(For this mock draft I am using the Top 20 players as picked by ESPN’s Chad Ford)

With the 2009 NBA Draft just a day away it is time for a little analysis on who should be going where in the lottery picks. The Minnesota Timberwolves seem to be controlling the draft with four picks in the first round and two more in the second round. Minnesota could be trying to move up in the draft to get the second pick but for now that pick stays with the Memphis Grizzlies.

With the 1st pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Clippers select… Blake Griffin

The Clippers on paper seem to have a solid lineup, but injuries last season to Marcus Camby and Baron Davis led the team to the lottery. Their reward, the best player coming out of college by far. Griffin is head-and-shoulders above any other player available in the draft this year. He is a freakish athlete who can rebound, block shots, and intimidate inside. Paired with Camby, the Defensive Player of the Year in 2006-2007, the Clippers will have a formidable front line to go with the back court scoring of Davis and last year’s first round pick Eric Gordon.

With the 2nd pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the Memphis Grizzlies select… Hasheem Thabeet

Memphis has not had a strong inside presence since Bryant ‘Big Country’ Reeves in his first two seasons with the team, back in Vancouver. Even with the development of Marc Gasol, Thabeet is too good to pass up. He averaged almost 14 points, 11 rebounds, and four blocks a game for Connecticut playing against very good teams in the Big East. If he can learn to stay out of foul trouble, Thabeet can be a dominate force inside for the Grizzlies for a long time.

With the 3rd pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the Oklahoma City Thunder select… James Harden

Many people expect Ricky Rubio to go to Memphis at #2, and the Thunder hope this is true so they can take Thabeet. But with him off the board, the Thunder select the best shooting guard available in Arizona State’s James Harden. Harden averaged over 20 points a game shooting 49% from the field and 35.6% from behind the three-point line. Harden will give the Thunder another scoring threat to help take the pressure off of Kevin Durant.

With the 4th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the Sacramento Kings select… Ricky Rubio

The Kings should be trying to move down from this pick to get a solid small forward because taking any of them at this pick would be a stretch, the Kings take Rubio and his playmaking skills. Incumbent point guard Beno Udrih is developing into a solid player, but he is not much of a facilitator and Rubio has the skills to get the ball to the open player. Rubio is seen by many as a guy who will try to make the fancy pass instead of the simple one, but if he can develop the smarts to go with the skills the Kings should have a solid player in Rubio.

With the 5th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves select… Tyreke Evans

I don’t think that the Timberwolves will stay pat and not try and move up at some time during this draft, but if they do stay here with what’s available the Timberwolves take the best shooting guard available. Evans averaged 17 points in his only season at Memphis, but he has a huge upside. If he can improve his shooting percentage from the field and behind the arc, Minnesota will have a great young talent to add to the core of Kevin Love and Al Jefferson.

With the 6th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves select… Jonny Flynn

Again I don’t think the Timberwolves will have both of these picks come draft day, but if they do the Timberwolves take the best point guard available in Jonny Flynn. Flynn averaged 17 points and almost 7 assists a game and is one of the quickest players at getting the ball up the court. With Flynn and Evans joining Love and Jefferson, the Timberwolves will be a young and talented team.

With the 7th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the Golden State Warriors select… Stephen Curry

This was a very difficult decision because at their position in the draft, the top remaining players are power forwards or undersized guards, the two things the Warriors have a lot of. Curry gives the Warriors another scorer with limited point guard skills. Monta Ellis and Jamal Crawford should be the starters at either point guard or shooting guard and Curry would be the first guard to come off of the bench. The Warriors may be tempted to try and move out of this spot, with the Knicks being a potential trading partner as they would like to draft Curry.

With the 8th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the New York Knicks select… Jrue Holiday

Holiday only averaged 8.5 points in his only year at UCLA, but is another huge upside player. He is a bigger point guard and will fit into Mike D’Antoni’s up-tempo system. Holiday will need to improve his shooting, but he should be the first guard off of the bench this season for the Knicks. GM Donnie Walsh may try and move up to get Stephen Curry, either trading with the Warriors, or jumping over them to make a deal with the Timberwolves.

With the 9th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the Toronto Raptors select… Jordan Hill

With Chris Bosh saying that he will not resign this summer and become a free agent after the end of the season, Hill may be drafted as his replacement. Hill scored 18 points and had 11 rebounds a game his junior year at Arizona. He is a good defender and at times could play with Bosh and move to the center position in close game situations instead of playing Andrea Bargnani who is more of a scorer than defender.

With the 10th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the Milwaukee Bucks select… Earl Clark

The Richard Jefferson trade opened the door for Clark to come in and hopefully begin to contribute from the start of the season. Bruce Bowen was acquired in the trade and could be the starter, but Bowen is known more for his defense than his offense. Clark averaged 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks a game last year with decent shooting numbers from the field and from behind the arc. Adding Clark to a starting lineup that includes Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut, the Bucks should be exciting to watch every night.

With the 11th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the New Jersey Nets select… DeMar DeRozan

DeRozan can come in and help the Nets at either the small forward or shooting guard position. Where he plays will depend on where the Nets decide to play Vince Carter, but DeRozan has the size to play either spot. He averaged 14 points and almost 6 rebounds a game while shooting 52% from the field in his only year at USC. Paired with Carter and Devin Harris the Nets will again have a great backcourt reminiscent of the Kidd-Carter-Jefferson days.

With the 12th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the Charlotte Bobcats select… Brandon Jennings

The Bobcats pick is interesting because the team needs size in the front court, but any of the players that would not be a stretch at this pick are all undersized themselves. The Bobcats may try and move down and acquire more picks in the process. If they don’t they will have to look at the most interesting player in this years draft. Jennings became the first American to skip college and play a season of professional basketball in Europe. Jennings numbers were less than stellar in his 43 games with 6.3 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists a game in Italy. But his skills are undeniable from college and he could learn and develop under Raymond Felton.

With the 13th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the Indiana Pacers select… Gerald Henderson

The Pacers acquired Brandon Rush from the Portland Trail Blazers last season at the draft, but do not have another shooting guard to play behind him, enter Henderson. He averaged 16.5 points, 5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists a game in his junior year at Duke. He is a good shooter at 45% from the field and almost 34% from behind the three point line last year and could be the first guard off the bench for Indiana next year.

With the 14th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the Phoenix Suns select… DeJuan Blair

With the possibility of trading Shaq this season, and Amar’e Stoudemire leaving after next season the Suns need to draft and develop a potential replacement. Blair is a big body who averaged almost 16 points, 12 rebounds, 1 block a game while shooting almost 60% from the field at Pittsburgh. Blair will be undersized at the power forward position being only 6’7” tall, but he should develop into a decent player for Phoenix