2009 NBA Draft Big Board (With Explanations)

1. Blake Griffin (6'9'', PF, Oklahoma, Soph.)
Strong as a bull and very skilled down low. Griffin is the kind of player who will come in be a force in the post starting day one. He is not a franchise changing #1 pick in the LeBron or Shaq mold, but he is an elite level prospect and a good bet to be an all star more than a few times. NBA Comparison: Amare Stoudemire/Carlos Boozer

2. Ricky Rubio (6’4’’, PG, Spain)
No player in this draft has a higher ceiling than Ricky Rubio. This kid is just special. His court vision, passing ability, and basketball IQ are off the charts and have drawn comparisons to Nash, Bird, and Pistol Pete. High praise indeed. He won over a lot of critics with his mature and tough play in the last Olympics, going toe to toe with the games best all while nursing a bad hand. NBA Comparison: Steve Nash/Pete Maravich

3. Hasheem Thabeet (7‘3‘’, C, UConn, Jr)
No player in this years draft seems to polarize people like Thabeet. A lot of people like to harp on the fact that he is not a great scorer, or his rebounding numbers should be higher. When you look at what Thabeet can bring to a team though, you see an athletic center who can anchor a team defensively and block shots at an elite level. Great defensive big men are very rare in this day and age, and look no further than the Orlando Magic to see exactly how a great defensive big can impact a team. Thabeet may not be the sexiest talent in this draft, but he will be a starting NBA center for a good long while. NBA Comparison: Mark Eaton/Samuel Dalembert

4. James Harden (6'5'', SG, Arizona State, Soph.)
James Harden is a very smart player who plays within himself and within the team concept. He is a player that makes his teammates better and is a born winner. Athletically he is better than advertised, but not elite by any stretch. Harden will not be a go to type player in the NBA, but a very good starting player. NBA Comparison: Manu Ginobli/Courtney Lee

5. Jordan Hill (6’10’’, PF, Arizona, Jr.)
A long and athletic power forward with a surprisingly soft shooting touch. Hill is still a little raw and inconsistent, but he has only been playing basketball for a handful of years. With this being a very weak big man draft, Hill is one of the few bigs that project as starters in the NBA. NBA Comparison: Chris Wilcox/Marcus Camby

6. Demar DeRozan (6'6'', SG, USC, Fresh.)
Big time upside guy. DeRozan is a tall and athletic shooting guard who can finish in traffic. He must improve his shaky handles and streaky jump shot, but if he does become more consistent, he has a chance to be one of this drafts very best players. Underrated versatility. NBA Comparison: Tracy McGrady/Nick Young

7. Earl Clark (6'10'', SF, Louisville, Jr.)
Tall enough to play power forward and quick enough to play small forward, Clark is an intriguing player in this draft. He shoots the ball well from outside and can get to the rim and score. Solid rebounded and defender, but he needs to work on his consistency. NBA Comparison: Tim Thomas/Rashard Lewis

8. Jonny Flynn (6’0’’, PG, Syracuse, Soph.)
Lightning quick point guard who can get to the rim at will. Flynn is slightly undersized, but he plays very hard and is a fierce competitor. He runs a team pretty well, but seems more at home driving to score for himself. Must improve his jumpshot and defense to be a star at the NBA level. NBA Comparison: TJ Ford/Jameer Nelson

9. Brandon Jennings (6'1'', PG, Europe)
Very talented player who has great floor vision and quickness. Jennings has all the tools to be a great player, but is a relative unknown due to his time spent in Europe and his lack of success there. Big time risk-reward player in this draft. NBA Comparison: Tony Parker/Sebastian Telfair

10. Tyreke Evans (6'5'', SG, Memphis, Fresh.)
Extremely talented player with all the skills to be a great NBA player. Evans will need to learn to play off the ball more and to get his teammates involved. He is a solid shooter and a great slasher who can finish at the rim. Excellent defender and a tough competitor. All the skills are there, if the head catches up, he can be an all star. NBA Comparison: OJ Mayo/Larry Hughes

