NBA Draft 2012: Which Player Not Named Anthony Davis Will Be the Best Pro?

After Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, his co-star at Kentucky, will be the best pro to come out of the 2012 NBA Draft.

Davis is the consensus No. 1 pick; a long, athletic, hard-working specimen with a defensive attitude and developing offensive game that reminds most scouts of a young Kevin Garnett.  He isn’t a pick you pass up.  But there are big questions about who, within the pool of five to six ultra-talented but flawed players that will be drafted immediately after Davis, will become the other great star of this draft.

Andre Drummond, the enigmatic center prospect from the University of Connecticut, has the most upside.  His body and raw low post skills remind many of Dwight Howard and, if he fully matures, Drummond could become the best player in the whole draft, Davis included.  But Drummond is a very raw player who is not ready for the NBA, did not produce big numbers at the college level, and demonstrates a disturbing level of apathy that does not match his natural abilities.  So he is the very definition of a boom or bust prospect, far from a safe bet to star in the NBA.

Harrison Barnes, the smooth, polished scoring swingman from North Carolina, has the skills to be a big-time NBA star.  He was also the last No. 1 prospect in this draft before Davis took that spot earlier this year.  Barnes is an exceptional talent and a lethal scorer but he often appears one dimensional, unable or unwilling to create his own offense, and may lack the aggressive killer instinct it takes to become a super-star. 

Other top prospects, like Thomas Robinson and Bradley Beal, project as strong starters and borderline all-stars but no one expects them to become the other super star of the 2012 NBA draft.

That man should be Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.  The Kentucky small forward is already an exceptional, long athlete with an NBA body.  He has the lateral quickness, aggression, and skills to be an all-NBA defender already and is rapidly developing a polished offensive swingman’s game.  He is also a very good kid who nonetheless demonstrates natural aggression and passion on the court, willing to take on the toughest opponents and shut them down to get the win.  Most important, Kidd-Gilchrist is a team player who cares more about wins and stats and will help anchor the locker room of any team.

The big knock on Kidd-Gilchrist has always been upside concerns but those are diminishing.  As a freshman, he is already the best swingman college defender and, upon entering the NBA, he will immediately be in Andre Igoudala and Luol Deng’s class on that end of the court.  He can defend three positions and is a gifted rebounder, which is a rare ability for a swingman.  Kidd-Gilchrist even began demonstrating some offensive polish late in his freshman season, which suggests he is very coachable and has not even come close to reaching his NBA ceiling.

So, the 2012 NBA draft is very deep and the talent pool could give basketball fans several new stars to cheer.  And after Davis, the most surefire NBA prospect since LeBron James, the best hope for a super star is definitely Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.