In this piece I present 13 of the most important draft questions and my big board projecting which players will have the best career.

- Which current players would you prefer to start a franchise with besides Derrick Rose?

LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Greg Oden, and Deron Williams.  Leaving off Chris Bosh, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, and Andrew Bynum might be considered a mistake by some, but not by me; I like Rose that much.

Point guards excel in this game more than ever and in an NBA where guys like Tony Parker and Jose Calderon put up nice numbers, imagine what Rose will immediately do for a team that isn?t in the middle of a rebuilding project.

He is a much better prospect at his age than both Paul and Williams were and has the physical tools to have a longevity of dominance that neither one of those players can really match.  The only thing that separates him from them is simply proving it on the highest level.

His mid-range game is already pretty close to being very good and he is already a better perimeter shooter than Jason Kidd.

Rose?s maturity and selflessness dwarfs a guy like Baron Davis, and he should be able to defend, not as consistently as him, but on certain big possessions, as well as Gary Payton.

As the overall number one pick and best player in the draft, he isn?t a LeBron James, Shaquille O?Neal, Tim Duncan kind of lock, but he?s a Dwight Howard, Allen Iverson, Patrick Ewing kind of sure thing.

- Is Michael Beasley too short to be a dominant scorer at the power forward position?

If he could somehow grow an additional inch or two nobody would complain, but there are just too many ways in which he can score the ball.  He has a great face-up game, can shoot the three, and beat just about anyone off the dribble, so he is a match-up nightmare for any four.  Beasley has enough length and niftiness to score in the post and will be a 20 points a night scorer out of the gate.

Expectations on the glass, however, do have to be tempered.  Beasley?s lack of height here will hurt him, and he won?t be the absolutely ridiculous rebounder he was in the undersized Big 12.

- How far away are Mayo and Bayless from Rose and Beasley on pure talent?

There is a definitive gap, but much of it comes from how Rose and Beasley have a pure position and Mayo and Bayless are believed to be combo guards.

I believe Mayo has the size, athleticism, strength, and skill set to be a classic shooting guard.  The fact that he does have the capability of playing the point, possibly even full time, should enhance his value, but he is not really a combo guard since he?s as tall as Kobe Bryant.  

Mayo has the chance of eventually being labeled ?Baby Kobe?, but unlike fellow Trojan Harold Miner, his basement definitely won't be burning out to Europe after a four-year career.

Bayless might remind some of the scoring point guard of the mid-90s like Stephon Marbury and Steve Francis, but he is a scoring point because of how well he moves without the ball, rather than being a guy who doesn?t like to distribute and break players off the dribble.  He can and will break his defender down but is at his best as a scorer when he doesn?t have the ball and is able to curl off screens and gets insane vertical on his jumper.

Using the 2003 Draft for the sake of comparison, if Rose is LeBron, Beasley is Carmelo, that would then turn Wade into Mayo and Bayless into Bosh.

I don't expect 2008 to be at that level on top, but four players who will each play in multiple All-Star games, nonetheless.

- Is Gallinari therefore 'the Darko'?

Darko was unfairly hyped up and has been wearing that ?Detroit took me over Carmelo/Bosh/Wade/Kaman/West? cross ever since.

Gallinari is projected to go anywhere from six to ten, and that is a realistic assessment of his talent.

He will be one of the most dynamic small forwards in the game because of his passing ability, feel for the game, and length.

- Which players would have been top-10 picks had they returned to school?

Donte Greene, Kosta Koufos, and Marresse Speights will all be picked in the teens or early 20s and didn?t make bad decisions to enter the draft, but would have been surefire top-10 picks had they returned to Syracuse, Ohio State, and Florida respectively.

The return of Eric Devendorf would have allowed Greene to be more selective with his shot, and with Jonny Flynn and Paul Harris, Syracuse would have been a team built to make a run at the Final Four, which has really highlighted the diversity of Greene?s game.

Koufos is already incredibly skilled, but his body would have matured against players his own age instead of the 30-year-olds he?ll be matched up against in the NBA.  He and BJ Mullens would have been an awfully talented twin towers for Thad Matta.

Speights is seventh on my big board, so I didn?t have to see a third season from him to be convinced, but a few additional months under the tutelage of Billy Donovan where he could have worked on his consistency and made a run in the tournament with Nick Calathes would have helped the opinion scouts hold on him.

- Which players made a great decision in coming out early?

