Can Danny?

The draft changed little in the Pacific division. The Warriors are still young and talented but not good enough to be more than an upstart, the Clippers are young, talented, but mismatched that they aren't even upstarts, the Lakers are the elite, the Suns are a piece or two away, and the Kings should spend most of their money on scouting for the 2009 draft.
 
Golden State Warriors
The Good: Anthony Randolph blossoms into one of the top players in the draft and he, Andris Biedrins, and Brandan Wright become the best young frontcourts in the NBA. Richard Hendrix adds some hustle and muscle off the bench.
The Bad:  Randolph sits next to Brandan Wright and never gets any playing time. He either doesn't develop into a player or is eventually traded and blossoms for someone else. Hendrix's knee problem forces him into early retirement.
My Guess: Randolph shows signs of greatness in practice but gets no run this season as he is a terrible fit for Nelson's style of play. After another year of missing the playoffs, Nelson is fired and a new coach takes over and uses the impressive core of Monta Ellis, Randolph, Wright, and Biedrins the right way and things turn around for the Warriors. Randolph never shakes the 'tweener problem but becomes a solid Travis Outlaw-type player. Richard Hendrix never becomes a star but manages to have a solid NBA career.

Los Angeles Clippers
The Good: Eric Gordon becomes an All-Star shooting guard who teams up with Al Thornton to becomes one of the more dynamic 2/3 combos in the L. With Elton Brand and Chris Kaman anchoring the frontcourt, the Clippers make the playoffs again and put a scare into the #1 or #2 seed. DeAndre Jordan improves and seems to be the heir apparent to Brand's spot at the 4.
The Bad: DeAndre Jordan doesn't amount to anything and Eric Gordon doesn't fit in, giving the Clippers their usual talented squad that can't seem to put it together and actually win. The Clippers deal Brand for a veteran PG and it backfires with Gordon, Maggette, and Thornton being an all-scoring but little else trio. Within five years, the Clippers roster looks completely different (yet is equally unsuccessful).
My Guess: I like Eric Gordon as a scoring guard but I don't think he'll be as good as Jerryd Bayless. He'll help the Clippers but he doesn't seem like the kind of guy that will make his teammates better. He and Thornton don't seem to be a good combo at the 2 and 3 and the Clippers should probably see if they can go after Raymond Felton or another available PG. The Clippers will be improved this season but they won't make the playoffs and seem destined to be just good enough to battle for the playoffs (and sometimes make it) but never get past the first round.

Los Angeles Lakers
The Good: Joey Crawford is moved by the fact that the Lakers draft a kid named Joe Crawford and decides to not call any fouls for the Spurs when the Lakers and Spurs meet next year.
The Bad: Pau Gasol continues to be soft and Lakers fans start wondering if they wouldn't have been better with one of the talented players available at this pick, Javarris Crittenton, and Marc Gasol.
My Guess: The Gasol trade won't look as lopsided next season but the Lakers won't care as they should be primed to make anoter run at the trophy. Joe Crawford has no impact on anything except a minor European league.

Phoenix Suns
The Good: Robin Lopez adds some needed defensive intensity to the frontcourt and in a few years Goran Dragic comes over and becomes a possible point guard for the future.
The Bad: Robin Lopez decides to live off of girlfriend Michelle Wie's money and doesn't care about basketball. Dragic never amounts to anything.
My Guess: Dragic sounds like an intriguing prospect but when you're a point guard and you need to work on shooting and turnover then I'm probably not going to hold out hope that he'll be the answer in the future. Robin Lopez could actually improve to be a better player than his brother but I'm not sure he made more sense than other players on the board. He was a safe pick as he'll probably be, at the very least, a Jeff Foster type who'll stick around the league for years but Phoenix might have been better off taking a flyer on a player with a higher ceiling.

Sacramento Kings
The Good: Jason Thompson becomes a great complement to Kevin Martin and Spencer Hawes and the Kings have three key pieces for their future. Sean Singletary proves to be a solid backup PG and Patrick Ewing Jr. wins the dunk contest.
The Bad: Ron Artest watches the draft, sees the pick, and opts out of his contract. Thompson is another perimeter big man who had no business going in the lottery, let alone the first round. Singletary and Ewing Jr. both don't make it out of the pre-season and end up overseas or in the D-league.
My Guess: As soon as I saw the Kings take Thompson, I said, "This is going to drive Artest to leave." Lo and behold, Artest announced he's changed "100 degrees" and opted out. (EDIT: Apparently Artest went the other 260 degrees as he's now decided not to opt out) Thompson is soft and can't defend which makes him a terrible complement to Hawes. I'd honestly be surprised if he could beat out Shelden Williams or Kenny Thomas for playing time. Singletary might be a nice backup but he's probably not someone you want actually getting many minutes. With two second rounders, the Kings should have taken a flyer on Bill Walker. Right now, the Kings are looking like the frontrunners for the #1 pick in the 2009 Draft.