2012 NBA Mock Draft: Players Who Are Quickly Jumping Up Draft Boards
What was true of the NBA draft a week ago is far from the truth.
With the exception of Sir Anthony Davis, that's how quickly these young kids' stocks can change, especially with team workouts, combines, etc., happening the past few weeks.
It's also probably true, of course, that what is true today won't necessarily be so by the time the draft rolls around, so take this all with a grain of salt.
Nonetheless, we are getting a better idea of which players are currently flying up draft boards. In my newest first-round mock draft, I'll take a closer look at them.
Note: These players are in italics
Also note: All following stats come from DraftExpress.com.
1. New Orleans Hornets (21-45): Anthony Davis, PF, Kentucky
The only way Davis could move up draft boards is if it were possible to be drafted zeroth overall.
The long, talented, defensive-minded power forward has been the clear No. 1 for a long time, and that won't change. New Orleans gets the only real franchise-changer in the draft.
2. Charlotte Bobcats (7-59): Thomas Robinson, PF, Kansas
The Bobcats could go a number of different ways. But they need immediate help, and Thomas Robinson is the player who will give them that.
T-Rob is a monster on the boards, he's extremely athletic and the range on his jumper even extends out to the NBA three-point line.
3. Washington Wizards (20-46): Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF, Kentucky
The real weakness of Kidd-Gilchrist is his jump shot, but that's OK because he likely won't be taking many jump shots in Washington.
Instead, MKG, who is electric on the fast break, will serve as John Wall's running partner, and it will be amazing to watch.
Throw in his motor, rebounding skills and simple will to win, and there's no way Washington passes this kid up.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers (21-45): Brad Beal, SG, Florida
This pick is going to be Beal or Harrison Barnes, and I have a feeling we won't have a good idea of who it will be until the actual pick is announced.
The two prospects recently held a workout together, and while they both impressed Cleveland, it sounds like Beal was good enough to warrant the pick (according to Pro Basketball Draft via Twitter).
Beal is tremendous on both sides of the court, he has an NBA body and the Cavs will be happy to get him.
5. Sacramento Kings (22-44): Harrison Barnes, SF, North Carolina
I originally had Andre Drummond here, but it appears the Kings aren't interested in the big man. Instead, they'll go with the position they need most, and that's small forward.
It's a good thing, then, for Sacramento that Barnes, who has been rocketing up draft boards and could go as high as No. 2, is a small forward.
At 6'8" in shoes and 228 pounds, he's a prototypical small forward, at that. Barnes has a picture-perfect jump shot, and although he struggles going north and south, the former Carolina star will be able to light up the scoreboard.
Not only does he have size and one of the prettiest shots in the draft, Barnes is sneakily one of the most athletic players in the draft, as he proved with a ridiculous 38-inch no-step vertical.
Barnes has scouts absolutely drooling, and even though he struggled during the NCAA Tournament with the Tar Heels, he could still hear his name called second in this draft.
6. Portland Trail Blazers (via 22-44 Brooklyn Nets): Andre Drummond, PF, Connecticut
Drummond has a scary combination of size of athleticism, and although the Blazers may be a little gun shy after drafting Greg Oden a few years ago, they need a center.
Getting Drummond at No. 6 could easily be the steal of the draft.
7. Golden State Warriors (23-43): Dion Waiters, PG/SG, Syracuse
Waiters is another player who has been shooting up draft boards, and while the Warriors need a small forward first and foremost, there isn't a real option here, expect for maybe Perry Jones.
Nonetheless, if they don't trade the pick, look for the Warriors to take the explosive Waiters.
He's arguably the best scorer in this draft, and while his game is similar to Klay Thompson in that he is good at getting to the hoop and scoring from mid-range, Golden State would be smart to snatch him up.
The Warriors could either bring him off the bench like he was so good at with Syracuse, or they could conceivably move Thompson to small forward.
Either way, Waiters' stock is rising, and he won't last much longer than this. So I'm confident putting him here.
