Tuesday, June 16th, 2009 at 8:00 am  |  45 responses

SLAMonline Mock Draft: Victor Claver, No. 24

Portland continues its raid of Spain’s hoops talent.

by Jeff Fox

With the 21st pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the Portland Trail Blazers select…

It was the night before the draft and Blazers GM Kevin Pritchard still didn’t know how to complete that very sentence.  Sleep was impossible as he tried to determine who to select with pick No. 24.  Suddenly a large, ancient-looking man appeared in his room.

“Oden, is that you?” Pritchard called out.

“No, Kevin,” the voice boomed.  “I really am 500 years old, I don’t just look that way.  I am the Ghost of NBA Draft Past.  I am here to remind you of the errs of your team’s ways Kevin.”

“What do you mean?” asked the GM.  “We’re known as a great drafting team.  Didn’t you see me grab Greg Oden with the No. 1 pick?”

“We’ll talk about Oden later,” the ghost replied.  “Apparently I need to refresh your memory, Kevin, of your franchise’s past draft sins.  LaRue Martin instead of Bob McAdoo and Dr. J.  Wally Walker instead of Adrian Dantley, Robert Parish and Alex English.  Mychal Thompson instead of Larry Bird.  Sam Bowie instead of Michael Jordan, John Stockton and Charles Barkley.  That’s nine Hall of Fame players that your team passed on Kevin.  Need I continue?”

“No, no, please – that’s enough,”  Pritchard pleaded.

“Good Kevin,”  the ghost chuckled.  “Luckily, due to recessionary budget cuts, I’m also now the Ghost of NBA Draft Present and NBA Draft Future, so I can help you not make the same mistakes this year.  Who are you considering taking?”

“Well, we still need to solidify our point guard position, so I think Jeff Teague is our man,” explained Pritchard.

“WRONG!!” yelled the ghost.  “Teague will never be a quality NBA point guard – he is an undersized two guard.  And DO NOT ever draft depending on your team’s current needs – draft the best potential player available.”

“Ok – who should we take then?” asked the GM.

“Victor Claver will be your choice this year,” proclaimed the ghost.

“Claver?!” Pritchard said with surprise in his voice.  “Isn’t he that Spanish kid Rudy and Sergio keep bugging me to pick?  I thought they were hyping him up just because he was from Spain.”

“No, Kevin,” said the apparition.  “Claver is the real deal – behold.”

With a snap of the ghost’s fingers and a wave of his cape Pritchard and the ghost were suddenly in the audience at the 2012 NBA Finals. Victor Claver Portland was laying a beating on Cleveland, and Claver was playing Nowitzki-esque.  The 6-10 combo forward was knocking down threes, taking his man off the dribble and soaring above the rim.

“WOW!!  We’re playing in the NBA Finals – and Claver is playing terrific,”  exclaimed Pritchard.

‘You see, Kevin,” said the ghost as he waved his cape and sent them back to the GM’s bedroom.  “Victor Claver will fit in great for your team.  He would have gone in the lottery in the 2009 draft if he hadn’t hurt his knee.  Just leave him in Europe for a couple of years to develop – don’t forget he still only 20.  He will be able to help you out at both of your forward positions and maybe even center once he fills out his frame.  Players with his size and skill level aren’t normally on the board at pick No. 24. Take advantage of it.”

“We definitely will,”  promised Pritchard.  “Thanks – Claver is definitely our pick this year.”

“You’re welcome Kevin,” said the ghost.  “Now I have to get down to Memphis and Oklahoma City – I heard they are both thinking of passing up on Ricky Rubio.”

“One more thing before you go,”  Pritchard said as the ghost began to vanish.  “I noticed when we were playing in the 2012 Finals that Greg Oden wasn’t around.  Where was he?”

“Kevin, do you just think it is just a coincidence that Oden looks as old as he does AND always is injured?” the ghost asked.

“But Greg told us he is only 21-years-old,” replied the confused GM.

The ghost laughed evilly as he vanished into the night.

Read more from Jeff Fox at The Hoops Manifesto and CollegeHoops.net.

2009 SLAMonline Mock Draft Results
Pick Team Player
1 L.A. Clippers Blake Griffin
2 Memphis Grizzlies Hasheem Thabeet
3 Oklahoma City Thunder Ricky Rubio
4 Sacramento Kings Brandon Jennings
5 Washington Wizards Jordan Hill
6 Minnesota Timberwolves Demar DeRozan
7 Golden State Warriors James Harden
8 New York Knicks Stephen Curry
9 Toronto Raptors Tyreke Evans
10 Milwaukee Bucks Jonny Flynn
11 New Jersey Nets DeJuan Blair
12 Charlotte Bobcats Terrence Williams
13 Indiana Pacers Earl Clark
14 Phoenix Suns Jrue Holiday
15 Detroit Pistons B.J. Mullens
16 Chicago Bulls Sam Young
17 Philadelphia 76ers Ty Lawson
18 Minnesota Timberwolves Eric Maynor
19 Atlanta Hawks Patty Mills
20 Utah Jazz Gerald Henderson
21 New Orleans Hornets Wayne Ellington
22 Dallas Mavericks Austin Daye
23 Sacramento Kings Omri Casspi
24 Portland Trail Blazers Victor Claver
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  • sixersforlife_85

    Nice pick!

