When the 2012 NBA draft arrives, teams will have to make the difficult decision of whether to adopt the "best available" strategy or the "need" strategy.
Both are fairly self-explanatory. The former entails forgetting about the holes in your roster and selecting the prospect highest on your big board. The latter involves reaching lower on that draft board to select the best fit.
Only a few teams (six, to be exact) are able to do both in the first round.
1. New Orleans Hornets: Anthony Davis, Kentucky
Anthony Davis is the clear superstar in this draft class, making him the obvious No. 1 pick. Plus, the New Orleans Hornets have needs across the board, with the exception of point guard and shooting guard, but only if Eric Gordon re-signs with the team.
Strategy: Best Available and Need
2. Charlotte Bobcats: Thomas Robinson, Kansas
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is the best player available at No. 2, but the Charlotte Bobcats don't need a defensive wing player quite as much as they need a scoring threat on the low post.
3. Washington Wizards: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kentucky
The two biggest needs for the Washington Wizards are shooting guard and power forward, but small forward is a secondary need. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist's defense and deadliness in transition, especially when paired with John Wall, are just too much to pass up at No. 3.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers: Bradley Beal, Florida
Cleveland's only major hole is at shooting guard, especially if Tristan Thompson develops into the player the Cavaliers hope he can become. Bradley Beal is the last of the clear-cut top-four prospects left on the board, making him the easy choice for the Cavs.
Strategy: Best Available and Need
5. Sacramento Kings: Andre Drummond, Connecticut
With DeMarcus Cousins already prowling the frontcourt, the Sacramento Kings are one more big man away from contending in the Western Conference. Andre Drummond may be raw and a risky selection, but he has the highest ceiling left of any player on the board.
Strategy: Best Available and Need
6. Portland Trail Blazers (via Brooklyn Nets): Damian Lillard, Weber State
With Raymond Felton and Jamal Crawford proving that they aren't the answers to the point guard problem for the Portland Trail Blazers, turning to Damian Lillard, the No. 1 point guard in the class, is the ideal solution.
7. Golden State Warriors: Harrison Barnes, North Carolina
With a starting lineup of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Dorell Wright, David Lee and Andrew Bogut, the Dubs have a hole at small forward and a need for health insurance.
8. Toronto Raptors: Jeremy Lamb, Connecticut
The Toronto Raptors need another solid wing player, but it's not really a glaring need. Selecting Jeremy Lamb, a prospect with an insanely high upside on offense, adds more scoring to a team, hopefully in more effective fashion than letting DeMar DeRozan shoot.
9. Detroit Pistons: Meyers Leonard, Illinois
The Detroit Pistons have a solid backcourt and one of the NBA's best young big men in the form of Greg Monroe. Monroe's finesse game and passing would allow him to play at the same time as Meyers Leonard and form a dynamic young duo in the Detroit paint.
10. New Orleans Hornets (via Minnesota Timberwolves): Terrence Jones, Kentucky
Not only is Terrence Jones a versatile forward with upside in all areas of the game, but he's also a former teammate of the team's No. 1 pick and should bring some chemistry to an inevitably young team.
11. Portland Trail Blazers: Austin Rivers, Duke
Having already taken care of their point guard problem by drafting Damian Lillard at No. 6, the Portland Trail Blazers can afford to try to find an upgrade for Wesley Matthews here at No. 11. Center is another big need here, but there isn't a true center worth reaching for this early.
12. Milwaukee Bucks: John Henson, North Carolina
With Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings forming one of the greatest backcourt tandems in the NBA, the Bucks have to look big. Drafting a defensively-oriented power forward who can also play center is the ideal plan here, and that's exactly what John Henson is.
13. Phoenix Suns: Dion Waiters, Syracuse
The Phoenix Suns need a new point guard if Steve Nash departs in free agency, but reaching for the No. 3 player at that position is a stretch here. Filling the hole at shooting guard with a player who can get to the rim and score like Dion Waiters would be a great decision.
14. Houston Rockets: Perry Jones III, Baylor
The Houston Rockets need help at small forward and center, so why not draft a player who can play either position? Even though he's more of a power forward, Perry Jones III is attempting to convince the world that he's a true small forward.
Strategy: Best Available and Need
15. Philadelphia 76ers: Tyler Zeller, North Carolina
With Elton Brand and Spencer Hawes both potentially leaving, the Philadelphia 76ers need to find a big man. Tyler Zeller is a true seven-footer who's just about as NBA-ready as they come, even if he doesn't have too high of a ceiling.