8. Toronto Raptors (23-43): Jeremy Lamb, SG, UConn
I've seen Lamb all over the first round of the draft, but I think the Pistons will like the defense he can provide at the shooting guard position.
He has a ridiculous 6'11" wingspan that will make him a force on the defensive side of the ball, and although he disappeared at time for the Huskies, he is also a tremendous mid-range scorer.
9. Detroit Pistons (25-41): John Henson, PF, North Carolina
I'm convinced the Pistons want an athletic big man next to the more old school, under-the-rim Greg Monroe.
I'm just not sure which athletic big man they'll go with.
Henson's stock has been rising as of late, and his similarities to Anthony Davis (long, athletic, great shot-blocker, good mid-range jumper) will propel him to the top 10.
10. New Orleans Hornets (via 26-40 Minnesota Timberwolves): Damian Lillard, PG, Weber State
Lillard is an explosive scorer whether he's getting to the hoop and hitting threes, and this is the absolute furthest he'll fall in this draft.
While the Hornets could still conceivably add another big man after grabbing Anthony Davis, their point guard situation isn't perfect, and Lillard has been impressive over the past few weeks.
11. Portland Trail Blazers (28-38): Austin Rivers, PG/SG, Duke
After grabbing Andre Drummond, the Blazers will hope Dion Waiters or Damian Lillard falls to them. If neither of those players are available, don't be surprised if Portland tries to trade the pick for a younger player with experience.
If they keep it, however, Rivers is a solid option. He doesn't really have a set position, but he's a good shooter with tremendous quickness.
12. Milwaukee Bucks (31-35): Meyers Leonard, C, Illinois
No matter what happens with Ersan Ilyasova, the Bucks are going to need some reliable frontcourt depth for the future.
Leonard has been moving up draft boards extremely quickly, and he makes a lot of sense for Milwaukee at No. 12.
The seven-footer from Illinois is a bit of a project in terms of being raw on offense, but his athleticism, quickness and impressive scoring skills are nothing to overlook.
Throw in his ability to rebound and block shots, and it's not hard to understand why Leonard's stock arrow is point up.
13. Phoenix Suns (33-33): Terrence Ross, SG, Washington
The Suns need a perimeter threat who has some athleticism and can score the ball. With Rivers and Lamb off the board, T-Ross the Boss is the perfect pick here.
He sometimes shied away from action at Washington, but there's no denying his smooth stroke, insane athleticism and improving on-ball defensive skills.
Ross might one of the more overlooked players in this draft, but don't expect the Suns to miss their chance.
14. Houston Rockets (34-32): Tyler Zeller, C, North Carolina
The Rockets need a center, and Tyler Zeller is a center.
Zeller is fairly fast for his size, and he is a good offensive threat around the basket. He's someone who will eventually average somewhere around 13 and seven, so while his ceiling isn't sky high, the Rockets will be happy to fill a position of need.
15. Philadelphia 76ers (35-31): Jared Sullinger, PF/C, Ohio State
Sullinger is a bit undersized, and now he's been red-flagged because of concerns of his back problems. Eesh.
Nonetheless, the Sixers need some frontcourt help, and Sully is one of the best post scorers in the draft. He likely won't slip past them.
16. Houston Rockets (via 36-20 New York Knicks): Perry Jones III, SF/PF, Baylor
Jones III was seen as a top-10 pick for a long time, but his lack of toughness down low has forced him to market himself as a small forward. And because he has an inconsistent jump shot, plenty of teams are being scared off.
Nonetheless, Jones' size and athleticism make him a scary small forward, and he likely won't slip any farther than this.
17. Dallas Mavericks (36-30): Kendall Marshall, PG, North Carolina
Jason Kidd is likely on his way out, but luckily for the Mavs, Kendall Marshall falls to them, giving them the perfect replacement.
Marshall isn't a great shooter or defender, but his insane passing and vision will make everyone around him better.
18. Minnesota Timberwolves (via 36-30 Utah Jazz): Moe Harkless, SF, St. John's
The Timberwolves would like for Terrence Ross to fall here, but they'll settle for Harkless, who can eventually become an impact perimeter player.
