2012 NBA Mock Draft: Prospects Who Will Be Steals for Smart Teams

The Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, and Boston Celtics will all come away with first-round steals in the 2012 NBA draft.

Sometimes a team gets lucky when a very good player falls to them in a draft due to circumstance. Other times, teams can look to their scouting department for information regarding a player that may be undervalued by teams with picks before them.

Either way, anytime you're getting a top-five pick outside the top five or lottery pick outside of the lottery, you're coming away with a steal.

Chances are you're going to be looking pretty smart when all is said and done as well.

Here's my latest 2012 NBA Mock draft with an emphasis on players that will be steals:

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

No surprises with this pick. The Hornets would be dumb if they didn't select Davis. He will be a top five big man in the NBA for years to come.

2. Charlotte Bobcats: Thomas Robinson, PF, Kansas

The Bobcats are getting a 6'10'', 237-pound power forward that put up 17.9 points and 11.8 rebounds per game last season. There's simply no way they can pass him up.

3. Washington Wizards: Bradley Beal, SG, Florida

Beal is easily the best shooting guard in this class and the Wizards have a big need to fill at the 2. This pick would make a ton of sense.

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

The Cavs aren't going to let a player of Barnes' caliber slip past them. He scored 17.4 points per game for the Tar Heels in 2011, and he'll be a huge addition to their offense.

5. Sacramento Kings: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF, Kentucky

MKG can enter the league and be a premier scorer right away. The Kings would be the perfect fit for him.

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

The Trail Blazers are really going to need a center now that the Greg Oden experiment has ended. At 7'0'', 279 pounds Drummond is a no-brainer. 

7. Golden State Warriors: Perry Jones III, SF, Baylor

Jones is an extremely athletic and versatile player that scored 14 points and grabbed 7.7 rebounds per game for Baylor in 2011. He has the chance to come in and make a difference right away. 

8. Toronto Raptors: John Henson, PF, North Carolina

The Raptors need a star that can go down low, grab rebounds, play defense and most importantly, score. Enter in Henson, who notched 13.8 points and 10.1 rebounds per game for North Carolina. He has the raw potential to be a star for Toronto.

9. Detroit Pistons: Tyler Zeller, C, North Carolina

The Pistons need a big man that they could put at the 5, which would allow Greg Monroe the freedom to continue growing offensively. They need someone who can be athletic, play great defense, grab a ton of rebounds and contribute on the offensive side of the ball.

They will be getting a steal here in Zeller, who is highly underrated. He scored 16.5 points and grabbed 9.3 rebounds per game last season at North Carolina.

On this team he'll be allowed to really have freedom in the paint with Greg Monroe attracting a ton of attention and being such a great passer. He'll also benefit from the potential growth of Brandon Knight as a point guard. Zeller could end up being the biggest steal of the draft.

10. New Orleans Hornets: Damian Lillard, PG, Weber State

The Weber state guard scored 24.5 points per game in 2011. After getting Davis with the first pick, grabbing Lillard at No. 10 is essentially a luxury.

11. Portland Trail Blazers: Kendall Marshall, PG, North Carolina

Marshall will be a very good point guard, and he fits a big need, especially after taking care of the frontcourt with their first pick.

12. Milwaukee Bucks:  Meyers Leonard, C, Illinois

The Bucks have the need for a center now that they are without Andrew Bogut. Leonard has the size and skill to be even better than Bogut was in time. 

13. Phoenix Suns: Austin Rivers, SG, Duke

Rivers has the potential to be a star in the backcourt, and that's an area the Suns are going to need to replace sooner rather than later.

14. Houston Rockets: Jared Sullinger, PF, Ohio State

Sullinger has the raw ability to be a very productive player in the NBA, but he's going to have to be coached up. I'd say he's worth the risk at 14 overall. 

