2009 NBA Mock Draft

Last year's #1 pick was a toss up between Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley, with Chicago grabbing Rose and making him their franchise player while the Miami Heat took Beasley. For 2009, it appears it may be a toss up between two monstrous players, Oklahoma's Blake Griffin and the human eraser, UCONN's Hasheem Thabeet. Both players have plenty of skills to offer teams in desperate need. Griffin may have a slight edge as he's the better offensive player, but teams can't go wrong by choosing a 7'3 guy who fills the lane, intimidates opposing players and sends shots into the stands.

Here's a look at just one NBA Mock draft for the projected draft picks #1 through 14. These team positions will most likely change, as of right now they are determined by worst to best ranking in the NBA amongst teams that may not qualify for the playoffs.

1 Sacramento Blake Griffin So.
2 Washington Hasheem Thabeet Jr.
3 LA Clippers James Harden So.
4 Memphis Jordan Hill Jr.
5 Oklahoma Cty Brandon Jennings Intl.
6 *Minnesota Gerald Henderson Jr.
7 Golden St. Earl Clark Jr.
8 Toronto Chase Budinger Jr.
9 Indiana Al-Farouq Aminu Fr.
10 Charlotte Demar DeRozan Fr.
11 New Jersey Craig Brackins So.
12 *New York Jeff Teague So.
13 Chicago DeJuan Blair So.
14 Phoenix Eric Maynor Sr

Currently opinions vary on where Connecticut Junior Hasheem Thabeet might be drafted. Mock draft sites currently speculate him anywhere from 1-5. MyNBaDraft.com has Thabeet going 5th to Oklahoma City, while draftexpress.com has Thabeet being drafted 4th by the Memphis Grizzlies. Of course, players' stock can rise and fall with the NCAA tournament as well as their performances in team workouts and pre-draft activities.

Also, for the 2009 draft, Minnesota receives the Miami Heat's first round pick, a top 10 selection due to the Ricky Davis trade several years ago.