2012 NBA Mock Draft

A few notes on the 2012 NBA Mock Draft. First, the order is based on standings as of 1/26/12 and there is no weighted lottery system for the top 14 picks. All draft eligible players were taken into consideration for this draft. Team needs are as of 1/26 as well and these needs are barring any potential free agent moves this upcoming off season. This draft also does not incorporate any traded draft picks.

1. BOBCATS- PF. Anthony Davis (6’10, 220, Kentucky, Fr.)
Despite being the worst team in the NBA the Bobcats do have a few things going for them, including having their point guard position shored up for the next few seasons with DJ Augustin and Kemba Walker and a solid looking shooting guard in Gerald Henderson. Up front Charlotte has skilled but undersized big man Borias Diaw and the youngest player in the NBA in Bismack Biyombo and a number of small forwards who can contribute. If the Bobcats fell a few spots lower in the lottery I could see them targeting Harrison Barnes at SF, but sitting where they are they can add Davis who can play along side Diaw or team up with Biyombo to create the best shot blocking tandem in the league. NBA COMP: Marcus Camby to Kevin Garnett. While not the passer or jump shooter Camby or Garnett is Davis can impact a game with his dominant shot blocking ability, elite rebounding and mobility. His length allows him to score down low and as his sot and post moves continue to develop the sky is the limit.

2. HORNETS- PF. Perry Jones III (6’11, 235, Baylor, So.)
Although they held out to add a number of quality pieces in the CP3 trade the Hornets still find themselves near the top of the draft board. The Hornets have a nice PG in Jarrett Jack, but he is a short term answer, sadly for the Hornets there is not a point guard worth targeting this high in the draft. Eric Gordon is the team’s best player at the 2 and they have high hopes for Al Farooq Aminu at SF. That leaves us looking at the big man spots where the Hornets currently employ Chris Kaman and Emeka Okafor. Adding skilled depth at PF or C makes the most sense here and Jones gives them the best upside available. NBA COMP: Jeff Green/Marvin Williams. There are some who believe Jones could become a become a bigger Tracey McGrady, but I simply do not see it. Jones is a point forward with an average motor and a deep skill set and high IQ. Jones has the skills to score inside or out, rebound, defend and pass, but lacks a consistent motor. In the right uptempo system he and Aminu could compliment each other nicely, I am just not sure the light will ever turn on for either of them.

3. WIZARDS- C. Andre Drummond (6’11, 275, UCONN, Fr.)
I am simply not a fan of the way the Wiz are set up. Whether you believe John Wall is the next DRose (I do not) or not, he is a quality young lead guard and they are young at the 2 with Nick Young and Jordan Crawford, although I feel they are essentially the same shot jacking player. The big trouble is up front, Andray Blatche took a huge step back and likely will not be back next year, while their two first round picks from last year, Jan Vesely and Chris Singleton are both playing the 3, while being best suited as power forwards in an uptempo system. I think the Wiz could look at Barnes here and it’d be make sense, but I believe you have to give Vesely or Singleton a chance to succeed at the 3 and put the other one at the 4. I think the best bet is take a center with big upside and let the enigmatic JaVale McGee walk as a restricted free agent at year’s end. NBA COMP: Kwame Brown to Emeka Okafor. Drummond has all the tools to succeed as a shot blocker/defender, rebounder and low post scorer, the question is whether he will ever do all three consistently. Even if he never “gets it” he can be a serviceable back up/ starting center, while if he ever gets it going he can be a constant in the All Star game.

4. PISTONS- SG. Jeremy Lamb (6’5, 185, UCONN, So.)
The Pistons have Greg Monroe at center and he looks like he may have a shot at being an All Star eventually, they have a number of pieces at power forward, Tayshaun Prince is still around to mentor Austin Daye and they feature two young guards in Rodney Stuckey and Brandon Knight. All that is well and good, but if you don’t have someone to score the basketball you are in trouble and that is where Lamb comes into play. Detroit could shop Stuckey to upgrade the 4, while Lamb can come in and defend with length and really score. NBA COMP: Brandon Roy. I’ve heard the Rip Hamilton comparison and I just don’t see it. Both can score in the mid range, but Lamb is a superior shooter from 3, is longer, more athletic and a better defender than Hamilton. While he is not the natural play maker Roy was, the rest of their games fit and Lamb is still coming into his own as the man, considering he didn’t blow up until right before his senior year of high school.

