NBA Draft 2012: Ranking the Top 10 Rookie Athletes

The NBA draft is full of some of the best basketball players to enter the league. However, the best athletes are Anthony Davis, Harrison Barnes, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Jeremy Lamb, Austin Rivers, Damian Lillard, Bradley Beal, John Henson, Marquis Teague and Will Barton.

Though the draft is full of top talent in terms of basketball players, just like in the NFL draft, there is a huge difference between basketball players who have athletic potential and athletes with basketball potential. The focus here is not the best players in the draft but rather who the best athletes are. 

The best athletes don't tend to be the bigger, more powerful players, but the combination of their speed, agility, jumping ability and overall quickness will be what earns these players a spot on this list.

10. SG Dion Waiters

Waiters is an athletic guard out of Syracuse and is someone who can lead a team in scoring. As a combo guard, Waiters compares to current NBA guard Jamal Crawford with his lack of a true position. However, he has the kind of talent that just needs to make it onto the floor every game.

The athleticism that Waiters shows is some of the best in the draft and has multiple NBA draft outlets praising his athletic abilities. Highlighting his athleticism, Jonathan Wasserman of NBADraft.net lists some strengths for Waiters:

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Athleticism allows him to penetrate the heart of the defense, where he's illustrated a soft touch on his floater...Defensively he has active hands and quick feet, and is a constant threat to steal the ball when defending a loose/careless handle...Often comes out of nowhere for pokes and swipes as an off-ball defender.

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Penetrating defenses. Quick feet. Always around the ball. These are things that you hear about guys who not only will be top draft picks but will be able to compete at a top level because they are able to combine a natural athleticism with their hard work to earn a spot on NBA rosters.

9. PF John Henson

John Henson is a 6'11" power forward from the University of North Carolina. He is one of the most athletic players in the country, but despite being 6'11", he weighs a total of 220 pounds and needs to fill out before seeing more action than his highly athletic body is ready for.

Henson needs to use the NBA strength training programs to bulk up a bit and fill out into his frame without losing any speed or jumping ability. Despite needing to bulk up a bit, Bleacher Report's Brian Mazique considers Henson to be:

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...a solid athlete who runs the floor well, and has decent leaping ability. He is a long and obstructive defender with great timing for blocked shots.  

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However, for his size, he is one of the best athletes in the draft. He will have to rely on athleticism early, and once he starts to fill out into the 235-240 range, he will end up as more of a Tyson Chandler clone than a Hakim Warrick clone.

8. SF Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is a big reason why the Kentucky Wildcats were the national champions in 2012. His basketball abilities at 6'7" make him very reminiscent of a guy like Gerald Wallace on the court, but the athleticism and leadership is what makes him stand out.

The best way to see how truly athletic a player can be is to look at his defense. As Sam Quinn of Bleacher Report points out,

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His defense was relentless. He often defended the opponent's best player regardless of position. He can guard four positions at a high level, but he was often overshadowed by playing next to Davis, the best defensive player college basketball has seen in years. 

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When a player can take on anyone in any spot, he has to be one of the top athletes in the game. Guarding someone 4-5 inches different in height is something that takes a lot of skill to do, and MKG has shown that he can guard almost anyone on the court. If he wasn't a top athlete, he couldn't do that.

7. SF Harrison Barnes

Barnes is another Tar Heel on this list, and the 6'8" small forward is one of the best in the draft. However, he is one of the best because he can beat guys with his balance and body control abilities.

Some have questioned his athleticism. However, he is very underrated in this aspect. Michael Lee of the Washington Post notes that,

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Measurements for the 6-foot-8 Barnes were off the charts, as he registered the highest no-step vertical jump (38 inches), the fourth-highest maximum vertical (39.5), the fastest three-quarter court sprint (3.16) and bench pressed 185 pounds 15 times.

For some perspective, his no-step vertical ranks fourth all-time, his sprint is only two seconds slower than John Wall’s time from two years ago and he matched Kansas power forward Thomas Robinson in upper body strength. Is that elite enough for you?

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If a guy isn't athletic, he isn't going to post the top straight-line speed, top vertical jump or be able to have a top bench press. Barnes showed at the NBA combine that he is truly one of the top athletes in the draft this year even if he couldn't showcase it in the offense North Carolina ran this year.

6. PG Damian Lillard

Damian Lillard is moving up mostly because of the athleticism he has on the floor. He hasn't played the best competition considering he was playing at Weber State, but he could end up being a pick in the lottery. 

Lilliard has good size for a point guard at 6'2", but he is in the same kind of situation as Dion Waiters in that he doesn't have a set position right now. In scouting Lillard, Brian Mazique notes that, 

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Lillard is very quick and has exceptional body control. He can drive and finish with either hand and his handle in traffic is solid. At 6'2", he has good size for the point guard position; he is strong, but he could add a little muscle to become a post-up option against smaller guards.

