In a draft that is not stockpiled with many impact players, the Detroit Pistons should look to fill a need over best available player at the number eight slot.

Taking a look at the Detroit roster, they are loaded with guards. Will Bynum, Rodney Stuckey, Ben Gordon and Richard Hamilton man the guard position so perhaps selecting another guard is not in the best interest for the Pistons.

However, with an aged Ben Wallace and Tayshuan Prince - not to mention Prince's future in Detroit cloudy - the Pistons should look to add some size to play alongside Greg Monroe, Jason Maxiel and Charlie Villanueva.

So with the eighth pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, the Pistons select . . . Marcus Morris from Kansas.

Let's face it, Enes Kantur, Kawhi Leonard and Jan Vesely might be off the board by the time Detroit is on the clock and with Morris, Detroit can address the forward/center spot.

Morris averaged 17.2 points, shot 57% from the field, 7.6 rebounds in 28.3 minutes for the Jayhawks last season.

What makes Morris an even more appealing choice for Detroit is his 6'10" wingspan, 33 inch max vertical and he played three years at Kansas playing against solid collegiate competition.

He has an array of offensive moves in the post but can stand to improve his jump shot.

In the end, Morris makes the best sense and safest choice for Detroit.

Yes, thankfully this pick does still belong to the Sacramento Kings... at least for one more season.  The Maloofs and GM Geoff Petrie may actually have the most difficult decision in the Draft and the pick with the most uncertainty and intrigue.  The Kings were a disappointingly putrid 24-58 last season and suffered through a season filled with injuries, discontentment, and rumors of relocation.  Perhaps surprisingly, Paul Westphal will return for another season as Kings head coach with a tumultuous roster that has some decent pieces.  Here's a look at the depth chart:

G: Tyreke Evans - 17.8 PPG, 5.6 APG, 40.9% FG, missed 25 games due to injury
G: Marcus Thornton - 21.3 PPG, 45.0% FG, started 23 of 27 games after coming from NO midseason
F: Omri Casspri/Donte Greene - each started more than 20 games, none averaged greater than 10 PPG
F: DeMarcus Cousins - 14.1 PPG, 8.6 RPG in rookie season
C: Sam Dalembert -  8.1 PPG, 8.2 RPG

Bench

G: Beno Udrih, Francisco Garcia, Luther Head
F: Jason Thompson, Casspri/Greene, Darnell Jackson
C: Hassan Whiteside 

Looking at that depth chart, there is one obvious hole at the small forward position, especially considering the way that Marcus Thornton played in the backcourt after coming over in a midseason trade with the Hornets.   The platoon of Casspri and Greene is as uninspiring as it gets.  The Kings are pretty well set in the interior with all-rookie performer Cousins, Dalembert, Thompson, and a project in Whiteside, so a big man is probably out of the equation with this pick.

The other question on the Kings roster is the point guard position... meaning there's not exactly a hole in the backcourt, but do Paul Westphal and Kings fans really want to keep going with Tyreke Evans at the point?  Beno Udrih is simply not the long-term answer, especially with his way-too-big contract.

Fortunately for the Kings, there are players at both positions that will be available with Pick #7.  In fact, there are likely to be players in play for the Kings to choose from that fill those needs.  However, given this year's questionable draft class, there are issues that would bring hesitancy with each player...

The Wizards are still working the phones looking to trade up in the draft to grab one of their coveted big men, Enes Kanter or Jan Vesely, and there has been some talk about swapping with the Jazz. If the Wizards keep number six, they will select San Diego State Forward Kawhi Leonard.

The Wizards are looking to improve their frontcourt and they need a high-motor player that can run the floor with 2010 number one draft pick John Wall.

While Texas' Tristan Thompson and Euro big man Jonas Valanciunas are intriguing options, Leonard seems to be a perfect fit for the Wizards. He would fit right in with a Wizards frontcourt featuring JaVale McGee and Rashard Lewis or McGee and Andray Blatche.

