2012 NBA Mock Draft - Kyle Baillargeon
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Updated: Friday, May 11th
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The 2012 NBA Draft will be held on Thursday, June 28th in Newark, NJ. The NBA Draft Lottery will be held on
May 30th so the draft order for the first 14 picks may (or will likely) change.
For more 2012 NBA mock drafts, check out our 2012 NBA Mock Draft Database.
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To keep track of all of our site updates, follow us on Twitter (@EDSFootball).
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Pick
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Team
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Player, Position, School
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1.
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Charlotte Bobcats
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Anthony Davis, PF, Kentucky
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This goes without saying: Anyone who has the first pick will take Anthony Davis. If Charlotte is lucky enough to
wind up with the first pick, even Michael Jordan (GM Edition) can't mess this up.
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2.
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Washington Wizards
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Bradley Beal, SG, Florida
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Washington needs more shooters, and Beal is the best of the lot. He would be a good addition to the young
squad.
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3.
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Cleveland Cavaliers
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Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF, Kentucky
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No one stood out more during the NCAA Tournament than MKG, and his addition would give the Cavaliers two
studs to build around for the forseeable future. Cleveland could go big, too, but they should stick to the best
player on the board.
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4.
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New Orleans Hornets
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Andre Drummond, PF/C, UConn
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The Hornets need to swing for the fences. They need help pretty much everywhere, and if they can find some
veteran leadership to take Drummond under their wing, he could wind up being a superstar in a few years.
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5.
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Sacramento Kings
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Thomas Robinson, PF, Kansas
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Robinson would be a good get for the Kings, who need to put someone next to DeMarcus Cousins. In a few
years, they could be a great front court.
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6.
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Portland Trail Blazers (via NJN)
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Austin Rivers, SG, Duke
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Portland needs more scorers, and Rivers could be the best scorer of this draft in a few years. He has the ability
to be unstoppable and while he may be available when the team picks later, they should grab him now.
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7.
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Golden State Warriors
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Perry Jones III, PF, Baylor
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The Warriors are a tough squad to figure out, with no apparent rhyme or reason to how the team is put together.
Jones is a tweener, so it makes sense that Golden State would take him.
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8.
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Toronto Raptors
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Kendall Marshall, PG, North Carolina
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Toronto needs point guard help, and Marshall is probably the best point guard in the draft. Marshall is very
talented and is a great distributer.
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9.
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Detroit Pistons
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Jared Sullinger, PF, Ohio State
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The knock on Sullinger is that he's considered undersized. That doesn't make him any less of a good ball
player. And Detroit lacks many good ball players. Sullinger would have been one of the top three picks if he
came out last year, so getting him at No. 9 this year would be great.
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10.
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New Orleans Hornets (via MIN)
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Harrison Barnes, SF, North Carolina
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Barnes didn't do himself any favors in March with his no shows, but he's young and he's slid far enough. With
the luxury of two picks in the lottery, the Hornets can grab Barnes and hope that between him and Drummond,
they wind up with at least one future All-Star.
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11.
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Portland Trail Blazers
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Tyler Zeller, C, North Carolina
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Portland needs more bigs, and Zeller is a great rebounder who could complement LaMarcus Aldridge. He's a
legit seven footer with talent, which is always worth a look at this stage of the draft.
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12.
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Milwaukee Bucks
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Terrence Jones, SF/PF, Kentucky
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Jones can play the 3 or 4, and the Bucks will have needs in both spots, if Ersan Ilyasova leaves. This would
also put the Bucks one step closer to an all-left handed starting five.
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13.
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Phoenix Suns
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Damian Lillard, PG, Weber State
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If Nash sticks around, Lillard can learn from one of the best in the business for a year or two before taking over.
If not, then he'll be thrust into the starting position and will hopefully be able to learn on the fly.
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14.
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Houston Rockets
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John Henson, PF, North Carolina
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Henson is an explosive big man who can bring a different style to the Houston front court. He may not slide this
far, though.
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15.
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Philadelphia 76ers
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Arnett Moultrie, PF/C, Mississippi State
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At this stage in the draft, best player available is the way to go. Moultrie can keep up with a fast-paced style and
could complement the rest of the 76ers players well.
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16.
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Houston Rockets (via NYK)
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Jeff Taylor, SF, Vanderbilt
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I can see Houston trading away, having just made a pick. Assuming they keep the pick here, Taylor is a great
defender who can help the team of the bench immediately.
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17.
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Dallas Mavericks
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Quincy Miller, SF, Baylor
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Dallas needs youth everywhere, but not necessarily immediately. Give Miller a chance to learn with some of the
best in the game, and he could shine in a few years.
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18.
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Minnesota Timberwolves (via Utah)
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Jeremy Lamb, SG, UConn
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If Lamb falls this far, he would be a steal for the Wolves. Lamb has a ton of talent, and if he can stay driven and
focused, he'll be a solid contributor.
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19.
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Orlando Magic
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Terrence Ross, SG/SF, Washington
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Orlando needs youth at the guard position, and Ross is the best guard still available. He's a good shooter and
could contribute next year.
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20.
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Denver Nuggets
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Meyers Leonard, C, Illinois
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Denver can take the best player available at this point, and at seven feet tall, Leonard is worth the pick.
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21.
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Boston Celtics
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Andrew Nicholson, PF/C, St. Bonaventure
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Boston needs size, especially in the rebounding department. Nicholson needs polish, but at this stage of the
draft, he's an interesting pick. He can play solid defense, which is important in Boston.
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22.
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Boston Celtics (via LAC)
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Dion Waiters, SG, Syracuse
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Ray Allen may leave, which would make Avery Bradley the starting two-guard. Waiters can be a back up to both
guard positions and can score in bunches off the bench.
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23.
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Atlanta Hawks
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Draymond Green, PF, Michigan State
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There would be a hole in the front court if Josh Smith is gone, and while Green isn't good enough to fill it on his
own, he could be a contributer right away.
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24.
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Cleveland Cavaliers (via LAL)
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Fab Melo, C, Syracuse
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Cleveland continues to build by going with big man Melo. He has a long way to go, though.
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25.
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Memphis Grizzlies
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Royce White, PF, Iowa State
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No one knows what to make of White. He could very well fall far into the second. Memphis doesn't have a need
really, so they can go with the talented but troubled player.
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26.
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Indiana Pacers
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Doron Lamb, SG, Kentucky
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Indiana is building a good young squad, and the more players who can shoot the rock, the better. Lamb would
be a nice piece to the puzzle.
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27.
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Miami Heat
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Tony Wroten, Jr., PG/SG, Washington
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Miami still doesn't have an answer at point guard, and although they could make a play for Nash or another
veteran, I see them going with the talented Wroten here.
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28.
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Oklahoma City Thunder
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Will Barton, SF, Memphis
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Barton could be a good bench player for the Thunder. He likely won't play much early on.
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29.
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Chicago Bulls
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Moe Harkless, SF, St. John's
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Harkless would be a good get this late, and can be a role-player for the Bulls.
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30.
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Golden State Warriors (via SAS)
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Marquis Teague, PG, Kentucky
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Stephen Curry has trouble staying on the court. The Warriors need to at least consider that he won't play every
game next year, so they should grab a young point guard. Even if Curry does play all year, Teague provides a
different look off the bench.
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More mock drafts: Our 2012 NBA Mock Draft Database - Our 2013 NFL Mock Draft Database
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