2012 NBA Draft: Harrison Barnes and College Stars Who Will Falter
The 2012 NBA draft will certainly feature some outstanding players.
It's primed to be an extremely deep draft that should feature first-round type talent that ultimately will fall into the second round of the draft.
But as usual, there will be some highly-ranked guys out there who, for one reason or another, will fail to ultimately reach their full potential.
Here's a look at a handful of guys that, at the end of the day, may not end up reaching their full potential as NBA players.
Harrison Barnes, North Carolina
Barnes is definitely a gifted scorer with the potential to carry an NBA offense, but there's a ton to be concerned about his overall game.
The fact that he wasn't able to do anything at all offensively without Kendall Marshall in the lineup has raised some red flags about Barnes. As is the fact that Barnes never did much while at North Carolina but score. He never put up numbers rebounding or passing the ball and must be able to show a commitment on the defensive end to be successful.
Andre Drummond, Connecticut
Similar to Barnes, Drummond has all the talent in the world and the potential to be great at the NBA level, but all the things that could potentially make him great—his size, length, athleticism and an NBA body—he failed to completely use to his advantage this season.
His potential and upside will make him a top-five pick should Drummond decide to come out, but similar to Barnes, another year of school might not be the worst thing in the world for Drummond.
Coming out too soon could be detrimental for both guys' careers.
Meyers Leonard, Illinois
Leonard is a true seven-footer with talent, but if he comes out after his sophomore season, it could be a mistake.
His offensive game is starting to come around nicely, but it could still use some more work. Leonard also could stand to add some more muscle to his frame before he matches up against stronger NBA players on a nightly basis.
Tyler Zeller, North Carolina
There's a lot to like about Zeller's game, but I have a hard time seeing him being more than a serviceable NBA big man at best.
There's no doubting that Zeller's a great athlete. He runs the floor well and has great leaping skills, but being a dominant NBA big man might not be in the cards for Zeller, even though he put together an outstanding NCAA Tournament.
Having to play a physical game on a nightly basis isn't one of Zeller's strengths and ultimately may cost him to falter as an NBA player.
Jared Sullinger, Ohio State
Sullinger is that great college player that always turns into an average NBA big man. He's not a great athlete and often has trouble against longer, more athletic defenders. Unfortunately, that's pretty much all he will see at the NBA level.
Conditioning has always been a concern, and he lacks the proper lateral quickness and explosiveness to be a dominant NBA big man. Improving his mid-range game a great deal could solve some of that, but overall, Sullinger could be a gamble.
