2012 NBA Mock Draft: Potential Winners and Losers of First Round

There may not have been a lot of movement in Wednesday's NBA draft lottery, but there was certainly a shakeup near the top. The New Orleans Hornets jumped from the projected No. 4 pick to the first overall selection, changing the entire complexion of the draft.

It's already clear that the Hornets are going to be a big winner—provided Kentucky forward Anthony Davis lives up to the hype—but there are several other teams in position to succeed as well. At the same time, not every pick can be a good one, so there are bound to be just as many, if not more losers in the draft's first round.

Along with a full, first-round mock draft, here is some further analysis on the biggest potential winners and losers in the event's opening round. 

1. New Orleans Hornets: Anthony Davis, F (Kentucky)

Most New Orleans Hornets fans were probably thinking that they would end up with a player like Thomas Robinson or Michael Kidd-Gilchrist in the draft. While both appear to have the tools to be good pros, neither measures up to Davis. He was the best player in college basketball this past season as a freshman, and he led his team to the national championship with dominant play on both ends of the floor.

The Hornets are in need of some star power after trading Chris Paul and letting David West leave in free agency this past offseason, and Davis has plenty of it. I'm not sure his mere presence will immediately make New Orleans a playoff contender again, but he has cut the rebuilding time down quite a bit. Davis already has an NBA body, and he should be a terror in the paint as a scorer and defender.

Many drafts have a clear-cut top player, and this year that honor goes to Davis. I don't believe that he will ever reach the status of a consensus top guy like LeBron James, but I don't see any reason why Davis won't become an All-Star and a dominant player at the next level.

2. Charlotte Bobcats: Thomas Robinson, F (Kansas)

The Bobcats are in a very bad way after losing the lottery, but Robinson isn't the worst consolation prize, as he will be their best player from day one.

3. Washington Wizards: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, F (Kentucky)

I anticipated the Wizards nabbing Kidd-Gilchrist if they picked anywhere from No. 2 to No. 4, so even though they dropped a spot in the lottery, they'll still get their man.

4. Cleveland Cavaliers: Bradley Beal, G (Florida)

Beal is the final remaining player from the top tier in this scenario, and the Cavaliers won't hesitate to take him, as he can be paired with Kyrie Irving to form a dynamic backcourt.

5. Sacramento Kings: Andre Drummond, C (Connecticut)

With the cream of the crop off the board, the Kings will roll the dice a bit with Drummond and hope that his continued development isn't stunted by entering the NBA too early.

6. Portland Trail Blazers (via New Jersey): Kendall Marshall, G (North Carolina)

The Blazers had to be ecstatic when they got to keep the Nets' top-three protected pick, and they will make it count by nabbing Marshall to be their floor general for years to come.

7. Golden State Warriors: Harrison Barnes, F (North Carolina)

The Golden State Warriors remained at No. 7, as expected, in the lottery, and they will have a very interesting choice to make. Forward Harrison Barnes will be the unquestioned top player available at this point in terms of talent, but will the Warriors trust him to become the type of player that he has to be in order to excel in the NBA?

Barnes has all the tools, as he is 6'8" with speed and a good-looking jump shot, but he was far too inconsistent at North Carolina. He didn't use his size and get to the basket often enough, and there were too many times when he settled on contested jumpers from long range. That isn't going to fly in the NBA, particularly in Golden State, where Stephen Curry already has creative license in the offense. There simply isn't room for another free wheeler.

Down the stretch this past season, Barnes proved that he couldn't be trusted to carry the offense because he crumbled with Kendall Marshall out of the lineup. He tried to pick up the slack in his absence, but he failed to play to his strengths. If Barnes plays that passively for the Warriors, he won't be used very much.

8. Toronto Raptors: Jeremy Lamb, G (Connecticut)

The Raptors would really benefit from a player who can run off screens and hit jumpers, and there may be no player in this draft who is better at that than Lamb.

9. Detroit Pistons: Perry Jones III, F (Baylor)

Jones has a great deal of potential, but he needs to learn how to use his size to his advantage or else he is going to get pushed around by more physical big men.

10. New Orleans Hornets (via MIN): Damian Lillard, G (Weber State)

After getting their cornerstone player in Davis, the Hornets will look for a complement, and they'll get one in Lillard, who may be the draft's most explosive scoring guard aside from Beal.

11. Portland Trail Blazers: Jared Sullinger, F/C (Ohio State)

The Blazers' two biggest needs reside at point guard and center, and with Marshall already in the fold, they will get Sullinger to play next to LaMarcus Aldridge.

12. Milwaukee Bucks: Meyers Leonard, C (Illinois)

Milwaukee appeared to make the right move by dealing Andrew Bogut for Monta Ellis, but now they must take a big man like Leonard to replace the Aussie.

