Derrick Rose or Michael Beasley. While some contend that Chicago has a big hole up front which would make Beasley the "need" pick. I would say that the back court remains a problem even with Kirk Hinrich and Ben Gordon. There is already a glut of forwards with Drew Gooden, Joakim Noah, and Tyrus Thomas up front. Adding Beasley would relegate at least one to the bench, and require another move. Looking at the numbers, Chicago's biggest weakness is on the offensive end. The Bulls were the worst shooting team in the league last season from two-point range. Rose would be able to elevate all of his teammates by creating easier shots. Look at the effect Steve Nash and Chris Paul have on their teams' shooting percentages. Rose should be the pick.

The Heat have been rumored to be less than enamored with Beasley because of character issues. They would love to pair Rose with Dwyane Wade which would create a monster backcourt, but that looks like it won't happen. Miami is thought to like O.J. Mayo as well but it appears there would be little chance of taking him at number two. There remains the possibility of a trade, but whoever picks second will be taking Beasley. Miami needs help everywhere particularly on the boards. Full seasons from Shawn Marion, Udonis Haslem, and potentially Beasley should help dramatically.

What the Timberwolves do at number three could have a huge domino effect throughout the first round. They have plenty of young guards on the roster, but the problem is none of them are very good. Kevin McHale is also looking for a big man to play with Al Jefferson, but this spot might be too high to take a Kevin Love, and scouts are not particularly enamored with the potential of Brook Lopez. Mayo would be the best pick here because he seems to have become the consensus third best prospect, and he would help both offensively and defensively.

The Supersonics actually has some nice assets with future draft picks and two young building blocks in Kevin Durant and Jeff Green. Where they will be playing and developing is another matter. The team has long been rumored to be targeting a guard, but big man Brook Lopez has entered the picture. Lopez would be a good fit as he is much more ready to play center than the several projects Seattle has drafted at that position in the past (Johan Petro, Robert Swift, Saer Sene). He would allow Chris Wilcox and Nick Collison to play at their more natural power forward spot. A guard like Jerryd Bayless, Eric Gordon, or Russell Westbrook are the other options. Whether the pick is big or small, expect the team to address the other need with their second pick.

The Grizzlies' problems are glaring. The numbers clearly show that the team doesn't handle the ball very well, can't pass, create turnovers or play a lick of defense. In short they need help everywhere except point guard (where they have three young players). They are rumored to be trying to trade up with Miami to grab Beasley which would be a smart move no matter what it takes to get it done. The Pau Gasol trade left the roster devoid of elite talent. The Grizzlies should just take the best player available which means a scorer like Bayless or Gordon or possibly UCLA's Kevin Love.

The Knicks are a mess, but there is a glimmer of hope with the hiring of Donnie Walsh and coach Mike D'Antoni. The frontcourt has two poison pill contracts with Zach Randolph and Eddy Curry. Moving either is unlikely so both still have to play. That means looking towards the perimeter. Danilo Gallinari has been linked to New York, but he would not help an already terrible defensive team (although with D’Antoni as the coach that might not matter). Whatever the Knicks decide to do, either picking Gallinari, a guard, or trading out of this spot, the rebuilding project begins now in earnest.

L.A. is going guard. That much everybody is sure of. The injury to Shaun Livingston devastated this team which ended last season with Smush Parker and Dan Dickau at the point. The return of Livingston is still tenuous, and the team still has decisions to make with regards to Elton Brand and Corey Maggette (he could still opt out of his contract). The decision to draft a guard is sound as the Clippers were one of the worst shooting teams in the NBA. They will likely take whichever player falls to them among the top perimeter group (Westbrook, Gordon, Mayo, Bayless).

The Bucks seem to be shopping everybody on the roster so obviously a trade would affect who they take here. They seem to have zeroed in on a swingman however likely Joe Alexander or Anthony Randolph. Both are terrific athletes with huge upside, but both are projects are will need lots of time to develop. Randolph is further away from contributing and Scott Skiles probably doesn't want to wait around that long for the payoff. The presence of too many combo guards on the roster complicates taking other players who would hold value in this range (as they likely would be a combo guard as well).

What to do in Charlotte? The team is having difficulty drawing fans even with Michael Jordan in the front office and several local products dotting the roster. The only answer is fielding a competitive team which seems a long way off. The numbers show that the Bobcats are bad to mediocre in just about every area which means a serious talent upgrade is in order. Raymond Felton is serviceable at point guard, but his shooting is atrocious. D.J. Augustin could be a good fit as he brings excellent offensive skills to the table. If Brook Lopez is available he would provide a solid interior scorer while allowing Emeka Okafor to play power forward. Former UCLA coach Larry Brown would have a hard time passing up on either former Bruins Love or Westbrook should they somehow fall here.