5. RAPTORS- SF. Harrison Barnes (6’8, 210, UNC, So.)
This may be the biggest no brainer pick in the entire draft. The Raps have Andrea Bargnani and Ed Davis as their bigs and although neither is a true center their skills compliment each other well. Jose Calderon is a quality point guard who can score, pass and shoot and DeMar DeRozan is an elite athlete, but average shooter on the wing. Toronto needs a wing to play alongside DeRozan and Barnes is the perfect fit with his size and shooting. NBA COMP: Luol Deng. Like Deng, Barnes is can hit the three, is very good in the mid range, can take a smaller defender to the post and drive to the hoop. If Barnes buys into being an elite defender like Deng he is an All Star every year as his offensive upside is higher than Deng, if he doesn’t buy into that defensive mindset, he is still an above average defender and quality scorer in the NBA.

6. KINGS- SF. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (6’7, 210, Kentucky, Fr.)
Between Tyreke Evans, Jimmer Fredette and Marcus Thorton the Kings are set with shot happy guards. DeMarcus Cousins may be a head case, but the firing of their coach showed that management is going to stick with the talented center and Sac town has invested plenty into power forward where they hope JJ Hickson or Jason Thompson will work out. Small forward seems like the obvious way to go with John Salmons, Travis Outlaw and Francisco Garcia all under performing and a no drama, hard working kid like Kidd-Gilchrist is just what this franchise needed. NBA COMP: Shawn Marion. Ignore the ugly jump shot and focus more on what Marion was with the Suns, a long, energetic SF who could moonlight some as a small PF who could really defend, hit the boards, was unselfish and score in transition and find ways to put the ball in the hoop in the half court. All that fits the bill with Kidd-Gilchrist, plus he’s a hard worker who could easily develop his jump shot and range and take his game to the next level.

7. NETS- PF. Thomas Robinson (6’9, 237, Kansas, Jr.)
Let’s face it, the Nets simply are not a good team, but with the seventh pick in this draft there are two positions that NJ won’t have to look at drafting and another that doesn’t provide value. Whether it’s Brook Lopez or maybe Dwight Howard the Nets have no need to look at a center here and Marshon Brooks has shown his scoring would translate to the pro level meaning a shooting guard isn’t a need. If Deron Williams stays the Nets clearly do not need a point guard, if he leaves, there is no one here to take anyway so that spot is out of the running. Kris Humphries works hard and has done well, but they could clearly upgrade for the long term and the Nets haven’t had a quality SF in a long time. If Barnes or Kidd-Gilchrist were here I could argue for a SF, but no one else makes sense at the 3 with this pick. Turn to power forward where Thomas Robinson is a legit player of the year candidate with solid upside due to his stength and athleticism. NBA COMP: Trevor Booker. Like Booker, Robinson is a super powerful lefty, with excellent athleticism and a good motor. Robinson is a little bigger and longer than Booker, but not quite the shooter. Both are at their best attacking from the mid post. I think Robinson can develop into an energy starter who can rebound, but if he can develop a little jump shot he becomes a lot more interesting long term.

8. WARRIORS- PF. Jared Sullinger (6’9, 280, Ohio St, So.)
The Warriors have a few nice pieces in place and with the eighth pick would have a chance to really help improve their team. With Monta Ellis, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson a guard doesn’t make much sense. Small forward is the team’s biggest need, but no one here offers the right value. A big man seems like a waste with Andris Biedrins, David Lee and Ekpe Udoh on the roster, but Sullinger provides a different kind of big man. He is a tenactious rebounder and a seal and score low post threat who could play on the court at the same time with Lee or Udoh. NBA COMP: DaJuan Blair. Like Blair, Sullinger is a dominant low post scorer and rebounder at the collegiate level. Also like Blair, Sullinger is a below average athlete with a limited perimeter game. Blair has carved out a niche at the pro level and I feel Sullinger is talented and smart enough to do the same.

