Now that the NBA Draft Lottery has set the order for the 2012 NBA Draft, former Florida Gators guard Bradley Beal now has to wonder what team will he go to. According to SB Nation's Tom Ziller, the former Gator is projected to be selected at No. 4 by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Cavs' own pick landed at No. 4 for the second straight season; it looks like the team may have made a mistake in 2011 by taking Tristan Thompson (rawer than sushi) over Jonas Valanciunas. But Thompson is nonetheless in place, as is Kyrie Irving, which means it makes most sense (absent the smart strategy of taking the best player available regardless of position) to take a two-guard or wing. In this mock, that means Bradley Beal or Harrison Barnes. I think Barnes' hype will bounce back strong after the combine, but Beal is seen by many (and perhaps the Cavs) as the better prospect right now.
Beal is the kind of shooter that could really compliment Kyrie Irving's inside play well. If both players wind up on the same team, the Cavaliers could be finding brighter days ahead of them.
The NBA Draft is scheduled for June 30 at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
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