Aldridge poised to lead draft class thin on star power

This being the hardest draft to predict in the history of the NBA -- no exaggeration, given the dearth of sure-thing All-Stars at the top of the lottery and the depth of equally-talented collegians throughout the first round -- a mock draft at this early stage is an exercise in gauging the needs of each team. Most of the franchises listed below have little idea whom they will end up choosing because the top of the lottery is so unclear. Hopefully the forecast becomes clearer as Wednesday approaches.

Ian Thomsen's Mock NBA Draft -- Round 1 Pick Team Pos. Player School/ Country Class Ht. Wt. 1 F LaMarcus Aldridge Texas So. 6-11 225 A low-risk choice who should fit nicely alongside Chris Bosh in Raptors' uptempo style. 2 F Andrea Bargnani Benetton Treviso (Italy) -- 6-10 240 Bargnani should hope he gets by the Raptors because he would complement Tyson Chandler beautifully. 3 F Tyrus Thomas LSU Fr. 6-9 215 Now that Michael Jordan is in charge, who knows? Jordan likes athletes and Thomas is a monster. 4 G Brandon Roy Washington Sr. 6-5 210 Blazers surprise local fans (the few they have left) and bypass Morrison in favor of Washington star. 5 F Shelden Williams Duke Sr. 6-9 260 No promises have been made, but he's a solid big man ready to contribute; could drop out of lottery if Atlanta doesn't grab him. 6 G Randy Foye Villanova Sr. 6-3 210 Versatile point guard fills a big hole for T'wolves. 7 F Rudy Gay Connecticut So. 6-8 230 Can Celtics turn him into a Shawn Marion type? That's Danny Ainge's dream. 8 F Adam Morrison Gonzaga Jr. 6-8 200 This would be a huge break for the Rockets if they filled their shooting need with the next Kiki Vandeweghe. 9 C Patrick O'Bryant Bradley So. 7-0 250 Warriors are always a wild card, but they need a center. 10 F Cedric Simmons North Carolina State S0. 6-10 225 Sonics could trade this pick for a veteran role player to help win now. 11 G J.J. Redick Duke Sr. 6-5 190 An inexpensive scorer to attract fans and balance the floor for Dwight Howard. 12 G Ronnie Brewer Arkansas Jr. 6-7 225 A slasher who could be their new project at shooting guard, though Hornets may package their picks to move up.. 13 G Marcus Williams Connecticut Jr. 6-3 215 A heady point guard for the post-Allen Iverson era? 14 F/C Rodney Carney Memphis Sr. 6-6 205 Could fill their need on the wing, though Jazz are said to be investigating trades. 15 G Kyle Lowry Villanova So. 6-0 175 Would serve as Chris Paul's backup, if Hornets aren't scared by reports of minor knee effusion revealed during Lowry's physical this week. Mock Draft Continued

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