9. SUNS- SG. Bradley Beal (6’5, 195, Florida, Fr.)
Although it is likely the Suns will lose Steve Nash after this year the team is actually in decent shape. Between Marcin Gortat, Robin Lopez, Channing Frye and Markieff Morris the front court is in solid shape and the wings are decent mix of experience and toughness. Point guard is the major concern, but as we have stated all draft there is no one that warrants this pick. The Suns will likely look to add the best player available at the wing guard spot and that is Beal. He is a talented scorer, unselfish passer and a great rebounder for his size (closer to 6’3 than 6’5). NBA COMP: Eric Gordon/Chauncey Billups. The Gordon comparison has been out for a while and it makes sense, both are compact SG’s with a smooth stroke and underrated athleticism. If Beal ends up like Gordon he has become what he should, but watching Beal you can’t help but wonder if there is another level he can go to. Remember Billups came out of Colorado as an undersized SG who could knock down a tough shot and Beal resembles that as well. Beal is a high IQ player who is not a shot hunter, I see no reason you could not see him as a top tier “big” lead guard somewhere down the road.

10. KNICKS- SG/SF. Terrence Ross (6’6, 190, Washington, So.)
Let’s keep in mind the Knicks actually don’t currently own a first round pick, but for the sake of this draft they keep their tenth spot. The obvious need is a point guard, but we’ve been through this. With Tyson Chandler and Amar’e Stoudamire the big spots are in good shape and Carmelo means a small forward isn’t a need. At the 2 the Knicks employ undersized Toney Douglas and Landry Fields. Ross would provide an upgrade with his size, defense and athleticsm over either and could also back up Melo at the 3. NBA COMP: DeMar DeRozan. While not quite the athlete that DeRozan is, Ross is a better shooter on the offensive end. Both are high wire athletes who excel in transition and have elite wing defender ability.

11. CAVS- PF/SF. Quincy Miller (6’9, 210, Baylor, So.)
The Cavs has exceeded expectations so far and I am not sure they can keep it up, meaning they could go even higher and add another piece to their young nucleus of Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson, still with the eleventh pick the Cavs are set up to add another quality player. Nabbing a talent like Miller this far down the draft would be a huge score. Still recovering from an ACL tear suffered his senior year in high school Miller is a long, thin, smooth scorer who should transition nicely to the 3 alongside Anderson Varejao and Thompson up front. NBA COMP: Donte Greene to Kevin Durant. Think somewhere in the middle of those two. Miller has the size to play some as a face up 4, but the skills to be a 3. Like Greene, Miller is a little too enamored with his three point shot right now and if he doesn’t continue to hone the other scoring parts of his game he could wind up like Greene, toiling away on the bench. While I don’t think he will ever reach Durant’s level, their game’s have a lot in common and Miller could at least achieve a KD lite type game.

12. T-WOLVES- PF. John Henson (6’10, 210, UNC, Jr.)
The Wolves have added a lot of intriguing pieces with their numerous high draft picks recently. With Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love you know point guard and one of your big man spots are locked up, add in Derrick Williams, Michael Beasley and Wesley Johnson and I am sure Minnesota believes one of them can emerge as an excellent SF. Shooting guard seems like the most obvious concern, but the best player here, Austin Rivers, needs the ball in his hands and that won’t work with Rubio on board. A center is the next glaring weakness, but there isn’t a big guy here that wouldn’t just sit on the bench. The next option is looking at someone that would allow Kevin Love to move to center and Henson is the perfect fit using his length to block shots and score in the post while Love nails jumpers and feeds cutters from the high post. NBA COMP: Hakim Warrick/ Ed Davis. Davis is still at a young stage in his career, but already he looks like he can score on the block, rebound and definitely block shots while Warrick has carved out a nice niche as an energy 4 man. Imagine Warrick at 6’10 with an absurd wingspan and you have an idea of how I view Henson. If Henson can put on any significant weight at all he may be able to add a Davis like low post game, even without it I think he can help out a team like the T-Wolves.

