Widely regarded as one of the weakest draft classes in recent memory, where will the top prospects land come Thursday night at the Barclays Center?   AP/Photo Credits

2013 NBA Mock Draft

 

1	Cleveland Cavaliers	Alex Len                                              Best Case:  Roy Hibbert 7’1” C, Maryland                               Worst Case:  Andris Beidrens              The hype regarding Alex Len has been soaring for weeks. Sources within the Cavaliers organization say Len is the favorite. Potential all-star in four to five years. Will control the paint in Cleveland for years to come.
2	Orlando Magic	Victor Oladipo                        Best Case:  Andre Igoudala           6’4” SG, Indiana                      Worst Case:  Tony Allen                 Has barely tapped into his massive amount of potential. Developing a consistent jump shot will be crucial at the NBA level. Perennial all-star capability and possibility to become best player from the 2013 Draft. Amazing athleticism. Will at the very least be an elite perimeter defender. Jump shot away from being a two-way star.
3	Washington Wizards	Anthony Bennett                             Best Case:  Larry Johnson 6’8” SF, UNLV                                    Worst Case:  Jason Maxiell                 Versatility to move freely between both forward positions. Raw athletic ability and basketball talent provide for tremendous upside. Only major flaw may be his inability to score consistently one-on-one against defenders. One of my personal favorite prospects in the draft.
4	Charlotte Bobcats	Nerlens Noel                    Best Case:  Dikembe Mutumbo 7’0” C, Kentucky               Worst Case:  Greg Oden                 Ultimately, the knee injury hurts his draft hopes. But Charlotte would be insane to pass on Noel if he drops this far. Will be a great defender around the rim. Potential multiple time all-star and Defensive Player of the Year.
5	Phoenix  Suns	Ben McLemore                                 Best Case:  Ray Allen 6’5” SG, Kansas                                 Worst Case:  Jarrett Jack                 A string of bad workouts and poor decisions have all but tarnished McLemore’s hopes at going number one overall. Sun’s executives will simply hope talent wins out in the long haul. Great shooting ability. Potential all-star in 3 years. Needs to develop a work ethic. Great shooters are made, not born.
6	New Orleans Pelicans	Trey Burke                                         Best Case:  Damian Lillard 6’1” PG, Michigan                             Worst Case:  Mo Williams                 The thought of securing an attacking guard with great leadership is very intriguing to a rebuilding Pelicans team. After securing Anthony Davis in last year’s draft, New Orleans will look to set up the franchise big man with a running mate. Burke will look to take over for Greivis Vasquez and become the man running the show in NOLA.
7	Sacramento Kings	Otto Porter                    Best Case:  Rich man’s Tayshaun Prince 6’9” SF, Georgetown     Worst Case:  Tayshaun Prince                 Popular pick to go at number three to Washington. A tremendous NBA talent with ability to do just about anything on the floor. Sacramento can finally say a lottery pick panned out the way they had hoped.
8	Detroit Pistons	Michael Carter-Williams                Best Case:  Ricky Rubio 6’6” PG, Syracuse                             Worst Case:  Shaun Livingston                 After securing a solid front court tandem in Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond, Detroit will look to add a true point guard to run the back court with Brandon Knight. Pistons get their guy with Carter-Williams and look forward with a core of young talent. Only one problem though, neither MCW nor Knight can shoot.
9	Minnesota Timberwolves	Kentavius Caldwell-Pope   Best Case:   Kawhi Leonard w/ range 6’6” SG, Georgia                   Worst Case:  Francisco Garcia                 Minnesota is absolutely dreadful from downtown. With a dribble-drive point guard like Ricky Rubio, it doesn’t help when opposing defenses can collapse freely in the lane. Although not shooting up to expectations at the combine, Caldwell-Pope’s natural stroke will win the hearts of Timberwolves’ executives.
