21. Portland Trail Blazers: JaJuan Johnson, Power Forward - Purdue (6'10" 220 lbs) With all the Blazers' centers on the verge of their next knee surgery, LaMarcus Aldridge has been playing a lot more center than they planned on. Gerald Wallace is getting to old to play much more power forward, making Johnson the perfect fit in Portland.
A long, tall forward with good scoring instincts, Johnson is a legit 6'10" in shoes with a long 7'2" wingspan. He has very impressive leaping ability with unusual explosiveness for a big man, which makes him a great target to catch lob passes from Andre Miller and Marcus Camby.
Over his four years at Purdue, he has really developed a solid offensive game with a smooth and refined turnaround jumper, which is very difficult to defend due to his length. He can hit a jumper out to 18 feet from the basket to complement his improving post game.
However, his frame doesn't look like it could support much more weight and he is a bit of a 'tweener, so it's unsure what position he'll translate best to on the NBA level.
22. Denver Nuggets: Marcus Morris, Small Forward, Power Forward - Kansas (6'9" 230 lbs) It might finally be time to start grooming Kenyon Martin's replacement. Like his brother Markeiff, Marcus shows great toughness and energy whenever he on the floor; qualities that would make him a welcome fit in George Karl's scheme. Marcus has a good back-to-the-basket game, is a good rebounder and works hard.
He has a jump shot you need to respect (needs to improve it, but still solid) and he can put the ball on the floor and get around you. There are questions if he is athletic enough to hang with the guys he’ll match up with at the next level — he keeps saying he’s an NBA small forward, scouts say he’s an undersized power forward.
But regardless of what position he ultimately plays for George Karl, you know this former Jayhawk has the talent and drive to be a success in the NBA.
23. Houston Rockets (via Suns, via Magic): Tyler Honeycutt, Small Forward - UCLA (6'8" 190 lbs) This is another case where more depth at one position isn't necessarily a bad thing. Honeycutt is a nicely sized for a SF at a legit 6-8 which he uses extremely well on the defensive end, as evidenced by him being the leading shot blocker in the Pac-10.
He moves his feet well laterally, which combined with his length, overall good effort level on that end of the court and strong second jump creates an intriguing defensive prospect on the perimeter. Playing in Ben Howland's system, Honeycutt has experience playing largely man to man defense, and played significant minutes both in the post and on the perimeter, something that should help when evaluating his ability to defend at the next level.
His offensive abilities are a bit murky at this point, but he has decent athleticism and the Rockets have a need at his position with Chase Budinger and Terrence Williams floundering in and out of the lineup. He could end up being a solid pick despite going this late in the draft.
24. Oklahoma City Thunder: Reggie Jackson, Point Guard/Shooting Guard - Boston College (6'3" 200 lbs) Jackson sat out the NBA pre-draft combine and workouts, so speculation has started to pop up about that Jackson already has a promise in place. Sources are saying that the team in question could be the Thunder.
It's no mystery that the team has been shopping backup point guard Eric Maynor, and it may be to clear a roster spot for Jackson. Though he lacks great point guard skills, Jackson has an incredible seven foot wingspan and is a quality isolation player. The Thunder are hoping he can step in and become something in the mold of Russell Westbrook.
25. Boston Celtics: Trey Thompkins, Power Forward - Georgia (6'10" 239 lbs) Danny Ainge will likely look to bolster the team's aging and depleted frontcourt. After receiving heavy criticism for his high fifteen percent body fat and perceived laziness, Thompkins could end up falling into the second round.
He's easily the most polished offensive bigman available. Thompkins had a nice season at UGA, averaging 16.4 points, 7.6 boards and 1.7 blocks per game. The big question is whether he will stay motivated.
A player who entered the season as a projected lottery pick has not gotten great reviews and finds himself fighting to stay in the first round. Thompkins is a highly skilled offensive player with range out to college three.
He doesn't wow you with athleticism, but his skill level is that of an NBA vet. If Jeremy Tyler doesn't set off major red flags in psychological testing, he's also a possibility here.
26. Dallas Mavericks: Justin Harper, Small Forward/Power Forward - Richmond (6'10" 228 lbs) The champs would love to add an NBA ready player that can contribute something right away. Harper is a good fit in Dallas.
While he's truly a power forward, he's a late bloomer and one of the best shooters in this draft, if not the best; and his jumper, combined with his size and strength, are going to be NBA assets. He also appears to have upside left to develop despite being a senior. He probably is capable of eventually playing either forward position.
27. New Jersey Nets (via Lakers): Davis Bertans, Small Forward/Power Forward - Latvia (6'10" 211 lbs) This is the pick the Lakers dumped with Sasha Vujacic to avoid having to pay a guaranteed first-round contract to a prospect. The old saying is that you can never have enough shooters on your team, and the soon to be Brooklyn Nets could use someone like Bertans.
He is said to have a promise in the 20s somewhere. There's also a chance that a team will trade into this range to acquire a pick to select him.
Bertans is possibly the top shooter in the entire draft and although he's a few years away, he could be a very intriguing option to stash overseas with the uncertainty regarding next year's season. Bertans impressed scouts with his feel for the game and desire on top of his tremendous shooting ability at the 2011 Hoop Summit.
28. Chicago Bulls (via Heat): Shelvin Mack, Point Guard/Shooting Guard - Butler (6'2" 205 lbs) The NCAA tourney hero is tough and tested, and he can provide some combo-guard punch off the bench behind MVP Derrick Rose. The Bulls would like to fill out their bench with a little more offense, and Mack could provide that scoring off the pine to prevent the Bulls' offense from becoming stagnant when Rose isn't on the floor.
29. San Antonio Spurs: Nikola Mirotic, Power Forward - Spain (6'10" 225 lbs) Somebody liked Mirotic enough to convince him not to withdraw his name from draft consideration. Knowing San Antonio's previous successes in drafting foreign talent (Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili come to mind), it wouldn't surprise me at all if they selected the Spanish big man here.
This 6-10 big man can score, rebound, block shots and steal the ball - all the qualities of a San Antonio frontcourt player that "Coach Pop" would love to add. However, the Spurs already have Tim Duncan and DeJuan Blair, not to mention Tiago Splitter. If they do select Mirotic, look for him to ride the pine as a rookie and earn his minutes, just as Blair and Splitter did.
30. Chicago Bulls: Kyle Singler, Small Forward - Duke (6'9" 228 lbs) With a contending team, Chicago could use Singler's all around feel for the game and NBA readiness to bolster their relatively weak bench.
While Singler's combine athleticism numbers (30-inch vertical) didn't help his cause, his basketball IQ, skill level and toughness should make him a mainstay in the NBA for years to come. Playing the small forward position, his lack of athleticism won't be as big a factor as it might at other positions, and his shooting numbers will end up being better than what he showed this season.
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