| 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 | Harrison Barnes | SF | North Carolina |
| Charlotte has to be disappointed not to end up with Anthony Davis. Then the workouts began and this pick could be Thomas Robinson, Michael Gilchrist or Harrison Barnes. The latest rumors out of Charlotte are that the team really likes former Tar Heel Barnes. He does fill a bigger need a small forward than Robinson does at power forward. And Charlotte can build around the Carolina Blue. | |||||
| 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 | Bradley Beal | PG | Florida |
| With shooting guard Bradley Beal still on the board, Cleveland may have a tough decision to make. With Thomas Robinson being the surprise slide in this scenario, he may be too good to pass up. However, Beal is a nice fit for Cleveland and he can score in bunches. | |||||
| 5 |  | Sacramento | Thomas Robinson | PF | Kansas |
| If things play out this way Sacramento will be a little 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 have no other option but Thomas Robinson. He is a good deal at number five though. | |||||
| 6 |  | Portland (from BRK) | Andre Drummond | C | Connecticut |
| Andre Drummond is a huge risk, but Portland has the luxury of taking it. 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 | Jeremy Lamb | SF | Connecticut |
| 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. Golden State was not happy with Terrence Jones or Perry Jones, but they still want a small forward. Taking a backcourt player like Dion Waiters to come in off of the bench does not make sense this early in the draft either. Jeremy Lamb makes the most sense if the Warriors believe he can play at the three spot and not just be a shooting guard. | |||||
| 8 |  | Toronto | Austin Rivers | SG | Duke |
| Toronto needs a shooter and after Bradley Beal, Austin Rivers is among the best in this class. There will be some players who can knock down three's better than Rivers, but he has plenty of upside and some teams like his swagger. Toronto could be one of them. | |||||
| 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. Jared Sullinger is another option, but after a bad week leading up to the draft, he is likely falling to the middle of the first round. | |||||
| 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 | Terrence Ross | SF | Washington |
| 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. Terrence Ross is a big wing who is shooting up draft boards right now. If Portland feels comfortable not taking a point guard here, Ross or Dion Waiters should be the pick. | |||||
| 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. His lack of flashiness may cause him to drop into the late first round or early second, but if you want a shooter, Jenkins is your man. | |||||
| 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 undeserved 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) | Jared Sullinger | PF | Ohio State |
| The slide of Jared Sullinger has to stop somewhere. Back injuries have derailed the build up to his NBA Draft fun, but somebody will take a chance on him sooner or later, most likely in the 14 to 18 range. For the record, Houston will regret taking Meyers Leonard over Jared Sullinger in five years. | |||||
| 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 | John Henson | PF | North Carolina |
| Denver has no real needs, so they get to take the best player available and that is John Henson. This is another example of just how deep this class of power forwards appears to be. Henson could be a lottery pick, but there are just so many other quality power forwards out there that somebody has to fall. | |||||
| 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 boards 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 with 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. And as hard as it is to wrap our heads around, this is the third Vanderbilt player drafted in the first round. | |||||
| 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) | Royce White | PF | Iowa State |
| Size is what Golden State will be looking for after selecting Jeremy Lamb earlier in the first round of the 2012 NBA Draft. There are bigger players available, but Royce White is a good bargain at this point in the draft. At 6-8 and a hefty 270 pounds, the versatile forward can play in the post and stretch out the defense with his shooting ability. If the Warriors want more size or are worried about White's "fear of flying," Baylor's Quincy Miller would be a nice backup plan. | |||||
Joel Welser NBA Mock Draft - 25 June 2012
1. Anthony Davis 2. Harrison Barnes 3. Michael Gilchrist 4. Bradley Beal 5. Thomas Robinson
Mon, 06/25/2012
