NBA Lottery 2012: Teams That Don't Need Anthony Davis for Successful Draft

Anthony Davis is this year's consensus No. 1 selection in the 2012 NBA draft, but he is not a do-or-die scenario for every lottery team. Davis is absolutely necessary for some, but he would be a luxury for others.

Let's take a look at each team's chances at grabbing the No. 1 overall pick and locking up Davis for the coming years.

Team	Chance at No. 1 (out of 1000)
Charlotte Bobcats	250
Washington Wizards	199
Cleveland Cavaliers	138
New Orleans Hornets	137
Sacramento Kings	76
Brooklyn Nets	75
Golden State Warriors	36
Toronto Raptors	35
Detroit Pistons	17
Minnesota Timberwolves	11
Portland Trail Blazers	8
Milwaukee Bucks	7
Phoenix Suns	6
Houston Rockets	5

Out of these 14 teams, the Pistons, Suns, Rockets, Bobcats and Hornets could use Davis the most. Others, like the Cavaliers, have larger needs they must address.

Davis will make—or break—the draft stock of some teams. These teams will be just fine without him.

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavaliers would greet Davis with open arms, but a running mate for Kyrie Irving is more important. An elite shooting guard or small forward has to be Cleveland's top priority.

Bradley Beal, Jeremy Lamb or Harrison Barnes have to be considered if Cleveland slots in at No. 3, as their odds suggest. If they wind up higher, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist would be the best option.

Either way, the Cavaliers must focus on locking down a perimeter scorer. Barnes, Beal and Lamb would all provide an immediate shot in the arm to Cleveland's offense and work well with Irving's penetrate-and-kick mentality.

Last year, the Cavaliers nabbed Tristan Thompson with the fourth overall pick. He averaged eight points and 6.5 rebounds per game this season. He has solid upside and fills the power forward slot—at least for now.

Cleveland is not far from being a fringe playoff team in the Eastern Conference. A consistent shooter to pair with Irving could put them in playoff position next season.

Golden State Warriors

The Warriors have oft-injured Andrew Bogut and David Lee manning their current frontcourt. Their backcourt is also set with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson shooting lights-out from the perimeter.

The one glaring hole lies on the wing. The Warriors need to land an elite small forward in this year's lottery.

Harrison Barnes or Terrence Jones would be the best-case scenario for Golden State. The addition of Barnes would give the Warriors three dead-eye shooters from beyond the arc, and Jones would add a slashing presence to the Golden State offense.

The Warriors sent developing power forward Ekpe Udoh to Milwaukee with Monta Ellis at this year's trade deadline. Davis' shot-blocking and rebounding would fill Udoh's void in the Warrior rotation.

But that is not their biggest concern. Golden State has a chance to create a very dynamic offensive squad for next season.

Adding Barnes or Jones would give the Warriors a very dangerous starting five as long as Bogut stays healthy.

Portland Trail Blazers

Portland already has LaMarcus Aldridge as their starting power forward. Davis will demand starting minutes wherever he lands, but the Trail Blazers would not be urged to give him those expected minutes.

The Blazers do not have a point guard. Raymond Felton is likely to sign elsewhere this offseason. Jonny Flynn and Nolan Smith do not have high ceilings.

Portland must grab a floor general in this year's lottery. Ideally, the Trail Blazers will select Weber State point guard Damian Lillard or North Carolina distributor Kendall Marshall.

Either player would jumpstart the Portland offense, and enter into an encouraging situation. Portland will return Jamal Crawford and Wesley Matthews next season to go with Aldridge. They would also be wise to bring Nicolas Batum back to their rotation.

Portland is always a dangerous team, but they rarely get over the hump. An elite floor general could be the difference between a so-so future and NBA-postseason glory.

The cupboard is not bare in Rip City. Adding a facilitator would increase next year's playoff chances exponentially.