2012 NBA Mock Draft: Physical Freaks Who Will Disappoint Eager Franchises
As the Miami Heat proved in the NBA Finals, being fast and physical is the best way to build a championship team. It helps if you have a player like LeBron James or Dwayne Wade, but those are rare talents who don't exactly come along every year.
The 2012 NBA Draft may not have that once in a generation talent. Though, there are a number of physical marvels who are drawing a lot of attention.
Unfortunately not all marvels turn out to be studs. In fact, a lot of them will turn out to be duds and set their team back a few years.
Note: All measurements courtesy of CBSSports.com
1. New Orleans Hornets (21-45): Anthony Davis, PF, Kentucky
Davis is as physical as any player in this class, with the strength and body type to handle his style of play. He will be an instant contributor at the next level.
2. Charlotte Bobcats (7-59): Thomas Robinson, PF, Kansas
While Robinson did not get all the recognition that Davis did, he is every bit the power forward the Kentucky product is. He is long, athletic and capable of dominating at the next level.
3. Washington Wizards (20-46): Bradley Beal, SG, Florida
Beal is not the physical marvel that Davis and Robinson are, yet he can shoot the lights out and create his own shot better than any two-guard in this class. Pairing him with John Wall in the Wizards backcourt makes them look a lot more formidable.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers (21-45): Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF, Kentucky
He was only at Kentucky for one season, and never got the chance to be the star because of Davis, yet he has ridiculous athleticism, a seven-foot wingspan and the intensity the Cavaliers so desperately need.
5. Sacramento Kings (22-44): Andre Drummond, PF/C, Connecticut
Teams are always going to gamble on size, even if they know it is a longshot that the player develops into anything more than a bench player.
Drummond is going to come to the Kings with a lot of hype, thanks to his raw athletic gifts. He has a huge wingspan at 8'6" and a good body at seven-feet tall, 279 pounds. Yet during his one season at Connecticut, he left a lot to be desired. He never played up to his full potential, and didn't appear to get better as the season went along.
If you want to say Drummond is just 18-years-old and has time to mature, fine. But he should have at least shown flashes of what he could become and it didn't happen.
6. Portland Trail Blazers (via 22-44 New Jersey Nets): Damian Lillard, PG, Weber State
The Blazers need a point guard. Lillard keeps moving up draft boards, following an impressive workout and great shooting touch.
7. Golden State Warriors (23-43): Harrison Barnes, SF, North Carolina
It is hard to see Barnes developing into a star, simply because he is a one-dimensional player right now. That one dimension (scoring) is very good and will lead to a long, productive career, just not a great one.
8. Toronto Raptors (23-43): John Henson, PF, North Carolina
There are two schools of thought on Henson. If you believe in the athleticism and his ability to add muscle to his frame, he could become a very good power forward in the NBA. Clearly the Raptors fall in this category.
For me, at just 216 pounds, Henson is going to get banged around by NBA power forwards. Adding muscle is likely to hurt the skills he possesses now, particularly as a shot blocker, so there is nowhere for him to go but down.
The Raptors need to take some risks to get back into contention, but Henson is not the answer they are looking for.
9. Detroit Pistons (25-41): Dion Waiters, SG, Syracuse
Waiters can be for the Pistons what Beal will be for the Wizards. Waiters won't have a point guard like John Wall to get him the ball, but he has such great vision and ball handling that he can create his own opportunities. That is to say nothing of his shooting touch, which is as good as anyone's in this class.
10. New Orleans Hornets (via 26-40 Minnesota Timberwolves): Kendall Marshall, PG, North Carolina
Getting Davis with the No. 1 pick makes Marshall that much more valuable to the Hornets. He is not a great athlete, but he sees the floor so well and has such great passing ability he can help Davis get easy baskets.
11. Portland Trail Blazers (28-38): Meyers Leonard, C, Illinois
The Blazers are going to go after some combination of size and speed with their two first-round picks.
Leonard will be the size portion of that equation, though he has a lot of work to do. He is thin and not very muscular, limiting his ability to contribute on offense, which was not his strong suit anyway. NBA centers are going to have a field day on him right now.
Projection is what scouts fall in love with, and there is plenty to look forward to with Leonard. But you have to really believe in it.
12. Milwaukee Bucks (31-35): Tyler Zeller, C, North Carolina
Zeller does not enter the draft with a lot of hype, which is a good thing for him. He does not have star potential, but he has enough size and strength to become a double-digit scorer and grab a handful of rebounds every game.
13. Phoenix Suns (33-33): Jeremy Lamb, SG, Connecticut
The Suns are the perfect situation for Lamb. There is not a lot of pressure to perform right away. They play an uptempo style that plays to his strengths. Lamb has huge physical attributes, particularly a wingspan of 7'11", so don't be shocked to see him develop into a versatile scorer and shot-blocker in the NBA.
14. Houston Rockets (34-32): Perry Jones III, PF, Baylor
The greatest enigma in the draft is Jones. Everyone loves his physical attributes—he has a rare combination of size, speed and athleticism—but there are a lot of games where he disappears for long stretches at a time.
I want to believe that Jones is going to figure out his mental block in the NBA because he is so talented, but there are so many signs that point against it.
