It seems like there could be a flurry of deals in the first round of the NBA Draft involving veteran players as well as picks.  But, for the purpose of my mock draft, I’m not going to consider any of that.  Here is how I see the first round of the NBA Draft on Thursday Night:

 1. Cleveland Cavaliers - Kyrie Irving, PG, Duke - Irving is the top player in this draft without a doubt.  The Cavaliers will try to deal Ramon Sessions or Baron Davis on draft night to add a pick or some players and to clear the way for Irving to start from Day #1. 

 2. Minnesota Timberwolves - Derrick Williams, SF, Arizona - This is the pick that everyone wants.  Trade rumors are running rampant about this pick, but if the T-Wolves keep it…..Williams is the pick.

 3. Utah Jazz - Brandon Knight, PG, Kentucky - The Jazz view Knight as a future star.  They are already trying to deal current point guard Devin Harris so that Knight can start from Day #1 for the now rebuilding Jazz.

 4. Cleveland Cavaliers - Enes Kanter, C, Turkey - If the Cavaliers stay at #4, they will pick Kanter if he’s still on the board.  Kanter is a big man with a huge upside.  The Cavaliers have enough frontcourt depth to bring Kanter along slowly.

 5. Toronto Raptors - Kawhi Leonard, SF, San Diego State - The Raptors have a need at small forward and Leonard is good enough to step right into the starting lineup.

 6. Washington Wizards - Jonas Valanciunas, C, Lithuania - The Wizards likely won’t be able to pass on this young center, even if they have to wait a year for him to put on their uniform.

 7. Sacramento Kings - Jan Vesely, PF, Serbia - The Kings will likely switch DeMarcus Cousins to center in order to make room for Vesely at power forward.

 8. Detroit Pistons - Kemba Walker, PG, Connecticut - The Pistons won’t pass on Walker if he slides to them.  If the Pistons pick Walker, they will likely let Rodney Stuckey leave as a restricted free agent.

 9. Charlotte Bobcats - Alec Burks, SG, Colorado  - The Bobcats need offensive players and Alec Burks can fill it up.  He would immediately bump Gerald Henderson back to the bench.

10. Milwaukee Bucks - Tristan Thompson, PF, Texas - The Bucks need rebounding and toughness under the basket.  Thompson will provide them with both of those attributes very early in his NBA career.

11. Golden State Warriors - Klay Thompson, SG, Washington State - The Warriors are looking to deal Monta Ellis and if they do, they are going to need a replacement for him.  Thompson is a flat out shooter, who can put the ball in the basket.

12. Utah Jazz - Jimmer Fredette, PG/SG, BYU - The Jazz will make the home folks happy by bringing in Fredette from BYU.  Fredette would help boost the Jazz’ offense.

13. Phoenix Suns - Bismark Biyombo, PF, Spain - The Suns don’t have much rebounding or shot blocking on the team.  They solve both of those problems by picking Biyombo in the first round.

14. Houston Rockets - Nikola Vucevic, C, USC -The Rockets are desperate to improve at center and Vucevic could be just what the doctor ordered.

15. Indiana Pacers - Malcolm Lee, SG, UCLA - The Pacers really could use a big man that can rebound.  But, they aren’t likely going to reach for one, so look for Lee to be the pick.

16. Philadelphia 76ers - Chris Singleton, SF, Florida State - With the Sixers likely to deal Andre Iguodala, they will need to find a replacement.  Chris Singleton is more than talented enough to be that guy.

17. New York Knicks - Travis Leslie, SG, Georgia - The Knicks recently have thrown Landry Fields under the bus, saying that they don’t like him as the starting SG.  Leslie would give Fields a lot of competition for that starting job.

18. Washington Wizards - Josh Selby, SG, Kansas - The Wizards will go with the best player available and that will be Selby.

19. Charlotte Bobcats - Kenneth Faried, PF, Morehead State - The Bobcats won’t be able to pass on Faried as they need rebounding.  Michael Jordan will see a lot of Dennis Rodman (minus the flakiness) in Kenneth Faried.

20. Minnesota Timberwolves - Marshon Brooks, SG, Providence - The Timberwolves need some offensive firepower at shooting guard and Brooks can provide that.