13. Phoenix Suns: Austin Rivers, G (Duke)

Rivers isn't a true point guard by any means, but if Steve Nash leaves in free agency, the Suns will need a guy like Rivers who can shoulder some of the ball-handling burden.

14. Houston Rockets: Tyler Zeller, F/C (North Carolina)

The Rockets continue to search for an answer at center, and although Zeller isn't the best all-around option, he should be an offensive factor.

15. Philadelphia 76ers: John Henson, F (North Carolina)

Henson is one of the more versatile players in the draft, as he can get the job done on both ends of the floor, and he will be a great addition to the rising 76ers.

16. Houston Rockets (via New York): Terrence Jones, F (Kentucky)

After taking Zeller, the Rockets have the basis for a strong starting lineup. They would be smart to nab Jones because he can serve as a backup at both power forward and small forward.

17. Dallas Mavericks: Arnett Moultrie, F (Mississippi State)

Moultrie is a very athletic and aggressive forward, and he would fill a major hole for the Mavericks playing alongside Dirk Nowitzki.

18. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Utah): Terrence Ross, G (Washington)

The Minnesota Timberwolves have picked very early in the first round over the past several seasons, so it may come as something of a shock to see them at No. 18. Forward Kevin Love developed into a stud, however, and he has Minnesota on the right track. The T'Wolves have some other young talent as well, particularly up front in Derrick Williams and Michael Beasley.

With their frontcourt being so loaded, the Wolves need to address their guard situation. Although he is battling back from an injury, point guard Ricky Rubio looks like the real deal. The issue is that Minnesota doesn't really have anything next to him. If talented Washington shooting guard Terrence Ross falls to them, though, it will be a major coup.

Ross can do it all, as he is a silky shooter and is willing to go to the hoop as well. With Love dominating most of the defensive attention, Ross won't be expected to do a ton as a rookie. He can wreak havoc in many ways, though, and will develop into a nice complement to Love. If the Timberwolves hit on this pick, then they may be contenders very soon.

19. Orlando Magic: Doron Lamb, G (Kentucky)

The Magic may have a need at center if Dwight Howard is on his way out of town, but they need some outside scoring too, so Lamb would be a nice addition.

20. Denver Nuggets: Dion Waiters, G (Syracuse)

Denver doesn't really need any more depth, but it can never hurt, so the Nuggets will make their pick count by taking an explosive combo guard in Waiters.

21. Boston Celtics: Moe Harkless, F (St. John’s)

With two picks in the first round, the Celtics can start to prepare for life after the Big Three, with Harkless possibly playing the role of Paul Pierce.

22. Boston Celtics (via L.A. Clippers): Fab Melo, C (Syracuse)

The center position was essentially a wasteland for the Celtics this season aside from Kevin Garnett, so they'll take Melo and hope he can be similar to Kendrick Perkins on the defensive end.

23. Atlanta Hawks: Royce White, F (Iowa State)

Josh Smith probably isn't going to be with the Hawks much longer, so they would be smart to take White and hope that he can develop into a similar player one day.

24. Cleveland Cavaliers (via L.A. Lakers): Andrew Nicholson, F (St. Bonaventure)

The Cavaliers already have a great backcourt after taking Beal with their first pick, so they will take Nicholson in anticipation of him becoming a complementary scorer in the post.

25. Memphis Grizzlies: Tony Wroten, G (Washington)

Memphis is somewhat of a plodding team that lacks explosiveness in a lot of ways, but putting Wroten at shooting guard would create a whole new dimension for the Grizzlies.

26. Indiana Pacers: Festus Ezeli, C (Vanderbilt)

The Pacers have a ton of depth everywhere aside from behind center Roy Hibbert, so they would be wise to take Ezeli and develop him into a useful rotation player.

27. Miami Heat: Draymond Green, F (Michigan State)

You can never have too much versatility and leadership on a team, and the Heat would love to take a guy like Green, as he brings both of those attributes to the table in bulk.

28. Oklahoma City Thunder: Kevin Jones, F (West Virginia)

The Thunder have a good frontcourt with Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins, but they could use some more offensive punch, and Jones would provide it.

29. Chicago Bulls: John Jenkins, G (Vanderbilt)

Jenkins has incredible range that is almost certain to translate to the NBA level, so the Bulls should nab him and pair him with Derrick Rose when he returns from injury.

30. Golden State Warriors (via San Antonio): Marquis Teague, G (Kentucky)

The Warriors don't really need a point guard with Stephen Curry in the fold, but Teague's value is too good to pass up, as he can spell Steph when needed.

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