NBA Draft 2012: 7 Players Who Could Be Diamonds in the Rough

In every NBA draft, there are always a few players who slip down the board and wind up paying huge dividends for their teams. The 2012 draft class is no different.

With an extremely talented class as a whole, the lottery appears to be where the most hype is being surrounded. However, the late-first, early-second round selections should not be taken lightly, as they could pay off as much as those early selections.

After Anthony Davis going first to the New Orleans Hornets, the rest of the field could be predictable as much as it could be unexpected. The later picks have as much talent as the top picks, thus, presenting great situations for the better teams to get even better.

Now, therein lies the question. Who are these players who could be, essentially, found money for those who are lucky enough to nab them?

Draymond Green, Michigan State

The ever-evolving Draymond Green is coming off an incredible season with Michigan State, in which he averaged 16 points and 10 rebounds per game.

Besides his talent and ability, Green's determination and drive to grow as a player are some of his most intriguing qualities as a draft pick. Green's big body and surprisingly quick feet make him a prime candidate for an early-second round.

Right now, a number of mock drafts have Green landing in Cleveland where he would likely take the spot of the aging Antawn Jamison. Green may not be the most talented player, but he's always willing to bang in the boards as well as body up on defense.

For a big man, Green has impressive shooting range. With the ability to stretch a defense along the perimeter, his mere presence should be a great asset for whichever team is lucky enough to grab him.

Hard working and always motivated, Green should get some quality looks from teams during the early stages of the second round.

Mike Scott, Virginia

After a breakout season at Virginia, Mike Scott is looking to build off his success and turn it into a solid NBA career.

At 6'8", Scott's using his long arms to his advantage over smaller defenders. However, he won't have too many opportunities such as that in the NBA. Luckily for Scott, he also has a nice array of post moves to help him out. Scott's soft hands around the rim also translate nicely to the next level.

Scott has a nice mid-range shooting game as well, which makes him a diverse threat teams would love to have in their arsenal. One glaring spot that may cost Scott, however, is the fact he has only the one year of great production.

With this low spot for Scott, this may actually give him some problems in being drafted, although it's unlikely he falls completely off the board. He will be picked up by one team or another, and they will be happy to have his potential in their lineup.

John Jenkins, Vanderbilt

What team doesn't love having a sharpshooter in their rotation?

In this draft class, the best shooter is a no-brainer. John Jenkins has been the best long-range shooter in college basketball since the day he first suited up for the Commodores. Displaying amazing precision and confidence with every stroke, his offensive threat came naturally and in rhythm. 

Some like to compare Jenkins to another former great college shooter—JJ Redick. While Redick may have been a better overall scorer, Jenkins is a better overall player, which gives him the edge. Redick may be a great shooter, but Jenkins has much longer arms and jumping ability which allows him shoot over defenders—something Redick never had the luxury to do.

Also, we cannot forget that Redick went 11th overall to the Orlando Magic in 2006. He has, subsequently, become a bust in the grand scheme of things. Jenkins can take solace in knowing that, being the better overall player, he will not have as much pressure to perform as he won't be a focal point to any team.

John Jenkins will be a great shooting threat wherever he lands. Numerous teams should be looking at grabbing him before they lose out completely. He's quality sixth-man material waiting to blossom into something great.

Marquis Teague, Kentucky

Here's what one scouting report on Marquis Teague had to say. Pay close attention to what it says about his weaknesses:

"

Weaknesses: Lacks NBA range (32% from three) on his jumper with a somewhat unorthodox release...Struggles with touch in traffic on runners and floaters...Turnover prone in half court, sometimes forcing a pass or over-dribbling...Transition from scorer to playmaker could take time, as he still seems unsure of himself as a distributor in the half court...Only shot 71% from the line...

"

Sound anything like another former Kentucky point guard when he first entered the draft? Give up?

Of course, I'm talking about Rajon Rondo, who has slowly climbed his way up to elite point guard status in the NBA. Rondo came out of school after two years with much room to grow. Teague is basically walking the same fine line.

Teague showed flashes of brilliance in his scoring ability with great awareness around the rim. He's also been known to become wary in those same situations. Confusing, right? That's exactly what Teague is as a prospect. He possibly could have benefited greatly from staying one more year at Kentucky, but he still has great upside in the NBA.

Of course, in running the show for a national championship team, leadership was never a problem for Teague. Still very young, Teague now has a chance to repeat Kentucky alum Rondo's success and prove he's better than advertised at this point in time.

Jared Sullinger, Ohio State

Had we been talking about this a few weeks ago, mentioning Jared Sullinger's name in a list like this might have been an insult. But now that he has a medical red flag on him due to back issues, we have a completely different discussion.

Big and brutal, Sullinger relies heavily on his back to push defenders around on the offensive end. He also likes to utilize that big body on the defensive end. Needless to say, a back issue could be a bigger problem for any team that chooses to take him on.

Then again, they said the same thing about DeJuan Blair and his lack of ACLs, and he's been doing pretty well so far, has he not?

Blair was expected to be a late-lottery pick in 2009 but fell to early second after he, too, received that dreaded red flag on his knees. Lucky for the Spurs, they were not phased by what doctors had said about him. Now, he's paying off greatly for them now.

Sullinger is in, essentially, an identical situation that Blair was in. There is that possibility that Sullinger is, in fact, a huge medical risk and will flounder faster than Greg Oden. He could also be able to overcome those back limitations and become a success much like Blair has.

With his overall talents and abilities in the post, there will be a few teams that look very closely at Sullinger. One team will surely take the risk and possibly reap all the benefits those before them failed to pull the trigger on.

Fab Melo, Syracuse

Miss out on Anthony Davis and Andre Drummond? No problem. Fab Melo is here to tell you there's no more need to search for your center of the future.

Missing three games during the regular season and the entire NCAA tournament run for Syracuse didn't exactly give the world a chance to see how great he can really be. Melo's size alone (7'0", 260lbs) makes him an intimidating threat inside the paint. While his numbers don't jump out at you, he's one of the few prospects who have a sky-high ceiling of potential.

Although, there's a distinct possibility Melo could be another Hasheem Thabeet—tall, lanky center who towers over the opposition in college but failed to amount to anything in the NBA. With Melo, the risk is minimal as he is projected to go anywhere between the late-first, early-second round territory.

There's still a lot of unproven ground with Melo, but he very well could be that next big thing, literally, that a team is looking for. Tall, strong and room for improvement are all great selling points for a late-round pick.

Melo is that pick.

Royce White, Iowa State

How does one lead his team in points, rebounds and assists in a season and not get more recognition for greatness? Additionally, how does one do it from a power forward position?

This is the dilemma for Royce White, who posted 13 points, over nine rebounds and five assists per game for Iowa State in his first real year of playing time. White spent his first year at Minnesota but transferred to Iowa State after several behavior issues.

In his lone year of playing, White lived up to the hype surrounding him coming out of national powerhouse, Hopkins High School, in Minnesota. White displayed great floor vision and leadership with the Cyclones—two skills that will bode well for any NBA team to have.

However, because of his past issues and the only one year of experience, White has under his belt, some teams might be a bit weary from rolling the dice. He's proven, yet, unproven at the same time. Contradictory, yes, but it stands to reason based on the minimal amount of exposure for White.

Except, White is a pure talent who's attempting to right the ship many assumed was sinking a few years ago. He's not so much a gamble as much as he's an unknown, but his talents are unmistakable. White has what it takes to make it big in the NBA. Now, it's just a matter of a team taking that chance that his past is, indeed, his past.