21. Portland Trailblazers - Nolan Smith, PG, Duke - The Trailblazers are trying to deal Andre Miller, which would leave a hole on the team.  Smith has the potential to eventually run the point for the Blazers.

22. Denver Nuggets - Jordan Hamilton, SF, Texas - The Nuggets will go with the best player available with their pick and that will be Hamilton.  They would probably have liked a big man instead but they will decide not to reach for one.

23. Houston Rockets - Tobias Harris, SF, Tennessee - The Rockets could use some help at small forward, so picking Harris here makes perfect sense.

24. Oklahoma City Thunder - Tyler Honeycutt, SF, UCLA - The Thunder will finally get a player they can trust when Kevin Durant needs a break. 

25. Boston Celtics - Marcus Morris, SF, Kansas - The Celtics are going to take the best player available that’s not a point guard, as they are getting old everywhere.

26. Dallas Mavericks - Jordan Williams, C, Maryland - The Mavericks could use another big guy for the paint and Williams could be just what the doctor ordered.

27. New Jersey Nets - Trey Tompkins, PF, Georgia - The Nets need some muscle inside with Kris Humphries hitting free agency.  Tompkins could help them with that.

28. Chicago Bulls - LaceDarius Dunn, SG, Baylor - The Bulls need help at shooting guard, so Dunn would be a perfect fit for them.

29. San Antonio Spurs - Jeremy Tyler, C, Tokyo Apache - The Spurs need more size inside and Tyler fits the bill.

30. Chicago Bulls - Jimmy Butler, SF, Marquette - The Bulls could use a player to give Luol Deng a break once in a while.

39-year old center Shaquille O’Neal has decided to retire from the NBA.  O’Neal was one of the best centers in the history of the game.  He played in 1,207 games (1,197 starts) in his NBA career and he averaged 34.7 minutes, 23.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.3 blocked shots per game.  Shaq shot better from the floor (58.2%) than from the free-throw line (52.7%) in his NBA career and that doesn’t happy very often in the NBA.  Free throw shooting was really the only weakness in Shaq’s game.  He finishes his career as the #5 all-time scorer with 28,596 points.  He also is #23 in games played (1,207), #12 in rebounds (13,099), #171 in assists (3,026), #7 in blocked shots (2,732) and #17 in free throws made (5,935).  O’Neal will go directly into the Basketball Hall of Fame when he becomes elgible as he was the best center of his generation.

34-year old power forward Robert “Tractor” Traylor was found dead earlier today in his Puerto Rico apartment.  He was playing professionally in Puerto Rico but he was rehabbing an injury at his time of death.  Robert Traylor was picked #6 overall (first round) of the 1998 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks.  Traylor was then dealt to the Milwaukee Bucks for Pat Garrity and Dirk Nowitzki!  It was one of the best trades in NBA history as Nowitzki has turned into one of the best players in the NBA, while, Traylor never really lived up to his “ability”.  Traylor played in 438 games (73 starts) in 7 years in the NBA (Bucks, Cavaliers and Hornets) and he averaged 14.3 minutes, 4.8 points, 3.7 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game.  This is a very sad end to Robert Traylor’s life and I think every sports fan should say a prayer for him and his family.

The Mavericks pounded the Lakers in Game #4 122-86 to sweep them out of the second round of the 2010-11 NBA Playoffs.  This likely marks the end of the line as a NBA head coach for 65-year old Phil Jackson.  He has nothing left to prove as a head coach in the NBA as he was inducted into Basketball’s Hall of Fame in 2007.  Jackson finishes his career with a 1,155-485 (70.4%) record during the regular season.  Jackson was also 229-104 (68.8%) during the post-season in his career.  Jackson finishes his NBA career #5 in regular season wins with his 1,155.  He is also #2 all-time in win/loss percentage (70.4%) behind only Tom Thibodeau who has only coached one season in the NBA.  Jackson is also the all-time leader in both playoff wins (229) and win-loss percentage (68.8%) in NBA history.  Jackson also has won 11 NBA Titles and he has been to 13 of them, which are both NBA records.  It’s hard to argue that Jackson isn’t the best coach in NBA history.  But, he has almost always had the best player in the game (Michael Jordan & Kobe Bryant) on his teams.  Jackson wasn’t much of a player during his NBA career.  He played in 807 games in his twelve years with the Knicks & Nets and he averaged 17.6 minutes, 6.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game.  The NBA is going to miss the Zen Master.

