NEW YORK — A thumbnail look at the first-round selections of the NBA draft today:

NO. 1 L.A. CLIPPERS

Blake Griffin, f, Oklahoma

6-10, 248. ... 22.7 ppg, 14.4 rpg

A sophomore early entry. ... Most likely to be the first pick. ... A strong work ethic, along with his strength and athleticism, makes him special. ... A dominant rebounder. ... Great hands in the post. ... Can play facing the basket. ... Will need to improve his outside shot and his free-throw shooting.

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NO. 2 MEMPHIS

Hasheem Thabeet, c, Connecticut

7-2, 267. ... 13.6 ppg, 10.8 rpg, 4.2 bpg

Early entry. ... Could turn into one the most dominant players ever to play the game. ... His size and athleticism give him tremendous upside. ... Still raw offensively, but improved immensely while at UConn. ... Great shot blocking skills. ... Needs to add weight and work on his post game.

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NO. 3 OKLAHOMA CITY

James Harden, g, Arizona State

6-5, 222. ... 20.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 4.2 apg

A sophomore early entry. ... Smooth player with great court vision. ... Has a feel for the game. ... Unselfish and has leadership qualities. ... One of the more NBA-ready players in the draft. ... Has average quickness that can lead to turnovers when contested and cause problems on the defensive end.

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NO. 4 SACRAMENTO

Tyreke Evans, g, Memphis

6-5, 221. ... 17.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 3.9 apg

Early entry. ... An exciting player. ... Can play either guard position. ... Can break down people off the dribble. ... Deceptively quick. ... Has great hands on defense. ... Plays out of control at times. ... Needs to improve his jump shot.

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NO. 5 MINNESOTA (FROM WASHINGTON)

Ricky Rubio, g, DKV Joventut (Spain)

6-3, 180. ... 2.2 ppg, 2.6 apg

Early entry. ... Born in 1990. ... Considered the top point guard in the draft. ... Great court vision and passing skills. ... Plays all out. ... Led the 2006-07 Spanish League in steals (2.3 per game). ... Needs to improve outside shooting. ... Could have trouble defending the top point guards in the NBA.

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NO. 6 MINNESOTA

Jonny Flynn, g, Syracuse

6-0, 196. ... 17.4 ppg, 6.7 apg

A sophomore early entry. ... Very quick with a tremendous ballhandling skills. ... Plays under control. ... Comes up big in clutch situations. ... Excels in the paint. ... Lack of size may hurt his attacking style on the next level. ... Needs to improve his outside shot to make him tougher to guard.

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NO. 7 GOLDEN STATE

Stephen Curry, g, Davidson

6-3, 181. ... 28.6 ppg, 5.6 apg, 2.5 spg

Early entry. ... Son of NBA veteran Dell Curry. ... A two-guard who converted to a point guard this year. ... Terrific outside shooter with a good feel for the game. ... A solid defender with good hands. ... Excellent free-throw shooter. ... Could struggle with the physical play of the NBA.

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NO. 8 NEW YORK

Jordan Hill, f, Arizona

6-10, 232. ... 18.3 ppg, 11.0 rpg, 1.7 bpg

Early entry. ... Great leaper. ... His game improved greatly this year. ... Attacks the boards on both ends of the floor. ... Excellent shot blocker. ... Runs the court extremely well for his side. ... Needs to improve his basketball IQ and focus. ... Foul prone.

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NO. 9 TORONTO

DeMar DeRozan, g, Southern California

6-7, 211. ... 13.9 ppg, 5.7 rpg

A freshman early entry. ... An athletic freak of nature. ... Finished his freshman very strong. ... Has a large wingspan. ... Incredible leaper and explosive finisher. ... Has slick ballhandling skills and has a mean crossover dribble. ... Effective midrange game. ... Lacks intensity at times. ... Needs to become more consistent.

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NO. 10 MILWAUKEE

Brandon Jennings, g, Lottomatica Roma (Italy)

6-1, 170. ... 7.6 ppg, 1.6 apg

Early entry. ... Skipped college and played last season in Europe. ... Extremely quick and explosive player. ... Likes to attack in transition. ... Can change direction without losing speed or control of the ball. ... Has very quick hands and great lateral foot speed on defense. ... Will struggle against bigger stronger guards. ... Needs to control the tempo better.

