NBA Draft Lottery 2012: Breaking Down the Best 5 Options for the Top 5 Teams

The tradition of NBA draft lottery upsets continued Wednesday night, as the NBA-owned New Orleans Hornets won the No. 1 draft pick despite entering the night with only the fourth-best odds.

All jokes about David Stern rigging the draft aside, the Hornets suddenly have a clear path to a rebuild after trading Chris Paul to the L.A. Clippers this past season.

The Charlotte Bobcats and the Washington Wizards, on the other hand, are likely ruing their luck (or their choice of draft representatives), as they're left to mull a suddenly more difficult draft decision.

Here's a look at the top five options for each of the top five teams in the draft: the Hornets, the Bobcats, the Wizards, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Sacramento Kings.

Note: Each slide lists the players in order of their fit with each team—so, the top player on each slide is the best fit for that team. 

1. New Orleans Hornets

Anthony Davis, C, Kentucky: Let's just list him five times and move on. Davis is the clear, undisputed No. 1 pick no matter what he might say. He's a 6-foot-10 freak of athletic nature, possessing uncanny shot-blocking abilities for a 19-year-old.

Pairing him with Emeka Okafor, who the Hornets have signed for two more years, will give the team a suddenly dominant frontline. Good luck getting into the paint against two 6'10" shot-blocking enthusiasts.

Landing the No. 1 overall pick also may give the Hornets a leg up in re-signing restricted free agent Eric Gordon, who's expected to be one of the key prizes in free agency this summer. While Gordon may still opt to sign with his hometown Indiana Pacers, a superstar-to-be like Davis may convince Gordon to change his mind and stick around for the long haul in New Orleans.

Throw in the team's No. 10 pick, acquired as part of the Chris Paul trade this past winter, and it's clear that the Hornets' rebuild just skipped ahead a few steps.

New Orleans emerged as the unquestionable winner on NBA draft lottery night, and barring a complete stunner, will be Anthony Davis' new home in one month's time.

2. Charlotte Bobcats

Coming off a historically terrible year, the Bobcats entered draft night with the best odds to land the No. 1 pick, and by virtue, Davis. They struck out and landed No. 2 instead. Assuming they don't trade the pick, here's the best of the rest they can pick from:

Bradley Beal, SG, Florida: After starting Gerald Henderson at the 2 all year, the 'Cats should have Beal at the top of their draft board. He's a playmaking combo-guard who can light it up from deep, which the Bobcats sorely lacked last season.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF, Kentucky: If the Bobcats opt for the "Best Available" route, they'll likely select MKG, who put his never-say-die attitude on full display at Kentucky. He's not a great long-range shooter, but Kidd-Gilchrist will relentlessly drive to the basket until defenses wilt.

Thomas Robinson, PF, Kansas: He's a bit undersized for a PF at only 6'9", but Robinson possesses tremendous rebounding ability and repeatedly showed the ability to put his teammates on his shoulders this season at Kansas. An instant upgrade over D.J. White or Tyrus Thomas.

Andre Drummond, C, Connecticut: Center and point guard are the only two positions of relative strength for the Bobcats with their two lottery picks from last year, Bismack Biyombo and Kemba Walker. If the Cats decide Biyombo fits better as a PF, they could slide him over and draft Drummond, the best center-not-named-Davis in the draft. He's a project, though.

Harrison Barnes, SF, UNC: From Anthony Davis to...Harrison Barnes? Barnes can light it up from the field, but he's also been known to disappear from games at times. Not exactly something you're relishing in a prospect for a team coming off a 7-59 record. Still, based on talent, he's one of the best five players available to the Bobcats.

3. Washington Wizards

The Wizards came into the draft set at point guard (John Wall) and center (Nene), but with glaring needs at the other three positions. With that in mind...

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF, Kentucky: MKG ekes out Beal for the Wizards, despite the Wiz having drafted Jan Vesely in the lottery last year. Washington desperately needs a true scorer to pair alongside John Wall, and MKG's toughness will resonate well with Wizards fans desperate to cheer for a winner again.

Bradley Beal, SG, Florida: If the Bobcats choose MKG, Beal's not a shabby consolation prize at No. 3. Pairing Beal with Wall would give the Wizards a young backcourt to build around, and Beal could form a deadly inside-outside combo with center Nene.

Thomas Robinson, PF, Kansas: Assuming the Wizards opt to keep Vesely as a SF instead of a PF, Robinson could provide Washington with the inside presence that Vesely simply can't. He and Nene paired together could be beastly, to put it lightly.

Harrison Barnes, SF, UNC: Paired with Wall, Barnes would be able to light up the scoreboard for the Wizards. He appeared to struggle creating offense when UNC point guard Kendall Marshall went down this past season, but Washington would have no such concerns with Wall orchestrating the offense.

