2012 NBA Draft Order: Teams in Prime Position to Land Future Stars

The lottery has determined the final 2012 NBA draft order, and there are a few teams that have an excellent chance to land future stars. 

Not all stars will be found at the top of the first round, though, and this year's deep draft class ensures that a few will come from the latter part of the draft. 

Here are the teams who are in prime position to land the NBA stars of tomorrow.

New Orleans Hornets with No. 1 and No. 10 Overall Picks

Obviously, the Hornets are in the best position of any team to land a future star. They will undoubtedly pick Anthony Davis with the No. 1 overall pick, and unless he suffers a catastrophic injury, he is sure to become one of the league's premier big men.

The Hornets also possess the No. 10 overall pick of the draft, and as such, they have an opportunity to land two impact players right away.

One of the players I'm high on going into the draft is underrated point guard Damian Lillard out of little-known Weber State. He'll likely still be available when the Hornets pick again at No. 10, and he is a superstar in the making.

If the Hornets land both Davis and Lillard, you can expect to see a much-improved offense next season and a significant increase in wins, though a playoff berth is likely too much to ask for right off the bat.

Cleveland Cavaliers with No. 4 and No. 24 Overall Picks

The Cavaliers already hit one out of the park last year when they selected Kyrie Irving with the No. 1 overall pick. They are in prime position to add to their young team with a couple of first-round picks in the 2012 NBA draft.

A couple of nice options with the No. 4 pick would be either small forward Harrison Barnes out of North Carolina or shooting guard Bradley Beal out of Florida. Both players are explosive offensive players who will complement Irving's game well, though I'd lean towards Beal.

Then, the team still has a chance to land one of this year's sleepers towards the end of the first round. I like them to take either small forward Quincy Miller out of Baylor or international sensation Evan Fournier, who can play either shooting guard or small forward, depending on the situation.

The Cavaliers will be able to field a much more competitive team with any of these players on their roster next year, and they are in an excellent position to make it happen.

Houston Rockets with the No. 14 and No. 16 Overall Picks

The Rockets are another team with multiple picks in the first round. They have a terrific opportunity to land a couple of future stars due to the fact that this year's draft class is exceptionally deep.

The likelihood of a player like Terrence Jones falling into their laps at No. 14 is high. Drafts are always unpredictable, and the Rockets will gladly pick up any players other teams rejected at the top of the draft.

Center Meyers Leonard out of Illinois is another player who will likely be available when they select at No. 16, and though he may not ever be as dominant a big man as Dwight Howard, he will be a huge benefit to the Rockets in the paint on both ends of the court.

The Rockets will find a couple of excellent players in the middle of the first round.

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