1. New Orleans Hornets – Anthony Davis PF Kentucky
This pick has been written in stone for months, and Davis will instantly
step into a major role with the quickly rebuilding Hornets. His
defensive abilities are off the charts, thanks to his basketball IQ and
tremendous 7'6" wingspan, and he has immediate fantasy appeal for blocks
(4.7 per game last season), steals (1.4) and rebounds (10.4). He's very
efficient offensively and doesn't turn the ball over but he isn't (yet)
a guy the Hornets can throw the ball to for points late in games, one
more reason they're keen to retain prolific scorer Eric Gordon.
2. Charlotte Bobcats – Michael Kidd-Gilchrist SF Kentucky
MKG is often compared to Andre Iguodala and has outstanding defensive
skills, but also has a hitch in his jump shot that had many experts
thinking he could slip out of the Top 5 in the draft. It's completely
possible that Charlotte could be trading him, but after giving up Corey
Maggette in a recent trade, they clearly need a small forward. And it
wouldn't be surprising to see him starting for the Bobcats sooner than
later.
3. Washington Wizards – Bradley Beal SG Florida
Beal struggled shooting the 3-ball last season (33.9%), but he is as
good of a pure shooter as we'll see coming out of this draft. He
rebounds, plays defense, and is reportedly good with all of the
intangibles. His shot creation, ball handling, and middling athleticism
are areas to work on, but at 19 years old he has plenty of room for
improvement. He'll get minutes right away but will have to contend with
Jordan Crawford for the starting job, and will likely come off the
bench to start the year.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers – Dion Waiters SG Syracuse
This selection comes as something of a surprise, though Waiters
immediately upgrades the Cavaliers' SG position and gives Kyrie Irving a
dynamic backcourt running mate. He's aggressive on both ends of the
court and has a polished pick-and-roll game that should translate to
quality numbers even as a rookie -- with Anthony Parker retiring and
Daniel Gibson uncertain to return next season, nothing stands between
Waiters and big minutes.
5. Sacramento Kings – Thomas Robinson PF Kansas
Robinson will join a somewhat crowded
front court in Sacramento. He's a big-time rebounder and should get
plenty of rookie minutes despite the crowd, but he's also a disaster
from the free throw line, although he did improve to 68% there last
season. And if he lives up to the hype, he might be better than Jason
Thompson and Chuck Hayes right off the bat. He'll be worth targeting in
the later round of fantasy drafts by owners in need of rebounds.
6. Portland Trail Blazers (via Brooklyn Nets) – Damian Lillard PG Weber State
It was a question of whether or not the Blazers would find their new
point guard in free agency or in the draft, and they ultimately decided
that Lillard was the best play. He arrives in the NBA with questions
about his willingness to pass, his defense, his mid-range game, and his
competition in college. He's otherwise a pure scorer with solid
athleticism and shooting range. The likely starter for the Blazers at
some point, Lillard will be worth consideration starting in the
later-middle rounds of drafts.
7. Golden State Warriors - Harrison Barnes SF North Carolina
Barnes has a stellar mid-range game, great size and strength for a SF,
and he answered many questions about his athleticism during the NBA
pre-draft combine. He should also benefit from Stephen Curry's
playmaking, as one knock against him is his difficulty creating his own
shots. It's probable that the Warriors will scale back their attempts to
land a veteran SF now that that he fell to Golden State at No. 7 --
Barnes could easily start at SF ahead of Richard Jefferson and Brandon
Rush, especially with the Warriors reportedly shopping Dorell Wright.
8. Toronto Raptors – Terrence Ross SG/SF Washington
He wasn't even projected to be taken in the lottery, and the Raps passed
up both Austin Rivers and Jeremy Lamb to take Ross. The Raptors were
set on getting a SG and they got one, but many will argue that they reached
too far, and should have taken Rivers or Lamb. Time will tell. Ross is a
great shooter, but will have some trouble creating his own shot, but
his arrival could send James Johnson to Toronto's bench, and they could
slide DeMar DeRozan over to small forward.
9. Detroit Pistons – Andre Drummond C UConn
Drummond's draft stock tumbled over the past few weeks amidst concerns
about his motor, intangibles, and his raw skill-set. With no offensive
skills to speak of and a 26.8 percent mark from the foul line last
season, he should only be considered as a boards and blocks guy in
fantasy leagues this season. And with the chance he rides the pine
and/or struggles until his game develops, he's likely worth passing over
in standard formats.
