A few NBA franchises might see the same.
Who's in line to pluck their next franchise player from the depths of Thursday's 2010 NBA Draft? Who will find that perfect role player to fill in the cracks of their depth chart? And who will flat-out bust despite all the hype? These questions will take years to answer, but come Thursday, the picture will become a whole lot clearer.
Here's a look at how the 2010 draft could play out:
1. Washington Wizards — John Wall, guard, Kentucky
As usual, the No. 1 pick is the first and only no-brainer of the night. Wall is the chosen one — the perfect point guard on both ends of the floor, immensely gifted both physically and mentally. He was born to lead a basketball team, and thanks to the fortuitous bounce of a ping-pong ball, the Wizards will certainly be that team. Change is once again coming to the nation's capital, only this time it's coming in the form of a freakishly athletic 19-year-old kid. Wall will immediately become a top-five point guard in the NBA, putting him in the conversation with other young stars like Rajon Rondo, Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook.
2. Philadelphia 76ers — Evan Turner, guard, Ohio State
Turner is the Swiss army knife of basketball players — he can do whatever's asked of him. He can run the point; he can play off the ball; he can even match up with some of the smaller forwards and play the 3. His exact role on the Sixers remains unclear; it will depend on how he meshes with Andre Iguodala. But one way or another, Turner is headed for the City of Brotherly Love, and he's going to be an impact player right away.
3. New Jersey Nets — Derrick Favors, forward, Georgia Tech
Who's the best big man in this draft? Favors may not have had the 35-win season that DeMarcus Cousins did at Kentucky, but Favors was able to thrive in his freshman season at Georgia Tech without much of a supporting cast. Favors is a 6-foot-10 beast of a power forward that could also play a little center in a pinch — he's got plenty of defensive acumen at a young age and lots of upside to grow offensively. In other words, he'll look mighty good next to Robin Lopez in the Garden State.
4. Minnesota Timberwolves — Wesley Johnson, forward, Syracuse
Johnson has seen his stock rise as much as anyone over the last couple of months. He's now an undisputed top-four pick in this draft, and he could creep as high as second or third if something crazy happens on Thursday. He's a versatile forward that can score efficiently, contest shots well on the other end, and just generally give you effort in every aspect of the game. He's the kind of player who'd fit well anywhere.
5. Sacramento Kings — DeMarcus Cousins, center, Kentucky
The Kings are still having a bit of an identity crisis as they try to figure out what in the world are the right pieces to surround Tyreke Evans with. At this point in the draft, they'll just have to take the best player available, and that would be Cousins, a monster big man with a dominating offensive game. He makes a good second banana, when he's not the primary focus of opposing defenses every night. He thrived with Wall at Kentucky — can he do the same with Evans in Sacramento?
6. Golden State Warriors — Greg Monroe, center, Georgetown
At this point, the Warriors could really use anyone in their frontcourt that isn't a has-been or a D-Leaguer. Monroe will do. He's a versatile big man who can give the hapless Warriors something they desperately need — a little basketball IQ. Building around Monroe and Stephen Curry, the Warriors might actually have a chance at building a respectable team. A couple more pieces sure wouldn't hurt, though.
7. Detroit Pistons — Al-Farouq Aminu, forward, Wake Forest
Aminu is one of the more interesting players in this draft — as a long, athletic 6-foot-8 small forward, he has the physical gifts to create matchup nightmares for opposing defenses. If he can add a jump shot, then think Kevin Durant. The Pistons need to find more talent to rebuild around, and Aminu plus Rodney Stuckey equals a nice nucleus. Both have definite star potential in this league.
8. Los Angeles Clippers — Ed Davis, forward, North Carolina
No matter who the Clippers take at No. 8, the rookie of the year on their roster next year is clear. It'll be Blake Griffin, who's set to return from a knee injury and begin his NBA career at 21. But imagine how the Clips' former No. 1 pick would look next to Davis, a solid all-around presence at power forward, and Chris Kaman, the walking double-double. Suddenly, the Lakers wouldn't be the only team in town with a dominant trio of big men.
9. Utah Jazz — Cole Aldrich, center, Kansas
Aldrich is a true center and a bona fide post presence on both ends of the floor. He's big, he's long, he can score with his back to the basket, and he can defend. Any team would love to have that, but especially the Jazz, who could use an anchor in the middle like Aldrich. He isn't explosive, he isn't going to wow you with his monstrous numbers, but he's going to get the job done every night. A solid No. 9 pick.
