| Round 1 | |||||
| 1 |  | New Orleans | Anthony Davis | PF | Kentucky |
| New Orleans won the Anthony Davis lottery and the Hornets have done nothing to indicate that they could do something unexpected and not take the former Kentucky star. Davis is a beast on the defensive end and has the star power and athleticism to be a superstar in New Orleans. | |||||
| 2 |  | Charlotte | Thomas Robinson | PF | Kansas |
| Charlotte has to be disappointed not to end up with Anthony Davis. But they do get a player who is more ready to play in the NBA right away. That may not be a bad thing for a Bobcats squad that was just plain awful. Surely they need help across the board, but Thomas Robinson can help the team in 2012-2013. | |||||
| 3 |  | Washington | Michael Gilchrist | SF | Kentucky |
| There are some quality options in this draft after Anthony Davis. The Wizards will be able to get a good one here with Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. Gilchrist is a superb athlete and the Wizards may regret not taking him if they have the chance. | |||||
| 4 |  | Cleveland | Harrison Barnes | SF | North Carolina |
| With shooting guard Bradley Beal still on the board, Cleveland may have a tough decision to make. However, Harrison Barnes is a nice fit for Cleveland and, at 6-8, is a much more dynamic scorer than Beal. The Cavs could use some strength and size on the wing and Barnes will provide just that. | |||||
| 5 |  | Sacramento | Bradley Beal | PG | Florida |
| If things play out this way, Sacramento will be very disappointed. The front office wants a player who can make an immediate impact and they need help at small forward the most. With Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Harrison Barnes gone and the unwillingness to develop a player like Andre Drummond, the Kings should trade down or take the best player on their board...and that should be Bradley Beal. | |||||
| 6 |  | Portland (from BRK) | Andre Drummond | C | Connecticut |
| Andre Drummond is a huge risk, but Portland has the luxury of taking that risk. Most importantly they have another pick at the 11 slot, but the dire need for interior players also makes the big man from Connecticut too tough to turn down. | |||||
| 7 |  | Golden State | Jared Sullinger | PF | Ohio State |
| There appears to be a perceived drop off in talent after the first six picks. Assuming all goes as planned with the first six, which is not a safe assumption, Golden State will have to go down to the next tier of players. Jared Sullinger is not a bad second tier player and has the experience to make an immediate impact. | |||||
| 8 |  | Toronto | Jeremy Lamb | SF | Connecticut |
| Toronto needs a shooter and after Bradley Beal, Jeremy Lamb is among the best in this class. There will be some players who can knock down threes better than Lamb, but at 6-4, Lamb is more than a shooter. However, do not be surprised if Lamb drops since he will never be a go-to-scorer. | |||||
| 9 |  | Detroit | Tyler Zeller | C | North Carolina |
| The Pistons seem set on finding somebody to team up with Greg Monroe up front. There are plenty of options at this point in the draft and Meyers Leonard and Arnett Moultrie have higher ceilings, but Tyler Zeller is the safer pick. | |||||
| 10 | | New Orleans (from MIN) | Damian Lillard | PG | Weber State |
| Jarrett Jack could be gone after the upcoming season, leaving a big hole at point guard in New Orleans. The nice thing about Damian Lillard is that he can score too. The point guard of the future could be an offensive spark off of the bench right now. The Hornets would not get that from Kendall Marshall. | |||||
| 11 | | Portland | Austin Rivers | SG | Duke |
| Portland's backcourt struggled last season. Injuries had a lot to do with it, but this is still a team that could use some youth and scoring prowess on the perimeter. Austin Rivers' one season at Duke went quite well and he has already proven to be a clutch shooter. | |||||
| 12 |  | Milwaukee | Perry Jones | PF | Baylor |
| Milwaukee desperately needs some big bodies. A true center like Meyers Leonard is definitely an option, but Leonard will need some time to develop his game. Jones will need to get tougher too, but he is more ready than Leonard to fill the big void in the Bucks frontcourt right away. | |||||
| 13 |  | Phoenix | Dion Waiters | SG | Syracuse |
| Somebody gave Dion Waiters a lottery guarantee, at least that is the way it seems after he pulled out of the Chicago Combine. The Suns are in need of a tough shooting guard like Waiters, so it is likely them, although Portland at #11 is also a possibility. | |||||
| 14 |  | Houston | Kendall Marshall | PG | North Carolina |
| Houston will be very lucky if Kendall Marshall falls this far. They need a big man and a point guard with their two first round picks and now is the time to jump on the best pure point guard in this draft if he is still available. | |||||
| 15 |  | Philadelphia | John Jenkins | SG | Vanderbilt |
| Philadelphia needs a shooter and few players in the nation are as capable from long range as John Jenkins. The Vanderbilt team may have fizzled, yet again, in March, but Jenkins still had a superb season and can be a difference maker in the NBA. | |||||
| 16 | | Houston (from NY) | Meyers Leonard | C | Illinois |
