This year's NBA draft is not full of future stars like the 2003 draft that produced LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh. It's not even going to end up like the 2008 draft that produced Derrick Rose, Kevin Love and Eric Gordon.
Few drafts have that much firepower. This is more typically a draft that will require sifting through a couple of years' worth of accumulated information on prospects. That means savvy evaluating for the combination of talent and fit will yield quality NBA players for some, but not all, teams.
Now that the 2012 NBA draft selection order is set, here are five great fits for teams in the lottery:
No. 4: Cleveland Cavaliers
Jeremy Lamb, Connecticut HuskiesPut Lamb in the backcourt with defending rookie of the year Kyrie Irving and the Cavaliers have solved a major problem for the next decade. Lamb's positional size, scoring ability and high ceiling make him a great fit for a rebuilding franchise.
While Lamb, who is younger than Irving, can certainly improve his strength, the notion that he is a soft player is foolish.
To see the rest of Fran Fraschilla's top draft fits, become an Insider today.
Fran Fraschilla
College BasketballABOUT THIS BLOG
NBA Draft Blog
• Chad Ford's Top 100 Prospects
Chad Ford
Chad Ford covers the NBA and NBA draft for ESPN Insider. He also is a frequent contributor to ESPN The Magazine and makes weekly appearances on ESPN Radio and ESPNEWS.
Follow ESPN Insider Chad Ford on:
Twitter | ESPN.com |
TrueHoop | E-mail
Fran Fraschilla
Fran Fraschilla is a college basketball analyst for ESPN and ESPN Insider. He formerly was the head coach at Manhattan, St. John's and New Mexico. He has been part of ESPN's NBA draft broadcast coverage each of the past five seasons.
Follow ESPN Insider Fran Fraschilla on:
ESPN.com | CBB Experts Blog | Twitter
David Thorpe
David Thorpe is an NBA analyst for ESPN.com's Scouts Inc. and the executive director of the Pro Training Center in Clearwater, Fla., where he oversees the player development program for NBA and college players. David has trained Kevin Martin, Corey Brewer, Omri Casspi, Joakim Noah, Luol Deng, Tyrus Thomas, Yi Jianlian, Courtney Lee, Kyrylo Fesenko, Earl Clark, Jrue Holiday, DeJuan Blair and others.
Follow ESPN Insider David Thorpe on:
ESPN.com | NBA Rookie Rankings