop, and they have nothing but time in Sacramento.
Pick: Austin Daye, SF, Gonzaga

#24 TRAIL BLAZERS
I think Darren Collison is a sleeper at point guard in this PG-heavy draft. He’s a floor general who plays great defense and can hit the open jumper. He doesn’t have the three-point range of Steve Blake, but he already does everything else better. He would be a nice fit in Portland, assuming they keep this pick. (They’ll probably trade it.)
Pick: Darren Collison, PG, UCLA

#25 THUNDER
Assuming OKC goes with Harden at #3, they’ll probably look to the front court with this pick. At this point, there are a number of power forwards — Josh Heytvelt, Gani Lawal, Jeff Pendergraph, Taj Gibson, Omri Casspi, Derrick Brown or DeMarre Carroll — who could help the Thunder up front. Two of the mocks say that Chase Budinger is a good pick here, but unless they get Thabeet at #3, I think they’re going to go big. How about Casspi, who has played well in workouts this summer? The Thunder can wait for the 20-year-old to develop.
Pick: Omri Casspi, F, Israel

#26 BULLS
They drafted a center at #16, so they might look to the wing to shore things up in case Ben Gordon leaves via free agency. Wayne Ellington shot the ball great in the tournament and he has the potential to be a pretty good fit alongside Derrick Rose in the backcourt when John Salmons eventually leaves.
Pick: Wayne Ellington, SG, North Carolina

#27 GRIZZLIES
If they go with Thabeet at #2, they might turn to the backcourt with this pick and draft Florida’s Nick Calathes, who is a good finisher and spot up shooter. There are also a number of power forwards still on the board that could provide some defense and rebounding.
Pick: Nick Calathes, PG, Florida

#28 TIMBERWOLVES
The T-Wolves could use a little more beef up front, and Gonzaga’s Josh Heytvelt has the outside stroke to complement Al Jefferson’s post up game. Along with Kevin Love, the trio could give Minny a nice rotation up front, though the T-Wolves may elect to draft a player with more athleticism.
Pick: Josh Heytvelt, C, Gonzaga

#29 LAKERS
With Derek Fisher getting older and Shannon Brown entering free agency, the Lakers have a few questions in the backcourt. They might also look to shore up the small forward position if it looks like Trevor Ariza or Lamar Odom isn’t going to return. Sweden’s Jonas Jerebko is a versatile 6’9″ forward who could potentially fill Odom’s role at the 3/4 spot.
Pick: Jonas Jerebko, F, Sweden

#30 CAVALIERS
With Anderson Varejao’s future in Cleveland unknown, the Cavs have their pick of several power forward types who could bring defense and rebounding. How about USC’s Taj Gibson, who is a pretty good shotblocker?
Pick: Taj Gibson, PF, USC

It has been about two weeks since I published my first mock draft, so it’s a good time to check back in with all the news and rumors and take another stab.

Like I said in the intro of my first mock, it’s tough for me to make predictions about what teams will do because I’m constantly thinking about what they should do. These are obviously two very different things.

For this go-around, I’m going to try something a little different. I’ve compiled the picks for four mock drafts from sites that I respect — ESPN (Chad Ford), Dime Magazine, DraftExpress and NBADraft.net — and then I’ll provide my own picks taking their picks into account, to form some sort of consensus.

Let’s get on with it…

#1 LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
All signs seem to point to the Cliippers keeping this pick and taking Blake Griffin. They have a need at power forward — sorry, Zach Randolph is not the answer — and Griffin is the closest thing to a “sure bet” as there is in this draft. Ford says that the Clippers will find a way to get rid of Randolph and/or Chris Kaman, but Randolph’s contract (two years, $33 million) will be unmovable for another year. Kaman is an effective center when healthy, so there’s no reason the Clips can’t move forward with Baron Davis, Eric Gordon, Al Thornton, Griffin and Kaman. Davis may understandably want to move on from this young team to play for a contender.
Pick: Griffin, PF

