Welcome to the second annual NBA Mock Draft, 2 Man Weave Style. This year's crop of incoming talent features a slew of ballers who have already been on America's radar for quite sometime. Unlike last year's draft which saw four of the first seven picks come from overseas, this class has been primarily born and raised state side, and features a handful of household names.
The draft is my favorite night of the year. Tall men don ridiculous outfits, smokeshow girlfriends are put on display like show room cars and words like "wing span" and "potential" get tossed around like a Mike Martz offense. It's a night where hype surpasses talent on the food chain of relevance and it's a time where hopeless teams can (temporarily) find hope.
The 2012 NBA Draft kicks off on Thursday, June 28th, live from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey and will air on ESPN. And now, the picks!
1. New Orleans- Anthony Davis, 6'10 PF, Kentucky
Davis is a gem of a player, a lanky big with the rare ability to dictate the game from the the defensive end. He led Kentucky to their first National title in 15 years, and officially murdered the stigma that one and dones can't win it all. He shattered the SEC single season block record (186) and took home the highly coveted Naismith Award, which is given annually to the nation's top player.
With a possible assist from commissioner David Stern, the Hornet's luck out big time here. He is the only player in this draft I would feel comfortable betting my life on that they will make at least one All-Star appearance, and the addition of the Unibrow is certain to go a long way in luring other marque free agents (like SG Eric Gordon) to sign. In essence, he is New Orleans' life preserver.
2. Charlotte- Thomas Robinson, 6'9 PF, Kansas
Ah, what to do for the team that needs everything? I'd say taking Thomas Robinson, the reigning Big 12 Player of the Year and First Team All American is a good start . If the Bobcats don't trade down, or out altogether, which I highly suggest they do, then I think they have to go with the decorated Jay Hawk enforcer. He averaged just under 18/12 in his junior campaign, and his 7'1" wing span will more than make up for his slightly undersized 6'9" frame at the next level. The Bobcats may not be landing the star they had hoped for after a season in which they set the record for impotence, but adding someone who can contribute right away is a nice consolation prize. It’s the safe pick, which goes against MJ’s track record as a GM. Maybe that’s a good thing.
3. Washington- Bradley Beal, 6'4 SG, Florida
The best case scenario for the Wizards would be to have sharp shooter Bradley Beal Occupying John Wall Street in the D.C. back court for the better half of the next decade. This Gator gunner enters the '12 draft as the most highly coveted two guard, and despite shooting just 34% from behind the arc as a freshman, scouts feel he will have no problem adjusting to life behind the NBA 3 point line. He has 6'7" wingspan, and pulled down 6.7 boards per game at UF, stellar production from a guard.
4. Cleveland- Harrison Barnes, 6'8 SF, North Carolina
It's no secret that the Cavs have a sweet spot for this UNC swingman. Had Barnes left Chapel Hill after his freshman year, it probably would have been him, not Tristan Thompson, wearing the crimson and yellow alongside Kyrie. So it makes sense for Cleveland to scoop him this time around if available. It's easy to knock Barnes for not living up to expectations in college, but when you consider what was expected of him before he even donned a uni (first and only freshman to ever be named to the Pre-Season All American Team), it makes a little bit more sense why he came up short. At 6'8" he is the ideal size for a small forward, and the safe pick to contribute right away. You can pencil him for 10/5 his rookie season, which leads us to...
5. Sacramento- Andre Drummond, 6'11 C, UConn
Andre "high risk, high reward" Drummond is the most polarizing player in the 2012 Draft. He stands 6'11" with a staggering 7'6" wingspan, and is the most physically imposing player to enter the draft since Dwight Howard. But although you can't coach size, you better hope the Kings coaching staff will be able to teach other basic fundamentals like foul shooting (29%) and rebounding (less than 7 defensive rpg per. 40 minutes last season). Though a front court pairing of Drummond and DeMarcus could leave fans salivating in Sac-Town, one still has to question how a team with two lottery players failed to find even marginal success in college (Andre and Jeremy Lamb led the Huskies to a mediocre 20-14 record in 2012). Fair or not, the Hasheem Thabeet comps will be prevalent until proven differently.
6. Portland- Jeremy Lamb, 6'5 SG, UConn
Admittedly, this is a bit of a reach pick for Portland, but I think he fills a need that the Blazers must address- shooting guard. He averaged nearly 18 ppg for the aforementioned underachieving Huskies last year, however he was an intricate part of their 2011 Championship team the year before, playing alongside Kemba Walker. This draft is extremely deep at the 2-guard position, and Lamb is the second best option behind Beal. He can guard all three perimeter positions with his 7'+ wingspan, and could go a long way in helping Blazer's fans get over the loss of Brandon Roy.
