Anthony Davis: Lottery Teams That Would Have Made Better Fits Than Hornets

When it was revealed that the New Orleans Hornets would be picking first overall in the 2012 NBA draft, Kentucky star Anthony Davis likely breathed a sigh of relief. After all, it meant that he wouldn't be exiled to NBA Siberia in the form of the Charlotte Bobcats.

With that said, though, the Hornets aren't exactly an ideal fit for him either. The league-owned team was pretty well stripped down last season as Chris Paul was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers and David West wasn't re-signed. What remains is a squad filled mostly with spare parts that won't be able to offer Davis the support he needs.

Here are three lottery teams, who had a realistic shot at nabbing the No. 1 selection, that would have been much better landing spots for Davis than New Orleans promises to be.

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers had the third-best chance at landing the top pick after having it last year, but it was not to be as the Cavs were leapfrogged by the Hornets and will now pick fourth.

Cleveland didn't have a particularly good 2011-12 season, but compared to where the Cavaliers were when LeBron James left, it was a step in the right direction. No. 1 pick Kyrie Irving is already developing into a star at point guard and adding one more high-impact youngster could have meant big things for the Cavs.

It's fair to say that the bottom part of the Eastern Conference isn't particularly strong, so with Davis and Irving teaming up the Cavaliers could have been a playoff team as early as next season. The rest of the supporting cast isn't great, but Anderson Varejao would have continued to make strides playing next to Davis. For Davis to be successful right away, he needs a running-mate and Irving would have been that for him in Cleveland. Instead, he steps into an unstable situation in New Orleans.

Sacramento Kings

Although they only had a 7.6 percent chance of nabbing the first overall pick, the Sacramento Kings faithful hoped that the purple and black might be able to pull off a stunner in the lottery. The Kings stayed right where they were expected to pick at No. 5, however, and will most likely miss out on the top tier of players altogether.

Landing Davis would have been a major coup for the Kings as they already have a strong group of younger players in Tyreke Evans, Marcus Thornton and DeMarcus Cousins. There wasn't a single team high in the lottery with that much talent to offer Davis.

The Kings are a team that is right on the verge of playoff contention in the tough Western Conference, and Davis may have put them over the top. Sacramento has drafted quite well over the past few seasons, but Davis would have been a no-brainer and certainly would have paid immediate dividends.

Compared to what he will face in New Orleans, the pressure in Sacramento would have been much less based on the talent around him.

Washington Wizards

With the second-best chance of landing the first pick, there had to be plenty of optimism among the Washington Wizards organization and fan base. The Wizards dropped down to No. 3, though, and will not be in a position to select Davis.

The Wizards have been in turmoil for quite some time, but after trading the troublesome JaVale McGee this past season, they appear to be cleaning house and starting fresh with point guard John Wall leading the way. 

The Wizards have a lot of work to do before they are a viable team, but Davis obviously would have shaved a significant amount of time off the rebuild. Wall is already one of the most explosive guards in the game and with Davis in the fold some of the offensive burden would have been relieved from his shoulders.

Wall and Davis could have fed off each other quite nicely and become one of the best inside-out combos in the league, but Davis will be closer to Bourbon Street than Pennsylvania Avenue. 

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