2012 NBA Mock Draft: Best-Case, Worst-Case Scenario for Every Lottery Team

As much as we like to pretend that the NBA draft is a science, it's really a glorified guessing game. For that reason, I've identified the best- and worst-case scenarios for each team picking in the lottery of the 2012 NBA draft. 

Each of the 14 slides you'll see, once you click past this one, contains three major pieces of information. 

1. In the title of the slide, you'll find who I actually think the team will select if the ping pong balls don't change the draft order. This player may or may not be discussed within the text of the slide. 

2. You'll find the best-case scenario for the team in the text. Maybe they move up in the order. Maybe they keep a pick. Maybe they draft a high-upside player who surprises everyone. 

3. This is the depressing part: the worst-case scenario for each team. 

Read on!

1. Charlotte Bobcats: Anthony Davis

Best-Case Scenario

The best thing that could happen for the Charlotte Bobcats is for mathematics to work out as they should. As the team with the worst record in the league, the Bobcats have a 25 percent chance at landing the No. 1 pick in the draft and Anthony Davis along with it. 

This team desperately needs a franchise-changing player, and Davis is a sure thing at No. 1. 

Worst-Case Scenario

Three teams beat the odds and jump ahead of the Bobcats, pushing Michael Jordan's team back into the fourth slot. With Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Thomas Robinson all off the board, the Bobcats are left with intriguing options that aren't necessarily franchise players. 

2. Washington Wizards: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

Best-Case Scenario

With a 19.9 percent chance of jumping into the No. 1 spot and an 18.8 percent chance of staying put at No. 2, the Washington Wizards have a very good chance of selecting one of the two Kentucky Wildcats that could be the first players off the board. 

Both Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist would be great fits in Washington, especially with their ability to dominate on the fast break alongside John Wall. 

Worst-Case Scenario

The Wizards get bumped back to No. 5 in the draft order and are left choosing between Andre Drummond, Harrison Barnes, Perry Jones III and the rest of the high-risk, high-reward prospects that populate the higher single-digit selections. 

Since we're dealing with worst-case scenarios here, the player they select, most likely Andre Drummond, turns out to be a massive bust. 

3. Cleveland Cavaliers: Bradley Beal

Best-Case Scenario

The Cleveland Cavaliers have the fourth-best shot at landing Anthony Davis, but even if they remain at No. 3, they'll still have plenty of appealing options to choose from. 

If the draft order stays as is, the Washington Wizards will get to select between Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Thomas Robinson, Andre Drummond and Bradley Beal at No. 2. As for the Cavs, well, they'd be just fine with either Beal or MKG. 

Worst-Case Scenario

If the Cavs have to move down even one spot in the draft order, things could get ugly for them, and they could have to attempt to trade down, select a player that doesn't fill a need or reach for a prospect. 

Cleveland is set in the frontcourt (although a unibrowed player would trump that lack of need) and at point guard, but after MKG and Beal are off the board, it's tough to find another player at shooting guard or small forward who should go in the top five. 

4. New Orleans Hornets: Andre Drummond

Best-Case Scenario

While I have to put Andre Drummond in this slot, the best case for the New Orleans Hornets is that they capitalize on either of their two lottery picks and move up into the top three, where they can draft a much safer option. 

An outlandish best-case scenario, one that is almost too optimistic to consider, is that the Hornets' 0.33 percent chance of receiving the No. 1 and No. 2 picks actually comes to fruition, and they can add a pair of teammates to their squad. 

Worst-Case Scenario

The Hornets draft Drummond, and his career quickly starts to resemble a certain player with the initials K.B. 

No, I am not talking about Kobe Bryant. 

5. Sacramento Kings: Thomas Robinson

Best-Case Scenario

The Sacramento Kings are in a great position because they need a power forward, and that's the position of choice in this draft. 

Ideally, the Kings move up into the top overall slot where they can draft Anthony Davis, but having a shot at Thomas Robinson here isn't exactly a bad backup plan. 

Worst-Case Scenario

Sacramento is flat-out loaded with guards. They have absolutely no need for any point guards or shooting guards, and center is locked in with DeMarcus Cousins. 

However, there's a chance they could be forced into reaching for a player or drafting one of those positions if they drop down to No. 8. 

6. Portland Trail Blazers: Harrison Barnes

Best-Case Scenario

The Portland Trail Blazers are the one team in the rare position of rooting for their ping pong ball to not come up too early. 

If the Blazers are lucky, they'll watch as the Charlotte Bobcats, Washington Wizards and Cleveland Cavaliers lay claim to the top three picks. That way, they'll maintain their spot at No. 6 and get to draft Harrison Barnes instead of moving down. 

Worst-Case Scenario

If the Blazers do find themselves with one of the top three picks in the draft, the pick is handed back over to the Brooklyn Nets, as it's top-three protected. 

Losing out on a lottery pick in a solid draft class is obviously not exactly a good thing. 

7. Golden State Warriors: Perry Jones III

Best-Case Scenario

As the Golden State Warriors only have a 4.9 percent chance of moving up into the top three, this is the point at which I stop pretending like that's going to happen. 

A realistic best-case scenario for the Dubs is watching as Harrison Barnes falls right into their hand, and they can land that solid small forward to complete their team, which hopefully won't tank quite so hard in the 2012-2013 season. 

Worst-Case Scenario

The Golden State Warriors' pick is only top-seven protected, so if even one team jumps them in the order, they'll be sending their pick to the Utah Jazz. 

