Washburn's Mock Draft

OK, you guys have read all of the other mock drafts, but here's how things are going to go down:

1) Los Angeles Clippers, Blake Griffin (Oklahoma) -- This is the only sure thing of the night, the Clips don't mess this one up, taking the most dominant college player since Tim Duncan.

2) Memphis Grizzlies, Hasheem Thabeet (Connecticut) -- This makes up for the Pau Gasol trade and allows the Grizzlies to improve immediately defensively.

3) Oklahoma City Thunder, Stephen Curry (Davidson) -- GM Sam Presti decides that he can't pass on Curry's scoring potential and doesn't take a chance on Ricky Rubio.

4) Sacramento Kings, Ricky Rubio(Spain) -- The Maloofs need to make some money and taking a Spanish sensation draws fans and attention to their small-market team. It's a chance worth taking.

5) Minnesota Timberwolves, Tyreke Evans (Memphis) -- The Timberwolves get a physical guard to make up for the loss of Randy Foye and for passing up O.J. Mayo last year.

6) Minnesota Timberwolves, James Harden (Arizona State) -- Minnesota gets the 1-2 combo of the future in one draft and gives loyal fans reason for hope.

7) Golden State Warriors, Jordan Hill (Arizona) -- The Warriors have too many finesse big men as it is and they take a physical one who has toughness and upside.

8) New York Knicks, DeMar DeRozan (USC) -- The Knicks jump on this swingman with crazy potential and he will have time to develop under coach Mike D'Antoni's system.

9) Toronto Raptors, Jrue Holiday (UCLA) -- The Raptors don't let this youngster go and he is the best option at this position. They may get more immediately for a more seasoned player, but not in the long run.

10) Milwaukee Bucks, Jonny Flynn (Syracuse) -- With Ramon Sessions a free agent, the Bucks take this freakishly athletic little man who could make an immediate impact.

11) New Jersey Nets, Tyler Hansbrough (North Carolina) -- New Jersey gets a hard-working player to team with Brook Lopez because their clock to make the postseason is ticking.

12) Charlotte Bobcats, Terrence Williams (Louisville) -- Word is that Williams has a promise from the Bobcats after two impressive workouts and he is a Larry Brown type of guy.

13) Indiana Pacers, Jeff Teague (Wake Forest) -- While he may be raw and inconsistent, the Pacers can't pass on his quickness, explosiveness and potential.

14) Phoenix Suns, Gerald Henderson (Duke) -- GM Steve Kerr nabs a Grant Hill clone from Grant Hill's alma mater. He is a fine athlete and son of an NBA player.

15) Detroit Pistons, Earl Clark (Louisville) -- The Pistons believe that can turn Clark into the hard worker and superstar he has the talent to be, so they pass on Austin Daye and opt for the more proven Clark.

16) Chicago Bulls, DeJuan Blair (Pittsburgh) -- The Bulls have a bunch of power forward but none particularly physical. They could take a shooting guard but none are worthy of 16.

17) Philadelphia 76ers, Ty Lawson (North Carolina) -- Tough pick here between Lawson and Eric Maynor but Lawson is a better shooter and can run Eddie Jordan's Princeton offense.

18) Minnesota Timberwolves, B.J. Mullens (Ohio State) -- He is taken simply because he's 7-feet and the Timberwolves aren't trying to win right now. This may work. This may not.

19) Atlanta Hawks, Eric Maynor (Virginia Commonwealth) -- Maynor is big, physical and steady and exactly what the Hawks need. They take him over Brandon Jennings.

20) Utah Jazz, James Johnson (Wake Forest) -- With Carlos Boozer likely gone, the Jazz used its pick on the tough but flawed Johnson. Paul Millsap takes over at power forward.

21) New Orleans Hornets, Austin Daye (Gonzaga) -- The Hornets take the talented swingman in hopes that he becomes a cornerstone someday, a good value at this pick.

