NBA Draft 2012: 12 First-Round Picks Who Will Fail to Live Up to Expectations

Many of this year's 2012 NBA Draft first-round picks will not live up to expectations.  

It's a stark fact of NBA life: for every superstar, there is a prospect with a glittering resume and incredible talent who never lives up to the hype.

So, which of the 2012 NBA draftees will not live up to fans' expectations?

Andre Drummond: Connecticut Center

Andre Drummond, the University of Connecticut center prospect, could turn out to be a big star.  He has the NBA body of Dwight Howard.

However, his body language is often poor, and he does not seem to put in the gritty work and effort to develop his skills and improve his game.  

Right now, he has the promise of a NBA star but could turn into Kwame Brown.  

Terrence Jones: Kentucky Power Forward

There is a lot to like about Terrence Jones' game.  

He has the versatility to play both small and power forward.  He is 6'8" with a good 7'3" wingspan and extremely athletic.

However, there are also big problems with his game.  

Jones is really a "tweener" power forward, and he does not excel at anything in particular.  He has not developed any strong moves or skill sets and relies too much on his own athleticism. Combined with inconsistency and often poor body language, he often looks like a smaller version of Tyrus Thomas. 

Damian Lilliard: Weber State Point Guard

Damian Lilliard will be a good NBA player.  

He is an electrifying scorer, averaging 24 points, five rebounds, and four assists in his sophomore season at Weber State.

Here is the problem: he is being discussed as a top-10 pick, and the first point guard off the board!  

Lilliard is 6'2" on a good day with big shoes, and he needs to work on his passing and court vision.  He is a very good scoring combo guard who will thrive in a sixth-man role.

But asking him to be your star starting point guard of the future may be asking too much. 

Dion Waiters: Syracuse Shooting Guard

Dion Waiters is another good scoring guard who could be undone by excessively high expectations.

Waiters averaged nearly 13 points in 24 minutes per game in his sophomore season, which is impressive and gives him a NBA role.

However, he is also undersized for a shooting guard at 6'4".  

He is limited athletically, which will exacerbate his height problem, and does not have a consistent jumper.  He is not a particularly good passer either, averaging only 2.5 assists last year and never looking very adept at moving the ball around, so drafting him in the lottery to be your star shooting guard may be shooting for the stars.  

Meyers Leonard: Illinois Center

Leonard has all the tools to be a great NBA player, but he is not ready.  

So why is he likely to enter the draft?

Leonard improved dramatically from his freshman to sophomore season.  However, he is still extremely raw and needs to add strength.  He could rot on a NBA bench like former "uber-prospect" B.J. Mullens.

Quincy Miller: Baylor Forward

It was painful to hear that Quincy Miller has decided to declare for the draft.  

Baylor's hybrid power forward has a ton of potential: He is extremely athletic, can play both small and power forward, and is an excellent rebounder and shot blocker for his size.

However, he just is not ready for prime time...yet.  

If he is lucky and gets drafted by a team that invests in and develops him, perfect.  If not, he could end up rotting on a bench.  

Fab Melo: Syracuse Center

Fab Melo will not be an impact NBA player.  

In college he was dominant defensively and that will give him a solid NBA role and a long career.

But it will be a career spent on the bench.  Melo is an anemic offensive player with limited skills and a weak basketball IQ.  So, expect him to block shots and rebound in limited minutes as a professional. 

Marquis Teague: Kentucky Point Guard

Kentucky's five potential 2012 NBA Draft first-round prospects are an interesting bunch: three are ready for prime time and two look like future-bust risks.  Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Doron Lamb will all find a NBA role, and the first two should be stars.

Terrence Jones is an enigma.

Teague looks like a bust.  

He did not play well as a freshman.  He lacks classic point guard vision, has no refinement on his passing and needs better ball-handling skills.  More time as a Kentucky Wildcat would help, but it looks like he is headed for the draft...and a NBA bench.  

Royce White: Iowa State Small Forward

White is a really interesting prospect.  

He has all the tools: athleticism, speed, the versatility to play more than one position and the ability to score, rebound and spread the ball to other players. 

But he is a huge draft risk.  

He has off-court issues that got him kicked off Minnesota's team, which isn't exactly like being kicked off Duke. He transferred to Iowa State.  White also has a serious fear of flying and NBA stars can't ride on the John Madden bus.

Festus Ezeli: Vanderbilt Center

I'm not buying.  

In four years, he never averaged more than 25 minutes a game.  That says something: If he isn't a trusted starter in college, how will he fare in the pros?

As if to accentuate this problem, Ezeli actually declined in his last year: He went from averaging 13 points and six rebounds per game to 10 and six with lower percentages.  

Ouch.  

Darius Miller: Kentucky Small Forward

All Miller can do is shoot and he is not the next Kyle Korver.  

That said, he is a team-leader type, and a value late in the second round of the draft.  

Kyle O'Quinn: Norfolk State Center

O'Quinn is a body: A decent bruiser in the middle who can rebound the ball.  

But he lacks skill and does not have the basketball IQ to develop much more, which will relegate him to the end of a NBA bench.