NBA Draft 2012: Jared Sullinger and 5 Draft Picks Who Will Be Absolute Busts

Many 2012 NBA draft picks will never work out as planned.  Jared Sullinger and Andre Drummond, two of the most highly touted big men in the draft, could turn out to be absolute busts.  

Sullinger was a big star at Ohio State but his size and athleticism may limit him to fringe star status in the NBA.  Drummond is the exact opposite: he has all the talent in the world but declared too early, is very raw, and has attitude issues on the court.  

So, here is a list of six future first round draft picks who might not survive to become NBA stars.  

Jared Sullinger, Ohio State Power Forward

Sullinger is a good, young and hardworking player.  He has strong fundamentals, some offensive skills and rebounding technique.  But he is very short for a true power forward and lacks either good hops or elite athleticism.  This will limit his upside and make him more of a poor man’s Paul Millsap or a DeJuan Blair type of player than the type of star power forward that teams want to pick in the lottery.  

Andre Drummond, UConn Center

Everyone loves Drummond’s upside.  He looks like Dwight Howard: 6’11" and 275 pounds of pure muscle and athleticism.  He also has good hops and exceptional length.  But Drummond lacks both strong fundamentals and the tireless work ethic required to learn them in the NBA.  He did not dominate opponents in college and often demonstrated poor body language. 

The right coach and system can turn him into a superstar, but if he goes in the lottery to a bad team and situation, then he will be a bust.

Terrence Jones, Kentucky Forward

Jones is one of the big enigmas of the draft.  He is a 6’8” skilled combo forward with great passing instincts and the ability to score from anywhere on the floor.  But he is inconsistent, demonstrates poor shot selection and body language and seems to want to play more like a stretch four than a point forward. 

If he embraces his rare passing skills, cuts down on his unnecessary shots and inconsistency and improves his rebounding then he can become a star.  But right now he looks like a skilled forward without great toughness or a position.

Meyers Leonard, Illinois Center

He just isn’t ready for the NBA.  Leonard improved dramatically in his sophomore season, and he has the size to be a star.  But he lacks good offensive fundamentals and has no skill moves at all.  He also needs to add strength because NBA players will smack him around the paint.  

If a team is patient and develops him, Leonard could work out nicely.  But if he is thrown into the fire by a lottery team, then he will bust out.  

Quincy Miller, Baylor Forward

Why, Quincy?  Why?  The Baylor forward originally made the correct decision to stay another year, then changed his mind.  For many, money is an understandable motivator, but Miller really needed one more year to refine his game and decide what kind of player he wants to be in the NBA. 

Right now he plays like a hybrid forward, relies far too much on his jump shot and needs to add a lot of muscle.  Hopefully for Miller, he will avoid the lottery and fall to the 20s where a playoff team will bring him along slowly.  

Fab Melo, Syracuse Center

Some mid-teens drafting team will jump on Melo because of his national reputation and defense.  But I’m not buying.  He fouls too much, doesn’t have even a drop of offense and has a poor basketball IQ.  There is almost zero chance Melo ends up an NBA starter.