NBA Draft 2012: Where Kentucky's Anthony Davis Fits Best

After just one year of manning the defensive middle for the NCAA champion Kentucky Wildcats, athletic big man Anthony Davis is setting his sights on the 2012 NBA Draft.

The consensus Player of the Year in college basketball last season, Davis is almost certain to be the draft's No. 1 overall pick. 

Some envision Davis as the next coming of Marcus Camby while others see a ceiling of Kevin Garnett. More than likely, Davis will fall somewhere in the middle of Camby and Garnett. He may not have the impact of LeBron James or Dwight Howard right away, but there's enough in his skill set for Davis to be the clear frontrunner to be the top player off the draft board. 

While Davis may be a lock at No. 1, who ultimately gets to use that selection on Davis has yet to be decided. The NBA Draft Lottery, which will take place on May 30, will decide which of the league's worst teams gets the draft's No. 1 pick. 

Under the NBA's current lottery system, only four teams have odds that exceed 10 percent. Below, we breakdown which of those teams represent the best fit for Davis at the NBA level. 

Charlotte Bobcats (25 percent chance of winning the lottery)

Ironically, one of the league's worst ever teams (7-59 finish) wouldn't be drastically improved by adding Davis. Both Bismack Biyombo, Byron Mullens and Tyrus Thomas are readily available options in Charlotte as athletic big men with limited offensive games.

Would throwing Davis into that mix make the Bobcats significantly better? At the very least, Davis and Biyombo—another athletic shot blocker—would create one of the league's best rim-defending combinations. But Davis wouldn't do much to help Charlotte's lacking offensive package. 

While the last team with the worst record to win the No. 1 pick was the Orlando Magic seven years ago, the Bobcats would likely have to pick Davis if the ping pong ball worked their way in two weeks. 

Washington Wizards (19.9 percent)

The Wizards were a circus for most of 2011-12, but adding Davis to the frontcourt might make Washington a fringe playoff team next season.

The John Wall-Davis combination would represent the most athletic big-small combination in the NBA, and a back line of Davis and Nene could be among the league's best defensively. A defensive ranking of 20th overall (98.4 points per game) would likely improve with Davis on the roster next season.

Washington got lucky with the lottery as the league's fifth-worst team two years ago. Maybe the Wizards can strike Kentucky gold again in 2012? 

Cleveland Cavaliers (13.8 percent)

The Cavs represent another perfect fit for Davis. While 2011 first-rounder Tristan Thompson and Anderson Varejao remain, adding Davis to the mix would give Cleveland a premier trio of inside players to throw at the rest of the Eastern Conference. 

Of course, there's also 2011-12 rookie of the year Kyrie Irving—last season's No. 1 overall pick. Davis, Thompson and Irving represent three young players a franchise can build around for the next eight to 10 years. Three building blocks of that caliber can turn around a franchise in the snap of a finger. 

And in reality, Cavs fans probably wouldn't even need to wait for results. Cleveland would be playoff-worthy right away in 2012-13 with Davis on the roster.  

New Orleans Hornets (13.7 percent)

The Hornets have a logjam at both power forward and center, even with the pending free-agent status of Chris Kaman and the potential contract termination of Emeka Okafor.

While a surplus of players down low certainly doesn't rule out the Hornets from taking Davis if New Orleans gains the No. 1 pick, it does reduce the immediate effect Davis could have.

The Hornets would need to take Davis if the lottery fell their way, but I like the fit in Cleveland and Washington considerably better.