J.E. Skeets of Yahoo's Ball Don't Lie asked me to take part in its annual NBA Mock Draft.  Since most of the same blogs who took part in the SB Nation mock were asked to participate in BDL's, I thought for sure I would be turning in a repeat draft pick of Earl Clark.  However, when the Suns turned in their pick they revealed they had a change of heart and went with Earl Clark, rather than Ty Lawson, leaving me with a tough decision to stew over. 

In the end, I went with VCU's point guard, Eric Maynor.  It was a tough decision for me as I think there are a number of players that will fall to the Pistons that could wind up working out just fine.  If you're interested in reading my reasoning you can click over to Ball Don't Lie or you can continue reading after the jump.  Either way, feel free to leave your thoughts on the pick and any added analysis you might have.  I really like this Maynor kid, so you know at least one Pistons fan that will be satisfied to hear his name called for the 15th pick come Thursday. 

With Joe Dumars admitting at his end of the season press conference that Rodney Stuckey is more of a combo guard than a point guard, the door to the relatively deep point guard draft class swung wide open for the Pistons.

There have been a lot of talk about the Pistons potentially trading their pick for cash and that they promised Ohio State’s B.J. Mullens a pick if he was available at No. 15. With neither rumor a certainty, I’m going to go ahead and make a mock selection based on what I think would be best for the Pistons.

Personally, I like Stephen Curry (from my alma mater), Earl Clark, and Terrence Williams (yes, I know the latter two are not point guards). However, since the only way Curry slips is if you sneakily put a banana peel in front of him while he’s running suicides (not going to happen) and with the Louisville stars already off the board in this mock draft, I had to broaden my horizons a little.

For me, after those three, it comes down to Jeff Teague of Wake Forest and Eric Maynor of VCU.  Teague’s natural speed and athletic abilities make him a very enticing option.  It’s hard to overlook his 6'7" wingspan, too. However, I’m a sucker for underdogs and bulldog-like mental toughness. I haven’t seen enough of Teague to know he’s mentally weak (although that’s exactly what Draft Express tabs him as), but I can tell Maynor has the type of attitude any GM desires. I’ve always believed that attitude determines altitude.

What’s also very important in my mind is the fact that Maynor is a true point guard. Drafting Teague, who only averaged a little over three assists per game, would be déjà vu for the Pistons as they drafted a fringe point guard at No. 15 in 2007. That guy is the aforementioned Rodney Stuckey. With Billups traded away at the beginning of last season, the Pistons could use a confident leader on the floor that would allow guys like Stuckey and Will Bynum more opportunities to use their scoring abilities and worry less about distributing the rock.