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Hornets247 NBA Mock Draft – Rounds 9-12

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Published: September 8, 2012

The writers of Hornets247.com bring you a one-of-a-kind, 8-team basketball league with the common goal of building their respective franchises into the ultimate dynasty.

Finally, we have reached the final four rounds of this 12-round NBA mock draft! For a refresher on the rules, refer to the introduction of the first four rounds.

 

ROUND NINE

Team McNamara Nate Robinson, G, 28; $0.85 million cap hit

It’s time to get what Bill Simmons calls “an irrational confidence guy” and Nate Robinson fits the bill. Robinson had some pretty impressive games last season against the elite teams (30 vs. SAS, 28 vs. LAC, 24 vs. Miami, 20 vs. Boston) so I have no doubt he could shine when we reach the Finals. And make no mistake, Robinson can still ball as he posted a higher PER than  Dragic (in just 2 less minutes per game), John Wall, and Rajon Rondo.

Team Ginsberg – Eric Gordon, SG, 23; $13.7 mil cap hit

Can you say “Sixth Man of the Year”? Eric Gordon will inherit a role perfectly suited for his talents – the leader of the second unit and its go-to scorer for the first three quarters, and then the final piece of an absolutely lethal close-out lineup of Lawson, Gordon, George, LeBron, and Aldridge in the fourth. Yes, EJ really aspires to be “the man”, but this is an eight-team league and he is on a team with LeBron James. It won’t be hard for him to understand that he can’t be the alpha-dog of a team, and therefore he should have no problem thriving under the role bestowed upon him.

Team Schwan Danny Green, SF, 25;  $3.5 million cap hit

My second unit has it’s rebounder and PnR finisher, ballhandler and scorer, and shooting specialist.  Now I need it’s defensive stopper wingman who can hit the corner three.  Where do you look for those kinds of guys?  San Antonio.  Danny Green’s the pick.

Team Calmes Gary Neal, G, 27; $0.85 million cap hit

An experienced PG without that pesky NBA tenure driving up his price above the minimum contract he’s on is a sign of value. Value, value, value. His WS/48 in the NBA were 0.099 and 0.101 while scoring 16.6 and 16.7 pts/36m in 21.1 and 21.5 mpg. Consistent, consistent, consistent. Average performance on a minimum deal in case you missed it. He also gets enough assists to be a third point guard.

Third? Man, I thought you could count . . .

Just wait, grasshopper. Just wait.

Team Gerrity – Brandon Roy, SG, 28; $5.1 million cap hit

Can Roy’s knees withstand 20 or so a night? Will he ever be anywhere near the player he once was? Lots of questions here, but there are few players left with the experience and skill set that Roy possesses.

Team Smith – Nick Young, SG, 27; $5.6 million cap hit

A great catch & shoot guy that can get hot at anytime & maybe I can sell a few extra tickets when he dunks on some 7 footers.

Team Madison – Andrei Kirilenko, SF, 31; $9.8 million cap hit

I love this pick. Kirilenko can play on the wing and attack the basket, or he can play in a high-post position. He’s a solid shooter who can space the floor by hitting from three-point range. Oh, and he gets to the free-throw line a lot averaging almost 5 attempts per game for his career. A small ball lineup with him at power forward makes me smile.

Team Grayson – Delonte West, G, 29; $0.85 million cap hit

With about $1m (US) to spend per round, it’s time to the look for deals. West is underpaid, if a bit of a nutter. I’ll take him.

ROUND TEN

Team Grayson – Joel Przybilla, C, 32; $0.85 million cap hit

A cheap, injury prone big man. The guy has been through a lot and I figured he’d be a nice towel waving addition to the bench.

Team Madison – J.J. Hickson, PF, $4 million cap hit

Looking back on this, I completely regret the pick. Honestly, I’m not really sure what I was thinking. I really should have grabbed Nick Collison here. But trying to look at it positively, Hickson really started to put his game together once he was traded to the Blazers last season. He averaged 15 points in 19 games for Portland and put up a PER of 20.2. He’s also only 24 years old. Maybe he can sustain that production?

