NBA Mock Draft: How Much Did Final Four Studs Help Themselves?

With the two Final Four games in the books, let's take another look at how the 2012 NBA draft may play out. 

Anthony Davis clearly showed that New Orleans was his stage, but which other prospects helped their stocks in the penultimate games of March Madness?

The following slides contain my latest mock draft. Every pick was made based on my personal big board, as well as how the players fit in with the teams doing the drafting. 

On each slide you'll see a lot of information: the player's school, year, position, vitals (height and weight), tournament mPlayRtg+ (see the next slide for details), stats during the 2011-2012 collegiate season and a brief description. 

Let's mock!

Modified Playmaker Rating Plus (mPlayRtg+)

I originally came up with this statistic to measure the play of NBA point guards, but I modified the formula here to apply to collegiate players and be understood more easily. 

Here's my original explanation of the stat, which is intended to measure success at manufacturing points. 

Hopefully you've made it all the way through that explanation so I can explain how mPlayRtg+ is different. This is the easy part, since there are only two major differences. 

No. 1: This is how we get the "m" in front of the PlayRtg+. Because usage rate stats are not available for just the tournament games, I used minutes played per game instead. This accomplishes the same purpose, although a little bit of accuracy is lost, since it measures time on the court and not involvement while on the court. 

No. 2: This is how we get the "+" after mPlayRtg. Instead of leaving the numbers in their raw forms, as I did with the original stat, I've calculated an average based on all tournaments in the game and modified the numbers to show them in relation to that average.

A 100 mPlayRtg+ means that the player was perfectly in line with the tournament average raw score of 26.94, while a 200 mPlayRtg+ would indicate a score of 53.88, twice as good as the average. Similarly, a 13.47 would indicate that the playmaking was only half as good as the tournament average.  

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1. Charlotte Bobcats: Anthony Davis

School: Kentucky

Position: Power forward and center

Year: Freshman

Vitals: 6'10", 220 pounds

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 14.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, 0.9 assists

Tournament mPlayRtg+: 166.52 (No. 32 out of 433 eligible players)

Anthony Davis justified his status as the No. 1 pick by putting together a masterful performance against Louisville to help his Kentucky Wildcats reach the championship game of March Madness. 

He became the first player to record 15 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks in a Final Four game since Danny Manning did so in 1988 right after claiming the Wooden Award, Naismith Trophy, the National Association of Basketball Coaches’ Defensive Player of the Year and Big Man of the Year awards among others.

Seriously though, you know you're ridiculously good when Rick Pitino compares you to Bill Russell (as reported by the LA Times).

2. New Orleans Hornets: Andre Drummond

School: Connecticut

Position: Power forward and center

Year: Freshman

Vitals: 6'10", 270 pounds

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 10.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, 0.5 assists

Tournament mPlayRtg+: 48.26 (No. 370 out of 433 eligible players)

I'm still not sold that Andre Drummond is going to be able to live up to his high ceiling. He has all the physical tools in the world, but at some point, production is necessary to validate expectations. 

So far, whether in the regular season or postseason, we haven't seen much production at all from this big man. 

3. Washington Wizards: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

School: Kentucky

Position: Small forward

Year: Freshman

Vitals: 6'7", 232 pounds

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 11.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists

Tournament mPlayRtg+: 103.28 (No. 196 out of 433 eligible players)

For the first time in a long while, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was a non-factor. Neutralized by a couple of possibly bogus charge calls, MKG played only six minutes in the first half and was plagued by calls during the second half as well. 

He still finished with nine points and four rebounds, including a few nice plays in the closing stages of the game. We're going to have to wait until the championship to see his grand finale. 

4. Toronto Raptors: Harrison Barnes

School: North Carolina

Position: Small forward

Year: Sophomore

Vitals: 6'8", 215 pounds

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 17.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.0 assists

Tournament mPlayRtg+: 94.39 (No. 224 out of 433 eligible players)

Harrison Barnes struggled to create his shot without Kendall Marshall, exposing one of the flaws that scouts have been harping on all year. 

