2012 NBA Mock Draft: Top GMs Who Will Find Their Next Genius Selection
Few franchises can rely on blockbuster trades or premier free agents to turn their teams around and/or help them contend.
Outside of those lucky few organizations with the gravitas and marketability to draw superstar talent, the rest of the league's teams have to do it the old-fashioned way: through the draft. Most of those teams won't have especially good draft position to do so.
That's where a general manager and his scouts come into play.
When June 28 rolls around, each of those GMs will have an extensive amount of information on each of these prospects, especially those who meet a team's needs and stand the best chance of being available at a particular pick.
The best GMs know exactly what to do with that information and have made a career building winning teams with it. Here's a full first-round mock including some of the less-hyped picks that could make a huge difference.
1. New Orleans Hornets: Anthony Davis, PF (Kentucky)
Unless a team makes the Hornets a ridiculous offer they can't refuse, Davis is a lock to go number one. If you haven't already heard a million reasons why, you haven't been paying attention. For starters, though, he'll make a huge defensive impact and instantly give his team an advantage in the paint.
2. Charlotte Bobcats: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF (Kentucky)
If Charlotte passes up the opportunity to land Kidd-Gilchrist, it better have a good reason. Maybe he doesn't look like an elite scorer now, but he's still far too young to give up on. He's already a stellar defender, and he's a hard enough worker that the offense should develop eventually.
3. Washington Wizards: Thomas Robinson, PF (Kansas)
If there's such a thing as a silver bullet that could fix the Wizards, it's either MKG or Thomas Robinson. If Charlotte takes MKG, that leaves Robinson—not a bad consolation prize. He'll give the Wiz a great inside-outside scorer, but more importantly, he'll give them some heart.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers: Bradley Beal, SG (Florida)
This selection is a huge question mark. If MKG is available, he could be the best option. If not, the Cavs could also look at Harrison Barnes. The most likely scenario may be Beal though—he's more likely to be on the board than Kidd-Gilchrist, and he's got more upside than Barnes.
5. Sacramento Kings: Harrison Barnes, SF (North Carolina)
It doesn't make any sense for the Kings to gamble on someone like Andre Drummond or Perry Jones III when it's already struggling to make a team full of talented young players work. The smart move is the safe one—Barnes knows how to play the game and is the next best thing to the veteran this team sorely needs.
6. Portland Trail Blazers (from Brooklyn Nets): Andre Drummond, C (UConn)
Portland could opt for a point guard like Lillard here, or it could move its two lottery picks and probably get a pretty good deal for them. Otherwise, though, Drummond would be a huge start to solving the club's lack of a center.
7. Golden State Warriors: Perry Jones III, PF (Baylor)
Sure, there's a chance Jones could slip quite a ways in this draft. That would be unfortunate though, and not just because he has undiscovered potential. He's already proven he can play—he just needs to settle into a team that can make good use of him, a challenge the young Warriors could handle.
8. Toronto Raptors: Jeremy Lamb, SG (UConn)
Lamb is a pure shooter, and Toronto could use a guy like that on the perimeter. He'd give the team the closest thing to a potential All-Star since Chris Bosh left town.
9. Detroit Pistons: Terrence Jones, SF (Kentucky)
The Pistons need a little bit of everything, and that's exactly what they'd get in Jones. He scores from all around the court, passes like a guard and defends like a big man.
10. New Orleans Hornets (via Minnesota Timberwolves): Damian Lillard, PG (Weber State)
While the Hornets' first pick is the definition of a no-brainer, the next decision will be far more intriguing. The Hornets could opt to move the pick for a veteran, or they could look to further bolster the frontline. Assuming Eric Gordon and Anthony Davis are at the 2 and 4 respectively, bringing in a point guard to eventually inherit the reigns from Jarrett Jack makes a lot of sense.
Given how badly the Portland Trail Blazers need a point guard, Lillard may be gone before the Hornets can get to him. If not, he'd be an excellent long-term addition on account of his superlative quickness and scoring instincts.
GM Dell Demps hasn't been at this for all that long, but he's done a good job.
11. Portland Trail Blazers: Kendall Marshall, PG (North Carolina)
Unless Portland grabs Lillard at the six spot, it will still need a point guard. Marshall is exactly that in the truest sense of the position. He's always in the mood to facilitate for his teammates.
12. Milwaukee Bucks: Tyler Zeller, C (North Carolina)
It might seem like a stretch to take a guy in the lottery who doesn't appear to be on an All-Star trajectory, but Zeller could be one of the best rookies from day one. He'd give the Bucks a mature, well-rounded replacement for Andrew Bogut who would play well alongside dynamic backcourt scorers like Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings.
13. Phoenix Suns: Austin Rivers, G (Duke)
The knocks on Rivers are the same kind of things you could say about almost any talented scorer. He looks for his shot too much, doesn't pass as much as an undersized 2-guard should, etc. Give him time. He could be a star.
14. Houston Rockets: John Henson, PF (North Carolina)
General manager Daryl Morey has infused the Rockets with a cast of young talent despite lacking opportunities to land a superstar. His club's depth is a testament to the organization's ability to scout and develop talent.
Henson could be the next piece to the puzzle. While he won't bring a great deal of scoring to the table, he's still a dangerous presence in the paint capable of rebounding, blocking shots and frustrating scorers with his live-wire energy. In short, he's the total opposite of Luis Scola, making him a nice change of pace off the bench.