Team Smith – Kelenna Azubuike, SG, 28; $1.1 million cap hit

You guessed it – another 3-point shooter. Azubuike won’t play a major role on the team or anything, merely a cheap shooter who will come in if the team is having trouble stretching the floor.

Team GerrityGrant Hill, SF, 39; $2 million cap hit

Hill is a deal at $2m. He’s a professional and will help shore up the position Dudley is holding down.

Team Calmes – Nazr Mohammed, C, 35; $0.85 million cap hit

A nice veteran pick on a minimum contract to take some pressure off Drummond in his first season works well here. Nazr has had a fine career and will provide instruction, if only by example, to the other AD.

Team Schwan – Brendan Haywood, C, 32; $1.9 million cap hit

Brendan Haywood is probably not a starting caliber center any more, but he is only a year removed from playing significant minutes for a championship contender.  For me, he gets to play 12 minutes a game behind Dwight Howard.  Sounds just right.  Of course, I may just play the next guy I draft…

Team Ginsberg – DeJuan Blair, PF, 23; $1.1 million cap hit

DeJuan was a clear first round talent coming out of college, but concerns about his ACLs (legitimate at the time) dropped him into the early second round. Guess how many regular season games he has missed in his first 3 years in the NBA? Three. He has started in just under ⅔ of those games, and has posted a PER of above 17 while shooting over 50% from the field in all three of those seasons. Yeah, I think I’ll take a 23 year old Blair at the end of the 10th round at a salary barely over $1 million.

Team McNamara – Reggie Evans, PF, 32; $1.6 million cap hit

The Clippers paid DeAndre Jordan close to $50 million dollars last summer, but when it was crunch time late in the season and in the playoffs, it was Reggie Evans, a guy who signed for the veteran’s minimum, that got all the minutes at center. Some guys don’t have the prettiest stats and they don’t have the prototypical measurables, but they just know how to play the game and Reggie Evans has stayed in the league this long because he is that guy. I want him on my team.

ROUND ELEVEN

Team McNamara – John Lucas III, PG, 29; $1.5 million cap hit

When Derrick Rose went out last year, everybody thought the Bulls would fold, but instead, they finished tied for the best record in the league. John Lucas III was the reason. In games that he started in place of Rose, he averaged 16.5 points, 5 assists, and 4.5 rebounds. Even as a reserve after the All-Star break, he gave his team 10, 3, and 2 in just 17 minutes. He is locked in at a very small number for the next two years, but if he gets the chance to play, I can see him becoming a Kyle Lowry type of player with regard to production.

Team Ginsberg – Doron Lamb, SG, 20; $0.65 million cap hit

My team’s guards are all good 3-point shooters, but none of them are truly lethal. Enter Lamb, an outstanding long range shooter in college and a player who played his best when the stakes were highest. He made 47.5% of his three-point attempts in his two collegiate seasons and was Kentucky’s leading scorer in the 2012 National Championship, scoring 22 points on just 12 shots with only one turnover in the 67-59 victory. Lamb shoots the rock with the best of them, takes care of the ball, and defends his position well, making me feel very good about adding him to this already stacked squad.

Team Schwan – Nick Collison, PF, 31; $2.9 million cap hit

Seriously? Imagine my surprise that he hadn’t already been picked! Collison makes a magnificent 3rd big man on any team, and his cap hit is small with the vast majority of his contract having already been paid out in a massive signing bonus last year. No one defends harder, draws more charges, and gives everything he can. Easy pick.

Team Calmes – Tony Parker, PG, 30; $12.5 million cap hit

Now that I’ve picked through the draftees, role players, and minimum contract players while everyone else was two steps behind, I’ll pick up Tony Parker as a starting PG. He can run an offense, score, and his worth-it contract (with partially guaranteed final year to boot) is up right when Kyrie needs to get paid. I love it when a plan comes together.

Team Gerrity – Jordan Farmar, PG, 25; $1.5 million cap hit

For the last backcourt man in the rotation, Farmar is far from a bad choice.