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According to Mazique, he looks a lot like Stephen Curry coming out, and it's hard to disagree with that notion. He is a much more athletic player than Curry was, and his natural strength could have him comparing long-term to Dwayne Wade more than Curry.

5. SG Terrence Ross

Terrence Ross is a 6'7" swing-man from Washington who will compete for a starring role in the NBA. He has correctable weaknesses that will be fixed once he gets his intangibles to the same level as his athleticism. He compares to a younger Rip Hamilton.

Ross is someone that can create mismatches with any defender he goes against and, with his speed, quickness and jumping abilities, could make someone look foolish. He is one of the top athletes in the draft and SwishScout.com praises his athleticism here:

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Ross is an aerial act athletically. He’s a springy, two footed jumper who can get up in a hurry with little need to gather his momentum. Noticeable burst off his first step and accelerates almost instantaneously. Great lateral mover and ability to change direction moving side to side. Has terrific quickness end-to-end and is an active player in transition with that speed. He’s about as athletic as you will find from guard/forward.

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He sounds like the true top athlete in his reports and looks the part on video too. Ross didn't get a lot of press while in college due to being on a Pac-12 team, but his natural abilities should allow him to be picked in the top half of the first round.

4. PF Arnett Moultrie

Arnett Moultrie is an ideal-sized (6'11", 233) junior forward from Mississippi State who can play either small forward or power forward. His speed and athleticism is freakish for someone his size; however, he has been sliding from the 3 to the 4 and in doing that has been losing some of his perimeter game. 

Moultrie should continue to move to the post and harness his athleticism, which Adam Ganeles of NBADraft.net compares to Jermaine O'Neal:

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High-level athlete combo forward with excellent size and length. Versatile offensive skill set to score inside/outside (16.5 PPG). Could be seen as being big enough to play center in today's NBA. He possesses rare agility at 6’11 in tandem with a hunger for activity and relentless motor. Runs the court like a guard, with a fluid gait and long, easy strides. Nightmare matchup for opponents on the interior due to explosive quickness and elevation. 

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If he does end up turning into an O'Neal type long term, it would only benefit whoever is lucky enough to draft him. Moultrie's high level of athleticism will guarantee that he gets considered in the lottery and ends up with a starting spot in the pros. 

3. SG Jeremy Lamb

Jeremy Lamb is a 6'5" combo guard from UConn, and in this weak shooting guard class, he should end up going in the lottery selections. Lamb does better as the No. 2 or No. 3 option, though, and isn't the best person to have as the No. 1 option on a team.

However, despite the deficiencies as a No. 1 option his best asset is his athleticism as Bleacher Report's Brian Mazique states in Lamb's biggest strengths:

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Lamb is one of the draft's premier athletes. He has big time hops and freakishly long arms. His movements are graceful, and he will be a terror in the open floor, especially on the wing with a capable point guard.

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Lamb's top notch athleticism will help him create shots away from the ball and get open looks on the arc. He also will be able to attack the basket from the edge, but the most important area in which his athleticism will create an advantage is with his excellent defense.

2. PG Marquis Teague

Marquis Teague is the younger brother of current Atlanta Hawk Jeff Teague and, at 6'2" 189 lb, has the same kind of size and athleticism that has made Jeff one of the most promising young point guards in the NBA today.

Teague will be a lottery pick due to his freakishly good athleticism that SwishScout.com describes as such:

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Has NBA quickness and will be among the leagues better guard in terms of speediness upon entering the league. He accelerates instantaneously off a blistering first step, and can stop on a dime with solid body control...Great leaping ability and spring that can carry him above the rim, and seems to float to the basket on drives. Will be an athlete to be reckoned with at the next level and will have little trouble coping in that regard.

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That kind of athleticism is always needed by NBA teams and will lead to Teague getting drafted much higher than his basketball talents alone dictate. His top-notch abilities as an athlete will put him in the position to create plays and take over games in the NBA.

1. PF Anthony Davis

Anthony Davis is the best player in the draft by far. Most of what makes Kentucky's 6'10", 220-pound power forward's stock so high is his ungodly athleticism for his size and the strength he possesses in his frame. The scariest part is he has the room to add muscle and get better.

In one of the best examples of what Davis could end up being long-term, Adam Ganeles of NBADraft.net compares him to Kevin Garnett:

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Fluid athleticism, incredible length and guard agility in a 6’10 package ... Davis is a game wrecking defensive presence and disruptor unlike any incoming draft prospect in quite some time (4.8 BPG) ... He combines the physical shot blocking package of a 7’6 wingspan and quick leaping ability with a relentless motor and high-level defensive intelligence ... In addition to his length, the speed at which he chews up ground allows him to affect shots all over the court 

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Davis will be the top pick in the draft for a lot of reasons, but most of all for his insane athleticism for his size and the ability to create some of the best plays in the post. Once he fills out, he could be something truly special and be on the same level that Garnett has been at for five years.