Vying For The Top Spot: Much like NCAA Tournament brackets, NBA mock draft boards change a great deal from their original state. At the beginning of the year there is a select group of players contending for the top overall spot and by the end it could be a completely different set.
As far as the 2012 draft is concerned, there are more than a handful of prospects who could justify being projected as the number one pick right now. With the NBA’s lockout scaring away a lot of the top freshmen in 2011, there is going to be a lot of pro-ready talent playing college basketball this season.
The headliner is undoubtedly North Carolina Tar Heels forward Harrison Barnes. Barnes was a preseason All-American out of high school, the first ever, and those lofty expectations had a negative effect on him early in the year. He was underwhelming and really looking like another prospect who was a victim of being over hyped before finishing the year with a vengeance.
For those who prefer experience of potential, Barnes is going to occupy the top spot. He’s the prototypical small forward in every sense, possessing a complete package skill wise with ideal size. He’s also a great competitor with great leadership qualities. He’s going to really impress teams during workouts in the weeks leading up to the draft.
The same can be said for Ohio State forward Jared Sullinger, who definitely would have been a lottery selection in the 2011 NBA Draft. Opting to stay in school instead due to his desire to win a national championship, Sullinger has set the bar high for his production. He dominated college basketball from day one last year and will be expected to do the same this year. With a solid supporting cast, Sullinger’s Buckeyes are considered an early favorite to make the Final Four.
Baylor’s Perry Jones is also going to be surrounded by a nice team with the ability to make some major noise during the 2011-2012 campaign. The team success wasn’t what it could have been last year, so Jones needs to prioritize winning over everything. NBA scouts and GMs already know about everything that he is capable of, but they want to see him put the total package together because the ingredients are there for a dominant presence. He’s fallen out of the number one spot that he occupied for a few weeks last year, however, it’s still very much within reach.
It’s been proven over time in the draft, though, that there is a noticeable advantage that comes with being younger and the incoming freshmen class is loaded with some serious star potential. Mainly in Kentucky forward Anthony Davis, a 6’10 big man who will remind a lot of people of the young version of Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett.
Davis is overflowing with raw talent and has improved rapidly as of late. He currently occupies the top spot on a lot of mock drafts, but it’s very difficult to project how a freshman’s game will translate before ever seeing him play. He’s going to be making some serious adjustments both on and off the court that will make the transaction difficult. Sometimes the most promising high school seniors are busts in college. Chances are that Davis makes a major immediate impact, but you absolutely never know.
If Davis takes a while to adjust like Barnes, there are several other members of the 2011 high school recruiting class who could take his place. Baylor’s Quincy Miller is well rested after missing his senior year with a torn ACL. Word is that he’s made a full recovery and that he’s prepped to give the Big 12 nightmares when it comes to matching up with him.
North Carolina’s James McAdoo is another interesting name to keep an eye on. The Tar Heels are going to be in the mix for a national championship and the past two times they’ve won it their top freshmen’s stock has skyrocketed. McAdoo can keep the trend that Ed Davis of the Toronto Raptors and Marvin Williams of the Atlanta Hawks set with his mature game. McAdoo possesses the upside of a freshmen, but is far more advanced than your average one.
Other players who could put themselves in consideration for the number one pick in the 2012 draft include Patric Young (Florida), Bradley Beal (Florida), Austin Rivers (Duke), Terrence Jones (Kentucky) and Michael Gilchrist (Kentucky).Note: Along with having great talent, the 2012 draft is interesting because there’s no set plan for how it will be conducted if the lockout cancels the 2011-2012 NBA regular season. There has been lots of speculation and suggestions that vary from a league-wide lottery where everyone has equal chances and there being no draft all together with incoming rookies simply being unrestricted free agents. Whichever route the league decides to take, there’s one certainty: there is going to be a lot of intriguing new talent in the league come 2012-2013 as long as there’s no increase in the age limit.
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