NBA Draft 2012: Perry Jones and 5 Projected Lottery Prospects with Most Upside

Perry Jones III may not be the most proven prospect in June 28's NBA Draft, but he has the potential to make a number of teams regret passing him up.

If they do pass him up, that is.

Jones is showing scouts some things that weren't so obvious in his two seasons at Baylor, demonstrating an already-diversified skill set that was sometimes hidden amongst his team's multiple scoring options. According to Sports Illustrated's Sam Amick, Jones is still unearthing new aspects of his game as he attempts to prove something to NBA scouts:

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"I feel way more confident than I ever was at Baylor," said Jones, who will head for Chicago predraft camp next week like most of the top-level prospects. "Working out three times a day, I feel great. I see the potential I have. I'm actually using the potential I have.

"I've been using it in workouts. They've been going great, playing three-on-three or one-on-one. I do a lot that I normally wouldn't do. I'm just a lot more confident when I'm playing ball."

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At 6'11", Jones has the kind of quickness you'd expect from a small forward and the length of a center. His trajectory could stall in the mold of the Minnesota Timberwolves' Anthony Randolph, but it could also blossom into a career replete with All-Star appearances and fan adoration.

In the best-case scenario, we could be looking at the next Kevin Garnett, and that's pretty high upside.

Here are five other likely lottery picks who just might be superstars in the making.

Anthony Davis, PF, Kentucky

Upside certainly won't be the only reason the New Orleans Hornets take Anthony Davis as the first-overall pick.

He's already proven to be a top-shelf defender in a number of ways. From his shot-blocking ability to his quickness on the perimeter, Davis is one of the most versatile and well-rounded defenders in recent memory.

With an improved arsenal of post moves and a consistent mid-range jumper, Davis could become much more than an elite defender. He's already explosive around the rim, and the finesse will come.

There's always some uncertainty about how adding muscle will affect a young player with elite athleticism, but it's hard to imagine Davis being anything short of a dominant inside presence however he shapes up. He has the best physical tools in the draft and the potential to match.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF, Kentucky

Much like his teammate Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist already has an impressive, NBA-ready skill set—the question is whether his offensive game will eventually make him a superstar or just another very good second or third option.

There's no doubt MKG can put up points on the fast break or with his slashing ability, but he'll need to improve his perimeter stroke if he's to prove his few detractors wrong.

Given that he does just about everything else exceptionally well, he'll get plenty of playing time and the chance to round out his scoring ability.

Andre Drummond, C, UConn

The concern with Andre Drummond is that a guy with his size and athletic ability should have dominated more consistently at the college level.

On the other hand, Drummond is still just 18 years old and only had one year with a pretty good team to prove himself. He might have yielded more prominent production on a lesser team or against lesser competition, so his uneven results should be taken in context.

In terms of his physical tools, there's not a whole lot separating Drummond from a younger Dwight Howard. The power and quickness are there.

If the mental toughness and willingness to improve his post-up game are there too, Drummond could slowly become an elite center in much the same way Andrew Bynum steadily improved into an All-Star.

Terrence Jones, SF, Kentucky

The 20-year-old forward may be a borderline lottery pick in this summer's draft, but he'd be a lock for the top-10 in many other drafts.

He's not yet a fantastic scorer, but his limited production can be partially attributed to having to share the rock with so much talent at Kentucky.

But scoring isn't the selling point with Jones anyway.

After playing some point guard in high school, Jones is easily one of the most intriguing and multi-talented players in the draft. He passes, rebounds and has the versatility to defend both forward positions.

Jones may wind up looking a little something like a poor-man's LeBron James, but that's still saying something.

Austin Rivers, SG, Duke

The knock on Austin Rivers is that he's not quite big enough to be a star shooting guard while he's not nearly deferential enough to play the point.

Though his size might not change, his court vision and ability to facilitate offense could certainly improve in time. In fact, it would be odd for a young player with Rivers' shooting ability to do anything but take a lot of shots.

For the record, it's also not as if Rivers is all that undersized.

He's 6'4", and as he adds some weight, his ability to penetrate and finish against bigger lineups will improve. So long as Rivers doesn't settle in as the next J.J. Redick, he could become one of the league's most electric scorers, approximating the likes of Jamal Crawford or even Manu Ginobili.