2012 NBA Mock Draft: Teams Who Must Find Their Star of the Future

Several teams enter the 2012 NBA Draft facing dire needs. Others are one critical piece away from taking the next step toward their championship dreams.

Players like Anthony Davis, Thomas Robinson and Bradley Beal will help teams immediately, while some players, like Andre Drummond, will take years to blossom.

But in the end, they will be star players.

Obviously every Top Five team could use a star player, but stars are also needed on more prominent teams. 

Let's break down the first round and see which five teams (in Italics) need to grab tomorrow's NBA superstar.

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

Davis provides a star, but this is too easy. He's a dynamic defensive player with tremendous offensive potential.

Expect big things from this former Wildcat.

2. Charlotte Bobcats: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF (Kentucky)

This could be Thomas Robinson, but I like Kidd-Gilchrist's winning attitude on Michael Jordan's seven-win Bobcats.

3. Washington Wizards: Thomas Robinson, PF (Kansas)         

Robinson doesn't have a high ceiling, but his floor is already high. He's an athletic 4-man with double-double potential every night.

4. Cleveland Cavaliers: Bradley Beal (Florida)

Beal gives Cleveland the East's most exciting backcourt. With Kyrie Irving and Beal putting up shots, the Cavaliers could make some noise in the Eastern Conference.

5. Sacramento Kings: Harrison Barnes, SF (North Carolina)

Barnes is a high-character player, and the Kings could use a player like that. He's also an NBA-ready body with a lethal perimeter jumper.

6. Portland Trail Blazers (via New Jersey Nets): Damian Lillard (Weber State)

Portland is desperate for a point guard, and Lillard may be this year's best. He's an explosive lead guard with a lightning-quick first step.

7. Golden State Warriors: Andre Drummond, C (UConn)

The Warriors are one "star" player away from making a serious climb up the Western Conference ladder. They have two excellent perimeter shooters, a talented (but fragile) center and four picks in this year's draft.

Golden State would be smart to add another capable big man to the mix or pick up a young, athletic wing.

Drummond is the best option at this point. He is extremely raw, but he would have a chance to play behind Andrew Bogut. This will give him time to mature and develop offensively.

The Warriors have an All-Star center here if Drummond plays to his potential. His athleticism is off the charts, and he would fit seamlessly into Golden State's attack. Defensively, he would add a much-needed interior presence.

Drummond is considered one of this year's biggest risks, but the Warriors have to take him at No. 7. He has No. 1 pick talent.

8. Toronto Raptors: Jeremy Lamb, SG (UConn)

Lamb complements DeMar DeRozan's slashing abilities with a devastating array of jump shots. He's electric from mid-range and a very smooth player overall.

9. Detroit Pistons: John Henson, PF (North Carolina)

Henson's defense will fit nicely with Greg Monroe's offensive prowess. If Henson's offense continues to develop, the Pistons will have one of the East's best frontcourt duos.

10. New Orleans Hornets (via Minnesota Timberwolves): Dion Waiters, SG (Syracuse)

Waiters is one of the best—and, perhaps, underrated—guards in this draft.

He came off the bench on a well-rounded Syracuse team last year, but Waiters has starter-like ability. He's dangerous in the open floor because of his ability to attack the rim.

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11. Portland Trail Blazers: Meyers Leonard, C (Illinois)

Leonard is a raw, but athletic, seven-footer. He will pair nicely with LaMarcus Aldridge and provide an immediate boost on the defensive end.

12. Milwaukee Bucks: Tyler Zeller, C (North Carolina) 

Zeller doesn't have star potential, but he will be a solid rotation player for many years. He is exceptionally fast in the open floor and usually beats his man down the floor.

With Zeller, what you see is what you get.

13. Phoenix Suns: Kendall Marshall, PG (North Carolina)

Marshall will never be a star, but the Suns will ask him to do his best possible impression. Steve Nash is interested in signing with the Knicks, and his Phoenix career seems all but over.

The Suns will take Marshall and hope he can be their future facilitator. Marshall's offensive savvy and pass-first mentality mesh perfectly, but his shortcomings are a reason for concern.

Marshall struggles to keep up with quick point guards, and he doesn't shoot well. In the second half of North Carolina's 2011-12 season, Marshall improved his scoring, but it still has a long way to go.

Marshall gets by on his passing; sometimes he seems to have X-ray vision and sees things other guys simply don't.

Does that sound familiar to any Phoenix fans?

The Suns will take Marshall and hope he can be the future of their franchise. He's capable of fulfilling their hopes, but they need to add weapons around him.

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

This is Rivers' last chance to make good on the report saying he has a promise from a lottery team.

The Rockets don't let him fall.

Rivers is a dead-eye shooter, but the rest of his game needs work.

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

Andre Iguodala may make star-caliber money (more than $30 million in the next two years), but he isn't the star Philadelphia needs.

Perry Jones III may not be, either, but he will have a chance to be.

The 76ers get one of the draft's most intriguing prospects. Jones III is an athletic freak who stands 6'11'', but he handles the ball like a guard. He has a capable face-up game, and he's a great leaper.

