2012 NBA Mock Draft: Updated Landing Spots for Top College Studs

The 2012 NBA Draft Order is now set and its now time to start making mock drafts.  Who will be picked first, who will be picked last, and who will be picked everywhere in between in the first round of the 2012 NBA Draft?

Anthony Davis is the hands-down No. 1 pick and New Orleans will almost certainly select him at the top of the draft.  He is the best talent in the draft pool and has amazing intangibles, which makes him an ideal new franchise player.  But after Davis, it gets more fuzzy: there are five players, including Harrison Barnes, Andre Drummond, Bradley Beal, Thomas Robinson and Michael Kidd Gilchrist, who could all be selected No. 2.  

The 2012 NBA Draft is also one of the deepest in recent years because rotation players will be available all the way through the first round.  So, the question is, how will it all shake out?  Here is an updated mock draft of how the whole first round might look on draft night.  

No. 30: Jeff Taylor to the Golden State Warriors

Golden State really needs an athletic small forward of the future and Taylor could be a huge value this late in the draft.  

No. 29: John Jenkins to the Chicago Bulls

Jenkins is the best shooter in the draft and has the size to be an NBA two guard.  I'm not sure what makes him much different than Klay Thompson, Golden State's lottery pick from 2011, so Chicago would get value while filling a huge need.  

No. 28: Draymond Green to the Oklahoma City Thunder

Green adds another character player who can defend multiple positions and handle the ball to the Thunder's already impressive bench.  A good get this late in the first round.  

No. 27: Marquis Teague to the Miami Heat

Mario Chalmers is a borderline starter, but the Heat would like to develop an athletic, long-term solution at the point and Teague could be a great project for the organization.  He has lottery type talent and will flourish if he can grow in the right environment.  

No. 26: Royce White to the Indiana Pacers

White has lottery talent but teams are afraid of his tough history and anxiety disorder, which they fear could be magnified by the NBA lifestyle.  But Larry Bird has never been afraid to take a gamble and White offers enormous upside for a playoff team drafting this late in the first round.  

No. 25: Evan Fournier to the Memphis Grizzlies

Memphis has a glut of young wing players and will probably look to stash someone overseas.  Fournier is very talented and fits the bill.  If he falls, the Bulls will grab and stash him at No. 29.  

No. 24: Quincy Miller to the Cleveland Cavaliers

Cleveland is desperate to add talent late in this draft because they may not have another lottery pick next year if their young players lead them to the playoffs.  Miller is raw and a risk but the upside is enormous if he pans out so the Cavaliers will take the gamble.  

No. 23: Tony Wroten Jr. to the Atlanta Hawks

Wroten Jr. has lottery talent but he will fall past the teens because he has a bad reputation as a selfish player and a broken shooting technique.  But he won't fall past the Hawks because Atlanta desperately needs a talented young guard.  

No. 22: Andrew Nicholson to the Boston Celtics

Nicholson is a smart, heady power forward with size and four years of great college experience.  He is exactly what Boston wants to add to its bench this off-season.  

No. 21: Moe Harkless to the Boston Celtics

Harkless is a bit of an enigma. Everyone knows he is talented but he has not shown all his cards at St. Johns.  But the Celtics will pounce on that talent because he can be the long-term heir to Paul Pierce.  The Celtics did that with Avery Bradley and Ray Allen and would love to repeat their success.  

No. 20: Fab Melo to the Denver Nuggets

Denver knows they need size and toughness to replace Kenyon Martin and Nene Hilario.  Melo won't be a star but he could be a stalwart in their front-court alongside JaVale McGee and Kenneth Faried. 

No. 19: Meyers Leonard to the Orlando Magic

Leonard is raw but he has great defensive upside and the body of a real NBA center.  Orlando will likely lose Dwight Howard this year so drafting his future replacement should be a priority.  

No. 18: Kendall Marshall to the Minnesota Timberwolves

Marshall would give Minnesota a great backup point guard to Ricky Rubio.  His presence would mean the Wolves can have a strong passer on the court at all times and help Minnesota get past Rubio's future injuries.  

No. 17: Austin Rivers to the Dallas Mavericks

Rivers is exactly what the Mavericks need: a great scorer from the guard position.  He has a killer crossover, can get to the rim at will and can stroke it from deep range.  Rivers could replace Jason Terry and compliment Deron Williams (if Dallas lands him as expected) in a terrific back-court.  

