2012 NBA Mock Draft: Best Fits for Every 1st Round Team
Here's a shocker: a number of NBA teams are in dire need of talented post players with plenty of size and the skills to match.
Here's a less sarcastic shocker: this draft should actually have a number of qualified candidates to make those teams very happy.
To be sure, there's a little something for everyone in this draft. There are plenty of raw prospects and proven winners alike—a wealth of options sure to make decisions for front offices a bit more difficult than usual in June.
Here are the decisions they should make.
1. Charlotte Bobcats: Anthony Davis, PF (Kentucky)
Anthony Davis is a proven winner and freakish athlete who could become one of the most versatile and defensively important bigs in the NBA. The Bobcats need a little bit of everything, so any star with a pulse will do.
It also goes without saying that just about every team legitimately needs an impact player like Davis. Whether he's a great fit or not, he'll be selected first overall simply because he's the best all-around bet in the draft.
2. Washington Wizards: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF (Kentucky)
Washington needs an upgrade at the small forward position, and Kidd-Gilchrist is easily the best option—especially for a team desperately in need of energy, leadership and a more competitive edge. This guy will give them all that and more and is a perfect solution to many of Washington's ills.
Kidd-Gilchrist won't immediately alleviate the Wizards' need for better outside shooting, but he and John Wall can form a support group and hopefully figure it out.
3. New Orleans Hornets: Thomas Robinson, PF (Kansas)
Robinson can do it all, and a strong performance in the NCAA tournament makes him an appealing selection for a Hornets team looking for winners.
Robinson will also be one of the best scoring 4s a team can find in this draft since he already has a solid mid-range game. He'd give the Hornets a solid inside-outside combination with Eric Gordon in the backcourt.
4. Sacramento Kings: Andre Drummond, C (UConn)
Arguably no player in this draft has a better combination of size and strength, and his defensive presence would allow DeMarcus Cousins to focus more on the scoring he does so well.
5. Cleveland Cavaliers: Harrison Barnes, SF (North Carolina)
The Cavaliers' wing is in desperate need of some scoring to complement Kyrie Irving, and Barnes would be the best all-around option to rebuild Cleveland's wing. He'd improve the perimeter defense and give the starting lineup a nice combination of length and athleticism.
It's still too soon to know if Barnes can become Cleveland's second superstar, but he's a better bet to do so than anyone currently on the roster.
6. Toronto Raptors: Bradley Beal, G (Florida)
The Raptors' roster quite simply needs the best available talent, and that could be a scorer like Beal. He'd take some pressure off DeMar DeRozan and give Toronto a potential first-option for the future.
7. Portland Trail Blazers: Kendall Marshall, PG (North Carolina)
Portland might choose on pure talent and target someone like Jeremy Lamb, but a young point guard like Marshall would help solve the Trail Blazers' backcourt problems. He's arguably the best passer in the draft.
8. Utah Jazz: Damian Lillard, PG (Weber State)
With Devin Harris around for just one more season at most, the Jazz should be looking for a guy like Damian Lillard—a speedy and multi-talented point guard—to round out a pretty deep team. Lillard could get into the paint and help set up Utah's bevy of young bigs.
9. Detroit Pistons: Perry Jones III, PF (Baylor)
Jones III has the perfect attributes —length, athleticism, speed and ability to play above the rim—to make him a fit alongside Detroit's emergent center, Greg Monroe.
He could also help Detroit on the fast break and give the club a missing versatility on both ends of the floor. With Charlie Villanueva not living up to expectations—even when healthy—and Jason Maxiell undersized for a starting 4, the Pistons could use Jones III as soon as possible.
10. New Orleans Hornets: Terrence Jones, SF (Kentucky)
Assuming the Hornets take a big earlier in the draft (like Robinson or Drummond), they could get help on the wing with this selection, and Terrence Jones probably has the best upside of anyone available. He has the physical tools to become a star and a solid all-around game that's still under improvement.
11. Portland Trail Blazers: Tyler Zeller, C (North Carolina)
Zeller has superb mobility and a lot of hustle for a seven-footer. A big guy with skill and good hands is a rare find, and Zeller's talent on both ends of the floor would pair nicely alongside young center LaMarcus Aldridge.
12. Milwaukee Bucks: John Henson, PF (North Carolina)
Henson has the athletic capacity to immediately impact any interior defense with his proficient rebounding and shot-blocking. His motor may be second only to Anthony Davis among this year's bigs, and he'd be a solid replacement for Ersan Ilyasova if he departs via free agency.
Some strength and extended shooting range would help Henson out, but that's typical even among the best young prospects. Henson and Larry Sanders could develop in time to replenish the Bucks' post-Bogut frontline.
13. Utah Jazz: Austin Rivers, G (Duke)
Even if the Jazz take a point guard with their first selection, Utah is still too deep in the paint to go after anything but a guard here. Don't be surprised if they take a scoring guard like Rivers—he'd be a perfect option to become the sixth man.
