2012 NBA Draft Order: Which Surprise Prospect Will Go in the Top 5?

Damian Lillard is becoming more popular every day as the 2012 NBA draft approaches, and many fans will be shocked when is taken in the first five picks.

The NBA is a point guard-driven league, and at least one of the teams picking in the top five will look to upgrade at the position. 

ESPN’s draft expert Chad Ford went to watch Lillard work out in Oakland and gave him a rave review.

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Lillard put on one of the most impressive workouts I've seen in a while. The grueling 1½-hour session had Lillard going full speed for the entire workout. He ran the length of the floor repeatedly, shuffled side to side with medicine balls, shot jumpers with a huge tether around his waist and, as the sweat poured down his face, he just kept hitting shot after shot after shot.

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The biggest concern about the point guard, a Weber State alum, is his ability to make the jump to the pro level after playing against small schools.

However, Lillard proved that he is remarkably talented by putting up gaudy numbers during his junior year. He finished second in the nation with 24.5 points per game. He was also an extremely efficient scorer, shooting 46.7 percent from the floor, 40.9 percent from behind the three-point line and 88.7 percent on his free throws.

As ESPN Stats & Info points out, he is also great at playing the pick-and-roll.

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Lillard torches opposing teams as both a scorer and passer. Among players with at least 50 pick-and-roll plays, he averages the second-most points per play in Division I and created an additional 96 points on 82 passes with just six turnovers. 

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At 6’2” and 185 pounds, he is not big for a point guard, but he is not small either. He is very fast and is an elite athlete, so his physical attributes will not cause any concern.

Ford, in the same article, projects Lillard as a top-ten pick and claims that the majority of NBA general managers feel the same way.

Given how important point guards are to a team’s success in today’s fast-paced NBA, any team that needs a floor general should not pass up on Lillard.

As the draft nears, word of Lillard’s reputation as a workout junkie will continue to spread, and he will be very high on many team’s draft boards.

At least one of the teams picking two through five in the draft will need a point guard, and Lillard is the best option available at the position.