2012 NBA Mock Draft (Lottery Edition)

Pick One: New Orleans Hornets
Selection: Anthony Davis, PF/C, Kentucky
I read a comparison today of Anthony Davis that was very telling. On offense, think Tim Duncan, on defense think Tyson Chandler. Who wouldn't want that? Just a year after the departure of their star point guard, the Hornets get their next franchise player and they desperately hope they'll have a better outcome with him. Not only does he make the Hornets better right away, do you think Eric Gordon is going to want to skip town now? I don't see it, Congrats New Orleans you not only secure the best player in this draft, you managed to swing the news away from bountygate. I don't feel the need to get into what void he'll fill or the statlines he threw up in college, it's common knowledge that the uni brow will be the selection here.

Pick Two: Charlotte Bobcats
Selection: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF Kentucky
Charlotte will have to settle with Kentucky's second best player, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Kidd-Gilchrist had one of the best motors in the country this past season and his athleticism is at an elite level. He's good enough now on the defensive end and has room to grow into a very good perimeter defender. He can pull-up and take a jumper from anywhere on the floor, but his strength lies in attacking the basket as he's at his best in transition. He avaeraged almost 12 points per game on a stacked Kentucky team. MKG will be welcomed on a team with needs everywhere, small forward may be their biggest need. This selection makes sense for both parties involved.

Pick Three: Washington Wizards
Selection: Bradley Beal, SG Florida
With this selection, the Wizards are able to pair Beal with John Wall, which will automatically give the Wizards one hell of a backcourt. I've been hearing comparisons to Ray Allen all week for this kid. He's a great shooter from anywhere on the floor, especially from downtown where he's got scary range. He's a great athlete as well and will attack the rim and finish more often than not. He shot about 45% from the field at Florida and averaged 14.8 points per game. He's a great rebounder for a guard, pulling down almost seven a game in his freshman season. This pick makes so much sense for Washington, but I would be thrilled if they passed on Beal for Thomas Robinson. Beal would look way better in the wine and gold than red, white and blue. Nevertheless, I don't see it happening and Beal will fit in great as a Wizard.

Pick Four: Cleveland Cavaliers
Selection: Harrison Barnes, SF North Carolina
This is a tough pick, the ping-pong balls gave the Cavs a selection just one spot out of where they wanted to be. Bradley Beal would have been the ideal pick here, as he would have went third overall and possibly even second to Cleveland, had they had those picks. So this pick will be a choice of Barnes or Andre Drummond, depending on which direction Cleveland wants to go. Barnes is more seasoned at the collegiate level, which ironically is why his stock dropped. I don't buy into that however as he's still one of the best scorers, if not the best, in this years draft. His jumper is just beautiful and he can score just about any way. He'll give Cleveland that strong number two option that they need. He averaged 15.7 points a game in his sophomore season, down just a bit from his freshman campaign. He's a good free-throw shooter and a decent rebounder. One of the strengths of his game though is his defensive ability. He's a great perimeter defender which would be welcome in Cleveland. All in all, I'll be very satisfied with this pick.

Pick Five: Sacramento Kings
Selection: Andre Drummond, PF/C Connecticut
Andre Drummond is one of the most talented players in this years draft. He had a lot of hype surrounding him in high school, but had a disappointing freshman season at Connecticut. He has a lot of tools to succeed in the NBA, and the Kings hope that pairing him with DeMarcus Cousins will help not only Drummond bring out his full potential, but help Cousins play to his as well. Drummond averaged only 10.2 points per game and 7.7 rebounds per, but his potential says he can do way better. He needs to be in the right situation and buy into the team, but he could certainly be great, and the Kings hope it'll be for them.

Pick Six: Portland Trailblazers (By Way of the Brooklyn Nets)
Selection: Perry Jones III, SF Baylor
Had Jones declared for the draft last year, he would have been a top three pick. He didn't slide too far as he has all the tools to succeed in the right situation. He's a very raw player averaging 14 points a game, and 7.7 rebounds a game. He's 6'11 but only 235 pounds. I think he'd see time a small forward, especially if he's drafted by Portland. He played plenty of small forward at Baylor before freshman Quincy Miller stepped in at SF, and Jones was moved to power forward. At 6'11 though with his skill-set, Jones will be a headache to guard at small forward.

