NBA Draft 2012 Results: Breaking Down How Teams with Multiple 1st Rounders Fared
Teams with one first-round selection in the NBA Draft often feel a lot of pressure to strike gold.
While teams with multiple first-rounders seemingly have an easier task as they have more than one chance to get an impact player, they are often in a more difficult situation because fans expect them to come away from the draft with more than one star.
There were several organizations with multiple first-round selections in this year's draft, and while some of them came away looking great, others fell flat.
It will obviously be several years before we know for sure how well teams utilized their choices, but predicting how things will ultimately turn out is what makes the draft so interesting.
Here is a complete breakdown of how every team with multiple first-round picks in the 2012 NBA draft fared.
New Orleans Hornets
It's tough to be too upset about what the Hornets did in this year's draft, as they got the consensus top player in Kentucky forward Anthony Davis at No. 1 overall.
Davis promises to be a force on both ends of the floor immediately, particularly as an interior defender thanks to his shot-blocking prowess.
The Hornets had a chance to make the night perfect, but they whiffed on their next selection.
New Orleans had the No. 10 pick and could have taken North Carolina point guard Kendall Marshall to complement Davis and Eric Gordon. The Hornets instead took Duke combo guard Austin Rivers instead, and while he is talented, I don't believe he can transition to point guard, and New Orleans will find that out the hard way.
The Cavaliers received a golden opportunity to take a step toward playoff contention this season as they held the No. 4 and No. 24 picks, but the results were mixed.
The Cavs were able to secure Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson in last year's draft, and this year they added Syracuse guard Dion Waiters, as well as North Carolina center Tyler Zeller.
Picking Waiters was a real head-scratcher, as Kansas forward Thomas Robinson was still on the board. Cleveland made up for that pick somewhat when it struck a deal with the Dallas Mavericks to secure the No. 17 pick and Zeller.
Zeller should be a real nice fit in the Cavs' offense as Irving will ensure an up-tempo pace, but Waiters was a huge reach that I don't see panning out in the long run.
Portland Trail Blazers
Portland entered the draft with two distinct needs and it did well to address them both.
The Blazers were clearly in search of a point guard after Raymond Felton fell flat last season, and they got a very intriguing one in the form of Weber State's Damian Lillard. He isn't a traditional floor general, as he prefers to score the basketball, but Lillard is very skilled and seems to have the ability to become more of a distributor.
After taking Lillard at No. 6, the Trail Blazers filled their hole at center when they took Meyers Leonard at No. 11. The Illinois seven-footer is a raw, developmental prospect, but he has an NBA body and a toughness about him.
Taking a guy who may need a couple years to grow as a player that early isn't ideal, but the Blazers may enjoy the fruits of their labor a few seasons down the line.
The Warriors actually don't have a ton of obvious holes in their starting lineup, so they entered the draft with free license to do whatever they pleased.
At No. 7 they made a popular pick in North Carolina forward Harrison Barnes. He has a ton of offensive talent, but his penchant for freelancing could be damaging, particularly when guys like Stephen Curry, Andrew Bogut and David Lee need the ball to thrive.
The Warriors went for depth with the final pick of the first round when they took Vanderbilt center Festus Ezeli.
The big man isn't going to get much playing time behind Bogut initially, but the hope is that he can develop into a reliable rebounder off the bench. Ezeli doesn't have a ton of upside, but he was worth the risk due to the lack of good, true centers in the draft.
Houston Rockets
The Rockets were the only team with three picks this year as they held the No. 12, No. 16 and No. 18 selections after doing a bit of wheeling and dealing.
With their first choice, Houston went with Connecticut guard Jeremy Lamb. They didn't really need him, with Kevin Martin in the fold, but the Rockets clearly considered Lamb the best player on the board and went with it since they had two other picks to fall back on.
I wasn't a big fan of their second selection in Iowa State forward Royce White. He has an intriguing skill set with some great post moves and is a capable passer, but Zeller would have been a better fit for the Rockets since they have a hole at center.
The No. 18 pick was an excellent one as Houston went with Kentucky forward Terrence Jones. He has great size at 6'10" and should be a good rebounder right away. Jones is tough and versatile, and he has the potential to become a double-double guy.
Philadelphia entered the draft with only the No. 15 selection in tow, but a deal with the Miami Heat ultimately landed the 76ers No. 27 as well.
Taking St. John's forward Maurice Harkless with their first pick was a bit of a strange decision by Philly because they already has several similar wing players such as Andre Iguodala and Evan Turner. The Sixers tried to make up for it with their second pick, though.
The 76ers nabbed Mississippi State forward Arnett Moultrie at No. 27 as they dealt a future first rounder to the Heat for him. Moultrie is an interesting pick because he has a lot of upside, but was maddeningly inconsistent in college. Philadelphia's frontcourt is very spotty, though, with the likes of Spencer Hawes and Elton Brand as anchors, so Moultrie was a good gamble.
The Boston Celtics are one of the older teams in the league, but they added some youth and promise with their two first-round picks. Boston held the No. 21 and No. 22 selections, and they clearly identified the frontcourt as an area of need.
Kevin Garnett re-signed with the Celtics, but he is getting up there in years and needs some support. He should get it in the form of Ohio State forward Jared Sullinger, who reminds me of former Celtic Glen Davis, only with more skill.
Boston took quite a risk at No. 22 when it went with Syracuse center Fab Melo. The seven-footer has a lot of potential and is already a defensive stalwart, but it remains to be seen if he will ever develop any semblance of an offensive game. Even if he doesn't, perhaps he can fill the void left by the trade of Kendrick Perkins to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
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