NBA Draft 2009: Deseret News mock draft News Sacramento kings

1. Los Angeles Clippers, Blake Griffin, PF The scoop: Oklahoma star is considered the only sure thing in this year's draft. Not an All-Star, necessarily, but a solid NBA starter. 2. Memphis Grizzlies, Hasheem Thabeet, C The scoop: At 7-3 ex-UConn big man will make immediate impact as a shot blocker. He's a project on offense, however.

3. Oklahoma City Thunder, Stephen Curry, PG The scoop: Became household name in leading Davidson's 2008 NCAA run. Has a sweet shooting touch ? like his famous father, Dell. 4. Sacramento Kings, Ricky Rubio, PG The scoop: He's been called "the Spanish Pete Maravich" for his showmanship and ball-handling capabilities. Plus, he's just 18. 5. Minnesota Timberwolves, James Harden, SG The scoop: Arizona State guard is a skilled scorer with NBA 3-point range on his jumper. His defense is questionable, though. 6. Minnesota Timberwolves, Tyreke Evans, SG The scoop: He's just 6-5, but has long arms (6-11 wingspan). He's a scorer and drives to the hoop, but is not a great outside shooter. 7. Golden State Warriors, Jordan Hill, PF The scoop: Averaged 18.3 points and 11 rebounds per game for Arizona last season. Has height (6-10) and athletic ability to be a good shot blocker. 8. New York Knicks, Jrue Holiday, PG The scoop: He's 6-4 and could play both guard positions in the NBA . Was a solid defender in his only college season at UCLA. 9. Toronto Raptors, DeMar DeRozan, SG The scoop: He's 6-6 with long arms who improved a great deal during his lone college season at USC. Averaged 13.9 points and 5.7 rebounds. 10. Milwaukee Bucks, Jonny Flynn, PG The scoop: Syracuse star makes up for size (6-1) with excellent quickness and jumping ability. Averaged 6.7 assists and 17.4 points last season. 11. New Jersey Nets, Gerald Henderson, SG The scoop: Played three years at Duke, improving each season. Has a good all-around game and is a good rebounder for a 6-5 guard. 12. Charlotte Bobcats, Terrance Williams, SG The scoop: A four-year college player at Louisville who, at 6-6, is versatile enough to play both guard and forward. Averaged 8.6 boards as a senior. 13. Indiana Pacers, Jeff Teague, G The scoop: A shooting guard at Wake Forest, he'll likely be a point guard in the NBA but he'll have to work at it. Can be a prolific scorer and has NBA 3-point range. 14. Phoenix Suns, Earl Clark, SF The scoop: He's 6-7, but his ball-handling and passing abilities made him a "point forward" at Louisville. He's tall, but considered soft by some scouts. 15. Detroit Pistons, James Johnson, PF The scoop: He has a big, 6-8 body and is strong enough to be a solid rebounder. He averaged 15 points and 8.5 boards last season for Wake Forest. 16. Chicago Bulls, Tyler Hansbrough The scoop: Hard-worker who led North Carolina to an NCAA title. His numbers were better as a junior than as a senior, but his stock has been rising in recent days. 17. Philadelphia 76ers, Brandon Jennings, PG The scoop: Los Angeles native turned down scholarship at Arizona to play pro ball last season in Italy with mixed results. He's just 19 with pro experience, however. 18. Minnesota Timberwolves, Austin Daye, SF The scoop: Former Gonzaga star needs to add some bulk to his 6-11 frame. Has a nice outside shooting touch for a shot-blocking big man. 19. Atlanta Hawks, DeJuan Blair, PF The scoop: Showed NBA -caliber ability in his two seasons at Pitt, but teams are concerned about his health, particularly his two surgically-repaired knees. 20. Utah Jazz, Eric Maynor, PG The scoop: Playing for Virginia Commonwealth, the 6-3 playmaker isn't as well known as many others. But he's got a strong all-around game and great quickness. 21. New Orleans Hornets, B.J. Mullins, C The scoop: He's an athletic, 7-1 center with wide shoulders, but is likely an NBA project. He played just 20 minutes per game in his lone year at Ohio St. 22. Portland Trail Blazers, Ty Lawson, PG The scoop: Showed great shooting and leadership abilities in leading North Carolina to the national title, but his 5-11 height has some NBA scouts cautious. 23. Sacramento Kings, Sam Young, SF The scoop: A 6-7, four-year player for Pittsburgh. Can score inside and out, averaging 19.2 points per game as a senior. He's also a good rebounder. 24. Dallas Mavericks, Darren Collison, PG The scoop: He's a super fast point guard who gained valuable experience in four seasons at UCLA. His lack of size (he has a thin, 5-11 body) is a concern. 25. Oklahoma City Thunder, Wayne Ellington, SG The scoop: He could be the third Tar Heel to be selected in the first round. He's an outstanding long-range shooter, but needs to work on his defense. 26. Chicago Bulls, Toney Douglass, SG The scoop: He's undersized (6-2) for his position, but the Florida State product is one of the best long-range shooters in the draft. 27. Memphis Grizzlies, DaJuan Summers, SF The scoop: He's long (6-9) and can shoot the ball from NBA 3-point range. Averaged 13.6 points last season for Georgetown while making 38 percent of his treys. 28. Minnesota Timberwolves, Omar Casspi, SF The scoop: A 6-7 native of Israel. He could be stashed away overseas for another season or two before playing in the NBA . A hard-working, strong rebounder. 29. Los Angeles Lakers, Chase Budinger, SF The scoop: He's a 6-7 swingman who averaged 18 points and 6.2 rebounds per game last season for Arizona. He is a good all-around athlete with a nice 3-point stroke. 30. Cleveland Cavaliers, Derrick Brown, PF The scoop: The former Xavier star is strong with an NBA -ready, 6-9 body. His inconsistency in college is one of the knocks on him, however. E-mail: lojo@desnews.com