2012 NBA Mock Draft: Latest Expert Predictions for Entire First Round
The 2012 NBA Draft will take place on June 28 at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., and there are quite a few prizes out there for the lottery teams drafting early.
Since I’ve spent a lot of time this season focusing on the draft, I figured in my latest mock draft I would compare my selections to another draft expert and see what he has to say about each pick.
In this mock I will use ESPN’s Chad Ford as a comparison and see how our drafts differ.
1. Charlotte Bobcats:
Matt Shetler: Anthony Davis, Kentucky. Ford: Davis
Despite a 23-game losing streak and the worst winning percentage in NBA history, if the Bobcats land the potential game-changer in Davis, they will actually have a couple key pieces in place for the future, pairing Davis with point guard Kemba Walker.
2. Washington Wizards:
Shetler: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kentucky. Ford: Kidd-Gilchrist
Kidd-Gilchrist will be a shutdown defender who can guard multiple positions, but he also gives John Wall an athletic wing player who can run in transition.
As much as the Wizards need his production, they need Kidd-Gilchrist’s high character, leadership, toughness and work ethic even more.
3. New Orleans Hornets:
Shetler: Thomas Robinson, Kansas. Ford: Robinson
The Hornets need a big guy with this pick and they could elect to go with UConn’s Andre Drummond, but Robinson’s more of a sure thing right now. After posting 27 double-doubles this season at Kansas, he’s NBA-ready right now.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers:
Shetler: Bradley Beal, Florida. Ford: Beal
If the Cavs get lucky and can land Beal to pair with Kyrie Irving, it gives them two high-octane scorers who can handle the ball, get to the rim and shoot it.
Beal averaged 14.8 PPG on the season and shot 45 percent on the floor. He has range on his jumper and could be the perfect fit at the 2 next to Irving.
Beal’s biggest quality though is that he has range on his jumper, and the Cavs need shooting.
5. Sacramento Kings:
Shetler: Andre Drummond, Connecticut. Ford: Drummond
Drummond could turn into the perfect pick for the Kings. He’s got plenty of upside and paired with DeMarcus Cousins, the Kings could have a future dominant front line.
He has the physical talent to be a dominant pro, but only showed it in flashes as a freshman, averaging only 10.0 PPG and 7.6 RPG on the season, with 16 single-digit scoring games to go along with 13 games of five rebounds or less.
6. Portland Trail Blazers (via New Jersey Nets):
Shetler: Damian Lillard, Weber State. Ford: Harrison Barnes, North Carolina
The first time Ford and I disagree as I think the point guard in Lillard is more of a need pick for Portland, especially if they show commitment to Nicolas Batum at the small forward spot.
Lillard gives the Blazers a high-volume scorer who averaged 24.5 PPG on the season and a guy who can effectively run their offense.
7. Golden State Warriors:
Shetler: Harrison Barnes, North Carolina. Ford: Perry Jones III, Baylor
By winning a coin flip, the Warriors get to keep this pick unless some team jumps over them in the lottery. If they stay here, it’s a huge win as they get the productive small forward they desperately need.
Barnes has the talent to become a No. 1 scoring option (17.7 PPG) and could excel in the Golden State offense.
8. Toronto Raptors:
Shetler: Perry Jones III, Baylor. Ford: Damian Lillard, Weber State
The Raptors are another team that needs production at the 3 and Jones has the talent of a top three pick. He didn’t live up to that talent in college, only averaging 13.5 PPG and 7.6 RPG, but if he works out and lives up to his potential, he has All-Star talent.
9. Detroit Pistons:
Shetler: John Henson, North Carolina. Ford: Henson
The Pistons need length and athleticism in their frontcourt, and Henson is one of the better pure athletes in the draft. He can rebound (10.1 RPG) and block shots (2.9 BPG) and pairing him next to Greg Monroe, the Pistons could have a very good frontcourt sooner rather than later.
