NBA Draft 2012: Overrated Players with High Bust Potential Teams Should Avoid

Every NBA draft will produce at least a couple busts, there's no way to avoid it. That's why teams are smart to select a safe prospect, even if he has slightly less upside, rather than going out on a limb to take player that has a lot of potential, but a lot of work to do to reach that level.

Let's take a look at three players that teams should avoid based on their current value. All of them probably could have used another year or two in college to hone their skills, which isn't an easy task when trying to break into an NBA lineup.

Perry Jones III

Jones will likely be selected in the lottery because of his terrific size and athleticism, but there's no guarantee he'll ever be able to translate those raw tools into success at the next level. He showed no improvement from his first to second season at Baylor.

He lacks strength, something he has tried to offset by adding a mid-range game to his arsenal to moderate success. Without the power to dominate in the post or a reliable jump shot, his offensive game will be limited at the beginning of his career.

The forward also struggled with inconsistency in his final season with the Bears. He chipped in just nine points in the team's first two tournament games. He's an impressive athlete, but the amount of work left to do should be worrisome to teams.

Austin Rivers

Even though he was a highly-touted recruit, it was surprising to see Rivers declare for the draft after just one season at Duke. He was a volume scorer that didn't contribute much in any other area of the game, making another year under Mike Krzyzewski seem like the wise move.

Rivers' struggles on the defensive end are the biggest concern. He'll go up against some of the best scorers on the planet at shooting guard and he just hasn't shown the ability to slow those type of players down. So, regardless of how many points he scores, he'll likely give them all back on the other end.

When you pair that with a bunch of secondary issues such as a lack of distribution skills and free-throw shooting woes, Rivers probably deserves to get selected in the second round. The hype surrounding him will make him get picked way earlier, though.

Tony Wroten

Another freshman guard who probably should have stayed in school, Wroten is already being projected on the first-round fringe. Just like Rivers, he was a volume scorer that has a long way to go before NBA coaches will feel comfortable giving him extended minutes.

He had more turnovers than assists in his one season at Washington, which isn't ideal for a player that was projected as a point guard. His jump shot isn't consistent enough to become a full-time shooting guard at the next level, either.

Teams expect their first picks to contribute immediately and there are plenty of questions as to whether or not Wroten can do that. He'd be a better fit in Round 2, where the pressure for him to exceed would be far less.