NBA Draft Lottery 2012: 10 Teams That Could Make the Playoffs with a Great Pick

We're about to find out the order of the 2012 NBA draft lottery, and that means it's also time to start speculating which players will land where.

The draft lottery is a place where teams who missed the playoffs are able to add talent that, in theory, should be able to help them make the playoffs the following year.

There are teams like the Charlotte Bobcats and Washington Wizards that won't be able to make the playoffs next year no matter which players they go after.  But every lottery team doesn't fall into that category. 

Ahead is a list of teams that can make the playoffs in 2013 with the right lottery pick.

Teams are ranked based on the probability of them actually making the playoffs at the end of the 2012-13 season.  

10. Toronto Raptors

Top Potential Draft Pick—Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF, Kentucky

The Toronto Raptors were one of the better defensive teams in the NBA, allowing only 94 points per game. But that didn't matter as they also had the 28th ranked scoring offense in the NBA with a measly average of just 90.4 points.

The point is that the Raptors could contend in the East if they're able to grab some elite scoring with their lottery pick in this year's draft.

With guys like DeMar DeRozan, Andrea Bargnani and Jose Calderon, the Raptors have a solid base of talent to build around.

A small forward like Kentucky's Michael Kidd-Gilchrist would be an absolutely perfect fit for Toronto as he'd be able to run in the transition with DeRozan and Calderon.

If the Raptors can add Kidd-Gilchrist or a guy like Harrison Barnes with their lottery pick, they might be able to get enough help on the offensive side of the ball to help them make a playoff appearance at the end of the 2012-13 season. 

9. Houston Rockets

Top Potential Draft Pick—Tyler Zeller, C, North Carolina

The Houston Rockets are somewhat of an enigma heading into the 2012 draft lottery and the subsequent NBA draft.

With a lot of uncertainty surrounding whether or not they will entertain the possibility of trading away Kyle Lowry, it's almost too early to tell which direction the Rockets will go with their lottery pick.

No matter what happens with Lowry, the one area the Rockets need to improve is the depth they have at the center position.  Samuel Dalmbert certainly isn't going to be a long-term answer for the Rockets, and it might be time to find a future franchise center.

The players the Rockets will most likely have a shot at drafting will be UNC's Tyler Zeller, Illinois' Meyers Leonard and Syracuse' Fab Melo.  The best option for the Rockets will be going after Zeller, who happens to be the most NBA ready of the centers in the draft this year.

If the Rockets can retain Kyle Lowry and draft Zeller, they will certainly be able to make a legitimate push at an appearance in the 2013 playoffs. 

8. New Orleans Hornets

Top Potential Draft Pick—Harrison Barnes, SF, North Carolina

The New Orleans Hornets have two lottery picks, and unless they make the worst draft decisions in NBA history, they'll be a significantly better team next year than they were this season.

That, of course, hinges almost entirely on being able to retain Eric Gordon and Carl Landry heading into the 2012-13 season.

While the Hornets have quite a few needs to fill in this draft, there are none bigger than the holes they have at the small forward and point guard position.  With their top lottery pick, the Hornets should pursue drafting UNC small forward, Harrison Barnes.   Barnes would add a level of maturity and constancy to a struggling Hornets roster heading into next season.

If the Hornets could also land a solid comb-guard like Dion Waiters or Damian Lillard, they will certainly be able to compete in the Western Conference next season.  A playoff appearance isn't out of the question for the Hornets in 2013, that's for sure. 

7. Golden State Warriors

Top Potential Draft Pick—Thomas Robinson, PF, Kansas

There's no doubt that the Golden State Warriors tanked at the end of their 2011-12 season in hopes of increasing their odds of grabbing a top-seven pick so they could hold on to it rather than forking it over to the Utah Jazz.

If the Warriors' lottery pick lands in the top-seven spots, they'll have a great shot at contending for a playoff spot in 2013, especially with Andrew Bogut making his Warriors debut next year.

With Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry and Andrew Bogut on the roster, the Warriors need to find a power forward that can flourish in a fast-paced transition offense.

The man for that job is Kansas power forward, Thomas Robinson.  Robinson is the kind of player that can bang in the paint while also being able to run with the youth of the Western Conference.  Robinson also has a solid perimeter game that could make him an ideal fit for the Warriors.

If Thomas Robinson is on the Warriors' depth chart heading into the 2012-13 season, the Warriors will be an early favorite to make a playoff appearance next year.  

6. Portland Trail Blazers

Top Draft Pick—Andre Drummond, C, Connecticut

The Portland Trail Blazers really fell off the wagon at the end of the year, finishing with a 28-38 overall record.

Losing Brandon Roy and Greg Oden certainly didn't help the Blazers this past season, and it's time to start building their future around players like Nicolas Batum and LaMarcus Aldridge.

