WRG 2012 Mock Draft - #24 Cleveland Cavaliers

As we mentioned before, we are a few years away from contending and are much more interested in players with potential than finished products more suited to be immediate contributors.

With our earlier pick, we grabbed an ELITE prospect who needs development time.  We are going the same route here.

The way we look at it is we are getting a player at #24 who we think would be a mid-to-high lottery pick next year.  We're not positive he'll pan out, but we cannot pass up that kind of value.  We feel a small risk here could give us a HUGE reward.  That's one way good teams become great.


This player comes with some health concerns, is young and underdeveloped and was inconsistent in his brief college career.  However, 6'10 SFs who can create offense for themselves and have a 7'4" wingspan are - um - tough to find.  We like having the opportunity to put one in our pocket.


The Cavaliers select Quincy Miller, SF, Baylor

This dazzling talent has a bright future.

WRG 2010 Mock Draft - #26 Oklahoma City Thunder

 
The Boston Celtics set the blueprint for winning an NBA Championship.  Gather some young assets and high picks, trade them for veteran stars and those hungry players will get everyone to buy into defense and team play.  Being an instant contender is where it's at.  Only suckers wait patiently for their own players to develop into a contending unit.  Teams like the Trailblazers that try this route never get there.  You need the established stars to win.

Well, the Thunder is here to flip that blueprint - and we want to start this year.

We think we have as good a player as anyone, and we chose very carefully who to bring in to play with him.  They fit together.  They have similar personalities.  They know each others' games.  They are a unit.

This is the first year we made the playoffs, and we took the eventual champions to seven games.  Eventually, they beat us, but we made them work as hard or harder than anyone.  We think what eventually did us in was our failure to match their size.  Our team is talented and cohesive, but a team with a blatant physical advantage over us is tough to beat in a long series, and we don't want to be at that disadvantage again.

So the Thunder select Solomon Alabi, who is a legitimately sized center who fits with our team's demeanor and gives us a developing player who is specifically targeted at teams who try to wear us down with sheer size.  He has a terrific defensive presence right away, and some surprising little skills on the other end we think he can build on.  This is notice.  We are serious and we are not just going to draft a Eurostash here.  We are ready now.  We are the new blueprint.

 "You want me to stop the Lakers?!"

WRG Mock Draft #25: Oklahoma City Thunder

We addressed our inside needs already with Hasheem Thabeet.

We still have one other major need. Someone who can shoot and spread the ball from the shooting guard position. We want someone who can spread the ball and stroke it from downtown, while being unselfish enough to play within our system. This shooter can open up the floor for Kevin Durant, as well as Russell Westbrook's driving skills. Thabo Sefolosha is defensively minded, and Desmond Mason is a free agent, so this need is fairly obvious and simple.

With the 25th pick, the Oklahoma City Thunder select:

Hands off! Only I can stroke it!

Wayne Ellington, SG, UNC

This pick was very easy for us. He's arguably one of the best shooters in the draft (after Stephen Curry, maybe) and played on a championship team, where he didn't let his ego get the best of him and played within the team concept. We like this and know that Wayne can open up the floor for our other scorers, while not complaining about touches.

The Bulls are on the clock.

WRG Mock Draft: #3, Oklahoma City Thunder

With the Grizzlies taking Harden, the Thunder are very disappointed that they couldn't get the player they were targeting. Drafting a PG who struggles with his outside shot was SO last year with Russell Westbrook, so I wouldn't draft Ricky Rubio.

The Thunder could use a 2 guard, or some help on the front line, especially at the center position, especially after their trade for Tyson Chandler fell through. With no real shot blocking threats down low, a defensive shot blocking center is a huge need, especially next to an undersized Jeff Green.

If Harden is off the board, the Thunder select:


Hasheem Thabeet, C, UConn


Trotting out a lineup with the trio of Westbrook, Durant, and Green, scoring isn't an immediate need. Thabeet will man the center position and help be an eraser on the defensive end, which is something that the Thunder need. Nenad Krstic is the only other center on the roster, and he's more of a jumpshooting big man who doesn't like to get dirty inside, so Thabeet is the pick. He'll add a defensive presence down low and with the defenses constantly focusing on the perimeter scorers, it'll open up some easy dunks for him inside.

The Sacramento Kings are on the clock.