NBA Draft 2012: Red Flag Players Teams Must Avoid

With the 2012 NBA Draft only two days away teams are preparing to choose the right player at the right spot. Sounds simple enough, right?

Red flags that surround players going into the draft should be an alert for teams to avoid these players, but every year there are teams who reach for them anyway. 

Here is a quick run-down of some players teams need to be wary of in the upcoming NBA draft.

Jared Sullinger, PF

Jared Sullinger has been medically red flagged after recent reports about his back problems. NBA doctors believe this could seriously hinder his performance and longevity in the league. Some team doctors even advised their teams not to take Sullinger in the first round.

He has the talents to be taken in the top 10, but lottery teams should avoid Sullinger.

Sullinger could very well be another DeJuan Blair. However, the risk is too high to use a lottery selection on a player who has serious health issues. 

John Henson, PF

John Henson proved to be an excellent defender in college, but it's hard to believe that his skills will translate well into the NBA. Standing at 6'10" and 216 pounds, Henson lacks the strength to be dominant in the frontcourt.

He has the potential to get better and stronger, but at this point in time he's just not a worthy top-10 selection. 

Quincy Miller, SF

After tearing his ACL in his senior year of high school, Quincy Miller lost some of his explosiveness and speed.

He still managed to average 10.5 points per game and five rebounds in his one year at Baylor.

However, given his ridiculous frame for a small forward , he should have been more dominant. Standing at 6'9" with a 7'3" wingspan, it's reasonable to believe Miller should have put up better numbers. It is likely that he was still recovering from his ACL injury this past season, but with that hanging over his head, NBA teams need to be cautious about where they select Miller.  

The safe bet would be to take him between the bottom of the first round. 

Royce White, SF

Royce White has drawn comparisons to Boris Diaw because of his size and exceptional passing skills, but the red flags surrounding him will hurt his draft stock.

Despite his impressive stat line, Royce's troubled past can hurt him going forward. Even though he has improved his maturity and anxiety disorder, those two things are causes for concern for NBA teams.

His past could be the deciding factor for where teams select him. It would be safe to avoid Royce in the first round and instead scoop him up in the second round. 

Evan Fournier, SG

Evan Fournier has been projected to go as high as 14 in the draft, but based on his numbers, he should be avoided in the first round completely.

He averaged 14 points per game in France last season, but he got that on 42.5 percent shooting. He's not a consistent shooter, especially from deep—he's only a 27.7 percent three-point shooter.

NBA teams should look to pick up Fournier early in the second round at best.