22) Portland Trail Blazers, Brandon Jennings (Italy) -- The Blazers are pretty much set at each position except point guard with the unspectacular Steve Blake is the starter. Jennings eventually takes over.

23) Sacramento Kings, Omri Casspi (Israel) -- The Kings are looking for a more physical big man to join Spencer Hawes and Jason Thompson and Casspi likely will stay in Europe for a while.

24) Dallas Mavericks, Chase Budinger (Arizona) -- Mark Cuban gets an athletic swingman who can give the Mavericks aging lineup some life.

25) Oklahoma City Thunder, Wayne Ellington (North Carolina) -- Presti gets a steady shooter for his offense and someone who can help Kevin Durant offensively.

26) Chicago Bulls, Toney Douglas (Florida State) -- The Bulls get the shooting guard to perhaps replace Ben Gordon, who may leave via free agency.

27) Memphis Grizzlies, Taj Gibson (USC) -- He is 24, ready to play in the NBA and won't trip off playing in Memphis. The Grizzlies need a tough guy.

28) Minnesota Timberwolves, Nick Calathes (Florida) -- He is allowed to play a few seasons in Greece and then comes back to Minnesota ready to make an impact.

29) Los Angeles Lakers, Darren Collison (UCLA) -- Aaron Brooks getting into the paint at ease encourages the Lakers to take the speedy Collison.

30) Cleveland Cavaliers, Derrick Brown (Xavier) -- The Cavaliers take the local kid who has tremendous upside and an underdog mentality, a solid pick.

What The Lakers Should Do Now

OK the Los Angeles Lakers returned to the pinnacle of the basketball world after a seven-year absence with their impressive 4-1 series win over the Orlando Magic. General manager Mitch Kupchak, after a series of questionable decisions over the past few years, compiled a championship team with some shrewd deals such as netting Trevor Ariza from Orlando and Pau Gasol from Memphis.

The most difficult task for a general manager is not building a championship team, however, it's retaining a championship team. And Kupchak has some arduous decisions to make in the next couple of weeks for the Lakers to make a serious run at a repeat. Of course, Kobe Bryant and Gasol will be back, but let's look at the entire roster and the prospect of their return or departure.

Kobe -- Actually folks, he has an opt-out clause this summer but he won't exercise that, so rest easy. He is due $48 million over the next two seasons before free agency. How much should the Lakers pay him in 2011?

Gasol -- He has two more years on his contract at $34-plus million. He will also be a free agent in 2011.

Lamar Odom -- He's a free agent. He's nearly 30. He made $11.4 million last season. Do the Lakers give him a nice raise? No. They can get another solid player with that money who is younger and more consistent.

Derek Fisher -- He has one more year on his deal at $5 million. You let D-Fish come back and then perhaps he retires for a front office job.

Sasha Vujacic -- Wow, he has two more years on his deal at more than $10 million. Is the NBA hiring? He is stealing money. Kupchak has to deal him.

Luke Walton -- Who signed this guy to a six-year deal? By the time his contract is up, Lil Wayne will be Old Jeezy. Nobody is taking on his contract, the Lakers are stuck.

Adam Morrison -- Maybe I am in the serious minority here, but this dude has talent. Give him the summer and a chance to play a role on this team, and he can serve as a valuable asset.

Ariza -- The Lakers need to make him a priority. He doesn't turn 24 until June 30, Kupchak needs to give him a five-year deal at $45 million, and that deal will eventually become a major bargain.

Andrew Bynum -- He is owed $57 million over the next four years. The Lakers are stuck with his deal and has to pray he improves.

Jordan Farmar -- He has one more year on his deal and the Lakers will have to make a decision by Oct. 31 whether to bring him back for 2010-11. I think they should let him go.

Josh Powell -- He is a free agent and actually not a bad player. Give him a slight bump in salary and bring him back.

DJ Mbenga -- He doesn't make much, but the Lakers can find another backup center who is more skilled. Hey he got a championship ring out of the deal.

