Chad Ford 2012 Mock Draft: Best Value Picks in ESPN Analyst's Latest Projection
There are precious few people in the world who have been doing more work with this NBA mock draft than ESPN's Chad Ford. He has released an ungodly amount of mocks since the end of the college basketball season.
With his latest mock, Ford appears to be settling on a lot of spots based on what he is seeing and hearing from his contacts inside the NBA. Since there is so much information floating around out there, who really knows what to expect when Thursday rolls around?
Since we love to see teams get value from this draft, here are the best picks from Ford's latest mock.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist to Sacramento Kings (No. 5)
The second that Kidd-Gilchrist declared for the draft, he was thought to be the second player taken after Kentucky teammate Anthony Davis. He is one of the best athletes available, and is not that far from hitting his full potential.
For the Kings to have a chance to get their hands on him with the No. 5 pick, it would be nothing less than a steal. This franchise needs a true face that it can build around, since it is going to stay in Sacramento.
Kidd-Gilchrist has the kind of potential the Kings desperately need to put in their starting five right now.
Perry Jones III to Houston Rockets (No. 14)
There are some people who question what kind of player Jones III is going to be thanks to some problems he had at Baylor. The biggest issue is the way Jones seems to play small and be too passive in big games.
Still, if you are able to look beyond the negative, you will see that Jones is one of the most talented power forwards in the draft and would go much higher than No. 14 in almost any other season.
The Rockets have a strong backcourt in place. They just need to add size in order to challenge for a playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Kendall Marshall to Denver Nuggets (No. 20)
Marshall is the best passing point guard in this draft. He is one of the best athletes available. He has a lot more offensive potential than he showed at North Carolina.
The NBA has shifted toward point guards in recent years. There is no reason Marshall should be sitting on the outside of the lottery. Somehow Ford sees that being the case. And good for the Nuggets for capitalizing on it.
Denver needs a young point guard who can help the offense get more athletic and versatile. The Nuggets score a lot of points, but I wouldn't call them dynamic. That is why they lost to the Lakers in the postseason.
Marshall would be a great pick and should get Nuggets fans excited.
