2012 NBA Mock Draft: 5-15-2012


New Lottery Mock. Next mock draft will be after the full order has been set later this month. Enjoy!

The order is based on a lottery I ran over at http://www.espn.com/.

If you have found this mock through one of the various NBA Mock Draft databases, make sure you check out the rest of my page. I am writing up Off Season Previews for every team. A lot of good information there for you to soak up. You can see those at the link posted below.

2012 NBA Off Season Previews

1. New Orleans Hornets - PF Anthony Davis, Fr, Kentucky. Whoever wins this lottery has truly won the "lottery", as Anthony Davis is the ultimate prize. The National Player of the Year and NCAA Champion freshman is by far the best talent in this draft and a lock to go number one. He has a very unique, complete game. He can block shots, rebound, run the floor and slam down an alley oop like a young Shawn Kemp. He would instantly be the face of any of these bad teams picking in the top five, and especially the Hornets.

2. Portland Trail Blazers - SG Bradley Beal, Fr, Florida. Portland defies the odds and lands in the top three, all the way up from number 10,  in this lottery mock. Their two best players are both forwards, LaMarcus Aldridge and Nicolas Batum. I think Beal would be a better fit and fill a bigger need then Thomas Robinson and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. He is a great shooter and all around scorer, strong for a two guard and can handle the ball if he has to. He could be a 20 point per game scorer during his prime and could be what Brandon Roy was to this team.

3. Washington Wizards - SF Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Fr, Kentucky. MKG is the anti-Andray Blatche or JaVale McGee and would be a welcome addition to a Wizards team that is trying to makeover it's roster and image into a more tough, defensive minded team. Kidd-Gilchrist might never average more then 15 points per game, but with an electrifying offensive back court in Washington, he shouldn't have to. He can concentrate on rebounding, playing defense and picking up the ball handling slack when John Wall is not in the game.

4. Charlotte Bobcats - PF Thomas Robinson, Jr, Kansas. The Bobcats lose out on the top pick, but take the guy they would probably go with at number two. Robinson has the skills to be a 17-19 point per game scorer and chip in about 8 to 10 rebounds. Unlike the other Bobcats big men, he has a complete game and will work well next to Bismack Biyombo and Byron Mullens in the front court. He will instantly be the best Bobcats player.

5. Cleveland Cavaliers - SF Harrison Barnes, So, North Carolina. The Cavs have an interesting decision to make with Barnes and Andre Drummond here. Barnes showed in the NCAA Tournament he probably needs a top level point guard to help get him the ball, as he is not a good one on one facilitator. He should be able to get around 20 points per game playing next to the electrifying Kyrie Irving, and chip in a few rebounds and a steal or so per game. He is a bit one dimensional, but he has the potential to develop into a nice sidekick with Irving. Every team needs a guy who can get you 20 points per game.

6. Sacramento Kings - C Andre Drummond, Fr, Connecticut. By process of elimination the Kings end up with Drummond here. There are six very solid guys in this draft, so if they draft at number 6, the decision should be made easy for them. The Kings struck gold when other teams passed on DeMarcus Cousins. If Drummond develops at a similar pace, Sacramento could have the most feared young front court in the NBA.

7. Portland Trail Blazers (from New Jersey Nets) - C Tyler Zeller, Sr, North Carolina. Too high for Zeller? Yeah, probably. But Portland has two picks in the top seven of the draft in this scenario. They went high upside with Beal, so they go with a guy who should be a solid starting center in the NBA for the next ten years. After all Portland has gone through, I am sure they would be more then happy to use a pick they absolutely stole from the Nets to get a solid presence at center. It's not like the guys being picked after Zeller don't have a bunch of question marks, either.

8. Utah Jazz (from Golden St. Warriors) - PG Damian Lillard, Jr, Weber St. The Jazz luck out with Portland jumping into the top two and get the pick from Golden St. I think Lillard will separate himself from Kendall Marshall as the best point guard prospect in this weak class. Like most small college guards, he was much more of a scorer then a distributor at the college level. But I think his ability to lead an offense is underrated. Despite having the ball in his hands the entire game, he only had 2.3 turnovers per game. Once he learns how to play the position I think he will be a very solid starter in this league.

9. Toronto Raptors - SG Jeremy Lamb, So, Connecticut. I think Lamb will be a better pro then college player, though it might take the lanky shooting guard a couple years to develop. He has a nice jump shot and deep range and is a good defender. DeMar DeRozan is a good player for the Raptors, but he is not a good shooter. Toronto needs someone who can stroke it from deep.

10. Detroit Pistons -PF Jared Sullinger, So, Ohio St. Perhaps nobody in this draft is as heavily criticized as Sullinger. He probably is not as tall as his listed 6'8, has had weight and conditioning problems and is not that explosive of an athlete. But like Zach Randolph, he knows how to use his body to get shots off without that crazy leaping ability. I think Detroit is one of the teams he will fit well with, with Greg Monroe drawing attention out to the top of the key on offense.

11. New Orleans Hornets - PF Perry Jones, So, Baylor. The Hornets lucked up by landing the top pick in this draft. So why not try to go for the grand slam and take a guy with a load of potential here? Jones has the talent to be a taller Tracy McGrady, and if he can realize his potential playing next to Anthony Davis in New Orleans, watch out.