Robin Lopez, Joe Alexander, and Russell Westbrook all decided to come out at the exact right time to maximize their draft stock.

During the final few games of the season, Robin was showing just enough offensive potential to convince people that he is not strictly a one-way player.

Alexander was the most dominant scorer in college basketball during the final stretch of the season, and his athleticism and natural feel for the game wouldn?t look any better a year from now as it does right now, particularly as he presents an alternative from all of the combo guards.

Finally there is Westbrook, who was off most people?s maps when his sophomore season began, but with some experience at point guard and exhibitions of his shutdown defense, he played his hand brilliantly and is now widely considered the best prospect outside of Rose, Beasley, Mayo, and Bayless.

- Which players would have been first rounders had they come out?

I was extremely surprised to see Chase Budinger and Ty Lawson stay in school for their junior seasons.  They both were relative locks to go in the 20s, but they?re gambling that their stock will climb back up and get them into the lottery by answering concerns about their game rather than exposing further weaknesses.

Omri Casspi is another player whom I believe would have found a home in the late 20s.  He is a great, young wing who could end up being the Gallinari of 2009.

I believe Jonny Flynn is a better prospect than Donte Greene and will be the D.J. Augustin of the 08-09 NCAA season as Greene?s departure will be similar to Durant?s for the Syracuse point guard.  There are many teams that love his game, and he would have been picked in the 20s.

- How many players from the second round can stick in the NBA?

These are the players who have stuck it out in the NBA over the past decade from the 2nd round:

2007
31: Carl Landry, Houston
47: Dominic McGuire, Washington
56: Ramon Sessions, Milwaukee

2006
32: Steve Novak, Houston
36: Craig Smith, Minnesota
42: Daniel Gibson, Cleveland
47: Paul Millsap, Utah
49: Leon Powe, Denver

2005
33: Brandon Bass, New Orleans
34: C.J. Miles, Utah
37: Ronny Turiaf, L.A. Lakers
38: Travis Diener, Orlando
40. Monta Ellis, Golden State
45. Louis Williams, Philadelphia
49. Andray Blatche, Washington
50. Ryan Gomes, Boston
56. Amir Johnson, Detroit

2004
30. Anderson Varejao, Cleveland
38. Chris Duhon, Chicago
43. Trevor Ariza, New York

2003
31. Jason Kapono, Cleveland
32. Luke Walton, L.A. Lakers
38. Steve Blake, Washington
41. Willie Green, Seattle
42. Zaza Pachulia, Orlando
43. Keith Bogans, Milwaukee
45. Matt Bonner, Chicago
47. Maurice Williams, Utah
49. James Jones, Indiana
51. Kyle Korver, New Jersey

2002
31. Roger Mason Jr., Chicago
34. Dan Gadzuric, Milwaukee
35. Carlos Boozer, Cleveland
40. Juan Carlos Navarro, Memphis
42. Ronald Murray, Milwaukee
46. Matt Barnes, Memphis
50. Darius Songaila, Boston
53. Rasual Butler, Miami
56. Luis Scola, San Antonio

2001
30. Trenton Hassell, Chicago
31. Gilbert Arenas, Golden State
35. Brian Scalabrine, New Jersey
38. Mehmet Okur, Detroit
40. Earl Watson, Seattle
42. Bobby Simmons, Seattle
46. Loren Woods, Minnesota
53. Jarron Collins, Utah

2000
30. Marko Jaric, L.A. Clippers
37. Eddie House, Miami
38. Eduardo Najera, Houston
43. Michael Redd, Milwaukee
44. Brian Cardinal, Detroit
49. Jason Hart, Milwaukee

1999
32. Michael Ruffin, Chicago
35. Calvin Booth, Washington
40. Gordan Giricek, Dallas
41. Francisco Elson, Denver
47. Todd MacCulloch, Philadelphia
57. Manu Ginobili, San Antonio

1998
31. Ruben Patterson, L.A. Lakers
32. Rashard Lewis, Seattle
36. Jerome James, Sacramento
39. Rafer Alston, Milwaukee
41. Cuttino Mobley, Houston
44. Sean Marks, N.Y. Knicks
53. Greg Buckner, Dallas
55. Ryan Bowen, Denver

I expect the 2008 Draft to look similar to 98, 01, 02, 03, and 05.

There are as many as 10 players who could have some really productive careers although I?m not expecting a Gilbert Arenas, Manu Ginobili, or Michael Redd.

