WRG 2012 Mock Draft - #18 Minnesota Timberwolves

Our team has two cornerstone players.  One is an undersized, below-the-rim, unathletic PF who is the best rebounder in the NBA and the best shooter with the most range at his position.  Defensively, he needs a LOT of help.  The other is a flashy, young, pass-first PG with incredible skill who is very weak physically and a spotty scorer at best.  HE needs a lot of help, too.

We have a good center combination that provides scoring, size and shot blocking - but neither player has shown durability and that really hurt us last season.  If our starter goes down, we don't have enough depth to overcome it.  There is a player at this pick who could help with that, but we actually have a bigger need we can fill with a much better player here.  We are burning up the phones trying to trade for another first rounder.

Here, though, we need scoring.  We didn't have enough last season and we are poised to have even less this year.  You can't play in the NBA with unproductive wing players and win.  Luckily for us, not only is that a strength of this draft, but we feel SEVERAL lottery level wings have fallen to us.

We have some good perimeter shooters, so we really need an all-around scorer who has the potential to grow with our young team.  Incredibly, the one we like the most has fallen to us.

We feel he fell because of his and his team's performance last season.  He was on a team with inconsistent coaching that had a very poor year.  That isn't a factor for us - since we have a much more refined role for him and his development is a huge priority.  How well his skinny body can withstand the rough treatment it will get driving NBA lanes is also a concern around the league.  We aren't worried about that, either.  He'll grow.

Thank goodness he has these flaws, because we have the 18th pick and it's rare to find an athletic SG with a 6'11" wingspan who can score inside and out, handle the ball, create his own shot and defend available this late!

The Timberwolves select Jeremy Lamb, SG, Connecticut.

Minnesota??  Can I still play for the USA?

WRG 2012 Mock Draft - #13 Phoenix Suns

This could be the end of an era for us. Steve Nash looks like he could leave in free agency after we selfishly refused to trade him. It's time to rebuild.

Luckily, we DO have another area of strength in our center position with Marcin Gortat and Robin Lopez. Last year's first round pick, Markieff Morris looks promising at forward, and we feel good about that. What we really need is a guard who can create his own shot and score. We've been missing a player like that since Jason Richardson was our SG.

We want...no, we need an explosive back court scorer. There are a couple guards here that get looks, but one in particular stands out. Do we take the guy with perhaps the most potential, but routinely disappeared at times last season? Do we take the guy who came off the bench for a collegiate powerhouse, but clashed with his coach at times? Do we take the guy with a basketball pedigree and a lot of hype, but didn't quite live up to his hype at times during his freshman season. All three of these choices have some sort of drawback, but they also have plenty of upside. We might as well pick one out of a hat, and that would be par for the course for our crappy owner. Luckily he doesn't make this pick and Kid Chocolate does.

With the 13th pick, the Phoenix Suns select Austin Rivers.

He's got balls.

What we liked about Austin Rivers a little more than the others is that he shows passion. Jeremy Lamb disappeared for half of last year at UConn, and Dion Waiters' attitude clashed with Jim Boeheim at times. Austin Rivers has the upbringing of learning from an NBA coach, and we think he has the most potential to also play a little PG eventually. Not to mention, he has the upside to be an elite scorer.

WRG 2012 Mock Draft - #11 Portland Trail Blazers

Got our PG with the 6th pick. Now we have a tough decision to make.

There are a few prospects here that we really would love to have on our team.  This pick isn't easy, but it's a problem that we don't mind. It's a lot better than having a pick where we don't like any of the prospects available. 

We can take a shooting guard like Austin Rivers or Dion Waiters to pair with our new point guard, Damian Lillard. We can go big and look at a defensive center like Meyers Leonard or a more offensive center like Tyler Zeller.We can take a shot on a player with incredible potential that can play multiple positions like Perry Jones III or Jeremy Lamb.

Since we went guard with our first pick, ideally we want a big man here. Instead of taking a player who only thrives on offense or only thrives on defense (like Leonard), we are going to take a shot at a player who we think can thrive next to an established big man in LaMarcus Aldridge.

With the 11th pick, the Trail Blazers select Arnett Moultrie.

Howell Trophy Winner Arnett Moultrie!

In regards to the big men, we aren't overly thrilled with Meyers Leonard. His defensive potential is solid, but we aren't keen on taking a player who only had one productive season in college. Zeller is a solid prospect, but we find his ceiling to be low. We wanted to take a chance on a versatile big man who can play both the PF and Center positions, rebound (Arnett led the SEC in rebounding last year), and give us versatility on offense (he can finish at the rim and he has jump shot range out to 20 feet, and maybe even to the 3 point line eventually).