12. Milwaukee Bucks - SF/PF Terrence Jones, So, Kentucky. Terrence Jones went from a potential number one pick to potentially out of the first round during his 2010-2011 season. He started off this season slowly but came on as the year went along, and the team would not have won the Championship without him in the Tournament. He showed his various skills, as he was a beast down low and played very good defense. He has a nice skill set and can do a lot of things on the court, and will fit in well with a Bucks team that has a deep rotation. If he can muster up the passion to be great, that is.

13. Phoenix Suns - PG/SG Austin Rivers, Fr, Duke. Right now Austin Rivers is more flash then basketball player, but he should go in the late lottery. He is a flat out scorer, has a flair for the dramatic and will sell tickets. The Suns will probably lose Steve Nash, and the team will be without any sort of identity whatsoever. Rivers will score 20 points per game and the Suns will finish with the worst record in the league in 2012-2013.

14. Houston Rockets - C Meyers Leonard, So, Illinois. Leonard is a project. He is skinny and doesn't really have a refined offensive game. But I think he will be a lottery pick. He is one of only a few true 7 footers and has a load of talent. Guys like that always go in the lottery. He won't last past Houston's two picks, as the Rockets are always on the search for anyone who can play center.

15. Philadelphia 76ers - PF Arnett Moultrie, Jr, Mississippi St. Moultrie fits two huge needs in Philadelphia. He has size and he can shoot. Of course, Doug Collins will glue him to the end of the bench so it won't matter.

16. Houston Rockets (from New York Knicks) - PG Marquis Teague, Fr, Kentucky. This time last year Brandon Knight was thought of as a player who was going to be picked in the 20's. I think Teague will wind up being a late lottery pick. He has good talent and got better as the season went along. Once the workouts start he will shine. Houston brings their players along very slowly, so he can learn for a couple years before becoming a bigger part of the lineup.

17. Dallas Mavericks - PF John Henson, Jr, North Carolina. The Mavs would like to find someone who can help them now as they transition into the post Jason Kidd/Jason Terry era. Henson shares a couple qualities with Tyson Chandler, a player the team desperately missed.

18. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Utah Jazz) - SG Terrence Ross, So, Washington. The Wolves are a pretty solid team, but they seriously lack shooting. Ross is a 2 guard with good size and deep range who shouldn't have any trouble overtaking the mediocre Wesley Johnson for the starting spot.

19. Orlando Magic - PG/SG Tony Wroten, Fr, Washington. Wroten has star potential if he can ever refine his game. At this point in the draft, he is worth the risk, especially for a team that is in turmoil and could use some good news.

20. Denver Nuggets - SG Dion Waiters, So, Syracuse. Waiters would be perfect as a scoring guard off the bench for the deep Nuggets. He is undersized but can drain buckets from anywhere.

21. Boston Celtics - PG Kendall Marshall, So, North Carolina. Marshall falls because he does not have any jump shot to speak of. Kind of reminds you of the guy he will now back up, Rajon Rondo, doesn't it?

22. Boston Celtics (from Los Angeles Clippers) - SF Moe Harkless, Fr, St. John's. Harkless isn't ready to contribute in the NBA right now, but in a year or two he could become a very good all around small forward. He can slash, rebound and play good defense.

23. Atlanta Hawks - SF Quincy Miller, Fr, Baylor. Miller should have went back to Baylor for his sophomore year, but declared at the last minute. At this point he is a good gamble, as he has lottery upside.

24. Cleveland Cavaliers (from Los Angeles Lakers) - C Fab Melo, So, Syracuse. The Cavs passed on Andre Drummond with their previous pick, so they take Melo, who is the ultimate project. There is just as big of a chance that he is out of the league in two years then becomes a starter.

25. Memphis Grizzlies - SG Will Barton, So, Memphis. The Grizzlies will need scoring off the bench if they move OJ Mayo. Barton isn't strong enough to handle 30 minutes but could be a JR Smith type scorer for spurts off the bench.

26. Indiana Pacers - PF Andrew Nicholson, Sr, St. Bonaventure. Nicholson has a unique skill set. He is tall, can hit the jumper, run the floor and block shots. He should take minutes from Tyler Hansbrough.

27. Miami Heat - SG Doron Lamb, So, Kentucky. At this point the Heat just hope to find someone who can crack the rotation. Lamb can spot up and drain open 3 pointers, and that's all that guys other then LeBron and Wade do for the Heat anyway.

28. Oklahoma City Thunder - SG Evan Fournier, France. Someone will take Fournier late in the first round, hoping to save some money and reap the benifits in a year or two. The Thunder have to shell out an extension soon for James Harden, and they never use their rookies anyway, so this is a good spot for him to go.
29. Chicago Bulls - SG John Jenkins, Jr, Vanderbilt. Jenkins won't be able to do much at the NBA level, but one thing he will be good at is shooting. The Bulls always seem to need guys who can do just that.

30. Golden St. Warriors (from San Antonio Spurs) - SF Jeff Taylor, Sr, Vanderbilt. Taylor is a good defender and ready to step in and provide quality minutes right away.

Jonathan Carrano

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3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Your order is completely wrong. Since the lottery hasn't taken place, it makes no sense to "predict" what the order will come out as. Makes your draft look unprofessional.

Jonathan Carrano said...

I ran the lottery over at www.espn.com to come up with the order. Does it really matter that much? Wanted to do a different order then the same Bobcats/Wizards/Cavaliers top three everyone else has.

Anonymous said...

If NJ moves up to the top 3, Portland doesn't get the pick. Your mock is focked.