2012 NBA Mock Draft: Predicting Ideal Landing Spots for Top College Studs
You may already know who should be taken with the first-overall selection in June 28's NBA Draft, but what happens after that?
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist brings unlimited upside and intensity to the table, but Bradley Beal will score more than his fair share of points from day one. Meanwhile, Kansas' Thomas Robinson isn't a bad consolation prize if the Bobcats are set on taking a power forward.
Could Harrison Barnes make a case for himself thanks to his steady, intelligent brand of ball? Or, perhaps Andre Drummond could surprise everyone on account of his huge body and even more massive upside.
Plenty of questions surround this months annual haul of young talent—let's begin looking for some answers.
1. New Orleans Hornets: Anthony Davis, PF (Kentucky)
If you hadn't heard, Anthony Davis is a pretty sure thing to go first overall in the draft. He has the size, talent and intangibles for which scouts go wild. He also blocks a ton of shots—enough said.
2. Charlotte Bobcats: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF (Kentucky)
While selecting Anthony Davis with the first-overall pick may be a no-brainer, who goes next is subject to a bit more disagreement. The best option is probably MKG. Though he's not a phenomenal scorer just yet, he does everything else exceptionally well.
3. Washington Wizards: Thomas Robinson, PF (Kansas)
Robinson isn't as big as Anthony Davis, and he doesn't have the freakish athletic upside that typifies someone like Perry Jones. But, Robinson could make the most significant immediate impact of any big in this draft. He can shoot, rebound and play some gritty defense. He's also a born leader with the kind of mental edge that could help turn the Wizards around.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers: Bradley Beal, SG (Florida)
The Cavaliers got their point guard of the future last year, and now he needs a sidekick who can put the ball in the hoop. Beal would give Cleveland arguably the best pure scorer in the draft and free Rookie of the Year Kyrie Irving to focus on running the offense.
5. Sacramento Kings: Harrison Barnes, SF (North Carolina)
Barnes may be less exciting than Drummond, but he solves a very real problem for the Kings. Sacramento needs better defense on the wing, and it needs a consistent perimeter shooter. Barnes plays the game well and could become one of this draft's most consistently reliable contributors.
6. Portland Trail Blazers (from Brooklyn Nets): Andre Drummond, C (UConn)
Drummond may be one of this draft's biggest gambles, but where there's a lot of risk, there's often a lot of upside. Portland needs to get its hands on a center who can start at the NBA level, and the Trail Blazers just might be due for some luck. If so, Drummond will pan out and potentially become a regular at All-Star weekend.
7. Golden State Warriors: Perry Jones III, PF (Baylor)
You can't judge Jones on his uneven performance at Baylor where he tended to defer at the expense of his own production. This guy has just the right combination of finesse and explosiveness, and he just might be versatile enough to play at all three frontcourt positions. That kind of star potential will be too much for the Warriors to pass up, assuming another club doesn't take him first.
8. Toronto Raptors: Jeremy Lamb, SG (UConn)
Lamb is a great shooter with a deceptively long wingspan, and he'd give Toronto's wing a much-needed perimeter threat. He can play off the ball and rely on spot-up jumpers, but he can also create his own shots. Like most prospects, his decision-making needs work, but the raw talent is certainly there.
9. Detroit Pistons: Terrence Jones, SF (Kentucky)
Jones may not look like a superstar at the moment, but he might have as good a chance at becoming one as anyone else in the draft. He has an incredibly varied skill set that includes supreme defensive versatility passing that's uncanny for a 6'9" forward. He'd give the Pistons an eventual replacement for Tayshaun Prince—and perhaps a future All-Star.
10. New Orleans Hornets (via Minnesota Timberwolves): Damian Lillard, PG (Weber State)
Lillard can carve up opposing defenses with his quickness and ball-handling. Assuming the Hornets take Davis with the first-overall selection, it wouldn't be surprising to see them go after some offensive punch here. If a guy like Lamb or Barnes is still available, they could go to the Hornets instead, but there's nothing wrong with adding a spark-plug like Lillard to the backcourt rotation.
11. Portland Trail Blazers: Kendall Marshall, PG (North Carolina)
Marshall isn't the most electric scorer in the draft, but he's certainly the best approximation of a pass-first point guard. Portland might look for the best player on the board if it had just one first-round selection, but the added flexibility of a second lottery pick could translate into addressing an area of need. After an unsuccessful experiment with Raymond Felton, the point is easily one of this club's biggest needs.
12. Milwaukee Bucks: Tyler Zeller, C (North Carolina)
Andre Drummond might have more upside, but Zeller is the closest thing to a guarantee at the center position. He's got the perfect combination of size and mobility to replace Andrew Bogut and provide Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings a steadying front-court presence.
13. Phoenix Suns: Austin Rivers, G (Duke)
The Suns need just about anything other than a starting center. Rivers doesn't have the point-guard instincts to be the next Steve Nash, but he could quickly become one of the best scorers on Phoenix's roster.