13. ROCKETS- C. Meyers Leonard (7’0, 240, Illinois, So.)
The Rockets are in great shape at the point guard and small forward positions and although Kevin Martin seems like he’s on the decline he has enough left in him to continue starting at the 2. Up front Luis Scola is a quality big, but no one else has lended themselves to being a full time starter. Although Leonard isn’t ready to contribute from day 1, let alone start, his upside makes him a great fit in the middle. NBA COMP: Tyson Chandler. Leonard just keeps improving and a kid with his size, length and athleticism will find a spot to succeed in this league. He can run the floor like Chandler, rebounds in and out of his area and challenges shots at the rim. Neither is a great back to the basket scorer, but can put in garbage buckets and can score just enough backing down to warrant some touches.

14. MAVS- C/PF. Patric Young (6’9, 245, Florida, So.)
Although aging I don’t see the Mavs making a big move at PF, SG or PG. Small forward could be a huge hole if they cut ties with both Lamar Odom and Shawn Marion, but unless they want to roll the dice on athletic Jeff Taylor it would look like center is the way to go and Patric Young provides good value at the tail end of the lottery. Young looks like a mini Dwight Howard and provides toughness up front along side Dirk. NBA COMP: Serge Ibaka. Young doesn’t have great size or length, but he is strong and athletic and should be able to play center in the league. His points will have to come off offensive rebounds since he has no true offensive game. Not the shot blocker Ibaka is, he will challenge shots and can defend the post using his strenght. I’m not convinced Young can succeed in the NBA, but there seems like there is a place for a kid with his strength and athleticism.

15. BUCKS- C. Tyler Zeller (7’0, 250, UNC, Sr.)
The Bucks don’t have a ton of needs. Brandon Jennings is locked in at the point, Tobias Harris is going to start eventually at small forward and between Ersan Ilyasova, Drew Gooden, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and Larry Sanders someone can provide something at PF. Aging vets Stephen Jackson and Mike Dunleavy are at the 2 so a young guy there could make sense, but again Rivers doesn’t fit with Jennings. Bogut is the center, but he is wearing down and nabbing his future replacement makes sense. Zeller does a lot of the same things that Bogut does so the transition would be easier. NBA COMP: Andrew Bogut. Both are true seven footers who can score on the block, hit a jumper, rebound their area and defend a little. Zeller may never be an All Star, but he can be a rock solid 5 for the Bucks for a number of years.

16. CELTICS- PF. James Michael McAdoo (6’9, 223, UNC, Fr.)
The aging Celtics will have plenty of holes with point guard the only position probably out of contention with this pick with Rajon Rondo still on board. Paul Pierce will likely be back and Marquis Daniels is a good defensive back up. I figure Ray Allen is probably gone, Pietrus is a good back up, but looking for a new starter there is an option. Would the Celts management really let Doc coach his son? Center is an obvious need, but no one left is ready to help. The Celtics aren’t a team who generally draft for the future, but the chance to nab McAdoo this late and let Garnett mentor him for a year or two is too sweet to pass up. NBA COMP: David West. We haven’t gotten to see a lot of high quality plays from McAdoo this year at UNC, but the talent is there once he slows down and let’s the game come to him. McAdoo is a quality rebounder in space and a solid defender just like West. Also like West he can score on the block, but in the end will be more comfortable facing up and shooting the mid range jumper.

17. BLAZERS- C/PF. Cody Zeller (6’11, 210, Indiana, Fr.)
The Blazers are in good shape with quality depth at the 1, 2 and 3 spots. LaMarcus Aldridge holds down the 4, but the Blazers could look for a quality back up and clearly it is time to find a center that can help or at least provide a base for the future. I think Zeller fits the needs for a center of the future and a back up for Aldridge in the short term. NBA COMP: Tyler Hansbrough. Although taller and longer than Hansbrough the base skills are similar. Both are tough low block scorers and can step out and hit the jumper. Zeller has a few more moves down low, while Hansbrough hits the boards a bit harder, but still, Zeller looks to be a hard worker and a tough nosed kid who will continue to develop, his size gives him a higher ceiling than Hansbrought as well.

