2012 NBA Draft Tracker: Breaking Down Picks 6-10
After the Cleveland Cavaliers pulled off the first shocker of the 2012 NBA draft and the Sacramento Kings grabbed a steal, the next five picks drew mixed reviews.
The Portland Trail Blazers, Golden State Warriors, Toronto Raptors, Detroit Pistons and New Orleans Hornets picked next. While some teams made logical selections, a couple teams may have reached.
Here's how picks 6-10 graded.
6. Portland Trail Blazers (via NJ): Damian Lillard, PG, Weber State
Grade: A
Damian Lillard is one of the top scorers in this draft and he has the explosiveness to get into the paint almost at will. He can finish well at the rim, knocks it down from the perimeter regularly and is a hard worker with excellent ball-handling skills. The Trail Blazers will need him to inject life into the offense and he certainly has the ability to do that.
7. Golden State Warriors: Harrison Barnes, SF, North Carolina
Grade: B-
I'll start by saying I'm not a huge fan of Harrison Barnes. Beyond his scoring ability, he's a suspect rebounder and had trouble creating his own shot when Kendall Marshall went down with an injury in the NCAA tournament. He's not a bad pick, but I would have rather seen the Warriors trade down, acquiring draft picks while still being able to acquire a solid small forward in the process.
8. Toronto Raptors: Terrence Ross, SG, Washington
Grade: B-
Terrence Ross was largely considered a middle first-round pick before the draft. Then the Raptors selected him No. 8 overall. I'm not questioning Terrence Ross' ability at the next level; he should be a nice scorer and he can create problems defensively with his length and athleticism. But I do question the Raptors drafting him this high when, in my opinion, there were better prospects left on the board.
9. Detroit Pistons: Andre Drummond, C, Connecticut
Grade: A
Andre Drummond could have been selected in the top five of this draft. Instead, he dropped to No. 9 overall, which was perfect for the Pistons organization. Now they can pair up Drummond's Dwight Howard-like athleticism with offensive-minded center Greg Monroe. If Drummond stays focused and committed in Detroit, this should become a fearsome duo for a long time. Drummond has the explosiveness and skills to become a complete post player.
10. New Orleans Hornets (via MINN): Austin Rivers, G, Duke
Grade: C-
I don't like this pick in many ways.
If the Hornets are expecting Rivers to be their starting point guard of the future, it may end up being an epic fail. First, his decision-making was questionable as a freshman at Duke. Second, he had trouble playing within the game in college. He's a bigger work in progress than people think.
I also think there were better prospects for the Hornets here. For example, they could have either grabbed North Carolina point guard Kendall Marshall to set up Anthony Davis, or they could have grabbed Illinois center Meyers Leonard to pair up with Davis in the post. Both would have been better options in my mind. The Hornets better hope Rivers develops at a rapid pace.
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