2012 NBA Draft: After Anthony Davis, Who Should the Hornets Target at No. 10?

Well, the wait is finally over.

The New Orleans Hornets will be picking first in next month's NBA draft and, barring something unforeseen, will be selecting Kentucky big man Anthony Davis as their newest building block.

With that mystery solved, the question now becomes: What will the Hornets do with their other first-round pick at 10th overall?

In this slideshow, I've thrown out a few options for GM Dell Demps to consider when the team goes on the clock with the 10th pick, and I even threw out a couple of veteran names the team should look at if they decide to trade the pick.

Enjoy!

Damian Lillard, PG, Weber State

Year: Junior

Age: 21

Career Numbers: 18.8 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 3.5 APG

Measurements: 6'2'', 195 pounds

NBA Comparison: Cross between Jay Williams and Jerryd Bayless

It's no secret that the Hornets are in need of a point guard after being forced to ship away Chris Paul. Jarrett Jack is an adequate fill-in, but he's a free agent next summer and the team needs a long-term answer.

The knocks on Lillard are that he didn't play against the best competition at Weber State and that he's not a traditional pass-first point guard. Coming off a year where he averaged 24.5 points, Lillard is clearly a scorer who looks to create for himself first.

Still, the Hornets are a team that could use a scoring punch, and the combination of Lillard and Eric Gordon would give them quite the backcourt. Besides, being a score-first point guard certainly hasn't hurt guys like Derrick Rose and Rajon Rondo.

Lillard has been mocked as high as Portland at No. 6, so there's a chance he won't even be on the board when the Hornets are on the clock.

Kendall Marshall, PG, North Carolina

Year: Sophomore

Age: 20

Career Numbers: 7.2 PPG, 8.0 APG, 2.3 RPG

Measurements: 6'4'', 195 pounds

NBA Comparison: Former Knicks/Pacers guard and current Warriors coach Mark Jackson

If Lillard is off the board, the Hornets could give Marshall a look. Marshall is more of the classic pass-first floor general that scouts prefer at the point guard position. He's a proven leader, and he has great size for the position.

He shows great court vision, and he makes the players around him better by delivering the ball in the right spot to give them optimal chances to score. He doesn't turn the ball over much, and he shows good ball-handling skills.

The biggest issue with Marshall, however, is that his offensive game is lacking, to say the least. As talented and deep as that Tar Heels team was, it's tough to justify being a lottery pick when you average under double digits in scoring at the college level.

Marshall is also an underwhelming free-throw shooter, hitting just under 70 percent from the charity stripe. He doesn't have range on his jumper either, shooting just 36 percent from three.

Still, if options are limited at No. 10, Marshall is worth developing. Head coach Monty Williams is a former NBA point guard, and the combination of Williams and Jarrett Jack could help bring Marshall along and develop him into eventually taking Jack's spot.

Austin Rivers, PG/SG, Duke

Year: Freshman

Age: 19

Career Numbers: 15.5 PPG, 2.1 APG, 43 FG percentage, 36.5 percent from behind the arc

Measurements: 6'4'', 200 pounds

NBA Comparison: a skinnier O.J. Mayo

Austin Rivers is technically more of a shooting guard than a natural point guard, so he might not be the greatest fit for the Hornets.

However, he's good Eric Gordon insurance if the team can't get Gordon to agree to an extension. Rivers could also develop into a point guard, as we've seen with guys like Stephen Curry.

Rivers's strength is his ability to provide instant offense. He's a deadly shooter, and he knows how to create a shot with the ball in his hands. He has a 6'7'' wingspan and is a good finisher at the rim. He comes from great stock as he's the son of former NBA pro and current Celtics head coach Doc Rivers.

There have been questions about Rivers's maturity, which is to be expected from a 19-year-old. He also has the tendency to take poor shots and force the situation when it's not there. Both of those issues can be solved with solid coaching.

Rivers could begin coming off the bench and providing offense to a Hornets "B" team that includes guys like Marco Belinelli and Xavier Henry. As he develops his game and matures, he could either replace Jarrett Jack as the team's starting point guard or expel Jack to create an amazing offensive tandem with Gordon to give New Orleans a spark offensively.

Jared Sullinger, PF, Ohio State

Year: Sophomore

Age: 20

Career Numbers: 17.3 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 53 FG percentage, 73 percent from the free-throw line

Measurements: 6'9'', 265 pounds

NBA Comparison: Carlos Boozer/Dale Davis

I like Jared Sullinger the most for New Orleans in the 10th overall pick. Sullinger is going to drop in the draft because he's more of an old-school banger than the type of athletic freaks we see today. Still, Sullinger was good enough to be considered a top-five pick last year before deciding to return to the Buckeyes, and he provides the kind of bulk that Anthony Davis lacks.

Yes, both Sullinger and Davis are listed as power forwards, but it isn't inconceivable that they can play together. A front duo of Sullinger and Davis would be pretty impressive, and Davis could make up for Sullinger's defensive and athletic shortcomings, while Sullinger provides the interior offense that Davis lacks.