No. 16: Terrence Jones to the Houston Rockets

Houston always likes to snap up good value and Jones will be a great talent to grab if he falls this far.  He is a top 8 pick on talent alone but there are concerns about his work ethic and lack of position in the pros.  Still, he will be a great rotation player and trade chip for Houston as they look to add a real star player to their roster.  

No. 15: Arnett Moultrie to the Philadelphia 76ers

Philadelphia really needs toughness and rebounding in the front-court.  Moultrie brings both with size and athleticism so he is a clear fit for their team needs.  

No. 14: Tyler Zeller to the Houston Rockets

Zeller is a very solid big man who can start in the NBA.  He reminds me of Brad Miller and will play fundamentally sound basketball, rebound well and run the floor.  He is a fit for what Houston needs in this draft.  

No. 13: Terrence Ross to the Phoenix Suns

Ross is a very underrated player who will be a productive shooting guard because he has size, range and accuracy on his jumper, and good athleticism.  Phoenix sorely needs a young two-guard to pair with Marcin Gortat and should jump to select Ross if he falls out of the Top 10.  

No. 12: Jared Sullinger to the Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks just traded former franchise center Andrew Bogut to the Warriors this year.  Sullinger is much shorter than Bogut but he should add muscle inside and help replace Bogut's production.  However, if John Henson falls, he will be the pick.  

No. 11: Jeremy Lamb to the Portland Blazers

Lamb is still a bit unpolished but he has tremendous upside.  He also flashed both strong scoring instincts and rare defensive qualities, which could make him one of the premier players at his position one day. He is a risk but Portland will gamble that he can eventually replace Brandon Roy.  

No. 10: Damien Lilliard to the New Orleans Hornets

Lilliard may not be Chris Paul but he is the best point guard prospect in this draft.  Playing alongside Eric Gordon and Anthony Davis, Lilliard could develop into a very good starter.  

No. 9: John Henson to the Detroit Pistons

Greg Monroe is one good front-court piece but the Pistons need one more to create a good young core for the future.  Henson is a great young defender and will help restore the tough, gritty culture that Detroit fans really miss from the good old days.  

No. 8: Perry Jones to the Toronto Raptors

The Raptors have a hodge-podge of talented young players but they don't have a future starter at small forward.  Jones is extremely talented and Toronto could develop him to play his natural position at the three-spot.  

No. 7: Dion Waiters to the Golden State Warriors

The Warriors just traded their top scorer, Monta Ellis, to the Milwaukee Bucks for Andrew Bogut. Waiters has the same fearless, drive-to-the-basket mentality but has shown an ability to function within an offense and not completely hog the ball.  He is also taller than Ellis and could be a killer scoring sixth man behind Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.  

No. 6: Andre Drummond to the Portland Blazers

Yes, Greg Oden did not work out.  But Portland still needs to take another big risk on a center in this draft. Drummond could be the second star front-court player that Portland needs alongside LaMarcus Aldridge to contend for a title.  He is a project but one worth taking on if you are the Blazers. 

No. 5: Thomas Robinson to the Sacramento Kings

It will be very tempting to take Andre Drummond here because he is more talented than Robinson.  But this team needs winners and cultural change more than raw talent.  Robinson can provide great rebounding and help turn the team's fortunes around in the future.  

No. 4: Bradley Beal to the Cleveland Cavaliers

Beal is the best shooting guard prospect in the draft.  He will be the perfect back-court compliment to newly minted star Kyrie Irving as the Cavaliers slowly rebuild into a future contender.  

No. 3: Harrison Barnes to the Washington Wizards

Washington needs to put a great scoring wing alongside John Wall.  Barnes may not be Kobe Bryant but he will be a very good, all-star level scorer in the NBA.  He is a also a good kid who will help turn Washington's locker room around into a winning culture.  

No. 2: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist to the Charlotte Bobcats

Kidd-Gilchrist is not the most talented player on the board but he is a true winner.  The Bobcats are a total mess and they need to rebuild for the future.  Put Kidd-Gilchrist next to former NCAA Champion Kemba Walker and defensive center Bismack Biyombo and you have a core to build with over the next few seasons. 

No. 1: Anthony Davis to the New Orleans Hornets

Does this even merit explanation?  If they don't pick him, there will be riots in the streets!