2012 NBA Draft
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NBA Draft Update
Round One:
1. New Orleans Hornets - Anthony Davis (PF, Kentucky); 2. Charlotte Bobcats -
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (SF, Kentucky); 3. Washington Wizards - Bradley Beal
(SG, Florida); 4. Cleveland Cavaliers - Dion Waiters (SG, Syracuse); 5.
Sacramento Kings - Thomas Robinson (PF, Kansas); 6. Portland Trail Blazers -
Damian Lillard (PG, Weber State); 7. Golden State Warriors - Harrison Barnes
(SF, North Carolina); 8. Toronto Raptors - Terrence Ross (SF, Washington); 9.
Detroit Pistons - Andre Drummond (C, Connecticut); 10. New Orleans Hornets -
Austin Rivers (SG, Duke); 11. Portland Trail Blazers - Meyers Leonard (C,
Illinois); 12. Houston Rockets - Jeremy Lamb (SG, Connecticut); 13. Phoenix
Suns - Kendall Marshall (PG, North Carolina); 14. Milwaukee Bucks - John
Henson (PF, North Carolina); 15. Philadelphia 76ers - Moe Harkless (SF, St
Johns); 16. Houston Rockets - Royce White (SF, Iowa State); 17. Dallas
Mavericks - Tyler Zeller (C, North Carolina); 18. Houston Rockets - Terrence
Jones (PF, Kentucky); 19. Orlando Magic - Andrew Nicholson (PF, St
Bonaventure); 20. Denver Nuggets - Evan Fournier (SF); 21. Boston Celtics -
Jared Sullinger (PF, Ohio State); 22. Boston Celtics - Fab Melo (C,
Syracuse); 23. Atlanta Hawks - John Jenkins (SG, Vanderbilt); 24. Cleveland
Cavaliers - Jared Cunningham (SG, Oregon State); 25. Memphis Grizzlies - Tony
Wroten (SG, Washington); 26. Indiana Pacers - Miles Plumlee (C, Duke);
Copyright © 2012
Metro Networks Inc.
Hornets take Davis with No. 1 pick
Newark, NJ (Sports Network) - Kentucky and North Carolina are first and third,
respectively, in all-time victories among Division I programs. It should come
as no surprise that players from those universities dominated the first round
of the NBA Draft on Thursday night.
The Wildcats and Tar Heels each had four players taken in the opening round,
led by Kentucky forwards Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, the first
two picks.
Davis, as expected, was chosen by the New Orleans Hornets at No. 1, but a bit
of a shock came when the Charlotte Bobcats took Kidd-Gilchrist.
It was the first time in draft history that two players from the same school
were taken with the top two selections.
"I didn't really care where I went. I was just surprised. I was just very
surprised," Kidd-Gilchrist said of being taken No. 2.
Kentucky forward Terrence Jones was picked 18th by Houston while guard Marquis
Teague went 29th to the Chicago Bulls. Teague could play a big role as point
guard for the Bulls, especially with former MVP Derrick Rose recovering from a
torn ACL.
North Carolina forward Harrison Barnes went No. 7 to Golden State, while Tar
Heels guard Kendall Marshall and forward John Henson were drafted back-to-back
by Phoenix and Milwaukee at 13th and 14th. UNC center Tyler Zeller was drafted
by Dallas at No. 17, but is reportedly going to be traded to Cleveland.
Davis, a 6-foot-10 power forward with the 7-foot-5 wingspan, was the consensus
national player of the year. In his only season at Kentucky, he averaged 14.2
points, 10.4 rebounds and had a school-record 186 blocks while leading the
Wildcats to the national title.
"A great feeling, great experience. I've wanted this all my life, so it's
finally here," Davis said. "To be drafted No. 1 overall means a lot to me, for
a 19-year-old freshman, now professional."
He figures to help a team that finished with the worst record in the Western
Conference last season. The Hornets averaged 89.6 points, which was the
second-lowest in the NBA behind only the Bobcats.
"I just have to come in and play defense," Davis said. "I know they are a
defensive-oriented team and I love to play defense, and that's what the
coaches stress a lot."
The Hornets won the draft lottery last month despite having just a 13.7
percent chance at landing the top pick. It marked the second time in franchise
history the Hornets made the No. 1 selection. In 1991, the then-Charlotte
Hornets selected UNLV's Larry Johnson, who went on to win Rookie of the Year.
The Hornets were also one of just two teams with a pair of picks in the
lottery. They selected Duke guard Austin Rivers 10th overall.
It was a special moment for Rivers, who gave a celebratory hug to his father,
Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers. Exactly 29 years ago, the elder Rivers was
taken in the second round by the Atlanta Hawks.
