NBA Draft 2012: One Major Transition Each NBA Lottery Team Needs To Make

The 2012 NBA draft is right around the corner, and lottery teams are preparing to make decisions that will impact the future of their franchises.

With each lottery pick comes the opportunity to take a step in the right direction for those NBA franchises. To move in the right direction though, those teams need to understand their biggest needs, and they also need to know the kind of team they are trying to become.

Recognizing those needs is a major part of understanding how to transition from being a lottery team to becoming a playoff team, which is the main goal of every team in the NBA.

Ahead is a list of one major transition that each NBA lottery team needs to make with the 2012 NBA draft.

Houston Rockets: Find a Franchise-Caliber Center

With Marcus Camby becoming a free agent and Samuel Dalembert in the team option of his contract, it's clear that the center position is the biggest need for the Houston Rockets.

Ever since Yao Ming played his last days of productive basketball back in the 2008-09 season, the Rockets haven't been the same team. That's because they haven't ever truly moved on from building their offense around productive play in the paint. The main problem with that is that the Rockets haven't had a legitimate center since Yao, and it's time for the Rockets to change that.

With productive players like Kyle Lowry, Kevin Martin and Luis Scola on the roster, the Rockets are one smart draft pick from being a playoff team once again in the Western Conference.

There's no better time than in this year's draft for the Rockets to find their next franchise center, and they can do that by drafting Illinois center Meyers Leonard. While Leonard is somewhat of a raw talent, there's no doubt that his massive 7'1'' frame will be a difference maker in the paint no matter how developed he is.

Leonard is the kind of player who can add some excitement to the Rockets' depth chart, while also helping them build a productive frontcourt tandem around the production of Luis Scola. 

Projected Pick: No. 14 Meyers Leonard, C, Illinois

Phoenix Suns: Transition into the Post-Nash Era

While only Steve Nash knows whether he'll be playing for the Phoenix Suns next season, there's no doubt that it's time for the Suns to start preparing for life without Nash.

The Suns have a vast amount of needs, ranging from getting more athletic at the wing to finding a shooting guard who can add legitimate offensive production on a consistent basis.

But with their lottery pick, the Suns undoubtedly need to find the point guard of the future—one that can help them transition away from Nash. It's time for the Suns to find a franchise player who can return the Suns to glory, and they'll be able to do that with the No. 11 overall pick.

A player who can fit the mold of what the Suns should be looking for is Duke combo guard Austin Rivers. Not only is Rivers an explosive athlete, he's also one of the more elite scorers in this year's draft. If that wasn't enticing enough, Rivers also has learned about the game for his entire life from his father, Celtics head coach Doc Rivers. 

If Nash returns, Rivers would be able to learn from one of the best of all time. If Nash leaves, Rivers would be able to step right in and show the world the kind of NBA player he can be.

Drafting a player who can being the transition into the post-Nash era for the Suns is an absolute must for Phoenix.

Projected Pick: No. 13 Austin Rivers, SG/PG, Duke

Milwaukee Bucks: Find Andrew Bogut's Replacement

The Milwaukee Bucks pulled off one of the best trades in recent memory when they traded away often-injured center Andrew Bogut and some other role players for one of the premier scorers in the game—Monta Ellis.

By trading for Ellis and inserting him into their lineup beside Brandon Jennings, the Bucks quickly developed one of the most offensively explosive backcourts in the game.

That trade certainly increased the Bucks' backcourt production, but it also depleted their frontcourt, which is what they need to focus on in this year's draft. If the Bucks can add a player who can add legitimate balance to their frontcourt, they'll easily be one of the most dangerous teams in the East.

Finding an NBA-ready center in this year's draft is going to be a tough challenge, but one player who might be up to that challenge is North Carolina center Tyler Zeller.

Zeller's seven-foot frame and his ability to run the floor would fit in perfectly with the Bucks, and it would help them to transition from a backcourt-heavy team to a more balanced team on both sides of the ball.

If the Bucks can find Bogut's replacement in the draft, don't be shocked if the Bucks are one of the better teams in the East next season.

Projected Pick: No. 12 Tyler Zeller, C, North Carolina

Detroit Pistons: Develop a Consistent Frontcourt Tandem with Greg Monroe

The Detroit Pistons have one of the best young centers in the game with Greg Monroe, and they certainly have a bright future as long as they're able to build around him.

With young players like Greg Monroe, Brandon Knight, Rodney Stuckey and Jonas Jerebko, the Pistons have all the makings of a team that might actually start living up to the potential that exists on their depth chart.

The Pistons have a chance to create one of the most exciting frontcourts in the game, and that's exactly what they need to focus on in this year's draft. If the Pistons can draft a player who can make an immediate impact in the frontcourt, they will be able to take pressure off other players, and in doing so, they'll become a more balanced team.

