NBA Draft 2012: How Deep Class Will Reshape NBA's Balance of Power

Just being in possession of a first-round pick in the 2012 NBA draft must feel like winning the lottery.

Unlike the 2011 class, this year’s group is one of the deepest in recent memory. Teams are already salivating over the prospects they will get to pluck on June 28.

But what about when it’s all over? When this year’s pool of impressive talent has established itself in preparation for next season, what can we expect to see?

I’m glad you asked.

Overnight Turnarounds

The Cavaliers, Celtics, Warriors, Hornets, Rockets and Trail Blazers all own the rights to two first round picks. And barring any gutsy trades, that’s how it will stay.

Let that sink in. Six teams account for nearly half of the first round. More importantly, though, these six organizations are given the opportunity to double-dip into an extremely deep, future superstar laden draft.

Suddenly, the Cavaliers could contend for a playoff spot, and the Celtics don’t seem so old anymore. The Hornets get to add two top-10 picks, while the Warriors have two shots to fill out a revamped rotation. The Rockets can add substantial depth to their frontline, and the Blazers’ can reinvent themselves yet again.

These six teams, specifically the five that didn’t make the playoffs (Boston will pick at No. 21 and No. 22), all have an opportunity to improve their roster tremendously. With any luck, at least a couple of them should parlay that progress into a postseason push.

With so much talent available, the distance between top and bottom may be as close as we have ever seen.   

Playoff Picture

More than half of the NBA’s teams make the playoffs, setting the stage for a bevy of close races, but this draft class ensures they will be even closer next year.

With the league’s basement teams boasting a star-caliber talent, blowout victories will grow scarce. We relished in the improbable victories the Hornets grabbed during an impressive stretch in April, so just imagine how exciting they will be to watch when they add Anthony Davis and another top prospect to the fold.

Bottom-tier teams will finally have something to play for, attempting to creep into the playoff hunt rather than just play spoiler. 

But that’s not all. From top to bottom, this draft is filled with difference-makers. Suddenly, those late first-rounders and early second-rounders don’t seem so useless anymore.

Proven playoff and championship caliber teams hardly ever look to the draft and expect to strengthen their core immediately, but this year, they have the opportunity to do just that.

With this season’s playoff teams only getting better, coupled with lottery teams’ drastic increase in relevance, some postseason fixtures are all but guaranteed to go home early.

Superstar Tandems

There's plenty of chatter surrounding each of the top prospect's individual skill-set, but just picture how those same prospects will compliment the stars some of them are set to join.

The thought of Cleveland adding a force like Bradley Beal next to Kyrie Irving or Washington pairing an athletic monster like Thomas Robinson next to John Wall is simply mind-blowing.

This year's deep draft class ensures not only that teams maximize the return on their selection, but gives them an opportunity to form the kind of superstar tandems that have routinely been assembled through free agency, unless you are the Thunder of course.

It will be exciting to see which organizations could be on track to become the next Oklahoma City, as a deep pool suggests one or more teams will finish on the cusp of something great.

Future of the NBA

Remember the 2003 NBA draft class and how it shaped the league?

You know, the year LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade all made the jump to the pros?

Of course you do, it was one of the most polarizing draft classes—with regards to the top five picks—the league has ever witnessed.

Well, this year's group has similar potential, and possibly more so top to bottom. While the future LeBron is unlikely to come out of this draft, it is an arguably deeper pool than 2003.

And while there may not be any LeBrons to salivate over, there are plenty of potential Wades or Anthonys, and hardly any Darko Milicic-type question marks.

The 2012 draft class will change the landscape of the NBA for years to come, just like it did in 2003.

Whether or not three of this year's top five picks eventually form a premeditated superstar powerhouse down the road is a different story.

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