I will be surprised to find Kyle Weaver, Luc-Richard Mbah a Moute Davon Jefferson, Richard Hendrix, and Jamont Gordon playing in Europe in five years instead of in the NBA.

- Which player will make the biggest improvement from draft day to his fifth season in the league?

I believe it will be DeAndre Jordan.  I didn?t like him as a top-10 pick because of his average motor and shaky hands, but he?s worth every bit of the risk in the high teens and early 20s.

He has been a punching bag over the past few weeks, and a sizable chip on his shoulder would do him a world of good.

I have an article forthcoming this summer about the ?Deadbeat Center?, and I really don?t think he will be a no-show until he at least gets that second contract.

- Which teams will improve the most on draft day?

Beyond the Bulls and whichever team that ends up with Beasley, any team with multiple first round picks will be essentially inheriting two lottery talent picks; the Nets, Bobcats and Grizzlies are currently those teams although they could consolidate their pair of picks to move up.  

This draft will be similar to the 2006 draft that had players from the 20s like Rajon Rondo, Jordan Farmar, Kyle Lowry, and Josh Boone outplaying players selected in the teens like Cedric Simmons, J.J. Redick, Rodney Carney, and Shawne Williams.

- Which players will be All-Stars?

Rose, Beasley, Mayo, and Bayless will all play in multiple All-Star games.

- Which players will be top-level starters?

Westbrook, Speights, Alexander, Gallinari, B. Lopez, Randolph, Augustin, Love, and Greene will be each extremely productive starters for a decade with rare occasional All-Star games thrown in there.

There is a ton of talent who can emerge beyond these thirteen players, but I think one side of the group (Gordon, Rush, and Hibbert) will have a shorter high-quality run while the other side (Koufos, Jordan, Ajinca, R. Lopez, and Arthur) have a way to go to develop and question marks which make that higher plateau an uncertain destination.

- Could you build a championship starting five with a player at 1, 7, 14, 21, and 28?

Set a reminder on your outlook and check back in with me five years from now and let me know how good this team would be on the opening tip of a playoff game (number in parenthesis based on where player has realistic position of being available):

PG: Derrick Rose (1)
SG: Bill Walker (21)
SF: Nicolas Batum (28)
PF: Marresse Speights (14)
C: Brook Lopez (7)

Reina?s 2008 Big Board

The aspect of this process that I like the least is trying to project the order of the draft.  There are always so many moving pieces, and every pick is obviously hugely dependent on the selections that come before.

Teams, agents, and players all speak to their own interests, and there are more smokescreens this time of year than in a nice game of Spy Hunter.

I enjoy the scouting part of the draft and talking to these people about which players will be serious contributors in this league, who needs to improve certain skills of their games, and also the kind of character and love for the game each holds.

I hope my final mock draft is as accurate as possible and it should be, but just like anyone who has ever filled out a March Madness bracket, there are mock busters who ruin just about anyone?s projection.

This is my big board of the 2008 draft class and represents the rankings I believe we will see when analyzing this class down the road.

1. Derrick Rose: Anything short of being in the pantheon of great point guards will be a surprise and disappointment

2. Michael Beasley: Undoubtedly will become one of the league?s purest inside/outside scorers, but will he care as much about winning as he does his stats and ego

3. OJ Mayo: He will be one of the purest backcourt players in the league

4. Jerryd Bayless: Has the chance to redefine the point guard position due to how well he moves without the ball

5. Russell Westbrook: Will at the very least be an elite defender and eventually shock people with how well he runs an offense

6. Marresse Speights: A great low-post banger who will be a perennial 18 and 10 guy as soon as he is able to endure 35 minutes a night

7. Joe Alexander: An athletic freak with Sports Center flair and mid-range substance

8. Danilo Gallinari: The Euro Larry in waiting

9. Brook Lopez: Top five or six center for a decade is worth a lot

10. Anthony Randolph: A very unique shotblocking point forward who would be an ideal second option

11. DJ Augustin: An overachieving gunslinger who knows how to create for himself and others

12. Eric Gordon: Can he break the combo guard mold and have longevity?

13. Kevin Love: Everything he did so well at UCLA will translate to the NBA, but at what percentile?

14. Donte Greene: He will thrive as a team?s third option as a true inside/outside scorer

15. Nicolas Batum: Can still become a team?s go-to scorer if he improves the consistency of his perimeter shot

16. Darrell Arthur: A great motor combined with good athleticism and an impressive face-up game is rare these days at the 4 spot