10. New Orleans Hornets (from Timberwolves via Clippers) – Austin Rivers SG Duke
The Hornets didn't mask their enthusiasm for Rivers leading up to the
draft, and have to be thrilled to pair him with Anthony Davis next
season. He's quick and confident on the court, relentlessly attacking on
offense, though he lacks the court vision and playmaking skills to be a
great distributor. Assuming the Hornets retain Eric Gordon (and Gordon
stays healthy), Rivers slots into an instant-offense role off the bench
as a rookie.
11. Portland Trail Blazers – Meyers Leonard C Illinois
That's where we had him going and he averaged 14 points and
eight boards a game last year at Illinois. The Blazers have been badly
cursed with centers for a long time, and Meyers will look to stay
healthy and change the karma flow in Portland. Leonard has the potential
to grow into a very good NBA center. He's the tallest player in the
draft, but is also pretty raw offensively, which should change with
time.
12. Houston Rockets (from Milwaukee Bucks) – Jeremy Lamb SG UConn
Lamb is a pure shooting guard with good length and athleticism at
6'4/179, though he lacks strength. His shot selection and ability to
create for others are real question marks, but he has good defensive
potential and room for growth. With Kevin Martin and Kyle Lowry on the
trade block, it's certainly possible that he finds a path to good
minutes, but for now he's hands off in standard fantasy leagues.
13. Phoenix Suns – Kendall Marshall PG North Carolina
Marshall is a terrific pure PG who NBADraft.net says "might be the best
passer in the college game," but his scoring ability is "practically
non-existent." He was the consensus second-best PG in the draft, and his
selection takes a bit of pressure off the Suns if Steve Nash leaves
town as a free agent (they can also match offers for restricted FA Aaron
Brooks).
14. Milwaukee Bucks (from Houston Rockets) – John Henson PF North Carolina
Henson is a monster on the boards and blocked 2.9 shots per game for the
Tar Heels last season. He has good mobility, can defend the
pick-and-roll, and has improved his raw offensive game. At 216 pounds,
he needs to add weight and he was already getting pushed around at the
collegiate level. The Bucks just added Samuel Dalembert and also have
Ekpe Udoh, Ersan Ilyasova, and Drew Gooden to muck things up. Unless a
path to playing time clears, Henson is off the fantasy radar in standard
formats.
15. Philadelphia 76ers – Maurice Harkless F St. Johns
Harkless stands 6'8" with a 7'2" wingspan, and he gives Philadelphia an
attacking wing player who should eventually diversify their
often-stagnant offense. He may not make a big impact as a rookie behind
Andre Iguodala, however, as he needs to get stronger, tighten up his
ball-handling, and increase his shooting range.
16. Houston Rockets (from Knicks) – Royce White SF Iowa State
White's struggles with anxiety and a somewhat troubled past have been
well-chronicled and are overblown. He is a versatile big man with the
ability to both score and pass, and with his size and strength he
rebounds and can bang with opposing bigs. His lateral quickness, motor
on defense, and lack of a jump shot are the primary concerns.
17. Dallas Mavericks – Tyler Zeller C North Carolina
Rights to Zeller traded to Cavaliers for picks No. 24, 33 and 34
This seems like a solid play for the Cavs, who land a legitimate 7'0"
center who could easily have been a lottery pick. He'll bolster a
frontcourt rotation that currently includes starting center Anderson
Varejao, Tristan Thompson, and possibly Samardo Samuels.
18. Houston Rockets (from Timberwolves, via Jazz) – Terrence Jones PF Kentucky
The Rockets have now hauled in UConn SG Jeremy Lamb, Iowa State PF Royce
White, and Jones, who is an intriguing blend of power and versatility.
Showing some mild 3-point range (0.4 per game, 32.7%), he can score
from all over the place and run in transition. He averaged 1.3 steals
and 1.8 blocks per game for Kentucky, but his motor has been heavily
questioned. While he has shown range his shot is inconsistent and flawed
mechanically. He might struggle as a tweener at SF/PF a la Derrick
Williams, and he lands in a suddenly crowded, fluid situation at PF for
the Rockets.
19. Orlando Magic – Andrew Nicholson PF St. Bonaventure
Nicholson is a versatile player with a well-polished offensive game for a
big man -- he's also a solid rebounder and shot-blocker, which just
might come in handy if and when Dwight Howard leaves town. He is 6'10"
and needs to get stronger, so he's not likely to play many minutes at
center as a rookie.