Kidd-Gilchrist also played in just one season for Kentucky and produced 11.9
points and 7.4 rebounds per game with 39 steals and 37 blocked shots.
He will try to boost a team that ended the 2011-12 season with the worst
winning percentage in NBA history. The Bobcats went 7-59 and have finished
below .500 in seven of the last eight seasons.
At No. 3, the Washington Wizards took Florida's Bradley Beal. The sharp-
shooting guard, who celebrated his 19th birthday on Thursday, averaged
14.8 points and 6.7 rebounds while starting all 37 games for the Gators.
It was the first time freshmen were selected with the top three picks.
Syracuse guard Dion Waiters was taken fourth by the Cavaliers, who are
building around guard Kyrie Irving -- the No. 1 pick last year and the
reigning NBA Rookie of the Year.
Waiters, who averaged 12.6 points, was considered to be one of the best sixth
men off the bench as part of a Syracuse team that went 34-3 this past season.
Kansas power forward Thomas Robinson was selected fifth by Sacramento. The Big
12 Conference Player of the Year averaged 17.7 points and 11.9 rebounds per
game last season, leading the nation in double-doubles with 27 and helping the
Jayhawks reach the national title game.
He was shocked to drop so far on the draft board.
"I really didn't know where I was going to end up at, but it is a bit of a
surprise," Robinson said. "I didn't work out for Sacramento at all. I probably
talked to them about once."
Weber State point guard Damian Lillard went sixth to Portland. It was a big
jump into the top 10 for Lillard, who played in just nine games in the 2010-11
season due to a broken bone in his right foot. He came back strong last season
and finished with a scoring average of 24.5 points per game to rank second in
the country.
"My foot was broken and I was just hoping to get this year back," Lillard
said. "It all fell into place this year."
Washington guard Terrence Ross was selected eighth by the Raptors and UConn
center Andre Drummond went ninth to the Pistons.
The Portland Trail Blazers got their big man in an attempt to turn the page
from the Greg Oden era by selecting Illinois center Meyers Leonard 11th. Oden,
a free agent now, will sit out the upcoming season to rehab his knee injuries.
Another UConn player, guard Jeremy Lamb, went to Houston at No. 12 while
Philadelphia took St. John's forward Maurice Harkless at 15th.
Iowa state forward Royce White was taken by Houston at No. 16 and St.
Bonaventure forward Andrew Nicholson was drafted by Orlando 19th. Evan
Fournier, a forward from France, went to Denver at No. 20.
Ohio State forward Jared Sullinger, who saw his stock drop dramatically over
the last few weeks due to a supposed back injury, was selected by Boston. The
Celtics also had the 22nd pick and took Syracuse center Fab Melo.
Atlanta got Vanderbilt guard John Jenkins next, followed by the Cavaliers
taking Oregon State guard Jared Cunningham, and Washington guard Tony Wroten
Jr. going to the Grizzlies.
The Pacers took Duke center Miles Plumlee, while Mississippi State power
forward Arnett Moultrie was selected 27th by Miami. Moultrie might not join
LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh as the Heat start their title defense
after he was reportedly being traded to Philadelphia.
Baylor forward Perry Jones III went to Oklahoma City at No. 28, and Vanderbilt
center Festus Ezeli went to Golden State with the last pick of the first
round.
06/28 22:59:12 ET
~ACN~
###
Copyright © 2012
Metro Networks Inc.
Kurt Helin from ProBasketballTalk and NBC Sports joined The Zone to preview the NBA Draft:
The Zone's Mock Draft
Posted at 6/28 4:26pm
1.) New Orleans - Anthony Davis PF, Kentucky
2.) Charlotte - Thomas Robinson PF, Kansas
3.) Washington - Bradley Beal SG, Florida
4.) Cleveland - Michael Kidd-Gilchrist SF, Kentucky
5.) Sacramento - Harrison Barnes SF, North Carolina
6.) Portland - Damian Lillard PG, Weber St.
7.) Golden St. - Dion Waiters SG, Syracuse
8.) Toronto - Andre Drummond C, Connecticut
9.) Detroit - Austin Rivers SG, Duke
10.) New Orleans - John Henson PF, North Carolina
11.) Portland - Jeremy Lamb SG, Connecticut
12.) Houston - Tyler Zeller C, North Carolina
13.) Phoenix - Terrence Ross SG, Washington
14.) Milwaukee - Meyers Leonard C, Illinois
Listen to Doug & Mark and The Zone NBA Mock Draft!
