NBA Draft 2012: 5 Prospects Whose Athleticism Won't Translate to the NBA

Jared Sullinger is not athletic enough to make it in the NBA.

If that's what NBA executives decide, Sullinger will face a slide in the 2012 NBA Draft.

If you're not athletic, you're going to struggle. You're not going to be able to drive to the rim and you'll struggle on defense.

NBA executives get in trouble if they automatically assume that athleticism will transfer to the NBA. You can look very athletic against college guards. You can look silly against Chris Paul.

NBA combine testing can give a glimpse into how athletic a player really is. If a player struggles in those tests, then a warning flag should go up.

There are plenty of athletic players in this draft. Their transition to the NBA will be easier.

But for the non-athletic, it will be a struggle. Those whose athleticism doesn't translate will face an uphill battle and will have to figure out ways to contribute in the league. 

Jared Sullinger

Jared Sullinger has been having a rough go of it.

The former Ohio State star is not only being hampered by questions about his balky back, but also about his athleticism.

For his back, Sullinger has gotten some bad reviews from teams. According to ESPN's Andy Katz, some teams have pushed him off their first-round boards because of the back issues. 

Even before the back issues, Sullinger had questions about his athleticism.

At the NBA combine, Sullinger tested as one of the worst athletes there.

Sullinger was in the bottom five for maximum vertical jump, jumping 31 inches. He also had the slowest lane agility and 3/4 court sprint times.

Sullinger made his mark as a back-to-basket type player and isn't too concerned about his poor test results: [via ESPN]

"

"I'm not a testing type of guy. I'm a basketball player," Sullinger said Monday in New Orleans. "If I'm so robotic in testing or I couldn't do the testing because I wasn't robotic enough, I apologize to everybody that thinks I didn't do well. That's just me. I'm a basketball player. I know how to play with a basketball."

"

Sullinger put up big numbers at Ohio State, but his lack of athleticism is concerning. 

For one, Sullinger will be going up against more athletic big men in the NBA. For another, he'll be a liability in transition and will have a tough time defending more athletic teams.

His lack of athleticism means he won't be able to get out and run, so if he's drafted by an up-tempo team, he will struggle. 

Terrence Jones

At the combine, Terrence Jones jumped very high. That's about all he did well.

Jones, according to Draft Express, "seemed to struggle with the lane shuttle drill, posting unusually slow reaction times, which hurt his overall time and ranking."

Jones will play at the 3 and 4-position and will be asked to defend multiple spots. But with slow reaction times, can he do it?

Jones has been described as an explosive player, so his test results are surprising. Jones has been plagued by inconsistency and has not always put forth a solid effort; his poor results could be because of poor work ethic.

Despite his success in college, Jones' combine performance has to put some in doubt in the minds of NBA evaluators. His slow reaction times is particularly concerning, as he'll struggle with quick, explosive forwards. LeBron James and Kevin Durant will blow right by him.

If his poor test results are a product of a subpar work ethic, then Jones will have to work hard to improve. But if they aren't, Jones might turn out to be a liability on defense and will struggle to attack the rim. 

Will Barton

Will Barton is projected as a late first-round pick, but if his test numbers are any indication, he will not play to his draft position.

At the combine, Barton was in the bottom five in 3/4 court sprint and lane agility. He was the only wing player in the bottom five in those drills. 

Barton's poor performance at the Combine is surprising because he's been described as an athletic player. As DraftExpress notes, Barton, "has the size, length, and athleticism of a prototypical NBA wing..."

So what gives? If Barton shows athleticism in games, it's a good sign, but remember this: Barton is playing against Conference USA players, not NBA players. So while he might be athletic enough to blow by C-USA defenders, he might not be able to get past NBA defenders.

Barton's drills suggest that his athleticism, when compared to other NBA players, is subpar. His results are more on par with big men, not slashing wings. 

Barton will have to either add some savvy to his game, or get quick fast if he's going to be a productive player. 

Andrew Nicholson

Andrew Nicholson looked like a man among boys in the Atlantic-10. 

But the A-10 is certainly not the Big East. It's nowhere close to the NBA.

Nicholson, who's projected as a mid-to-late first-round pick, struggled in combine testing. He finished in the bottom five in the 3/4 court sprint.

Nicholson, who has a strong post game, will not be a factor in transition. He'll struggle against athletic forwards, as well as stretch 4s who live on the perimeter.

Nicholson might be a factor in the post, but asking anything else of him is a stretch. He'll have to improve his jump shot in order to be a solid contributor in the NBA. 

J'Covan Brown

J'Covan Brown may have averaged over 20 points per game last season, but it was not because of his athleticism.

He had a historically awful performance at the NBA combine. He started off with the smallest hands, and the fourth-smallest wingspan.

He had 12.5 percent body fat and the lowest max-vertical jump, as well as the lowest no-step max reach.

All of those results mean one thing: Brown is just not that good of an athlete.

That'll make transitioning to the NBA very hard. Brown might be able to drive to the lane against college players, but it'll be much harder for him to do that against Chris Paul and Deron Williams.

Brown is going to struggle in the NBA, as his poor athleticism will hold him back.