| Round 1 | |||||
| 1 |  | Charlotte | Anthony Davis | PF | Kentucky |
| Charlotte needs size and a franchise player and winning the lottery in order to take Anthony Davis would be huge for the franchise. Davis dominated during his freshman campaign at Kentucky and led the Wildcats to an NCAA Tournament championship. | |||||
| 2 |  | Washington | Michael Gilchrist | SF | Kentucky |
| Washington could start making things very interesting in the 2012 NBA Draft with the second pick. They need a lot of help. Thomas Robinson does not have a high ceiling, but he is the most experienced among the top prospects. However, Michael Gilchrist is a superb athlete and the Wizards may regret not taking him if they have the chance. | |||||
| 3 |  | New Orleans | Thomas Robinson | PF | Kansas |
| Thomas Robinson can bring some size and experience to the New Orleans frontcourt. There may be some flashier players out there, but Robinson is a hard worker and is coming off of a superb season at Kansas. | |||||
| 4 |  | Sacramento | Andre Drummond | C | Connecticut |
| Andre Drummond did not have the huge freshman season at Connecticut that everybody expected, but that has not soured his pro outlook. The big center should be a nice fit in Sacramento. He may not have much of an offensive game right away, but Drummond can make a huge impact on the defensive end. | |||||
| 5 |  | Cleveland | Harrison Barnes | SF | North Carolina |
| Harrison Barnes is versatile enough to play on the wing and Cleveland could use plenty of help on the perimeter. Barnes draft stock fell during the NCAA Tournament, but if he is available for Cleveland at the #5 spot, Barnes will be off of the board. | |||||
| 6 |  | Toronto | Bradley Beal | PG | Florida |
| For Toronto, and many other teams, Bradley Beal will be a shooting guard. Beal is a superb scorer from everywhere on the floor and his versatility is a big plus. Toronto has plenty of size, so they should nab Beal or Harrison Barnes here. | |||||
| 7 |  | Portland (from NJ) | Kendall Marshall | PG | North Carolina |
| Kendall Marshall will have plenty of tough competition from Damian Lillard as the top point guard taken in this draft and it is difficult to make an argument for one over the other. Marshall is a pass first point guard while Lillard is a scorer. For Portland, having a playmaker like Marshall who can step in immediately may be the deciding factor. | |||||
| 8 |  | Detroit | Jared Sullinger | PF | Ohio State |
| The hype surrounding Jared Sullinger has pretty much gone away, but he is still a player very much worthy of a lottery pick. Sullinger has been taken for granted last season. The Pistons have a decent enough backcourt and Sullinger should fit nicely along side Greg Monroe. | |||||
| 9 |  | Utah (from GS) | Damian Lillard | PG | Weber State |
| Utah needs a point guard and at this point in the draft they should be able to get either Kendall Marshall or Damian Lillard. Lillard is a big time scorer with a lot more talent than most people realize. He may need some time to develop into a player who can consistently run the show, but it should not take too long. | |||||
| 10 | | New Orleans (from MIN) | Perry Jones | PF | Baylor |
| New Orleans would not mind if Damian Lillard or Kendall Marshall fell to them, but after playing it safe with Thomas Robinson with the #3 pick, they can afford to take a chance on another big. Perry Jones III has a ton of talent and could end up being a top five pick when all is said and done. But he is still on the board here and so far New Orleans is having a good 2012 NBA Draft. | |||||
| 11 | | Portland | Terrence Jones | PF | Kentucky |
| Portland will be looking for size after taking Kendall Marshall four picks earlier. But size is starting to become a problem in this draft. Just about every power forward or center has some serious concerns. But Portland will have to pick one. Terrence Jones finished the season strong, as most players on Kentucky did, so he could be the answer. | |||||
| 12 |  | Milwaukee | Tyler Zeller | C | North Carolina |
| Milwaukee needs a center and, lucky for them, Portland passed on Tyler Zeller. Zeller may not ever be a star in the NBA, but he can make the rest of the frontcourt better by hitting the glass and creating space with his shooting ability. It may take some time before he is ready to make much of an impact though. | |||||
| 13 |  | Phoenix | Austin Rivers | SG | Duke |
| As things stand, Phoenix will not have many options in this draft. There a lot of directions they could go, but Austin Rivers would likely be the top player left on the Suns board. Rivers is a great scorer and would be a fine fit on any team. Unless Phoenix develops a huge need elsewhere between now and the draft, taking the best player available is not a bad idea. | |||||
| 14 | | Utah | Jeremy Lamb | SF | Connecticut |
| The Jazz picked up their point guard earlier in the draft with Damian Lillard and now they can add a scorer on the wing. Jeremy Lamb is a risky pick and lacks consistency, but he is a great scorer with a ton of potential. With Lillard and Lamb, the Utah backcourt could be in great shape for quite some time. | |||||
| 15 |  | Houston (from NY) | Terrence Ross | SF | Washington |