10. New Orleans Hornets (via Minnesota Timberwolves):
Shetler: Kendall Marshall, North Carolina. Ford: Marshall
Marshall is a pass-first point guard who makes everyone around him better. He’s a natural floor leader with great court vision (9.8 PPG) and excellent decision-making skills, posting a 3.48 assist-to-turnover ratio.
This could turn into a huge draft for the Hornets, nabbing both Robinson and Marshall.
11. Portland Trail Blazers:
Shetler: Tyler Zeller, North Carolina. Ford: Zeller
The Blazers need both a point guard and a big man and get both in the first 11 picks of the draft.
Zeller is long, runs the floor well and has a very soft touch around the rim, shooting 55 percent from the floor on the season. He doesn’t project to be a star, but he will be productive.
12. Milwaukee Bucks:
Shetler: Jared Sullinger, Ohio State. Ford: Sullinger
The Bucks need a big and Sullinger could provide good value this late in the draft. He can rebound (9.6 RPG) and has a very advanced post-game (17.6 PPG) and could become a fixture in the Bucks lineup for some time to come.
13. Phoenix Suns:
Shetler: Austin Rivers, Duke. Ford: Rivers
The Suns need a bit of everything, especially with point guard Steve Nash potentially on the move out of town.
If Rivers lives up to his potential, he can be a star. He’s got some work to do on his game, but he’s got natural scoring ability (15.5 PPG) from both the inside and outside.
14. Houston Rockets:
Shetler: Jeremy Lamb, Connecticut. Ford: Terrence Jones, Kentucky
I don’t really like Jones for the Rockets here, as Houston has several wing players under contract. Instead, I see them looking bigger picture here with Kevin Martin entering the final season of his contract.
They need backcourt depth, and Lamb has the talent to go much higher in the draft. He’s got the talent to attack the basket as well as dominate from the mid-range. He also has the potential to be a top scoring option after averaging 17.7 PPG.
15. Philadelphia 76ers:
Shetler: Terrence Ross, Washington. Ford: Ross
This is a need pick for the Sixers, as they have little to no perimeter shooting other than Jodie Meeks. Ross would be an instant upgrade at the shooting guard position.
He has great size at 6’6” and has range on his jumper, knocking down 37 percent of his attempts from behind the arc.
16. Houston Rockets (via New York Knicks):
Shetler: Arnett Moultrie, Mississippi State. Ford: Moultrie
Moultrie is a great pick here for the Rockets, who can land the big man they need. His size, elite athletic ability and rebounding prowess (10.6 RPG) make him worth the risk. He could go as high as No. 9 to Detroit and if that’s the case, I would like Henson here for Houston.
He has the strength to play the 4 or the 5 but the athleticism of a guard and can score from both the inside or outside, shooting 55 percent from the floor on the season, but 44 percent from three-point range.
17. Dallas Mavericks:
Shetler: Terrence Jones, Kentucky. Ford: Jeremy Lamb, UConn
Dallas can stand to get younger and more athletic. Jones is a competitor who can rebound and score in traffic and has the ability to score from all three levels, shooting not only 50 percent from the floor, but 33 percent from behind the arc.
18. Minnesota Timberwolves:
Shetler: Dion Waiters, Syracuse. Ford: Waiters
Minnesota could use a pure shooter here, which makes Doron Lamb an option, but Waiters' ability to get to the basket is also very attractive here. The Wolves would probably like a better shooter, but the 36 percent he shot from behind the arc isn’t terrible and it gives him something to improve on.
19. Orlando Magic:
Shetler: Meyers Leonard, Illinois. Ford: Leonard
Orlando could look many areas here, but if a talented big like Leonard is on the board, they almost have to take him to provide some Dwight Howard insurance.
Leonard won’t be a star right away, but has some skill and put up a good season statistically when he averaged 8.2 RPG and blocked 1.9 shots a night, while averaging 13.6 PPG and shooting .584 from the floor.
20. Denver Nuggets:
Shetler: Quincy Miller, Baylor. Ford: Miller
Denver really doesn’t have any pressing needs, so they can take the best player on the board and be patient while he develops.
