NBA Draft 2012: Prospects Who Will Be Late Bloomers in the Pros

The best player in a draft class doesn't always wind up winning Rookie of the Year honors.

It can take time for some of these guys' lightbulbs to click, for 19-year-olds and 22-year-olds alike. The difficulty to adjust to the NBA has less to do with age and more to do with experience at a professional level.

The demands of an 82-game season and the accountability to for-profit organizations with uncompromising bottom lines can be mentally daunting.

The adjustment to bigger, quicker and more driven athletes can be physically daunting as well. 

Some give up and seemingly resign themselves to mediocrity. Others just don't last in the league. But a precious few have the work ethic to relentlessly improve their skills, no matter how long that takes.

Here are a few prospects who may require some patience:

Sacramento Kings: Andre Drummond, C (UConn)

Drummond will become a pro after just one season at Connecticut. That's not unusual by any means, but it will give the young big a steeper learning curve. He has the perfect combination and size and strength to be first-rate center but remains painfully inconsistent.

His ability to play in the post and score is also raw, and we've yet to see how quickly he'll learn to do all the little things NBA success demands. Drummond could become an All-Star, but it could take him a few extra years to get there. 

Terrence Jones, SF (Kentucky)

Like Drummond, Jones has the physical ability and upside to become something special in the NBA. He stayed at Kentucky for a second year, and while there wasn't significant improvement, his shot-selection and efficiency did improve.

Also like Drummond, Jones will be an immediate asset defensively—he's reminiscent of a slightly smaller Josh Smith at times. It could take him some time to become a star on the offensive end, though.

John Henson, PF (North Carolina)

Henson has the athletic capacity to immediately impact any interior defense with his proficient rebounding and shot-blocking, and his motor may be second only to Anthony Davis among this year's bigs. 

Still, Henson needs to add some strength before he can make an Ibaka-like impact in the paint. He'll also need to improve his mid-range shot. Those developments could take time.

Jeff Taylor, SF (Vanderbilt)

Taylor is a gritty on-ball defender who could become special with an improved offensive game. He improved his perimeter shooting dramatically as a senior and looks well on his way to becoming more than just another another Thabo Sefolosha. But that's exactly who he'll look like in his first few seasons.

Meyers Leonard, C (Illinois)

Like Henson, Leonard needs to add strength to body up in the NBA paint. The sophomore showed incredible improvement in his second season—he scored efficiently, collected over eight rebounds a game and averaged 1.9 blocks.

 

Nevertheless, it's almost always difficult for young centers to hit the ground running in the NBA. Leonard will get there eventually, though.