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NO. 11 NEW JERSEY

Terrence Williams, g-f, Louisville

6-6, 213. ... 12.5 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 5.0 apg

Versatile. ... A floor leader. ... Has great size and strength. ... Tremendous leaper, attacks the rim. ... A defensive stopper. ... Can defend multiple positions on the floor. ... Has good court vision and is a solid passer. ... Needs to improve his shooting range and ballhandling skills.

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NO. 12 CHARLOTTE

Gerald Henderson, g-f, Duke

6-5, 215. ... 16.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.5 apg

Early entry. ... Athletic and explosive player. ... His shooting improved drastically this year. ... Plays good man-to-man defense and effective playing the lanes and helping weakside in zones. ... Has basketball smarts. ... Quick hands and feet. ... Turns the ball over too much. ... His father, Gerald Sr., is a 13-year NBA veteran.

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NO. 13 INDIANA

Tyler Hansbrough, f, North Carolina

6-9, 234. ... 20.7 ppg, 8.1 rpg

... A hustle player who loves to hit the glass hard on both ends of the floor ... Has great hands around the basket ... Makes great decisions in the post. ... Excellent free-throw shooter. ... Struggles defending taller and more athletic players. ... Needs to develop face-up game. ... Has to improve his ballhandling.

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NO. 14 PHOENIX

Earl Clark, f, Louisville

6-10, 226. ... 14.2 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 3.2 apg

Early entry. ... Deadly combination of size, strength and speed. ... Creates mismatches offensively because he can attack effectively inside and out. ... Most effective in the high post, because he can face up against bigger defenders and back down smaller defenders. ... Careless with the ball sometimes. ... Needs to work on his shot off the dribble.

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NO. 15 DETROIT

Austin Daye, f, Gonzaga

6-11, 192. ... 12.7 ppg, 6.8 rpg

A sophomore early entry. ... Outstanding combination of height, skills, and versatility. ... Has an amazing wing span. ... Will need to add weight when he gets to the NBA. ... Could have used another year on the collegiate level. ... Performed poorly on several athletic tests in the NBA's pre-draft camp in Chicago. ... Son of five-year NBA veteran Darren Daye.

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NO. 16 CHICAGO

James Johnson, f, Wake Forest

6-8, 257. ... 15.0 ppg, 8.5 rpg

A sophomore early entry. ... Solid all around player and a great scorer ... Extremely skilled and versatile. ... Can break down defenders off the dribble, shoot from long range, and dunk in traffic. ... Has size and strength. ... Play on the floor was inconsistent. ... Needs to improve at the free-throw line. ... Struggles moving laterally on defense. ... Criticized for having high body fat at the NBA combine.

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NO. 17 PHILADELPHIA

Jrue Holiday, g, UCLA

6-4, 199. ... 8.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.7 apg

A freshman early entry. ... A wiry combo guard. ... Solid ballhandler, keeps defenders off balance. ... Has a good repertoire of moves and mixes them up well. .. Can finish around the basket. ... Forces penetration sometimes. ... Inconsistent with his outside shot. ... Could have used another year of seasoning in college.

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NO. 18 MINNESOTA (FROM MIAMI)

Ty Lawson, g, North Carolina

6-0, 197. ... 16.6 ppg, 6.6 apg

Early entry. ... Lightning quick. ... A true point guard. ... Has outstanding court vision. ... Effective breaking down defenders in the half court. ... Loves to push the ball in transition. ... Struggles against taller defenders. ... Defending taller guards in the post up is a concern. ... Needs to improve his midrange shot.

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NO. 19 ATLANTA

Jeff Teague, g, Wake Forest

6-2, 175. ... 18.8 ppg, 3.5 apg

A sophomore early entry. ... Extremely quick and explosive. ... A natural scorer. ... Plays at full throttle the entire game. ... Great open-court speed, loves to push the ball in transition. ... Great hands and foot speed make him menacing on defense. ... Not a pure point guard. ... Fails to put in a consistent effort.

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NO. 20 UTAH

Eric Maynor, g, Virginia Commonwealth

6-3, 164. ... 22.4 ppg, 6.2 apg

Performs in the clutch ... Has a tremendous basketball IQ. ... Very good free-throw shooter. ... Fierce competitor. ... Very good assist-turnover ratio. ... Shot mechanics not pretty, but has ability to convert difficult shots. ... Defense suffers when he struggles offensively. ... Has a slow shot release.

