NBA Draft 2012: Initial Reaction to the Top 10 Picks, Love It or Hate It?

You have to love all the surprises that come with the NBA draft.

Who is going to be picked No. 2 overall? Will Charlotte trade the pick? Who is going to get Bradley Beal? Where will Andre Drummond go?

The questions go on, and on, and on.

When the draft finally arrived, it seemed like all the talk was just that—talk.

As I watched the draft unfold, there were a few head-scratchers, but for the most part, a lot of these mock drafters were probably really happy, because they were looking really smart.

I'm going to go back, look at every pick and ask a simple question, "Love it, or hate it?"

As always, thanks for reading.

Anthony Davis: Love It

Love it, love it, love it.

I love Davis' game, love his humble nature and  love his unibrow.

Davis is going to be a star, and I think he'll lead the Hornets to a quick turnaround. Don't be shocked if they make the playoffs next year.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist: Love It

I think Kidd-Gilchrist will end up being the third-best player in the draft, and he has some Scottie Pippen in him.

People say he can't shoot—to that, I say he's 18 years old, and he loves basketball. That is a point that can't be overstated.

All of these guys who get drafted are good at basketball, but not all of them love it.

MKG loves it, and he is going to get better and better. He is a hard worker, and he will go down as a home run pick for Michael Jordan and Bobcats.

Bradley Beal: Love It

I think Beal will be the second-best player in this draft, but only by a hair over MKG.

People compare Beal to Ray Allen, but I don't think that's a good comparison at all. He is a great shooter, but Allen is an all-time great shooter.

Beal is a better athlete than Allen, though, and I think in that regard he is a slightly bigger, barely less-athletic version of Dwyane Wade.

That's right, Washington Wizards fans—you just drafted a Ray Allen-Dwyane Wade hybrid guard to put next to John Wall.

Washington is going to be a really, really fun team to watch.

Dion Waiters: Hate It

The Cavs passed on Jonas Valanciunas last year. That was a big, big mistake. Some talent evaluators are saying that the big Lithuanian would have been the No. 2 overall pick this year.

Instead, they took Tristan Thompson, the 6'9" power forward out of Texas who averaged 8.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.

So, one draft mistake leads to another.

There were four surefire picks in this draft: Davis, MKG, Beal and Thomas Robinson. The Cavs were picking fourth. That meant they were guaranteed to get one of those four guys.

When Robinson was the player who fell to the Cavs though, they had a problem: They had already drafted a power forward last year.

How nice would Kyrie Irving, Valanciunas and Robinson look? We'll never know, because the Cavs stunned me and took Dion Waiters.

I love Waiters as a player. I think he'll win the Rookie of the Year. However, I don't think he fits well with Irving, and I don't think this is a good pick for the Cavs in the long run.

Thomas Robinson: Love It

I love this kid's motor, his heart and his game. Robinson is going to be a 20-10 guy in this league, and he's the perfect complement to DeMarcus Cousins in the post.

The Kings have a scary-looking front line.

Now, if they can just figure out what to do with Tyreke Evans...

Damian Lillard: Love It

This kid seems to have a good head on his shoulders, and he is a talented playmaker. I like the fact that he can score, but I think he will have an adjustment to make as a point guard in the NBA.

Overall, love the pick because of Lillard's talent and the fact that point guard is a need for the Blazers.

Harrison Barnes: Love It

I think Barnes is going to be a better NBA player than he was at North Carolina. It is shocking that a player this good was still on the board at No. 7, but with Lillard and Waiters coming off earlier than expected, Golden State was happy to snatch Barnes.

The perimeter of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes might be the best shooting trio in the NBA. If they can figure out how to guard somebody, this is an exciting young nucleus.

Terrence Ross: Hate It

What were the Raptors thinking?

I don't understand this pick, simply because Ross is a shooting guard, and the Raptors already have DeMar DeRozan, who is a pretty good shooting guard. DeRozan is a young guy, and he averages about 17 points per game.

With so many other guys on the board, I think the Raptors could have addressed other needs.

Then again, I like Ross a lot. He can score, and he is long. Maybe the Raptors have a plan in place to move some people around via trade. If they do, then I'll re-evaluate my decision.

If I have to just judge the pick, though, I hate it.

Andre Drummond: Love It

The term "freak athlete" gets thrown around far too often. If we are going to use that phrase, however, then let me introduce you to Andre Drummond.

I love this pick. Drummond is a very average player right now, but don't forget that he could have been in high school last year had he not reclassified. Drummond could end up being the steal of the draft, as he has the best size/power combo of any player to enter the draft since Dwight Howard.

It is a small surprise that Drummond fell to the Pistons, but now they can pair him with Greg Monroe, who is a promising young power forward. It is going to take time, but Drummond could end up being a DeAndre Jordan 2.0 or a poor man's Howard.

Either way, the Pistons just found a starting center.

Austin Rivers: Love It

The Hornets could have gone in a lot of directions here.

They could have drafted Kendall Marshall, who is more of a true point guard than Rivers. They could have drafted a big guy like Myers Leonard, a true center to pair up with Davis. They could have even rolled the dice and tried to move up to get Drummond, forming a fearsome defensive front line with Davis.

Instead, the Hornets drafted Rivers, who is either a shoot-first point guard or an undersized, streaky 2-guard, depending on which day of the week it is.

I love this pick.

Rivers is great in the pick and roll. He can score. He loves the game. His dad is an NBA coach, so you know he knows the game.

Pairing Rivers up with Eric Gordon means the Hornets have a pair of high-scoring "tweener" guards.

These two guys are going to score a lot of points, and Davis is going to provide the defensive backbone of the team. If Rivers becomes a star, the Hornets will have three All-Stars in their starting lineup very soon. These three young players could form a core similar to what you see in Oklahoma City.