Shannon Brown -- Dude can ball and I would replace Farmar with him. He is a free agent. Give him $2.5 million per season and let him flourish.

Phil Jackson -- The one thing that motivates Phil is money, offer him a two-year deal with a raise and let him coach Kobe into his mid-30s.

Tell me what you think!

"Where's Brent Musburger's Super Bowl Ring?"

That's what UC Berkeley professor Harry Edwards said to me 20 years ago when I asked why Musburger, then the primary voice of the TV sports following Howard Cosell, was the lone non-player in the broadcast booth during games. African Americans -- in those days -- had to bring major playing credentials to get an opportunity to analyze the game they played. Watching Michael Wilbon dissecting NBA Finals games between the Magic and Lakers should serve as an inspiration to those blacks and other people of color who know the game but have not had the good fortune or talent to play the game.

While networks have hired analysts such Seth Davis (CBS college basketball), Tom Verducci (MLB Network) or Tony Kornheiser (who recently left ESPN's Monday Night Football) to analyze games, African Americans have mostly been left out of this opportunity, creating the perception that blacks couldn't talk the game unless they played the game. Wilbon and Stephen A. Smith before him have dispelled those stereotypes, giving more people of color credibility in analyst positions.

ESPN may be heavily criticized at times for creating the storylines they report, but they deserve credit for allowing black journalists -- such as Jemele Hill and Rob Parker -- to display their sports expertize in debates against the combative Skip Bayless on "First Take."

And adding Wilbon to the booth for NBA coverage was a major step for sports television that shouldn't be ignored. And hopefully there are more people of color who know the game to follow because their voice deserves to be heard. Diversity is beautiful.

Let the High Schoolers Back In

I am not in support of any high school kids -- except maybe those who are once-in-a-lifetime special -- such as LeBron James or Kobe Bryant (not Robert Swift) to go straight from high school to the NBA Draft. But something has to change with this current system that mandates high school players to attend college for one year or be 19 years old and one year removed from high school to enter the NBA Draft.

It should be no shock that kids are finding ways to circumvent the rules either by heading to Europe for a year or cheating to get into school (perhaps the case of Derrick Rose, pictured above) because they have to burn that year anyway, so it might as well be in college. I don't think this was what the rule was designed for. Wishful thinkers like me thought that the one-year rule would allow kids who thought they were ready but weren't to remain in school and even entice those who were ready for the NBA to stay longer because they actually enjoyed college.

Well that hasn't happened as much as I think supporters would have liked. Kids who would have bolted for the NBA after high school are still leaving after one year. Players such as Jrue Holiday, who averaged 8.5 points per game at UCLA, and B.J. Mullens, who was a major disappointment at Ohio State, are staying in June's NBA Draft. They were not affected by the harsh reality that they may not be ready for the next level and are willing to get taken solely on potential.

So here's what we do: We mandate that kids entering school stay for two years, which will allow those preps who just can't wait to enter the draft and those who know they aren't ready to become seasoned for two years. I really don't like high school kids entering the draft, but there really isn't anything we can do about it.

Like tattoos, reality shows and fro-hawks, jumping to the league has become a trend, especially when those shoe piranhas and street agents are telling these kids they are ready. The NCAA and NBA tried keeping these kids away from the chaos, but if they are going to go to Europe, cheat on SATs or drop out after ine semester just to kill time before the NBA Draft, then something needs to change.

So how should we treat Michael Vick?

Michael Vick was released today from prison, allowed to serve the final two months of his sentence from Hampton, Va. home, where he will be permitted to participate in a work release program, earning $10 per hour at a construction company. So the question is how do we treat Vick following what some perceive as a heinous crime of dogfighting and dog torture?

