NBA Draft 2012: Ranking 10 Best Available Point Guards in Draft
With the 2012 NBA draft combine around the corner and the draft on the horizon, it's time to start analyzing the talent in the 2012 draft class.
One of the deepest positions in the draft this year is point guard. From raw, athletic talent like Tony Wroten Jr. to mature, complete players like Kendall Marshall, there are a number of point guard prospects who are ready to make an impact in the NBA.
Ahead is a ranking of the top 10 point guard prospects available in the 2012 NBA draft.
10. Jordan Taylor, PG, Wisconsin
1 of 102011-12 Stats—14.8 PPG, 4.1 APG, 3.8 RPG, 1.6 TOPG, 40.2 FG%
Projected Pick—Undrafted
It's very possible that Jordan Taylor made a mistake by returning to Wisconsin for his senior season. His production across the board dropped, and he looked more like a player bound to play overseas than in the NBA.
The main reason why Taylor will go undrafted in this year's draft is that there are just too many prospects in this year's class who are purer scorers and more complete point guards.
Taylor certainly has the talent to be an NBA point guard, but at this point in his career, he's just not explosive enough as a scorer and not complete enough as a true point guard. Taylor's size and lack of pure athleticism also hold back his draft stock and will be reasons why he goes undrafted this year.
That said, don't be shocked if after a few years overseas Taylor makes a return to the ranks of the NBA, as he's the kind of player who will outwork everyone around him to get a chance to excel wherever he is.
9. Ashton Gibbs, PG, Pittsburgh
2 of 102011-12 Stats—14.6 PPG, 2.1 APG, 2.3 RPG, 1.6 TOPG, 38.2 FG%
Projected Pick—Undrafted
Much like Jordan Taylor, Ashton Gibbs returned for his senior year and hurt his draft stock because the talent around him at Pittsburgh wasn't able to showcase his talents this year like it did last year.
Gibbs doesn't have the freakish athleticism or agility that can cover his lack of size like other prospects do in the 2012 draft class.
The defensive side of the ball isn't Gibbs' specialty either, and that makes him more of a liability for prospective NBA teams. If Gibbs was exceptional at another facet of the game, like scoring or facilitating the offense, his lack of defensive focus wouldn't be as big of an issue, but unfortunately, he's not.
With some development in the NBA D-League, Gibbs could turn into a solid bench player for an NBA team. But at this point, he's not ready to be an NBA player, and that means he won't be hearing his name called in the 2012 NBA draft.
8. J'Covan Brown, PG, Texas
3 of 102011-12 Stats—20.1 PPG, 3.8 APG, 3.4 RPG, 2.7 TOPG, 41.7 FG%
Projected Pick—Late Second Round
J'Covan Brown has the potential to be a late second-round pick mainly because he's shown glimpses of an elite ability to score in his years at Texas.
While Brown isn't the most complete point guard in the draft, he's shown that he's capable of scoring in droves, and that will garner him some serious attention over the next few weeks.
Brown's lack of size will certainly hold him back from increasing his draft stock enough to move out of the late-second-round area. But that's a perfect place for Brown to be, as it will allow him to be drafted without a high level of expectation, giving him time to develop early in his career.
If Brown can work on his ability to facilitate offense to teammates rather than focus on his ability to score, he will be able to develop into the kind of player that NBA teams love having come in off the bench.
7. Tu Holloway, PG, Xavier
4 of 102011-12 Stats—17.5 PPG, 4.9 APG, 3.6 RPG, 3.0 TOPG, 42.9 FG%,
Projected Pick—Mid to Late Second Round
Tu Holloway is one of the most physically gifted point guards in this year's 2012 draft class.
While he's only 6'0" and 190 pounds, Holloway still brings a ridiculous level of physicality to the court, and that's at the forefront of what makes him such a special draft prospect.
Holloway's senior year wasn't as explosive or productive as his junior year, but the one thing he significantly improved was his focus on the defensive side of the ball. That was evidenced by his increase in steals, up to 1.5 steals per game.
The prospect of having Holloway's physicality and ability to not only score but also to create offense for teammates coming off the bench is something that will help him garner interest from teams in the latter part of the 2012 NBA draft.
6. Tyshawn Taylor, PG, Kansas
5 of 102011-12 Stats—16.6 PPG, 4.8 APG, 2.3 RPG, 3.5 TOPG, 47.7 FG%
Projected Pick—Mid Second Round
Heading into his senior season Tyshawn Taylor wasn't this high on most draft scouts' draft boards because he just wasn't efficient enough as a scorer or a player running the point.
Taylor certainly helped himself out in his senior year at Kansas by increasing his point per game average by 7.3 points. In his senior year, Taylor proved that he's capable of being whatever kind of player his team needs him to be.
Taylor's lack of size and strength will certainly hold back his draft potential, as there are point guards in this draft class who are significantly stronger and more athletic than Taylor.