Jared Sullinger, PF, Ohio State: Like Robinson, Sullinger lacks the ideal height for an NBA power forward (only 6'9"), but he's got the size (280 pounds) to bang in the post with NBA bigs. The pairing of him and Nene could prove devastating on the offensive end and on the glass.

4. Cleveland Cavaliers

After lucking into last year's No. 1 pick, Cleveland couldn't repeat the magic this year. Still, they'll have a slew of solid options awaiting them at No. 4, even if Davis, MKG and Beal are off the board by this point.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF, Kentucky: If, somehow, MKG slips to No. 4, the Cavs should pounce without thinking twice. Pairing him with Kyrie Irving, the No. 1 pick from last season, and Tristan Thompson, the 2011 No. 4 pick, would give the Cavs the youngest Big Three in the league to build around (sorry, OKC).

Bradley Beal, SG, Florida: It's doubtful that MKG slips to No. 4, but there's a slightly better chance Beal does. Like with the Wizards, pairing Beal and Irving together in the backcourt gives the Cavs a foundation for the future, which could also draw defenses' attention away from Thompson.

Harrison Barnes, SF, UNC: Like with the Wizards, Barnes could thrive on the Cavaliers due to the presence of an elite PG like Irving. With two young, could-be-star teammates to hold him accountable, the chances of him disappearing during games seems smaller with Cleveland than with other top teams.

Andre Drummond, C, Connecticut: Besides their two top-five picks from 2011, Anderson Varejao likely holds the most trade value for the Cavaliers. Drafting Drummond as their center for the future could free the Cavs up in the next two years to capitalize on Varejao's market value.

Perry Jones, PF, Baylor: This pick would be seen as a reach at this point, but Jones has the talent to rocket up draft boards once workouts get underway. As ESPN's Chad Ford recently reported, Jones sees himself more as a wing in the NBA than a post player, which could allow Cleveland to pair him alongside Thompson at the 3 and the 4. 

5. Sacramento Kings

The Kings struck gold in last year's draft with the final pick in the second round, point guard Isaiah Thomas from Washington. With Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins, too, the Kings don't have as many glaring needs as the other teams toward the top of the lottery, but they could use some reinforcements at the PF spot.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF, Kentucky: God forbid MKG falls this far. The Kings will snap him up in a heartbeat. He's not the best fit based on team need, but the Kings couldn't ignore a talent like MKG with the No. 5 pick.

Bradley Beal, SG, Florida: Another player unlikely to fall this far, but one the Kings would have to draft here based on talent alone. Despite Marcus Thornton's emergence as a near 20-point-per-game scorer last season, Beal represents a major upgrade at the 2.

Thomas Robinson, PF, Kansas: The Kings should be thrilled if Robinson falls this far, as his toughness paired with Cousins' physicality could become a nightmare of a young frontcourt for opponents. Robinson's never-ending motor may help keep Cousins more focused and motivated, too.

Jared Sullinger, PF, Ohio State: Another potentially devastating frontcourt-mate for Cousins, albeit slightly undersized. Both he and Cousins have wide, tough bodies, which would prove difficult to navigate around for opposing offenses attempting to crash the paint.

Andre Drummond, C, Connecticut: The Kings could always shift Cousins over to the PF and draft Cousins to be their starting center of the future, giving Sacramento some scary size in the frontcourt. Questions about Drummond's motor may give the Kings pause before drafting him, however.

Later Lottery Questions

What Do the Blazers Do?

With the No. 6 and No. 11 picks, the Blazers could theoretically move up in the draft if one of the teams in the top five isn't wedded to their pick. They're set at the 3 and the 4 with Nic Batum and LaMarcus Aldridge, but injuries to Brandon Roy and Greg Oden have left holes elsewhere.

Sleepers outside the Top Five?

Assuming the first five picks go with Davis, Kidd-Gilchrist, Beal, Robinson and Drummond, there's still a healthy dose of talent to be found for the teams in the late-lottery and mid-first round, starting with Barnes, Sullinger and Perry Jones. ESPN's Chad Ford also pointed out Arnett Moultrie from Mississippi State as a possible mid-first round sleeper.

Who Do the Hornets Pair with Davis at No. 10?

Ford's latest Mock Draft, released right after the lottery concluded, has the Hornets picking Weber State PG Damian Lillard here. If they're thinking strictly point guard, UNC's Kendall Marshall will be the other top name in consideration.

Otherwise, they'll likely opt for the "best available" strategy, instead focusing their attention on their efforts to re-sign Eric Gordon this summer.

When Won't the NBA Rig the Lottery?

Kidding. (Mostly.)