Breaking Down the Riskiest Prospects of the 2012 NBA Draft Class

As history has taught us, being a first-round pick in the NBA draft doesn't mean the player selected will automatically become an All-Star. Multiple factors come into consideration, such as health, attitude, even which team a player is put on.

Take Kwame Brown, for example. He was taken first overall in 2001, but his lazy attitude and refusal to be coached now has him ranked among the worst busts in the history of the game. And yet the Washington Wizards chose to assume that risk when they selected him.

Naturally, this year's draft class has its share of risky prospects, like Jared Sullinger of Ohio State, whose injury history has seen his draft stock plummet in recent weeks. He isn't alone by a long shot, as there are some other players in his draft class who also carry a gigantic risk.

No. 6: Harrison Barnes, SF, North Carolina

As talented as Barnes was in college, his game is extremely one-sided. He averaged 17.4 points for the Tar Heels last year, but his skills outside of scoring aren't much to write home about.

That isn't necessarily a bad thing in Barnes' case. Lots of the NBA stars we know and love today are scorers first with average skills outside of that department. Still, particularly with guys like Carmelo Anthony, some are good enough athletes to take their defense to the next level.

In the case of Barnes, he's basically a more versatile and slightly more athletic Jimmer Fredette. He can score points in any way, shape or form, but he's just a bit small at 6'8", 215 pounds to make a major impact on the other side of the floor. More importantly, he can't really score consistently. 

That said, unless the team that drafts him is planning to use him for just scoring points, then they could be setting themselves up for disappointment.

No. 5: Austin Rivers, SG, Duke

Rivers is a talented shooter, but therein lies his problem. That's all he can do. On top of that, he's a bit too cocky for his own good.

Here's a guy who spent one year playing at Duke and averaged 15.4 points while shooting 36 percent from long range. Those numbers aren't bad by any means, but Rivers just doesn't have the versatility required of shooting guards in the NBA today.

On top of that, he doesn't have the same skill-set as someone like Kyrie Irving, where leaving school early could be something of an advantage. Unless he proves himself to be coachable and willing to work on all aspects of his game, then whichever team selects him is going to regret not selecting someone else.

No. 4: Jared Sullinger, PF, Ohio State

On paper, Sullinger looks like a great power forward in the making, having averaged 17.6 points and 9.3 rebounds. His 6'9", 265-pound frame doesn't hurt either.

However, last week, doctors red flagged Sullinger due to a back injury that appears to be recurring. As history has shown us, especially with Amar'e Stoudemire the past couple of years, such injuries are no joke.

That said, any team that drafts him, be it in the lottery or in the second round, will be rolling the dice. He'll either be a great power forward or an absolute bust, no in-between.

Which team takes that risk, however, remains to be seen.

No. 3: Perry Jones III, PF, Baylor

Jones has the size at 6'11", 235 pounds to be a top NBA power forward ,and he certainly has the potential. In his sophomore year at Baylor, he averaged 14 points and 7.7 rebounds per game.

However, as we all noticed during this year's NCAA tournament, Jones looked lost and out of it on defense. If he's going to make it in the pros, he's going to have to up the effort in that department.

Until there's further proof of that, his NBA career will go one of two ways. Either he'll silence critics and be great, or he'll be a horrific bust.

No. 2: Andre Drummond, C, Connecticut

Drummond is projected to be a lottery pick, but I have no problem in saying that he's the Bismack Biyombo of this year's draft class. He can rebound and block shots, but his offensive game is practically nonexistent.

On top of that, Drummond was part of a UConn team that is banned from next year's tournament for poor academic performance. That just screams lazy to me.

Unless he gets drafted by a team with a no-nonsense coach who can get him in gear, something tells me Drummond's NBA career will run fairly short. It's a case of being Shaq versus being Greg Oden. To be honest, it's up to Drummond as to who he wants to be.

No. 1: Meyers Leonard, C, Illinois

Meyers Leonard's most positive quality is his determination, but that can only get one so far in professional basketball. He seems a bit small for a center at 7'1", 245 pounds, and compared to other men at his position in the NBA, he could easily get tossed around a lot if he doesn't put on some weight.

If his body stays as it is now, one of two things will happen. He'll either be Chris Kaman with less of a skill-set, or he'll be another Robert Swift. For the sake of whichever team drafts him, I really hope it's the former. He's simply boom or bust.