Brad Beal was my No. 2 pick a pre-lottery mock draft, nudging ahead of Kentucky’s Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. I don’t think I’ll be changing my assessment in the wake of last week’s draft lottery, even though New Orleans leapfrogged Charlotte (cough, rigged, cough) and has the top pick. The Hornets will obviously take Anthony Davis, and offensively-challenged Charlotte, one of the worst teams in NBA history, will no doubt select Beal.

The Bobcats were last in the league in scoring, field goal percentage, and 3-point shooting. Beal only averaged a modest 14.8 ppg as a freshman, but the McDonald’s All-American was playing with chuckers like Erving Walker, Kenny Boynton and reserve Mike Rosario. Beal should start immediately and could even lead the 25-win Bobcats in scoring. Especially if he plays like the Ray Allen/Dwyane Wade player he thinks he is:

I’m an all-around player. I love to get my teammates involved. Comparing myself to somebody else, the way I shoot, I shoot similarly to Ray Allen. And when I drive to the basket, I like to compare myself to Dwyane Wade because we have the same body type or whatever. I like to compare myself to those two guys.

The only way the Bobcats don’t draft Beal is if they trade down a few spots in hopes of acquiring another first round pick – perhaps they covet former UNC shooter Harrison Barnes? – but is there a team with two first round picks that loves Beal that much to trade up and grab him? Charlotte has plenty of holes, so maybe it would entertain taking picks 6 and 11 from Portland in exchange for No. 2? Well, maybe if Portland decided it really wanted Thomas Robinson to pair with LaMarcus Aldridge, maybe they’d do it …