Listen to the introductory press conferences of both Terrence Ross in Toronto and Tony Wroten Jr. in Memphis:
LIsten to Doug give us his "day-after" NBA Draft grades:
Round One:
1. New Orleans Hornets - Anthony Davis (PF, Kentucky); 2. Charlotte Bobcats -
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (SF, Kentucky); 3. Washington Wizards - Bradley Beal
(SG, Florida); 4. Cleveland Cavaliers - Dion Waiters (SG, Syracuse); 5.
Sacramento Kings - Thomas Robinson (PF, Kansas); 6. Portland Trail Blazers -
Damian Lillard (PG, Weber State); 7. Golden State Warriors - Harrison Barnes
(SF, North Carolina); 8. Toronto Raptors - Terrence Ross (SF, Washington); 9.
Detroit Pistons - Andre Drummond (C, Connecticut); 10. New Orleans Hornets -
Austin Rivers (SG, Duke); 11. Portland Trail Blazers - Meyers Leonard (C,
Illinois); 12. Houston Rockets - Jeremy Lamb (SG, Connecticut); 13. Phoenix
Suns - Kendall Marshall (PG, North Carolina); 14. Milwaukee Bucks - John
Henson (PF, North Carolina); 15. Philadelphia 76ers - Moe Harkless (SF, St
Johns); 16. Houston Rockets - Royce White (SF, Iowa State); 17. Dallas
Mavericks - Tyler Zeller (C, North Carolina); 18. Houston Rockets - Terrence
Jones (PF, Kentucky); 19. Orlando Magic - Andrew Nicholson (PF, St
Bonaventure); 20. Denver Nuggets - Evan Fournier (SF); 21. Boston Celtics -
Jared Sullinger (PF, Ohio State); 22. Boston Celtics - Fab Melo (C,
Syracuse); 23. Atlanta Hawks - John Jenkins (SG, Vanderbilt); 24. Cleveland
Cavaliers - Jared Cunningham (SG, Oregon State); 25. Memphis Grizzlies - Tony
Wroten (SG, Washington); 26. Indiana Pacers - Miles Plumlee (C, Duke);
Copyright © 2012
Metro Networks Inc.
Hornets take Davis with No. 1 pick
Newark, NJ (Sports Network) - Kentucky and North Carolina are first and third,
respectively, in all-time victories among Division I programs. It should come
as no surprise that players from those universities dominated the first round
of the NBA Draft on Thursday night.
The Wildcats and Tar Heels each had four players taken in the opening round,
led by Kentucky forwards Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, the first
two picks.
Davis, as expected, was chosen by the New Orleans Hornets at No. 1, but a bit
of a shock came when the Charlotte Bobcats took Kidd-Gilchrist.
It was the first time in draft history that two players from the same school
were taken with the top two selections.
"I didn't really care where I went. I was just surprised. I was just very
surprised," Kidd-Gilchrist said of being taken No. 2.
Kentucky forward Terrence Jones was picked 18th by Houston while guard Marquis
Teague went 29th to the Chicago Bulls. Teague could play a big role as point
guard for the Bulls, especially with former MVP Derrick Rose recovering from a
torn ACL.
North Carolina forward Harrison Barnes went No. 7 to Golden State, while Tar
Heels guard Kendall Marshall and forward John Henson were drafted back-to-back
by Phoenix and Milwaukee at 13th and 14th. UNC center Tyler Zeller was drafted
by Dallas at No. 17, but is reportedly going to be traded to Cleveland.
Davis, a 6-foot-10 power forward with the 7-foot-5 wingspan, was the consensus
national player of the year. In his only season at Kentucky, he averaged 14.2
points, 10.4 rebounds and had a school-record 186 blocks while leading the
Wildcats to the national title.
"A great feeling, great experience. I've wanted this all my life, so it's
finally here," Davis said. "To be drafted No. 1 overall means a lot to me, for
a 19-year-old freshman, now professional."
He figures to help a team that finished with the worst record in the Western
Conference last season. The Hornets averaged 89.6 points, which was the
second-lowest in the NBA behind only the Bobcats.
"I just have to come in and play defense," Davis said. "I know they are a
defensive-oriented team and I love to play defense, and that's what the
coaches stress a lot."
The Hornets won the draft lottery last month despite having just a 13.7
percent chance at landing the top pick. It marked the second time in franchise
history the Hornets made the No. 1 selection. In 1991, the then-Charlotte
Hornets selected UNLV's Larry Johnson, who went on to win Rookie of the Year.
The Hornets were also one of just two teams with a pair of picks in the
lottery. They selected Duke guard Austin Rivers 10th overall.
It was a special moment for Rivers, who gave a celebratory hug to his father,
Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers. Exactly 29 years ago, the elder Rivers was
taken in the second round by the Atlanta Hawks.
