NBA Draft 2012: Analyzing Which Players Will Be Immediate Superstars

While the Miami Heat and the Oklahoma City Thunder will be playing in Game 2 of the NBA Finals tonight, the other 28 teams have their main focus on the upcoming NBA draft.

The goal of each team is to find that one superstar that can surge them into a class where the Heat and Thunder currently sit.

There will be plenty of players drafted who will become role players with their respective supporting casts or will take time to develop, but only few will have an immediate impact on their new teams.

The hard part is trying to find who will be an immediate superstar and who won't be—immediate meaning their rookie campaign.

Here are five players in the 2012 NBA draft that will be immediate superstars after being drafted.

Jared Sullinger, Ohio State

Position: PF

Age: 20

Height/Weight: 6’9’’/268 lbs.

In his only two seasons playing for Thad Matta and the Ohio State Buckeyes, Jared Sullinger proved that he can be a force on the lower block and be the leader of a team. He’s your typical big man who also has the ability to score.

In his freshman season he averaged a double-double with 17.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. This past season, he scored just a tad more at 17.5 points per game but saw his rebound average drop by a full rebound to 9.2.

Injuries caused him to miss a few games, but he still managed to score in double figures in all but three games this year.

Sullinger had his ups and downs through the NCAA tournament and really only played outstandingly during Ohio State’s Sweet 16 matchup against Cincinnati.

ESPN’s Chad Ford (insider subscription required) projects Sullinger to be taken by the New Orleans Hornets with the 10th pick in the first round. If that happens, he’ll be playing alongside another player on this list.

Despite Sullinger probably sharing the spotlight with that other player, he can still be an immediate superstar. He’s already a mature power forward who will be able to withstand the other big men in the NBA. Sullinger should have minimal issues in his rookie season and could be a favorable selection for Rookie of the Year.

Austin Rivers, Duke

Position: G

Age: 19

Height/Weight: 6’5’’/203 lbs.

I’ll admit that I’m a big advocate of Austin Rivers. He’s not afraid of anyone or any situation. Remember this shot? It’s arguably the biggest shot of his short collegiate career. This kid lives in the spotlight.

He averaged 15.5 points per game as a freshman in the ACC. He shoots 43 percent from the field and 36 percent from three-point range.

Rivers does have to improve his free-throw shooting if he wants to be a superstar in the NBA, shooting at just 66 percent last year. You can’t be trusted late in the game if you can’t hit your free throws, even if you're good at handling the ball.

Ford projects the Phoenix Suns to take Rivers with the 13th pick to possibly replace Steve Nash. I think it’s a good fit should Nash leave Phoenix because they wouldn’t mesh well playing together. Rivers could’ve learned a lot from Nash, but I couldn’t see them playing well together.

With Nash presumably gone, it opens the door for Rivers to be the leader of the Suns. He might not be the point guard but will definitely be out there taking plenty of shots.

This may be a stretch, but Rivers could end up being this year’s Kyrie Irving. 

Tyler Zeller, North Carolina

Position: C

Age: 22

Height/Weight: 7’0’’/247 lbs.

One of the things that I love about Tyler Zeller is that he just continues to get better year after year.

He rarely got any time during his freshman year and then averaged 9.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game as a sophomore. In his junior year, he averaged 15.7 points and 7.2 rebounds. Last season, he averaged 16.3 points and 9.6 rebounds.

Every season he increased his points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks per game. He also had his shooting and free-throw percentages increases over his four seasons at North Carolina. You don’t see a lot of centers shooting 81 percent from the charity stripe.

Zeller decided to return for his senior season with the Tar Heels, and it probably increased his draft stock, even though he couldn’t win a national championship.

I do think that Zeller needs to get stronger if he’s going to be an everyday center, but he still could be an immediate star with the Houston Rockets, who Ford thinks will take him at No. 14.

Houston does have some decent big men, but I think that Zeller will still be a starter once the season starts. They need help scoring, which he can provide and hopefully take them to the playoffs by doing so.

Fab Melo, Syracuse

Position: C

Age: 22

Height/Weight: 7’0’’/255 lbs. 

Fab Melo might not be the smartest or the most popular player in the 2012 NBA draft class, but he is still a good basketball player.

He wasn’t allowed to play in the NCAA tournament due to academic ineligibility and put up decent numbers in the games he did play in during the regular season. Melo only scored in double figures 11 times during the year and pulled in at least eight rebounds eight times.

He isn’t very mature, by any means, but does have the toughness to play in this league, which continues to get dirtier and dirtier. He won’t be afraid to knock someone down and will probably foul out in his fair share of games, but his toughness does set him apart from other players in the draft.

Ford projects Melo to be selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the 24th pick, but I think that the Boston Celtics will end up taking him with the 21st or 22nd selection.

Cleveland doesn’t really have a center anymore and could use Anderson Varejao at PF, as Ford writes. Boston doesn’t have a center either and could benefit from taking him should Kevin Garnett leave the Celtics.

His size will inevitably play a big factor in his success. Whether it’s Kyrie Irving, Rajon Rondo or someone else tossing him passes, he could easily become a superstar in no time.

Anthony Davis, Kentucky

Position: PF/C

Age: 19

Height/Weight: 6’11’’/222 lbs.

Anthony Davis will be the No. 1 overall selection in the 2012 NBA draft. That’s a fact, not an opinion.

He’s the best player in the draft and was going to be taken No. 1 no matter who won the draft lottery. The New Orleans Hornets will jump for joy once he hits the practice courts for them.

He averaged 14.2 points, 10.4 rebounds and 4.7 blocks per game in his freshman season at Kentucky and took them all the way to a national championship.

He did have a great supporting cast with the Wildcats, but it’s safe to say that he was the best player on the team and will be the best NBA player that was on that Kentucky team.

He’s an enormous kid that has incredibly long arms that help him shoot over defenders, grab rebounds and also block shots. All of these skills will translate once he starts playing for the Hornets.

Davis is the early favorite for the Rookie of the Year and for good reason. He’s the closest lock there is for a rookie superstar.