15. Philadelphia 76ers: Terrence Ross, SG (Washington)
Ross is one of several off guards that could go anywhere from the lottery to the middle of the first round. He might deserve to go higher than this, but with guys like Jeremy Lamb, Austin Rivers and Dion Waiters similarly situated, Philly just might have a shot at him. Given the team's need for a starting shooting guard, landing a well-rounded scorer like Ross would be a nice pick-up.
16. Houston Rockets (via New York Knicks): Dion Waiters, G (Syracuse)
Like Ross, Waiters may be long gone by the time Houston has a chance to land him. He's got the kind of crafty slashing skills that could make him a big-time star. But, he also struggles with his shot and isn't quite as tall as you'd like a 2-guard to be at 6'4".
17. Dallas Mavericks: Jared Sullinger, PF (Ohio State)
Sullinger has the skills and brute force to be a good player, but that doesn't mean he's athletic or multidimensional enough to land in the lottery. Of course, a lottery team could very well disagree, but if Sullinger starts to slip, the Mavericks could add a hard-working big man to that front-line rotation.
18. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Utah Jazz): Moe Harkless, SF (St. John's)
Minnesota obviously has a lot of young talent anchoring its roster already, but it could use some help on the wing. Harkless won't provide that help right away, but he could be worth holding on to. The Timberwolves may be better-suited dealing this pick if it helped them land a veteran shooting guard.
19. Orlando Magic: Meyers Leonard, C (Illinois)
Based on upside alone, Leonard could find himself taken in the lottery. He's a legitimate seven-footer with a still evolving skill set, but all kinds of athletic ability. His energy and explosiveness could translate into good things down the road for a team that may soon need a new center.
20. Denver Nuggets: Arnett Moultrie, PF (Mississippi St.)
Moultrie has the kind of athleticism and potential that makes it difficult to predict where he'll end up. He won't make much of an impact defensively, but he's a good scorer for a guy his size, especially on the perimeter.
21. Boston Celtics: Royce White, SF/PF (Iowa State)
There's a strong argument to be made that White is still an excellent option despite his struggles with an anxiety disorder. General manager Danny Ainge is the kind of guy who probably understands that argument and just might be willing to take a slight risk given the opportunity to significantly improve his roster.
White is versatile and has the ability to impact the game as a shooter, passer and rebounder. His size and physicality help in those endeavors. Given the uncertainty surrounding Boston's roster this summer, a jack-of-all-trades guy like White could be just what Ainge needs.
22. Boston Celtics (via Los Angeles Clippers): Fab Melo, C (Syracuse)
At this point, Melo isn't much more than a raw prospect with the kind of size and explosiveness you certainly hope for from a big man. Despite his shortcomings as a scorer, he'd still be a valuable addition to Boston's bench and provide some nice defensive contributions in the paint.
23. Atlanta Hawks: Tony Wroten Jr., PG/SG (Washington)
There's no question Wroten has a bounty of raw talent, but he hasn't shown the polish you'd expect from a lottery pick. He'll probably fall into the hands of a team like at Atlanta and become a project with the potential to significantly improve the backcourt in time.
24. Cleveland Cavaliers (from Los Angeles Lakers): Jeff Taylor, SF (Vanderbilt)
If Cleveland doesn't snatch a small forward in the lottery, there's a good chance it will do so later on. Taylor probably won't be an All-Star, but he's an outstanding perimeter defender with the athletic ability to make an impact in the open court.
25. Memphis Grizzlies: Evan Fournier, SG (France)
The Grizzlies might decide Rudy Gay is too expensive to keep around for the long-term, and Fournier could eventually provide the flexibility to do something about that. He can already shoot, but who knows how he'll adjust to the NBA game?
26. Indiana Pacers: Draymond Green, F (Michigan St.)
Larry Bird has already done a fine job of making the Pacers a legitimate playoff team. The next step will be making it into a contender. Unless he can used this pick as part of a package aimed at landing a star, this draft probably won't take Indiana to the next level.
Nevertheless, Green would certainly be a useful addition to Frank Vogel's bench. He scores well for his size and makes an impact with his passing and rebounding as well. His steady improvement over the course of three seasons at Michigan State is another good sign that he'll work hard at the NBA level and pick up the pro game relatively quickly.
27. Miami Heat: Festus Ezeli, C (Vanderbilt)
There's no big mystery here. Miami doesn't need much, but it's weaknesses are at the point guard and in the middle. After drafting Norris Cole last year, the center position remains the biggest need.
28. Oklahoma City Thunder: Andrew Nicholson, PF (St. Bonaventure)
As much as Nick Collison has done for OKC off the bench, Nicholson would give the team a different look. He can spread the floor with his solid mid-range jumper and make the Thunder an even more formidable bunch of scorers.
General manager Sam Presti has quickly become one of the best in the business, as much for lesser additions like Serge Ibaka as the big names we all know. Nicholson would certainly be one of those lesser additions, but he could still be an important one.
29. Chicago Bulls: Marquis Teague, PG (Kentucky)
Chicago would have to get pretty lucky to get a hold of Teague, but the Bulls could always find a way to make it happen, even if it means trading up a few spots. There's an obvious need for a point guard with Derrick Rose potentially done for the whole year.
30. Golden State Warriors (via San Antonio Spurs): Quincy Miller, SF (Baylor)
The Warriors can afford to go after potential with this pick. They'll get more of a sure thing in the lottery, so an athletic project like Miller is worth waiting on.