The Nets did well to get out from under Jason Kidd's contract and getting a nice young point guard in Devin Harris in return. With three picks in the top 40, they are in position to pick up some nice talent but in the form of what players is in question. They are in a tough spot at number 10, and might just have to wait and see who falls to them. New Jersey would love to get Brook Lopez or Danilo Gallinari should either be available, and both would fit well with this team. The team probably just needs to wait and take whoever is available at 10, and then pick up a high-upside big at 21, someone like DeAndre Jordan or JaVale McGee.

Larry Bird faces another rebuilding process in Indiana. Danny Granger looks like a keeper, and Mike Dunleavey finally fulfilled some of his promise and posted a career-best season. Everybody else on the roster probably has little future with the team. The Jermaine O’Neal trade rumors continue to swirl, and will have a direct impact on what happens in the draft. Probably the main concern is replacing lead guard Jamaal Tinsley who has worn out his welcome with off-the-court issues, and can't shoot straight on it. Augustin will likely be available, and would fit well improving the team's poor 2FG% with his solid shooting and creating for others. The team is probably desperately hoping one of the other top-tier guards somehow falls to them.

There looks to be a big drop-off in talent and production where the Kings are drafting which probably leads them down the proverbial "best player available" route. The Kings ranked dead-last in scoring points off assists so a play-making guard is the biggest need. They would either have to reach for a player (say Mario Chalmers or Roy Hibbert) or pick from several young wings with star/bust potential. This seems to be the range for Anthony Randolph, Donte Greene, and Brandon Rush.

Portland showed great promise last season displaying terrific effort and team play, and will add a defensive game-changer in Greg Oden. Just one or two more tweaks could put the team right in the middle of the Western Conference picture. What this team needs is a point guard; a real floor leader to pair with Brandon Roy and lend some leadership and a steady hand. Someone like that won’t be available where they are picking, and they have been linked to France’s Alexis Ajinca which I think would be a colossal mistake that high. Portland also traded for New Orlenans' pick (27) and look to be targeting either Nicolas Batum (another Frenchman), or Croatian big man Ante Tomic. With four picks in the top-36, the Blazers surely are big players in the trade market.

The Warriors now hold the distinction of being the best team ever to miss the postseason. They won 48 regular season games, but that still wasn't enough in the hyper-competitive Western Conference. That makes things difficult by the bay as the team was very good yet just not quite good enough. GM Chris Mullin has some decisions to make with Monta Ellis and Andris Biedrins being restricted free agents and Baron Davis holding a player opt-out clause. In the draft he will probably look for yet another young big man to help play some defense and rebound, the two biggest weaknesses for this team. Somebody like Darrell Arthur, Marreese Speights, or Robin Lopez should be available and a good fit.

The Suns are rumored to be trying to trade up and shopping both Boris Diaw and Leandro Barbosa. The Shaquille O’Neal trade didn't work out as all that well, and now the roster suddenly looks older and no longer among the elite out West. Phoenix might not have been in this position had they not sold off a multitude of draft picks the past few seasons. The numbers clearly show the Suns can still score, but still don't play any defense or rebound. A full season of Shaq in the middle should help, but adding a young big man should the play. There is no real cure in the draft at 15 however because this team needs to win now given the age of Shaq and Steve Nash. Given that, they probably should try to add a perimeter shooter like Donte Greene and try it again.

This team somehow parlayed hustle, youth, and energy into a playoff berth. The Sixers were completely devoid of three-point shooting and defensive rebounding so reaching the postseason was an impressive feat. To continue the rebuilding process will require addressing both areas. Either Greene (if he is available) or Courtney Lee would add some sorely needed perimeter shooting. Philly also has a sizeable hole at power forward (Thaddeus Young is out of position there). That would put Speights and Arthur into play.

The number priority here is probably finding a taker for point guard T.J. Ford. The Raptors want to swap the Texas product and hand the reins to Jose Calderon, which is a very smart move in my opinion. Former number one pick Andrea Bargnani is looking more and more like a role player in this league, so Toronto gets in the long line of teams trying to find more help inside. This was one of the best three-point shooting teams in the league, but the shooting from two-point range was significantly worse largely due to a lack of interior scoring. Either Darrell Arthur or Robin Lopez could fit depending on if Chris Bosh is a center or power forward. An athlete at the wing is another possibility (France's Nicolas Batum for example whose recent heart-health issue appears resolved).

