NBA Draft Lottery 2012: Sneaky Lottery Selections Bound to Play Big Minutes

With the NBA draft lottery officially behind us, we now have a better picture of where each incoming prospect will land in the 2012 NBA draft.

We all know that Anthony Davis will step in as the No. 1 pick and play big minutes right away, and we can assume that anyone else taken in the top three will do the same.

But when it comes to the mid-to-late lottery picks in the upcoming draft, the question becomes, who will be called upon to play major minutes as they enter the NBA next season?

Jared Sullinger

Jared Sullinger will likely be drafted late in the lottery, but don't be surprised if he has a more productive season than some of those selected ahead of him this summer.

The 6'9" forward averaged 17.5 points and 9.2 rebounds last season with the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Questions about his conditioning and below-the-rim style of play make you wonder how high his ceiling goes, but as one of the more NBA-ready prospects coming in, he'll be expected to contribute right away as a rookie next season.

Thomas Robinson

Thomas Robinson will enter the NBA draft as a projected top-five pick, and of the first five teams to make their selections, four of them could use his services in their starting lineup right away.

Robinson doesn't have the defensive prowess of an Anthony Davis, but his 17.7 point-per-game average and 11.9 rebounds per game last season will make him a presence in the paint regardless of where he lands.

John Henson

The Detroit Pistons desperately need a big body to play alongside Greg Monroe, and if they can nab John Henson with the ninth pick in the upcoming draft, they'll likely throw him into the mix as soon as the season begins.

The Pistons were 27th in rebounding and 28th in shot-blocking last season.

Henson averaged 9.9 rebounds and 2.9 blocks at North Carolina last year, and if he finds himself in Detroit's frontcourt next season, he'll become a big part of its success moving forward.

Kendall Marshall

There are a handful of teams in the lottery who will be looking for their point guard of the future this summer. If one of them can land Kendall Marshall in the 2012 NBA draft, he should receive big-time minutes as a rookie next season.

Marshall, the 20-year-old floor general out of North Carolina, is a pure facilitator who averaged 9.9 assists per game last year.

Marshall doesn't appear to be a big-time scorer, but if he ends up on the right team, he'll learn his role nicely and earn his minutes at the NBA level.

Damian Lillard

Damian Lillard has the potential to be a star in the NBA with his athleticism and scoring ability.

At Weber State, Lillard never played against the toughest competition on a regular basis, which has some worried about such high NBA projections.

Lillard is a talent, and if he's put into a situation where he's expected to score early in his career, he could become the point guard of the franchise for one lucky team moving forward.