It’s NBA Playoff time and I think it’s going to be a great ride.  This year is set up for the young stars to step up and I think that’s what’s going to happen.  Here’s how I see things going down:

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

Chicago Bulls over the Indiana Pacers in 4 games:  It’s great to see the Pacers return to the playoffs, but, I don’t think they will even win one game in this series.  Derrick Rose and his cohorts are going to be way too much for the Pacers to deal with.

Orlando Magic over the Atlanta Hawks in 5 games:  The Atlanta Hawks tend to not show up when they don’t feel like it.  The Magic swept them in the playoffs last year and I just don’t see Larry Drew outcoaching Stan Van Gundy in this series. 

Boston Celtics over the New York Knicks in 5 games:  I see the Knicks winning a game at Madison Square Garden, but the Celtics are a way deeper team and they are going to grind on the Knicks.  The Celtics are battle tested and they will respond to the bright lights of the playoffs.

Miami Heat over the Philadelphia 76ers in 5 games:  I think the Sixers will win one game at home in this series.  The Sixers play solid team basketball while the Heat are all about the “Big Three”.  The 76ers don’t have the right makeup of the roster to beat the Heat in this series.

ROUND II:

Chicago over Orlando in six games:  The Bulls have the muscle up front to deal with Dwight Howard and I think they are going to surround him and frustrate him in this series.  The Magic don’t have anyone that can stop Derrick Rose.

Boston Celtics over the Miami Heat in six games:  Last year the Celtics beat up on the Cavaliers due to LeBron James’ phantom elbow injury that didn’t show anything on any MRIs.  The Celtics also have Delonte West on the team and there’s no telling what his mom will be up to when these two teams meet again.  Plus, the Celtics were 3-1 against the Heat during the regular season and they have guys that actually step up in the playoffs.

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS:

Chicago Bulls over the Boston Celtics in 7 games:  This is going to be the classic passing of the torch series.  The Bulls’ young legs will help them overcome the Celtics big game experience in this series.

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

San Antonio Spurs over the Memphis Grizzlies in 7 games:  This is not a typo and I wouldn’t be entirely shocked to see the Grizzlies upset the Spurs.  I’m not so sure the Spurs can win this series with a gimpy Manu Ginobili (elbow), because the Grizzlies are a hungry and talented bunch.

Oklahoma City Thunder over the Denver Nuggets in 7 games:  I think the Thunder have the better starting five without much doubt.  But the Nuggets go 10-deep with solid players and they are going to win a few games in this series for that reason alone.

Dallas Mavericks over the Portland Trailblazers in 6 games:  The Mavericks are going to have a rough time in this series, because they are going to likely get outplayed in the backcourt.  That puts a lot of pressure on the frontline.  Just like the Grizzlies/Spurs series, I wouldn’t be shocked to see an upset in this series.

Los Angeles Lakers over the New Orleans Hornets in 4 games:  The Hornets come into the playoffs on a losing streak and they have not looked like they wanted to play the last couple of weeks.  The Lakers are deeper, more talented and they have a better coach than the Hornets do.

ROUND II:

Oklahoma City Thunder over the Spurs in six games:  The Spurs are going to be tired after having to go all out to beat the Grizzlies in the first round and it’s going to show in this series.  Kevin Durant is really going to abuse Richard Jefferson in this series.

Los Angeles Lakers over the Dallas Mavericks in six games:  The Lakers just have too much firepower for the Mavericks in this series.  They are likely going to give Dirk Nowitzki fits in this series.

WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: 

Oklahoma City Thunder over the Los Angeles Lakers in 7 games:  The Thunder will take the lessons they learned about the Lakers in the playoffs last season and turn the tables on them this year.  Look for James Harden to be the secret weapon in this series for the Thunder.

NBA FINALS:

Chicago Bulls over the Oklahoma City Thunder in 7 games:  This is going to be a battle of classic basketball as the matchups will be very even in this series.  I think the homecourt advantage is going to will the Bulls to a win in Game #7 in an epic series that people will be talking about for a long time.