NBA Draft 2012: Teams That Have Most Work to Do

Teams that struggled this past season are hoping to improve by getting young talent in the NBA draft. Some teams may need a little more assistance than others in the talent department. Many teams make the jump from lottery team to playoff team in one year, but it may take magic for that to happen. 

The consensus No. 1 pick, University of Kentucky power forward Anthony Davis, will surely improve a team and give them a dominant force inside, but will he be enough? Or will any one lottery pick just be enough for some teams? Here are four teams that have the most work to do before they can make that jump back into the playoffs.

Charlotte Bobcats

Last season, the Charlotte Bobcats had the worst record in the league at 7-59 as well as the worst winning percentage in league history. It was a miserable season for them, so help is needed there as soon as possible. 

The Bobcats have a great chance at getting the No. 1 pick and an early second-round pick, so they have a chance to get a steal. The young players they draft can develop alongside their 2011 lottery pick, Kemba Walker.

The Bobcats were last in the league in scoring and second to last in rebounding. If they get the No. 1 pick, Davis can be the player to turn those statistics around. 

Of course, a turnaround for the Bobcats will take time, but the draft will be a good start. Their young players will actually be able to have practice time this season and finally have a chance to mesh.

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers went 21-45 last season and showed some promise with their young stud point guard, Kyrie Irving. Irving averaged 18.5 points and a little over five assists a game and won Rookie of the Year. However, they might need to strike more gold in the draft this year if they want to improve.

Defense was one of their weaknesses as they fell in the bottom half of the league in most of the defensive categories. They were ranked in the bottom 10 in opponent field goal percentage, three-point percentage and points allowed.

The Cavs also had their struggles offensively as they were second to last in the league in scoring. They will need to draft all-around players who can contribute both offensively and defensively. There are not too many players like that around, so a turnaround for them may be a long journey.

Washington Wizards

The Washington Wizards were 20-46 last season and were the second-worst team in the Eastern Conference. This was the fourth straight year they missed the playoffs, and with the team the way it is now, they do not look like they are anything close to reaching them soon.

They have a franchise player in place with John Wall, and they also were able to acquire Nene through trade this past season, but that is about it. Turnovers were a problem for them and that might be due to all of the youth on their team.

They most likely will have a top-five pick, so that will give them a high second-round pick. With so much talent in this draft class, they can get steal a good bench player with their second rounder. With some good picks and a new coach, they have a chance to be competitive next season.

Phoenix Suns

The Phoenix Suns could be in trouble if their two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash decides to leave them this offseason. No Nash means they would lose their leader and a playmaker.

They would have to find a way to fill that void and the draft can be a good place for that. The Suns were a .500 team this past season, so they will most likely have close to a mid-first-round pick. They will have a chance at getting a good player, but finding a playmaker who can make all the players around him better such as Nash did is going to be tough.

They could use upgrades in their frontcourt, and this draft has a few dominant big men. If Steve Nash departs, the Suns will have to get a new young look and start the rebuilding process.