11. DeJuan Blair (6’7’’, PF, Pittsburgh, Soph.)
Very undersized but his wingspan makes up for a lot of it. Was a very good college player who impacted his team in so many different ways. He is a hard worker with a great array of post moves. Gets a lot of his points and rebounds by playing harder and meaner than his opposition. Will need to add a mid range jumper to be a successful NBA starter. NBA Comparison: Paul Millsap/Sean May

12. Eric Maynor (6'3'', PG, VCU, Sr.)
Often underrated because he played off the radar in college. Maynor has a smooth, effortless game. He runs the point efficiently and has a knack for scoring. He knows when to score and when to distribute and he loves to take the big shot when the game is on the line. NBA Comparison: Sam Cassell/Derek Fischer

13. Stephen Curry (6‘3‘’, SG, Davidson, Jr.)
The best natural shooter and scorer in this draft. Curry has a basketball IQ and feel for the game that is very high. He will have to prove he can play point guard to succeed at the NBA level, and that is a pretty big question mark. That said, he is clearly too skilled a scorer to ignore. NBA Comparison: Devin Harris/Trajan Langdon

14. Gerald Henderson (6'5'', SG, Duke, Jr.)
Henderson is a solid all around player with good athleticism. He is often overlooked because he is a bit of a jack of all trades, master of none. But, he put up very good numbers at the highest level in college and he is plenty athletic enough to transfer that production to the NBA level. He is an underrated defender as well. NBA Comparison: Courtney Lee/Arron Afflalo

15. Jrue Holiday (6’3’’, SG, UCLA, Fresh.)
One of the big enigmas in this draft. Jrue was considered a lock top five pick last year coming out of high school, but he had a very down year at UCLA. Some of this can be contributed to playing out of position at UCLA, but a player with his talent level should still make a much bigger impact on the game. Still, Jrue is a very good defender and he can develop into a nice NBA combo guard if he lands with the right team. NBA Comparison: Russell Westbrook/Rodney Stuckey

16. BJ Mullens (7'0'', C, Ohio State, Fresh.)
Like Holliday, Mullens was considered a top five pick coming out of high school, but he did not play up to the hype. Some feel Ohio State was trying to hide him in order to get another year out of him, others feel he lacks the desire to be great. One thing is for sure, Mullens has an elite set of skills for a seven footer. He is athletic and can finish around the rim. He must work on becoming tougher down low and not getting bullied. If he had DeJuan Blair’s intangibles, he would be the #1 pick in this draft. NBA Comparison: Chris Kamen/Patrick O’Bryant

17. Chase Budinger (6‘7“, SG, Arizona, Jr.)
Budinger never lived up to his considerable hype in his three years at Arizona, but do not let that fool you into thinking this kid can’t play. Budinger is a very good athlete who has a knack for scoring. He is one of the best shooters in this draft. He must continue to improve defensively and he lacks the killer instinct to be a go to player, but he can be a very solid NBA role player. NBA Comparison: JR Smith/Brent Barry

18. James Johnson (6’8’’, SF, Wake Forest, Soph.)
Johnson is a tough and rugged small forward who is not afraid to get down low and bang with the big boys. He is still on the raw side and must become more consistent both offensively and defensively. NBA Comparison: Corliss Williamson/Ryan Gomes

19. Wayne Ellington (6'5'', SG, North Carolina, Jr.)
A knockdown shooter who has the ability to go off the dribble with a lethal mid range jumper. He really understands how to play within an offense and when to try to take a game over. He was often overshadowed by Tyler Hansbrough and Ty Lawson at UNC, but he was a major reason that team was so successful. Very solid defender who competes every night. NBA Comparison: Daequan Cook/JJ Redick