While I believe his crime was reprehensible and cruel for those innocent dogs, many of whom are used a means of some men trying to justify their manhood, Vick didn't inflict any harm on a human being, didn't slap his girlfriend, didn't kill anyone driving drunk or any other of the inexcusable crimes committed by many athletes who not only didn't serve jail time but are free to play in the NFL or NBA or MLB. We have to ask ourselves, was Vick the victim of a society that was looking to make a rich, arrogant and callous black man pay for his stupidity and viciousness with animals? The answer is yes. In Seattle, two teenagers received 36-week stints and another 72 weeks in a juvenile facility for beating to death a middle-aged man who played the tuba in front of every major Seattle sporting event.

Vick served 19 months, lost more than $200 million and a significant chunk of his career for dogfighting. We definitely know Vick won't be the grand marshal at the Westminster Dog Show or a spokesman for Purina, but we should embrace the man because he served his punishment and hopefully will change his life and is ready to atone for his sins. Let's allow him that right and provide him the second chance we all deserve for our mistakes. And maybe he can provide us some more thrills on the football field and prevent youngsters from following in his footsteps.

Vick's playbook is rather ambitious, yet he is capable of doing a lot more than scoring touchdowns. Let's root him on.

Missing Showtime

You might as well call me old school right now, but it's hard to understand how my peers who grew up in Los Angeles like I did could be such big fans of this current Lakers team, especially when we spent our childhood gloriously watching a team prance to five NBA titles in 10 years -- beating real teams with real stars and not taking days off. These 2009 Lakers play with a sense of entitlement and I am stumped as to why. They took a day off in an embarrassing Western Conference semifinal loss to Houston on Sunday and now fans are fired up after a 40-point Game 5 win over the undermanned Rockets. Remember, this team is lacking two All-Stars in Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming. We ain't exactly talking about the Fo-Fo-Fo Sixers here. This edition of the Lakers takes plays off, coasts for stretches of minutes off and tends to get bored with opponents and I am still trying to figure out why. Why such a sense of accomplishment for a roster filled with players feeding off Kobe Bryant?

Has Sasha Vujacic been spoiled by his success? I am not sure why. He's averaged just over five points per game over five seasons. Luke Walton doesn't have any championship rings. Neither does Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol or Jordan Farmar. The lone Lakers who have tasted that championship champagne are Bryant and Derek Fisher, so theoretically, the rest of the Lakers should be hungry for that success, not allowing 5-11 Aaron Brooks scorch them for 34 points, including an alley-oop to end a quarter. Before fans start celebrating a semifinal win over the Rockets, let's hope that these Lakers learn a little something from their predecessors about pride. Let's face it, the Bad Boy Pistons, Larry Bird Celtics or Dr. J 76ers aren't out on that court. We're talking Von Wafer and Luis Scola. The Lakers are capable of much better and until I see it, I will dream of Showtime.

What might have been in Seattle?

This blog is a personal one for me, because for three years I watched these two guys combine to make the Sonics at least respectable and potentially a playoff contender with the right compliments. Now, Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis are facing each other in the NBA's Eastern Conference semifinals between the Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic, far removed from their Seattle past, fighting for an NBA title. Meanwhile, Seattle is an empty NBA shell, with no team, no hope for a team since the state legislature voted down a potential bill that would have refurbished KeyArena and only memories to grasp to.

If the Sonics had retained Allen and Lewis -- Allen was traded and Lewis signed with the Magic within four days in June 2007 -- perhaps Seattle would still have basketball. While Oklahoma City -- formerly the Sonics -- prepares to be a contender in perhaps 2013, Allen and Lewis are seizing their opportunity for championship success now, which is the only thing that really matters. How many times have we seen teams that were supposed to be juggernauts in the future and it never materialized. Chicago was supposed to resurrect the Jordan days with Eddy Curry and Tyson Chandler. How did that work out?

Dallas was supposed to push Houston, Utah and San Antonio in the mid and late 1990s with Jamal Mashburn, Jason Kidd and Jim Jackson, but those three couldn't get along. Fact is, that preparing for the future is a smart move but never guaranteed. Proven commodities such as Allen and Lewis potentially bring a much bigger return than unproven rookies who may never reach their potential. Seattle learned that the hard way.