  • ngoiekafita

    Poor Oden, that was cold!!!
    LMAO at the story!!!

  • http://www.curtin.edu.au Declan

    Man I know nothing about these Euro guys. Does Claver really have Dirk potential?

  • Vankov

    you just made my day at the office bearable. respect.

  • http://nba.com Reflex

    Funniest write up I’ve read here for a while, kudos!

  • Rolle

    That was worth reading! great write.

  • http://www.hoopsmanifesto.blogspot.com Jeff Fox

    To say he has Dirk potential probably was a bit of a creative stretch on my part, but he is 6’10″ and can knock down the outside J.

  • http://www.curtin.edu.au Declan

    A white Rashard Lewis?

  • http://twitter.com/NotebookNick thesubwayconnection

    So. . . he has LaMarcus potential?

  • http://www.hoopsmanifesto.blogspot.com Jeff Fox

    Rashard or LaMarcus would be more reasonable comparisons that Dirk. Plenty of video of him on YouTube – take a look for yourself.

  • http://nbacheapseats.blogspot.com Chendaddy

    First Daye, now Claver. So everyone over 6’10″ who can shoot the ball now has Dirk potential? Have we learned nothing from Darko and Skita? You already have a contender. You need a point guard. Jeff Teague can come in and play right away. So can Darren Collison and A.J. Price. They can help your team TODAY. Drafting for potential is a cute little refrain single-minded draftniks love singing, but if you are going to do it, I agree a foreign player who is going to spend a few more years overseas is your best bet. Two of the last three foreign picks at #24: Andrei Kirilenko and Rudy Fernandez. And we’ll see how Serge Ibaka does when he comes over. And maybe Victor Claver, too, I guess.

  • http://www.hoopsmanifesto.blogspot.com Jeff Fox

    I disagree that Teague can come in right away and help. Are you saying he’s better than Jerryd Bayless, who couldn’t get any court time last year?

  • http://www.curtin.edu.au Declan

    Brandon Roy can play the point, so I dont see why we need a point guard. I’m quite alright with a BRoy Bayless backcourt when Bayless is ready. I think a PF to back up Aldridge is a smart move. I don’t know this guy but he sounds alright. I like this pick.

  • http://nbacheapseats.blogspot.com Chendaddy

    No, I am saying he is more READY than Jerryd Bayless was.

  • kdsujdfgkh

    why is everyone hating on oden? he just needs to learn not to foul

  • http://nbacheapseats.blogspot.com Chendaddy

    And I think Darren Collison is more ready than Jerryd Bayless IS this year. Just because Brandon Roy or Dwyane Wade or LeBron James CAN play point doesn’t mean the team is best off with them in that position instead of on the wing. You didn’t see Phil Jackson trot out a Kobe-Ariza-Odom-Gasol-Bynum line-up in the playoffs no matter how much Fisher and Farmar were getting killed.

  • http://www.hoopsmanifesto.blogspot.com Jeff Fox

    I’ll have to respectfully disagree with you on the Teague > Bayless statement.

  • http://slamonline.com Tzvi Twersky

    Jeff, I was at a game in the Meadowlands last year where Bayless played 30 minutes bc Sergio was terrible and Blake and Rudy were hurt. I he dropped something like 23 in 29 minutes. He should get more burn this coming year. He’s much more ready than Teague.

  • http://www.curtin.edu.au Declan

    I dont get the distinction between better and ready? Arn’t you more ready when your better? Then isn’t Bayless more ‘ready’ that Teague? O and Jeff Teague is NOT a point guard.

  • http://www.curtin.edu.au Declan

    Does anyone know why Jerryd didnt get burn? Was the it a rookie thing? I mean I like Steve Blake, but I don’t think he should really be the point guard for the future.

  • Wesso

    The only thing certain; Griffin @1 to the Clipps, Curry @8 to NY. Anything else a question mark. I think the Kings will pick JHill @4.
    BTW,
    Nice writing Fox. LOL a couple of times.

