2012 NBA Mock Draft

[Scrap Irony]

My picks:

1. New Orleans: Anthony Davis
2. Charlotte: Thomas Robinson
3. Washington: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
4. Cleveland: Andre Drummond
5. Sacramento: Harrison Barnes
6. Portland: Bradley Beal
7. Golden State: Jared Sullinger
8. Toronto: Jeremy Lamb
9. Detroit: Perry Jones
10. New Orleans: Damian Lillard
11. Portland: Terrence Jones
12. Milwaukee: Tyler Zeller
13. Phoenix: John Henson
14. Houston: Kendall Marshall
15. Philadelphia: Myers Leonard
16. Houston: Austin Rivers
17. Dallas: Terrence Ross
18. Minnesota: Quincy Miller
19. Orlando: Marquis Teague
20. Denver: Royce White
21. Boston: Jeff Taylor
22. Boston: Arnett Moultrie
23. Atlanta: Mo Harkless
24. Cleveland: Dion Waters
25. Memphis: Tony Wroten
26. Indiana: Tyshawn Taylor
27. Miami: Fab Melo
28. Oklahoma City: Evan Fournier
29. Chicago: Doron Lamb
30. Golden State: Festus Ezelli

[Boro_BG_Red]

Not bad. I'd expect Beal to go 2nd or 3rd. Also, I really like Royce White to go higher.

[WMR]

Beal will go higher.

Would not dare draft Drummond or Barnes that high.

[bucksfan2]

I really don't know how well players translate to the pro game. I don't really follow the NBA enough to really know enough. But a couple of things from this draft:

In watching UK I thought Kidd-Gilchrist would translate into a better pro than Anthony Davis. Davis was a man amongst boys in college but I don't think it will be the same in the NBA.

I think Barnes games translates very well to the NBA game. I don't like Marshall who I think got a lot of help from 2-4 other NBA players in his starting lineup.

I think Thomas Robinson will be a bust and would stay away from Terrance Jones.

I think Myers Leonard will be a solid NBA player 2-3 years from now. Guy has a lot of talent but is extremely raw.

The guy who I think will be a solid NBA player who will likely go in the 2nd is William Buford.

[Assembly Hall]

Originally Posted by bucksfan2

I really don't know how well players translate to the pro game. I don't really follow the NBA enough to really know enough. But a couple of things from this draft:

In watching UK I thought Kidd-Gilchrist would translate into a better pro than Anthony Davis. Davis was a man amongst boys in college but I don't think it will be the same in the NBA.

I think Barnes games translates very well to the NBA game. I don't like Marshall who I think got a lot of help from 2-4 other NBA players in his starting lineup.

I think Thomas Robinson will be a bust and would stay away from Terrance Jones.

I think Myers Leonard will be a solid NBA player 2-3 years from now. Guy has a lot of talent but is extremely raw.

The guy who I think will be a solid NBA player who will likely go in the 2nd is William Buford.

I agree with everything you said until that last sentence! But I have been wrong on more than one occasion.

[Scrap Irony]

Originally Posted by bucksfan2

I really don't know how well players translate to the pro game. I don't really follow the NBA enough to really know enough. But a couple of things from this draft:

In watching UK I thought Kidd-Gilchrist would translate into a better pro than Anthony Davis. Davis was a man amongst boys in college but I don't think it will be the same in the NBA.

I think Barnes games translates very well to the NBA game. I don't like Marshall who I think got a lot of help from 2-4 other NBA players in his starting lineup.

I think Thomas Robinson will be a bust and would stay away from Terrance Jones.

I think Myers Leonard will be a solid NBA player 2-3 years from now. Guy has a lot of talent but is extremely raw.

The guy who I think will be a solid NBA player who will likely go in the 2nd is William Buford.

Davis' length and athleticism will make him a perennial All Star, if only because he's got so little to play against. Only Howard matches up with his speed and quickness among NBA centers. It helps that he's already got the 20-footer in his bag of tricks, and his blow-by to the hoop is downright unfair. He's JaValle McGee with Garnett's jumper and the basketball IQ of Tim Duncan. His negative is his lack of bulk. He'll be among the best defensive

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist can't hit a jumper. At all. His motor and ability to finish around the rim (which is, admittedly, remarkable) bump his shooting percentage into a much higher range than it is in reality. He's already good defensively-- good enough to be among the upper echelon in that department. But he'll never be a 20-point a game scorer unless he fixes that shot. Think Gerald Wallace-- great guy to have on your team, glue guy... All Star? Not unless he (everyone together now) fixes his shot.