| Terrence Ross is a dynamic scorer with enough size and athleticism to make a huge impact. Houston may pick up another first round pick pending on a protected trade with Dallas in which case they would have the luxury of finding a scorer like Ross and a big man with their other selection. | |||||
| 16 |  | 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. | |||||
| 17 |  | New Jersey (from HOU) | Moe Harkless | SF | St. John's |
| Moe Harkless had a nice season at St. John's. The rest of the young team could not keep things going in the right direction, but Harkless still made a name for himself by leading the Red Storm to some decent victories as they generally struggled through the Big East. | |||||
| 18 |  | Denver | Fab Melo | C | Syracuse |
| Denver already has some projects at the center position, but they could add another in Fab Melo. Melo has a great upside and can already play some defense at the NBA level. With Melo, Denver can work with a player who has a ton of potential and plenty of size and athleticism. | |||||
| 19 |  | Dallas | Tony Wroton Jr. | PG | Washington |
| Dallas will need a new point guard at some point. Tony Wroton Jr. is not a true point guard, but he really is not a true shooting guard either. If the Mavericks spend some time developing him, Wroton could emerge as a solid point guard in a couple of years. He certainly has the scoring prowess and athleticism to get the job done. | |||||
| 20 |  | Atlanta | Dion Waiters | SG | Syracuse |
| Atlanta will be looking to get younger on the perimeter with this pick. Dion Waiters spent two years at Syracuse as the Orange's sixth man. He could spend more time filling that same role with the Hawks. | |||||
| 21 |  | Boston | 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. | |||||
| 22 |  | 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. | |||||
| 23 |  | Memphis | Meyers Leonard | C | Illinois |
| Meyers Leonard could be long gone by this point in the draft, but there are a lot of questions surrounding his game. He is not much of an offensive threat and it remains to be seen if he ever will be a serious offensive weapon. For Memphis, they can spend some time developing him as a backup to Marc Gasol. | |||||
| 24 | | Boston (from LAC) | Andrew Nicholson | PF | St. Bonaventure |
| Boston got a great defensive wing in Jeffery Taylor a few picks ago, but now they will need to get a bigger player to help in the paint. Andrew Nicholson is not a traditional back to the basket big man, but he is an overlooked prospect who has the talent to be a first round selection. | |||||
| 25 |  | Indiana | Evan Fournier | SG | France |
| There are not a lot of international first round talents in the 2012 NBA Draft class, but Evan Fournier is one of the few. Indiana may need to look for a point guard if George Hill is gone, but otherwise they can pick up a talented scoring threat like Fournier. | |||||
| 26 | | Cleveland (from LAL) | Draymond Green | PF | Michigan State |
| Few players in the nation are as versatile as Draymond Green. He has three-point shooting range, can hit the glass effectively, play some defense and pass better than just about any forward in the nation. Green does a lot of things, but he does not do one particular thing extremely well, so that has him slipping until late in the first round. | |||||
| 27 |  | Golden State (from SA) | Doron Lamb | SG | Kentucky |
| Doron Lamb is a very interesting prospect in this class. He is a good shooter and an underappreciated player on Kentucky. With Michael Gilchrist and Anthony Davis, that is understandable. However, he is worthy of a first round selection and Golden State could use another shooter. | |||||
| 28 |  | Miami | Royce White | PF | Iowa State |
| Whether or not Miami breaks up the Big Three, they could use some more help in the frontcourt. Royce White is a borderline first round pick right now. He has the potential to be a top 15 talent, but do not be surprised if he falls to the late first round or even the second round. | |||||
| 29 |  | 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. | |||||
| 30 |  | Chicago | Will Barton | SG | Memphis |
| Chicago may want somebody who is more of a pure shooter than Will Barton, but Barton is full of potential, but scores by attacking the basket more than shooting the ball. He will have to gain strength to attack the rim effectively in the NBA and continue to work on his shooting. | |||||
| Round 2 | |||||
| 31 | | Charlotte | Darius Johnson-Odom | SG | Marquette |
| The Bobcats got their franchise big man in Anthony Davis and now they can add a dynamic scoring option who could be a great sixth man. | |||||
| 32 | | Washington | William Buford | SG | Ohio State |
| William Buford is a great bargain in the second round and Washington should jump on the chance to nab him. | |||||
| 33 | | Cleveland (from NO) | John Henson | PF | North Carolina |
| A lot of teams might like John Henson a lot more than an early second round pick. If he falls, Cleveland can take him in the second round without as much risk. | |||||
| 34 | | Sacramento | JaMychal Green | PF | Alabama |
| The Kings will have a lot more size with Andre Drummond and now JaMychal Green. | |||||
| 35 | | Cleveland | Kris Joseph | SF | Syracuse |