The two holes the Blazers really need to fill in the draft exist at the shooting guard spot and the center position.  Luckily, the Trail Blazers have a high likelihood of landing two spots in the top 14 picks of the 2012 NBA draft.

With their highest lottery pick, the Blazers need to pursue finding Aldridge's frontcourt partner, and they can do just that by drafting Connecticut center Andre Drummond.  If the Blazers are also able to land a high-caliber point guard like Dion Waiters or Damian Lillard, they will be an absolute lock to make it back to the Western Conference playoffs in 2013.

5. Detroit Pistons

Top Potential Draft Pick—Perry Jones III, PF, Baylor

The Detroit Pistons aren't really that bad of a team.

While they finished the season with a 25-41 overall record, they played much better basketball at the end of the season, which is reason to be excited heading into the 2012-13 season.

With two young, highly talented players—Brandon Knight and Greg Monroe—the Pistons have a solid base of talent to build around for the future.

One of their biggest needs this offseason is trying to find Monroe's frontcourt partner, and they could accomplish that by drafting Baylor big-man Perry Jones III with their 2012 lottery pick.  Jones is the kind of athletic player that would not only stretch the court for the Pistons, but also add a level of depth to their frontcourt.

If the Pistons are able to land Perry Jones, or another big-man like Arnett Moultrie or Thomas Robinson, the Pistons will be well on their way to a playoff appearance in 2013.

4. Sacramento Kings

Top Potential Draft Pick—Andre Drummond, C, Connecticut

The Sacramento Kings have a ridiculous amount of potential with the talent they have on their roster.

Even though they finished the 2011-12 season with a 22-44 overall record, they have enough talent on their depth chart to make a serious run at the playoffs in 2013, even if they make a terrible acquisition in the 2012 NBA draft.

The biggest need the Kings have heading into the draft is at the center position, where DeMarcus Cousins is currently playing, rather than playing at the power forward spot where he's better suited.

The ideal pick for the Kings with their lottery pick is to go after Connecticut big-man, Andre Drummond.  While Drummond is a raw talent, he would be able to allow Cousins to move back to the power forward position, where he truly thrives.

If the Kings are able to land Drummond, or even another big-man like Tyler Zeller, they will be able to make a serious push towards the Western Conference playoffs next year. 

3. Milwaukee Bucks

Top Potential Draft Pick—Tyler Zeller, C, North Carolina  

The Milwaukee Bucks made one of the best trades in recent memory when they stole Monta Ellis away from the Golden State Warriors.

Getting Ellis cost the Bucks their franchise center, Andrew Bogut, and that's where their biggest need exists.

If the Bucks can land a top-10 lottery pick, they can fill the gaping hole they now have at the center position by drafting a player like UNC center Tyler Zeller.

The Bucks were on the fringe of the playoffs this past season, and if Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings can continue to form one of the most vaunted backcourts in the game, they can certainly make a playoff appearance in 2013.

Finding a center in the draft is the Bucks' top priority, and if they can fill that need with their lottery pick, they can certainly be a playoff contender once again next season.  

2. Cleveland Cavaliers

Top Potential Draft Pick—Bradley Beal, SG, Florida

The Cleveland Cavaliers are well on their way to being a top contender in the Eastern Conference.

Okay, maybe not a top contender in the East, but they will certainly be a playoff contender. And that could happen as early as next season—especially if they get a top-five lottery pick.

One of the Cavaliers' biggest needs is finding a shooting guard who can help run the show in Cleveland aside 2012 Rookie of the Year Kyrie Irving.  A perfect guy for that job is Florida shooting guard Bradley Beal.

Beal is an athletic wing-man who can not only score.  He can score in droves.  Beal could help the Cavaliers form one of the best backcourts in the Eastern Conference, and that would put them well on the way to returning to the playoffs in 2013. 

1. Phoenix Suns

Top Potential Draft Pick—Dion Waiters, SG, Syracuse 

The Phoenix Suns will be a serious contender to make an appearance in the 2013 playoffs as long as they retain their franchise point guard Steve Nash.

If the Suns have Nash returning for the 2012-13 season and they're able to draft an athletically gifted shooting guard, the Suns will be a force to be reckoned with out in the West.

With Marcin Gortat solidifying the Suns' frontcourt, they can safely look towards looking for a talented shooting guard to compliment the play of Nash.  The player that fits that mold and would fit well into the Suns' offense is Syracuse shooting guard Dion Waiters.

Waiters is the kind of guard who will be able to make an immediate impact on an NBA roster, because he has a very rare mix of physicality and agility in his game.  While Waiters can be a streaky shooter at time, there's no doubt that Nash would be able to get him open looks that would help him transition into the NBA.

If the Suns land a player like Dion Waiters with their lottery pick, they will be an absolute lock for an appearance in the playoffs at the end of the 2012-13 season.