Kidd-Gilchrist also played in just one season for Kentucky and produced 11.9
points and 7.4 rebounds per game with 39 steals and 37 blocked shots.
He will try to boost a team that ended the 2011-12 season with the worst
winning percentage in NBA history. The Bobcats went 7-59 and have finished
below .500 in seven of the last eight seasons.
At No. 3, the Washington Wizards took Florida's Bradley Beal. The sharp-
shooting guard, who celebrated his 19th birthday on Thursday, averaged
14.8 points and 6.7 rebounds while starting all 37 games for the Gators.
It was the first time freshmen were selected with the top three picks.
Syracuse guard Dion Waiters was taken fourth by the Cavaliers, who are
building around guard Kyrie Irving -- the No. 1 pick last year and the
reigning NBA Rookie of the Year.
Waiters, who averaged 12.6 points, was considered to be one of the best sixth
men off the bench as part of a Syracuse team that went 34-3 this past season.
Kansas power forward Thomas Robinson was selected fifth by Sacramento. The Big
12 Conference Player of the Year averaged 17.7 points and 11.9 rebounds per
game last season, leading the nation in double-doubles with 27 and helping the
Jayhawks reach the national title game.
He was shocked to drop so far on the draft board.
"I really didn't know where I was going to end up at, but it is a bit of a
surprise," Robinson said. "I didn't work out for Sacramento at all. I probably
talked to them about once."
Weber State point guard Damian Lillard went sixth to Portland. It was a big
jump into the top 10 for Lillard, who played in just nine games in the 2010-11
season due to a broken bone in his right foot. He came back strong last season
and finished with a scoring average of 24.5 points per game to rank second in
the country.
"My foot was broken and I was just hoping to get this year back," Lillard
said. "It all fell into place this year."
Washington guard Terrence Ross was selected eighth by the Raptors and UConn
center Andre Drummond went ninth to the Pistons.
The Portland Trail Blazers got their big man in an attempt to turn the page
from the Greg Oden era by selecting Illinois center Meyers Leonard 11th. Oden,
a free agent now, will sit out the upcoming season to rehab his knee injuries.
Another UConn player, guard Jeremy Lamb, went to Houston at No. 12 while
Philadelphia took St. John's forward Maurice Harkless at 15th.
Iowa state forward Royce White was taken by Houston at No. 16 and St.
Bonaventure forward Andrew Nicholson was drafted by Orlando 19th. Evan
Fournier, a forward from France, went to Denver at No. 20.
Ohio State forward Jared Sullinger, who saw his stock drop dramatically over
the last few weeks due to a supposed back injury, was selected by Boston. The
Celtics also had the 22nd pick and took Syracuse center Fab Melo.
Atlanta got Vanderbilt guard John Jenkins next, followed by the Cavaliers
taking Oregon State guard Jared Cunningham, and Washington guard Tony Wroten
Jr. going to the Grizzlies.
The Pacers took Duke center Miles Plumlee, while Mississippi State power
forward Arnett Moultrie was selected 27th by Miami. Moultrie might not join
LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh as the Heat start their title defense
after he was reportedly being traded to Philadelphia.
Baylor forward Perry Jones III went to Oklahoma City at No. 28, and Vanderbilt
center Festus Ezeli went to Golden State with the last pick of the first
round.
06/28 22:59:12 ET
~ACN~
###
Copyright © 2012
Metro Networks Inc.
Kurt Helin from ProBasketballTalk and NBC Sports joined The Zone to preview the NBA Draft:
The Zone's Mock Draft
Posted at 6/28 4:26pm
1.) New Orleans - Anthony Davis PF, Kentucky
2.) Charlotte - Thomas Robinson PF, Kansas
3.) Washington - Bradley Beal SG, Florida
4.) Cleveland - Michael Kidd-Gilchrist SF, Kentucky
5.) Sacramento - Harrison Barnes SF, North Carolina
6.) Portland - Damian Lillard PG, Weber St.
7.) Golden St. - Dion Waiters SG, Syracuse
8.) Toronto - Andre Drummond C, Connecticut
9.) Detroit - Austin Rivers SG, Duke
10.) New Orleans - John Henson PF, North Carolina
11.) Portland - Jeremy Lamb SG, Connecticut
12.) Houston - Tyler Zeller C, North Carolina
13.) Phoenix - Terrence Ross SG, Washington
14.) Milwaukee - Meyers Leonard C, Illinois
Listen to Doug & Mark and The Zone NBA Mock Draft!
Listen to the introductory press conferences of both Terrence Ross in Toronto and Tony Wroten Jr. in Memphis:
LIsten to Doug give us his "day-after" NBA Draft grades:
