2012 NBA Mock Draft: Highlighting Smartest Potential Picks of First Round

The draft is a GM’s time to shine.

While the spotlight is cast on players and coaches throughout the season, a general manager’s ability to build a championship contender is on full display during the offseason. Here’s a 2012 NBA first-round mock highlighting the wisest selections.

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

Anthony Davis is the only player in the draft with superstar potential. He boasts the potential to single-handedly turn the Hornets around. Selecting him would without a doubt be the smartest decision of the draft and passing on him would be a mistake of historic measures.

Davis will instantly become one of the league’s premier defenders.

2. Charlotte Bobcats: Thomas Robinson (PF, Kansas)

Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal-Times reported that it’d be a shocker if the Charlotte Bobcats kept their pick and didn’t select Robinson.

3. Washington Wizards: Bradley Beal (SG, Florida)

Shooting guard is the biggest hole in the Wizards’ starting lineup by far now that they’ve traded Rashard Lewis for Trevor Ariza and Emeka Okafor.

4. Cleveland Cavaliers: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (SF, Kentucky)

Cleveland would have to be clinically insane to pass on MKG for Harrison Barnes who’s been repeatedly linked there.

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

Despite it being the easiest position to find in the league, Sac-Town doesn’t possess a capable true small forward on their roster.

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

Drummond has the second-highest ceiling in the draft to Davis and the Trail Blazers need a center.

7. Golden State Warriors: Meyers Leonard (C, Illinois)

Golden State has zero depth and zero athleticism at center, but Leonard would instantly solve both of those problems.

8. Toronto Raptors: Dion Waiters (SG, Syracuse)

DeMar Derozan is the Raptors’ only respectable wing scorer on the entire team.

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

Detroit’s greatest need is for a big to pair with Greg Monroe down low.

10. New Orleans Hornets: Damian Lillard (PG, Weber St.)

No, I’m not a Hornets fan, but if they land Davis and Lillard, we’ll all be Hornets fans. Lillard is the most polished scorer in the entire draft. He averaged 24.5 points per game in college and he’d combine with Eric Gordon to form one of the league’s best scoring backcourts for years to come.

Jarrett Jack has an expiring contract so if Lillard falls to the Hornets, New Orleans won’t hesitate to pull the trigger.

11. Portland Trail Blazers: Austin Rivers (SG, Duke)

If Jamal Crawford opts out, Portland wouldn’t have a soul on the perimeter that’s capable of creating his own shot.

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

Milwaukee doesn’t have a respectable center on their roster, unless you consider Larry Sanders respectable.

13. Phoenix Suns: Terrence Ross (SG, Washington)

Shannon Brown is a free agent and needs to be replaced regardless.

14. Houston Rockets: Jeremy Lamb (SG, Connecticut)

Kevin Martin is aging, declining and has an expiring contract, so the Rockets must draft his successor.

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

Jones is the greatest risk in the entire draft, but with top-five potential, he’s too talented to pass on in the middle of the first.

16. Houston Rockets: Terrence Jones (PF, Kentucky)

Luis Scola is aging, declining and the Rockets really wish he had an expiring contract because he doesn’t, but the Rockets must draft his successor anyway.

17. Dallas Mavericks: Kendall Marshall (PG, North Carolina)

Dallas can’t enter the Deron Williams sweepstakes without a potential starting point guard because if they lose, they’re screwed. Marshall is one of the most pro-ready prospects in the draft so he’s a solid Plan B to Williams.

But if they do land D-Will, than all of a sudden, the Mavs would have options. They could either keep Marshall as a second-unit stud, or they could trade him for more value than they acquired him for after he develops for a year or two.

18. Houston Rockets: Moe Harkless (SF, St. John’s)

Houston needs a new three after trading Chase Budinger to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

19. Orlando Magic: Arnett Moultrie (PF, Mississippi St.)

Dwight Howard is done in Orlando so the Magic desperately need length.

20. Denver Nuggets: Tony Wroten Jr. (PG, Washington)

Andre Miller will likely leave to sign with a contender so Ty Lawson needs a new backup.

21. Boston Celtics: Jared Sullinger (PF, Ohio St.)

Jared Sullinger has been medically red-flagged because of back injuries, but he’s way too talented for the Celtics to pass on him at this point in the draft. Kevin Garnett is a free agent and if healthy, Sullinger is pro ready enough to start down low from day one in Boston.

Boston’s lack of size was their greatest issue even with KG. At 6’9”, 265 pounds, Sullinger has the weight to bang with anyone on the block.

22. Boston Celtics: Royce White (SF, Iowa St.)

If Paul Pierce isn’t traded this offseason, his time in Boston will be over soon enough, so the Celtics must find his heir.

23: Atlanta Hawks: Quincy Miller (SF, Baylor)

Marvin Williams needs to be replaced and Miller would’ve been a top-10 pick in next year’s draft.

 24. Cleveland Cavaliers: Fab Melo (C, Syracuse)

Cleveland needs a seven-footer with no true center on their roster.

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

Memphis has absolutely nothing behind Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol.

26. Indiana Pacers: Will Barton (SG, Memphis)

Leandro Barbosa is a free agent, but even if he was expected to stay, Indiana could do better.

27. Miami Heat: Evan Fournier (SG, France)

One good game won’t keep Mike Miller from being replaced as the Heat’s first guard off the bench.

28. Oklahoma City Thunder: Draymond Green (SF, Michigan St.)

OKC’s greatest need is for a power forward with three-point range and Green is big enough to play the position at 6’8”, 236 pounds.

29. Chicago Bulls: Marquis Teague (PG, Kentucky)

There isn’t any guarantee that Derrick Rose will be healthy for the start of the season.

30. Golden State Warriors: Jeff Taylor (SF, Vanderbilt)

Taylor is an athletic freak and defensive fiend that’ll be able to make an instant impact filling the Warriors’ biggest hole.

David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.

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