Terrence Jones has a reliable jump shot out to 15. He wants to shoot from 23. If you can reign in the latter and focus on the former, Jones could very well go 15/8/3 every night. He does a little bit of everything well. Even better, he's big enough to play a small stretch four and quick enough to play a big small forward, so he should provide some matchup problems. Defensively, he's already a plus with very good footwork and lateral movement, and a penchant for blocking shots from the weakside. Of course, he does disappear for quarters at a time, and he's been known to vapor lock at times. He could just as well go 8/4/1 at times that he doesn't feel like playing. If his motor runs at a high enough level, Jones will be a solid pick. (I think he's likely to be good, but not great as a pro.)

Harrison Barnes is a good spot up shooter from 21. He's not great with the ball, but does have a good first step. He's decent defensively, with very good quickness. He's a good finisher at the basket and should be more than willing to get out on the break. A 15-point a game shooter who'll play good defense is definitely something to value. I just don't think he's got the will to take over games.

Kendall Marshall is going to struggle in the NBA. He just can't shoot well enough to keep defenses honest. As a pass-first PG, he may end up starting for a lower echelon team, but he's a step (or two) slow and cannot guard anyone. At all. Those that compare him to Jason Kidd forget that Kidd was among the fastest players ever at his position when drafted. His ceiling is Mark Jackson/ Doc Rogers. His floor is one-year bust. I'd much rather gamble on Damion Lillard.

My sleeper is Tyler Zeller. He's already solid out to 18 and will likely be able to hit the three at a solid clip as he matures. His body is big enough to bang, but he's also got a solid first step and a good post-up game. He rebounds, blocks shots, and runs as well as anyone in the college game. More than that, he'll create some serious matchup problems, able to take bigs out and small in. I could see him, in the right system, dropping a 15/10/3/1.5 as a center/ power forward. (Portland is practically begging for a guy like Zeller to pair with Aldridge.)

My second sleeper in John Henson. His athleticism and burgeoning offensive game (those baby hooks with either hand are unstoppable) bely a great motor and vast untapped potential. Henson is likely to be better as a pro than in college, as the game will be more wide open and allow for more athletic moves. Add in monster defensive chops, and I think Henson has a chance to be an All Star and member of the All-Defensive team for a number of years.

[bucksfan2]

Originally Posted by Scrap Irony

Davis' length and athleticism will make him a perennial All Star, if only because he's got so little to play against. Only Howard matches up with his speed and quickness among NBA centers. It helps that he's already got the 20-footer in his bag of tricks, and his blow-by to the hoop is downright unfair. He's JaValle McGee with Garnett's jumper and the basketball IQ of Tim Duncan. His negative is his lack of bulk. He'll be among the best defensive

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist can't hit a jumper. At all. His motor and ability to finish around the rim (which is, admittedly, remarkable) bump his shooting percentage into a much higher range than it is in reality. He's already good defensively-- good enough to be among the upper echelon in that department. But he'll never be a 20-point a game scorer unless he fixes that shot. Think Gerald Wallace-- great guy to have on your team, glue guy... All Star? Not unless he (everyone together now) fixes his shot.

Terrence Jones has a reliable jump shot out to 15. He wants to shoot from 23. If you can reign in the latter and focus on the former, Jones could very well go 15/8/3 every night. He does a little bit of everything well. Even better, he's big enough to play a small stretch four and quick enough to play a big small forward, so he should provide some matchup problems. Defensively, he's already a plus with very good footwork and lateral movement, and a penchant for blocking shots from the weakside. Of course, he does disappear for quarters at a time, and he's been known to vapor lock at times. He could just as well go 8/4/1 at times that he doesn't feel like playing. If his motor runs at a high enough level, Jones will be a solid pick. (I think he's likely to be good, but not great as a pro.)

Harrison Barnes is a good spot up shooter from 21. He's not great with the ball, but does have a good first step. He's decent defensively, with very good quickness. He's a good finisher at the basket and should be more than willing to get out on the break. A 15-point a game shooter who'll play good defense is definitely something to value. I just don't think he's got the will to take over games.

Kendall Marshall is going to struggle in the NBA. He just can't shoot well enough to keep defenses honest. As a pass-first PG, he may end up starting for a lower echelon team, but he's a step (or two) slow and cannot guard anyone. At all. Those that compare him to Jason Kidd forget that Kidd was among the fastest players ever at his position when drafted. His ceiling is Mark Jackson/ Doc Rogers. His floor is one-year bust. I'd much rather gamble on Damion Lillard.

My sleeper is Tyler Zeller. He's already solid out to 18 and will likely be able to hit the three at a solid clip as he matures. His body is big enough to bang, but he's also got a solid first step and a good post-up game. He rebounds, blocks shots, and runs as well as anyone in the college game. More than that, he'll create some serious matchup problems, able to take bigs out and small in. I could see him, in the right system, dropping a 15/10/3/1.5 as a center/ power forward. (Portland is practically begging for a guy like Zeller to pair with Aldridge.)