Team Smith – Jermaine O’Neal, C, 33; $0.85 million cap hit

I was hoping to get Reggie Evans here, but I’m okay with getting O’Neal. He is the type of guy that every team needs, a guy that is will fight for rebounds, charges, can defend the post, & will give 100% every night. I’m just crossing my fingers that his knees can last me a couple more seasons.

Team MadisonJason Smith, PF, 26; $2.5 million cap hit

Smith is on a cheap contract and dramatically improved his game last season. He a solid pick and pop big man–and you know how well that worked with David West and Chris Paul–but he also has a bit of a post game in him as well. He also seems to come up with rebounds he should have no business grabbing. I like that. Rumor has it he is working on his corner 3. I like that, too.

Team Grayson Lance Thomas, PF, 24; $o.76 million cap hit

He’s a hustler who gives my team some added depth on the front line. Again, I didn’t have much cap space so my options were limited.

ROUND TWELVE

Team GraysonRashard Lewis, SF, 33; $1.4 million cap hit

A lot of people underrate Lewis because of the massive contract given to him. But he’s one of the best pure shooters in the league and will give me something off the bench.

Team Madison – Darius Morris, SG, 21; $0.96 million cap hit

Morris went to my high school, Windward, in Los Angeles. That is the only reason I’m taking him. It may seem like a wasted pick, but I don’t plan on playing 12 guys anyway. Welcome to the team, Darius!

Team Smith – Carlos Delfino, SF, 30; $3 million cap hit

A good wing defender, solid rebounder for his position, & makes smart plays with the ball in his hands.

Team Gerrity – Mirza Teletovic, PF, 26; $3.1 million cap hit

My hope is that people won’t be saying “who” when he hits the court.

Team Calmes – Manu Ginobili, SG, 35; $14.1 million cap hit

Picking up a player from a fourth continent is a fun perk that comes with selecting Manu in round 12. He’s played significant minutes at small forward in recent years, and he can do that on this team with its tough interior and fluid, scoring backcourt. This huge expiring is the sixth on this team, so we are set this season and setting the table for the next.

Team Schwan – Alexey Shved, G, 23; $3 million cap hit

Alexey has been the primary ball-handler and scorer for one of the best teams in Europe for about three years now, and was excellent in the olympics this summer.  My team is in need of a solid backup guard who can run the point if Patty Mills is getting a little too shot happy.  As a 12th man, Shved is ideal.

Team GinsbergGordon Hayward, SF, 22; $2.7 million cap hit

Waiting to take my third player on a rookie-scale deal turned into a huge advantage, as it allowed me to wait until the second to last pick of the entire draft to grab a very valuable player while focusing earlier picks on cheaper-priced talent. Hayward was my pick here for two reasons – insurance and potential. By adding Hayward, I’m still a title contender even if any of my wing players (besides LeBron) suffer an injury. Additionally, he has done nothing but improve considerably throughout his first two seasons; the difference in his numbers from before and after the 2011-12 all-star break alone were staggering. In fact, he led the entire Jazz team (with >10 mpg) in true shooting % (60.7%) and effective FG% (53.9%) while scoring the 3rd most points per game on the team (14.1) after the all-star break. Hayward is learning the NBA game, and fast; I’ll take him before the NBA truly learns about him.

Team McNamaraJon Leuer, SF, 23; $0.76 million cap hit

Mr. Irrelevant? I think not. Jon Leuer came out of nowhere to have a surprisingly efficient rookie season last year and shows the ability to fit in as a stretch four in this league for years to come. In fact, if there is one young guy in the league that I can see becoming the next Ryan Anderson, it’s Leuer because of his all-out effort, intensity, and ability to hit the long two at a high percentage. Once he extends his range another foot or two, he will prove to be a deadly offensive weapon.

 

Team-by-Team Breakdown through 12 Rounds

Final team rosters (rookie-scale contract players in italics)

Now you can see every team’s final roster. Early next week, we will each answer various questions about the methodology that each of us used to construct our teams and who each of us feel provides the biggest threat both in the short-term and long-term. Before that, though, we’d love to hear what our readers think! Post your thoughts below.

Here are the details of rounds 1-4 and rounds 5-8, for reference.

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