2012 NBA Mock Draft: Underrated Prospects Creeping Up the Big Board

Scouts have different brains.

Believe it or not, not every NBA team will have the same big board going into the 2012 draft. All it takes is one scouting team to fall in love with an under-the-radar prospect to have a draft-day surprise. Here’s an updated first-round mock highlighting the class’s most underrated prospects whose stocks are on the rise.

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

David Stern didn’t fix the draft so that the Hornets could select Thomas Robinson.

2. Charlotte Bobcats: Bradley Beal (SG, Florida)

Michael Jordan will attempt to catapult the Bobcats back to playoff contention with a single pick and reach for the top scorer.

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

MKG is the best available player and is exactly what the Wizards need in a glue guy.

4. Cleveland Cavaliers: Harrison Barnes (SF, North Carolina)

According to Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated, Cleveland will target Barnes, who happens to be Kyrie Irving’s best friend.

5. Sacramento Kings: Thomas Robinson (PF, Kansas)

Robinson is the best player available by far, and he’d fill a huge need for the Kings down low and in the maturity department.

6. Portland Trail Blazers: Andre Drummond (C, Connecticut)

Drummond’s ceiling is too high for the Trail Blazers to pass on him with a need at center.

7. Golden State Warriors: John Henson (PF, North Carolina)

Golden State needs an athletic big man to back up the brick-feet brothers in David Lee and Andrew Bogut.

8. Toronto Raptors: Damian Lillard (PG, Weber St.)

Damian Lillard is the best backcourt player available, and Jose Calderon won’t be around by the time the Raptors build a contender.

9. Detroit Pistons: Jared Sullinger (PF, Ohio St.)

Sullinger is arguably the most pro-ready player in the draft, and the Pistons need a low-post partner for Greg Monroe.

10. New Orleans Hornets: Kendall Marshall (PG, North Carolina)

Jarrett Jack is a solid starting point guard, but he isn’t part of the Hornets’ future.

11. Portland Trail Blazers: Dion Waiters (SG, Syracuse)

Jason Quick of The Oregonian reported that there are rumors the Trail Blazers have promised Waiters that they’ll select him, which makes sense with Jamal Crawford’s opt-out option.

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

After dealing Andrew Bogut, Milwaukee needs a true center. Failing to acquire one would be disastrous with an undersized backcourt of Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis. The 7’1”, 250-pound Leonard is exactly what they need.

Leonard is a phenomenal athlete for a player his size, so he’d fit in well with the run-and-gun Bucks. While he’s raw, he’s only 20 years old, so he has plenty of time to develop.

His greatest weakness is his strength, or at least it was until he recorded 19 reps at 225 pounds on the bench press—the second highest mark in the class (via Draft Express). Leonard’s rise is a dream come true for the Bucks.

13. Phoenix Suns: Jeremy Lamb (SG, Connecticut)

With no point guard worthy of being selected No. 13, Phoenix might as well replace Shannon Brown at the two.

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

Marcus Camby’s contract is up, and Samuel Dalembert is 31 years old, so the Rockets need a long-term fix at center.

15. Philadelphia 76ers: Perry Jones (PF, Baylor)

Elton Brand is 33 years old, he has an expiring contract and the 76ers need a prospect with major upside.

16. Houston Rockets: Austin Rivers (SG, Duke)

Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports reported that Rivers has a guarantee from a lottery team, and while No. 16 isn’t a lottery pick, Houston is still technically a lottery team.

17. Dallas Mavericks: Terrence Jones (PF, Kentucky)

The Lamar Odom experiment was a major flop, so drafting a player that’s being compared to the Candy Man is a nice plan B.

18. Minnesota Timberwolves: Terrence Ross (SG, Washington)

Minnesota desperately needs scoring production from the 2, and Ross is one of the most underrated players in the draft.

19. Orlando Magic: Arnett Moultrie (PF, Mississippi St.)

The Dwight Howard era is all but over in Orlando, so they need size, and that’s something the 6’11” Moultrie would provide.

20. Denver Nuggets: Tony Wroten Jr. (PG, Washington)

With Andre Miller headed to free agency, Denver needs a capable scorer in their backcourt not named Ty Lawson.

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

If Paul Pierce isn’t traded by the trigger-happy Danny Ainge, Boston still needs to find the wing’s successor because he’ll be 35 in October.

22. Boston Celtics: Andrew Nicholson (PF, St. Bonaventure)

Nicholson would be an ideal replacement for Kevin Garnett, and with back-to-back picks, it’d be a shocker if he fell past the Celtics.

23. Atlanta Hawks: Royce White (SF, Iowa St.)

White was a borderline first-round pick going into the draft process. Now it’d be a surprise to see him fall past the Hawks. If he falls past possible landing spots in Minnesota and Boston, Atlanta shouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger on him.

At the NBA combine, White measured in at 6’8”, 261 pounds with a 7’0” wingspan (via Draft Express). If used correctly, his size and ability to play point forward will make him a matchup nightmare. He’s too big for wings to defend, and he’s too athletic for power forwards.

White is a poor shooter and has some red flags, but his upside is undeniable.

24. Cleveland Cavaliers: Fab Melo (C, Syracuse)

Cleveland doesn’t have a true center on their roster, but the seven-foot Melo fits the bill.

25. Memphis Grizzlies: Marquis Teague (PG, Kentucky)

O.J. Mayo’s future is always up in the air, and Gilbert Arenas is washed up, so the Grizzlies need a new backup point guard.

26. Indiana Pacers: Evan Fournier (SG, France)

Fournier has the highest upside out of all the shooting guards projected to be selected at bottom of the first, and that’s what the Pacers need with Leandro Barbosa headed to free agency.

27. Miami Heat: Will Barton (SG, Memphis)

You could make a case that Jared Cunningham, Doron Lamb and John Jenkins are better players than Barton, but they aren’t better pure scorers, and that’s exactly what the Heat are lacking outside of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.

28. Oklahoma City Thunder: Draymond Green (SF, Michigan St.)

Green’s high basketball IQ and leadership make him the ideal role player on a Thunder team that already has its core in place.

29. Chicago Bulls: Jared Cunningham (SG, Oregon St.)

Richard Hamilton is 34 years old and rapidly declining, while Ronnie Brewer and Kyle Korver are nothing but role players. Chicago needs a long-term solution at the position, and Cunningham is an option.

Cunningham would definitely buy in to Tom Thibodeau’s defense-first philosophy, given that he’s one of the top on-ball defenders in the entire draft. He isn’t a designated defensive stopper, though, a la Brewer. Cunningham is a scorer.

He finished second in the Pac-12 in scoring last season, averaging 17.9 points per game. While his perimeter shooting isn’t outstanding, he’s a spectacular athlete that is capable of getting to the rim at will. Cunningham would help take some of the scoring load off of Derrick Rose.

30. Golden State Warriors: Quincy Miller (SF, Baylor)

Golden State could do better at the 3 than Richard Jefferson/Brandon Rush/Dorell Wright.

David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.

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