My second sleeper in John Henson. His athleticism and burgeoning offensive game (those baby hooks with either hand are unstoppable) bely a great motor and vast untapped potential. Henson is likely to be better as a pro than in college, as the game will be more wide open and allow for more athletic moves. Add in monster defensive chops, and I think Henson has a chance to be an All Star and member of the All-Defensive team for a number of years.

In regards to Davis I thought he was a man amongst boys in college. He did develop a nice jumper as the season went along but the issue I see with Davis is he is going to face guys night in night out who can guard him. Davis is going to be a viable NBA player because he can play defense. I do question his offensive ability when he has someone who can actually guard him. I like comparisons but to compare Davis to two hall of famers is a little much. Davis dominated the game like no one in recent history but I think people forget how good Duncan was at Wake. Guys like Duncan and Camby took teams to the final four with a much weaker supporting cast.

Kidd-Gilchrist can get into the lane and to the rim. I think you can always work on your shot, he just has that ability that few players have.

Terrance Jones played on a team where he was facing the teams second best big man defender. He was a good player who was put in a unique position to succeed. The big question I have is similar to that of Davis, what will happen when he has a defender on him who can guard him? Few college teams are deep enough to run 2 good post defenders out there every night.

Your two sleepers are both UNC guys. Total UNC has a total of 4 guys potentially getting drafted in the pros. It raises a flag to me as to whether or not they benefitted from each others play or whether they all were that good. The thing with Henson is his bulk as well as his shooting. Will he be able to shoot the ball enough and will he be able to bang enough.

My two sleepers would be two Syracuse guys. I think Melo can be a Roy Hibbert type player, but on the Roy Hibbert type path. He won't be an over night success story but if you stick with him he can be a force inside. I haven't really seen anyone score at will like Waters. He took over games at times against good defenders and scored from the outside and around the rim.

I only really saw Beal play once and didn't remember him. He did nothing to stand out against OSU. The same can't be said about Rivers, who beat good defenders left and right.

[Scrap Irony]

Originally Posted by bucksfan2

In regards to Davis I thought he was a man amongst boys in college. He did develop a nice jumper as the season went along but the issue I see with Davis is he is going to face guys night in night out who can guard him.

Who among NBA centers is going to able to guard him both inside and out?

Originally Posted by bucksfan2

Kidd-Gilchrist can get into the lane and to the rim. I think you can always work on your shot, he just has that ability that few players have.

See, I see it as there are literally hundreds of guys that can get to the lane and rim, but, if defenders lay off him, how's he going to get there?

Originally Posted by bucksfan2

Terrance Jones played on a team where he was facing the teams second best big man defender. He was a good player who was put in a unique position to succeed. The big question I have is similar to that of Davis, what will happen when he has a defender on him who can guard him? Few college teams are deep enough to run 2 good post defenders out there every night.

Last season, Jones was the go-to low post guy and averaged 15.5/9/1.6/1.1 against the best the other team had to offer. He came back to Kentucky to win the championship. That tells me he's willing to sublimate his ego for the team.

Originally Posted by bucksfan2

Your two sleepers are both UNC guys. Total UNC has a total of 4 guys potentially getting drafted in the pros. It raises a flag to me as to whether or not they benefitted from each others play or whether they all were that good. The thing with Henson is his bulk as well as his shooting. Will he be able to shoot the ball enough and will he be able to bang enough.

Henson already shoots well out to 15, Zeller out to 18. Henson's jump hooks with either hand are impossible to block. As to banging, he did it well enough to average 10 rebounds and 3+ blocks per game. He may not, but others his size (Greg Monroe is, IMO, his closes comp) have done just fine.

Originally Posted by bucksfan2

My two sleepers would be two Syracuse guys. I think Melo can be a Roy Hibbert type player, but on the Roy Hibbert type path. He won't be an over night success story but if you stick with him he can be a force inside. I haven't really seen anyone score at will like Waters. He took over games at times against good defenders and scored from the outside and around the rim.

Like Melo, but don't expect any offense at all. He'll get 5-8 points a night, maybe scratch double figures at his peak. He just has no feel for anything other than a dunk. Even tip-ins are an adventure. Defensively, however, he could very well be exceptional. A 5/10/2+ block guy at C playing top-flight D would be great for a team like Miami.

Originally Posted by bucksfan2

I only really saw Beal play once and didn't remember him. He did nothing to stand out against OSU. The same can't be said about Rivers, who beat good defenders left and right.

Beals was outstanding in SEC play against top-flight defenses. Rebounding shooting guard who can shoot out to 25. Really nice upside.

[WMR]

Barnes is a shooter who can't create his own shot. We'll see how he does in the NBA.