Sullinger doesn't offer much in the defensive department, averaging less than a block per game at Ohio State. That being said, neither did Carl Landry or David West.

Sullinger has a ton of talent, and while he may drag the offense down in fast breaks and transition, he gives the team an option in the low post when they go to their half-court game. Athletic forwards are going to eat Sullinger up, but he will also wear them out when he drops that big frame into them.

Naturally, the Hornets are going to want a point guard but when you take a look at the teams remaining in the playoffs, being able to rebound and protect the rim leads to success.

What Sullinger lacks in agility, he makes up for in sheer size and girth. He'll fall because he doesn't fit the mold of what a 2012 power forward looks like, but he's worth it if no point-guard prospects dazzle New Orleans.

Tyler Zeller, C, North Carolina

Year: Senior

Age: 22

Career Numbers: 12.8 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 1.1 BPG, 54 FG percentage

Measurements: 7'0'', 250 pounds

NBA Comparison: P.J. Brown/Chris Mihm

If the Hornets are concerned with Davis's ability to play the 5 and want a more traditional center, Tyler Zeller could be their guy. He's coming off a solid final season with the Tar Heels, averaging 16.3 points and 9.8 rebounds a game.

Zeller passes the eye test. He's a natural seven-footer, and he even has a developing mid-range game, which gives him versatility on the offensive end. He averaged a little over a block a game for North Carolina, so he can provide some more defensive presence for the Hornets just in case having Anthony Davis and Emeka Okafor isn't enough.

The problem with Zeller is that he isn't very physical, mainly because he lacks elite strength. When going up against bigger, more physical centers like Dwight Howard or Kendrick Perkins, Zeller is going to get exposed. The history of the NBA is littered with soft, lanky centers who spent their careers getting eaten up in the paint by their bigger, stronger, more aggressive counterparts.

Zeller has good length and a lot of other attributes that make him a likely lottery pick, but he's going to need to get stronger and develop more of a mean streak. Otherwise, he'll be joining guys like Eric Montross and Cherokee Parks on the list of good college centers who couldn't hack it in the pros.

Still, if the Hornets are looking for a true center, Zeller is one of the best in a decent group of big men.

Meyers Leonard, C, Illinois

Year: Sophomore

Age: 20

Career Numbers: 7.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 1.1 BPG, 56.7 FG percentage

Measurements: 7'0'', 245 pounds

NBA Comparison: Joel Przybilla/Ryan Anderson

At first glance, Leonard's overall numbers don't look like much to sniff at, and truth be told, they aren't. However, those numbers are skewed a little by Leonard's freshman season with the Illini when he barely played.

Last season, as a sophomore, Leonard improved greatly. He averaged 13.7 points, 8.2 boards and nearly two blocks per game. He's becoming a better shooter from outside, but he has the tendency to fall in love with his jump shot.

The comparison to Przybilla stems from Leonard's ability to block shots. He blocked 60 shots last season for Illinois in 32 games. Like with Zeller, he's a more traditional center whom the Hornets could give a look at to keep Davis at the 4 and replace free agent big man Chris Kaman.

Unlike Zeller, Leonard has good strength to handle the pivot at the next level, and his shot-blocking numbers prove he's unafraid to contest shots.

He doesn't have Zeller's offensive game, but it's a work in progress. At two years younger than Zeller, Leonard could develop on the bench before eventually forming a great tag team inside with Davis. He'll also be able to take pressure off Davis in the paint.

The only issue with having Leonard and Davis together is that neither is very talented offensively, but they can make up for that by being stout on the interior defensively. Leonard has the athleticism to run in an up-tempo offense, so he could fit in nicely as his offensive game develops.

Terrence Ross, G/F, Washington

Year: Sophomore

Age: 21

Career Numbers: 12.8 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 45.3 FG percentage

Measurements: 6'6'', 195 pounds

NBA Comparison: A very poor man's Dwyane Wade

Terrence Ross is a name that has received some buzz for the Hornets with the 10th pick.

He's a great athlete with an explosive first step who really knows how to throw it down when he gets elevated. He's a good shooter from behind the arc, and he's coming off a solid sophomore season where he averaged 16.4 points and 6.8 rebounds for the Huskies.

Ross would be a significant upgrade at the small forward position over Trevor Ariza, even though he doesn't possess Ariza's defensive abilities.

With Ross's frame, you'd like to see him get bigger to both help him deal with the wear-and-tear of the NBA season and to help him guard the league's bigger perimeter players. Ross also needs to get better defensively, but he's a kid with a lot of promise.

He could be a nice third option for a Hornets team that can certainly use more players, and his emergence would allow the team to move Ariza, which would save them some cap space.

Obviously, a guard like Ross isn't as huge a need as a point guard or even a center, but Ross would present value if available at No. 10.