14. Houston Rockets: John Henson, PF (North Carolina)
Henson may not have as much upside as some of the other power forwards in this draft, but he's the perfect alternative to Luis Scola. He's long, quick and very athletic—attributes he deploys quite well on the defensive end.
15. Philadelphia 76ers: Terrence Ross, SG (Washington)
Ross could slip a bit in this draft, especially if Philly goes after a big guy like John Henson or Jared Sullinger. It might make more sense to take Ross though, and not just because he could be the best all-around player on the board. The 76ers need a starter at the 2-guard spot, and Ross would be an immediate upgrade over Jodie Meeks.
16. Houston Rockets (via New York Knicks): Dion Waiters, G (Syracuse)
Like any team with two first-rounders to burn, one of Houston's picks could very well be on the move. Otherwise, look for the team to go after some backcourt help, just in case a free agent like Goran Dragic or Courtney Lee doesn't end up returning.
17. Dallas Mavericks: Jared Sullinger, PF (Ohio State)
Yes, the Mavericks already have a pretty well-known power forward, but they don't have a bruiser who can occupy some space in the paint. There's a risk Sullinger is undersized by NBA standards, but he's already skilled enough that it's worth taking a shot on him.
18. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Utah Jazz): Arnett Moultrie, PF (Mississippi St.)
Minnesota's biggest need is a shooting guard along the lines of Terrence Ross or Dion Waiters. Once those guys are gone though, the next available options would probably be a reach at this point in the first round. That may persuade the Timberwolves to trade down, but they could grab an athletic big like Moultrie otherwise.
19. Orlando Magic: Meyers Leonard, C (Illinois)
What does a team do when it's at risk of losing a franchise player like Dwight Howard? After panicking, it would probably be a good idea to draft another center. Unless this pick gets moved in part of some elaborate rebuilding plan, Leonard's the next best option. There's lots of untapped talent here.
20. Denver Nuggets: Tony Wroten Jr., PG (Washington)
Wroten Jr. won't wow anyone initially, but he's a 19-year-old, 6'5" combo-guard with the potential to be the next Rodney Stuckey. That just might be too intriguing for a young team like the Nuggets to pass up—they can afford to give Wroten some time to polish his raw scoring and passing tendencies.
21. Boston Celtics: Quincy Miller, SF (Baylor)
Given Boston's need for just about anything to reinvigorate the bench, this should be the time to take the best-available talent. Miller may be a bit of a project, but he's the kind of project who could wind up looking much better than the average 21st pick.
22. Boston Celtics (via Los Angeles Clippers): Fab Melo, C (Syracuse)
The Celtics would be wise to trade their way up in this draft. By moving up just five or six spots, Boston could find some pretty high-impact players. If they hold on to these picks, expect one of them to go to the best big man on the board, a designation that may well belong to Melo.
23. Atlanta Hawks: Jeff Taylor, SF (Vanderbilt)
Whatever you think about Taylor's offensive game, there's no question he's already an elite on-ball defender by NCAA standards. If the Hawks can't find an electric guard to rejuvenate the bench, Taylor might be too valuable to pass up. It isn't easy to get guys to work that hard on the defensive end.
24. Cleveland Cavaliers (from Los Angeles Lakers): Moe Harkless, SF (St. John's)
The 19-year-old Harkless could be taken virtually anywhere outside of the lottery, largely because of his athletic ability and ideal small-forward frame. Cleveland would make a good fit on account of the club's need for help on the wing.
25. Memphis Grizzlies: Andrew Nicholson, PF (St. Bonaventure)
The Grizzlies only glaring need is a legitimate superstar, and they won't find one of those this late in the draft. Should they choose to keep this pick, their best bet may be taking a mature front-line player who can contribute right away—that's Nicholson in a nutshell.
26. Indiana Pacers: Draymond Green, F (Michigan St.)
Green is enough of a tweener that he just might slip to the second round. He doesn't fit in as a prototypical small forward or shooting guard. Still, he's got a lot of different skills and could develop into something of a utility player off the bench—a perfect role on a team with its core rotation already set.
27. Miami Heat: Festus Ezeli, C (Vanderbilt)
If Fab Melo is still on the board, Miami may go in that direction instead. Otherwise, Ezeli seems to be the man. The Heat need a big center who can defend, so there isn't much mystery with this one.
28. Oklahoma City Thunder: Evan Fournier, SG (France)
The 19-year-old Fournier has good size on the wing and the potential to become an incredibly well-rounded scorer. He'll need time to acclimate himself to the pro game, but he'd have plenty of that time on a team like OKC.
29. Chicago Bulls: Marquis Teague, PG (Kentucky)
There's a good argument to be made that Chicago also needs a shooting guard, but I'd put my money on the Bulls grabbing a point guard as insurance. With Derrick Rose potentially missing the entirety of next season, a skilled point like Teague could come in handy.
30. Golden State Warriors (via San Antonio Spurs): Royce White, SF/PF (Iowa State)
White would give the Warriors a forward who could guard a variety of frontcourt players from off the bench. The 270 pound forward has the size and talent to earn some minutes at the next level.
