2012 NBA Draft Order: Best Players That'll Fall to Teams Picking Late in Round 1

Chris TrapassoJun 5, 2018

Sheer athleticism is the name of the game in today's NBA, and in this year's draft class there are more supreme, pro-ready athletes than Anthony Davis, Harrison Barnes and Austin Rivers.

Oftentimes, prospects that fall to good teams in the later parts of Round 1 become better overall players due to atmospheres conducive to success.

DeJuan Blair, George Hill and Rudy Fernandez instantly come to mind.

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In the 2012 draft, these three guys could slip to the late stages of the first round, and they have the promise to become terrific NBA contributors.

Quincy Miller, SF, Baylor

Miller is a 6'9'' 19-year-old loaded with athletic ability and decent range as a shooter. In his one season with the Baylor Bears, he averaged 11.1 points and five rebounds per game, playing on a club with other NBA prospects Perry Jones III and Quincy Acy.

Although he could add some bulk to his 210-pound frame, his quickness and speed off the dribble are what make him a fine NBA prospect.

He tore his ACL during his senior year of high school. While that may have limited his explosiveness a bit, especially in the open floor, he's a dynamic half-court shot creator with a smooth touch from mid-range.

A nice secondary scoring option with the length and footwork to become a solid defender, Miller would be a sound addition to a club like the up-and-coming club like Indiana Pacers or Memphis Grizzlies.

Jeffery Taylor, SF, Vanderbilt

Taylor's game is made for the NBA. He violently attacks the basket and is a great finisher from in close, often displaying wonderful body control.

At 6'7'' and 226 pounds, Taylor has a pro-ready body.

If he can't get to the rim, the former Commodores star isn't shy to stroke it from the outside. He shot 4.3 three-pointers a game and finished his senior season at an impressive 42 percent from distance.

He's not limited athletically and has the needed hops to contend with the bigger players in the league.

Although Taylor was a four-year contributor in Nashville, he has upside, as his fundamentally sound mid-range jumper can get better with time.

He'd work wonders on the Oklahoma City Thunder, a team that relies on a lot of one-on-one offense, but he could potentially become a bigger star in Chicago with the Bulls or out in Oakland with the Warriors.

Dion Waiters, SG, Syracuse

Waiters is in the Dwyane Wade mold coming out of college. No, I'm not predicting he'll have a similar career path with as many accomplishments as the Miami Heat star, but their games are extremely comparable.

Waiter is a slashing, 6'4'' shooting guard with good muscle build and strength when entering the lane. He's one of the best finishers (with both hands) in this year's guard class and has ridiculous hops to throw down some highlight dunks.

The 20-year-old from Philadelphia is not a knockdown jump shooter, but he isn't afraid to let it go from 15 to 17 feet and demonstrated decent consistency from that distance while at Syracuse. Lastly, he's electric in the open floor.

Wade made a concerted effort to improve his jumper and that transformed him into an unstoppable scorer.

Waiters must put in the extra work if he wants to become a star in the NBA, as well.

A club like the Heat could groom Waiters under Wade, or he could work well as bench spark for a Boston Celtics team that could look drastically different next season.

2012 NBA Draft Order (Picks 1-14 undetermined)

1. Charlotte 7-59

2. Washington 20-46

3. Cleveland 21-45

4. New Orleans 21-45

5. Sacramento 22-44

6. New Jersey* 22-44

7. Golden State 23-43

8. Toronto 23-43

9. Detroit 25-41

10. Minnesota (To New Orleans via LA Clippers) 26-40

11. Portland 28-38