*pours out 40*
7. Golden State- Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, 6'6, SF, Kentucky
Like most David Lee anchored front courts, the Warriors have spent the better part of the last two seasons severely lacking muscle and toughness inside. Sure, the debut of Andrew Bogut in the sunshine state will help that cause, but not as much as the addition of Kidd-Gilchrist will. The Wildcat wingman averaged just under 12/8 per game, and despite not having as high of a ceiling as some of the other guys in this draft (Henson, Lillard, Waiters), you know exactly what you’re going to get with MKG and sometimes that’s even more important. He has won at every level and is a fierce competitor. This move will also make room for Klay Thompson to shift to shooting guard, where he'll use his size advantage to thrive in his second season in Golden State. If Mr. Glass, Steph Curry, could manage to stay healthy, the Warriors would have a nice, budding, young nucleus to go to war with out west.
8.Toronto- Dion Waiters, 6'4 SG, Syracuse
Waiters has already allegedly received a promise from a team in the top 10, and I'm willing to put my money on that team being Toronto. The Raptors will head into next season with Jonas Valanciunas, last year's #5 overall pick, which allows them to enter this draft playing with house money. Meaning they can address specific needs, rather than go for best available. Though Waiters passing and rebounding could both use severe improvements (sub 3/gm in both categories last year at Cuse), the wing from Philly will bring some much needed scoring, and toughness, to America's hat.
9. Detroit- John Henson, 6'10 PF, North Carolina
Henson is the ultimate defensive package. He averaged more than 10rpg last year for the Tar Heels, to go along with his Serge Ibaka-esq. 3.2 blocked shots per contest. With this pick, Detroit shows a commitment to improving on defense, and provides great young help down low for their leader, Greg Monroe. Another strong draft from the Pistons and they'll almost be back to playing competitive basketball, after those crippling '09 contracts they handed out to Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva.
10. New Orleans- Terence Jones, 6'8 PF, Kentucky
Had Jones left Kentucky after his Freshman year, he likely would have been a top 5 pick. Instead he now finds himself in the lower half of the lottery, where he will be reunited with front court running mate Anthony Davis. The duo won a national title together this past season, so clearly chemistry isn't an issue, and Jones' range and length make him a match up nightmare for either forward position. Plus, he ran the point as a freshman in high school so you know he's comfortable with the rock in his hands.
11. Portland- Damian Lillard, 6-3 PG, Weber State
Portland has been pretty open about their lust for Lillard, and with any luck, he'll still be on the board when the Blazers go on the clock at #11. The Oakland product averaged a jaw-dropping 24.5 ppg last year, while shooting 41% from behind the arc and 89% from the stripe. If the Blazers are in fact able to pair up Lillard with Lamb in their back court, things could really start looking up in the pacific northwest. I still can't believe the Nets gift wrapped this team a rebuilding package for (quite possibly) nothing (if Wallace opts out this summer).
12. Milwaukee- Tyler Zellar, 7'0 C, North Carolina
The Bucks reload with Bogut 2.0 in Tyler Zellar, the 7 foot senior out of North Carolina. Zellar is a great talent who earned himself ACC Player of the Year honors, after putting up close to 17 ppg/10 rpg in his last season as a Tar Heel. He has great range for a big man and improved drastically in each of his four collegiate seasons. There's no reason to expect that trend to stop once he reaches the pros.
13. Phoenix- Austin Rivers, 6-4 SG, Duke
Rivers, the ACC's Freshman of the Year, has an immense knowledge for the game, essentially growing up in NBA arenas while father Doc played and later coached. The 6'5" (in shoes) combo guard showed some chops in his only season in Durham, and although he could have benefited from another season under Coach K (who wouldn't?), he should have no problem logging serious minutes right from the get go. It remains to be seen whether or not Steve Nash will resign in the desert, with Miami, Toronto and New York as possible alternative landing spots, and if that happens I think the no brainer move would be to hand over the point guard keys to Rivers.
It really is a shame that Boston doesn't have a higher draft pick, but I'm still holding onto hope that they'll trade up so we can finally see a father-son NBA duo.
14. Houston- Terence Ross, 6'7 SG, Washington
The sophomore, All-Pac 12 shooting guard has the ideal frame for an NBA 2. And although Houston's back court is already a bit crowded with Kevin Martin, Kyle Lowry and (possibly) Goran Dragic, you can never have too many scorers on your roster. Ross will need to bulk up, and improve his touch around the basket, but you've got to love his knack for hitting the glass (6+ per) and that silky smooth jump shop of his. Random fact- Ross and Terence Jones (#10 in mock) were high school teammates at Jefferson High School where they won three straight Oregon class 5A state championships.