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NO. 21 NEW ORLEANS

Darren Collison, g, UCLA

6-1, 166. ... 14.4 ppg, 4.7 apg

Smooth, quick point guard. ... Excellent passer and ballhandler. ... Quick hands and long arms make him a tough defender. ... Improved his shooting this year. ... Needs to get stronger to be effective on next level. ... Has a slow shooting release. ... Catch and shoot game needs work.

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NO. 22 PORTLAND (FROM DALLAS)

Victor Claver, f, Pamesa Valencia (Spain)

6-9, 224. ... 8.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg

Early entry. ... Athletic, runs the floor well. ... Has a good basketball IQ. ... Plays under control, lets the game come to him. ... Moves well without the ball. ... More effective facing the basket. ... Has good range on the perimeter. ... Needs toimprove his ballhandling. ... Need to get stronger.

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NO. 23 SACRAMENTO (FROM HOUSTON)

Omri Casspi, f, Maccabi Electra (Israel)

6-9, 211. ... 8.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg

Early entry. ... Versatile player. ... Runs the court well, solid leaper. ... Improved his game both offensively and defensively this year. ... Can take it to the basket or hit the long shot. ... Good free throw shooter. ... Needs to improve his passing. ... Needs to bulk up for NBA competition.

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NO. 24 DALLAS (FROM PORTLAND) - Traded to Oklahoma City

B.J. Mullens, c, Ohio State

7-0, 258. ... 8.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg

A freshman early entry. ... Talented big man. ... Shows good athleticism. ... Fundamentally sound for his position ... Solid finisher around the basket. ... Needs to become more aggressive ... Lacks experience and readiness for the NBA. ... Offensive skills are still raw. ... Average rebounder for his size, body and athleticism.

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NO. 25 OKLAHOMA CITY (FROM SAN ANTONIO) - Traded to Dallas

Rodrigue Beaubois, Cholet (France)

6-2, 182. ... 10.0 ppg, 2.3 apg

Early entry. ... Athletic, very quick. ... Large wingspan. ... Has improved as a scorer. ... Solid defender. ... Doesn't distribute the ball well. ... Skinny frame, needs to bulk up. ... poor shooting mechanics.

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NO. 26 CHICAGO (FROM DENVER THROUGH OKLAHOMA CITY)

Taj Gibson, f, Southern California

6-10, 214. ... 14.3 ppg, 9.0 rpg

Early entry. ... Efficient and consistent player. ... Has great hands, soft touch around the basket. ... Runs the floor well. ... His huge wingspan makes him a good shot blocker. .. Limited offensive game when playing with his back to the basket. ... Needs to improve his free throw shooting.

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NO. 27 MEMPHIS (FROM ORLANDO)

DeMarre Carroll, f, Missouri

6-7½, 207. ... 16.6 ppg, 7.2 rpg

Athletic player with great energy. ... Has good feel for the game. ... Runs the floor extremely well. ... Good lateral footspeed on defense. ... Needs to add weight. ... Struggles at the foul line.

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NO. 28 MINNESOTA (FROM BOSTON)

Wayne Ellington, g, North Carolina

6-5, 202. ... 15.8 ppg, 4.9 rpg

Early entry. ... A pure shooter. ... Has a terrific offensive package. ... Can hit the three and spot up or pull up off the dribble. ... Lethal coming off screens. ... Likes the uptempo game. ... Lacks great defensive skills. ... Lacks intensity at times. ... Needs to develop more of a killer instinct.

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NO. 29 L.A. LAKERS

Toney Douglas, g, Florida State

6-1, 200. ... 21.5 ppg, 2.9 apg

A natural scorer. ... Very good athlete. ... Can score many ways. ... Terrific ballhandler. ... Terrific defender, has great lateral quickness. ...

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NO. 30 CLEVELAND

Christian Eyenga, g-f, DKV Joventut (Spain)

6-5, 210. ... 0.8 ppg, 0.0 apg (4 games)

Early entry. ... A native of Congo. ... Very athletic. ... Improved offensively and defensively this year. ... Needs to improve fundamentals. ... A project.