NBA Draft 2012: Dion Waiters and Energetic Prospects Who Will Make an Impact

The 2012 NBA Playoffs have arrived in style, with the usual suspects like LeBron James, Derrick Rose and Kevin Durant leading their teams into the postseason as favorites.

What do all of those players have in common?

They have the help of energetic teammates who set the tone for the rest of the squad. Players like James Harden and Joakim Noah, who bring an unmatched energy to the court night in and night out, inspiring their teammates and respective franchises in the process.

But before they could help contend for an NBA championship, they had to be drafted. So without further ado, here are a few 2012 energetic prospects who will make an impact at the next level.

Jeff Taylor, SF, Vanderbilt

Jeff Taylor is one of the most intelligent players available in this year's draft in terms of his basketball IQ and ability to make the right decision from the small forward position.

Taylor can do it all on the court and is one of the better defenders out there this summer. The 22-year-old Sweden native averaged 16.1 points and 5.6 rebounds per game in his senior season with Vanderbilt, while shooting a remarkable 42.3 percent from beyond the arc.

Taylor's effort was a huge key to the Commodores success during the four years he played with the program and whichever team drafts him or signs him as a free agent this summer will get more of the same.

Draymond Green, SF, Michigan State

Michigan State's Draymond Green was arguably the best passing big man in college basketball during his last three seasons with the Spartans, averaging close to four assists per game as a 6'6" small forward.

Green averaged a double-double, 16.2 points and 10.6 rebounds per game in 2011-12 for Tom Izzo's squad, helping lead the Spartans to a Big Ten Tournament title and a No. 1 seed in the 2012 NCAA Tournament. 

Though NBA scouts and experts are concerned about where Green fits in an NBA rotation as a big who seems to play better with the ball in his hands, his leadership and consistent energy output suggest he will forge a solid career as a pro.

Dion Waiters, SG, Syracuse

Few players available in this summer's 2012 NBA draft attack the rim with as much confidence as Syracuse sixth man Dion Waiters, who averaged 12.6 points per game in 2011-12 in his sophomore season with the Orange.

The 20-year-old Waiters demonstrated poise beyond his years this past season, helping lead Jim Boeheim's bunch to the Elite Eight of the 2012 NCAA Tournament. 

At 6'4", Waiters has deceptively good leaping ability and is rare in that he prefers to penetrate rather than settle for a jump shot as a guard.

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