[Assembly Hall]

LOL........Barnes was a flop in college, we shall see at the next level.

Aside from Leonard another guy that jumps out at me is Royce White.

[Scrap Irony]

Originally Posted by Assembly Hall

LOL........Barnes was a flop in college, we shall see at the next level.

Aside from Leonard another guy that jumps out at me is Royce White.

Barnes averaged 17 per game.

Wish I could flop that well.

[Assembly Hall]

Originally Posted by Scrap Irony

Barnes averaged 17 per game.

Wish I could flop that well.

Pre-season 1st team all-american before he even put on a Carolina uniform. Expectations were higher than 17 ppg.

[WMR]

Judging Beal off of one game is incredibly foolish. He will be a top 5 pick.

Decent chance Sullinger is a bust, IMO. He is going to get his shot blocked a TON in the NBA.

MKG has a very weird release, but I've never seen a kid with such an ugly jumper make so many jump shots. IMO, MKG is the safest pick in this draft. His unbelievable work ethic sets the low-bar for his game at Gerald Wallace and I would not be surprised to see him end up much better than that.

AD is just beginning to scratch the surface of his potential. He is going to end up being a good shooter from 20 feet and in. I see him as a KG type player once his body develops a little bit more.

[bucksfan2]

Originally Posted by WMR

Judging Beal off of one game is incredibly foolish. He will be a top 5 pick.

Decent chance Sullinger is a bust, IMO. He is going to get his shot blocked a TON in the NBA.

MKG has a very weird release, but I've never seen a kid with such an ugly jumper make so many jump shots. IMO, MKG is the safest pick in this draft. His unbelievable work ethic sets the low-bar for his game at Gerald Wallace and I would not be surprised to see him end up much better than that.

AD is just beginning to scratch the surface of his potential. He is going to end up being a good shooter from 20 feet and in. I see him as a KG type player once his body develops a little bit more.

Not judging him off of one game. Just surprised that he will be a top 5 pick. I saw Florida play a handful of times (with the OSU game being the only one from start to finish) and didn't notice anything great about him.

The thing with Sullinger is he knows how to play the low post. He has good footwork, does a good job of getting a shot up after making contact, and he has a very nice shot. Eventually he will be a guy who can hit the mid-range jumper and maybe even stretch it at times to a 3. His shot will get blocked and won't be able to play on the block the entire game. I think his key is how accurately can he hit the midrange jumper. I don't think he will be a bust nor would I draft him in the top 10.

[WMR]

Here's DraftExpress' mock:

2012 1st Round Mock
1 Hornets Anthony Davis PF
Kentucky, Freshman
2 Bobcats Thomas Robinson PF
Kansas, Junior
3 Wizards Michael Kidd-Gilchrist SF
Kentucky, Freshman
4 Cavaliers Bradley Beal SG
Florida, Freshman
5 Kings Andre Drummond C
Connecticut, Freshman
6 Trailblazers Jared Sullinger C
Ohio State, Sophomore
7 Warriors Harrison Barnes SF
North Carolina, Sophomore
8 Raptors Jeremy Lamb SG
Connecticut, Sophomore
9 Pistons John Henson PF
North Carolina, Junior
10 Hornets Damian Lillard PG
Weber State, Junior
11 Trailblazers Kendall Marshall PG
North Carolina, Sophomore
12 Bucks Perry Jones PF
Baylor, Sophomore
13 Suns Austin Rivers SG
Duke, Freshman
14 Rockets Tyler Zeller C
North Carolina, Senior
15 76ers Terrence Jones PF
Kentucky, Sophomore
16 Rockets Terrence Ross SF
Washington, Sophomore
17 Mavericks Dion Waiters SG
Syracuse, Sophomore
18 Timberwolves Quincy Miller SF
Baylor, Freshman
19 Magic Moe Harkless SF
St. John's, Freshman
20 Nuggets Marquis Teague PG
Kentucky, Freshman
21 Celtics Meyers Leonard C
Illinois, Sophomore
22 Celtics Evan Fournier SG/SF
Poitiers, International
23 Hawks Arnett Moultrie PF/C
Mississippi St., Junior
24 Cavaliers Fab Melo C
Syracuse, Sophomore
25 Grizzlies Tony Wroten PG/SG
Washington, Freshman
26 Pacers Jeff Taylor SF
Vanderbilt, Senior
27 Heat Tyshawn Taylor PG
Kansas, Senior
28 Thunder Royce White PF
Iowa State, Sophomore
29 Bulls Orlando Johnson SG
UC Santa Barbara, Senior
30 Warriors Andrew Nicholson PF/C
St. Bonaventure, Senior

From DraftExpress.com http://www.draftexpress.com#ixzz1wZLiI0u4
http://www.draftexpress.com