NBA Mock Draft 2012: 8 Second-Round Prospects with Mega Potential

The second round of the NBA Draft is always interesting. As the round progresses sometimes one gets the feeling that some teams just don't want to waste any money on another player and they more or less throw the pick away.

The Dallas pick of Tanguy Ngombo in the 2011 NBA Draft comes to mind. He played in Qatar the past six seasons, not a country known for its excellent level of basketball. Initially they thought he was 22, but then reports surfaced that he may actually be 28. His rights were subsequently traded to Portland and then to Minnesota.

But Dallas could have taken Isaiah Thomas instead. Thomas was selected with the 60th and last pick of the draft by the Sacramento Kings. He went on to average 11.5 points and 4.1 assists and was one of the top rookies of the year.

Other good second round picks included Chandler Parsons, the 6'10 forward from Florida who started for the Houston Rockets in the second half of the season, Lavoy Allen, a 6'9 power forward from Temple who played strong minutes for the Philadelphia 76ers in the playoffs and Charles Jenkins, a 6'3 guard from Hofstra who started for the Golden State Warriors late in the season. We, at NetScouts Basketball, feel that Davis Bertans, a 6'10 swing forward from Latvia, another second-rounder, whose rights were traded from Indiana to San Antonio will ultimately be a solid NBA player.

There are 8 probable second round picks in the 2012 NBA Draft that have quite a bit of potential. Several are international players who may not come to the NBA immediately, but, like Davis Bertans, would be solid selections. You can check out our full 2012 NBA Mock Draft here.

1. We'll start with Furkan Aldemir, a 6'9, 220 pound power forward from Turkey.

Aldemir is a good rebounder, plays very hard and physical and defends well versus the pick and roll.  He averaged 15.8 rebounds per game in the U20 European Championships last year. He's a garbage scorer with lots of offensive board scores, and can run which is good because he's not going to get sets run for him in the NBA.

Much like Scola, Splitter, and other successful South American/European players, he could use another few years to develop. However, with his motor and intensity, he might find a home on a good NBA squad (drafting late) that simply needs a role player on a quality roster like the Spurs, Thunder, or Heat.

2. Nemanja Nedovic, a 6'3, 200 pound combo guard currently playing in the Serbian 1st division with KK Crvena Zvezda.

Nedovic is a really good athlete, is strong, has an explosive first step and has a good body. He's not your typical Euro guard.  The Serbian 'combo' is good defensively and can drive it much better than the stereotypical Euro shooter. If selected by a team who can leave him in Europe another year or two, he'd be a nice guard, however, with his athleticism, he may develop better by playing against NBA players and in the NBA 'system' where his skill set is necessary in open floor settings.

Nedovic needs to improve his perimeter shooting, but excelled at the U20 European Championships last year where he scored 19.8 ppg and even connected on 14-for-30 three-pointers.

3. Tu Holloway, the 6'0 point guard from Xavier.

Holloway had an excellent career at Xavier and averaged 17.5 ppg and 4.9 apg this past season. He's not afraid to take the big shot in a game, and he brought his average up to 22.7 ppg in his three NCAA tournament games. Holloway can be an "all or nothing" guy at the NBA level. He's really good with the ball and in 1-on-1 situations but that is also his downside. He doesn't share it well, or at least at Xavier he didn't. 

If he gets with the right coach, system, and a good cast around him, he could really contribute.  Pulling the trigger on him will be the hard part. Holloway is a hard worker, in the summer of 2010 he took 39,000 jump shots to try to refine his mechanics.

4. Garrett Stutz, a 7'0, 250 pound center from Wichita State.

Stutz helped his cause appreciably by playing very well at the Portsmouth Invitational and being named to the All-Tournament Team. Guys like this should always get drafted late by playoff contending teams who need some depth at center. This could absolutely work in his favor. 

With a quality group of guys and a well run franchise (including coaching) he could continue to develop and flourish as a role player who can step out and make shots, rebound, defend, play hard, use his fouls, and make the occasional bucket inside to keep you honest. We think he has a chance.

5. Marcus Denmon, the 6'3, combo guard from Missouri.

There's one major reason we like Denmon...HE CAN SHOOT IT!  We've said a million times, if you make shots you have a chance to play.  He'll need to show people he can do something else and get with the right team, but there have been a lot of guys who've carved out good careers by standing in the corner and making three's. Plus the guard selection in the 2012 NBA Draft is weak, which should move Denmon a bit up the second round board.

6. Kyle O'Quinn, a 6'10, 240 pound power forward from Norfolk State.

O'Quinn made a name for himself and his school in the NCAA tournament with the big upset of Missouri. It's pretty unbelievable that a player like O'Quinn can fly under the radar and not even get a bite from a high major program. O'Quinn is a solid rebounder and shot-blocker who can step out to 18-20 feet and can also score inside. He won the Lou Henson award as the top mid-major player this past season. He also was named the MVP at the Portsmouth Invitational which will help him come draft day.

7. Terrance Henry, a 6'9 small forward from Mississippi.

Henry caught our eye at the Portsmouth Invitational with his athleticism and long strides. He was an all-SEC selection this past year as he averaged 12.2 points and 4.3 rebounds. He needs to get stronger but his athleticism and length make him very intriguing. He's developed enough perimeter skills to make himself a viable 3 at the NBA level.

8. Ognjen Kuzmic, a 7'1 Bosnian center currently playing in second division Spain.

He's not a guy who will play in the NBA anytime soon but he would be a great pick to stash in Europe for 2-3 years and have him refine his game. Kuzmic hasn't been playing basketball very long but has shown incredible improvement in a short time.

He needs to get stronger and develop more offense away from the basket, but he works very hard, can run the floor and is already a solid rebounder and shot-blocker. He has a very high upside and he appears to have a great attitude. He'll work on his game and improve substantially quickly.

There are other players who may be borderline first-second round picks that we didn't include here. Kevin Jones, Scott Machado, Festus Ezeli and Jeff Taylor fall in that group. They'd be good picks in the right situation and should do well. Other possible second round picks that have a decent chance of sticking are Henry Sims of Georgetown, JaMychal Green of Alabama and Tomas Satoransky of the Czech Republic.

Teams should take the second round of the 2012 NBA Draft seriously. There's a lot of talent there and many prospects can help specific teams.