14. New Jersey Nets: Jared Sullinger, PF (Ohio State)
Sullinger may have a rough time against the NBA's longer front lines, but his strength and talent will may allow him to compensate for that. If he can play with the big boys, he'd serve capably as a bruiser in the Nets' post.
15. Houston Rockets: Jeremy Lamb, SG (UConn)
Lamb has the talent to go sooner in the draft, but the Rockets have to hope that doesn't happen. He'd give GM Daryl Morey the flexibility to either move Kevin Martin via trade or save the money it would take to retain Courtney Lee in free agency.
16. Philadelphia 76ers: Arnett Moultrie, PF (Mississippi St.)
Moultrie's size and athletic ability could convince a team to take somewhat of a gamble, and his improvement as a junior should earn him some looks in the first round. He'd give Philly an eventual replacement for Elton Brand and some additional size to team with the much-improved Spencer Hawes.
17. Phoenix Suns: Terrence Ross, SG (Washington)
If scouts wind up liking this guy more than Jeremy Lamb and/or Austin Rivers, he could definitely go higher. He has the ideal versatility and skill set to become the Suns' 2 guard, allowing Jared Dudley to return to small forward—where he's better suited.
If and when Grant Hill leaves Phoenix, Ross would have even more opportunity to shine.
18. Dallas Mavericks: Meyers Leonard, C (Illinois)
19. Denver Nuggets: Tony Wroten, Jr., PG (Washington)
Wroten Jr. would give the Nuggets an option behind Ty Lawson and a different look off the bench, thanks to his 6'5'' size. He'll be especially valuable if Andre Miller departs via free agency.
20. Memphis Grizzlies: Jeff Taylor, SF (Vanderbilt)
How do you make a good defensive team even better?
Draft Jeff Taylor! Memphis lost some wing depth by moving Sam Young, and Taylor would fit in as a solid backup for Rudy Gay. He could also come in handy if the Grizzlies ever decide to trade O.J. Mayo. Taylor is a gritty on-ball defender who could become special with an improved offensive game.
21. Orlando Magic: Festus Ezeli, C (Vanderbilt)
Even after four years at Vanderbilt, Ezeli is still enough of a project that he could fall further in the draft, but it wouldn't be surprising to see Orlando take a chance on someone it could develop in a post-Howard era.
22. Atlanta Hawks: Dion Waiters, G (Washington)
Waiters would give Atlanta a guard who could back-up Jeff Teague and spark the Hawks' bench with his versatile scoring ability. He'd also be useful if free-agent Kirk Hinrich leaves town..
23. Boston Celtics: Doron Lamb, SG (Kentucky)
Lamb wouldn't truly replace Ray Allen, but he's one of the best pure shooters in the draft and would certainly be a step in the right direction. He'll need to add strength to his frame before earning a spot in the starting lineup, but Boston's bench needs a jolt anyway.
24. Boston Celtics: Fab Melo, 7'0", 274 lbs., C (Syracuse)
Melo can block shots, rebound, move well and explode to the rim. The Celtics need all of that and more for their otherwise size-challenged squad. If Boston can find a better center, they will—but Melo may be the best thing left on the board at this point.
25. Indiana Pacers: Marquis Teague, PG (Kentucky)
Teague is a speedy point guard who reminds you of his older brother Jeff in just about every way. He'd be a nice back-up for Darren Collison, especially if the Pacers don't retain George Hill.
26. Cleveland Cavaliers: Andrew Nicholson, PF (St. Bonaventure)
Nicholson has steadily improved and developed an impressive scoring touch with the range to match. He may not have perfect size, but he's explosive and plays hard.
He'd give Cleveland a more offensively-oriented alternative to Tristan Thompson and really solidify the front line. Even if Antawn Jamison sticks around for another year, Nicholson could get a shot down the road.
27. Miami Heat: Draymond Green, F (Michigan St.)
If Green finds a natural position in the NBA, he could serve as a versatile player off the bench and fill in for Mike Miller and Shane Battier when they move on.
28. Oklahoma City Thunder: Moe Harkless, SF (St. John's)
Harkless gives Kevin Durant a quick breather from time to time and serves as a bit of insurance. The Thunder don't have many needs, so Harkless would be a nice bonus.
29. Golden State Warriors: Royce White, SF (Iowa State)
White has plenty of talent, but his struggles with anxiety and fear of flying suggest he could be a huge risk. The Warriors might be willing to take that risk on a solid small forward, though. The backcourt and positions both look pretty set for the foreseeable future.
30. Chicago Bulls: Evan Fournier, SG (France)
Fournier is an acceptable risk for an already-established team like the Bulls. They could afford to let him develop overseas before bringing him in to potentially replace Richard Hamilton.
