2012 NBA Mock Draft

[knuckleballah22]

Davis is a lock for 1st overall IMO

[WVRed]

Originally Posted by knuckleballah22

Davis is a lock for 1st overall IMO

I don't think anybody's debating that.

[Revering4Blue]

As the Houston Rockets prepare for a run at Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard, they've secured another top 20 pick in the NBA draft, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

The Rockets traded forward Chase Budinger to the Minnesota Timberwolves for the 18th overall pick in the draft, giving Houston the 14th, 16th and 18th picks in Thursday's draft.

The Rockets included the rights to Israeli Lior Eliyahu in the deal with Minnesota.

[Revering4Blue]

Long, but well worth reading.

Days before NBA draft, scouts size up Anthony Davis, Brad Beal, more

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...aft/index.html

[Assembly Hall]

Originally Posted by Revering4Blue

Long, but well worth reading.

Days before NBA draft, scouts size up Anthony Davis, Brad Beal, more

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...aft/index.html

Some good stuff there!

[Revering4Blue]

Per Rotoworld.

The Rockets have traded Samuel Dalembert and the No. 14 pick to the Bucks in exchange for the No. 12 pick, Jon Brockman, Jon Leuer and Shaun Livingston.

This seems like a slam dunk for Milwaukee. The draft pick difference is minimal, Brockman and Leuer are both low-end NBA power forwards (an overflowing position for the Bucks), Livingston was expendable, and the Bucks address their most glaring roster need: a quality starting center. Dalembert (who will earn $6.7 million in the final year of his deal) immediately slots into the C position ahead of Ekpe Udoh, Larry Sanders and Drew Gooden, and he should easily exceed the 22 minutes per game he averaged for Houston last season.

[Revering4Blue]

More NBA Mock Draft's than you'll have time to peruse.

http://dcprosportsreport.com/mocks/NBAMocks.htm

[texasdave]

What do people that follow the NBA closely think the chances are of Houston trading for Dwight Howard? You think it is a good move to give up a lot of assets for a possible one-year rental?

[Assembly Hall]

Originally Posted by texasdave

What do people that follow the NBA closely think the chances are of Houston trading for Dwight Howard? You think it is a good move to give up a lot of assets for a possible one-year rental?

I dont really follow the NBA Dave, but I dont like that deal in any shape of form for the Rockets.

[Mario-Rijo]

Originally Posted by texasdave

What do people that follow the NBA closely think the chances are of Houston trading for Dwight Howard? You think it is a good move to give up a lot of assets for a possible one-year rental?

I think the chances are better than average, I think it is completely foolish to do so unless they make a real hard run at Deron Williams in a few days in spite of the fact he also doesn't seem interested. If they can convince Deron they have the assets to get Dwight he might bite, or at least give him enough pause to give them the time to pull it off. It is close enough to his hometown to be a solid consideration.

[Assembly Hall]

Originally Posted by Mario-Rijo

I think the chances are better than average, I think it is completely foolish to do so unless they make a real hard run at Deron Williams in a few days in spite of the fact he also doesn't seem interested. If they can convince Deron they have the assets to get Dwight he might bite, or at least give him enough pause to give them the time to pull it off. It is close enough to his hometown to be a solid consideration.

Now that would change my thinking comletely. If the Rockets have their eye on both then go after it.

[Mario-Rijo]

It isn't looking like my Bulls are gonna make much of a splash tonight, bummer. I was hoping for a jump into the top 10-12 at least, the wing from U of Washington Terrence Ross interests me. Late I am liking Will Barton, Jeff Taylor and I might even take a chance on Tony Wroten Jr. if he is still there. Give me the talent and see what they can get out of them. I may even trade down with either Cleveland or GS for their 2 2nd rounders (preferably Cleveland), probably the smart thing to do considering the $$$'s.

[Scrap Irony]

Originally Posted by texasdave

What do people that follow the NBA closely think the chances are of Houston trading for Dwight Howard? You think it is a good move to give up a lot of assets for a possible one-year rental?