Now that he's officially declared for this draft, Barnes isn't certain to be a top-five pick, but I can't see the Toronto Raptors passing up on him here. 

5. Sacramento Kings: Thomas Robinson

School: Kansas

Position: Power forward

Year: Junior

Vitals: 6'10", 237 pounds

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 17.9 points, 11.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists

Tournament mPlayRtg+: 95.86 (No. 216 out of 433 eligible players)

Knocking down inside shots, throwing down dunks and even hitting on some long two-point jump shots, Thomas Robinson was a force to be reckoned with on offense against the Ohio State Buckeyes. 

Although his 8-of-18 shooting performance doesn't look particularly great, he was clearly the man in charge and willed his way to a few baskets, proving his tremendous strength in the process. 

6. Portland Trail Blazers: Bradley Beal

School: Florida

Position: Shooting guard

Year: Freshman

Vitals: 6'3", 207 pounds

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 14.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists

Tournament mPlayRtg+: 154.06 (No. 55 out of 433 eligible players)

Bradley Beal shot up draft boards during the second half of the collegiate season. It wouldn't shock me in the slightest to see him go in the top five picks, depending on how the lottery balls fall. 

Despite being a bit undersized, Beal has tremendous athleticism and a solid all-around offensive game. 

7. Detroit Pistons: Jared Sullinger

School: Ohio State

Position: Power forward

Year: Sophomore

Vitals: 6'9", 265 pounds

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 17.6 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists

Tournament mPlayRtg+: 122.79 (No. 117 out of 433 eligible players)

Jared Sullinger didn't exactly do wonders for his NBA draft stock when he struggled tremendously against the Kansas Jayhawks in what appears to be his final game at Ohio State. 

One of the biggest knocks on this power forward throughout the season has been his inability to score against length. Length is exactly what he found on Saturday in the form of Thomas Robinson and Jeff Withey. 

The result was a 5-of-19 shooting performance and a failure to put the team on his back down the stretch. 

8. Cleveland Cavaliers: John Henson

School: North Carolina

Position: Power forward and center

Year: Junior

Vitals: 6'11", 220 pounds

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 13.8 points, 10.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists

Tournament mPlayRtg+: 95.49 (No. 217 out of 433 eligible players)

This shot-blocker extraordinaire shouldn't be reduced to just a shot-blocker. 

With great athleticism and hustle, John Henson is turning into a solid offensive option while retaining his defensive prowess. If he adds strength, he and Kyrie Irving could form one hell of a duo down the road. 

9. Houston Rockets: Perry Jones III

School: Baylor

Position: Power forward

Year: Sophomore

Vitals: 6'11", 235 pounds

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 14.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists

Tournament mPlayRtg+: 94.61 (No. 221 out of 433 eligible players)

Perry Jones III will have stretches that make you question how he's not the overwhelming favorite for the No. 1 overall pick. Then he'll have stretches that make you question how he's even going to be drafted in the first place. 

The Houston Rockets will be hoping for far more of the former than the latter. 

10. Utah Jazz: Jeremy Lamb

School: Connecticut

Position: Shooting guard and small forward

Year: Sophomore

Vitals: 6'5", 180 pounds

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 17.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists

Tournament mPlayRtg+: 122.58 (No. 120 out of 433 eligible players)

Jeremy Lamb is incredibly athletic and a great scorer. 

We've been talking a lot lately about how the missed windmill dunk at the end of the Round of 64 loss to Iowa State is emblematic of both his sophomore season and the Connecticut Huskies as a whole. I'd like to remind you of the positives. 

Just watch this again. 

11. Portland Trail Blazers: Tyler Zeller

School: North Carolina

Position: Power forward and center

Year: Senior

Vitals: 7'0", 250 pounds

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 16.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.0 assists

Tournament mPlayRtg+: 103.37 (No. 195 out of 433)

If I had to bet on one player for North Carolina to become a star from this draft class, it would be Tyler Zeller and not Harrison Barnes, John Henson nor Kendall Marshall. 

