FanPost

NBA Draft Big Board (15+)

Here's a Big Board for the 2012 NBA Draft, most of the decisions have been made of who's in and who's out and whatnot. No HUGE surprises, I don't think, but one or two spots may jump out at you a bit. The Big Board itself after the jump...

1. Anthony Davis





PF Kentucky. 6'11" 220

Davis got plenty of national recongnition, winning the NPOY award as well as leading the Cats to a title.

He has a ridiculous wingspan (I've heard around 7'4" or 7'5") combined with athleticism, a motor, and timing. Offense is still raw but he looks intelligent and has good form on his shot (and he's a good FT shooter).

Teams will hope he can fill out his frail frame, as he's only 215-220 lbs. He may just be naturally skinny and have a lot of trouble filling out (think Tayshaun Prince, I'm sure the dude lifted weights but the beef just never came. Or how about Jeremy Evans, 6'9" 194 lbs and he's 24 years old).

2. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist




SF Kent. 6'7" 220

Perfect size for a 2/3 wing player, handles the ball well and shows court vision. Good FT shooter, still developing a 3-pt shot, but gets to the rim.

Length and feet help are great for defense. Reminds me of Andre Iguodala but a bit quicker off the dribble.

I don't like the fact that he played with SO much talent at UK, and sometimes wasn't even in the game at crunch time. Can he actually carry an offensive load? Does he have the mindset to do it? We didn't see it in college.

3. Andre Drummond




C UConn. 6'11" 270

Has a truly elite size/athleticism combo, similar to Emeka Okafor. A strong rebounder and very sound shot blocker (2.7 per). On offense, he has soft hands and can finish within 10-12 feet but still looks raw and is awful at Free Throws (just 30%).

Taking huge guys like him in the Top 5 is risky because these guys often have chronic knee problems (or health issues in general) (Oden, Andrew Bogut, Bynum sort-of).

4. Jeremy Lamb
Jeremy_lamb_ncaa_men_championship_butler_v_lxyc70jd8sol_medium

SG UConn. 6'5" 190

Lamb is the most underrated player in the Top 20. He has great height/length (7'1" wingspan) and is a smooth athlete. Combine that with a fine 3-pt stroke and a pull-up jumper. Lamb also has a nice floater to go to, although sometimes he uses it when he should just get to the rim. That explains his lack of FT Atts, only 3.6.

Is a good defender, gets a lot of steals and moves his feet well. His only knocks are his thin frame (should fill out) and his tendency to dissappear for short stretches.

5. Thomas Robinson Missouri_kansas_basketball_0bb32_medium

PF Kansas 6'9" 240

Athleticism, upper body strength, and touch near the rim are what makes his game. He gets to the rim well with one dribble and finishes with either hand. He has a decent mid-range jumper, and should be face-up threat in the NBA.

He doesn't block many shots, a negative for any big man. His 6'9" height isn't much of an issue but could be significant if his mid-range shot doesn't become consistent.

One thing to note is that his effort and willingness are truly excellent on the floor, and I've heard that his work ethic is very good as well.

6. Harrison Barnes
Harrison-barnes_medium

SF UNC. 6'8" 220

Barnes saw his stock drop a bit late in the season, and it's somewhat well deserved. Great shooter, great size, decent explosiveness, but his issue is his inability to create his own shot, and it showed when Marshall got hurt. If he is playing with a great facilitating PG, he should have no problems scoring 20 per game by his 3rd or 4th season.

Barnes needs to improve his handle and court vision. He's easy to double team, as he sometimes just ends up taking an impossible shot or throwing it away. 1.1 APG to 1.9 TPG shows his lack of guard skills.

7. Kendall Marshall


PG UNC. 6'4" 195

Marshall could be the next PG in line to average 10+ assists per game. He has amazing court vision, and is at his best on the break.

His shooting should improve but he's better than people think, he hit 35% from 3-pt this season. And he drove to the rack more at the end of the season and finished well.

Not a great athlete, but a decent one, but not as good as what you usually find in the Top 10. Won't be a stud on "D" but his height helps him, although quicker PGs may take advantage off the dribble.

8. Brad Beal

141016093_extra_large_medium


PG/SG Florida 6'4" 200

Beal is a well-built combo guard with a nice feel for the game. His athleticism is good, but not elite, but he makes up for that with strength and craft.

He has a nice shooting stroke, but struggled a bit this season (34% from 3-pt). Good FT shooter, good around the rim. Good defender, shows effort, and really excels on the boards (6 RPG).