10	Portland Trail Blazers	Steven Adams                        Best Case:  Nene Hilario 7’0” C, Pittsburgh                   Worst Case:  Hasheem Thabeet                 Its potential upside that will be the selling point on Steven Adams. While not quite ready to be an NBA rotation player, a high-motor defensive attitude and knack for rebounding, Adams will flourish under the rim. Just give him three years.
11	Philadelphia 76ers	Cody Zeller                                        Best Case: LaMarcus Aldridge 7’0” PF, Indiana                                 Worst Case:  Joel Pryzbilla                 With the team facing Andrew Bynum’s unsure return to Philly, the team will invest in a big man. Zeller runs the floor well for a big and has proven he can knock down the mid-range shot. Only time will tell if he can reach his maximum potential.
12	OKC Thunder	C.J. McCollum                                   Best Case:  Mike Bibby 6’3” SG, Lehigh                                  Worst Case:   Jimmer Fredette                 Right now, it remains to be seen whether or not McCollum can play both guard positions in the NBA. At the very least, he can be a high-volume scorer of the bench who can contribute 10-15 points a night.
13	Dallas Mavericks	Sergey Karasev                                 Best Case:  Brandon Roy 6’7” SG, Russia                                  Worst Case:  Nenad Kristic Come draft day, this pick will be traded. Dallas will ship this pick to Cleveland for the 19th pick. Cleveland’s target is Sergey Karasev. Played in Russia's top league. Impressed scouts at Nike Hope Summit with shooting range and consistency.
14	Utah  Jazz	Shane Larkin                                     Best Case:  DJ Augustin 6’0” PG, Miami (FL.)                         Worst Case:  Jerryd Bayless                 Mo Williams and Jamaal Tinsley are just not cutting it at the point guard position. Jazz are locks to take a point guard with this pick. Larkin is extremely explosive for his size and is a high-energy player at both ends of the court. He would fit in well with the young talent in Utah.
15	Milwaukee Bucks	Shabazz Muhammad                       Best Case:  James Harden 6’5” SF, UCLA                                     Worst Case:  Nick Young                 While Muhammad is unlikely to become the next big thing that the whole world thought he would be coming out of high school, he’s no consolation prize at this point in the draft. With Monta Ellis leaving Milwaukee, he’ll be a nice addition.
16	Boston Celtics	Dennis Schroeder                            Best Case:  Rajon Rondo 6’2” PG, Germany                            Worst Case:  Darren Collison                 Schroeder is believed to have been promised to be drafted by some team in the league and that team is believed to be the Boston Celtics. Although it would not be bad to learn under Rondo for a couple years, the Celtics will surely look in a different direction if the rumored Garnett-Rivers trade goes through.
17	Atlanta Hawks	Kelly Olynyk                                      Best Case:  Paul Gasol 7’0” PF, Gonzaga                              Worst Case:  Nick Collison                 Built like a center, but with a game like a stretch 4, Olynyk would fit in well in Atlanta. A late bloomer in college, he has untapped potential heading to the NBA.
18	Atlanta Hawks	Giannis Antetokounmpo               Best Case:  Nicholas Batum 6’9” SF, Greece                                 Worst Case:  Gerald Green                 There is high risk and there is high reward. Thus is the case with Giannis, just like so many other international players. Possesses an amazing raw skillset. Scouts project his current level of play in Europe equal to that of Division III. He will need at least another three years overseas before coming to the NBA.
19	Cleveland Cavaliers	Jamaal Franklin                                  Best Case: Kawhi Leonard 6’5” SG, San Diego State                  Worst Case: DeMar DeRozan                 Franklin has cemented himself as one of the true elite defenders in this year’s class. Still would represent a great pick this late in the draft. High motor player on both ends of the court. Explosive first step and developed ball-handling skills allow for dribble-drive penetration.
20	Chicago Bulls	Mason Plumlee                                  Best Case:  Tyson Chandler 7’0” C, Duke                                        Worst Case:  Miles Plumlee                 Bulls will look to add depth at the center position. Something tells me Nazr Mohammed isn’t quite cutting it. It evident he has both the physical tools and talent to play in the NBA. Increased effectiveness around the rim during his senior season at Duke. However, he sometimes struggles on the defensive end.