I absolutely love Zeller's arsenal of post moves, tenacity on the glass, defensive presence and ability to shoot 18-footers even if he isn't asked to take them very often in the Tar Heels' offensive system. 

A very NBA-ready player, expect Zeller to make a huge impact during his rookie season. 

12. Phoenix Suns: Kendall Marshall

School: North Carolina

Position: Point guard

Year: Sophomore

Vitals: 6'4", 195 pounds

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 7.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, 9.7 assists

Tournament mPlayRtg+: 187.47 (No. 12 out of 433 eligible players)

Kendall Marshall proved just how valuable he was when Stilman White took over for the wrist-less (not listless) Marshall and the North Carolina offense started to sputter. 

In my opinion, it doesn't exactly make up for his lack of defensive ability and inability to score on a consistent basis, even if it shows what an otherworldly assist man he's been.

13. Utah Jazz: Damian Lillard

School: Weber State

Position: Point guard and shooting guard

Year: Junior

Vitals: 6'3", 195 pounds

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 24.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists

Seasonal PlayRtg: 40.72

Tournament mPlayRtg+: N/A

The dichotomy of the No. 12 and No. 13 picks in this mock draft is just superb (and unintentional, so don't take that as patting myself on the back). 

Damian Lillard is everything that Kendall Marshall isn't at the point guard position. He's not the greatest passer in the world, but he's an incredible scorer fully capable of taking over the game by himself at any moment. 

I've already had the Utah Jazz taking Jeremy Lamb at No. 9, so this would completely remake the backcourt. The Jazz have shown some commitment to Alec Burks at the shooting guard position, but this pairing is just too good to pass up, especially since Lamb could be a viable sixth man while relieving both Burks and Gordon Hayward. 

14. New Orleans Hornets: Terrence Jones

School: Kentucky

Position: Small forward and power forward

Year: Sophomore

Vitals: 6'9", 252 pounds

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 12.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists

Tournament mPlayRtg+: 129.75 (No. 102 out of 433 eligible players)

After taking Andre Drummond with the No. 2 pick, the New Orleans Hornets complete a boom-or-bust frontcourt renovation by selecting Terrence Jones with the No. 14 pick of the 2012 NBA draft. 

Jones displayed exactly what everyone likes to say about him on Saturday against Louisville: There's good TJ and then there's bad TJ. It's like he can just flip a switch. 

The switch was off during the Final Four, but he's scary good when it's on. 

15. Milwaukee Bucks: Meyers Leonard

School: Illinois

Position: Center

Year: Sophomore

Vitals: 7'1", 245 pounds

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 13.6 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists

Tournament mPlayRtg+: N/A

With as much athleticism as most guards and an already solid offensive game that's still developing, Meyers Leonard could absolutely replace Andrew Bogut and become the next big thing at the center position. 

Speaking of "the next big thing," it helps that he's 7'1". 

16. New Jersey Nets: Quincy Miller

School: Baylor

Position: Small forward

Year: Freshman

Vitals: 6'9", 210 pounds

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 11.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists

Tournament mPlayRtg+: 67.05 (No. 316 out of 433 eligible players)

Quincy Miller would fit in perfectly with the New Jersey Nets. Of course, this is assuming that not everyone bolts for greener pastures once the free-agency period rolls around. 

The small forward has a sweet stroke but also possesses the unfortunate tendency to forget which shots he makes and which he usually misses. Doesn't that remind you of Deron Williams and MarShon Brooks?

17. Denver Nuggets: Austin Rivers

School: Duke

Position: Point guard and shooting guard

Year: Freshman

Vitals: 6'4", 200 pounds

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 15.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists

Tournament mPlayRtg+: 113.60 (No. 155 out of 433 eligible players)

I'm a little bit disappointed that Austin Rivers declared early for the NBA draft, because he had a lot of learning left to do under Mike Krzyzewski. 