The Wizards could use some rebounding help and the 6-7 Leonard averaged a very impressive 10.6 per game last season with San Diego State, a rarity for a small forward. His athleticism would make him an ideal target for Wall on fast breaks and in transition.

While Leonard has a long way to go on the offensive end, his 7-3 wingspan and athleticism could make him a very good defender in the league. If the Wizards decided to commit to defense, they'd have a nice set of perimeter defenders in Leonard and Howard.

With one frontcourt player added at number six, the Wizards could then focus on a power forward or center with their 18th pick.

Now on the clock are the Sacramento Kings with the seventh pick.

I feel bad for this new generation of NBA fans.  So many of them didn't get a chance to see Hakeem Olajuwan play in his hey day.  The man was as smooth as it got on the block.  His footwork was sublime.  His creativity was mind blowing.  His touch was breathtakingly soft.  Just go watch this video and take in how spectacular The Dream was. 

So it's no shock that big men everywhere spend their offseasons making a pilgrimage to Dream's door in an effort to learn a thing or two.  Last season it was Dwight Howard, who emerged with a clearly improved offensive game.  This season, Phoenix Suns center Marcin Gortat will be studying under the master. 

I asked Gortat about it in New York City today as he prepares for Steve Nash's annual "Showdown in Chinatown" soccer event.  Here's what he said.

I can only imagine what's going through Steve Nash's mind as he sat there listening to Gortat talk about improving his offensive game.  "Yeah, no kidding you need to improve."  Gortat is a valuable asset as a defender, rebounder, and guy who does the dirty work.  But his offense is mostly relegated to put-backs, dunking or laying in Nash's lead passes, or occasionally dropping in a jump hook.  What Gortat needs to learn is how to create a little something for himself (not much, just enough to get free here and there) and how to get past one guy how might jump out at him on a pick-and-roll. 

But Dream was graceful, and Gortat is anything but.  The thing Olajuwan will have to work on most with Gortat is getting his feet to work in concert with the rest of him.  With Dwight Howard, Dream was working with a guy how had natural agility.  Gortat's agility is summed up by his nickname, "The Polish Hammer".  Gortat's as graceful as bull seeing red.  If Dream can soften that up a bit and make Marcin a little more nimble out there, it will go a long way in helping the Suns find a little offensive outlet where one didn't exist last season.

The Raptors are stuck... where, is a good question. The Raptors are still recovering from Chris Bosh's escape and do not have a whole ton to show for it.

DeMarr DeRozan is a nice player, but likely not a guy you build around. Andrea Bargnani is a former number one overall pick who has not quite panned out into the next coming of Dirk Nowitzki. He is good, but not great. He does not rebound and does not defend. And he apparently wants out.

Few answers are going to come in this draft for Brian Colangelo and new head coach Dwane Casey.

Defense is going to be the new calling card for this team, and it is going to be a long road to get where the Raptors want to go. The fifth pick is going to have to be step one.

There are options here.

Jonas Valanciunas might be the best foreign prospect in the Draft but a buyout is going to keep him overseas for at least another year. Toronto wants help now. Bismack Biyombo could be an interesting pick, although it would be way to early to pick him, his defensive presence in the middle would be nice. He is just so raw, taking him this high would not be advisable.

On the guard front, Kemba Walker might fit. Although he is more of a scoring guard and does not help with the defense problem Casey is going to want to solve.

So which direction should Toronto go?

How about Jan Vesely?

This year's NBA Draft hasn't gotten a lot of love from experts and analysts.  Wherever you look, this class is being referred to as weak from top to bottom and lacking in players that can truly make a difference in the Association.  That may be true, but there are still many players in every draft that are overlooked, undervalued, and forgotten.  Gilbert Arenas, Michael Redd, and Carlos Boozer were all 2nd Round picks.  Nobody knew who Tony Parker or Manu Ginobili were when the Spurs selected them late in the draft.  Mavericks spark plug JJ Barea wasn't even drafted by the league.  There are championship caliber players out there in this year's draft, you just have to find the hidden gems.  

Here's the Crossover Chronicles list of those players...