A player who can step right in and have an impact on the court for the Pistons is Ohio State forward Jared Sullinger. While he's not necessarily the most athletic or versatile player in the draft, he's certainly one of the most intelligent and most hard-working players, and that will go a long way for the Pistons.

Becoming a team that focuses its production in the frontcourt will help players like Brandon Knight develop into more productive players, as attention will be drawn away from them. In doing so, the Pistons will return to being a playoff team in the Eastern Conference. 

Projected Pick: No. 9 Jared Sullinger, PF, Ohio State

Toronto Raptors: Become Legitimately Productive on Offense

Aside from the Raptors' 28th-ranked offense with an average of just 90.7 points per game, the Raptors were actually a pretty solid team.

They played some of the best defense in the NBA, only giving up 94 points per game, and they managed to rebound the ball effectively. With some increased offensive production and some versatility in the backcourt, the Raptors can become a dangerous team in the Eastern Conference.

While Jose Calderon is a competent point guard, he's not offensively explosive enough to carry the Raptors. The Raptors need a player who can play both the shooting guard and point guard position, while also being able to facilitate for his teammates.

A player that can do just that for the Raptors is Syracuse combo guard Dion Waiters.

Waiters is gaining a lot of attention as being one of the best prospects in this year's draft class, as he has an NBA-ready frame and the explosive offense production from which a number of teams could benefit.

With an increase in offensive production in the backcourt and more offensive balance overall, the Raptors can become a dramatically different team in the East next season.

Projected Pick: No. 8 Dion Waiters, SG/PG, Syracuse

Golden State Warriors: Become a More Focused Defensive Team

To say that the Golden State Warriors need to become a better defensive team doesn't aptly describe just how terrible the Warriors were on defense last year.

While the Warriors were one of the most athletic and versatile teams in the NBA last season, they couldn't defend in transition or in the half-court offense. The Warriors' lack of defense was the sole reason why they weren't able to escape this year's lottery—well, that and their supposed tanking.

Even without Monta Ellis on the roster, the Warriors still have an impressive amount of offensive talent, with players like Andrew Bogut, Klay Thompson, David Lee and Stephen Curry. There's no doubt that the Warriors will be an explosive offense team next season, but they need to become more focused on the defensive side of the ball, and they can do that through the draft.

Sure, adding one player won't change anything immediately, but the presence that a developed and mature player like North Carolina small forward Harrison Barnes can bring to the court and the locker room will have an impact on the mentality of the team.

The Warriors can be a dangerous team in the Western Conference next season as long as two things happen. First, Andrew Bogut and Stephen Curry must stay healthy for the entire season. Secondly, the Warriors need to become a defensively competent team.

Projected Pick: No. 7 Harrison Barnes, SF, North Carolina 

Portland Trail Blazers: Become More Balanced on Offense

After losing Brandon Roy and Greg Oden this past season, the Trail Blazers entered rebuilding mode much sooner than they thought they would have to.

Without Roy and Oden, the future of the Blazers franchise fell squarely on the shoulders of LaMarcus Aldridge. While it's clear that he's capable of being the the franchise player in Portland, it's also clear that Aldridge can't do it all by himself—which he was forced to do last season.

The Blazers have a lot of needs heading into the 2012 NBA draft, but there is none bigger than the gaping hole they have at the point guard position. Adding an offensively-minded point guard through the draft will help take the pressure of Aldridge and allow him to become an even more dominant player.

With the Nos. 6 and 11 overall picks in this year's draft, the Blazers can add that kind of production as long as they pursue a player like Weber State point guard Damien Lillard or Syracuse combo guard Dion Waiters.

In the draft, the Blazers need to transition from being a team focused on their frontcourt production to being a more balanced offensive team, and with two picks in the lottery, they can do just that.

Projected Picks: No. 11 John Henson, PF, North Carolina; No. 6 Damian Lillard, PG, Weber State

Sacramento Kings: Find a True Center

For the past few seasons, the Sacramento Kings have been a team with a lot of potential that's never been realized.

The main reason why the Kings have remained a bottom-feeder in the West for the past few years is because they've lacked a true center for quite some time. While DeMarcus Cousins has done a great job of filling in at the center spot for the past two years, there's no doubt that he's better suited to play the power forward position.

With offensively explosive and ridiculously athletic players like Tyreke Evans, Marcus Thornton, DeMarcus Cousins and Isaiah Thomas, the Kings just need a legitimate center to solidify the paint to transition into a more legitimate team in the West.

The player that can help the Kings do that is Connecticut center Andre Drummond. While he's not the most polished or most NBA-ready draft prospect at the center position, he's a player with a ridiculous amount of upside.

Just being able to allow Cousins to move to the power forward position, while being able to add an athletic presence in the paint on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball, will be all Drummond needs to do early on in his NBA career.