Both teams are in negotiations right now as the Dubs don't want to lose this opportunity to add a young player, but at the moment, the possibility of no lottery picks does exist and is the easy choice for a worst-case scenario. 

8. Toronto Raptors: Jeremy Lamb

Best-Case Scenario

The Toronto Raptors are in a bit of an awkward scenario here because they don't have any positional needs other than small forward, and the draft class is rather thin at that position. 

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Harrison Barnes are the only two true small forwards in the class, although Jeremy Lamb is fully capable of playing both shooting guard or small forward. 

Almost out of necessity, this is the best-case scenario for the pick. 

Worst-Case Scenario

If Jeremy Lamb is also off the board when it's the Raptors' turn to pick, well, then we've got some problems. 

The team will either have to reach for a point guard to back up Jose Calderon (Damian Lillard or Kendall Marshall) or *gasp*, draft yet another big man. 

...Or trade down of course. 

9. Detroit Pistons: Jared Sullinger

Best-Case Scenario

Despite the fact that his draft stock is slipping, Jared Sullinger still possesses enormous potential on both ends of the court. 

If he can get into the best shape of his life and put to rest the questions about his conditioning, he'll be one step closer to overcoming his struggles against long-armed defenders. Remember, Sullinger was once in contention for being a top-overall prospect going into the 2011 NBA draft season. 

A studly Sullinger paired with Greg Monroe would be terrifying. 

Worst-Case Scenario

The Detroit Pistons draft Jared Sullinger and then realize exactly why his stock was slipping. 

Fresh out of Ohio State, the power forward never gets into great playing shape, runs into the rookie wall way too soon and develops into nothing more than a solid bench player. 

The rebuilding process continues for yet another season. 

10. New Orleans Hornets: John Henson

Best-Case Scenario

Assuming that the first best-case scenario for the New Orleans Hornets comes true and they already have Anthony Davis waiting to join the team, this best-case scenario would be drafting John Henson to completely rebuild the frontcourt. 

Henson and Davis are two of the best defensive prospects in a long time, and they'd make the New Orleans paint one of the most fearsome places in all of the NBA. 

Worst-Case Scenario

The Hornets have already drafted Andre Drummond with the No. 4 pick, and they still take John Henson. Unfortunately, they quickly realize that there's a reason such a defensive talent is only a fringe lottery prospect. 

Henson's offensive problems don't allow him to stick on the court, and the Hornets are stuck with not one, but two big-man busts. 

11. Portland Trail Blazers: Damian Lillard

Best-Case Scenario

The Portland Trail Blazers have already filled in their hole at small forward with Harrison Barnes, thus allowing them to part ways with a sure-to-be-expensive Nicolas Batum, so they can focus on either center or point guard here. 

They select Damian Lillard, the best player at his position in the class, and watch as he puts to rest any and all worries about the fact that he ran the show for Weber State and not a larger school. 

Lillard's ability to score and pass immediately puts LaMarcus Aldridge and the rest of the team back into contention. 

Worst-Case Scenario

Portland realizes why Damian Lillard was at Weber State and not a college basketball factory like Duke. 

12. Milwaukee Bucks: Tyler Zeller

Best-Case Scenario

Tyler Zeller is a prospect who I like quite a bit, but he's not the high-upside player that a lot of other guys in this draft are. 

When talking about best-case scenarios, the safe ones aren't the ones that should be subject to discussion. 

The Milwaukee Bucks would be much better off if another big man like Jared Sullinger, John Henson or even Perry Jones III dropped to them at No. 12. 

Worst-Case Scenario

Even though I feel like Tyler Zeller is about as safe a late-lottery pick as you can find, there's still a chance that he becomes a bust. 

Zeller was a great player at North Carolina, but he never gave off that superstar vibe, unlike many of the players surrounding him on the draft boards. 

If he turns out to be mediocre, the Bucks will be sorely disappointed when their other options pan out. 

13. Phoenix Suns: Kendall Marshall

Best-Case Scenario

Unless Steve Nash catches everyone by surprise and decides to return to the Phoenix Suns, the team will have to be looking for a new point guard in the draft, even with Aaron Brooks a potential signing in restricted free agency. 

Even if Damian Lillard is on the board, Kendall Marshall should be the pick for the Suns because the system calls more for a Nash-like point guard who prefers to pass first and shoot second. 

Marshall is a terrific playmaker, and there's a good chance he could find a lot of success in the desert. 

Worst-Case Scenario

Then again, Marshall does have some pretty glaring flaws. 

The floor general might not be a pass-first point guard because he wants to be, but rather out of necessity. He struggles immensely when asked to do the scoring on his own. 

Marshall is also a bit of a matador on defense. And by that, I mean that he might as well wave a red cloak as he ushers opposing players right by him and into the paint. 

If his passing isn't enough to make up for those flaws, Marshall could struggle to earn much playing time. 

14. Houston Rockets: Meyers Leonard

Best-Case Scenario

The Houston Rockets need a center to complete their lineup, and Meyers Leonard is the obvious choice here. 

You can't teach size, and the Illinois big man is quite big at 7'1". He's still raw, but he's a tremendously high-upside player who could pan out very nicely. 

Worst-Case Scenario

As stated above, Leonard is as raw as an egg fresh out of the shell. 

The true seven-footer might be big and athletic, but there's a long list of players with size who have flopped thanks to a dearth of basketball skills. 

If Leonard takes his size for granted and doesn't work at improving his game, he could be the latest addition.