NBA Draft 2012: 5 College Studs with Biggest Red Flags
The 2012 NBA Draft in June promises to be one that’s deep in talent and, like any draft in any sport, this one will feature a few players destined to be stars at the next level.
It also will come with more than a couple players who have red flags attached to them for one reason or another. These are the guys who could become NBA stars, but are risky propositions. They have to potential to become busts as easily as they could become All-Stars.
Here’s a quick look at a few guys that teams need to tread very careful with as they have a ton of talent, but come with a ton of risk as well.
Andre Drummond, Connecticut
Next to Kentucky’s Anthony Davis, no one in the draft has more upside than Drummond.
He’s got an NBA-frame and a potentially dominant game, but teams have to be concerned about his freshman season at UConn.
Drummond didn’t dominate; posting meager numbers of 10.2 PPG and 7.7 RPG, but the concerning part is that Drummond didn’t really get any better throughout the season. If he comes out, he will be a lottery pick and has the skill set to be a solid NBA big man, but judging by his freshman season, he’s very risky and could use another year of college.
Jared Sullinger, Ohio State
Sullinger declared for the draft after leading the Buckeyes to the Final Four, but while he’s got an effective post game and is a solid rebounder, he also comes with a ton of red flags.
For one, he’s not a great athlete, which will hurt him in the NBA. He’s a legitimate NBA prospect, but his limited speed is a concern as are his weight issues and conditioning. Sullinger’s shown that he’s had some problems against longer and more athletic defender and that’s exactly what he will see on a nightly basis in the NBA.
Austin Rivers, Duke
There’s no doubting that Rivers has the ability to be a natural scorer at the next level, but he comes with some red flags as well.
He has a tendency to become too focused on isolating (tunnel vision) and scoring as opposed to taking what the defense gives him and facilitating for others. Rivers also didn’t show the ability to play well without the ball at Duke and struggled using his teammates effectively.
Kendall Marshall, North Carolina
Marshall has the gifts that a true point guard needs. He has a high basketball IQ, sees the floor very well, is an effortless passer and makes all of his teammates better.
But he also has a ton of question marks, including athletically, defensively and with his shooting , which makes him less than a sure thing.
Perry Jones III, Baylor
No one in this draft class has more question marks than Jones.
He has a skill set that should make him a top three selection, but he hasn’t been able to bring the performance out on a consistent basis while in a Baylor uniform.
He runs like a deer and can jump through the gym, but his disappearing act, most recently in the NCAA Tournament has to raise the caution flag. Also concerning is the fact that his numbers really didn’t get much better from his freshman to sophomore seasons.