10) David Lighty, Guard, Ohio State
Lighty (and fellow senior guard Jon Diebler) were the heartbeat of the Ohio State team that was #1 in the country for much of the season.  Lighty ranks as a better pro prospect because he can do one thing very well - defend.  As we've seen in the past, that one skill can translate into some long careers.  Furthermore, Lighty developed a three-point shot (see his exhibition against George Mason in this year's tournament) and can even take the ball to the tin.  Lighty has experience being a #3/4 option on a winning team, so ego isn't an issue.  Lighty is the ultimate sleeper pick - someone that as a late 2nd round pick, or even an undrafted player, can contribute minutes on a playoff or championship team.

The Crossover Chronicles 2011 NBA Mock Draft has presented a dream scenario for the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

With Kyrie Irving already on board by way of the first overall selection, the Cavs had hoped that one of either Derrick Williams or Enes Kanter would fall into their laps at pick number four.  If neither player was available at four, Cavs GM Chris Grant would have been working the phones feverishly while the second hand on David Stern's pocket watch ticked towards pick number five, looking to trade out of this spot.

He doesn't have to trade this pick now though, because just as Utah made Brandon Knight the third overall selection, a guy Cleveland hoped would fall just fell.     

As a result, the Cavaliers select Enes Kanter with the fourth overall pick, and they are not trading him either.  

Enes Kanter makes sense on multiple levels for the rebuilding Cavs.  As Michael mentioned previously, he is the best player on the board in a draft that goes Irving, Williams, Knight.  For a team that lost as many games as Cleveland did a season ago, they could use as many best players available as they can find. That reason alone makes him a solid way to invest the fourth overall pick.

Additionally, Kanter also both fits a need and can help the team immediately which makes this pick a no-brainer.  The Cavaliers have a couple of decent PF's when you're talking about JJ Hickson and Anderson Varejao, but neither proved the ability to play Center last season for any significant stretch of the season.  They both saw time at the position, however, because the Cavaliers didn't employ a center for most of the season who wasn't named Ryan Hollins. 

Semih Erden is now on the roster, by way of a trade with Boston late in the year, but Enes Kanter would clearly come in as by far the best Center on the team.  He would even have a good chance to start from day one, alongside JJ Hickson, and move Andy Varejao back to a 6th man role he's been most comfortable playing out of for most of his career.     

There's been some talk that if it is Enes Kanter who the Cavaliers are able to take at four, they would then look to deal him and move back in the draft, theorectically also adding another first round pick as well.  I don't see the Cavs trading Kanter, however, in the event they are able to acquire him.  The Cavs love this guy, he's met with Dan Gilbert multiple times already, and the if the Cavaliers owner can write a headline that reads: Cavs acquire Draft's Top Rated PG and Top Rated C in same draft, I imagine he'd be pretty stoked to type that out.  

And why shouldn't he be if that were indeed the case?  Two pieces like Kyrie and Kanter could go a long way towards helping put this Cavaliers puzzle together over the next few years.

Could this be the end of the road for the San Antonio Spurs' "Big 3" of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker?

Well according to Yahoo! Sports, it might be.

Yahoo! Sports is reporting the Spurs are fielding trade offers for All-Star guard Tony Parker in order to move up in the 2011 NBA Draft.

The San Antonio Spurs are engaged in discussions about trading point guard Tony Parker to secure a high pick in Thursday’s draft, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

The Spurs have talked to teams in the lottery, including the Toronto Raptors and Sacramento Kings, who hold the fifth and seventh picks, respectively. The Kings are determined to get a frontline point guard, and have also talked with the Denver Nuggets about Raymond Felton.

Currently, the Spurs hold pick 29 in the first round.

This should not come to a surprise to Spurs fans. This could be fallout from Parker's comments to the French media where he stated the Spurs' championship window is shut and if they are going to trade anyone on the squad it would be him. Add the fact Spurs GM R.C. Buford said in a radio interview in San Antonio that building the team over the summer would include trade avenues, and you have what could possibly be the end of the road for Parker in San Antonio. Plus, stepping out of line in San Antonio is a huge no-no in Spurs' coach Popovich's book.