10. Indiana Pacers — Ekpe Udoh, forward, Baylor
Udoh is a 6-foot-10 big man and a veritable shot-blocking machine (3.7 per game last season). But as a 23-year-old college junior, how much upside does he have left? He's an outstanding energy guy on the defensive end, but the Pacers could use another offensive weapon to go alongside Danny Granger, and whether Udoh can be that guy is a bit of a question mark. We'll have to wait and see on this one.
11. New Orleans Hornets — Paul George, forward, Fresno State
Is this a bit of a reach? Maybe. But George is a versatile forward who can score like crazy, and he just turned 20. Plenty of upside there. The Hornets are under a pile of bad contracts and it's hard to conceive of a plan for long-term basketball success in New Orleans, but the plan should be to take a talented scorer with upside that can turn the franchise around alongside Chris Paul. George can fill that role.
12. Memphis Grizzlies — Patrick Patterson, forward, Kentucky
Three Wildcats in the lottery, and we're still not done with UK by a long shot. Patterson is a big-time power forward — if he can find a way to shine and pile up numbers while overshadowed by Wall and Cousins, then there's no reason he can't do the same behind the Grizzlies' Rudy Gay and Zach Randolph. Patterson was good for 14 points and seven boards a night last year in Lexington, and he'll translate well to the pros.
13. Toronto Raptors — Avery Bradley, guard, Texas
At this point, the Raps are pretty much desperate to find anyone that can defend worth a lick. They didn't have a soul in that department last year. Bradley's the perfect fit — he's a better defensive two-guard than we've seen in a while at the college level, leaving Toronto with no choice but to draft for need.
14. Houston Rockets — Luke Babbitt, forward, Nevada
The Rockets are one of the most unpredictable teams in the NBA draft every year (right up there with the Celtics, actually), the main reason being that no civilian understands the advanced statistical modeling that goes into Daryl Morey's decision-making. But if the Rockets love numbers, then how will 21.9 points and 8.9 rebounds per game in college look to them? Babbitt is a future star in this league.
15. Milwaukee Bucks — Gordon Hayward, forward, Butler
Not the perfect NBA-ready prospect, but he sure did turn a lot of heads by leading his Cinderella Butler team to within one win (or rather, one dramatic buzzer-beating shot) of a national championship this spring. Hayward still needs to get bigger and stronger, and he still needs to add some moves to his offensive game. But he's got the potential to be a solid rotation guy in Milwaukee.
16. Minnesota Timberwolves — Hassan Whiteside, center, Marshall
Assuming they end up with Johnson at the aforementioned No. 4 spot and not one of either Cousins/Favors, the Timberwolves will probably go after a big guy with the No. 16. Hard to find one bigger than Whiteside, a 7-footer that can give them an imposing post presence and a nasty all-around offensive game. It's never easy to predict what David Kahn will do in Minnesota, but Whiteside looks like a pretty solid option for the T-Wolves.
17. Chicago Bulls — Xavier Henry, guard, Kansas
The Bulls are probably too busy preparing their sales pitch for LeBron James to care who they take with their No. 17 pick in this draft. But assuming they spend their considerable salary cap room on a superstar this summer, whether it's LeBron or anyone else, Henry would make a good role player to take a backseat. He's a modest but efficient offensive player and a smart defender. He'll thrive away from the spotlight.
18. Miami Heat — Eric Bledsoe, guard, Kentucky
The Wildcats just keep coming. The freshman Bledsoe was a classmate of Wall's last season, playing off the ball the majority of the time, and he was hit-or-miss. He was one of the more efficient scorers in the SEC, but he also got a little too fancy at times and turned the ball over. He's a wild card, but if the Heat are looking for flashy talent to attract some superstars to South Beach this summer, Bledsoe could be their guy.
19. Boston Celtics — James Anderson, guard, Oklahoma State
Coming off a run to an Eastern Conference title and Game 7 of the NBA Finals, the Celtics aren't about to find any glaring needs. They'll just go for the best player available, and that will be Anderson, a sharp-shooting swingman that can come off the bench and pack a little extra scoring punch into their second unit. Perfect situation for Anderson — there's no better veteran wing scorer to learn from than Paul Pierce.
20. San Antonio Spurs — Damion James, forward, Texas
James is a talented player, no doubt. The flashiest forward to come out of Texas since Kevin Durant. But where will he find his niche in the NBA? Is he a small forward, despite his lack of ball-handling ability and streaky jump shooting? Or is he a power forward, despite being a little undersized at 6-foot-7? One way or another, he'll become a decent contributor in the NBA. The Spurs have a solid foundation and can afford to take a risk on him.