18. LAKERS- PG/SG. Tony Wroten Jr. (6’5, 205, Washington, Fr.)
The Lakers are aging and it is time for an infusion of youth and talent. The big men spots are in good shape right now with Gasol, Bynum, Murphy and McRoberts. Small forward has a lot of bodies, but no standout, but I am not sure anyone they could draft here would be a big upgrade short or long term. Kobe is locked in at the 2, but looking for a back up is a good idea and finding a point guard who is a legit threat is another option. Wroten is the best of both worlds as he can back up Kobe and give them a talented point guard. Wroten is a big guard who can get to the hoop and pass even if he is a little out of control right now. NBA COMP: Leandro Barbosa. Wroten is bigger than Barbosa and more athletic, but not quite as fast. Like Barbosa, Wroten can certainly pass it, but often times plays too fast and lose and may be better suited off the ball attacking the hoop. If Wroten can slow the game down and let things come to him, he has major upside especially this low in the draft.

19. GRIZZLIES- PF. Mason Plumlee (6’10, 230, Duke, Jr.)
The Grizz have built a young, talented and deep roster with very few needs. Point guard Mike Conley is more than solid and last year’s second rounder Josh Selby was a former #1 recruit. Tony Allen and OJ Mayo are two very different players providing a great change up at the 2. Rudy Gay is a super smooth SF, although a back up to him could have made some sense. Plenty of talent at the 4 with Zach Randolph and Maureese Speights. The biggest need looks to be a back up to Marc Gasol at the 5 and although Plumlee is best suited for the 4, with his length, improving strength and fantastic athleticism he should be able to provide good minutes at the 5. NBA COMP: Chris Anderson/ Omer Asik. Plumlee will provide energy, rebounding, defense, shot blocking, mobility and dunks for the Grizz in this situation. He has the tools to become a really good post defender and if he can play with the energy of Anderson he could really excel as a back up big man for an up tempo NBA team.

20. CLIPPERS- PF/SF. Terrence Jones (6’8, 244, Kentucky, So.)
The Clippers are set in the back court with CP3, Eric Bledsoe, Chauncey Billups, Randy Foye and Mo Williams and have their starting bigs locked up with DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin. Caron Butler and Ryan Gomes man the 3. The most obvious need is depth up front and Jones will provide a quality back up for Griffin and perhaps even their future 3 man. NBA COMP: Jeff Green. Like Green I am not sure if Jones is a face up 4 or a 3 and I am not sure Jones knows either. He lacks ideal size for the 4 or quickness for the 3 leaving him as a true tweener. Jones can knock down the open three pointer, can rebound and get a tough hoop, but too many times he doesn’t leave it all on the floor and for him to succeed at the next level he needs to up his intensity level and find a role.

21. JAZZ- PG. Marquis Teague (6’2, 178, Kentucky, Fr.)
The Jazz have a solid set up going with a go to low post scorer in Al Jefferson and two big men who many people are very high on in Enes Kanter and Derrick Favors, while at the 3, Gordon Hayward can knock down a shot and CJ Miles is a long athlete who is underrated. Raja Bell is a good defender and shooter at the 2 and last year’s first round pick Alec Burks can get to the hoop. Devin Harris is the only true option at the point so his back up/successor is what you are looking at here. Damian Lillard of Weber State is highly thought of, but I haven’t seen enough of him to give him this pick, Kendall Marshall is a great pure passer, but are there enough pure scorers on this roster to make it work? I settled on Teague as he has the best upside and plays a game similar enough to Harris that the transition should work. NBA COMP: Russell Westbrook lite. Teague is a powerfully built, athletic and quick “point guard”. Too often Teague is looking for his own shot going to the hoop instead of looking to get teammates involved and that sounds a lot like Westbrook. I do not believe Teague is an uber athlete like Westbrook so that will hinder his ability to finish at the rim a little. Still Teague should be able to score the ball going to the hoop and can become a quality starter if he can learn to get teammates involved, develop a jumper or defend consistently.