However, the potential that exists in Taylor's game is what will carry him into the latter parts of the second round. He's a point guard prospect with a lot of raw and untapped potential, similar to another Kansas point guard who's playing for the Miami Heat—Mario Chalmers.
5. Marquis Teague, PG, Kentucky
6 of 102011-12 Stats—10.0 PPG, 4.8 APG, 2.5 RPG, 2.7 TOPG, 41.2 FG%
Projected Pick—Late First to Early Second Round
A lot of draft experts are high on Marquis Teague as an NBA-ready point guard, but I'm not there quite yet. Teague lacks an NBA-ready frame, standing in at just 6'2" and 189 pounds, and that's a major concern for a player like Teague who lacks a truly elite ability to score or facilitate offense to those around him.
There's no doubt that the talent around Teague at Kentucky made him look better than he truly is at this point in his career.
The one thing about playing at Kentucky this past season with guys like Anthony Davis and Terrence Jones is that it helped Teague develop an impressive ability to drive to the basket and score against more athletic and much larger defenders.
There's no doubt that Teague lands in the late first-round or early second-round area, but teams need to be aware that Teague isn't the kind of guy who's going to come in and make an instant impact in the NBA. He's certainly physically gifted, but he's a developmental prospect at this point in his career.
4. Scott Machado, PG, Iona
7 of 102011-12 Stats—13.6 PPG, 9.9 APG, 4.9 RPG, 3.3 TOPG, 49.5 FG%
Projected Pick—Late First to Early Second Round
Scott Machado is hands down one of the most mature, most complete and most NBA-ready point guard prospects in the 2012 NBA draft.
While some teams will overlook Machado because he played his college ball at Iona, he is undoubtedly ready to come into the NBA and make an instant impact.
Of all the point guards in the 2012 draft class, Machado is the most complete, as he was 0.1 assist per game away from averaging a double-double during his senior year at Iona. Not only that, but he averaged an impressive 13.6 points per game while shooting right around the 50 percent mark.
Don't be shocked if Machado turns out to be the steal of the 2012 NBA draft. Sure, he's undersized, but he sees the court as well as guys like Steve Nash and Rajon Rondo, and he's one of the most offensively efficient point guards in this year's draft class.
3. Tony Wroten Jr., PG, Washington
8 of 102011-12 Stats—16.0 PPG, 3.7 APG, 5.0 RPG, 3.8 TOPG, 44.3 FG%
Projected Pick—Mid to Late First Round
Tony Wroten Jr. is an interesting prospect. He has the pure scoring ability of a true shooting guard, but he also has the court vision and agility it takes to run the point in the NBA.
While Wroten is somewhat more of a combo guard than a true point guard, there's no doubt that whoever drafts him will look for him to play the point, because he'll create serious mismatches with his 6'5", 205-pound frame.
One of Wroten's biggest weakness is his pure shot selection, but fortunately for him, that's something that he can improve on while still making an impact on an NBA roster.
There's no doubt that Wroten would have improved his draft stock by returning to Washington for his sophomore year. Where he's at right now, though, with his athleticism and excellent court vision, he's a lock to be a mid to late first-round pick who can come in and be a productive member coming off an NBA bench.
2. Damian Lillard, PG, Weber State
9 of 102011-12 Stats—24.5 PPG, 4.0 APG, 5.0 RPG, 2.3 TOPG, 46.7 FG%
Projected Pick—Lottery Pick
Holy production Batman! Any team looking for the most offensively explosive point guard in the 2012 NBA draft needs to look no further than Weber State's own Damian Lillard.
While Lillard comes in at just 6'2" and 185 pounds, there's no doubt that his athleticism and ability to penetrate make up for his lack of size.
In addition to his above-average court vision, his high basketball I.Q., his pure ability to score and his physicality, Lillard's biggest asset is the fact that he'll come into the NBA and outwork everyone from fellow rookies to NBA veterans.
There's a high possibility that in four or five years we'll look back on the 2012 NBA draft and talk about how absurd it was that Lillard wasn't taken in the top three picks. Lillard is a lock to be a lottery pick—within the top 10 picks—but he has the talent to be the best player coming out of the draft.
1. Kendall Marshall, PG, North Carolina
10 of 102011-12 Stats—8.1 PPG, 9.8 APG, 2.6 RPG, 2.8 TOPG, 46.7 FG%
Projected Pick—Lottery Pick
Don't let Marshall's points per game average fool you. While scoring isn't his biggest strength, it's something that he can do when his team needs him to.
Out of all the point guard prospects in this year's draft, Marshall is without a doubt the most complete. He can step into any NBA locker room and lead with his maturity, and he can step into an NBA starting lineup and pump out double-doubles like it's his job—which it technically is.
Not only does Marshall have the capacity to facilitate offense to his teammates better than every other point guard in the 2012 draft, he also protects the ball as well as any player.
Marshall is the definition of an NBA-ready draft prospect. Don't be shocked when Marshall ends up being the best true point guard drafted in the 2012 NBA draft.
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