21	Utah Jazz	Rudy Gobert                                      Best Case:  JaVale McGee 7’2” C, France                                    Worst Case:  Patrick O’Bryant                 Al Jefferson and Paul Milllsap are leaving. Why not take a chance on a 7’2” center? Jazz go big and get what they need. Exceptionally long for a big man, Gobert boasts a 7-8 wingspan and a 9-7 standing reach.
22	Brooklyn Nets	Tony Mitchell                                    Best Case:  Thomas Robinson 6’9” PF, North Texas                         Worst Case:  Andray Blatche                 May still possess the tools to be a lottery talent in this year’s draft. Off the court antics and bonehead decisions are what caused Mitchell’s fall. He will get a fresh start in the NBA. A solid rotational player/fringe starter in 3 years.
23	Indiana Pacers	Tim Hardaway Jr.                             Best Case:  Arron Afflalo 6’6” SG, Michigan                             Worst Case:  Wayne Ellington                 The Pacers struggled mightily at times to shoot from downtown last year. Tim Hardaway Jr. will bring in a much needed shooting stroke and an already strong knowledge of the NBA.
24	New York Knicks	Gorgui Dieng                    Best Case:  Dikembe Mutumbo 6’11” C, Louisville            Worst Case:  Ryan Hollins                 While a great defender around the rim, his offensive game is nothing short of raw. And when I say raw, it’s really really raw. Like raw steak raw. Converted only 28% of back to the basket possessions. However, he was the anchor for the best defensive team in the country.
25	Los Angeles Clippers	Allen Crabbe                           Best Case:  Klay Thompson 6’6” SG, Colorado                   Worst Case:  Dominic McGuire                 Probably the best three-point shooter in the draft besides McLemore. However, he struggles to put the ball on the floor and attack the rim. But will be able to contribute scoring from day one.  Good length for a shooting guard on the defensive end. NBA fringe starter. Sleeper in this year's draft.
26	Minnesota Timberwolves	Reggie Bullock              Best Case:  Poor man’s Danny Granger 6’7” SG/SF, North Carolina        Worst Case:   Francisco Garcia                 Very versatile on both ends of the court. His primary goal will be to stretch the floor with a tremendous 3-point stroke. Exactly what Minnesota needs. Also can guard multiple positions with his 6'7 frame and 6'10 wingspan.
27	Denver Nuggets	Ricardo Ledo                     Best Case:  Jamal Crawford 6’6” SG, Providence         Worst Case:  Poor man’s Randy Foye                 He never played a game last year due to being ruled ineligible by the NCAA. However, his lottery talent will push teams to take a risk on him in the latter part of the round.
28	San Antonio Spurs	Lucas Nogueira                                 Best Case:  JaVale McGee 7’0” C, Brazil                                      Worst Case:  Ryan Hollins                 A tall, international player with loads of potential. That basically sells it to San Antonio, right? Nogueira is a raw talent with tremendous upside. Has shown flashes of brilliance on the defense end in international competition.
29	OKC Thunder	Jeff Withey                                        Best Case:  Andrew Bogut 7’0” C, Kansas                                    Worst Case:  Nick Collison                 A big man. Will come off the bench in Oklahoma City to provide defense in the lane and limited scoring opportunities. Reminds me of another Kansas big man who OKC acquired in the 2010 Draft, Cole Aldrich.
30	Phoenix  Suns	Glen Rice Jr.                                       Best Case:  Glen Rice Sr. 6’6” SF, NBDL                                     Worst Case:  Danny Green                 The Suns have shown strong interest in the former NBA Development League star. Boasts a tremendous three point shot. Reaching his maximum potential could mean anything from sixth man to multiple time all-star. Has the tools to become an all-around offensive threat in the Association.