2012 Draft

[Rist77]

It's definitely not too early to look at the 2012 draft. With the average fan preparing to endure another (possibly well) below .500 season, one gains hope by looking at the next year's draft, knowing that those players could possibly bring light to their team.

I have some questions though:

1. Which SF prospect for 2012 draft projects to be the best?
2. Which SG projects out to be the best? Beal? Rivers?
3. If the BPA when it is out turn to pick in the 2012 draft is another PF, do we take him?
4. Will the new CBA change the one-and-done rule to a two-and-done rule, stay the same or maybe get rid of it altogether?
5. Will players (especially US players) want to avoid the 2012 draft because of whatever CBA may be in place for 2012?

Just my personal opinion from following some of the top players..

1.I think the two prized possessions who will emerge at SF and both have the potential to be not just all stars but superstars in the NBA are Michael Gilchrist and Quincy Miller. Harrison Barnes or even Terrence Jones wouldn't be bad consolation prizes.
2. The two best SG's who will emerge are Austin Rivers and Tony Wroten Jr. (although Wroten might even be a PG, but has the size to play SG. I see him as a Tyreke Evans with better passing and less scoring) Both have all stars written all over them. Not sure about superstars though. (IMO, Rivers is a bit overrated if people think he's going to be a superstar). Tony Wroten Jr. may have attitude problems though, it's been rumored, so I don't know if the Cavs would even look at him. I'm not too high on Beal, nothing he does really excites me.
3.I don't think that will be a problem. I believe Sullinger, Perry Jones, and Anthony Davis will all be near the top, but the two SF's will steal the show and be the BPA's. I think by this time next year, Perry Jones will be the highest rated PF. Then Sullinger and Anthony Davis following, they're complete opposites but I think they will be rated closely by teams depending on what they're looking for.
4.No idea.
5.I'm currently praying they don't.


One thing I'm adding, I'm so glad we got Kyrie Irving this year because the PG's next year, Teague and Kabongo aren't even in the same stratosphere as Irving. The PG crop is very weak next year.

 

[bigjmac0815]

I hope Charles Barkley is right and there is no 11-12 season. Because i'd love to see Cleveland end up with the 2nd best odds again in the draft lottery

 

[jonmchugh]

I hope Charles Barkley is right and there is no 11-12 season. Because i'd love to see Cleveland end up with the 2nd best odds again in the draft lottery

yeah in my opinion not having a season would help the rebuilding process and make it go by faster. while we will have the 4th highest odds to win the lottery in the '12 draft. the 4th overall pick in next year's draft will have a chance to be better than irving and williams

 

[winner0274]

I read somewhere that if there is a lockout the draft order would be determined by the record of your last three seasons. If that's the case, there better not be a lockout.

 

[Chris]

I read somewhere that if there is a lockout the draft order would be determined by the record of your last three seasons. If that's the case, there better not be a lockout.

That pretty much makes 0 sense. My guess? Nobody has a fucking clue what it'd be determined by.

 

[Believeland-OH]

I read somewhere that if there is a lockout the draft order would be determined by the record of your last three seasons. If that's the case, there better not be a lockout.

That rumor has come up because that is what the NHL did. I'm nearly positive there is noting in the current CBA about how the draft would be conducted after a lockout; it is something that the teams would have to decide on during CBA negotiations if the season is missed. For reference here is what the NHL did after they missed their season.

The loss of the 2004–05 season meant that there were no results on which to base the order of the 2005 entry draft. The league settled on a lottery system in which all teams had a weighted chance at the first pick, expected to be Sidney Crosby. The lottery was tilted so teams with fewer playoff appearances over the last three seasons and fewer number one overall picks over the last four seasons had a better chance of landing higher picks. The complete order was determined by the lottery, and the 2005 draft was conducted in a "snake" style, meaning in even rounds, the draft order was reversed. This system was an attempt to compromise between those who felt all teams should have had an equal chance at the first pick and those who felt only the weaker teams should have been in the running.