Perry Jones III, F, Baylor

Year: Sophomore

Age: 20 (will be 21 in September)

Career Numbers: 13.7 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 52.2 FG percentage

Measurements: 6'11'', 235 pounds

NBA Comparison: Anthony Randolph

A tweener if ever there was one. Perry Jones has the height to be a power forward in the pros, but he lacks the bulk to be a factor inside. He also lacks the outside shooting touch to be a big small forward, a la Lamar Odom.

The upside is that PJ3 is a supremely gifted athlete, and he handles the ball well for a big man. He needs to work on his jumper, but it showed signs of life down the stretch for Baylor.

The bottom line is that he's a project. He has great physical tools, but he's going to need a few years of seasoning before he can contribute to the team.

On a young team like the Hornets, it depends on whether they'll have the patience to develop Jones. For all his size, he didn't block many shots at Baylor, and he wasn't very productive on the glass. With the right coaching, he could develop into an Odom-type versatile forward who can play the 3 or the 4 and maybe even the 5 in a pinch.

Of the options I've listed so far, I'd rank Jones near the bottom. All of the prospects mentioned have their issues, but Jones might be the riskiest of all. While productive at Baylor, he also got himself nabbed for receiving improper benefits, which made him ineligible at the end of the year and threatened the start of next season had he not declared.

These are just some of the names the Hornets should consider. However, if the Hornets are really in "win now" mode, they could ship the 10th pick to a team either looking to get younger or looking to move some bodies in hopes of getting depth.

Pau Gasol, PF, Los Angeles Lakers

Age: 32

2011-12 Statistics: 17.4 PPG, 10.7 RPG, 1.4 BPG, 50.3 FG percentage

In a draft this deep, the Hornets could dangle the pick if there's nobody that they like, in hopes of snagging someone who can help them more immediately.

This offseason, you're going to see a number of big names on the trading block. Dwight Howard will be the biggest one, but he won't be alone. There are a couple of familiar faces that could be relocating that not only help the Hornets but also might be enticed by the Hornets' top-10 pick in exchange.

The first name is Lakers power forward Pau Gasol. Gasol took a brunt of the blame for the Lakers' series loss to Oklahoma City. There's a very good chance he gets dealt this summer, and the Chicago Bulls are a team that has been mentioned. However, Chicago would almost certainly want the Lakers to take Carlos Boozer back in return, which the Lakers seem unlikely to do.

Why not the Hornets then? Here's a slight breakdown.

Why It Works For Los Angeles

Through various deals, the Lakers are without a first-round pick, and it's very clear that they are getting long in the tooth. Gasol is one of their aging stars, and it looks like he's falling out of favor in Laker Land.

By sending Gasol to New Orleans for the 10th overall pick, it allows the Lakers the grab to get younger and alleviate itself of one of its bigger contracts as they try to cut payroll (as evidenced by the foolish Lamar Odom trade).

With the 10th pick, the Lakers could look at any one of the names mentioned in this slideshow as well as guys like Mississippi State PF Arnett Moultrie or Syracuse's Dion Waiters. It seems highly unlikely, but it's an option if the Lakers don't want to send Gasol to an immediate contender.

Why It Works For New Orleans

Whoever is there when the Hornets pick 10th, they won't have the same value as having Gasol in the fold.

Sure, Gasol's no spring chicken, and he's coming off back-to-back seasons where he melted under pressure, but he can reform his career as a mentor to a promising young team. He can take Davis under his wing and be a leader for the Hornets much like he was in his early days in Memphis.

On top of that, a Davis-Gasol tandem would be scary. Both are solid defensively, and Gasol can be the interior presence on the offensive end that Davis isn't quite ready to be.

Andre Iguodala, SF, Philadelphia 76ers

Age: 28

2011-12 Statistics: 12.7 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 5.5 APG, 1.7 Steals Per Game

Another possibility is Sixers forward Andre Iguodala.  With so much young talent such as Thaddeus Young and Evan Turner on the roster behind Iguodala, the team could use him in a trade to get some more size.

Why It Works For The Sixers

The team has drafted well enough in previous years to make Iggy expendable. The team really needs some bigs up front to complement Spencer Hawes, and Iguodala is a hot commodity as the leader of a Sixers team that was one of the best eight-seeds in NBA history. 

Iguodala is an amazing athlete, and he's one of the game's best two-way players, but he doesn't offer much offensively. He might not be worth his hefty price tag.  

By receiving this pick, the Sixers will now be picking twice in the top 15 (they own the 15th pick as well). That means they could add more depth or package the picks to move up for a better prospect.

Either way, it's a better proposition than letting Iggy walk. The Lakers have talked about trading for Iguodala, but it remains to be seen what they would send back in return.

Why It Works For The Hornets

The best case scenario here is you get Iguodala and move Trevor Ariza's contract. That frees up money and gives the Hornets an upgrade at small forward.

A Gordon-Iggy-Davis trio would be pretty devastating and a nice turnaround for a team that finished with the fourth worst record last year. 

Of course, Iguodala comes at lofty price, but you're already paying Ariza and Emeka Okafor nearly $22 million to stink up the bench. I think this is a better solution.