16. Houston Rockets (via New York Knicks): Arnett Moultrie, Mississippi State
After filling in the hole at small forward—and throwing a little bit of dirt in the hole at center—by drafting Perry Jones III at No. 14, it's time to find an actual center. Arnett Moultrie is one of the more intriguing prospects in the draft because of his lottery-level physical tools and undrafted-level mental ones.
17. Dallas Mavericks: Kendall Marshall, North Carolina
With Jason Kidd, Jason Terry and Delonte West all potentially leaving Dallas for greener pastures and/or higher salaries, the Dallas Mavericks have to find a new point guard. Deron Williams and Steve Nash are in play during free agency, but it's better for Mark Cuban's team to hedge its bets.
18. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Utah Jazz): Terrence Ross, Washington
With either Martell Webster or someone from another position sliding over to shooting guard all season, the Minnesota Timberwolves need to draft someone who can at least capably hold down the fort at the 2-guard. Terrence Ross is a natural small forward who plays shooting guard as a secondary position.
Strategy: Best Available and Need
19. Orlando Magic: Jared Sullinger, Ohio State
Jared Sullinger was once deemed a potential top-five pick, but the red flags about his back are officially knocking his stock out of the lottery. The Orlando Magic might have a chance to hold on to both Ryan Anderson and Dwight Howard, but Sully is just too much to pass up here.
20. Denver Nuggets: Moe Harkless, St. John's
The Denver Nuggets are a deep enough and well-rounded enough team that they can afford to go all-out with the best-available strategy and draft a high-upside player. With ridiculous hops and great hands on defense, Moe Harkless is the most talented player left in the draft class.
21. Boston Celtics: Andrew Nicholson, St. Bonaventure
Even though it seems like their entire roster could be on the move during free agency, the Boston Celtics usually don't play rookies much, which leads me to believe that either this pick or the next one will be traded away. As it stands, the C's need to find a new big man, and taking this riser accomplishes that goal.
Strategy: Best Available and Need
22. Boston Celtics (via Los Angeles Clippers): Royce White, Iowa State
After addressing the hole in the frontcourt, the Boston Celtics can spend their second pick on the player with the most upside. For all of the above-the-neck issues Royce White has shown in the past, he's a special, versatile and truly unique prospect who could learn a lot from Paul Pierce.
23. Atlanta Hawks: Quincy Miller, Baylor
The Atlanta Hawks have three main needs: finding a true center who would allow Al Horford to shift to a more natural position, finding a competent small forward and upgrading at point guard. Despite his pathetic jump shot and lack of NBA-readiness, Quincy Miller could fill that second need down the road.
24. Cleveland Cavaliers: Fab Melo, Syracuse
The Cleveland Cavaliers have already filled their hole at shooting guard by selecting Bradley Beal at No. 2, so now they can attempt to add depth in the frontcourt. Anderson Varejao isn't going to be around forever, which makes adding a player like Fab Melo a nice luxury.
25. Memphis Grizzlies: Evan Fournier, France
The Memphis Grizzlies are looking to draft-and-stash to save money in the first round, which makes Evan Fournier the obvious pick.
26. Indiana Pacers: Marquis Teague, Kentucky
The Indiana Pacers don't have any true needs in this draft, so they can take Marquis Teague, the best player available. David Morway should allow him to serve as Darren Collison's backup while he develops and hope that the upside is realized.
27. Miami Heat: Festus Ezeli, Vanderbilt
Festus Ezeli is in no way a first-round talent, but the Miami Heat need to find a better option at the 5. With Marquis Teague off the board, it's too much of a stretch to try to upgrade from Mario Chalmers at point guard.
Strategy: Need
28. Oklahoma City Thunder: Draymond Green, Michigan State
Especially when Eric Maynor returns, the Oklahoma City Thunder have a great team with depth at almost every position. They could use a winner like Draymond Green, especially because he could provide Kevin Durant with a few more rest periods.
Strategy: Best Available
29. Chicago Bulls: Doron Lamb, Kentucky
The Chicago Bulls are a shooting guard and a healthy Derrick Rose away from being the best team in the NBA. As a two-way shooting guard with a smooth offensive game, Doron Lamb could easily fill the former need. It's just too bad he can't help with the latter.
Strategy: Need
30. Golden State Warriors (via San Antonio Spurs): Tony Wroten, Washington
The Golden State Warriors have already selected their small forward of the future in the form of Harrison Barnes, which means they can take a backup guard like Tony Wroten and attempt to fix his broken jumper.
Strategy: Best Available
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