22. SPURS- PF. Arnett Moultrie (6’11, 225, Mississippi St., Jr.)
The Spurs are another aging team who desperately needs an infusion of youth. Tony Park is the PG, TJ Ford can be a solid back up and they drafted Cory Joseph last year as the potential future there. Manu Ginobli is the 2 and James Anderson was the team’s first round pick in 2010. Richard Jefferson’s days in SA are numbered, but the Spurs are excited about the future of Kawhi Leonard. Tiago Splitter, DaJuan Blair and Tim Duncan are quality bigs, but the Spurs could use another body up there and Moultrie fits the bill. He is an enigmatic talent who could have gone pro last year, but instead switched schools and wound up at Miss St. Moultrie has been very good this year and his length and shot blocking will fit well with any of the other three bigs. NBA COMP: LaMarcus Aldridge lite. While I don’t think Moultrie will ever be the scorer Aldridge is, his offensive game is similar in his ability to shoot the jumper and score down low with length. Both are good rebounders in and out of their zone, although Moultrie may be a touch better and both can defend, although again I give the edge to Moultrie thanks to his big time shot blocking ability.

23. 76ers- SF. Tony Mitchell (6’8, 220, North Texas, Fr.)
The 76ers are exceeding expectations, but still have a shot to upgrade their team even this late in the draft. Jrue Holiday still looks like a good long term option at the 1 and Philly has kept Lou Williams around long enough to show they have faith he can play. Jodie Meeks can shoot and Evan Turner is versatile at the 2. Spencer Hawes and rookie Nikola Vucevic look solid at C. Andre Iguadala is strong at the 3 and Elton Brand solid at the 4, plus they have Thaddeus Young back up both forward spots. Finding your future 4 makes the most sense, but there isn’t someone worth that pick, so draft a SF like Mitchell and let’s Young made a full time transition to PF. NBA COMP: Caron Butler. Mitchell is a big smooth SF who could play some face up 4 in the right system as well. While not a lights out shooter Mitchell can hit the 3 and score inside a bit, but does his best work in the mid range. On top of that he also a quality rebounder and defender to boot.

24. HAWKS- C. Fab Melo (7’0, 274, Syracuse, So.)
The Hawks roster is built around versatile players. Josh Smith and Marvin Williams can play either forward spot, Al Horford plays center, but may be better suited for PF, Joe Johnson and T-Mac can play 1-3, while Jeff Teague can play the 1 or 2. A back up PG has to at least be on their minds and their are some options here, but would likely opt for a veteran via free agency. A true SF is another option or bringing in a big to ease the load on Horford. Jeff Taylor is a great athlete, but doesn’t bring anything different to the table for the Hawks so we instead went with a long, athletic center in Melo. NBA COMP: JaVale McGee/ DeAndre Jordan. Like McGee and Jordan, Melo is a super long big man who can really block shots and thrown down some dunks. Other than those two things, I am not sure what else Melo can do, but he got in better shape after one year and took a big step at Cuse, a year in the NBA could help him go to another level.

25. MAGIC- SG. Austin Rivers (6’4, 199, Duke, Fr.)
The Magic are quite frankly, a bit of a mess. The only true non replaceable piece is Dwight Howard who will likely not be on the team next year. At the 4 Ryan Anderson has been a revelation, but the team refuses to commit, Hedo is still good at the 3, but getting older, while Jason Richardson is aging and JJ Redick is limited at the 2. Jameer Nelson is a solid starting point guard, but Duhon could definitely be upgraded at the back up. Basically you grab the best talent/prospect available here and hope for the best. In walks Rivers, Doc’s son and a Florida kid. NBA COMP: Nick Young to Monta Ellis. Rivers came into Duke with a lot of hype and has struggled to live up to it. He needs the ball in his hands to be successful and he struggles to create for others. He has improved to become at least an average defender. Like Young, Rivers struggles to know the difference between a good shot and a bad shot. Rivers has some flaws in his jumper making it inconsistent and although he is fantastic at getting to the hole, he is an average finisher at best. Worse case is Rivers becomes a volume shooting scoring guard who shoots 40% from the field, best case is Rivers becomes….a volume shooting scoring guard with a slightly closer to 50% FG percentage than anyone thought he would shoot.