Ever since Parker's comments regarding the team, he has fallen out of favor with Spurs fans with some feeling if he wants out, let him go. Though Parker did step back from his comments.

However, Parker is right. He is the most tradeable asset the Spurs have. No way is Duncan or Ginobili being traded, and which team in the NBA wants Richard Jefferson and his monster of a contract? This leaves players such as Matt Bonner, Gary Neal, DeJuan Blair, Tiago Splitter all which are solid role players but nothing more than that.

But is Parker worth such a high draft pick in an otherwise weak draft?

With Kyrie Irving now sporting the wine and gold and Derrick Williams becoming the newest member of the Minnesota Timberwolves, for now, the Utah Jazz have several options when it comes to their first lottery pick.

After weighing all of the options, with the third pick of the 2011 Crossover Chronicles NBA Mock Draft, the Utah Jazz select Kentucky guard Brandon Knight.

I know, big surprise. Knight has been slated to be taken at number three is several mock drafts, but after taking a hard look at some of the available options for the Jazz at number three, Knight appears to be the way to go.

Enes Kanter is certainly the best player available, but with a trio of bigs currently on the Jazz roster, including Al Jefferson, Paul Milsap and Derrick Favors, they would not be filling a need.

The Jazz could look to fill a void at small forward with Andrei Kirilenko being mentioned in plenty of trade rumors. Jan Vesely is an intriguing option and they could take a risk on Kawhi Leonard, but Knight is the safe bet and he will bolster the backcourt pairing with Devin Harris.

Knight is an overall upgrade over the current Jazz shooting guards, Raja Bell and C.J. Miles, and having two very good defenders at the off guard with Bell and Knight could work well in Utah.

While Knight is listed at point guard, he is 6-4 and his 6-7 wingspan will allow him to defend both guard positions. Knight's speed and ability to score, paired with his high basketball IQ will make him quite the handful on the offensive end as well.

After their third pick, the Jazz will still have their 12th pick that they could use to select a small forward.

Now on the clock are the Cleveland Cavaliers with the fourth pick.

Note: As part of our draft week coverage, the entire staff at Crossover Chronicles have decided to play the role of General Manager. We'll be presenting our lottery picks from today through Thursday. As we reported yesterday, the Cleveland Cavaliers have reportedly condirmed that they will draft Duke's Kyrie Erving with the first pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. With that in mind, Brendan Bowers, who will be representing the Cleveland Cavaliers in our mock draft, also has Irving first, so we'll start with the second pick, which belongs to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

With the second pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves select Derrick Williams from the University of Arizona.

Williams is the only player in this draft that compares favorably, as far as potential impact, to Duke's Kyrie Irving.  The Cleveland Cavaliers are doing everyone a favor by drafting Irving and sparing us from another round of T-Wolves point guard draft jokes.  In Williams, the Wolves will get an athletic big who can hit open jumpers and finish at the rim.  At 6'9", he might be a little small to play power forward, but at 240 lbs, he can use his frame to create some space.  

It will be interesting to see how Williams fares against NBA talent.  Will his first step, which got him where he needed to be in college, be fast enough to create space in the pros?  Will he be able to adapt to playing some small forward if the TWolves need him to step out a little more?  Until he actually takes the floor against NBA talent, those questions will be tough to answer.  But for Minnesota, Williams is the most talented guy on the board after the first pick, so you've got to take him and hope he blossoms into the solid contributor most people think he'll be.

This will make things a little tight at the forward spot for Minnesota, but that also gives them an opportunity to trade one of those extra bigs to fill another need.  It'll be a little surprising if this draft produces a superstar player, but Williams has a polished enough game to make a contribution within the flow of Minnesota's offense... which is something someone like Michael Beasley wasn't always able to say.  By inserting Williams and moving Beasley, the Wolves might find a better balance some missing veteran leadership that they've been missing.