9. Perry Jones


PF Baylor

6'11" 235

I really like Jones (often called PJ3). He's 6'11" with skills and light feet, and a bounce to his step. It's very rare to find that in a guy who is 6'11", and actually has a nice frame as well (235-lbs is good for his youth). He looks like he'll be an Amare-Stoudemire type of offensive player.

Jones sometimes will dissappear for a short stretch and doesn't always have good tenacity, but if a coach can get to him to play more 100% all the time he could be a 20-25-pt 8-10 reb player.

On defense he isn't "mean" and doesn't block many shots, but he looks aware and is long and lack of weight won't be an issue.

10. Tyler Zeller


PF/C UNC

7' 250

Zeller really helped his stock with a dominant final month of the season. He had 3 double-doubles in the last 5 games. Zeller should continue to get those in the NBA.

Zeller is one of few 7-footers available, and he has more skill and athleticism than any others. He has a nice hook shot, a decent mid-range and FT, and he scores on the break. He is excellent at running the floor.

Although he's 7-ft 250, Zeller sometimes gets outbodied in the paint by other big guys. It's a concern that he had 4 years, and still needs to improve strength. His ceiling isn't as high as some other prospects because of his age and time spent in college.

11. Jared Sullinger


PF/C Ohio State. 6'9" 270

Sullinger was a dominant force in the Big Ten, as while he won't dominate the NBA, I expect him to be a good big man.

Strength, IQ, and "touch" are his best attributes. He has a wide base, around 270-lbs, and he uses it well. He's a smart player, puts himself in position and sees the floor. Around the rim, he has nice touch on hooks, layups, and midrange jumpers (and occasion 3-pointer).

Issues are that he's only 6'9", which is short for center, but he's not athletic enough to play PF for long stretches. He seemed to struggle when matched up with NBA-sized Big Men.

12. Terrence Jones


PF Kentucky

6'9" 250

Jones is a true PF and should NOT be moved to SF in the NBA. At 6'9" 250 Jones has nice size and weight, and uses it to bang in the paint. He also can move his game out to the perimeter, where he can shoot the 3. Surprisingly good passing, and has a nice handle for a big man. Only above-average athlete, however, and would do good with 1-2 more inches. A bit inconsistent.

13. Dion Waiters


PG/SG Syracuse

6'4" 215

Waiters isn't all that tall for a 2-guard, but he possesses great strength and carries solid weight. A good first step, but not elite, and is good at the rim. He has a sweet 3-pt shot and can hit the midrange as well. He should be able to play defense, but is unproven, as the Cuse always play a 2-3 Zone. It's unknown if Waiters can play PG full time or if he'll be forced to play 2.

14. Royce White

SF/PF Iowa State

6'8" 260

White's measureables are about the same as LeBron James. That's good news. White uses his strength on rebounding and when he gets into the paint on offense. He has great finishing strength. It's extremely notable that he has exceptional guard skills for a 3/4 player. He handles the ball well, and dishes 4 assists per.

One issue is his awful shooting, he has no 3-pt shot and is a 49% FT shooter. And his anxiety disorder has to be a concern, although I'm not sure how significant.

15. Arnett Moultrie


PF Miss State

6'11" 230

Moultrie is a tall and long 6'11" with tremendous leaping ability, making him a great alley-oop threat. It allows him to be a force on the boards as well. Offense looks good, he has a nice jumper that he doesn't use often enough, and a good FT shooter. Needs to improve with his back to the basket and add strength to bang inside. I don't like that he blocks less than 1 shot per game despite being 6'11" and athletic.

Just missing the cut, but sure 1st rounders (not necessarily in order)....

Austin Rivers PG/SG Duke



Damian Lillard PG Weber State



Terrence Ross SG Washington



John Henson PF UNC



Meyers Leonard C Illinois

Quincy Miller SF Baylor

Also, please vote in the poll below.

I think this poll should be interesting because while almost everyone agrees that Davis is the best player in this class and will be the best NBA player, he likely won't be averaging 25 points per game, that's just not his game (although I expect him to be around 18-22). Meanwhile, the Monta Ellis factor could come into play, where someone emerges as a pure scorer who doesn't do much else.

Who do you expect to develop into the best pure scorer out of this draft class? Answer below!

For the record, I've got my money on Jeremy Lamb.

FanPosts are user-generated blogs-within-the-blog. We require that members abide by our <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/community-guidelines" target="new">community guidelines</a> and keep things respectable.