15. Philly- Jared Sullinger, 6'9 PF, Ohio State
Sully is a proven winner and force to be reckoned with down on the blocks, which is why it's so unfortunate that his limited athletic ability will likely scare off lottery teams from drafting him. Despite being named as a first team All-American and captain of a Buckeyes team that made it all the way to the Final Four this past season, Sullinger's draft stock has taken a massive hit of late due to concerns about his weight, potential effectiveness at the next level and most importantly, his back issues. Philly could be looking at their next starting power forward, or the next Sean May. Either way, it's a high risk-medium reward situation, but I think Philly rolls the dice with Sullinger.
16. Houston- Perry Jones, 6'11 PF, Baylor
As PJ3 continues to do his best Facebook IPO impression and plummet down mocks across the country, I can't help but think Houston will stop the bleeding and snag him at sixteen. This is a player who as recently as early May was thought to be a high end lottery pick, and had he left Baylor after his freshman year would have been a top 5 pick. The knock on Jones seems to be his tendency to disappear every now and then, including a 2 point performance in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament against S.D. State and 4 points in 41 minutes earlier in the year versus West Virginia. At 6'11" you would like to see Jones bulk up and learn to play with his back to the basket. But apparently he has other plans in mind. Check out this tweet from Chad Ford -
Regardless, you've got to love the Paul George comp, and the fact that this pick comes via the Knicks (the unforgivable T-Mac trade) is why I'm almost certain it will pan out for Houston.
17. Dallas- Kendall Marshall, 6'4 PG, North Carolina
Marshall is a transcendent point guard who averaged a mind blowing 9.8 apg for the Tar Heels. Had it not been for a freak fractured wrist in the second round of the torney, it might have been a lighter shade of blue that lifted the gold plated Wooden Championship trophy. He would be a great fit in Dallas as the heir to their PG throne once J-Kidd finally goes the way of Old Yeller, and an even better consolation prize if they miss out of the D-Will sweepstakes.
18. Houston- Meyers Leonard, 7' C, Illinois
Houston obtained this pick from the Timberwolves in a trade for 2012 Dunk Contest participant Chase Budinger on Tuesday. The move leaves the Rockets with three first round picks (14,16 & 18) which could be used to either rebuild or go after a marquee player like Dwight Howard. But regardless of whether it's Orlando or Houston making this pick Thursday night, both would be in desperate need of a center, and Meyers is a 7 footer who could come in and contribute right away.
19. Orlando- Maquis Teague, 6'2 PG, Kentucky
Teague is the latest in a long line of elite UK point guards destined for success at the next level, following in the footsteps of Rajon Rondo, John Wall and Eric Bleadsoe. Maquis boasted a respectable 10/5, while logging over 1300 minutes in his lone season in Lexington. And although he may not be primed for a starting job right off the back, if Jameer Nelson opts out of his contract, the position is his to lose.
20. Denver- Moe Harkless, 6'8 SF, St. John's
21. Boston- Arnett Moultrie, 6'10 PF, Mississippi State
Arnett, last year's most highly touted transfer (after leaving UTEP for Miss St.) finds himself a nice landing spot in Boston, on a team with lots of holes, and more importantly, front court minutes to go around (especially if KG high tails it out of there). The double double machine was named to the All-SEC team in his junior campaign, which saw him log a ridiculous 36 minutes per game. One stat that really jumps out to me when I look at Moultrie's numbers is his 5.2 offensive rebounds per 40 minutes, to go along with his 10.6 rpg overall. Look for Greg Stiemsma's bench reign to come to an abrupt halt next season in Bean town.
22. Boston- Doron Lamb, 6'4 SG, Kentucky
Okay, so Moultrie and Lamb doesn't have quite the same ring to it that Garnett and Allen once had, but if two of the big three decide to call it quits in Boston, it'll be reassuring to know that they can get a good chunk of their rebuilding done in the draft. Rondo, Bradley and Lamb would make a terrific three headed back court monster that could spread the floor and cause headaches for opposing defenses on a nightly basis. Doron shot better than 47% from deep in his two years at Lexington, and was the leading scorer in the 2012 National Championship game (22 points).
23. Atlanta- Andrew Nicholson, 6'9 PF, St. Bonaventure
Nicholson is a strong power forward who logged over 3,600 minutes in his four year tenure at St. Bonaventure. He increased his rebounding totals each season and was a prolific scorer who can burn you from anywhere on the court. The Hawks are one of those teams that have been stuck in no man's land for about three years too long, consistently finish either forth or fifth in the East, but lacking the talent/coaching/chemistry to make that next leap. A rebuilding process man be in order in Hotlanta, and if that's the case, Nicholson could be a nice piece to that puzzle.
