Insider Please
Kim English | SG | Missouri
If the Bobcats go big with their first pick, don't be surprised if they go with a shooter at No. 31. English's stock has risen through the roof the last month as he has wowed teams with his shooting ability in workouts. He's now getting serious consideration in the late first round. I don't think he slides out of the 30s on draft night.
Scott Machado | PG | Iona
No one in Washington is totally sure whether John Wall is really a point guard. Machado, however, is the second-best pure point guard in the draft. He lacks Wall's athletic abilities, but some believe he sees the floor as well or better than Kendall Marshall. He'd be a very nice get for the Wizards at 32.
John Jenkins | SG | Vanderbilt
The Cavs are hoping to load up on shooters and need help at the 2. Jenkins may be the best long-range sniper in the draft. He has a super-quick release and is aggressive hunting for his shot.
34. Cleveland Cavaliers (via New Orleans)
Kostas Papanikolaou | SF | Greece
Papanikolaou really impressed a number of NBA GMs and scouts at the Euroleague Final Four this year with his lockdown defense on Andrei Kirilenko. Ironically, the player he's compared to the most is Omri Casspi, the Cavs' current starting small forward. Papanikolaou is a draft-and-stash prospect. He won't be in the NBA for at least one more season.
35. Golden State Warriors (via Brooklyn)
Kyle O'Quinn | C | Norfolk State
The Warriors feel that O'Quinn is an underrated big who plays hard and has the length to be a 5 in the league. Yes, they took Andre Drummond at No. 7 in our mock, but in the NBA, you need all the bigs you can get.
36. Sacramento Kings
Miles Plumlee | PF | Duke
Plumlee's stock has also risen dramatically over the course of the last month. Despite his pedestrian numbers at Duke, teams are intrigued with his elite athletic abilities and rebounding. Could be the next Jeff Foster.
37. Toronto Raptors
Jared Cunningham | SG | Oregon State
Many scouts believe Cunningham could be the true sleeper of this draft. He's an elite athlete who flies up and down the floor. If he can make the transition to point guard, he could be a sort of poor man's Russell Westbrook.
38. Denver Nuggets (via Golden State)
Mike Scott | PF | Virginia
Scott is another player who has been moving up draft boards with excellent workouts. Several teams said he has outplayed several higher-ranked prospects in their workouts, and it's clear Scott is getting some looks late in the first round. The Nuggets know all about drafting for production. It paid off with Kenneth Faried last year and could again this year.
39. Detroit Pistons
Festus Ezeli | C | Vanderbilt
The Pistons have a dearth of big men in the middle, and if Ezeli slides this far, they'll snatch him right up. He's not flashy, but he could have a long career as a backup 5 in the league.
40. Portland Trail Blazers (via Minnesota)
Orlando Johnson | SG | UC-Santa Barbara
Johnson was one of the best scorers in college basketball. His freakishly long wingspan, NBA body and shooting ability could all come in handy to provide depth for the Blazers.
Tomas Satoransky | SG | Czech Republic
Satoransky is a super-talented wing who excels with the ball in his hands. He's not a great shooter but plays with a great motor, like Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and can affect the game without scoring. He would be a nice stash pick for the Blazers here.
42. Milwaukee Bucks
Furkan Aldemir | PF | Turkey
The Turkish big man is an excellent rebounder. However, he lacks elite athleticism and ideal size for his position, dropping him into the second round.
43. Atlanta Hawks (via Phoenix)
Doron Lamb | SG | Kentucky
The Hawks can always use guards who can really stroke the basketball. Lamb is in contention with John Jenkins for the best sniper in the draft.
44. Detroit Pistons (via Houston)
Kevin Murphy | SF | Tennessee Tech
The Pistons could really use another shooter at the wings. Murphy was one of the best scorers in college basketball, shooting 42 percent from beyond the arc.
Darius Miller | SF | Kentucky The Sixers are another team in desperate need of shooting, and Miller has both great size and a sweet shooting stroke. While he was just a sixth man at Kentucky, he's still a great pickup here.
46. New Orleans Hornets (via Washington)
Tyshawn Taylor | PG | Kansas
This is a steal for the Hornets if they can get Taylor here. Several teams in the late first round are looking at him as a possible selection. I doubt he slides past here. The Hornets need a point guard, and Taylor's athletic ability and defensive prowess should make him well worth the pick.