I think it's a great move. Houston needs fannies in the seats, and Howard would provide that. Too, with the way their roster is set up, Houston has a ton of decent role players but no true superstar. Assuming some combination of Houston's three first-round picks and Kyle Lowry are given up to land the former Magic center, it's a no-brainer.

Adding Howard would likely give them a starting lineup of:
Goran Dragic PG
(Just as good as Lowry last season in slightly less minutes per game. Too, he's only 25 and could develop further.)
Kevin Martin SG
(Likely to be dealt, but, for now, a solid to above average NBA shooter with great length. Also plays the small forward at times.)
Courtney Lee/ Chandler Parsons SF
(Both are solid role players, but neither is above average. Still, between them, Lee and Parson put up 20 per game. Not a poor option, though finding a shooter might help the team a great deal.)
Luis Scola PF
(Scola's the greaybeard of the bunch, at 31. He's a good perimeter shooter who can also bang. Can play C for extended minutes, if need be, a huge bonus.)

Put Howard with that group, and you've got a team that can shoot, defend, and rebound with the best of them. With Howard, they'd create matchup problems offensively with anyone in the West and could guard just about any team with one guy. Add a strong, forward-heavy bench rotation of Parsons, Patrick Patterson, Marcus Morris, and whatever scrap heap guard they can find, and the Rockets would become instant contenders in the West.

If they stand pat, Houston would probably have a shot at a top ten guy by giving up Lowry and the 16th pick. (I'm betting that Toronto would make that deal.) If that's the case, I'd go Autin Rivers at 8, Terrence Ross at 12, and Terrence Jones at 18. They have the 38th pick as well-- I'd likely go with Kim English as a SG. That gives them a rotation of:
Dragic/ FA PG
Martin/ English SG
Ross/ Parsons/ Lee SF
Marcus Morris/ Patterson/ Jones PF
Scola C

Again, it's not bad. Three 15+ PPG scorers. At least two really good shooters on the floor to go along with a PG that likes to drive and dish. Rebounders aplenty and some matchup problems for other teams to worry about at C, PF, and SG.

But it doesn't have that superstar player, and it makes McHale's team seriously dependent on youth. (No one on the team older than 31, and only one player older than 28.) Now, they might decide to find a free agent or two, as there are tons of guys out there (and will be more as teams get rid of poor contract decisions) to round out the bench. That team might get a four seed if everything worked out perfectly.

Better, IMO, to reach for the stars.

[Scrap Irony]

Originally Posted by Mario-Rijo

It isn't looking like my Bulls are gonna make much of a splash tonight, bummer. I was hoping for a jump into the top 10-12 at least, the wing from U of Washington Terrence Ross interests me. Late I am liking Will Barton, Jeff Taylor and I might even take a chance on Tony Wroten Jr. if he is still there. Give me the talent and see what they can get out of them. I may even trade down with either Cleveland or GS for their 2 2nd rounders (preferably Cleveland), probably the smart thing to do considering the $$$'s.

Were I Chicago, I'd go Doron Lamb. He's a combo guard who can shoot. If they can re-sign Lucas, he'd be nice to see coming off the bench.

For the second round, I really like Darius Miller and Kim English. Both have NBA range, slashing ability, and could conceivably play more than one position. (Miller can play three, perhaps four.)

[Revering4Blue]

A few interesting tibits/rumors floating around out there:

1) Reportedly, Charlotte has at least 5 offers on the table for pick #2. With no clear cut #2 talent on the board--Beal is the most highly sought after--they need to trade down and stockpile as many assets as possible.

2) An interesting rumor: Noah and pick #29--possibly more--to the Kings for Tyreke Evans and pick # 5.

3) Should the Rockets fail to land Howard, they reportedly have a deal on the table for Josh Smith, who obviously will not command 3 #1s and Lowry.

FWIW, I'd pull the trigger on Howard, were I Houston and Orlando's not going to be presented with a better deal than than a potential Rocket package, more than likely.