But Jones III was incredibly inconsistent in his two years as a Baylor Bear. He was lackadaisical, and he failed to take any real step forward. No one has ever doubted his talent, but this should concern NBA teams.

Philadelphia is a key piece away from being one of the Eastern Conference's best teams. They need a go-to scorer, and a scoring forward would be the best-case scenario.

Jones III is either going to live up to the hype or disappear. His potential is nearly impossible to figure out, but he will face star expectations wherever he goes.

16. Houston Rockets (via New York Knicks): Jared Sullinger, PF (Ohio State)

Sullinger's back concerns force him down the board a bit, but Houston finds a solid rotation player here.

Sullinger has a brutally powerful low-post game and a developing mid-range shot. The only knock is his 6'9'' frame.

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

The Mavericks get a potential No. 2 player here. Jones' ability to play multiple positions, and his 7'2'' wingspan will translate flawlessly to the NBA.

Dallas will benefit from the added athleticism.

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

Ross is a high-volume shooter and fits Minnesota's most desperate need. His 6'6'' stature allows him to get his jumper off over smaller defenders.

Ross doesn't do anything else, but he's an exciting scorer.

19. Orlando Magic: Arnett Moultrie, PF/C (Mississippi State)

Dwight Howard's status is uncertain despite his insistence that he hasn't demanded a trade. Either way, the Magic could use some help everywhere else.

Moultrie is an elite talent with underrated ability. He has a versatile offensive repertoire, and he has potential on the defensive end. He's also a solid rebounder, but he must improve his motor.

Moultrie played small forward while at UTEP, but moved inside with the Bulldogs, and this added experience will only help him at the next level.

He isn't a well-known commodity, but the Magic make the right choice here. Moultrie's athleticism will be a change from Howard. He isn't D12's size, but Moultire is more mobile, can score in more ways and, at this point, he's less of a problem.

The Magic need to start rebuilding, and Moultrie is a good first piece.

20. Denver Nuggets: Quincy Miller, SF (Baylor)

Miller is a silky smooth shooter who didn't necessarily perform to expectations at Baylor.

Don't be fooled, though—he's a knockdown shooter with an effortless flow.

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

Boston already has one star (Rajon Rondo), but he needs a running mate for the future.

Adding another star is imperative to Boston's success in the coming years. Harkless could be a perfect fit, but he has a ways to go.

Offensively, Harkless is a raw athlete with a miserable jumper. He shot 20 percent from three-point land for St. John's last year, but he still scored 15.3 points per game. His raw athleticism and awareness of his strengths made up for his poor shooting.

Harkless would benefit from playing behind Paul Pierce. He would provide instant energy off the bench, and he would have a chance to learn from one of this generation's top players.

If Harkless develops the rest of his game, he will be an animal. He is already a skilled penetrator with gifted measurables.

The Celtics have to hope Harkless is everything he's expected to be.

22. Boston Celtics (via Los Angeles Clippers): Fab Melo, C (Syracuse)   

Boston lacks a true center, and Melo fits the bill. Calling his offense "raw" may be an overstatement, but he's an intimidating defender.

23. Atlanta Hawks: Royce White, SF/PF (Iowa State)

White's versatility will fit well into the Hawks lineup. He's an excellent passing forward who can hurt opponents in any number of ways.

24. Cleveland Cavaliers (via Los Angeles Lakers): Andrew Nicholson, PF (St. Bonaventure)

Nicholson is the best prospect most people haven't heard of. He's a hardworking player who isn't afraid to get the tough points, and his versatile scoring will give NBA opponents fits.

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

The Grizzlies will stick with the point guard-by-committee approach next year. Teague has more upside than Mike Conley Jr., and if he improves his decision-making, he could be an above-average NBA point guard.

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

The Pacers could use a go-to player as well, but they decide to stash Fournier overseas instead. In a few years, Fournier's explosive first step and considerable length will give him a high professional ceiling.

27. Miami Heat: Festus Ezeli, C (Vanderbilt)

The Heat need a veteran point guard and space-eater in the paint; they grab the latter here.

Ezeli is an athletic big man who loves to bang down low. Miami will benefit from his physical presence.

28. Oklahoma City Thunder: Draymond Green (Michigan State)

Green will give Oklahoma City toughness and another body in its young rotation. He's a winner, born leader and a versatile talent.

The Thunder don't find another star, but Green could be a very capable role player.

29. Chicago Bulls: John Jenkins (Vanderbilt)

Chicago will take the best shooting guard left on the board. Jenkins isn't the best all-around 2-guard, but he is the draft's best shooter.

Jenkins' pure stroke will give the Bulls a lethal bench weapon from Day 1.

30. Golden State Warriors (via San Antonio Spurs): Jeffery Taylor, SF (Vanderbilt)

Taylor will earn minutes with Golden State immediately. He isn't a star-caliber player, but he works hard, plays solid defense and is a dangerous shooter.

Taylor could start in the right situation.