2012 NBA Mock Draft: Under-the-Radar Stars That Will Shine

There are the Anthony Davises of the 2012 NBA draft, and then there are the Terrence Rosses. Or the Jeremy Lambs. Or the Moe Harklesses.

There are the players who are getting hyped to no end—charged with the task completely morphing the worst franchise in basketball into a contender—and then there are the very capable prospects who will doubtlessly play significant roles on their future teams but are garnering virtually no attention. That's what this mock is for: giving those guys their fair share of praise.

Here's a complete first-round mock with a special emphasis on the unheralded stars who will be sure-fire difference-makers next season.

1. Charlotte Bobcats: Anthony Davis, PF, Kentucky

Anthony Davis was the best player in college basketball last year, but whether he's good enough to resurrect the worst franchise in the NBA is another question. Let's settle for the fact that he'll make a positive impact.

2. Washington Wizards: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF, Kentucky

Kidd-Gilchrist needs to improve his ability to create offense, but he's incredibly athletic, a great defender and boasts a monster seven-foot wingspan.

3. Cleveland Cavaliers: Bradley Beal, SG, Florida

General managers league-wide (or maybe just those with a shot at the lottery) breathed a sigh of relief when Beal, the best guard on the board, declared for the draft. He can give the Cavs a long-term impact player in the backcourt.

4. New Orleans Hornets: Andre Drummond, C, UConn

Despite being a powerful 6'11" prospect, Drummond has earned the dreaded reputation of being a bit soft after failing to dominate in the Big East the way he was expected to. Based on his size alone, though, he's a worthwhile lottery pick and could even go higher than fourth, depending on how much of a risk teams with the first three picks are willing to take. 

5. Sacramento Kings: Thomas Robinson, PF, Kansas

The super-athletic, energetic Robinson is one of the safest picks in the lottery. He may even be more worthy of the No. 2 overall selection than Kidd-Gilchrist, but he lacks the hype of a national championship after his Jayhawks lost to the Wildcats.

6. Portland Trail Blazers: Harrison Barnes, SF, North Carolina

Barnes is nowhere near as skilled as some of the other small forwards on the board when it comes to creating offense for himself, but if he can improve on that sooner rather than later, he has the potential to make an immediate impact on the Trail Blazers.

7. Golden State Warriors: Perry Jones III, PF, Baylor

Jones, like Drummond, is trying to shake his reputation of being soft. He has a ton of size and talent, but he seems to have trouble tuning out the haters, which is a huge warning sign as he prepares for the NBA's big stage.

8. Toronto Raptors: Damian Lillard, PG, Weber State

Lillard, like Beal, will capitalize on the fact that this draft is uncharacteristically weak in the point guard department. But he deserves to be this high up the board, given his versatility and scoring ability, and he fits in nicely in Toronto, which needs some help for DeMar DeRozan.

9. Detroit Pistons: Jared Sullinger, PF, Ohio State

At 6'9", he doesn't have the same height advantage as some of the other power forwards available, but a long run in the NCAA tournament allowed him the opportunity to show how much of a complete player he is on both ends of the court.

10. New Orleans Hornets: Kendall Marshall, PG, North Carolina

Marshall's shot isn't as developed as the other two guards that will go above him, but he's the best floor general of them all and the best passer in the NCAA.

11.  Portland Trail Blazers: Tyler Zeller, C, North Carolina

While he's pleasantly mobile in spite of his seven-foot stature, he really needs to fill out before he becomes the kind of physical specimen who can truly dominate at the next level.

12. Milwaukee Bucks: John Henson, PF, North Carolina

Similarly, Henson is extremely athletic and is a terrific defender, but he needs to add some strength to his 6'10" frame before he becomes as threatening as he can be.

13. Phoenix Suns: Austin Rivers, SG, Duke

This is a bit high for someone who's as much of a wild card as Rivers, but it's a weak draft for guards. He's versatile and showed glimpses of offensive excellence in his one season at Duke, but he also proved to be a bit selfish and alarmingly inconsistent, considering he was the top recruit coming out of high school.

14. Houston Rockets: Terrence Jones, PF, Kentucky

It's hard to stand out when pretty much everyone on your roster could be a first-round draft pick, and Jones certainly struggled to establish any kind of consistency in the deep pool of talent on Kentucky's roster. Still, he can play either the 3 or the 4 and is a solid offensive weapon.

15. Philadelphia 76ers: Terrence Ross, SG, Washington

For someone who ranked among the top shooters in the NCAA last season, Ross isn't getting much respect when it comes to this draft.

He wasn't helped by the fact that Washington's performance toward the end of this season was embarrassingly bad. The Huskies missed the NCAA tournament after failing to take advantage of a weak year for the Pac-12 and squandering a terrific opportunity in their conference tournament, but before that disaster, Ross had established himself as one of the more athletic guards in the college ranks, as well as one of the most fluid shooters.

