2012 NBA Mock Draft- Early Picks Post-Lottery Edition

Last night’s NBA Draft lottery selections were made, and the fate of presumptive overall No. 1 pick Anthony Davis was essentially decided.  It’s time for our 2012 NBA Mock Draft, Early Picks / Post-Lottery Edition.

The New Orleans Hornets won the lottery and will have the No. 1 pick when the 2012 NBA Draft takes place on June 28, 2012 at the Prudential Arena in Newark, New Jersey.

The Hornets, who had only the fourth-best chance of winning the No.1 pick statistically, jumped teams with more selections available including the Charlotte Bobcats, Washington Wizards, and Cleveland Cavaliers.

Here are our mock selections for the first 10 picks of the 2012 NBA Draft given the results of last evening’s lottery:

1. New Orleans Hornets- Anthony Davis, Kentucky— Regardless of who won the No. 1 overall pick, the team was going to take Davis. He’s as close to a can’t miss pick as there has been in years. Lady Luck was definitely on the Hornets’ side last night.

2. Charlotte Bobcats- Thomas Robinson, Kansas— Davis was obviously the player New Orleans coveted, but Robinson has an outstanding skill set for a big man and should contribute instantly as a rookie next fall.

3. Washington Wizards- Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kentucky— MKG is an uber-talented all-around player who could take the floor in multiple positions for a Wizards team that desperately needs an injection of talent throughout the roster.

4. Cleveland Cavaliers- Andre Drummond, Connecticut— Arguably the second-most talented post player in the draft pool, Drummond has the length and frame to someday be a powerhouse down low in Cleveland. Drummond has drawn comparisons to Andrew Bynum on the blocks and has a very similar looking game.

5. Sacramento Kings– Brad Beal, Florida— While somewhat raw and unpolished, the 18-year old point guard from Florida has showed flashes of brilliance during his time in Gainesville. If there’s a knock on Beal, it’s his lack of consistency, but this lack hasn’t been enough for scouts to ignore his tremendous upside.

6. Portland Trailblazers– Jared Sullinger, Ohio State– With the career of Greg Oden becoming a fading memory, the Blazers need an inside presence, now.  While LaMarcus Aldridge occasionally plays with his back to the basket, he is not a traditional center, while Sullinger is just that. His brut strength on the boards will be a nice compliment to Aldridge’s more fluid game.

7.Golden State Warriors– Harrison Barnes, North Carolina— If any player in the first-round has drool-worthy upside it’s Harrison Barnes. At times, he can do it all, knocking down threes with ease, running the floor and finishing in traffic like it’s second nature. Like Beal, however, Barnes has the tendency to take possessions off and will have to be more consistent to earn minutes early on for Mark Jackson’s squad.

8. Toronto Raptors– Terrence Ross, Washington– The Raptors are in desperate need of a small forward that can stick, and Ross is a solid jump shooter who can also make things happen off the dribble. God knows the Raptors need some offensive punch, and Ross could be just the guy for the job.

9. Detroit Pistons– John Henson, North Carolina— The insanely long and lanky Henson can swat shots away with the best of them, and has all the potential in the world. His lack of upper-body strength will be consistently challenged by bigger and stronger NBA centers in his rookie season, but, with time, he should be one of the most skilled big guys in the league.

10. New Orleans Hornets (from Minnesota)- Damian Lillard, Weber State— By the luck of the lottery, the Hornets have two top 10 picks in this year’s draft, and should use this pick to add to their guard pool by selecting Lillard.  While perhaps the first dice roll in the draft, Lillard’s ability to light up the scoreboard is undeniable and would be hard for the Hornets to pass on at No. 10.

The 2012 NBA Draft should be a fun one to watch, especially the way the lottery panned out last evening.

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Kris Hughes is the College Football Network Manager for Rant Sports. If you enjoy his takes, you can follow Kris on Twitter, check out his personal Facebook page, or stop by his personal Tumblr page.