2012 NBA Mock Draft 2.0
There is no offseason in the National Basketball Association. Especially with a compressed 66-game schedule in a lockout-shortened season. Exactly one week after LeBron James and the Miami Heat were crowned NBA Champions, the NBA offseason is under way after a flurry of trades leading up to tonight’s draft.
The Houston Rockets have been the most active team sending Chase Budinger to Minnesota for the 18th pick in the first round and swapping Samuel Dalembert and the 14th pick for Milwaukee’s 12th pick and a trio of players.
I’m expecting a plethora of trades and swaps of draft picks leading up to and during tonight’s draft. Charlotte, Washington, Cleveland, Sacramento, Golden State and Toronto are all rumored to be shopping their picks for veteran players or to move up/down.
Even though I’m fully expecting mock drafts to be blown to pieces tomorrow night, here’s my final first-round mock draft. Enjoy.
1. New Orleans Hornets: Anthony Davis, PF/C (Kentucky)
I feel pretty confident about this one. New Orleans selects the best player in the draft and the likely face of the franchise for the next 5-10 years. Davis is a great talent and should make an immediate impact – especially on defense where he excels due to quick feet and a knack for the shot block.
2. Charlotte Bobcats: Thomas Robinson, PF (Kansas)
If Charlotte keeps the pick, they will likely go with the sure-thing and that’s the Kansas big man. They could parlay this selection into multiple draft picks or an impact veteran, but the Bobcats are said to be asking for too much in return and they are expected to keep the pick.
3. Washington Wizards: Bradley Beal, SG (Florida)
No player has generated a greater buzz over the past month than the Florida sharp-shooter. Washington could get a king’s ransom for this pick if the cards are played right, but Beal might be too good of a talent to pass up.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF (Kentucky)
The Cavaliers lose out on Beal in this scenario, but Kidd-Gilchrist is a nice consolation prize if they fail in their attempts to move up. Kidd-Gilchrist is a tough, defensive-minded wing player that would bring a winning attitude to a locker room that desperately needs it.
5. Sacramento Kings: Harrison Barnes, SF (UNC)
This selection has been linked to multiple suitors with Houston the latest team looking to trade into the top five. Sacramento will likely decide between Barnes and a big like Connecticut center Andre Drummond. With Demarcus Cousins still on the roster and the Kings’ dedication to making the marriage work, the Kings go with the forward from North Carolina that would have contended for the 1st pick in last season’s draft.
6. Portland Trail Blazers: Damian Lillard, PG (Weber State)
The Blazers biggest needs are PG and C and picking Damian Lillard, the best PG in the draft, gives them the ability to go a number of different directions later in the draft. Lillard is a score-first PG with good size, athleticism and was a terrific shooter in college. Portland will certainly consider Drummond here, but they reportedly fell in love with Lillard after a recent workout.
7. Golden State Warriors: Andre Drummond, C (UCONN)
The Warriors stop Drummond’s mini-slide and snatch up the young 7-footer. Drummond is a boom-or-bust type prospect and Golden State has the luxury of easing him into the rotation while letting him learn behind Andrew Bogut.
8. Toronto Raptors: Jeremy Lamb, SG (UCONN)
Toronto’s biggest need is at SG and Jeremy Lamb, Dion Waiters and Austin Rivers are the highest-rated guys left on the board. I could see Toronto going a number of different directions, but I have them taking Lamb, an explosive scorer with great potential.
9. Detroit Pistons: John Henson, PF (UNC)
The Pistons select the two-time ACC Defensive Player of the Year to pair with Greg Monroe. Henson is a tremendous shot-blocker and has a decent offensive game.
10. New Orleans Hornets: Austin Rivers, SG (Duke)
The Hornets need a point guard and will be very tempted by UNC’s Kendall Marshall, but Rivers’ talent might be too much to pass up. Monty Williams is the perfect coach for Rivers and he’ll form a dangerous duo with 1st pick Anthony Davis. New Orleans will contend in a couple of seasons if Williams can get the most out of those two.
11. Portland Trail Blazers: Dion Waiters, SG (Syracuse)
Portland could fill a need here with a center like Tyler Zeller or Meyers Leonard but Waiters is too good of a talent to pass up at this point. Portland will lose Raymond Felton, whom I replaced with Lillard earlier in the draft, and SG Jamal Crawford is now replaced with Waiters.