26. PACERS- SG. Doron Lamb (6’4, 195, Kentucky, So.)
The Pacers have a good set up here with Roy Hibbert in the middle, two quality PF’s in David West and Hansbrough, three good long wings in Danny Granger, Paul George and Dahntay Jones, a good young point guard in Darren Collison and a quality back up in George Hill. Depth at center should be something to look at and Josh Smith is in contention, but more than anything the Pacers could use a shooter and have a spot to fill at the back up SG spot and Lamb fits that need nicely. NBA COMP: Aaron Afflalo. Lamb is a shooter with good lenghth. He has potential as a defender and an athlete and could develop into a more well rounded score and 2G defender like Afflalo.

27. NUGGETS- PG. Kendall Marshall (6’4, 188, UNC, So.)
The Nuggets are perhaps the deepest team in the entire league. They go three deep at C (Mozgov, Nene, Anderson), PF (K-Mart, Al Harrington, Kenneith Farried), SF (Gallinari, Corey Brewer, Jordan Hamilton) and SG (Rudy Fernandez, JR Smith, Afflalo). It’s not like point guard is thin either with emerging stud Ty Lawson and aging vet Andre Miller. A future back up PG makes the most sense and Marshall’s slower paced, pin point passing game is close to Miller’s. NBA COMP: Andre Miller lite. I am not convinced Marshall can be an NBA PG, at least not a starting one. Marshall will struggle defensively due to his lack of lateral quickness and is not a good enough scorer to keep a defense honest. He provides good size and a high IQ like Miller and is the best pure passer in this draft class.

28. HEAT- SG. Dion Waiters (6’4, 215, Syracuse, So.)
The Heat still have three of the league’s best in Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, but not a ton behind them. Udonis Haslem is a hard nosed back up PF, Shane Battier is an excellent defender at the 3 and Mike Miller an elite shooter at the 2. Norris Cole and Mario Chalmers are very similar young guys at the point and the team has a bunch of center, none of which have distinguished themselves from the rest of the pack. Sadly there is not a center that fits them so they are looking for best fit. In Waiters they get a powerfully built and compact back up shooting guard that can provide some scoring off the bounce, off the bench. NBA COMP: Rodney Stuckey. Although Stuckey has much more of a PG mindset than Waiters their bodies and overall games are similar. Neither is a big time athlete, nor an elite shooter, but both can use their strong bodies to create space and score the ball.

29. BULLS- SF. Jeff Taylor (6’7, 225, Vanderbilt, Sr.)
The Bulls are in a nice spot where there isn’t a glaring need or weakness. Noah and Asik handle C, Boozer and Gibson at PF, Deng and Korver at SF, Brewer and Rip at SG and then D-Rose at PG. Cleary a back up PG is a need, they have tried a number of bodies, but none have been ideal. I’m not sure there is someone that can do that here, so they instead target Taylor to back up Deng, move Brewer back to SG as Rip’s career winds down. NBA COMP: Travis Outlaw. Like Outlaw, Taylor is an explosive athlete who can rebound, defend and finish in transition. Up until this year Taylor has not shown the ability to knock down the perimeter jumper, but things have been falling for him this year. If he can keep that up he becomes a lot more appealing.

30. THUNDER- SF. Le’Bryan Nash (6’7, 230, Oklahoma St., Fr.)
The Thunder currently have the best record in the NBA and that is thanks to a well put together roster. Kendrick Perkins, Serge Ibaka and Nick Collison provide a good big man trio, while Cole Aldrich still has decent upside at center. KD holds down SF, but a legit back up would be nice. Thabo Sefolosha is an excellent wing defender and James Harden is a strong scorer off the bench. Throw in Russell Westbrook and rookie Reggie Jackson at the point and a back up for Durant is really the only need. Nash is a well built and athletic freshman who played close to Ok City and gave the Thunder plenty chances to scout him. NBA COMP: Ron Artest. While note as…hefty as Artest, Nash is strong, long and athletic. His skills are more power forward than small forward, but he shows just enough to make you think he can play the 3 offensively at least for stretches, while providing quality defense and rebounding in the short term.

By Greg Dedrick

2012 NBA Mock Draft, 4.7 out of 5 based on 3 ratings