NBA Draft Lottery 2012: Best Landing Spots for Projected Top 5 Picks
The NBA Draft Lottery tonight will give a better indication of where the top five prospects declaring for the 2012 draft can expect to be selected.
Playing the odds, the Charlotte Bobcats should have the No. 1 overall pick, followed by the Washington Wizards, Cleveland Cavaliers, New Orleans Hornets and Sacramento Kings. Here is a breakdown of where the top five projected picks would fit best, based on rankings from ESPN expert Chad Ford's Top 100:
Anthony Davis (C), Kentucky: Bobcats
Clearly all of these franchises are deprived of talent, and in the Bobcats' case, any true desire to win; they finished with not only this year's worst record, but the worst winning percentage in NBA history.
As transcendent as Michael Jordan was as a player, his NBA executive career has been a far cry from his on-court prowess. In addition to his disastrous beginning in the Wizards' front office, which included the selection of Kwame Brown as a No.1 pick, his Charlotte tenure hasn't been much more successful.
Whether Jordan doesn't put the time in that he needs to when evaluating talent, has too many other commitments, or whatever the case may be, the Bobcats have been miserable under his watch—save for one 7-seed playoff birth under legendary coach Larry Brown.
Davis is a rare talent, who has the chance to be a special player at both ends of the floor in the NBA, even as a rookie. He would be the best player available for any team selecting in the No. 1 spot.
Teams would be foolish to pass him over, and if Jordan is given the chance, even he won't—despite his iffy track record.
Since the Charlotte Bobcats have the worst centers of any other roster selecting in the top five, sporting the raw Bismack Biyombo and 2009 first-round pick BJ Mullens, Davis is a no-brainer here. He would be a solid centerpiece for the franchise to build around and would be the surest choice to move the organization in the right direction as quickly as possible.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (SF), Kentucky: Kings
Most mock drafts project Kentucky's Michael Kidd-Gilchrist in this slot, but he is a small forward that likes to have the ball in his hands frequently in one-on-one situations. This is where Wizards' point guard John Wall likes to create by getting to the bucket and finishing or dishing to open shooters.
Wall and Kidd-Gilchrist would both want the ball in their hands to attack the basket. Since Wall is the point guard, he would either need someone to catch the ball underneath, or spot up and shoot from the outside. Kidd-Gilchrist doesn't have a consistent enough jumper to provide that.
The better fit for Kidd-Gilchrist would be the Sacramento Kings, who are in dire need of an attitude adjustment. He is a competitor and a basketball player, and was the unquestioned leader of Kentucky's national championship team.
No one on the Kings possesses the intangibles, nor has the background of winning that Kidd-Gilchrist does. He could quickly establish himself as the unquestioned leader of the team, and also be a positive influence to focus fellow UK alum DeMarcus Cousins—whose immense talent and development is crucial to the team's future success.
Kidd-Gilchrist would also be a huge upgrade over the players on the current roster at his position, which include Donte Greene, Terrence Willams and Travis Outlaw.
The Kings would love to have the Kentucky product, and he would be a wonderful fit, but he'll likely be off the board at No. 5, and the Kings don't have enough ammunition to afford trading up to snag him.
Bradley Beal (SG), University of Florida: Hornets
This is most likely too high in the draft for Beal to be selected, but if New Orleans gets bumped from the No. 2 spot in the lottery, this could be a plausible option.
Although the Hornets already have the explosive Eric Gordon on their roster, it was clear while Gordon was injured for most of the season last year that this team lacked scoring.
The 19-year-old Beal is a player who would provide immediate scoring help for an offense that averaged just under 90 points per game last season. Since Beal also displays strong instincts on defense and has an extremely high basketball IQ, according to NBAdraft.net's scouting report, he will fit in with an already-solid defensive team.
The Hornets already have Trevor Ariza's contract on the books, and 2011 No. 8 overall pick Al-Farouq Aminu is also on the roster at small forward. This would likely rule out another selection at that position from any potential top five prospects, including Kidd-Gilchrist and North Carolina's Harrison Barnes.
The team also has depth in the frontcourt with Emeka Okafor, Chris Kaman and Chuck Hayes. That likely rules out Drummond, making New Orleans the best fit for Beal.
Thomas Robinson (PF), Kansas: Cavaliers
With Antawn Jamison not expected to be back, the Cleveland Cavaliers will have to take a hard look at Kansas power forward Thomas Robinson. Although UConn's Andre Drummond could also be a good fit here, he doesn't bring as much of a polished offensive game to the table as Robinson does.
The trio of Robinson, Anderson Varejao,and Tristan Thompson could provide a formidable interior defensive presence for the Cavaliers for the foreseeable future.
Jamison was not known for his defensive prowess at any point in his career, and it hurt the Cavs as they finished 26th in points allowed last season. Robinson will also provide offense to replace the loss of Jamison.
Robinson's all-around game would bring much-needed firepower to both ends of the floor for the Cavs, and his versatility as a defender will match up well with rangy NBA power forwards—a position matchup that burned the Cavs frequently last season.
The team needs to establish a legitimate shooting guard, which would make Beal at No. 3 a viable option. However, Robinson would not be a bad selection, either.
Andre Drummond (C), University of Connecticut: Wizards
The athletic, versatile UConn center would be a fantastic fit for the Charlotte Bobcats, but they will almost certainly take a different certain player from his position higher in the draft. With that said, the next-best destination for Drummond lies in the very next pick, No. 2 overall to the Washington Wizards.
Only 18 years old, Drummond has already nicely filled out his 6'11" frame, weighing 275 lbs.
While his offensive skills are still raw, especially in the post, he has proven he can run the floor incredibly well and get easy dunks in transition. Drummond also has a decent jump shot, but shot an abysmal 29.5 percent from the free-throw line last season, which is discouraging.
The ability to stretch the floor and play pick-and-roll would be vital to clearing the lane more for Wall. Drummond can catch a pass off dribble penetration and either spot up from short range, or take his center counterpart off the dribble to the rack with his exceptional ball-handling. He can also seal off his man with his huge frame when Wall penetrates the lane, or rise up and notch an easy put-back.
Defensively, Drummond can be a force. He averaged 2.7 blocks per game playing in the deepest basketball conference in the country, and will be able to hold his ground and utilize his quickness to recover against skilled NBA post players.
Drummond should help Nene defensively early on, and in the future, help form one of the most sizable and athletic starting 4-5 combos in the NBA, with Nene playing power forward.
