NBA Draft 2012: Draymond Green and the Biggest Steals of Round 2
The NBA draft is quite interesting in that the general thought is it is very difficult to find impact players outside the lottery. Elite prospects are obviously drafted in the lottery, but there have been plenty of star players taken later in the first round and even in the second round over the years.
The success rate may not be the best, but there are at least a few star-quality players taken in the second every year.
Although the second round has begun to degenerate a bit as many teams take international players and stash them despite the fact that many may never see the NBA, there were quite a few players taken this year who could have an immediate impact. Maybe there isn't a Hall of Fame-caliber player ready to bust out, but they should be serviceable players nonetheless.
Here are three high-value second rounders who will prove to be steals and should have been drafted much earlier.
If nothing else, Michigan State forward Draymond Green has an intriguing skill set that makes him a player to keep an eye on at the NBA level. At 6'8" and 236 lbs, he will have to play small forward rather than power forward in the NBA, but his ability suggests that he can pull it off.
Green was the unquestioned leader for the Spartans and one of the most versatile players in college basketball. Despite that, he fell out of the first round, but the Golden State Warriors were wise to snap him up at No. 35.
Green can do a little bit of everything, as he is a good shooter and can drive to the basket on offense. He is also an extremely good rebounder. Green's biggest asset, though, is his passing. There are point guards who aren't as instinctive and decisive with their passing as Green, and that makes him a very valuable commodity.
Green will have to compete with Dorell Wright, Harrison Barnes and Klay Thompson for playing time, but his passing will fit into the Warriors offense very well, as they have several good catch-and-shoot players.
Quincy Miller
While it may not be the case, if players were drafted solely based on their athletic ability, Baylor forward Quincy Miller would have been a sure-fire first rounder. Many believed that he would be taken in the opening round, but Miller slipped into the second and the Denver Nuggets were lucky to nab him at pick No. 38.
Miller played just one season at Baylor, but his talent is undeniable, as he averaged 10.6 points and 4.9 rebounds per game in just over 24 minutes per contest. The sample size is small, but there is a lot to like about Miller.
The most interesting thing about Miller is his 6'10", 219-lb frame. The Nuggets would probably like to see him put on at least 10 lbs, but he doesn't want to get too bulky and compromise his game. Miller can score both inside and out, and while he has some work to do on the defensive end, his athleticism can make up for some shortcomings.
Denver took an international player in the form of Evan Fournier in the first round, so Miller will likely be the only rookie on the roster this season and has a chance to make his mark right away.
Doron Lamb
He may have been the last Kentucky starter taken in this year's NBA draft, but shooting guard Doron Lamb has a chance to be one of the most productive of the bunch. Despite possessing first-round skills, Lamb plummeted into the second round where the Milwaukee Bucks ended his free fall at No. 42.
Lamb doesn't have the same explosiveness as any of his Wildcats teammates taken in the first round, but he has plenty of substance. Few players in the draft are more offensively efficient than Lamb, as he averaged nearly 14 points per game this season despite taking just nine shots per contest.
He had to share the floor with a lot of stars, so he didn't score at a high volume even though he was capable of doing so. Lamb still managed to hit over 47 percent of his shots and make nearly two three-pointers per game, though, so he seems like the classic example of a guy who could be better in the NBA than he was in college.
Lamb proved how good he could be in the National Championship Game, as he led Kentucky with 22 points. Milwaukee seems like the perfect landing spot, as Lamb could be a featured player within a year or two.
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