#2 MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES
The consensus says that Hasheem Thabeet is going to be the pick here, so I see no reason to change my pick. Ricky Rubio’s name keeps coming up, but it sounds like he’s not too excited about buying out his contract in Spain to play in Memphis, where two Spaniards — Pau Gasol and Juan Carlos Navarro — have had a bad time. The Grizzlies already have a center in Marc Gasol, who seems to be thriving there, but is he really a starting caliber center on a playoff team? The other issue is Mike Conley. If the Grizzlies go point guard here, they’re effectively giving up on him, and it’s probably too soon to make that call.
Pick: Thabeet, C

#3 OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
The buzz of late is that James Harden may be headed to OKC and the consensus bears that out. This pick is more about what the Thunder think of Russell Westbrook than it is about any player they might take here. Is he a point guard or an off guard? He definitely has a shoot-first mentality (as evidenced by this study that I did a few weeks back), and his A/TO ratio of 1.59 is unimpressive. But the Thunder seem to think he’s a point guard, so Harden may very well be the pick here.
Pick: Harden, SG

#4 SACRAMENTO KINGS
The Kings could use a point guard, and according to the consensus, Ricky Rubio just fell into their proverbial laps. I’m not sure he’s destined to be a star, but the scouts love his vision and overall feel for the game, and if he’s able to improve his jumper, he could be a very good NBA point guard. It’s interesting to note that Ford believes the Kings will take Jrue Holiday, though the other three mocks have him going (on average) with the #18 pick.
Pick: Rubio, PG

#5 WASHINGTON WIZARDS
If Harden is still there, he’s a real possibility, and Dime seems to think that they’ll go with Tyreke Evans to give Gilbert Arenas an upgrade in the backcourt (from DeShawn Stevenson). I think there’s a great chance that the Wizards trade this pick as part of a deal to get some immediate help, as Jordan Hill is probably too much of a project for the Wizards to deal with at this point. They need to win now, and the #5 pick still holds a lot of value, even in this somewhat thin draft.
Pick: Hill, PF

#6 MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
The T-Wolves face the same dilemma as the Thunder. Randy Foye doesn’t look to have the same upside as Russell Westbrook, but they’re both combo guards. The consensus says that Evans is the pick, but in his draft, Ford contradicts himself a bit by putting Evans ahead of Stephen Curry, who has really helped his draft stock with a great showing at the combine. With the success the Magic are having by surrounding Dwight Howard with a bunch of shooters (the ol’ Hakeem Olajuwon-era model in Houston), I could see the T-Wolves going with the best shooter (Curry). He and Foye are both versatile enough to share the ball-handling duties. A pure point guard like Jonny Flynn is also a possibility.
Pick: Curry, PG

#7 GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
The consensus says that the Warriors will take Brandon Jennings, but Ford’s GM quiz indicates that the overall feeling on Flynn is much better, since he’s more of a known quantity. But is Monta Ellis a point guard or an off guard? It would have been nice had he stayed off the moped so that the Warriors would have had a year to figure that out. Curry and Evans are also strong possibilities.
Pick: Flynn, PG

#8 NEW YORK KNICKS
The Knicks have been long linked to Curry, but with his fine showing in the combine, he might be gone by the time the Knicks pick at #8. How about sending Nate Robinson and the #8 pick to Washington for their #5 pick? (Just throwing it out there.) If Curry is gone and the Knicks keep their pick, look for Flynn, Jennings, Evans or Holiday to be their guy. Right now, Holiday’s stock seems to be the highest, assuming Flynn goes #7.
Pick: Holiday, PG

#9 TORONTO RAPTORS
Tyreke Evans’ camp seems certain that he’s going in the top 10, but it would seem strange for the Raptors to draft a combo guard to play alongside Jose Calderon, who is one of the most efficient point guards in the league. DeMar DeRozan and DeJuan Blair are possibilities here, but I’ll go with Evans, since three of the four mocks in the consensus have him drafted by this point.
Pick: Evans, G