 

[MirORich]

Irving, Thompson, Eyenga, Hickson, Samuels losing an entire season of growth would be awful. We are going to end up with a top 6 pick no matter what and hopefully acquire more 2012 picks. Hoping the the NBA and Players Association strike on a golden opportunity to show the sports public that they get it and don't follow in the footsteps of NBA98, MLB95, and NFL2011

 

[bigjmac0815]

yeah in my opinion not having a season would help the rebuilding process and make it go by faster. while we will have the 4th highest odds to win the lottery in the '12 draft. the 4th overall pick in next year's draft will have a chance to be better than irving and williams

We'll have the 2nd highest odds if it goes off last year's record

 

[Noonan]

The 2012 NBA draft should be loaded
By Chad Ford

The 2011 NBA draft had one of the weaker classes of prospects we've seen, particularly at the top. With a number of the best underclassmen deciding to stay in school another year, the draft lacked the usual quantity of top-tier talent.

The flip side: The 2012 draft is looking awesome.

With so many returning college players eligible for the 2012draft, plus a stellar freshman group streaming in, our 2012 Top 100 list will be very strong -- in fact, one NBA scout says it's the strongest draft class since the famous LeBron-Melo-Bosh-Wade class of 2003.

At the very top is Kentucky recruit Anthony Davis, the No. 1 prospect according to numerous NBA scouts and executives. Davis is a lanky big man who just went through a major growth spurt. He runs the floor, rebounds, blocks shots and plays above the rim. Though he needs to get stronger, he's a big-time talent.

Opinion about the top choice isn't unanimous, however. Several scouts and executives have Harrison Barnes projected as the top pick. The North Carolina swingman got off to a slow start in Chapel Hill but came on very strong toward the end of his freshman season. With his high basketball IQ, versatility and silky smooth athleticism, and with the Tar Heels poised to be the top team in the country, Barnes will get plenty of attention.

Davis and Barnes are the headliners for a draft class with the following traits:

1. A number of returning college stars

With a potential lockout and other factors in play, an unusually high number of prominent college players passed on their opportunity to jump to the NBA. Barnes might be the top pick in the draft, and he could be followed closely by Baylor's Perry Jones, Ohio State's Jared Sullinger, Kentucky's Terrence Jones, Florida's Patric Young, North Carolina's John Henson, Kansas' Thomas Robinson, Duke's Mason Plumlee and UNC's Tyler Zeller.

2. A strong freshman class

In 2007, a then-record six freshmen -- Greg Oden, Kevin Durant, Mike Conley, Brandan Wright, Spencer Hawes and Thaddeus Young -- were drafted in the lottery.

In 2008, seven freshmen -- Derrick Rose, Michael Beasley, O.J. Mayo, Kevin Love, Eric Gordon, Jerryd Bayless and Anthony Randolph -- went in the lottery.

In 2009, we saw a huge drop-off, as just two college freshmen -- Tyreke Evans and DeMar DeRozan -- were drafted in the lottery.

Last year we saw a bit of a rebound, with four college freshmen going in the lottery: John Wall, Derrick Favors, DeMarcus Cousins and Xavier Henry.

And this year, Kyrie Irving, Brandon Knight and Tristan Thompson were the only freshmen to go in the lottery.

In 2012 we're projecting nine freshmen as potential lottery picks: Davis, Kentucky's Michael Gilchrist, Baylor's Quincy Miller, Florida's Bradley Beal, North Carolina's James McAdoo, Duke's Austin Rivers, Kentucky's Marquis Teague, Texas' Myck Kabongo and Memphis' Adonis Thomas. It's unlikely they all squeeze into the first 14 picks (if they decide to leave school), but the talent is there.

Several other freshmen, including Oklahoma State's LeBryan Nash, Washington's Tony Wroten Jr., Pittsburgh's Khem Birch and North Carolina's P.J. Hairston are possible first-rounders, but most scouts think they really need at least two years on the college level.

3. A very weak crop of international prospects

This was an outstanding year for international prospects, with four players nabbed in the first seven picks -- seven international players went in the first round.

Next year looks like one of the weakest ever. We have just one international player, Tomas Satoransky of the Czech Republic, ranked as a top-30 prospect. While several other international players could make the first-round cut, it's shaping up as a subpar year.