12. Houston Rockets: Tyler Zeller, C (UNC)
The Rockets jumped to this spot yesterday and are happy to see Zeller and Meyers Leonard both still available. Zeller is the safer option who you already know while Leonard is the project who could one day become great. Houston takes the safe route this time around, but look for them to take some risks with two more picks in the next six selections.
13. Phoenix Suns: Terrence Ross, SG (Washington)
With Lamb, Rivers and Waiters all off the board, the Suns select the next best scorer in Ross. Kendall Marshall will be looked at here if Phoenix believes Steve Nash will sign elsewhere.
14. Milwaukee Bucks: Meyers Leonard, C (Illinois)
The Bucks select their long-term answer at center a day after trading for short-term answer Samuel Dalembert.
15. Philadelphia 76ers: Terrence Jones, PF (Kentucky)
Philly could go a number of different ways here including Baylor project Perry Jones, but true to Doug Collins’ nature they go with the defensive winner from National Champion Kentucky.
16. Houston Rockets: Perry Jones, SF (Baylor)
The Rockets take a chance on the somewhat-local prospect with tremendous upside. Jones will need some time to develop his game, but he has the potential for greatness if a team maintains patience.
17. Dallas Mavericks: Kendall Marshall, PG (UNC)
Marshall’s stock has dropped a little bit over the past few weeks but Dallas ends the drop and selects their Jason Kidd replacement. Marshall is a pass-first PG that needs to stay more aggressive offensively.
18. Houston Rockets: Arnett Moultrie, PF/C (Mississippi State)
Houston traded Chase Budinger to Minnesota for this selection and select the SEC big-man to pair with Tyler Zeller and Perry Jones.
19. Orlando Magic: Royce White, SF/PF (Iowa State)
Orlando has a number of holes and has a decision to make whether to try to satisfy Dwight Howard by surrounding him with pieces or trade him and completely rebuild. The Magic take the talented Iowa State forward that can make an impact in a number of different ways.
20. Denver Nuggets: Marquis Teague, PG (Kentucky)
With Andre Miller likely leaving in free agency, the Nuggets select Teague to backup and learn from current starter Ty Lawson.
21. Boston Celtics: Jared Sullinger, PF/C (Ohio State)
With consecutive selections, Boston can take a risk on the red-flagged Ohio State star. Sullinger is thought to be slipping due to questions about his injured back and could pay huge dividends for a team selecting this low.
22. Boston Celtics: Moe Harkless, SF (St. John’s)
Doc Rivers selects the Big East Rookie of the Year with Paul Pierce likely on his way out of Boston.
23. Atlanta Hawks: Andrew Nicholson, PF (St. Bonaventure)
The Hawks are happy to see Nicholson drop this far and scoop him up in a heartbeat. It’s no secret that Josh Smith is on the block and Nicholson is a future replacement that can make an early impact.
24. Cleveland Cavaliers: Fab Melo, C (Syracuse)
After selecting Kidd-Gilchrist in the top five, Cleveland adds size with their second pick by selecting the 7-footer from Syracuse.
25. Memphis Grizzlies: Evan Fournier, SG/SF (France)
Fournier will likely be the first, and likely only, International player selected in the first round. Fournier is a playmaker who showed a great ability to penetrate and make plays for others in France.
26. Indiana Pacers: Draymond Green, PF (Michigan State)
The undersized Michigan State forward is the prototypical Pacers player and he reportedly worked out for the team for a second time this week.
27. Miami Heat: Jeff Taylor, SF (Vanderbilt)
With Fab Melo picked three selections earlier, Miami decides to go with the NBA-ready player rather than reach for a big like Festus Ezeli or Miles Plumlee. Taylor is a defensive stopper with an improving offensive game. Shot over 42 percent from behind the arc his Senior season.
28. Oklahoma City Thunder: Will Barton, SG (Memphis)
Fresh off their first NBA Finals appearance, Oklahoma adds more thunder (no pun intended) off the bench with the explosive scoring Conference USA Player of the Year. Barton is a better option than Daquan Cook and is great insurance for James Harden.
29. Chicago Bulls: Tony Wroten, PG/SG (Washington)
Chicago would like a scoring two-guard here and select Wroten who could even play some PG with Derrick Rose recovering from a brutal ACL injury.
30. Golden State Warriors: Quincy Miller, SF (Memphis)
The Warriors take a chance on the talented Memphis forward at the end of the first round, hoping he’s ready to full recover from his ACL injury. Miller might be one of the most talented guys in the draft, but he will obviously need some time before he’s ready to play at a high level in the league.