| Kris Joseph is another nice bargain for the Cavaliers. He may need some time to develop his game, but he could be very good in a couple of years. | |||||
| 36 | | Toronto | Drew Gordon | PF | New Mexico |
| Drew Gordon had a superb collegiate career once he arrived at New Mexico. He should be ready to score points in the NBA from day one. | |||||
| 37 | | Golden State (from NJ) | Tu Holloway | PG | Xavier |
| Tu Holloway probably would have been a first round pick if he had gone pro a year ago. Now Golden State can get a more experienced point guard. | |||||
| 38 | | Detroit | Furkan Aldemir | PF | Turkey |
| The international players will start flying off the board early in the second round and rebounding machine Furkan Aldemir is the best available. | |||||
| 39 | | Denver (from GS) | Jared Cunningham | SG | Oregon State |
| Denver missed out on a scorer in the first round, but they can get a pretty good one here. Jared Cunningham may have been better off returning to Oregon State for his senior season, but he can be a good role-player in time. | |||||
| 40 | | Houston (from MIN) | Augusto Cesar Lima | PF | Brazil |
| Augusto Cesar Lima is a project, but he is a hardworking player who will do what he needs to do to make his team better. | |||||
| 41 | | Portland | Kim English | SG | Missouri |
| Portland has picked up a lot of good pieces in this draft and now it is time to add a scorer. | |||||
| 42 | | Boston (from MIL) | Orlando Johnson | SG | UC Santa Barbara |
| Orlando Johnson is one of those players who is under the radar way too much. Some team should feel very comfortable using a second round selection on him. | |||||
| 43 | | Atlanta (from PHO) | Kevin Jones | PF | West Virginia |
| Kevin Jones has some issues on the court to work out, but he is a tough player who can do all of the dirty work in the paint. | |||||
| 44 | | Utah | Leon Radosevic | C | Croatia |
| Leon Radosevic may stay overseas for a couple years, but he is full of potential. | |||||
| 45 |  | New York | Ricardo Ratliffe | PF | Missouri |
| The Knicks can get an experienced and tough big man this late in the draft. | |||||
| 46 | | Philadelphia | Jae Crowder | SF | Marquette |
| Jae Crowder is undersized and does not project particularly well to the next level, but his collegiate production cannot be entirely ignored. | |||||
| 47 | | Portland (from HOU) | Hollis Thompson | SF | Georgetown |
| Portland has a lot of picks to make, so they can just keep adding potential. Hollis Thompson could even find a way onto the squad. | |||||
| 48 | | Portland (from DEN) | Renardo Sidney | PF | Mississippi State |
| Renardo Sidney has some questions to answer, but the man can block shots and play stellar defense in the NBA right now. | |||||
| 49 | | Washington (from DAL) | Tyshawn Taylor | PG | Kansas |
| There are quite a few quality point guards still on the board and Tyshawn Taylor is probably the best available on some boards. | |||||
| 50 | | Golden State | Maalik Wayns | PG | Villanova |
| Maalik Wayns is one of those point guards who will be battling for position among the group of second tier point guards. | |||||
| 51 | | Boston | J'Covan Brown | SG | Texas |
| J'Covan Brown could play the point, but he will be more effective off of the ball. | |||||
| 52 | | Orlando | Khris Middleton | SF | Texas A&M |
| Khris Middleton could still work his way up into the late first round or early second round, but either way Orlando is getting a good value and a good athlete. | |||||
| 53 | | Philadelphia (from MEM) | Scott Machado | PG | Iona |
| Scott Machado is garnering quite a bit of attention after dishing out 9.9 assists per game during his senior season at Iona. | |||||
| 54 |  | L.A. Clippers | Jordan Taylor | PG | Wisconsin |
| Jordan Taylor kind of fell off of the national radar during his senior season, but he is an experienced point guard who can score. | |||||
| 55 | | Toronto (from IND) | John Shurna | PF | Northwestern |
| John Shurna is a big body who can shoot and spread the floor. Toronto may not need his services right away, but he could turn into a big shooter off of the bench. | |||||
| 56 | | Dallas (from LAL) | Yancy Gates | PF | Cincinnati |
| Yancy Gates is a good deal at this point in the draft. He is a big, tough power forward who can make an eventual impact in Dallas. | |||||
| 57 |  | San Antonio | Dee Bost | PG | Mississippi State |
| Not long ago it would be surprising to see Dee Bost way down here in the second round, but now he may not even get drafted. | |||||
| 58 | | New Jersey (from MIA) | Henry Sims | PF | Georgetown |
| Henry Sims has had one really productive year out of four at Georgetown. If he is a late bloomer, this is a steal for the Nets. | |||||
| 59 |  | Minnesota (from OKC) | Robert Sacre | C | Gonzaga |
| If Minnesota wants to grab a big man, they do not get much bigger than Robert Sacre out of Gonzaga. | |||||
| 60 |  | L.A. Lakers (from CHI) | Mike Scott | PF | Virginia |
| Mike Scott may not be flashy, but he gets the job done. After a great senior season at Virginia, Scott should hear his name called on draft day, but he may have to sweat it out for a while. | |||||
Joel Welser NBA Mock Draft - 16 April 2012
1. Anthony Davis 2. Michael Gilchrist 3. Thomas Robinson 4. Andre Drummond 5. Harrison Barnes
Mon, 04/16/2012