Drummond can help the Kings transition from being a underwhelming team in a dominant conference to being a more complete team almost overnight.

Projected Pick: No. 5 Andre Drummond, C, Connecticut

Cleveland Cavaliers: Become the Most Dominant Backcourt in the NBA

Out of all the teams in this year's lottery, the Cleveland Cavaliers look like the one team that stands the most to gain from their lottery pick.

With Kyrie Irving solidifying himself as one of the best point guards in the league by winning the 2012 NBA Rookie of the Year award by a landslide, it's clear that he is the future of the Cavaliers franchise.

There's no doubt that Irving can help the Cavaliers rebuild and become a legitimate playoff team in the East, as long as they're able to find Irving's backcourt partner in this year's draft. The Cavaliers can do just that by drafting Florida shooting guard Bradley Beal.

The Cavaliers also need to find some frontcourt depth in the draft, but luckily they can do that with their other three picks in the 2012 NBA draft. 

If the Cavaliers draft Beal and he's half as good as NBA scouts are saying he will be, the Cavaliers can quickly become a team with one of the most feared and most productive backcourts in the game. By doing that, the Cavaliers can quickly return to the playoffs and become a legitimate contender in the East.

Projected Pick: No. 4 Bradley Beal, SG, Florida

Washington Wizards: Become More Athletic on the Wing

The Washington Wizards' 20-46 overall record this past season doesn't aptly display the kind of potential that exists within the players on their depth chart.

With players like John Wall, Nene Hilario, Chris Singleton, Jordan Crawford and Jan Vesely, the Wizards are one smart draft pick away from becoming a competent team in the Eastern Conference.

The smart pick the Wizards need to make is to add athleticism and versatility at the small forward position.

Rashard Lewis currently has the Wizards' "wing" or small forward position on lockdown, which isn't a good thing. Lewis is holding the Wizards back because he lacks athleticism and doesn't understand how to play with intensity on both sides of the ball.

Luckily, there's a player in this year's draft, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, who can come in for the Wizards and undo the damage that Lewis has done. Kidd-Gilchrist is the kind of athletic, hard-working, versatile small forward that the Wizards need to become a competitive team on both sides of the ball.

Transitioning from being an inconsistent and immature team to being an efficient and physical team on both sides of the ball can happen next year, as long as the Wizards become more athletic at the small forward spot.

Projected Pick: No. 3 Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF, Kentucky

Charlotte Bobcats: Become a Productive Team in the Paint

If things couldn't have gotten worse for the Bobcats after finishing 7-59 this past season, they failed to get the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, which instead went to the New Orleans Hornets.

It's certainly a letdown for the Bobcats that they won't be deciding who goes first in this year's draft, but luckily they can still fill their biggest need heading into the 2012-13 season, which is adding offensive depth to their frontcourt.

Not only did the Bobcats finish dead last in scoring this past season with a lowly 87 points per game, but they also finished 28th in the NBA in points in the paint, with an average of just 35.2 points.

While the Bobcats have a lot of transitional holes to fill heading into next year, the biggest one is adding offensive production in the paint, in addition to becoming a more physical defensive team in the paint.

The Bobcats can do that by drafting Kansas power forward Thomas Robinson.

Failing to get the top pick might be a blessing in disguise for the Bobcats, because instead of drafting the consensus No. 1 overall pick, Anthony Davis, the Bobcats will be forced to analyze their most pressing need and use their No. 2 pick accordingly.

Becoming a more dominant team in the paint will be a massive step forward for the struggling franchise, and it will certainly make them a much better team over the span of the 2012-13 season.

Projected Pick: No. 2 Thomas Robinson, PF, Kansas

New Orleans Hornets: Find Their True Franchise Player

While the New Orleans Hornets finished the 2011-12 season with an underwhelming 21-45 overall record, they don't lack the talent that other lottery teams do.

Even if the Hornets, for some reason, decide to not match a qualifying offer for Eric Gordon, they'll still have a legitimate amount of talent heading into next year. With players like Emeka Okafor, Trevor Ariza, Jarrett Jack and Jason Smith, the Hornets have a solid foundation of veteran talent that can make them competitive next season.

The one thing that the Hornets certainly don't have is a franchise player, and that's exactly what they need to find in this year's NBA draft.

Luckily, the Hornets have both the No. 10 and No. 1 overall picks in the draft, so finding a player who can develop into the foundation of the franchise shouldn't be all that hard.

The Hornets have a lot of pressure to make a quick turnaround next season because of their two lottery picks. Lucky for them, Anthony Davis seems like the consensus top player in the draft who's ready to have an immediately impact on the NBA hardwood.

Projected Picks: No. 10, Kendall Marshall, PG, North Carolina and No. 1, Anthony Davis, PF, Kentucky