Ross has the ability to be lethal from anywhere on the court, and given the Sixers' struggles shooting the ball from anywhere—especially from beyond the arc—he can really give them a boost. He would fit in perfectly on a team with so much young, scrappy talent. 

16. Houston Rockets: Meyers Leonard, C, Illinois

Like most of the other centers available, the 7'1" Leonard is still a work in progress but has the raw ability to be hugely impactful—if he doesn't end up being a bust.

17. Dallas Mavericks: Jeremy Lamb, SG, UConn

There's no doubt that Lamb's draft stock has been negatively impacted by UConn's early ouster from the NCAA tournament. He once ranked up there with players like Bradley Beal, but didn't have the opportunity to truly show what he can do at the most crucial point of the season.

The Mavericks will luck out if Lamb falls to them all the way down at No. 17. If they lose Jason Kidd—which they very well might—Lamb will give them a solid offensive presence to hold the backcourt together. He is tough, athletic and a better shooter than his somewhat meager numbers indicate. Plus, Lamb is still young, so he still has plenty of room for development.

At 6'5", Lamb is the ideal size for an NBA shooting guard and has a terrific seven-foot wingspan that makes him even more of a weapon.

18. Minnesota Timberwolves: Arnett Moultrie, PF, Mississippi State

Unlike players like Leonard and even Zeller, a lack of athleticism isn't an issue for Moultrie—but like the two of them, scouts are concerned about what they perceive as a lack of strength, as well as attitude issues.

19. Orlando Magic: Tony Wroten Jr., PG, Washington

Like his teammate Ross, Wroten's draft stock fell due to Washington's late-season demise in the conference tournament—and his inefficiency from the charity stripe didn't do him any favors. Still, at 6'5", he's a good size and athletic enough to warrant Orlando's attention. 

20. Denver Nuggets: Dion Waiters, PG/SG, Syracuse

Waiters has the ability to be aggressive and dynamic, but at 6'4", he's small compared with other 2s and doesn't have good enough ball-handling skills to run the point.

21. Boston Celtics: Fab Melo, C, Syracuse

Melo would be a perfect pickup for Boston, especially if Kevin Garnett doesn't re-sign. He finally makes up for the Kendrick Perkins trade by giving the Celtics a big man up front with some serious upside.

22. Boston Celtics: Jeffery Taylor, SF, Vanderbilt

Aside from a recently-emerging Brandon Bass, the Celtics have very few capable and consistent shooters outside of the Big Four—half of which will probably be gone next season. Taylor will give them a very good option off the bench.

23. Atlanta Hawks: Royce White, SF, Iowa State

White has everything going for him except for the fact that he suffers from an anxiety disorder, which can hinder his willingness to get on planes. Aside from that, though, he's a very strong, athletic presence at 6'8" and can score effectively.

24. Cleveland Cavaliers: Moe Harkless, SF, St. John's

Harkless just makes sense for the Cavs, and if he's still on the board, they'd be crazy not to snag him here. In just one season at St. John's, he proved himself to be an agile, athletic, raw talent who still has a ton of room to develop.

At 6'8", he gives Cleveland a very solid option at the 3 as a strong and offensively sound player with a nice 7'2" wingspan. One criticism is that he needs to make better use of his frame, but that ability will come with time.

Harkless has just as much potential as any of the other one-year wonders leaving college for the NBA. He has strength, agility and the ability to create on offense, making him a very safe pick this far down the board and someone who probably deserves to go much higher. 

25. Memphis Grizzlies: Marquis Teague, PG, Kentucky

His only season at Kentucky started off as a tough one, as he had to adjust to creating for his uber-talented teammates rather than himself. It was all for the better, though, because it gave him the opportunity to establish himself as a quick, explosive floor general who can still score when he needs to.

26. Indiana Pacers: Doron Lamb, SG, Kentucky

Even among the talent surrounding him at Kentucky, Lamb was still one of the best shooters, though perhaps not the most utilized. He has the ability to be clutch from long range, so he'll be an excellent bench option next year for the Pacers.

27. Miami Heat: Quincy Miller, SF, Baylor

The upside for Miller is that he's very versatile and has the ability to play either forward position. The downside is that he's too reliant on his jumper, which can easily make him a liability at the next level.

28. Oklahoma City Thunder: Andrew Nicholson, PF, St. Bonaventure

As one of the oldest players on the board, he brings with him a certain level of experience and maturity, and he's really learned to develop his shot-blocking and rebounding skills. Given his age, though, you have to wonder how much more he can grow.

29. Chicago Bulls: John Jenkins, SG, Vanderbilt

Jenkins is a top offensive talent, but at 6'4", he's undersized and not quite as athletic or quick as a lot of his competition at the position. 

30. Golden State Warriors: Draymond Green, SF, Michigan State

Like Nicholson, Green gives the Warriors an experienced prospect who knows what it takes to win, as well as what it takes to help his teammates excel, after spending four years with Tom Izzo.