Mr. Popular

Popular Pick by Tim Kawakami for the SJ Mercury

I love working out complex, amazingly improbable scenarios as much as the next guy, and though I agree with Mullin on Frye's unique compatibility with the Warriors' needs, my Mock Draft '05 can find no way to get Frye, a 6-foot-11 shot blocker from Arizona, to the Warriors with the No. 9 pick.

Unless: Mullin wants to use Mike Dunleavy, Troy Murphy or Mickael Pietrus as bait to move up (hello Utah?) to grab Frye. That would be risky. That would be Mullin-esque.

But I doubt that Mullin would sacrifice that much talent if his consolation prize at No. 9 is a choice among multi-talented New Mexico forward Danny Granger, Syracuse's defensive-minded Hakim Warrick or Arizona State's Ike Diogu.

I'm guessing it will be the 6-8 Granger, who runs and shoots like an NBA small forward but might be able to masquerade as a part-time power forward thanks to his long arms, springy legs and aggressive mindset.