20. Denver Nuggets – Evan Fournier G France
Fournier's shot selection and consistency shooting the ball are his
greatest issues on offense, but he's an otherwise heady player that can
score all over the court and make plays. At 6'6'/204 he possesses ideal
size and athleticism for a shooting guard in the NBA, and that
translates to the defensive end where his size and anticipation pay off.
He struggles with lateral quickness, though, and keeping smaller
guards in front of him could be an issue along with taking plays off.
At such a young age, though, he has room to improve and will start at
the bottom of Denver's depth chart on the wings.
21. Boston Celtics – Jared Sullinger PF Ohio State
His stock fell quite a bit due to a bulging disk in his back, but he's a
solid offensive prospect and should be able to play some center along
with his main power forward position. And if any team needs help at
center, it's the Celtics. The question is, can he overcome his back
problem?
22. Boston Celtics (from Clippers via Thunder) – Fab Melo C Syracuse
Boston added two solid frontcourt prospects in Jared Sullinger and Melo,
the latter of whom is an imposing 7'0", 270 lbs. Despite Boston's
glaring need for help at center, Melo's fantasy value as a rookie is
very suspect -- he's quite raw and last season he averaged just 7.8
points, 5.8 rebounds and 0.7 assists in 25 minutes per game. He also
swatted 2.9 bpg, however, so he could be a deep-league specialist.
23. Atlanta Hawks – John Jenkins SG Vanderbilt
Jenkins is a pure shooter that doesn't stand out in any other areas, and
he isn't going to bring a whole lot of athleticism to the equation,
either. He'll backup the wing positions in Atlanta, and the question
will be whether or not his sticky-fingered teammates can get him the
ball.
24. Cleveland Cavaliers (from Lakers) – Jared Cunningham G Oregon State
Rights to Cunningham traded to Mavericks for rights to Tyler Zeller
He's the first OSU player to be taken in the first round since Corey
Benjamin in 1998, and we don't see him doing much in a crowded Dallas
backcourt. He's strong, could be a great defender, and will add to their
depth, but don't look for him to offer much fantasy value anytime soon.
25. Memphis Grizzlies – Tony Wroten Jr. G Washington
At 6'6", the left-handed Wroten has terrific size for a point guard, and
is a major upside pick for Memphis. He's a clever passer with great
athleticism, but needs to develop a more consistent jump shot and hone
his ball-handling -- he shot 44.3 percent from the field with Washington
last year, while averaging 5.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.9 steals, and a
troubling 3.8 turnovers. He also shot 58.3 percent from the FT line, a
serious concern in fantasyland.
26. Indiana Pacers – Miles Plumlee F Duke
Plumlee is raw offensively with no mid-range game to speak of, which is
too bad because he shows good passing skill and a decent touch around
the hoop. With some reports of a 40 inch vertical for the 6'10/234
22-year old, he can fly around the court but is going to have trouble
against larger players. He'll have to earn his minutes in a backup role
for the Pacers, who are adequately stocked down low.
27. Miami Heat – Arnett Moultrie PF/C Mississippi State
Rights to Moultrie traded to 76ers for pick No. 45 and a future 1st-round pick
Moultrie was considered a possibly lottery pick at one point, possessing
good size and unusual athleticism for a 6'11" player. He had some
issues with knee tendinitis during college, which could account for his
slide on draft day, but it's not a major red flag. The Heat weren't
drafting for need so it seems they simply took the best player
available.
28. Oklahoma City Thunder – Perry Jones III PF Baylor
Jones' knee concerns scared off a number of GMs, and after starting as
high as No. 7 in some mock drafts it was a precipitous fall to say the
least. His athleticism, ball-handling, and range are excellent for a
player of his size (6'10/234), but his consistency, toughness, motor,
and awareness are all question marks. At this stage of the draft, it's
fair to say the Thunder got proper return in this risk-reward quotient.
29. Chicago Bulls – Marquis Teague PG Kentucky
Derrick Rose could miss the whole season after knee surgery and the
Bulls decided to get another backup in place. He's slated to play behind
C.J. Watson and John Lucas, assuming they're both back with the Bulls.
30. Golden State Warriors (from Spurs) – Festus Ezeli C Vanderbilt
Ezeli brings strength, toughness and shot-blocking with his 6'11" frame
and enormous 7'4" wingspan, but the four-year college player is still
too raw to expect much production as a rookie. Expect him to play spot
minutes off the bench behind Andrew Bogut and Andris Biedrins.