By Ted Carlson
May 21, 2009 9:26am CDT

The NBA held their annual random drawing of ping-pong balls on Tuesday night, and the Clippers were the big winners for the first time since 1998. The lottery drawing also marks the unofficial start of mock draft season, and here is our first effort at predicting the picks.

1. Clippers: Blake Griffin, OF, Oklahoma
Comment: Head coach Mike Dunleavy already announced that the Clippers will make the obvious choice. Of course, we figure that firing Dunleavy would be "obvious" as well, but the franchise continues to employ him.

2. Grizzlies: Hasheem Thabeet, C, Connecticut
Comment: The Grizzlies have a young point guard (Mike Conley) and a young center (Marc Gasol). The best move may be to trade this pick to some club (Kings? Wolves?) in love with Ricky Rubio. I chose Thabeet because it's tough to win in the West without interior defense, and the Grizzlies are one of the league's worst rebounding clubs.

3. Thunder: Ricky Rubio, PG, Spain
Comment: Rubio won't fall out of the top-three, as he is the best playmaker in this draft. Russell Westbrook could slide over when the two guards are in the game together, and the Thunder could turn into an electric, up-tempo squad.

4. Kings: Jrue Holiday, PG/SG, UCLA
Comment: Can they pass? The Kings have a core group of Kevin Martin, Spencer Hawes, and Jason Thompson, and point guard is their biggest need. Rubio is at the top of the class, and there is a big group after the Spaniard. The Kings are crying today.

5. Wizards: James Harden, SG, Arizona State
Comment: You'll be hard-pressed to find a perfect fit for the Wizards at this spot. If the Wizards think they can win in 2009-10, they need to trade for a big man because Jordan Hill isn't ready to make an immediate impact. If they are building for the future, a point guard makes some sense. I picked Harden based on talent.

6. Timberwolves: Ty Lawson, PG, North Carolina
Comments: The Wolves own three first-round picks in a very weak draft, and they are currently without a general manager (or head coach). Call this Lawson selection a hunch. The new regime will decide that this pass-first point guard will free up Randy Foye as a scorer and help Mike Miller to bounce back.

7. Warriors: Brandon Jennings, PG, USA
Comments: The Warriors have no problem scoring, and they have an abundance of shooting guards and small forwards. Jennings spent last season in Italy rather than enrolling in college, and his 2009-10 season will be filled with Stephen Jackson, Jamal Crawford, Corey Maggette, and Monta Ellis demanding the ball. Fun.

8. Knicks: Stephen Curry, G, Davidson
Comments: Mike D'Antoni's squads run and shoot about 120 three-pointers per game. Who better to pick than the draft's best shooter?

9. Raptors: DeMar DeRozan, SG, USC
Comments: The Raptors' biggest need is shooting guard, and DeRozan fits the bill. The fine people of Toronto haven't seen this much athleticism since that Vince guy.

10. Bucks: Jordan Hill, PF, Arizona
Comment: He is the best talent left on my board, and Charlie Villanueva (RFA) may not be back in 2009-10. The need may change if Ersan Ilyasova comes to the United States.

11. Nets: DeJuan Blair, PF, Pittsburgh
Comment: Blair's stock could swing wildly over the coming month, as he may measure up too short or show up in bad shape. The Nets have a lot of potential needs, including both forward spots. Blair gives them a wide banger to team up with Brook Lopez, and the Pitt star would boost their work on the boards.

12. Bobcats: Tyreke Evans, SG, Memphis
Comments: The Bobcats erupt in cheers as Evans falls into their laps. The Bobcats have to decide if they want to bring back RFA Raymond Felton, and Evans will give them insurance and a future backcourt mate for D.J. Augustin.

13. Pacers: James Johnson, F, Wake Forest
Comment: Most mocks opt for a point guard here, but Larry Bird wants the team to improve their defense. Jonny Flynn doesn't do that, and Eric Maynor brings other questions. I'm picking the Pacers to re-sign Jarrett Jack and ask Johnson to focus on defense as a rookie.

14. Suns: Earl Clark, F, Louisville
Comments: Matt Barnes and Grant Hill are both free agents, and I have the Suns opting for the bigger Clark (6-9) over swingmen like Terrence Williams and Chase Budinger. The Suns' summer mainly hinges on potential decisions to sign Steve Nash to a long-term deal and trade Shaquille O'Neal.

15. Pistons: Terrence Williams, SF, Louisville
Comment: The Pistons will rebuild the roster this summer, and they may deal Tayshaun Prince or Richard Hamilton. They badly need frontcourt help, but they'll probably need to settle for an athletic talent like Williams.

16. Bulls: Gerald Henderson, SG, Duke
Comment: How is that Ben Gordon contract extension coming along?

17. 76ers: Jonny Flynn, PG, Syracuse
Comment: Andre Miller is an unrestricted free agent, and the 76ers may not want to meet his price demands.

18. Timberwolves (via Heat): B.J. Mullens, C, Ohio State
Comment: How will the Wolves possibly replace Jason Collins? We got your answer.

19. Hawks: Eric Maynor, PG, VCU
Comment: The Hawks could look elsewhere if they decide to re-sign Mike Bibby, who will an unrestricted free agent.

20. Jazz: Chase Budinger, G/F, Arizona
Comment: Isn't it about time for the franchise to replace Matt Harpring? Budinger boosts their bench and gives them an option if they managed to trade Andrei Kirilenko

21. Hornets: Wayne Ellington, SG, North Carolina
Comment: The Hornets need more scorers around Chris Paul and David West, and, no, Rasual Butler isn't cutting it.

22. Mavericks: Jeff Teague, PG, Wake Forest
Comment: His NBA comparison? Devin Harris. The Mavs will trade him in 2012 for a 36-year-old Chauncey Billups.

23. Kings (via Rockets): Austin Daye, SF, Gonzaga
Comment: They might be better off taking a second point guard and hedging their bets. Daye is a raw talent for a franchise who has time to wait.

24. Trail Blazers: Darren Collison, PG, UCLA
Comment: On a team with title aspirations and few holes, why not get an NBA-ready, tough-tested, hard-nosed defender? Plus, Steve Blake is hardly a star.

25. Thunder (via Spurs): Tyler Hansbrough, PF, North Carolina
Comment: Laugh and taunt all you want, but you can't tell me that Hansbrough isn't an upgrade to backup Malik Rose.

26. Bulls (via Nuggets from Thunder): Gani Lawal, PF, Georgia Tech
Comment: The Bulls have two first-round picks and not many holes, depending on Gordon's contract and Luol Deng's foot. Lawal is simply the top talent left.

27. Grizzlies (from Magic): Sam Young, SF, Pittsburgh
Comment: Young doesn't exactly fit when you consider the presence of Rudy Gay, but it doesn't hurt to add more talent and immediate help to the bench, right?

28. Timberwolves (from Celtics): DaJuan Summers, SF, Georgetown
Comment: The Wolves end up with one small, one big, and one medium.

29. Lakers: Omri Casspi, SF, Israel
Comment: The Lakers don't have immediate needs, and they could go either point guard or small forward, depending on how they feel about Jordan Farmar and Trevor Ariza.

30. Cavaliers: Derrick Brown, F, Xavier
Comment: The Cavs will have a year to turn this athletic talent into a scorer. Hey, someone will need to shoot the ball after LeBron leaves in the summer of 2010, right?