21. Oklahoma City Thunder — Daniel Orton, center, Kentucky
Wildcat No. 5. As a freshman hidden behind Cousins and Patterson on John Calipari's depth chart, Orton hardly played last season. Since when does a kid averaging three points in 13 minutes per game go in the first round? Since now, when it's Orton. He's big, tough and immensely physically gifted, with an NBA-ready body at age 19. He could jump into the rotation right away next season in OKC.
22. Portland Trail Blazers — Larry Sanders, forward, Virginia Commonwealth
The Blazers already have a massive stockpile of young talent, and Sanders will be a nice addition. At power forward (and he even played a little center at VCU), he's undersized at 6-foot-9, but he's tough and freakishly long. Sanders will pile up points and rebounds wherever he goes, even if he's buried in the Blazers' rotation behind LaMarcus Aldridge and Nicolas Batum. Another NBA-ready talent.
23. Minnesota Timberwolves — Solomon Alabi, center, Florida State
Alabi's a 7-footer with length and the raw physical gifts to be an elite defensive big man, the next Dikembe Mutumbo. Whether he pans out depends on coaching — and what better coach than Kurt Rambis, himself a fine post defender back in the day? Alabi would be a nice fit in Minnesota, where Al Jefferson could use a partner in crime that protects the rim on the defensive end.
24. Atlanta Hawks — Dominique Jones, guard, South Florida
You could argue that Jones is the best player available — but he also fills a need for the Hawks this summer if Joe Johnson decides to walk away. Jones could fill his shoes as an aggressive, high-scoring guard that piles up points (21.4 per game during his junior season at South Florida). Say hello to the second-most beloved Dominique in Hawks history.
25. Memphis Grizzlies — Elliot Williams, guard, Memphis
Speaking of filling the shoes of the recently departed, talk about a great wing-scoring option for the Grizzlies if Rudy Gay leaves. Williams is a scrawny two-guard who might not have the NBA body at the moment, but he's got the toughness and the aggressive instincts to drive to the basket against anyone. And no one in college basketball drew contact better than Williams last season. He's the hard-nosed kind of guy who could fit right in with the Grizzlies — and a local boy, too.
26. Oklahoma City Thunder — Craig Brackins, forward, Iowa State
Brackins is a happy-go-lucky scoring machine that can create a shot from anywhere on the floor. He's a 6-foot-10 power forward, but he can knock it down from outside, spreading the floor to generate opportunities for his teammates. If those teammates were, say, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, then he'd become downright scary. Brackins could definitely thrive with the right guys around him.
27. New Jersey Nets — Jordan Crawford, guard, Xavier
If the Nets can't get LeBron James this summer, then at least they can get the guy who dunked on him last summer in a pick-up game at a camp in Akron. But no, seriously — Crawford is an explosive scorer that can help the Nets turn things around. Crawford loves the ball in his hands and he loves tons of shots, and he can get them in New Jersey.
28. Memphis Grizzlies — Armon Johnson, guard, Nevada
This being the Grizzlies' third pick of the first round, it's hard to know what they'll be looking for at this point. But the best player left is probably Johnson, an athletic combo guard with an aggressive offensive game. He still plays with a somewhat reckless style, and he'll make mistakes with turnovers and bad shots. But he's got the makeup to grow into a serviceable player in the league.
29. Orlando Magic — Terrico White, guard, Mississippi
The Magic will be among the favorites to win it all next season, and they have no glaring needs. White will be the best player available to them — he's a big combo guard who's smart, confident, poised and a solid shooter. He'll only get better as time goes on. The Magic can potentially steal a solid rotation player at the end of the first round.
30. Washington Wizards — Devin Ebanks, forward, West Virginia
After Wall, what more can the Wizards need? Well, for starters, they could find themselves a forward who can score, rebound and use his immense physical gifts to contribute right away in the NBA. Ebanks can be that guy, and it can't hurt that he's got a Final Four run on his resume. The Wizards should take a long look at the 6-foot-8 Ebanks, who has the potential to be a starter right away at the 3 or the 4.
The first round of Thursday night's draft starts with a Wizard, ends with a Wizard and has 28 fascinating picks in between.
There you have it, from wall to wall. Or rather, from Wall to Ebanks.