The numbers say Washington's improved defense was largely a misconception. The Wizards were poor defending in the halfcourt and on the boards, and masked their deficiencies by forcing turnovers and blocking their share of shots. Overall though, the team had a solid season without its best player (Gilbert Arenas) and doesn't have an obvious hole to fill. Arenas and Antawn Jamison are free agents, and need to be resigned. The best values in their draft range will likely be project bigs much like Andray Blatche who is already on the roster. A more veteran player like local Georgetown product Roy Hibbert would be a better choice.

Cleveland continues its never-ending quest to improve the roster and appease LeBron James. At No.19 in the draft, the team is probably in a position to gamble on an unproven player with potential. A face-up four man is probably the preference to help spread the floor and eventually replace Joe Smith or Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Kosta Koufos, Darrell Arthur, or Marreese Speights could be a good fit. Either way, the Cavs need to find someone who can score to help out James on offense. There are already too many players on the roster that are complete liabilities with the ball in their hands.

George Karl has two things on his wish-list: a true point guard and somebody (anybody) willing to play defense. Guard will remain an issue as long as Allen Iverson remains on the roster because of his completely unique style. A big guard with vision and ball-handling skills is needed to effectively play off Iverson and, outside of Brandon Roy, those are far and few between. Washington State's Kyle Weaver would be a perfect match, but this may be too high to take him. I think they should do it anyway instead of taking one of the many project big men available. There should be plenty of options if they go big from DeAndre Jordan, Alexis Ajinca, JaVale McGee, or Devon Hardin, but none of those players will lift Denver from the fringe out West however.

Shooting guard, shooting guard, shooting guard. That is what the Magic are still looking for after going through the season with Keith Bogans, Maurice Evans, and the remnants of J.J. Reddick's battered psyche. Orlando preferably would like to find one that plays a bit of defense too to lessen the onus on Dwight Howard to erase mistakes at the rim. Brandon Rush and Courtney Lee fit this description perfectly. Either player would also help point guard Jameer Nelson with their ability to score off the bounce and finish in transition. Orlando could also try and find a big power forward to help Howard on the boards and do the dirty work Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu are unwilling to do.

This team is clearly one of the elite squads in the NBA, and shouldn't do anything to its young nucleus. Utah is set in its starting five so it has the luxury of picking a player to play a specific role off the bench. The Jazz rated surprisingly poorly on the defensive boards, and defensive field goal percentage so they could target a big man with size to give a different look from Mehmet Okur. Robin Lopez is an athletic defensive big man who could fit well inside, and his non-stop motor would mesh well with the physical Jazz. He would also be the kind of long athletic big man that currently does not exist on the roster.

The Rockets kept on playing great team defense even with the switch from Jeff Van Gundy to Rick Adelman as head coach. The problem last season was the loss of Yao Ming and lack of production from the backcourt outside of Tracy McGrady. Rafter Alston elevated his play and Bobby Jackson is a nice role player, but neither is a championship caliber starting guard. It will be hard to find an upgrade this late in the draft, but there are some prospects that could help. Weaver or Gordon both would provide a bigger body to play alongside McGrady. Two sleepers I like are Butler's Mike Green and IUPUI's George Hill who both could be had in the second round, but are true point guards and are experienced senior players.

After getting bounced by the Lakers the focus has to be on getting younger and reinforcing the bench. Michael Finley, Robert Horry, Damon Stoudamire, and Kurt Thomas are all free agents and will probably be replaced. Chalmers would be a perfect fit with his two-way ability and winner's mindset but he probably won't be available. The Spurs could eschew some upside and reach for a player like Weaver or Jamont Gordon to help in the backcourt. San Antonio will also be a big player for international prospects, and be a prime destination for veteran free agents.

Detroit has few needs heading into the draft, but Joe Dumars always seems to find gems without the luxury of high picks (Rodney Stuckey, Jason Maxiell, Amir Johnson). The backcourt is probably set with Stuckey and Arron Afflalo backing up the starters so the Pistons will probably either go big or try and find an athlete at small forward like Kansas State's Bill Walker or Chris Douglas-Roberts.

The NBA champions have few needs after reshaping the roster and completing one of the greatest turnarounds in NBA history. Boston will probably just take the best player available to add more depth. The key areas for improvement would be a young center or another pure shooter to come off the bench. Someone like Cal's Ryan Anderson would be a good fit due to his great shooting touch, and his lack of defensive ability would be masked with the Celtics.