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For weeks it seemed as if the Chicago Bulls, one of the luckiest teams in lottery history, was prepared to take Michael Beasley out of Kansas State with the number one pick in the draft.  

Taking Beasley would be drafting for need, as the Bulls have a plethora of guards. It seemed like a decent idea, but analysis of the character of the two players and the undeniable potential greatness of hometown boy Derrick Rose has led everyone to realize that Rose has to be the pick.

Beasley may be a stat stuffing phenom, but his heart and his commitment to the game of basketball has been questioned. Not exactly someone you want to give the keys to your franchise. 

Rose on the other hand was an instrumental force in getting the running Memphis Tigers to the NCAA Finals, and he has one focus in life, it seems – basketball. Rose's Memphis team came within two shots of having an undefeated season, and now the player that Pat Riley was drooling to fall to Miami at #2 is all but a certain lock as the first pick in the draft.

Beasley's heart, performance and how he fits in to the Heat lineup have even led some to speculate that Riley may be looking to trade the second pick in the draft. And all of this regarding a guy who has his own ESPN.com online documentary season. How the might have fallen.

After Beasley and Rose, the draft starts to get very interesting, with many teams' needs not matching with their draft positioning and the players available at their spots, meaning some good talent could drop. And with this trades coming into play, it's really anyone's guess. But we may as well make our guesses now as to what happens with the first half dozen picks in the draft.

At the three spot, the Minnesota Timberwolves probably need a small forward, but there is nobody in the draft at that position who really merits (or needs to be) taken that high. The Wolves could trade the pick and pick up a player and a later lottery pick, unless they think Danillo Gallinari is worth taking a flyer on at that spot. Given GM Kevin McHale's trade of Kevin Garnett, smart money seems to be on not putting any money on what the Wolves do.

The Seattle Sonics will be licking their chops if O.J. Mayo slips to them, giving Kevin Durant a running mate who can handle the ball and take some responsibility (and double teams) away from the Rookie of the Year. Of course, Mayo is exactly the kind of guy new Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni would love to have running his team, and with Isiah Thomas out of the picture, the Knicks may be savvy enough to figure out a way to get him.

The Grizzlies, like the Wolves, are another unpredictable team, as evidenced by GM Chris Wallace's Christmas gift of Pau Gasol to the Lakers. With Gasol gone, the Grizzlies could use a big body like Kevin Love from UCLA inside to bang the boards. Whether his body will hold up to the NBA game is another question. If they can find a taker for point guard Mike Connelly, Jr., the Grizz may take Eric Gordon out of Indiana. Gordon is an amazing player who suffered through the psychodrama of the Kelvin Sampson era and did not have the opportunity to shine the way his counterparts Mayo and Rose did.

If the Knicks are unable to trade up, look for them to try and snag Gordon or Russell Westbrook of UCLA. If both of those players are gone, they may opt for Jerryd Bayless of Arizona. One thing is certain, the Knicks do not have the point guard D'Antoni wants right now.

The NBA draft is no exact science. You can get lucky in the second round with a Carl Landry type or you can have a Sam Bowie type flop with the first pick. Rose seems to be the one true difference maker in this year's draft. And after he goes to the Bulls, it's anyone's guess what happens Thursday night, much less for the next 10 seasons.