FanHouse Demarre Carroll

The day of reckoning has arrived for some 90 or so prospects hoping to be an NBA Draft pick. The day of reckoning has also arrived for some 9,000 mock drafters, who desperately try to get it right even though no one ever could on a consistent basis.

And, if I may, a word about the recent backlash against mock drafts from the key mock draft writers. The major draft experts from ESPN and DraftExpress told the New York Times last week that they hate mock drafts. But the mock draft is like their version of a test. It's too arbitrary, too black and white. It creates an impossible task. But thems the breaks when you're in a field in which performance matters. If Chad Ford didn't have to put out a mock, he could forever avoid criticism, basically. It's his job to analyze and predict the draft. How could we judge his efficacy without looking at his mock the morning after? It's like Amar'e Stoudemire telling everyone he hates to rebound. (Oh wait ...)

I love mock drafts! You'll find my final version after the jump.

Over the next six days, we'll take a look at each team's needs heading into the NBA Draft on Thursday, June 25.

First up, the NBA's Pacific Division:

Golden State Warriors

Picks: No. 7 (first round); none in second round.
Needs: A true point guard; a decision-maker/passer/high basketball IQ type, and it wouldn't hurt to have another big body up front.
Possibilities: Stephen Curry, Brandon Jennings, Jonny Flynn, Tyreke Evans (pictured), Jordan Hill.
Put it into the equation: For more than a year now, the Warriors have been wrestling with the issue of whether or not Monta Ellis can play point guard. If they end up drafting one, that will tell exactly what the Warriors think.

Baylor made quite a run in Oklahoma City this week, but in the end they came up a game short. After beating Nebraska, Kansas, and Texas to reach the Big 12 title game, the Bears saw their tournament hopes end on Saturday with a loss to Missouri.

Because of their disappointing 5-11 regular season conference record, Baylor is extremely unlikely to hear their name called on Sunday evening. That means there's one more at-large spot than there would've been if they had won, which is very good news for the Creightons and Marylands of the world.

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It's incredible to still be saying this March 4, but before Wednesday night's game against Missouri the Oklahoma Sooners hadn't been faced with a real road test while at full strength all season. They didn't play any potential NCAA Tournament teams on the road in non-conference play, and Blake Griffin was injured in the first half of their game in Austin.

That finally changed when they went into Columbia, and while they didn't embarrass themseleves, the Sooners sure didn't have the look of a national title contender in their 73-64 loss to Mizzou.

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