24. Cleveland- Jeffery Taylor, 6'7 SF, Vanderbilt
Taylor is as durable as they come, missing only one start in his four years at Vandy. He has the ideal size for an NBA wing, and is a lock down perimeter defender. The Cavs are in the midst of a full on revival, lead by Kyrie Irving and (if this mock plays out) Harrison Barnes. Another young piece that will provide Iman Shumpert-esq. defense on the perimeter could be very beneficial for these young gunners.
25. Memphis- Quincy Miller, 6'9 SF, Baylor
The Big 12 Freshman of the Year led the Bears to their highest ranking ever this past season (#3) and Grizzlies hope he can bring them to never before seen heights as well. The versatile, lanky wing can guard both forward positions and is an excellent shot blocker/rebounder. He's only 19 years old, so a few seasons playing the role of Rudy Gay's apprentice could go a long way in setting him up for a successful career.
Random fact that has nothing to do with basketball- Quincy has thirteen siblings!
26. Indiana- Royce White, 6'8 PF, Iowa State
It's almost impossible to read up on Royce White and not come across the words "lottery talent" and "anxiety", and unfortunately this write up will be no different. The 6'8 bruiser out of Iowa State nearly averaged a double-double last season, but it's his ongoing battle with anxiety that captures the attention of most NBA GM's. White was ready to transfer to Kentucky back in 2010, with an offer letter on the table, when his fear of flying led to a severe panic attack and caused him to cancel his trip to Lexington. He's since addressed these issues, and I don't think it should deter Larry Bird from making this pick. Indian is on the cusp of becoming a power house in the East and if they hit a home run with Royce, Boston, Chicago and New York better watch out.
27. Miami- Fab Melo, 7'0 C, Syracuse
The Heat payed out a combined 8 million dollars in 2012 for the dismal services of Joel Anthony, Eddy Curry, Juwan Howard and Zydrunas Ilgauskas, so you better believe they would welcome this young 7 footer and his rookie contract with open arms. Sure, Fab may have single handedly ruined his schools chances of winning the title this year after he was ruled ineligible just days before the tournament started, but his 3 bpg and 56% shooting from the field are sure to make this Brazilian big man a hot commodity come draft day, and Miami is ready for the heat.
28. Oklahoma City- Tony Wroton, 6'5 PG, Washington
Wroton has been on basketball scouts radar since he was in middle school and excelled last season at Washington, where he took home Pac 12 Freshman of the Year honors. He's a combo guard who can get to the rim with the best of them, but he needs to needs to improve his long range shooting something awful. He averaged the same ppg as his 3P% (16), which is beyond unacceptable for a guard. Luckily for OKC, they're the most complete team in the league already, and anything they gain from the draft is icing on the cake. Look for Tony to contribute immediately off the bench, and excel in Derick Fisher's former minutes.
29. Chicago- John Jenkins, 6'4 SG, Vanderbilt
For the second year in a row injuries led to Chicago's premature demise. The signing of oft-injured Rip Hamilton proved to be much ado about nothing, leaving the Bulls once again in the market for a 2. If Jenkins is still available at #29 then he is a no brainer to become D Rose's latest running mate. John averaged 20 ppg last year for Vandy and hit nearly 4 threes per contest.
30. Golden State- Draymond Green, 6'7 SF, Michigan State
Golden State received this pick from San Antonio during the baffling Richard Jefferson-Stephan Jackson swap, which on paper was one of the worst trades of the season (I'm looking at you, Billy King). Jackson is the better player, with the better contract, and on the surface it looked like the Spurs once again were playing chess while the rest of the league played checkers. That still may be the case, but this pick will be the Warriors last chance to save face, which is why they should go with a proven vet, Big 10 Player of the Year, Draymond Green. He was the first player from a power conference to average 10/5/3 since Tim Duncan in '97 and was the only player in the Big 10 to finish in the top ten in points, rebounds and assists per game. The do-it-all wing would be a nice addition to a team that once started Chris Wright, Charles Jenkins, Jeremy Tyler and Mickell Gladness.
Pick for 2013 Rookie of the Year- There's only one choice and it's the one eyebrowed bandit, Anthony Davis. Look for Davis to log close to thirty five minutes per night, and with Okafor gone, the paint will be his playground in N'awlins.
-fresh (@danye33)
Dan is the editor in chief of The 2 Man Weave
For a look back in time, check out our 2011 Weave Mock Draft.
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