2012 NBA Mock Draft: Latest Edition of the NBA's 1st Round
Tom Benson wishes the NFL had a lottery too.
The New Orleans Hornets/Saints owner hit the jackpot winning the first overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. Whether it was beginner's luck or rigged by David Stern, Michael Jordan wants to rip somebody’s head off.
Here is an updated first-round mock now that the order is official.
1. New Orleans Hornets: Anthony Davis (PF, Kentucky)
The only thing that was going to change about this pick is the team.
2. Charlotte Bobcats: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (SF, Kentucky)
MKG will be a solid player for the Bobcats for the next half-dozen years or more, but losing Anthony Davis is devastating.
3. Washington Wizards: Bradley Beal (SG, Florida)
Washington could’ve chosen to select Beal second overall, so falling down a spot doesn’t hurt them.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers: Andre Drummond (C, UConn)
Cleveland can’t pass on a true center in the top five for the second straight year when they don’t have one on their roster.
5. Sacramento Kings: Thomas Robinson (PF, Kansas)
Robinson is exactly what the Kings need: a leader with a killer work ethic and strong character—the fact that he’s a stud big man is just a bonus.
6. Portland Trail Blazers: Damian Lillard (PG, Weber St.)
Lillard is the most polished scorer in the entire draft and the Trail Blazers have been on a quest to find a solid starting point guard for years.
7. Golden State Warriors: Harrison Barnes (SF, UNC)
Barnes is a high-risk, high-reward prospect that Golden State will be willing to select with a need at the 3.
8. Toronto Raptors: Dion Waiters (SG, Syracuse)
Outside of DeMar Derozan, Toronto’s collection of wing players is downright pitiful.
9. Detroit Pistons: Perry Jones (PF, Baylor)
Jones is another prospect with a sky high-ceiling, but has bust written all over him at the same time. Detroit will roll the dice on him with a need at the 4.
10. New Orleans Hornets: Kendall Marshall (PG, UNC)
Imagine Marshall throwing alley-oops to Anthony Davis. Now try to imagine the Hornets taking anyone else.
You can’t.
11. Portland Trail Blazers: Tyler Zeller (C, UNC)
Portland’s second greatest need is for a big man to pair with LaMarcus Aldridge and the seven-foot Zeller will do.
12. Milwaukee Bucks: Jared Sullinger (PF, Ohio St.)
Ersan Ilyasova is a free agent and with just one quality season under his belt, the Bucks should choose not to overpay.
13. Phoenix Suns: Jeremy Lamb (SG, UConn)
Without a worthy replacement for Steve Nash on the board, finding an upgrade to Shannon Brown is their best option.
14. Houston Rockets: Terrence Jones (PF, Kentucky)
Luis Scola is aging rapidly and the Rockets need to find a successor because Patrick Peterson just isn’t it.
15. Philadelphia 76ers: Arnett Moultrie (PF, Mississippi St)
Philadelphia’s greatest need is frontcourt depth and Elton Brand won’t be in the City of Brotherly Love much longer.
16. Houston Rockets: Terrence Ross (SG, Washington)
Martin suffered a massive drop-off in production this past season and isn’t a long-term solution at shooting guard.
17. Dallas Mavericks: Austin Rivers (SG, Duke)
Mark Cuban loves to make noise and at this point in the draft, he couldn’t make any move louder than replacing Jason Terry with Rivers.
18. Minnesota Timberwolves: Moe Harkless (SF, St. John’s)
With Wesley Johnson being a bust and Michael Beasley being misused, Minnesota is getting no wing production whatsoever.
19. Orlando Magic: Meyers Leonard (C, Illinois)
Orlando isn’t in denial anymore. They know Dwight Howard is long gone so they’ll target his replacement.
20. Denver Nuggets: Tony Wroten Jr. (PG, Washington)
Denver doesn’t have many holes in their rotation, but with Andre Miller headed to free agency, they need a backup point guard.
21. Boston Celtics: John Henson (PF, UNC)
Throw Henson into Doc Rivers’ defensive scheme and watch him contend for Defensive Player of the Year. If Carlos Boozer can get a vote...
22. Boston Celtics: Quincy Miller (SF, Baylor)
Paul Pierce’s career in Boston is coming to a close, so the Celtics need to identify his replacement.
23. Atlanta Hawks: Andrew Nicholson (PF, St. Bonaventure)
Even if Josh Smith doesn’t get traded by this year’s deadline, he’s a free agent next summer. The Hawks need a successor.
24. Cleveland Cavaliers: Jeff Taylor (SF, Vanderbilt)
Taylor is a phenomenal athlete and defender that would start in Cleveland on day one.
25. Memphis Grizzlies: Marquis Teague (PG, Kentucky)
With no quality big man on the board, Memphis’ greatest need is for Mike Conley’s backup.
26. Indiana Pacers: Evan Fournier (SG, France)
Indiana’s second unit needs a scoring boost and Leandro Barbosa is a free agent.
27. Miami Heat: Fab Melo (C, Syracuse)
Melo would log major minutes early in Miami and make their defense even more dominant.
28. Oklahoma City Thunder: Tyshawn Taylor (PG, Kansas)
OKC needs a backup point guard for Russell Westbrook because they’ll be lucky if Derek Fisher lasts past this season.
29. Chicago Bulls: Will Barton (SG, Memphis)
Richard Hamilton is nothing but a short-term fix at shooting guard, but Barton packs the punch to help take some of the scoring load off of Derrick Rose long term.
30. Golden State Warriors: Royce White (SF, Iowa St.)
Golden State’s frontcourt needs an injection of athleticism, and White is thick enough at 240 pounds to spend time at power forward.
David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.