Rivers is tremendously talented on the offensive side of the ball, but he's still way too prone to mental lapses and costly turnovers.

Plus, he won't get to hit game-winners against North Carolina in the Association and have one play trump everything else he did during a season. 

18. Boston Celtics: Terrence Ross

School: Washington

Position: Shooting guard and small forward

Year: Sophomore

Vitals: 6'6", 195 pounds

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 15.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists

Tournament mPlayRtg+: N/A

With Austin Rivers off the board, you can probably hear Danny Ainge breathe a sigh of relief as he doesn't have to decide whether to draft the son of his head coach. 

If he drafted Terrence Ross, though, he'd have to worry about the swingman destroying the parquet floors of the Boston Garden by jumping too high and landing with too much force over and over again. 

19. Dallas Mavericks: Jeffery Taylor

School: Vanderbilt

Position: Small forward

Year: Senior

Vitals: 6'7", 225 pounds

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 16.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists

Tournament mPlayRtg+: 80.18 (No. 273 out of 433 eligible players)

Just look at that face. 

Doesn't he look like a winner?

20. Atlanta Hawks: Tony Wroten Jr.

School: Washington

Position: Point guard and shooting guard

Year: Freshman

Vitals: 6'5", 205 pounds

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 16.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists

Tournament mPlayRtg+: N/A

The word on the street is that the Atlanta Hawks are very interested in this intriguing young combo-guard from Washington. That said, I've been unable to find any hard sources that provide validity for that rumor and believe that the information may stem from the fact that ESPN's Chad Ford had Tony Wroten Jr. going to the Hawks in a mock draft (subscription needed).

It is a perfect fit, though. 

21. Boston Celtics: Arnett Moultrie

School: Mississippi State

Position: Power forward and center

Year: Junior

Vitals: 6'11", 230 pounds

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 15.8 points, 10.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists

Tournament mPlayRtg+: N/A

Look on some mock drafts and you'll see Arnett Moultrie going in the top 10. Look on others and you'll find him in the last 10 picks of the first round. 

That's just how divisive a prospect this big man for the Mississippi State Bulldogs can be. He has incredible physical talent and he produced at a high level during his junior season, but his mental makeup has drawn a lot of questioning. 

22. Philadelphia 76ers: Royce White

School: Iowa State

Position: Power forward and small forward

Year: Sophomore

Vitals: 6'8", 270 pounds

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 13.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, 5.1 assists

Tournament mPlayRtg+: 173.11 (No. 24 out of 433 eligible players)

Speaking of questions about mental makeups...

The only thing holding back Royce White is his anxiety. His versatility and range of skills on offense could make him a top-five player from this draft class, but there's also potential for him to completely flop and drop out of the league after a season or two. 

23. Memphis Grizzlies: Dion Waiters

School: Syracuse

Position: Point guard and shooting guard

Year: Sophomore

Vitals: 6'4", 215 pounds

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 12.6 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists

Tournament mPlayRtg+: 104.90 (No. 185 out of 433)

A somewhat surprising addition to the 2012 NBA draft class, Dion Waiters will most likely settle in as much more of a shooting guard than a point guard. 

Waiters has a remarkable ability to get to the rim, but it remains to be seen whether his lack of size will hinder him too much when he goes up against the big bodies that the NBA has to offer. 

24. Indiana Pacers: Moe Harkless

School: St. John's

Position: Shooting guard and small forward

Year: Freshman

Vitals: 6'8", 208 pounds

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 15.3 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists

Tournament mPlayRtg+: N/A

Moe Harkless struggled shooting the ball, and it's a bit of a surprise that he decided to be yet another one-and-done. However, after his terrific freshman season at St. John's, he's almost a lock to go in the first round of the 2012 NBA draft.

The swingman doesn't play defense particularly well at this stage in his career, but he's a great athlete and can rebound better than most people who line up at his position. 

25. Cleveland Cavaliers: John Jenkins

School: Vanderbilt

Position: Shooting guard

Year: Junior

Vitals: 6'4", 215 pounds

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 19.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists

Tournament mPlayRtg+: 147.39 (No. 67 out of 433 eligible players) 

If the Cleveland Cavaliers manage to follow the plan for them that I've laid forth in this mock draft, they will make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference next season. 

John Jenkins is one of those players who simply makes his point guard's job a lot easier. He's incredibly gifted when it comes to using off-ball screens to free himself and get open for a three-pointer. Once the ball is in his hands, he's fairly decent at knocking down the shots. 

With John Henson and John Jenkins joining Anderson Varejao, Kyrie Irving, Antawn Jamison and Alonzo Gee (assuming the latter two re-sign) in Cleveland, this team would scare quite a few contenders during the second half of the season. 

26. Orlando Magic: Tyshawn Taylor

School: Kansas

Position: Point guard

Year: Senior

Vitals: 6'3", 185 pounds

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 17.3 points, 1.9 rebounds, 4.8 assists

Tournament mPlayRtg+: 105.34 (No. 180 out of 433 eligible players)

It shouldn't be much of a surprise that the suffocating defense of Aaron Craft managed to pester Tyshawn Taylor into a 3-of-11 shooting performance from the field and five turnovers.

But the Kansas point guard managed to redeem himself both with his nine assists and the fact that his team emerged victorious. 

Taylor is undeniably turnover-prone, but he can also make plays.

This pick hinges on Jameer Nelson making the right decision with his player option and joining a different squad, though.  

27. Golden State Warriors: Tony Mitchell

School: North Texas

Position: Power forward

Year: Freshman

Vitals: 6'8", 235 pounds

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 14.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists

Tournament mPlayRtg+: N/A

The Golden State Warriors are set at every position other than maybe small forward right now, but there aren't any small forwards available here tempting enough to draft over the talented freshman power forward for the North Texas Mean Green. 

Tony Mitchell isn't a scorer unless you get the ball to him while he's in the paint and he struggled with academics throughout his one season at North Texas. However, he has some serious basketball talent with his undeniable athleticism and willingness to be scrappy.

28. Miami Heat: Mason Plumlee

School: Duke

Position: Power forward and center

Year: Junior

Vitals: 6'10", 235 pounds

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 10.9 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists

Tournament mPlayRtg+: 132.22 (No. 97 out of 433 eligible players)

Mason Plumlee may be a bit undersized, but he's still an upgrade at center for the Miami Heat. 

An explosive leaper who also happens to be 6'10", Plumlee's offensive game is still a work in progress, but he's the big body that the team from South Beach needs. 

29. Oklahoma City Thunder: Draymond Green

School: Michigan State

Position: Small forward and power forward

Year: Senior

Vitals: 6'7", 230 pounds

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 16.1 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists

Tournament mPlayRtg+: 151.76 (No. 60 out of 433 eligible players)

Here's what I said about Draymond Green in my last mock draft because everything still applies: 

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The Oklahoma City Thunder are set at virtually every position, so I've got them drafting a versatile player here who also happens to be the best available.

Draymond Green can do it all on the basketball court, which resulted in him posting the second March Madness triple-double of his career, putting him on an exclusive list populated by only himself, Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson.

Yeah, he's kind of good.

 

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30. Chicago Bulls: Doron Lamb

School: Kentucky

Position: Shooting guard

Year: Sophomore

Vitals: 6'4", 210 pound

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 13.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists

Tournament mPlayRtg+: 117.54 (No. 143 out of 433 eligible players)

The Chicago Bulls are a shooting guard away from being the unquestioned favorites for a title. 

Doron Lamb has been a good, but not great, scorer for the Kentucky Wildcats throughout his sophomore season—just like he was during the Final Four game against Louisville. I'm of the opinion that he hasn't been able to be great because he's surrounded by so much offensive talent.