The Rockets are a good team and situation for Jones to step into, and he could easily figure something out. I just need to see it before I believe it.
15. Philadelphia 76ers (35-31): Terrence Jones, PF, Kentucky
Jones had an inconsistent season at Kentucky, though he did show enough to make you believe he will be a star. His raw tools are good enough to be a lottery pick, and the 76ers need to add a potentially dynamic offensive player.
16. Houston Rockets (via 36-20 New York Knicks): Arnett Moultrie, PF, Mississippi St.
The Rockets have to get bigger if they want to break out of the lottery hole. They are in a good position to do so with two first-round picks.
Moultrie is the much safer bet to reach his potential with the size and explosiveness to become a defensive stalwart and a strong offensive player.
17. Dallas Mavericks (36-30): Terrence Ross, SG, Washington
The aging Mavericks need to figure out their direction. If they want to start building for the future, Ross is the player for them. His 6'7", 197-pound frame and shooting ability make him a great pick at this spot.
18. Minnesota Timberwolves (via 36-30 Utah Jazz): Austin Rivers, SG, Duke
Now that we know what Rivers is, we can all temper our expectations. He is not going to be the superstar we all had him pegged as before his freshman season at Duke.
Instead, Rivers can develop his shot selection and become a valuable contributor to a playoff team in the future.
19. Orlando Magic (37-29): Fab Melo, C, Syracuse
Melo had a very interesting season at Syracuse. He was generally considered to be the lynchpin that held everything together thanks to his defense.
Certainly, no center in this class can do as much on the defensive side of the ball as Melo. He needs to make a lot of adjustments to contribute offensively, but at seven-feet it is hard for teams to pass on him at this spot.
20. Denver Nuggets (38-28): Jared Sullinger, PF, Ohio State
Sullinger has been an overrated NBA draft pick the last two years. He had very good production at Ohio State, but he was never consistent and his conditioning leaves a lot to be desired.
His stock continues to drop, as it was reported by ESPN.com that Sullinger could become a problem when his NBA career begins. It's hard to say that he will disappoint when his stock is already as low as it could possibly get.
21. Boston Celtics (39-27): Moe Harkless, SF, St. Johns
Harkless has size, speed, quickness, court vision, can shoot and rebound. How does Doc Rivers not jump all over him right here?
22. Boston Celtics (via 40-26 Los Angeles Clippers): John Jenkins, SG, Vanderbilt
While Doc Rivers likes his players to have more than one dimension to their game, Ray Allen is likely leaving and they need to get a young shooter who can take his place.
Jenkins has a long way to go before reaching Allen's level, but the raw skill is already in place. He is not a physical marvel at just 6'4" and 212 pounds, so his shot will have to carry him.
23. Atlanta Hawks (40-26): Tony Wroten Jr., PG, Washington
Wroten could end up being a steal at this spot. He is a 6'6" point guard with incredible passing skills. If his shot ever comes along, the Hawks will have an All-Star on their hands.
24. Cleveland Cavaliers (via 41-25 Los Angeles Lakers): Andrew Nicholson, PF, St. Bonaventure
Nicholson is not a finished product, as he is still adjusting to playing on the inside against strong competition. When he adds some weight, he will be able to hang with the best in the NBA.
25. Memphis Grizzlies (41-25): Evan Fournier, SG, France
Fournier is the only European player likely worthy of a first-round selection. It is easy to dream on a 19-year-old, 6'7" wing scorer who really just needs to add muscle to develop into a star.
Yet therein lies the problem. Foreign-born players have shown a knack for playing in the NBA very thin. Some have been able to make it work, though it makes it that much more difficult to succeed.
26. Indiana Pacers (42-24): Quincy Miller, SF, Baylor
Miller is a tweener right now. He has the size to be a power forward. The athleticism to handle the small forward position, but he isn't either one right now. Unless a team can figure out what he is, his future will continue to remain unclear.
27. Miami Heat (46-20): Festus Ezeli, C, Vanderbilt
The NBA Champions need size in the middle, even if it is just for show. He is a tall, long defender still honing his offensive skills. Given that the Heat have plenty of scoring, all they need is for Ezeli to become a rebounder inside and they have done their job.
28. Oklahoma City Thunder (47-19): Royce White, SF, Iowa State
White is going to be another building block for the Thunder. He has a great all-around skill set and would go much, much higher if not for his social anxiety. Teams are going to be very cautious of that, though at this spot he is too good to pass up.
29. Chicago Bulls (50-16): Marquis Teague, PG, Kentucky
Still figuring out his style, Teague is about two years away from showing what he is truly capable of. For the Bulls, they need to find an athletic point guard who can at least hold down the fort with Derrick Rose likely out until December due to a torn ACL.
If Teague does work out, the Bulls can use him as trade bait and get more bang for their buck.
30. Golden State Warriors (via 50-16 San Antonio Spurs): Draymond Green, SF, Michigan State
Green is that "scrappy" player everyone likes to talk about. He does not have great physical attributes, isn't going to wow you in a workout, but does all the little things that it takes to contribute in the NBA.
The Warriors need to find players who have a strong court presence and can make an impact on both sides of the ball if they want to take the next step.
