NBA Draft 2012: Which NBA Draft Invitees Will Fall out of the Lottery?

Every year, the NBA invites a select group of elite prospects to the draft as VIP guests. The 2012 NBA draft invitee group is loaded with talent, but not all of them are locks to land in the lottery round.

Here's DraftExpress' list of the reported invitees:

"

Green Room Invites: Davis, Robinson, Beal, Kidd Gilchrist, Barnes, Lillard, Waiters, Lamb, Drummond, Rivers, Henson, Zeller, Leonard.

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 25, 2012"

CBSSports.com is reporting that Washington Huskies forward Terrence Ross will also be a "green room" invitee.

Most of these players will hear their names called as lottery picks, but some of them are likely to slip to the middle of the first round. Let's take a look at a few picks who will fall out of the lottery.

Jeremy Lamb, Connecticut Huskies

UConn's lanky forward is definitely talented enough to merit selection in the lottery. But he could fall because there are several good shooting guards and small forwards ahead of him, along with all of the bigs (John Henson, Meyers Leonard, Tyler Zeller) whose stocks are rising.

Lamb doesn't have the physical attributes that wings like Brad Beal, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist or Harrison Barnes have. He's also not considered to be as mentally strong as these guys either.

The 6'5" wing will end up being a great pro because he's skilled, he's long and he can shoot. But his draft status isn't as certain as most of the lottery prospects.

Terrence Ross, Washington Huskies

A different kind of Huskies swingman is also on the wrong end of the lottery bubble. Washington's sophomore shooter has seen his stock rise recently. He is even projected to land 13th with the Phoenix Suns by a couple of mocks. But for reasons similar to Lamb, he could end up falling back down to the late teens.

Also, if Austin Rivers falls to the Phoenix Suns, that would bump Ross out of his best chance to land in the lottery.

Ross has the kind of athleticism and shooting ability to draw interest from several teams, but his touch in the lane and ability to finish around the rim need improvement.

Meyers Leonard, Illinois Fighting Illini

The odds are in Leonard's favor that he'll get picked up in the lottery, but there are a couple scenarios that could keep him from getting selected early.

If either John Henson or Tyler Zeller fall to 12th or 14th, Leonard could fall to 15th or lower. The Rockets currently have the 14th pick, but they may trade it to Orlando as part of a Dwight Howard deal. Either way, a post player will be selected with that pick, but it could be Zeller.

There's no question that Leonard is an exciting prospect with size, skill and underrated athleticism. He's just not a lock to get picked early.

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