17. DeAndre Jordan: Predictions of burnout and apathy will hopefully scare him into greatness

18. Brandon Rush: As well-rounded of a wing as any coach would ever want but is the first player on this list who definitely won?t be an All-Star

19. Kosta Koufos: We haven?t seen a homegrown big do the things he can do offensively at 7-feet.

20. JJ Hickson: A classic power forward that will be great if he can improve his play on the defensive end

21. Bill Walker: He will be one of the toughest match-ups at the wing on a nightly basis

22. Alexis Ajinca: The drive and motor is there but needs to show a bigger sample size

23. Robin Lopez: His offensive game will develop, but his ceiling is probably an energy bringing 6th man

24. JR Giddens: With his athleticism, he is a perimeter shot away from being truly great

25. Chris Douglas-Roberts: Strength to his core will turn him into a starting wing

26. Serge Ibaka: A rare athlete who has a chance to be an All-Star if he continues his current trajectory of improvement

27. Mario Chalmers: A smart point guard who can contribute in so many ways due to his perimeter shooting and defense

28. Roy Hibbert: His ceiling knocks him down quite a few slots, but he?s in the top-15 when it comes to sure things

29. Jason Thompson: He might be a mini-KG offensively, but he is mini-Dirk defensively.

30. Kyle Weaver: Lockdown caliber wing defenders find homes in the NBA? on championship teams

31. Damjan Rudez: One of the best creators off the dribble in the entire draft

32. Courtney Lee: He didn?t dominate inferior competition but is a great slasher who should improve his spot-up ability

33. Davon Jefferson: A prototypical combo forward who will score and rebound at an efficient per-minute rate

34. Javale McGee: He believes he?s a guard in 7-footer?s clothing and has some of that skill set but needs a ton of work

35. Luc-Richard Mbah a Moute: Already a great defender who should develop a passable offensive game

36. Ryan Anderson: A great perimeter shooter who needs to develop a second move

37. Jamont Gordon: Scrappy combo guard who can be a flashier Derek Fisher if he gets into better shape

38. DeVon Hardin: More Diet Chris Wilcox than anything who has every physical tool to be a useful big to round out a club

39. Nathan Jawai: If he can stay fit and keep improving, he should find a home

40. Sonny Weems: A great athlete and underrated scorer who will excel playing beside better talent than he did in Fayetteville

41. Ante Tomic: Extremely long and extremely skilled who will naturally improve as his body matures

42. Joey Dorsey: Could have a Danny Fortson (late career Seattle) kind of run but given his age and lack of skills offensively is likely to have a short career

43. Richard Hendrix: Classic skills at the 4 spot who will overachieve

44. Shan Foster: A terrific spot-up shooter who moves well without the ball and could have a Steve Kerr kind of career

45. George Hill: Scoring point that few people have seen play

46. Will Daniels: Really good off the dribble who can become a fill-in small forward if he gets his shot back on track

47. Walter Sharpe: Great athleticism and should be very good in the mid-post

48. DJ White: An undersized power forward who was a great college player but doesn?t have many translatable skills

49. Omer Asik: Asik moves really well without the ball for a big and is strong with the ball in the post for a Euro

50. Jamar Butler: Underrated as a point guard, who might be the best shooter in the draft at the position

51. James Gist: Athletic power forward who shows signs of doing more than just dunking but has little room left for improvement

52. Gary Forbes: Looks like an undersized small forward who won?t be able to knife into NBA lanes with the ease he did in college

53. Nikola Pekovic: Good low post moves but bad agility negates that promise for me

54. Mike Taylor: Extremely dynamic guard only held back by lack of size

55. Darnell Jackson: Late bloomer and undersized for the 4-spot but was every bit as important to KU as Arthur

56. Goran Dragic: Left-handed point guard with good size and crafty decision-making, but has a below average perimeter shot

57. Othello Hunter: Good rebounder and on the pick and roll but needs to improve his decent jumper

58. Sasha Kaun: Crafty with good size and agility but doesn?t do one thing exceptionally well

59. Mike Green: Has a huge bag of tricks at the point guard slot

60. Semih Erden: Great motor and physicality but lacks touch around the hoop

- Click here to read detailed Draft Reports on most of the players listed above

Christopher Reina is the executive editor of RealGM.  He can be reached at [email protected]