NBA Draft 2012: Teams That Can't Afford to Fall Flat
The NBA draft gives teams a fresh start to solidify their future. Some need all the help they can get, like Charlotte or New Orleans. Others have already set themselves up for a long, sustained run of success, like Oklahoma City.
Yet for all 30 teams, the draft is the most important day of the year. A few teams have to make sure that they hit with their picks this season. In today's NBA, where 16 of 30 teams get into the playoffs, a long postseason drought is unacceptable.
Here are the teams that need to hit their selections out of the park if they want to have any postseason aspirations soon.
Charlotte Bobcats (No. 2 and 31 Overall Picks)
All the momentum, if you want to call it that, surrounding the Bobcats faded away after their card was drawn with the No. 2 pick in the NBA draft lottery. Anthony Davis was just waiting in their laps if they could have gotten the No. 1 pick.
Instead, the Bobcats will have a tough decision to make, with at least three players vying for the No. 2 spot in the draft. (This assumes the Hornets make Davis the No. 1 pick.)
This franchise needs something to get excited about, something and someone to build around. Michael Jordan is wearing out his welcome as an owner and talent evaluator.
Sacramento Kings (No. 5 and 36 Overall Picks)
It is a miracle that Sacramento was actually worried about losing the Kings, because this franchise is a mess right now. There are some nice pieces, like Marcus Thornton and DeMarcus Cousins, but they need a lynchpin to bring it all together.
The Kings are probably not that far off from contention, though their first pick has to become the leader of this franchise. Damian Lillard would upgrade the point guard position, though Michael Kidd-Gilchrist would look really good in a Kings jersey.
One way or another, the Kings have to make sure they get the biggest bang for their not-so-metaphorical buck.
Detroit Pistons (No. 9, 39 and 44 Overall Picks)
Once a beacon of the NBA, the Pistons have lost their way over the last five years. Even when their rosters weren't loaded with elite, superstar talent, they were doing all they could to keep the team respectable.
Years of bad free-agent signings and poor trades have brought the Pistons way down. They have few pieces in place to make a playoff run in two or three years. This draft is of the utmost importance for this franchise.
The Pistons should be open to doing anything in this draft. We shall see where they are headed on Thursday night.
