Your top 5 choices at #19

[Smooth]

(1). Marreese Speights
(2). Chris Douglas-Roberts
(3). Nicolas Batum
(4). Alexis Ajinca
(5). JaVale McGee

On the bubble: Bill Walker, Kosta Kofous, JJ Hickson, and Brandon Rush​

Overall, these are the top 9 guys that I zeroed in on and had a very hard time making the list outside of #1 and #2... The rest of the list is probably bound to change and did change when I was making this post...

I'm pretty much sold on the fact that Marreese Speights would be the best option for us at #19... I just don't see anyone that comes close to matching his potential, physical traits, offensive ability and defensive ability... I really see him as a potential steal down the road... He has the ability to contribute right away and then develop into a really nice player down the road...

I'm really high on Chris Douglas-Roberts, a lot more so then I used to be... I just see a guy that "gets it"... He's just a basketball player and a guy who will translate well to the NBA because he knows how to play the game and doesn't rely on athleticism like a lot of these guys in the draft do... And when they get to the NBA they are going to have to learn on how to adjust to it, while I think CDR will be more than prepared...

Why do I have Nicolas Batum that high? That's a good question... I have just really fallen in love with the type of player that he can become... I think if the kid ever builds up his confidence and realizes what a talent he is, he has every single skill needed to be the "Pippen" to LeBron... But when he's off he doesn't do much of anything and that kind of worries me with us seeing the exact same type of play with Sasha Pavlovic...

Alexis Ajinca really wasn't on my radar until a few months ago and has really impressed me and started to remind me of a LaMarcus Aldridge type player... While he certainly has some developing to do himself, he has the skills and talent to be a good player... I think him and McGee will be similar players that will take a similar amount of time to develop into something... The thing that seperates them in my mind is that Ajinca seems like a smart player and a kid who wants it compared to McGee...

While JaVale McGee certainly frigthens me, I see guy who reminds me of a Tyson Chandler clone at the same age... I think McGee is one of those players, like Chandler, that needed a lot of minutes and time before he could develop into anything really worthwhile... But that's if he ever
does...

(on the bubble guys...)

Bill Walker has a skillset that you like but I just don't know if he can put it together to be the player that he was touted to be...

Kofous just doesn't excite me whatsoever...

JJ Hickson has really intrigued me but is too big of a reach at #19 and is a better value at the end of the 1st round or beginning of the 1st round...

I'm not that big of a Brandon Rush... I think he's a solid player and will be a solid player but I just don't think he has what it takes to be a player in the NBA that is worth taking over some of the other guys that will be available at #19...

 

[The Voice]

Who cares, who ever we draft will be a bust because it's the first round. Now if it were a second round pick, it'd be differant.

 

[Smooth]

Too back up my choice of Ajinca, especially over McGee:

Alexis Ajinca, F/C, France
Ajinca has been on the NBA radar screen for years, but over the past few weeks he's seen his stock soar -- he has been dominating high-profile college prospects, such as JaVale McGee, in workouts. He also played very well at the Golden State workout, prompting one GM to say that if Ajinca had been a college player, he'd be a lock for the lottery right now.

A legit 7-foot-1 with a huge 7-foot-8 wingspan, Ajinca has all the physical tools NBA scouts look for in a big man. He is athletic, he runs the floor well and he has a wide variety of skills. And while he needs to continue to get stronger, he has been improving in that department, too.

A number of teams -- including a few in the lottery, such as the Clippers, Bobcats, Nets and Raptors -- are taking a close look at him. We've been projecting him as a late first-round pick, but given the positive feedback recently, he'll be moving up considerably in our next mock draft.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/draf...ry?columnist=ford_chad&page=DraftWatch-080616