#10 MILWAUKEE BUCKS
Full disclosure: I’m a longtime Bucks fan (since the days of Sidney Moncrief and Bob Lanier), so it’s hard to distance myself from this pick. Two of the mocks in the consensus have the Bucks selecting Jordan Hill, and I’d be happy with that pick. The other two have the Bucks taking point guards (Flynn and Evans). Since all three players are gone in my mock, I think Milwaukee will take DeJuan Blair to give the team some toughness alongside Andrew Bogut up front. There was some concern about his height, but he has a monster wingspan to give him the 10th highest overall reach in the draft. The Bucks have to decide if they’re keeping Ramon Sessions and Charlie Villanueva, and regular readers know that I am sky high on Sessions. I think a lineup of Sessions, Michael Redd, Richard Jefferson, Blair/Mbah a Moute and Bogut, if healthy, puts the Bucks in the playoffs next season, assuming Blair doesn’t turn into Robert “Tractor” Traylor, Jr. and pack on a bunch of pounds. DeMar DeRozan is a possibility as well.
Pick: Blair, PF

#11 NEW JERSEY NETS
The consensus says Blair, and the Nets could really use his toughness and inside scoring, but my beloved Bucks just took him. New Jersey is set at point guard and center with Devin Harris and Brook Lopez, so DeRozan, Gerald Henderson, James Johnson and Chase Budinger are all possibilities. Three of the four mocks have DeRozan gone by now, so let’s go with the USC frosh.
Pick: DeRozan, GF

#12 CHARLOTTE BOBCATS
This is the first pick where the four mocks have the team taking four different players. I still think that Gerald Henderson has a ton of upside and will bring the consistent defense to make Larry Brown happy. If this guy can develop a consistent jumper, he will be a star.
Pick: Henderson, SG

#13 INDIANA PACERS
Again, there is no consensus. The Pacers are set at small forward with Danny Granger, but that’s about it. Austin Daye has a lot of upside, but at 190 lbs, it’s unclear whether or not he’ll ever be able to play power forward, though Indiana could conceivably move Granger to the four. This is what makes Earl Clark interesting for the Pacers. He’s a versatile forward who could could play the four and set Granger up with his fine passing. Plus, Rick Pitino thinks he’s a good kid that needs a solid mentor, and Granger could be that guy. The Pacers could also go point guard here with Jeff Teague, Eric Maynor or Ty Lawson.
Pick: Clark, F

#14 PHOENIX SUNS
I think it’s safe to say that the writing is on the wall that Amare Stoudemire is not long for Phoenix. He’s already talking about his next destination (the Knicks), so the Suns may look to try to replace him with a power forward like James Johnson. The Suns could also go point guard with Maynor, Teague or Lawson, but that wouldn’t send a very good message to Steve Nash, who has said all the right things the last few months. What the Suns do with this pick could tell us a lot about their long term plans.
Pick: J. Johnson, F

#15 DETROIT PISTONS
Again, no consensus here. The Pistons need more help up front than on the perimeter, but they could still go with a guard with this pick. Someone like Tyler Hansbrough could help right away (as a rotation player off the bench) or the Pistons could go with upside like Austin Daye or B.J. Mullens. They could also go point guard (Maynor, Teague or Lawson) to give Rodney Stuckey a backup or maybe eventually play him at the two if Rip Hamilton leaves. What the hell — let’s go with Mullens. The Pistons’ biggest need is center and here’s a seven-footer with a ton of upside, and those don’t grow on trees.
Pick: Mullens, C

#16 CHICAGO BULLS
Two of the mocks have the Bulls going with Mullens here, which makes sense because Chicago needs some low post scoring. Aaron Gray has been disappointing and Joakim Noah isn’t a post scorer. The team is set at point guard with Derrick Rose, has a nice swingman in Luol Deng and Noah can play power forward or center. They might go with a guy like Chase Budinger or Wayne Ellington in case they don’t re-sign Ben Gordon. Hansbrough and James Johnson are possibilities, if available. Budinger’s stock seems to be the highest of the bunch, so we’ll go with him.
Pick: Budinger, GF

#17 PHILADELPHIA 76ERS
The Sixers could really use a true point guard. They might keep Andre Miller around for another season or two, but he’s getting pretty long in the tooth and Louis Williams is more of a combo guard than a pure point. This is where the oft-mentioned triumvirate of Jeff Teague, Ty Lawson and Eric Maynor come in. Of the three, I think Lawson is the best fit with the Sixers, because Andre Iguodala doesn’t have a great handle. According to Ford, Maynor and Teague are ranked higher at this point, but I don’t know how the Sixers turn down Lawson’s experience and toughness at this point in the draft.
Pick: Lawson, PG

#18 MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
The more I think about the T-Wolves, the more I think that they might look at the depth at the point guard position in this draft and elect to go with another position at #6 and then grab whomever is left (Lawson, Maynor or Teague) here. The main problem with that theory is that good point guard play is getting more and more important, so you’d rather use a high pick there than on the wing. Assuming they do go Curry (or another PG) at #6, I think Austin Daye is a real possibility here. That would give the team a core of Curry, Foye, Daye, Love and Jefferson to build around. The mocks say that Mullens, Budinger and Terrance Williams are possibilities here as well. Two of the mocks don’t even have Daye going in the first round, so we’ll go with Williams since his stock seems to be higher, even though I think I’d rather have Sam Young on my team.
Pick: T. Williams, SF

#19 ATLANTA HAWKS
The Acie Law pick hasn’t panned out, so the Hawks are still looking for a point guard to take over whenever Mike Bibby finally leaves. I still like Lawson the most, but Maynor and Teague are both interesting picks. Two of the mocks say Teague, but I think Maynor might be the better pro. He seems to be the better all around player.
Pick: Teague, PG

#20 UTAH JAZZ
Three mocks have the Jazz going with a power forward, with Hansbrough going in two. His measurements (specifically his reach and agility scores) were better than expected, and his non-stop motor and work ethic will keep him in the league for a long time. Besides, he just looks like a Jerry Sloan kind of guy, and with Carlos Boozer likely on the way out, the Jazz will need a power forward to backup Paul Millsap.
Pick: Hansbrough, PF

#21 NEW ORLEANS HORNETS
Two of the four mocks project the Hornets to take a point guard (Maynor or Patrick Mills), and while the team could use a backup for Chris Paul, finding a good wing or two is a much bigger priority. Julian Wright should be a good player, so a sharpshooting off guard might do the trick. Budinger would be good if he were available, but the Bulls took him at #16. How about Wayne Ellington, Austin Daye or Sam Young? I think Young could potentially be the Josh Howard of this draft, but Ellington had a great tournament and fills a need at off guard.
Pick: Ellington, SG

#22 DALLAS MAVERICKS
The Mavs could really use a point guard, which is why Maynor might be the pick here. Though it would be tempting to draft Austin Daye for his apparent upside. Maynor is probably too good to pass up here and the four mocks agree that he’s a first round talent — Daye, not so much.
Pick: Maynor, PG

#23 SACRAMENTO KINGS
The Kings are another team that have both an early and a late pick, and they might pass on point guard at #4 if they think they can get their guy with this pick. Two of the mocks have the Kings taking Israel’s Omri Casspi, but how about two-time Big East first teamer Sam Young? He’s a great defender, a good spot up shooter and can finish at the rim. He needs to work on his ball handling and his off-the-dribble jumper, but he projects to be a James Posey-type player, and the Kings could use a few of those.
Pick: Young, SF

#24 PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS
Two of the mocks have Portland drafting a point guard here (Lawson and Holiday), but I doubt either guy lasts this long. The position is definitely the biggest need for the Blazers, and while they are one of the teams rumored to be looking to move up in the draft, in this mock they have the option of drafting the speedster/sharpshooter (Patrick Mills) or a defensive stopper/floor general (Darren Collison). Mills stock seems to be higher, so we’ll go with him, but UCLA guards have done pretty well of late; Jordan Farmar and Russell Westbrook both turned out to be better than expected.
Pick: Mills, PG

#25 OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
Assuming they go with Harden, a shooting guard, at #3, it likely means that they view Westbrook as their point guard of the future. Fine. What the Thunder needs now is shotblocking and rebounding. Center is more of a priority than power forward, but the pickings are slim at this point of the draft. Gani Lawal is a good rebounder, a capable scorer, and at just 20 years old, he has some upside.
Pick: Lawal, PF

#26 CHICAGO BULLS
This is when things get really dicey. Whether or not a player that is still on the board is a “first round talent” depends entirely on the teams drafting at the end of the round. The Bulls need some size and low post scoring and Georgetown’s DaJuan Summers fits the bill.
Pick: Summers, PF

#27 MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES
If the Grizzlies go with Thabeet at #2 instead of a point guard, they may look to grab Collison here as a backup plan for Mike Conley if he doesn’t pan out. They could also use a power forward, so Summers, Casspi, DeMarre Carroll, Taj Gibson, Derrick Brown, Damion James, Dante Cunningham, etc. are all options. I think they’ll go with the proven Collison and try to add a power forward through free agency.
Pick: Collison, PG

#28 MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
The T-Wolves went point guard at #6 and guard/forward at #18, so they will probably try to get some size here. Minny can afford to wait, so how about Israel’s Omri Casspi? They can let him play overseas for a few years before bringing him over. All four mocks think he’s a first round talent.
Pick: Casspi, F

#29 LOS ANGELES LAKERS
Two of the mocks have the Lakers taking Toney Douglas here. He’s undersized for a shooting guard, but in the Lakers’ system, he could play point because he won’t have to handle the ball that much. He fits the L.A. mold — he can shoot and play good defense. The team is also likely to lose either Lamar Odom unless he’s willing to take a big pay cut to stay, so they could go with a forward here as well.
Pick: Douglas, G

#30 CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
The Cavs’ front line is in flux, and there are a number of power forward types available at this point in the draft. Cleveland found PF J.J. Hickson late in last year’s first round, so maybe they’ll try their luck with a center and draft Gonzaga’s Josh Heytvelt who is a polished offensive player, but needs a little work fundamentally on the glass and defensively. He could be a weapon in the pick-and-roll with LeBron. Honestly, it’s a crap shoot at this point.
Pick: Heytvelt, C

- Charlie Villanueva is open to joining the Cavs, and given the current state of the economy, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the best he’ll be able to do is a deal at the mid-level (~$5.8 million). The Bucks first have to decide whether or not to make the qualifying offer (~$4.6 million) and they may elect not to in order to avoid going over the luxury tax threshold (~$71 million, and could drop). Without Villanueva (and Ramon Sessions, who is also slated to become a restricted free agent), the Bucks’ payroll is at about $61 million with only eight players under contract. Villanueva would give the Cavs a good matchup for Rashard Lewis. Both players are slender power forwards who can shoot the ball, though Charlie V isn’t known for his defense.

- UFA Andre Miller doesn’t have a problem with the Sixers’ hire of head coach Eddie Jordan. The Sixers are over the cap but well under the luxury tax, so I’d expect them to sign the 33 year-old to a one- or two-year deal in the $6-7 million range. He is unlikely to get that on the open market, but Portland is a team with cap space that could use his leadership.

- Toronto GM Bryan Colangelo plans to keep Chris Bosh and try to surround him with better players, unless the talented power forward expresses serious doubts about re-signing. By sending Jermaine O’Neal to the Heat for Shawn Marion (and his expiring contract), the Raptors have about $10 million in cap space heading into the summer. While that may not be enough to land someone like Carlos Boozer, it is enough, coupled with the team’s mid-level exception, to add two or three pretty good players to the roster. How about Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva/Chris Andersen? I’d expect the Bosh rumors to heat up next season if Toronto struggles again early on.

- Hoopsworld says that there’s a rumor making the rounds that the Thunder might take DeMar DeRozan #3. This sounds a little fishy to me because everything I’m seeing shows DeRozan slipping a little after poor agility and sprint tests at the combine. James Harden has the better standing vertical and is just 1.5″ off of DeRozan’s max vertical. Harden also beat DeRozan soundly in the agility and sprint tests and is the much more polished offensive player at this point. DeRozan is 1.5″ taller, but Harden has a higher reach because he has a longer wingspan.

- With Jonny Flynn and Jrue Holiday climbing the draft charts, Ricky Rubio is suddenly open to interviews and workouts with teams picking #2 to #4, which includes Memphis, Oklahoma City and Sacramento. Rubio apparently didn’t play very well in his season finale, and his camp may be worried about him slipping out of the top four if those teams in question find a guy they like better.

I don’t know how he did it, but Chad Ford convinced 15 NBA GMs/executives to rank the top 13 point guards in the draft. If I were running a team and he asked me to do this, I would have told him to go jump off a cliff. (Or I’d have my secretary rank the players by how cute she thinks they are and pass that off as my list.)

Anyway, here are the rankings, along with an average ranking. Ford’s column has a lot more detail on each player.

1. Ricky Rubio (avg 1.9)
2. Stephen Curry (2.4)
3. Jonny Flynn (3.0)
4. Jrue Holiday (3.8)
5. Tyreke Evans (4.5)
6. Jeff Teague (6.5)
7. Brandon Jennings (6.8)
8. Eric Maynor (8.0)
9. Ty Lawson (9.5)
10. Patrick Mills (10.0)
11. Darren Collison (11.0)
12. Nick Calathes (12.0)
13. Toney Douglas (12.5)

I’m surprised that Stephen Curry moved up so much. Prior to the combine, there were still some who questioned whether or not he was even a first round talent. But apparently he put those concerns to rest. Besides, if you can shoot the ball like he can (and aren’t a complete stiff in other areas of the game), there’s a place for you in the NBA.

Brandon Jennings is hurting himself by skipping the combine and the Reebok Eurocamp. He’s going to need to go head to head with some of these players if he wants to stick in the lottery. Conversely, Jonny Flynn is impressing in his interviews and teams are happy to see that he measures over six-foot in shoes. He’s basically the same size as Chris Paul. So is Ty Lawson, but he continues to fall. I still think whoever gets him in the mid- or late-first round is going to have a starter-caliber point guard in a couple of seasons.

Florida’s Nick Calathes raised a few eyebrows when he decided to sign a three-year deal with Greek team Panathinaikos, but since he already has dual citizenship and a closer look at the contract reveals that he’d need to go in the lottery to match the financial windfall he’s going to enjoy overseas, it’s probably a good decision for the young man.

The NBA draft combine started yesterday and here are some of the rumors and observations coming out of Chicago (from Draft Express and ESPN’s Chad Ford).

James Harden might go #3 to Oklahoma City or #5 to Washington. Sacramento #4 is a no-go because the Kings already have a star shooting guard in Kevin Martin.

James Harden for example has elected not to conduct any interviews with teams drafting outside the top five, canceling a scheduled interview at the Westin Hotel with the Cleveland Cavaliers for example. He also reportedly will not be conducting any competitive workouts with anyone anywhere in the draft process. A source close to him tells us he feels very good about the possibility of being selected by Oklahoma City or Washington, and for right now is not planning on visiting the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Most teams we’ve spoken to in Chicago are indicating that they believe Oklahoma City is indeed leaning towards picking Harden. They also believe the Thunder are not enamored with Rubio at all, as they are committed to developing Russell Westbrook at his natural position—point guard.

This seems high for Harden, who had a great season but completely disappeared in the NCAA tournament. He is a very skilled scorer and he should thrive if open shots are created for him by a playmaking teammate. I don’t know how good he is at getting his own shot.

According to his agent, Aaron Goodwin, DeMar DeRozan won’t be working out against anyone and won’t last until the #9 pick.

“DeRozan is not working out with anyone. He isn’t going up against Gerald Henderson or anyone else at this point. He may not even go to Toronto. He won’t fall to 9.”

Ford said that DeRozan looked great at the combine.

DeRozan showed off his terrific athleticism. But more impressive was the solid shooting display he put on. While he still isn’t a sharpshooter, he showed range out to the NBA 3-point line. For a guy who shot 18 percent from the college arc as a freshman, that has to come as a big relief.

“As far as upside goes, he’s second only to Blake Griffin in this draft,” one NBA GM noted. “He has all the physical tools to be a superstar. The question is — is he Vince Carter or Gerald Green?”

NBA scouts aren’t high on Ty Lawson right now.

“Injury prone” one assistant GM calls him. “A backup point guard…he’s 100% behind Jonny Flynn” another NBA representative says. “He’s a product of North Carolina’s system” a third told us. Lawson seems to be outside of the lottery at the moment, but still has a good chance to be picked by two teams looking for point guards in the late teens, Philadelphia (#17) and Atlanta (#19).

I like Flynn as well, but Lawson is a proven winner who was the ACC Player of the Year. Philly or Atlanta would be lucky to get him.

ESPN’s Chad Form confirms that Lawson is slipping.

Lawson continues to take a little bit of a beating. His small stature and so-so performance in the combine didn’t help dispel a growing chorus of scouts who seem to feel that his game won’t translate to the pros.

UCLA’s Jrue Holliday looked great.

He was the biggest point guard of the top group and seemed to tower over several of the smaller guys on the floor.

During one 3-on-2 full-court drill, Holiday looked like a power forward running on the wing. And while his size was impressive, so was his game. He was hitting his jump shot, finishing with both hands and showing versatility and an excellent handle.

“I was skeptical when I read the report out of IMG about Holiday,” one NBA executive said. “Now I get it. That’s the kid we fell in love with in high school. He was really impressive.”

Stephen Curry is getting a lot of love.

Larry Brown is reportedly extremely high on Stephen Curry, and may be willing to trade up in order to get him. Apparently he views him as being able to play either guard position, even alongside Charlotte’s current group of point guards, Raymond Felton and D.J. Augustin.

Curry is getting love from teams as high up as Washington and also has a chance to be drafted 6th (Minnesota) or 7th (Golden State). While the Knicks clearly like him, he isn’t the only player they will consider—the other top candidates on their board currently appear to be Tyreke Evans and Jrue Holiday.

Ford says that Curry put on a shooting exhibition.

Curry put on a shooting show — no surprise there — but many GMs commented that he really looked like he belonged when he participated in a number of ballhandling and full-court drills. If Curry can prove to teams that he can play point guard, he’ll go somewhere between No. 5 and 13. If he can’t, he could slip out of the lottery. The results of the first day of camp had to be encouraging.

Ford also said that Jonny Flynn, Eric Maynor and Patty Mills impressed.

The combine measurements were released. DeJuan Blair is only 6′ 6.5″ in shoes, but he has a 7′ 2″ wingspan, giving him an overall reach of 8′ 10.5″, which is good enough to tie for 10th-highest at the combine, and 1.5″ higher than Blake Griffin’s. Ford said that Blair was the best big man on the floor. (Blake Griffin, Hasheem Thabeet and Jordan Hill sat out.)

Blair wowed a lot of people with his new, more toned and chiseled physique. There seems to be a controversy about how much weight Blair has actually lost, but there there’s no question that his body looks much better.

I like Blair as long as he keeps his body in shape. He could be a star power forward or the next Robert “Tractor” Traylor.

Gonzaga’s Austin Daye looked solid.

Gonzaga’s Austin Daye helped himself the most. He was flawless in the drills, launching and hitting shots from everywhere on the floor and showing a very high basketball IQ.

B.J. Mullins really helped himself.

Many NBA scouts had Mullens as a top-five pick at the start of the season, but downgraded his stock after he failed to get significant minutes as a freshman.

Thursday was a bit of a coming-out party for Mullens. He passed the smell test for big men with flying colors.