NBA Draft 2012: Ranking Teams in Most Need of Kentucky's Anthony Davis
Barring some unforeseen circumstance, Kentucky forward/center Anthony Davis will be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft next month.
College basketball's player of the year in 2011-12 and a leader of Kentucky's national championship team, Davis is literally head and shoulders above everyone else in this year's draft class.
At 6'10" with a 7'4" wingspan, Davis has the kind of elite length that NBA talent evaluators salivate over. He also moves that lanky frame around the floor well, which gives him the combination of length and athleticism that translates so well to the NBA game. Some have compared the skill set of Davis to a Marcus Camby or Kevin Garnett in the professional game.
To top it all off, Davis is also a clean character kid who will be willing to put in the work at the next level to overcome some the shortcomings (weight, bulk, offensive package) in his game currently.
Davis is not LeBron James, but he's as close to a sure thing in the 2012 draft as teams are going to find.
The NBA Draft Lottery will take place May 30 to decide which team gets the right to choose Davis No. 1 overall. Regardless of who wins that lottery, Davis is the overwhelming favorite to be the first player chosen.
Below, we rank the teams that need to have the opportunity to take Davis most at No. 1 overall. Note: Only teams with lottery chances above 75 (out of 1,000) will be considered in this ranking.
1. Washington Wizards (199 chances)
The Wizards showed up more on the blooper reel than the highlight reel last season, but adding Davis could turn this franchise from a laughing stock into a fringe playoff team in the Eastern Conference.
Davis could team with Nene in the paint to give Washington a solid rim-protecting unit, plus his athleticism on the break suits John Wall's up-tempo style. Washington might be the best overall fit for Davis in this draft.
2. Charlotte Bobcats (250 chances)
The Bobcats couldn't score during one of the worst overall seasons in NBA history last year, so you can't be sure that adding a raw offensive player like Davis would significantly improve this team for 2012-13.
But this is a roster that just needs more talented basketball players, and Davis certainly qualifies. Davis and Bismack Biyombo could develop side-by-side as an elite front court duo.
3. New Orleans Hornets (137 chances)
The Hornets need to get much younger inside.
Chris Kaman and Emeka Okafor could be gone from this roster next season, but that also leaves a decent sized hole. Adding Davis gives New Orleans the help it needs on the interior while also providing a recognizable face to a team lacking a leader after Chris Paul was dealt.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers (138 chances)
Cleveland has done well in stocking its big men, and Tristan Thompson and Anderson Varejao represent a starting caliber front line for 2012 and beyond.
But can you imagine if the Cavs struck lottery gold again in 2012 after getting Kyrie Irving last summer? The Cavs would become an immediate contender to crack the Eastern Conference playoffs next season with Davis on the roster.
5. Sacramento Kings (76 chances)
Just 7.6 percent doesn't leave much chance for the Kings to nab the top spot, but keep in mind that the lottery has been won four of the last seven years by teams with lower odds than Sacramento will have in 2012.
If the lottery falls the right way, teaming Davis with young players like DeMarcus Cousins and Tyreke Evans could give the Kings the talent trio needed to start crawling out of the Western Conference cellar. This is a team that doesn't lack talent; getting Davis could be the defensive stopper they need to put all the pieces together.
