WRG 2012 Mock Draft - #22 Boston Celtics

We don't have many players signed, so we want to draft players who will fit our style no matter which players we pick up to round out our roster.  We also need guys who can give us key minutes in their roles right away.  We are the definition of a "win now" team no matter which players we bring back this season.

We suffered by not having a physical big man to replace Kendrick Perkins, and we feel we addressed that with Festus Ezeli.

To compliment him, we see a guy here who is unique and very much in the tradition of all-around forwards we have had success with in the past.  We are intrigued by his combination of passing, rebounding, ball-handling and mid-range shooting from the PF position.  This is a modern type of player who we feel every team needs to create mismatches and dictate who the opponent can put on the court.

This player has challenges (or we wouldn't be able to sniff him at #22).  He has some problems with anxiety, but we feel we have a strong organization that can support someone with that kind of issue.  He's also a bit of a tweener at only 6'8", but we view that as almost a positive because of his extraordinary skill.  We think he will be a nightmare to defend.  His questionable conditioning and poor free throw shooting are things he has to work hard on, however.

While this seems like a risky pick, we don't think so at all.  We just don't see a way a basketball player like this won't succeed in the NBA at some level.  He is a big, skilled man and he can really play.

The Celtics select Royce White, PF/SF, Iowa State

Thanks for nothing, Google Image Search.

WRG 2011 Mock Draft - #22 Denver Nuggets

JR Smith, Wilson Chandler, and Aaron Afflalo are all free agents. This will lead to a big decision about where we're going at shooting guard. We're set at PG with Ty Lawson, but we aren't sure who his backcourt mate will be. After this pick, we know who it will be, and we cannot be more thrilled.

Alec Burks was widely regarded as a lottery talent, so to snag him with the 22nd pick is nothing short of a miracle. We love the fact that he's so adept at driving to the hole and getting to the line, complimenting the sweet outside stroke of Danilo Gallinari. This makes our offseason even easier, as we don't have to worry about our SG problem. On top of all this, Burks went to the University of Colorado! Our fans already love him!

We'll take the tall one.

WRG 2010 Mock Draft - #22 Portland Trailblazers

 
We are another team that is going for it now.  We have twelve players signed for this season and - to be frank - when they are healthy we can't find enough minutes for all of them.

That, of course, is the problem we would prefer to the one we actually had - which was never having all of our players available and playing together.

What we need is a set rotation where everyone knows each other and what their roles are.  If we can get to that point, we feel our roster is as dangerous as anyone's.

With this pick, we don't really need to address a position or role - we just want a guy to develop and who might give us another option up front towards the end of the season.  The one we like can also hang with our brilliant young swingman and talk about French stuff - like fries and toast.

We select the dynamic and ultra-athletic Kevin Seraphin - and hope we don't need to force him into action anytime soon.

 

Portland, I'm the Kevin of your dreams!

WRG Mock Draft #22: Dallas Mavericks

This offseason is generally regarded as the expiration date of our title run.

We spent more money than anyone and took more risks than anyone to keep our window open, but now it appears to be slammed shut.

However, it's tough to just give up and retreat into lottery-land when we have a couple of real advantages over other franchises.

1. Our franchise player is playing some of his best basketball. If we can get him back to the playoffs, we feel like we have a chance to beat anyone.

2. The cap is going down, salaries are tight, and we are one of the very few teams that will even consider paying the luxury tax. We will pay players that other teams won't, and we think the lack of buyers in the market can keep our roster competitive.

That means regardless of whether we sign our own free agents or make deals to acquire players to replace them, we think we will have a very good starting lineup.

So we aren't looking at the draft as the main tool to fill our roster. We just want a quality player who we think will help us this season and is young enough to grow with us when we eventually rebuild. The top player left on our board is the the strongest, toughest guy available. Regardless of position, that feeds our need.

The Dallas Mavericks select DeJuan Blair, who we thought would be long gone by now - sort of the same way the rest of the league feels about us.

You don't need knee ligaments when you have balls.

The Sacramento Kings are on the clock.