4. Forward-leaning

Forwards made up half of this year's first round, and next year looks even better for the 3 and 4 positions, with six small forwards and nine power forwards ranked in our top 30 -- as opposed to just three centers.

Point guards are underrepresented thus far, with only four rating as first-round picks and none in the top 10.

All in all, you should expect 2012 to present a much stronger crop of prospects than 2011. And as always, there will be some surprises to come.

As the Nike and ABCD camps and international tournaments get underway, look for further reports, including regular stock watches, updates to the Top 100 and more in our year-round draft coverage.

 

[Mavaliers]

Just my personal opinion from following some of the top players..

1.I think the two prized possessions who will emerge at SF and both have the potential to be not just all stars but superstars in the NBA are Michael Gilchrist and Quincy Miller. Harrison Barnes or even Terrence Jones wouldn't be bad consolation prizes.
2. The two best SG's who will emerge are Austin Rivers and Tony Wroten Jr. (although Wroten might even be a PG, but has the size to play SG. I see him as a Tyreke Evans with better passing and less scoring) Both have all stars written all over them. Not sure about superstars though. (IMO, Rivers is a bit overrated if people think he's going to be a superstar). Tony Wroten Jr. may have attitude problems though, it's been rumored, so I don't know if the Cavs would even look at him. I'm not too high on Beal, nothing he does really excites me.
3.I don't think that will be a problem. I believe Sullinger, Perry Jones, and Anthony Davis will all be near the top, but the two SF's will steal the show and be the BPA's. I think by this time next year, Perry Jones will be the highest rated PF. Then Sullinger and Anthony Davis following, they're complete opposites but I think they will be rated closely by teams depending on what they're looking for.
4.No idea.
5.I'm currently praying they don't.


One thing I'm adding, I'm so glad we got Kyrie Irving this year because the PG's next year, Teague and Kabongo aren't even in the same stratosphere as Irving. The PG crop is very weak next year.

I think Wroten is the most true PG in the class. His passing ability is great, but his scoring ability seems pretty poor even compared to the rest of the PGs. And he's only 6'4, don't know the wingspan though.

 

[cdt]

^ Cannot wait until next year. Hopefully we can get more than 1 1st Rounder with dealing Hickson, Jamison, and Andy away. I don't want to trade Andy to trade him but he's nearing 30 and by the time we're ready to roll again he's going to be seriously declining and he deserves to play for a winning team that guy busts his ass and a team like Dallas, LA, hell even Chicago. Whoever offers the Heat the biggest run for their money I'd engage with, of course using this strategy to employ contenders into bidding for Varejao.

I honestly think guys going 10-15 could easily have went 5-10 in this draft. Another interesting thing is it's a predominantly all-american class. The first foreign player I saw was a French C towards the bottom of the 1st round. I wish that Miami 1st Rounder was ours next year. Even getting a late 1st rounder could help us trade up to get our guy.

 

[Mavaliers]

I doubt the Cavs will be able to acquire an unprotected pick, especially after what happened to the Clippers.

 

[cdt]

I doubt the Cavs will be able to acquire an unprotected pick, especially after what happened to the Clippers.

This draft class will be much harder to acquire picks than the previous one just based off of talent alone. Teams are going to be a bit gunshy of giving away a lottery pick at midseason without going through the lottery process first. Teams in the back half of the 1st round will likely still deal theirs away for championship ammo like we did during the previous playoff seasons.

 

[Douglar]

I doubt the Cavs will be able to acquire an unprotected pick, especially after what happened to the Clippers.

And what happened to the Nets--

Two unprotected pick trades hit pay dirt this year

 

[sam_slam911]

With a draft stacked that high with PF talent, we seriously can't just assume our 4 spot is filled with either Thompson or Hickson. But our focus will probably be on the wings - and its pretty stacked with them too. I'll reserve my judgement on them after seeing their transition into the college game, but already Harrison Barnes rings out as a possible top target for us; saw what he's really capable of near the end of the season, we know the Cavs have serious interest in him as we wanted him this year to pair with Irving, and we know that Irving and Barnes are already very close friends; remember Irving describing Barnes like a brother.