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Early 2010 NBA mock draft

by Jeff Goodman

Jeff Goodman is a senior college basketball writer for FOXSports.com. He can be reached at GoodmanonFOX@aol.com or check out his blog, Good 'N Plenty.


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Updated: June 30, 2009, 2:36 PM EDT
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Now that the 2009 NBA Draft is in the book, we're going to give you the first legit mock draft for 2010.

While there was no shortage of point guards in this year's draft, floor leaders will be overshadowed next year by the abundance of big men.

In fact, nine of our first 15 guys off the board are at least 6-foot-9.

We do, however, have a point guard going numero uno.

1. John Wall, 6-3½, 193, PG, Fr., Kentucky: He's super-athletic, extremely quick and is big and strong. Maybe a bigger version of Derrick Rose and should be the top pick in next year's draft.

2. Derrick Favors, 6-9, 230, PF. Fr., Georgia Tech: Athletic post player who plays hard and makes the right plays. Similar to this year's No. 1, Blake Griffin.

3. Ed Davis, 6-9, 215, PF, Soph., North Carolina: He's long, plays hard and also produces. He can be a force on the defensive end and is also capable of scoring. Just needs to get stronger.

Al-Farouq Aminu should be a top-five pick next year with a strong sophomore season. (Streeter Lecka / Getty Images)

4. Al-Farouq Aminu, 6-8, 215, F, Soph., Wake Forest: With Jeff Teague and James Johnson gone, it's his show at Wake. Aminu is athletic and can attack; he needs to work on his perimeter shot.

5. Renardo Sidney, 6-9, 260, F, Fr., Mississippi State: If he is in tip-top shape, there may be no one more talented — including Wall and Favors — in the country. He doesn't always play hard and his recruitment was a mess.

6. Xavier Henry, 6-6, 215, SG, Fr., Kansas: He's capable of knocking down shots from deep and can also get to the basket. His size and length will intrigue NBA guys even if he doesn't put up monster numbers for a loaded Kansas squad.

7. Cole Aldrich, 6-10, 245, C, Jr., Kansas: He was a likely lottery pick this year but decided to return to school. He's far from a finished product, but he has size and athleticism.

8. Evan Turner, 6-7, 205, SF, Soph., Ohio State: Multi-dimensional player who can handle the ball at his size and also score in a variety of ways.

9. John Henson, 6-10, 210, C, Fr., North Carolina: He's still a ways away from reaching his potential, but the NBA folks will love what they see out of Henson. Extremely long and athletic; needs to bulk up.

10. Willie Warren, 6-3, 200, SG, Soph., Oklahoma: He's a big-time wing scorer but needs to prove he can lead a team now that Blake Griffin is gone.

11. Donatas Motiejunas, 7-0, 220, PF, Lithuania: He's considered by NBA executives as the top overseas player in next year's draft. He's a skilled lefty.

12. Greg Monroe, 6-11, 240, PF, Soph., Georgetown: Extremely skilled big man who isn't overly athletic but knows how to play.

13. DeMarcus Cousins, 6-10, 245, C, Fr., Kentucky: He's got some crazy in him on the court, but he is big, strong and athletic. Big guys like this are hard to find.

14. Craig Brackins, 6-10, 230, PF, Soph., Iowa State: Probably would have been a lottery pick this season but needed another year to mature. Long and versatile; needs to get stronger and mentally tougher.

15. Solomon Alabi, 7-1, 230, C, Soph., Florida State: Still raw but has the size, length and ability to affect the game on both ends of the floor.

16. Gordon Hayward, 6-8, 210, SF, Soph., Butler: Love this kid. He may not be quite ready after two years, but he's a big-time shooter who puts it on the floor, can handle the ball and makes the right pass virtually every time.

17. Avery Bradley, 6-3, 180, SG, Fr., Texas: He would be picked in the first year solely due to his ability to guard, but Bradley has also improved his offensive game enough to be a mid first-round pick.

18. Patrick Patterson, 6-8, 225, PF, Jr., Kentucky: Not sure if he improved his draft stock by returning. In fact, with all the big guys, my take is he would have gone higher this year.

19. James Anderson, 6-6, 195, SG-SF, Jr., Oklahoma State: He's got perfect wing size and can really put the ball in the basket.

20. Devin Ebanks, 6-8, 210, SG, Soph., West Virginia: He's long, can shoot the ball and his defense has come a long way.

21. Gani Lawal, 6-8½, 230, PF, Soph., Georgia Tech: He's long and athletic but needs to get stronger and improve his post game.

22. Kalin Lucas, 6-0, 180, PG, Jr., Michigan State: He's quick with the ball and knows how to run a team — and again, the 2010 draft won't be loaded with point guards like this year.

23. Kyle Singler, 6-9, 210, SF, Jr., Duke: He's just so well-rounded and plays so hard that it's hard to imagine an NBA team not taking him somewhere in the middle of the first round.

Sherron Collins should be a first-rounder in 2010 with a shortage of point guards on the board. (Andy Lyons / Getty Images)

24. Sherron Collins, 5-11, 200, PG, Sr., Kansas: Not a lot of big-time point guards in the draft, so the stocky and fearless Chicago native should slip into the first round.

25. Jerome Jordan, 7-0, 235, C, Sr., Tulsa: I don't think he'll be in the elite group of bigs, but he's come a long way and will likely make his way somewhere into the first round.

26. Tyshawn Taylor, 6-3, 180, G, Soph., Kansas: Can defend, play both guard spots and hasn't even scratched the surface of what he can become.

27. Mason Plumlee, 6-11, 220, PF, Fr. Duke: He's a skilled big man who may not leave after a year in college. But if he does, he'd be taken somewhere in the first round.

28. Terrico White, 6-5, 210, PG, Soph., Mississippi: There just aren't a lot of point guards period, and most of them are small. White has length and the ability to make plays, which makes him attractive at the next level.

29. Kemba Walker, 6-0, 170, PG, Soph., UConn: He still needs to become a more consistent shooter, but he'll become a star this season in Storrs and should be a first-rounder with the lack of quality point guards.

30. Malcolm Lee, 6-5, 185, G, Soph., UCLA: With Darren Collison, Jrue Holiday and Josh Shipp gone, it's Lee's turn to shine.

Wild Card. Lance Stephenson, 6-5, 200, SG, TBD: Wherever Stephenson plays this year — and your guess is as good as mine — he'll put up numbers. He is talented and the NBA folks — unlike the college coaches — may not care about the attitude and off-the-court issues.

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