| The Rockets got their point guard two picks ago and now they need a big man. Meyers Leonard could be long gone by now, but he probably shouldn't be. He is a project, but a true seven-footer, Leonard is brimming with potential. | |||||
| 17 |  | Dallas | Terrence Jones | PF | Kentucky |
| The deep crop of power forwards in this class will be good news for Dallas and bad news for some of the power forwards. The Mavericks could use somebody who can hit the glass a little bit and Terrence Jones can do that. The former Kentucky star will be able to ease his way into the Dallas rotation. | |||||
| 18 |  | Minnesota (from UTAH) | Terrence Ross | SF | Washington |
| Minnesota needs a scorer on the wing and Terrence Ross is the best on the board. At 6-7, he has the size to attack the basket and is not a bad shooter either. Moe Harkless would fill the need as well, but Ross has a little more experience to help the Timberwolves actually sniff the playoffs. | |||||
| 19 |  | Orlando | Arnett Moultrie | PF | Mississippi State |
| Arnett Moultrie could be long gone by this point in the draft, but he is an older player and that is hurting his draft stock a little bit. Talent wise, Moultrie is a borderline lottery pick. And that works out just fine for Orlando who need to prove that they can win right away. | |||||
| 20 |  | Denver | Quincy Miller | SF | Baylor |
| Denver has no real needs, so they get to take the best player available and that is Quincy Miller. In a couple years Miller could be a steal this late in the first round. He is a 6-9 small forward who can score from just about anywhere on the floor. If he stays healthy, the Nuggets are in for a good start to their draft. | |||||
| 21 |  | Boston | Moe Harkless | SF | St. John's |
| Boston has two picks in a row. They need an upgrade in the post with one of them, but for now they can nab a talented small forward with a ton of upside. Moe Harkless had a great freshman year at St. John's and is a beast on the board and a capable slasher. | |||||
| 22 | | Boston (from LAC) | Andrew Nicholson | PF | St. Bonaventure |
| Few big men are as versatile offensively as Andrew Nicholson. Boston could go for a project player like Fab Melo here, but Nicholson has plenty of size at 6-10 and can do things offensively right now that Melo may never be able to do. | |||||
| 23 |  | Atlanta | Fab Melo | C | Syracuse |
| Injuries ravaged Atlanta's frontcourt last season and they should address that at some point in this draft. Fab Melo is a talented player with a lot of potential. For now, he can at least grab some boards and play some defense. | |||||
| 24 | | Cleveland (from LAL) | Will Barton | SG | Memphis |
| Cleveland has a lot of needs besides point guard. They picked up Harrison Barnes with the fourth overall pick and now they can make their backcourt extremely strong with the addition of Will Barton. With the 6-6 Barton on the wing and the 6-8 Barnes by his side, the Cavs backcourt will be in pretty good shape. | |||||
| 25 |  | Memphis | Marquis Teague | PG | Kentucky |
| This is where Memphis can look down the road a little bit and get their point guard of the future. Marquis Teague is a superb value at this point in the draft and he has all the tools to become an elite point guard in the NBA. He just needs some time and Memphis should be able to give it to him. | |||||
| 26 |  | Indiana | Evan Fournier | SG | International |
| Evan Fournier is a very experienced player for his age. The Frenchman is a fine all-around player, but his shot has not been falling lately. It is always nice when a shooting guard can shoot, but Fournier has the skills to help out even if his shot fails to return. | |||||
| 27 |  | Miami | Jeffery Taylor | SF | Vanderbilt |
| Jeffery Taylor is a great defender and a hardworking wing. He will need to develop a more consistent outside shot before he becomes a star in the NBA, but Taylor has that potential. And it is that potential that will get him drafted in the first round. | |||||
| 28 |  | Oklahoma City | Festus Ezeli | C | Vanderbilt |
| Oklahoma City could certainly take a chance on a developmental player. They really do not have any major needs. But if there is a need for the Thunder, it is depth at center. Festus Ezeli is an experienced option who can step in immediately and at least steal some minutes. | |||||
| 29 |  | Chicago | Tony Wroton Jr. | PG | Washington |
| There are safer backups to Derrick Rose out there, most notably Tyshawn Taylor at this point in the draft, but Tony Wroton Jr. is more than a point guard. At 6-5 he has the size and skill to play alongside Rose or handle the ball. Either way, Wroton is a project after spending just one year at Washington. | |||||
| 30 | | Golden State (from SA) | Doron Lamb | SG | Kentucky |
| How about one more Kentucky player in the first round just for fun? Doron Lamb would make five if you are keeping track at home. Lamb is a crafty scorer who has a nice mid-range game. He lacks the strength to defend most two guards in the NBA and that is why his stock is dropping, but Golden State has enough picks in this draft to take some chances. | |||||
Joel Welser NBA Mock Draft - 17 June 2012
1. Anthony Davis 2. Thomas Robinson 3. Michael Gilchrist 4. Harrison Barnes 5. Bradley Beal
Sun, 06/17/2012