Harkless needs to fix his jump shot, but he has athleticism and length that will make a force in other aspects of the game (penetration, rebounding, defense).
19. Orlando Magic (37-29): Terrence Jones, SF, Kentucky
The Magic will be happy to see Jones, who could easily go in the top 15, still available. He had a bit of a down year with Kentucky, but he's a solid point forward who has good size, shooting and ball-handling.
20. Denver Nuggets (38-28): Quincy Miller, SF, Baylor
Danilo Gallinari is already in Denver, but he's more a volume scorer as opposed to an elite defender.
Miller, on the other hand, is a legitimate 6'10" with a 7'1" wingspan. He needs to improve his consistency on his shot if he is going to play on the perimeter, but he'll be a menace on the defensive end.
He is a good complement to Gallo.
21. Boston Celtics (39-27): Arnett Moultrie, PF, Mississippi State
There's been talk of Moultrie going all the way to No. 9 to the Pistons, so for Boston to get him here would be an absolute steal.
Moultrie has good size, he's a great rebounder and he can knock down the jump shot.
22. Boston Celtics (via 40-26 Los Angeles Clippers): John Jenkins, SG, Vanderbilt
Jenkins is a straight deadly three-point shooter, and the Celtics are losing arguably one of the greatest long-range shooters in the history of the game.
This might be a little high for Jenkins, who isn't elite at anything else, but it feeds a need for Boston.
23. Atlanta Hawks (40-26): Royce White, SF, Iowa State
White is one of my favorite prospects in this draft.
He's 6'9", but he can handle the ball like a point guard. The former Cyclone led Iowa State in every major category. There's just not much he can't do on the court.
Of course, there were concerns about his anxiety disorder, but White killed his interviews, putting those worries to rest.
24. Cleveland Cavaliers (via 41-25 Los Angeles Lakers): Fab Melo, C, Syracuse
If the Cavs get Beal with their first pick, this is the perfect complementary pick.
Beal is an explosive backcourt scorer, and Melo is a big frontcourt defender with a raw, but developing, offensive game.
He would give the Cavs good depth after Tristan Thompson and Anderson Varejao.
25. Memphis Grizzlies (41-25): Tony Wroten, PG, Washington
The Grizzlies proved during the playoffs how bad they need a backup point guard.
Wroten needs a jump shot and won't make a huge impact right away, but coming off the bench for a year or two is the perfect situation for him.
He has scary talent and size. With a little development, he'll easily be a starter in this league.
26. Indiana Pacers (42-24): Draymond Green, PF, Michigan State
The Pacers need some frontcourt depth and leadership. Green, who is one of the most experienced players in the draft and can do everything on the court, will provide just that.
27. Miami Heat (46-20): Andrew Nicholson, PF, St. Bonaventure
Despite the Heat being close to winning the NBA Finals, they, like every other team in this league, have needs.
Most notably, another big man who can score.
That makes Nicholson, who has awesome footwork in the post and can hit down the long-range jumper, the perfect pick.
28. Oklahoma City Thunder (47-19): Marquis Teague, PG, Kentucky
While James Harden often serves as the backup point guard to Russell Westbrook, there are times when Westbrook needs a break and Harden plays the 2.
However the rotation works out, Teague is good value for this pick and gives the Thunder solid backcourt depth.
29. Chicago Bulls (50-16): Will Barton, SG, Memphis
Barton desperately needs to add some bulk (6'6", 174 pounds), but he had a great season for Memphis.
The talented guard is an electric scorer and can do plenty of different things on the court. Don't be surprised if he shocks some people and propels into the first round.
30. Golden State Warriors (via 50-16 San Antonio Spurs): Jeff Taylor, SF, Vanderbilt
The Warriors need toughness, and they need maturity.
Jeff Taylor brings that in bunches. The Warriors missed out on their small forward with their first pick, so this a nice grab.
Taylor will bring rebounding, energy, defense and shooting off the bench.