47. Utah Jazz
Robbie Hummel | SF | Purdue
Hummel is a Jazz player all the way. He's tough, has a terrific basketball IQ and can really shoot the basketball. The Jazz could use some help at the 3, and Hummel should be able to provide some immediate relief.
48. New York Knicks
Jae Crowder | SF | Marquette
With Mike Woodson running the show instead of Mike D'Antoni, expect the Knicks to be looking for a different sort of player in the second round. Crowder doesn't really have a position in the NBA, but he's tough and physical, and he can rebound.
49. Orlando Magic
Chris Johnson | SG | Dayton
Johnson came into OKC earlier in the draft process and impressed with his combination of shooting, length and athleticism. With OKC assistant GM Rob Hennigan now the GM in Orlando, don't be surprised if Johnson is one of the surprise late second-round picks.
50. Denver Nuggets
Bernard James | C | Florida State
James is already 27 years old, but the Nuggets won't care. The Iraq war veteran has an NBA body and should be able to come in and play some defense right away.
51. Boston Celtics
Justin Hamilton | C | LSU
The big guy out of LSU didn't put up huge numbers, but he's had tremendous workouts. The Celtics need size wherever they can get it.
52. Golden State Warriors (via Atlanta)
Quincy Acy | SF | Baylor
Acy is a crazy athlete with a terrific motor. He's not particularly skilled, but could be a nice bench player at the next level.
Darius Johnson-Odom | SF | Marquette
Odom is undersized for his position, but he's strong and athletic and can really shoot the basketball. The Clippers need all the help they can get at the 2, and Johnson-Odom can come in and play right away.
54. Philadelphia 76ers (via Memphis)
Hollis Thompson | SF | Georgetown
I keep loading up the Sixers with shooters because ... the Sixers could've really used some this past season. Thompson is a skilled wing who can play the 2 and the 3. He's a very good athlete with a very good 3-point stroke.
55. Dallas Mavericks (via L.A. Lakers)
Tornike Shengelia | SF | Rep. of Georgia
With international scouting guru Tony Ronzone back in the fold in Dallas, you can expect the Mavs to get back to finding some hidden talent overseas. Shengelia is a tough, athletic forward with a great motor. He's not a great shooter, but scouts are really high on him as a prospect down the road.
56. Toronto Raptors (via Indiana)
Khris Middleton | SF | Texas A&M
A year ago, Middleton would've been a potential first-round prospect. Injuries have set him back a bit, but he's actually been working out well over the past month. There's even an outside shot he gets drafted late in the first with the Bulls. But if he does slide, I doubt he slides further than this.
57. Brooklyn Nets (via Miami)
Drew Gordon | PF | New Mexico
Gordon is an athletic rebounder who ran into problems at UCLA and had to transfer to New Mexico. His rebounding numbers the past two seasons have been fantastic.
58. Minnesota Timberwolves (From Oklahoma City)
Cameron Moore | PF | UAB
Moore is an athletic rebounder/shot-blocker who would be 20 spots higher if he added another 20 pounds to his frame. While the Wolves do have size, they really need athletes in their frontcourt.
Paul Lacombe | SG | France
Lacombe impressed NBA teams at this year's Adidas Eurocamp. He's strong, gets to the rim and is a willing passer. He's not a great shooter and hasn't put up big numbers in Europe, but he's worthy of being stashed away in Europe.
60. Los Angeles Lakers (Via Chicago)
Kevin Jones | PF | West Virginia
Jones is a versatile big man who can play inside and out. He's not a great athlete, but his length makes up for a lot. He had a super-productive senior year at West Virginia.
I like the John Jenkins pick, not quite sure about the Kostas Papanikolaou pick. Would the Cavaliers really invest in ANOTHER Euro player? Kinda doubtful.
if hummel hadnt gotten injured he wouldve easily been a 1st rounder..i think he's better than his former purdue teammates johnson and moore...smart move by him,not showing up wearing that brace..but he still shot the ball well and looked good in drills...
insider.espn.go.com/nba/draft2012/story
Chad Ford's second round...Thanks