Miller might not be NBA-ready right now, but he has a ton of upside and is a good value pick here.
21. Boston Celtics:
Shetler: Andrew Nicholson, St. Bonaventure. Ford: Fab Melo, Syracuse
I like giving Boston a young, big body for the future, and Nicholson could eventually turn out to be the steal of the draft.
He got better each of his four years and may not be a star right away, but Nicholson can do it all, averaging 18.5 PPG, 8.5 RPG and 2.0 BPG on the season, while shooting 57 percent from the floor and 44 percent from three-point range.
22. Boston Celtics (via Los Angeles Clippers):
Shetler: Royce White, Iowa State. Ford: White
The Celtics could use a shooting guard here, but they have money to play with and can look to upgrade the spot in free agency.
White is very talented, with the 6’9” size of a small forward and the speed and court vision of a guard. He averaged a solid 13.4 PPG and 9.8 RPG but also led the Iowa State team with 5.1 APG. Down the road, he could turn into the eventual replacement for Paul Pierce.
23. Atlanta Hawks:
Shetler: Doron Lamb, Kentucky. Ford: Tony Wroten Jr., Washington
Lamb is a scorer and the Hawks need some production from the 2-guard spot if Joe Johnson is going to play the 3.
He’s a lights-out shooter with a deadly stroke, knocking down 47 percent of his three-point attempts on the season.
24. Cleveland Cavaliers (via Los Angeles Lakers):
Shetler: Moe Harkless, St. John's. Ford: Harkless
Harkless not only helps the Cavs get more athletic but better as well.
He is a terrific scorer (15.3 PPG) and defender who needs to develop a better jump shot (.202 from behind the arc), but add him to Irving, Beal, Tristan Thompson and Anderson Varejao and the Cavs could make a run at the playoffs soon again.
25. Memphis Grizzlies:
Shetler: Tony Wroten, Washington. Ford: Jeff Taylor, Vanderbilt
Memphis can gamble on Wroten here and give him time to develop.
He is a gifted scorer who averaged 16.7 PPG as a freshman and could become one of the better players in the draft, but he must develop a perimeter shot (16 percent) and cut down on his turnovers, coughing up the rock 3.8 times per game to only 3.7 assists per game.
26. Indiana Pacers:
Shetler: Marquis Teague, Kentucky. Ford: Teague
The Pacers can look point guard of the future here and while Teague has some developing to do, he’s got a good feel for the game and is lightning quick.
He could work his way into minutes right off the bat.
27. Miami Heat:
Shetler: Festus Ezeli, Vanderbilt. Ford: Draymond Green, Michigan State
Ezeli is the big body that Miami can develop. He can rebound and block shots and while his offensive game is raw, he has a nice little hook shot that he can make with either hand. He shot 60 percent from the floor.
28. Oklahoma City Thunder:
Shetler: Jeff Taylor, Vanderbilt. Ford: Evan Fournier, France
Taylor not only adds depth to the Thunder, but also a guy who is an outstanding defender who will work himself into the rotation immediately.
He’s athletic enough to get to the rim and worked hard on developing a perimeter shot, shooting 42 percent from behind the arc as a senior after shooting only 9 percent as a sophomore.
29. Chicago Bulls
Shetler: John Jenkins, Vanderbilt. Ford: Doron Lamb, Kentucky
Jenkins could be the best shooter in the draft, knocking down 44 percent of his long-range attempts.
He has unlimited range and a smooth stroke, and you can never have too much shooting. The Bulls could use an extra scoring option, and Jenkins could turn out to be a nice one.
30. Golden State Warriors (via San Antonio Spurs)
Shetler: Fab Melo, Syracuse. Ford: Andrew Nicholson, St. Bonaventure
With their second pick, the Warriors can add more size with Melo. He can develop behind Andrew Bogut and should at least be able to contribute blocking shots (2.9 BPG).
His offense is raw, but he’s got some talent.
