‎2012 NBA Lottery Mock Draft

By Trevor Uren
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Updated: June 20, 2012

2012 NBA Mock Draft

http://bleacherreport.com

New Orleans Hornets- It’s a no brainer that Anthony Davis is going to be the pick here. He will solidify the middle of the paint for the Hornets, and allow Emeka Okafor to move back to his more natural position of power forward. A core of Eric Gordon (assuming he resigns), Davis, Okafor, Al-Farouq Aminu, and Jason Smith is a pretty nice core for any team. As long as Davis can add muscle, the only thing that will stop him is that unibrow of his!
Charlotte Bobcats- The pick here HAS to be a big man. The question is, which one will they decide on? With Bismack Biyombo being last years top pick and part of the future in the frontcourt (power forward or shooting forward), Biyombo will need help. The pick here will be UConn big man Andre Drummond. Some scouts consider him to have the most potential in the draft. Michael Jordan always has picked potential over a sure thing prospect, so Drummond will be his pick.
Washington Wizards-The pick here will be Michael Kidd-Gilchrist from Kentucky. The Wizards have enough talented big man to hold it down low. They need somebody to eventually replace Rashard Lewis and need a wing that will be able to fill it up. Kidd-Gilchrist will join John Wall in the starting lineup and form one of the up and coming duos in the NBA.
Cleveland Cavaliers- Harrison Barnes will bring his long wingspan and scoring touch to the Cavaliers. Last years top picks Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson had promising rookie seasons, with Irving winning Rookie of the Year. Barnes will either start in the backcourt with Irving or alongside Thompson in the frontcourt. Either way, he will combine with Thompson to form one of the most disruptive tandems defensively in the league.
Sacramento Kings- Thomas Robinson will slide slightly here to the Kings. His toughness, professional approach to the game, and character will mesh well down low with DeMarcus Cousins. Robinson will add scoring down low while improving defensively over time. He may start from day one, but might have an outside shot lection towards the end of the season. By that time he will be showing why he was a lottery selection en route to making the NBA All Rookie First Team.
Portland Trail Blazers-The Blazers badly need a young point guard to pair with LaMarcus Aldridge and Wesley Matthews. Raymond Felton clashed with coaches, and is a free agent, and Jonny Flynn is gone also after not showing much after coming over from a trade. With that being said Damian Lillard out of Weber State will come to Portland and take some of the scoring load off of Aldridge and Matthews. His point guard abilities are a work in progress but, being that the Trailblazers are high on him, they will sign a veteran point guard out of the many dependable ones on the market to groom him.
Golden State Warriors- The Warriors will almost certainly pick a guard here, and with Bradley Beal still on the board, the Warriors will snatch him. The Warriors already have Klay Thompson, but he has the ability to play the small forward and will most likely be shifted there. Beal will help Stephen Curry in the backcourt and with Thompson’s help, Warriors fans can forget about Monta Ellis.
Toronto Raptors- The Raptors will go with UConn guard Jeremy Lamb, allowing DeMar DeRozan to move back to small forward. Lamb will help the Raptors defensively, as long as he can stay consistent. He doesn’t need the ball all that much to affect a game, so DeMar Derozan can still get his shots up without stunting Lambs growth. In time Lamb will become one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA.
Detroit Pistons-The Pistons will select potential star Meyers Leonard from Illinois, to form a twin towers frontcourt with Greg Monroe. Meyers has as much upside as he has bust potential. The Pistons will need to bring him along slowly, so letting him learn under Ben Wallace for year would be great. Leonard has the potential to be a great defensive center, and an above average offensive center. His two biggest needs are to add muscle as during his college years he was bullied in the paint way too much. His other area of improvement, as he admitted to several scouts already, is his mental toughness.
New Orleans Hornets-With several of their frontcourt players leaving in free agency, the Hornets will ignore the red flags and select Jared Sullinger. The Hornets will match any offer given to Eric Gordon, giving them the option to go with a forward. Sullinger will have to improve his defense down low if he wants to start at power forward, otherwise he will never have a true position. He is a power forward in a small forward’s body.
Portland Trail Blazers-With the Trail Blazers picking Damian Lillard at six, they will will pick his running mate and select Syracuse guard Dion Waiters. Lillard came off the bench in college, but has the potential to be a starter in the pros. He will have to improve his defense, but the offensive firepower that he possesses will justify his draft slot. The Trail Blazers will leave the draft with their backcourt of the future.
Milwaukee Bucks-The Bucks will be looking for a big man to help in the middle. That player will be Tyler Zeller of North Carolina. Zeller has a nice offensive game, and will help take pressure off Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings with his midrange game and post moves. As with a lot of big men, he will have to get stronger and spend a lot of time in the weight room.
Phoenix Suns-I highly doubt Steve Nash will resign, and will probably wind up with a contender. That leaves Phoenix without a point guard to groom, which gives them no choice but to select North Carolina point guard Kendall Marshall. Marshall is arguably the best passer from college since Jason Kidd. He is a true point guard, who makes others around him better. Marshall will have to improve his offensive game to maximize his superb court vision and passing skills, but will make an immediate impact from day one.
Houston Rockets-The Houston Rockets will have two shooting guards coming off the books, and a plethora of talented forwards signed. After Kyle Lowry’s rant against the team, and backup Goran Dragic a free agent, they will have to part with at least one. That leaves a spot open in the backcourt. That spot will go to Austin Rivers of Duke. He is son of Celtics coach Doc Rivers, so you know he wont lack motivation, and will have a great work ethic. Rivers led the Blue Devils in scoring, and has a scary offensive game already, which is why teams will covet him.

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Trevor Uren

Hello, I am Trevor Uren the founder of ProSportsExtra. I am 15 years old, have a big passion with sports. I currently play basketball and football for the high school I attend, L'Anse. I am a huge Detroit fan. A fan of just about anything with Detroit sports. Also I hope to someday attend Bradley University if I am to attend college.