20. Ty Lawson (5’11’’, PG, North Carolina, Jr.)
Undersized but with lots of heart. Lawson is a very efficient point guard who can really attack the basket. He does not turn the ball over a lot and has quick hands. He was one of the best players in the nation last year and is a real winner. Lawson is a low ceiling guy who you pretty much know what you get, if not for his height, injury issues, and the point guard depth of this draft, he would be a potential top 8 pick. NBA Comparison: TJ Ford/Earl Watson

21. Austin Daye (6'10'', SF, Gonzaga, Soph.)
22. Patrick Mills (6’0’’, PG, St. Mary’s, Soph.)
23. Terrence Williams (6'5'', SG, Louisville, Sr.)
24. Jeff Teague (6’1’’, PG, Wake Forest, Soph.)
25. Omri Casspi (6’8’’, SF, Israel)
26. Tyler Hansbrough (6’8’’, PF, North Carolina, Sr.)
27. DaJuan Summers (6’8’’, SF, Georgetown, Jr.)
28. Victor Claver (6'10'', SF, Spain)
29. Rodrigue Beaubois (6'3'', PG, France)
30. Darren Collison (6’1’’, PG, UCLA, Sr.)
31. Derrick Brown (6’8’’, SF, Xavier, Jr.)
32. Jeff Pendergraph (6’10’’, PF, Arizona State, Sr.)
33. Toney Douglas (6’2’’, PG, Florida State, Sr.)
34. Sam Young (6'6'', SF, Pittsburgh, Sr.)
35. Jodie Meeks (6'4'', SG, Kentucky, Jr.)
36. Josh Heytvelt (6’11’’, C, Gonzaga, Sr.)
37. Nando De Colo (6’5’’, SG, France)
38. Taj Gibson (6’9’’, PF, USC, Jr.)
39. Jermaine Taylor (6’4’’, SG, UCF, Sr.)
40. Dionte Christmas (6’5’’, SG, Temple, Sr.)
41. Marcus Thornton (6’4’’, SG, LSU, Sr.)
42. Emir Preldzic (6’8’’, SF, Slovenia)
43. Jonas Jerebko (6’9’’, SF, Sweden)
44. Danny Green (6‘5‘’, SG, North Carolina, Sr.)
45. Sergio Llull (6’3’’, PG, Spain)
46. Nick Calathes (6'5'', PG, Florida, Soph.)
47. Lester Hudson (6’3’’, PG, UT-Martin, Sr.)
48. DeMarre Carroll (6’8’’, SF, Missouri, Sr.)
49. Vitor Faverani (7’0’’, C, Brazil)
50. Brandon Costner (6’8’’, SF, North Carolina State, Jr.)
51. Leo Lyons (6’9’’, PF, Missouri, Sr.)
52. Jeff Adrien (6’7’’, PF, UConn, Sr.)
53. Luke Nevill (7’1’’, C, Utah, Sr.)
54. Curtis Jerrells (6’1’’, PG, Baylor, Sr.)
55. Jerel McNeal (6’3’’, SG, Marquette, Sr.)
56. Goran Suton (6’10’’, C, Michigan State, Sr.)
57. Dante Cunningham (6’7’’, SF, Villanova, Sr.)
58. Garret Siler (6’11’’, C, Augusta State, Sr.)
59. AJ Price (6’2’’, PG, UConn, Sr.)
60. Vyacheslav Kravtsov (7’0’’, C, Ukraine)
61. Henk Norel (6’11’’, PF, Netherlands)
62. Jack McClinton (6’1’’, SG, Miami, Sr.)
63. Jon Brockman (6‘7‘’, PF, Washington, Sr.)
64. Ben Woodside (5’11’’, PG, North Dakota State, Sr.)
65. Chris Johnson (6’11’’, C, LSU, Sr.)
66. Micah Downs (6’7’’, SF, Gonzaga, Sr.)
67. Alade Aminu (6’10’’, PF, Georgia Tech, Sr.)
68. AD Vassallo (6’6’’, SG, Virginia Tech, Sr.)
69. Chinemelu Elonu (6’9’’, PF, Texas A&M, Jr.)
70. Tim Ohlbrecht (6’11’’, PF, Germany)