15. Philadelphia 76ers: Terrence Jones, PF, Kentucky

At 6'9'', 252 pounds, Jones is big enough to play physical down low, but he's also talented enough to score from the perimeter. He'll be the perfect addition to this young and athletic team.  

16. Houston Rockets: Dion Waiters, SG Syracuse

Waiters could easily be a top-10 pick, so the fact that the Rockets were able to draft him after getting a big man in Sullinger just two picks before makes him a legitimate steal.

Waiters can be very big scoring option at the 2-spot in the NBA, coming in at 6'4''. He averaged 12.6 points per game with Syracuse in 2011 and that's a number I expect will go up.

17. Dallas Mavericks: Jeremy Lamb, SG, Connecticut

Lamb is a great scorer, having averaged 17.7 points per game in 2011, and he won't have much pressure on him on this veteran Dallas team. This should be a great fit.

18. Minnesota Timberwolves: Terrence Ross, G, Washington

At 6'6'', 195 pounds, Ross could be a very good addition to this Timberwolves backcourt and a great passing target for Ricky Rubio. 

19. Orlando Magic: Arnett Moultrie, PF, Mississippi State

The Magic might want to start thinking of the future of their frontcourt, and at 6'11'', 230 pounds, Moultire would be a great option here. He'll only get stronger in the NBA, and the 15.8 points and 10.6 rebounds per game he averaged last season make him a very interesting target.

20. Denver Nuggets: Festus Ezeli, C, Vanderbilt

The Nuggets really need to solidify their center position, and at 6'11, 255 pounds, Ezeli is a great prospect for them here at 20. 

21. Boston Celtics: John Jenkins, SG, Vanderbilt

Jenkins scored 19.9 points per game last season, and he could end up being a huge part of the future for the C's. This pick is great, especially with the next pick in mind. 

22. Boston Celtics: Royce White, PF, Iowa State

White could end up being a superstar in the NBA, especially on a team like Celtics and with a coach like Doc Rivers. White is a 6'8'', 270-pound forward that has the ball handling skills of a point guard. 

He'll be able to run the court with Rajon Rondo, but he can also get down low and be physical. All-in-all, this is a monster steal for the retooling Celtics. 

23. Atlanta Hawks: Moe Harkless, SF, St. Johns

The Hawks will be thrilled that Harkless fell to them here at 23. At 6'8'' and 208 pounds, he can be very versatile and dangerous.

24. Cleveland Cavaliers: Evan Fournier, SG, France

The Cavaliers will continue on making their backcourt that much more dangerous with this pick. Fournier is a good supplement pick to the Harrison Barnes pickup. 

25. Memphis Grizzlies: Andrew Nicholson, PF, St. Bonaventure

Nicholson could be considered a sleeper, and it will be tough for the Grizzlies to pass on adding another piece to their frontcourt. 

26. Indiana Pacers: Marquis Teague, PG Kentucky

Teague may be a bit overshadowed by the rest of the Kentucky players coming out of this draft, but he'll prove to be an excellent backup for a team that's just a few pieces away.

27. Miami Heat: Jae Crowder, SG, Marquette

Crowder scored 17.4 points per game in 2011. The Heat will love him coming off their bench, especially now that we've seen how truly dangerous this team can be with perimeter scoring coming off the bench to negate double teams. 

28. Oklahoma City Thunder: Tony Wroten, PG, Washington

Having a point guard that can spell Russell Westbrook and add a new dynamic off the bench will be a big addition or the Thunder.

29. Chicago Bulls: Will Barton, SG, Memphis

Barton came through for 18.1 points per game last season. With the need the Bulls have at the 2 guard, he becomes a great pick.

30. Golden State Warriors: Draymond Green, SF, Michigan State

Draymond Green is a versatile player that can also be a great leader for the Warriors. He's 6'7'', 230 pounds and can play physical, but he's also skilled enough to run the floor and even take care of the ball.

At No. 30, taking Green is well worth the risk, as he can turn into the ultimate X-factor for the Warriors.

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