After the Warriors took Stephen Curry, the New York Knicks adjusted to take Arizona forward Jordan Hill, who gives the club much-needed rebounding help and insurance should restricted free agent David Lee leave. Hill is a skilled player who should help bolster New York's post game and has the ability to run the floor in Mike D'Antoni's offense.
The Knicks obviously were relishing the opportunity to take Curry (as were the fans in attendance, who greeted Hill with a round of boos), but Hill would be a solid starter or key reserve. Hill could become the best player in the lottery in a few years -- behind Blake Griffin.
Conventional wisdom to this point has Golden State looking point guard at No. 7 in next week's NBA Draft. As I joked a few weeks ago, everyone but Monta Ellis realized this season that Monta Ellis is not an NBA point guard, even for a team as epileptic as the Warriors. With a stable of young big men (Andris Biedrins, Anthony Randolph, Brandan Wright) and wings (Stephen Jackson, Jamal Crawford, Ellis), an offensive ringleader for this crew is what's needed. I think.
But Ellis still thinks he can be that dude. Hence the problem. Both DraftExpress' Jonathan Givony and the San Jose Mercury News' Tim Kawakami reported within hours of each other that Warriors coach Don Nelson and GM Larry Riley recently flew back east this month to diffuse the (re-)budding clash with Ellis. According to Kawakami, the team may have promised Ellis it would not draft a point guard. Givony thinks Golden State might prefer Arizona power forward Jordan Hill to the likes of Brandon Jennings and Jrue Holiday anyways.
* More from The Baseline, this time reported by the incomparable Chris Littmann: one team exec who interviewed Stephen Curry at the Chicago combine asked the guard who his father was.
* The Oregonian's Geoffrey C. Arnold talks to various GMs about Ricky Rubio's leverage. Meanwhile, the Memphis Commercial-Appeal's Ronald Tillery reports the Grizz met with Rubio agent Dan Fegan in Spain Saturday. C-A columnist Geoff Calkins practically begs Memphis to draft the Spaniard.
* TrueHoop's Henry Abbott investigates the tape on Rubio to get fans' toes a'tingling while splashing a pot of cold water.
Now that the 2009 NBA Draft order is set, it's time for the second FanHouse Mock Draft of the season.
The Clippers have won the first pick, with Memphis and Oklahoma City rounding out the top three spots. Several teams, including Minnesota, Sacramento and Chicago, have multiple picks in the first round.
After the jump, find the full first round mocked out. Then, feel free to mock it. That's how this works.
All mock drafts are not created equal. And why would you want them to be? That'd be awful boring, just reading lists of names over and over. At FanHouse, we emphasize the commentary -- so in our mocks we'll (try to) explain why we think certain players fit in their theoretical slots. We will also project our own biases (positive and negative), of course.
At this early stage -- and let's be honest, at every stage -- this is 5% homework, 5% supreme divination, 90% guesswork. (A great endorsement, no?) After the jump, a full first-round mock draft for your amusement bemusement.
During the NCAA Tournament, we NBA heads watch (almost) every game, judging the pro prospects of particular players. Inspired by our daily Doing Lines feature, Drooling Lines offers a daily summary of what the box scores tell us.
Blake Griffin -- If I have ever suggested a fellow collegiate player might usurp Griffin as the consensus No. 1 in the 2009 draft, well ... I'm sorry. Like his NBA avatar (Amar'e Stoudemire), Griffin is one of those out-of-sight, out-of-mind dominating players. For whatever reason, we chalk up the devastation they reek to circumstances (their physical prowess, the competition level, the table-setters) and just assume in a wink or a blink they'll be weak. Err ... NOT the case. Just as Amar'e could thrive anywhere, Griffin should be an NBA stud. Against Syracuse, Blake totaled 30 points on 15 FGAs, 14 rebounds, three assists, a steal and just one turnover. He's shooting better than 70% through three tournament games. He is a beast.
After winning two tournaments in the NCAA and advancing to the school's first Sweet 16 since 2005, Tucson is buzzing with excitement for a super-size-d Cinderella. We talked with the Arizona Daily Wildcat's associate sports editor Lance Madden about the entire experience (and their cool video of the run).
It was 1983 when Lute Olson first came to Tucson as the head coach of an abysmal basketball program. He had just taken Iowa to the Sweet 16 the year before and was brought to the University of Arizona to turn the Wildcats around. His first season was a rebuilding year. They only won 11 games, missed the NCAA tournament and finished eighth in the Pac-10.
Since that season, Arizona hasn't missed the NCAA tournament, making it 24 straight times.
On a night when the University of Arizona honored famed coach Lute Olson during halftime, something became very clear as the ceremonial speeches ended and the basketball began. If the Wildcats want to continue their NCAA streak of 25 consecutive tournament appearances, they would need more than an uplifting video (it got dusty in my apartment) and the memory of a coach that has been through a lot the last two years. The Wildcats need a W.
It wasn't happening, as Jerome Randle absolutely murdered the 'Cats in the second half, helping California (22-8, 11-6) improve to third in the Pac-10 with the 83-77 win and put the Wildcats in another uncomfortable position similar to last season -- leaving their March Madness dreams up to chance.
After the Warriors took Stephen Curry, the New York Knicks adjusted to take Arizona forward Jordan Hill, who gives the club much-needed rebounding help and insurance should restricted free agent David Lee leave. Hill is a skilled player who should help bolster New York's post game and has the ability to run the floor in Mike D'Antoni's offense. 
Conventional wisdom to this point has Golden State looking point guard at No. 7 in next week's NBA Draft. 
* DraftExpress' Jonathan Givony reports Dallas loves Jordan Hill and 
* The Oregonian's Geoffrey C. Arnold 
Now that the 
FanHouse covers the 
During the NCAA Tournament, we NBA heads watch (almost) every game, judging the pro prospects of particular players. Inspired by our daily 
After winning two tournaments in the NCAA and advancing to the school's first Sweet 16 since 2005, Tucson is buzzing with excitement for a super-size-d Cinderella. We talked with the 
Update: Is it over? The Wildcats fell to Arizona State
On a night when the University of Arizona honored famed coach 