  • http://nbacheapseats.blogspot.com Chendaddy

    For the difference between better and more ready, take a look at Jerryd Bayless and Steve Blake and which one ended up starting for Portland. I guarantee you if they were the two available point guards in Memphis, Minnesota, or Sacramento, Bayless would be the starter, because they can afford to let him play through his mistakes. Teague, I concede, is a bad example, because he is just a more experienced, more skilled, less athletic version of 2008 Jerryd Bayless, but not necessarily 2009 Jerryd Bayless. If I really wanted a point guard who can come in and contribute right away over Steve Blake, I’d have gone with Collison.

  • http://dsjklff.com Jukai

    Jeff Fox really should write more. Way more.

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  • http://slamonline.com B. Long

    This was the one of the best draft pick stories yet. I just youtubed the kid and he looks pretty damn athletic for his size. How bad was the injury?

  • Barry O

    Big Respects Mr. Fox.

    you got it going on in a big way

    Big up

  • http://Nicekicks.com Hollywud15

    This Fox guy is great. i ws thinking of completely skipping this read up cuz i dont kno this Claver dude but Im glad i didnt

  • http://www.hoopsmanifesto.blogspot.com Jeff Fox

    Claver was out about 4 months with the injury but is playing again now (just not as well as he was before he got hurt).

  • Robb

    LOL
    Loved it! Jeff can read my mind!

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/officerbarbrady what

    Every tall Euro supposedly has Dirk potential. So far, only one has actually lived up to it.

  • al

    Well, well,

    coming from Spain and having seen Claver develop I might have a say here.
    Although I love and probably overvalue our national players, Claver is a bit different.
    First, he is not and will not be Nowitzki, BUT, he can become Hedo or R. Lewis.
    Technically super skilled, he can shoot, pass, drive and handle the ball from his 6-10.
    He is also a very smart player who can read the game and he is phisically very gifted.
    My concerns come when you talk about competitiveness, that I have some doubts about.
    When you see him playing, it seems like he can dominate the game when he wants, but often he just hides himself in the corner and let the game flow.
    For sure he will stay in Valencia 2 more years, but still he is a good pick at that position. He has enormous potential but also huge question marks

  • catalan

    Claver is not ready for make an impact on NBA, he’s a freak athletic but… he must play here in Europe 2 more years.

  • Jay-G

    I respect the machine SPanish basketball has become, but I smell Nikoloz Tskitishvili II: Electric Boogaloo with Claver. I would draft him and stash him in Europe for 2 years.

  • niQ

    “Luckily, due to recessionary budget cuts, I’m also now the Ghost of NBA Draft Present and NBA Draft Future,” LOLLLLLLLL

  • http://www.slamonline.com Blinguo

    Pritchard is probably scared by the ghost every year, as seen by buying up draft picks left and right Draft night to grab up more players than they can even use the following season. Did the Ghost look like a certain other “Ghostface,” Joel Pryzbilla(h)?

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  • http://www.huerther-bc.de Eurobasket1987

    great story, nice to read, with a lot of true facts…Claver is a Sleeper in the Draft, not only for the Blaizers..I life in Europe and follow the Spanish League (ACB) for many years…Claver has a lot of potential..he´s a great athlete, the real high-flyer, better than Rudy when we talk about above-the-rim-scoring…he has to improve his shot…lifes nowadays from his athletic abilities…better athlete than Dirk…but we will have to find out, if he has the working ethic of Dirkules..that´s what made Nowitzki so great..never forget: before he came to the NBA he played in the 2nd german league with Würzburg…couldn´t expect him to become such a big star…he worked hard and had the right situation in Dalls (with Nelson, who played him a lot).

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  • http://nbacheapseats.blogspot.com Chendaddy

    Damn, wrong pick number, but right team, right pick. Have to give you props for that.

  • vicar

    You look like a goddamn genius.

  • a6m5

    The kid reminds me of Turkoglu.

    Good call, btw. Amazing prediction!

  • Don

    Oden will have the last laugh on all of you hatin’ fools.

    He lacks one thing to be very good (staying out of foul trouble).

    He lacks two things to be great (improved footwork, staying out of foul trouble).

    Don’t believe me?

    Go back last year and see how much he changed the games he was in anytime he played more than 20 minutes.

    Oden will silence the haters.

    For sure.

    Claver? He’s a much more athletic Dirk who just needs a little better ball handling skills. He’s the real thing.

  • Don

    I heard someone else compare Claver to Turk…I don’t quite see it, but it’s hard to get the feel for his game completely from the YouTube Scouting service. He seems to be much more athletic than Hedo but needs to refine his game a bit more.

  • GregK

    this article holds no value to me, KP has had Claver in his sights since last year, and they have been looking at him a lot since then, So it is no surprise to me that we got Claver, to me this article is just another Oden basher is all, this guy has the nerve to say he is always injured, what about Yao?????? what i say to every Oden basher, GIVE HIM MORE TIME TO DEVELOP

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