2012 NBA Draft Selections: Best and Worst Lottery Picks

The 2012 NBA draft featured loads of talent in the top picks. Some teams took the right plays while other missed completely.

There were a few franchises that made predictable choices and others took risks on players who were supposed to get drafted much later. 

Since Anthony Davis was clearly the best prospect in the draft, and the New Orleans Hornets surprised no one by taking him, the top pick does not need to be discussed further. 

Here are some of the best and worst picks from the rest of the lottery teams.

Best 

Charlotte Bobcats, Pick No. 2—Michael Kidd-Gilchrist 

The Bobcats had an extremely difficult decision on their hands. Kidd-Gilchrist, Thomas Robinson and Bradley Beal were all in play here and there was a lot of talk about trading the pick. 

But Michael Jordan and the rest of the front office let the smoke clear and made the right choice. Kidd-Gilchrist is a destructive perimeter defender with a similar game to Jordan’s former teammate Scottie Pippen. 

MKG is 6’8” with a 7’0” wingspan. Like Pippen, he has a non-stop motor, incredible work ethic and he can be the best defender in the NBA.

His defense is an attribute that fits well on any roster. The Bobcats have so many needs, and a sure thing with fantastic character like Kidd-Gilchrist was undoubtedly the right choice.

Washington Wizards, Pick No. 3—Bradley Beal 

Beal is the perfect player to round out the Wizards' starting five.

John Wall and Nene will return from last season’s roster and Washington added Emeka Okafor and Trevor Ariza.

Beal will now form a dynamic backcourt with Wall. The two players are both fantastic athletes and can both score at will.

They are also excellent complements to each other as Wall is quicker and more explosive on drives, while Beal is more deadly as an outside shooter. This was an excellent choice by the Wizards.

Detroit Pistons, Pick No. 9—Andre Drummond

The Pistons got extremely lucky that Drummond was still around at No. 9. 

He has incredible size and talent, although he was unable to turn that into much production at UConn. He put up just 10 points and 7.6 rebounds in his freshman year. 

Detroit desperately wanted an athletic center to pair with Greg Monroe and Drummond has the potential to be the perfect player for the Pistons. 

No other player in the draft fit the team’s needs and was worth a pick this high in the draft.

Worst

Cleveland Cavaliers, Pick No. 4—Dion Waiters 

Waiters has potential to be a decent player, but the Cavaliers took him way too high.

If they truly believed that Waiters was the fourth-best prospect in the draft they should have traded down and added an extra pick. Waiters likely would have been available with the eight or ninth pick.

He lacks a consistent jump shot and only averaged 12.6 points per game as a sophomore. He excels when driving to the basket, but does not have any other strengths.

The Cavs jumped the gun with this choice and took Waiters far too early.

New Orleans Hornets, Pick No. 10—Austin Rivers

Rivers is a similar player to Eric Gordon, but he will not be as productive.

The Duke star is not a point guard, and that is what the Hornets need. Having a player who averaged more turnovers (2.3) than assists (2.1) be a floor general is a recipe for disaster. 

River will not be able to coexist with Gordon. He could be effective as a scorer off the bench, but the Hornets could have added a player with the potential to be a starter. 

This pick was unwise and the team will be reminded of that every time they have problems at the point guard position.

Milwaukee Bucks, Pick No. 14—John Henson

Henson is simply too skinny to be effective in the NBA. 

He lacks an NBA-ready offensive game, although he excelled as a shot-blocker and a rebounder in college. However, players will quickly learn to drive right into his body and limit his effectiveness in the paint. 

Smaller, stronger players will also move him out of the way and keep him off the boards. 

Milwaukee needs size, so their hands were somewhat tied with this pick. However, Henson is not going to turn into the player the Bucks are hoping he will be.