Pick Seven: Golden State Warriors
Selection: Thomas Robinson, PF Kansas
I've seen Robinson go as high as two in some places, but given circumstances and team needs, I can see him slipping to a team that could really use him, such as Golden State. My only problem with Robinson is he seems to small for his size. Although undersized, high-energy NBA players have proven recently that they give enough to stick around. Robinson fits that mold quite well. He's one of the hardest workers in this draft class, and thanks to three years at Kansas, he's NBA ready as of now. At 17.9 points, and 11.8 rebounds per game he's the kind of player that would fill in a frontcourt with Andrew Bogut better than David Lee. Because, let's face it, David Lee off the bench wouldn't be so bad.

Pick Eight: Toronto Raptors
Selection: Jared Sullinger, PF Ohio State
A lot of the things I had to say about Robinson can also be said about Sullinger. Of everyone drafted to this point, Sullinger is the biggest potential bust. He has a fantastic basketball IQ, but my question is can he play against the bigger players in the NBA. Sullinger went for 17.6 and 9.3 per game in a great conference. His success could be determined who his coach or frontcourt mate happens to be. How a team uses Sullinger will also be essential to how good he can be.

Pick Nine: Detroit Pistons
Selection: Jeremy Lamb, SG Connecticut
Lamb would be the second shooting guard from Uconn on this team, the other being Ben Gordon. Lamb could give good minutes off the bench in his rookie year, and start shortly after. At 17.7 points per game in his sophomore season, his scoring would be welcomed by Toronto. From the looks of things now, he'll never be a leader and doesn't have that killer instinct thats so important in the NBA, but the kid can score. His jumpshot is deadly as he shot 48% from the field and 34% from deep, which was actually down from his freshman season His size also allows him to play small forward if a team needs him to. His strengths outweigh his weakness to be the ninth pick.

Pick Ten: New Orleans Hornets (From the Minnesota Timberwolves)
Selection: Damian Lillard, PG Weber State
Lillard is a player I don't know much about. What I do know is Lillard is the best point guard in this draft, the Hornets need a point guard. A+B=C. The Hornets struck gold with their first pick, Anthony Davis, and if you pair that with a scoring backcourt headed by Lillard and Gordon, the Hornets could have something going for them. Lillard averaged 24.5 points per game at Weber State. He won't be the only scoring option on the Hornets though, which is something he should, and probably will understand.

Pick Eleven: Portland Trailblazers
Selection: John Henson, C/PF North Carolina
This pick would give the Blazers a pretty good PF/C foundation with Henson and LaMarcus Aldridge. Henson went for 13.8 points and 10.1 rebounds in his junior year. He knows what it takes to play center and I believe that if he's drafted here, he will be Portland's center. Meyers Leonard or Tyler Zeller could also be the pick here, but Henson's superior defense likely lands him the pick. Like a few big men in this draft, Henson needs to hit the weight room to strengthen his body as well as his game.

Pick Twelve: Milwaukee Bucks
Selection: Meyers Leonard, C Illinois
The Bucks best big man is Kwame Brown, that's something that desperately needs fixed. Leonard already has the body of an NBA center and he's very athletic. He's much like Drummond, being a work in progress, but he definitely has the skills and size to become a solid center. He wouldn't be the flashy rookie to start, it's going to take time for him to settle in and find consistency in the NBA, but once he does, he'll be a fine center.

Pick Thirteen: Phoenix Suns
Selection: Kendall Marshall, PG North Carolina
Kendall Marshall fits here for so many reasons. Steve Nash is a free agent, if he leaves, the Suns have Marshall. If Nash stays, he's still 38 and the Suns will need a point guard soon after anyways. Marshall was one of the best facilitating point guards in the country this past season, and his injury in the NCAA tournament made that evident. The Tar Heels missed him quite a bit. Can he learn to score if needed, can he play better defense? He's worth a gamble at 13 regardless.

Pick Fourteen: Houston Rockets
Selection: Terrance Jones, SF Kentucky
Jones has the talent to land in the top ten, and he'll be a steal at this spot for Houston, who could also use a small forward. Jones is a phenomenal defender and as athletic as they come. Jones was behind Kidd-Gilchrist on Kentucky, so no shame in seeing limited court time on that team. Jones is athletic enough to create for himself, but he's too inconsistent for a teams liking. His offensive game needs to develop and he'll be a fin small forward in the NBA.