NBA Draft Predictions 2012: Which Rookies Will Make Biggest Impact?

Predicting which incoming rookies will make the biggest impact is a multifaceted quest. One cannot simply list off the top five projected picks in the NBA draft. For all everyone knows, the 18th overall selection may be contributing to a playoff team, while the No. 3 overall pick will be piling up meaningless stats for a 30-win team. 

An impact player rises above statistical categories. Kyrie Irving (No. 1) and Tristan Thompson (No. 4) both put up solid numbers for 21-win Cleveland. However, who is to say they were more impactful than Kawhi Leonard (No. 15), who was starting for a team in the Western Conference finals?

Impact rookies depend as much on the situation they are entering into as their individual talent. A talented shooter going somewhere with a great distributor will have an impact, as will an intense rebounder on a team that was previously light in that department.

Bradley Beal to the Washington Wizards

Jumping right off the board at No. 3 we find a player who will benefit from a likely suitor in the top five. Bradley Beal has been a popular pick in mock drafts to be scooped up by the Washington Wizards.

In Washington, Beal will have an opportunity to make an impact right away. He will be locked into a battle with Jordan Crawford, who struggled last season shooting at clips of 29 percent from deep and just 40 percent overall. Beal's skill level and potential ceiling are much higher than Crawford's and he should wrestle the starting spot from the young veteran. 

Beal's impact will be due in large part to playing with one of the most talented young point guards in the NBA. Former first overall pick John Wall has the potential to be a great distributor and will have the opportunity to run his beloved drive-and-kick game with Beal. 

The Wizards overall are an unbelievably young team, but each player has shown potential individually. With Beal and Wall in the backcourt, they will have something built for both now and the future.

Damian Lillard to the Portland Trail Blazers

The Portland Trail Blazers are a couple freak injuries removed from three straight playoff appearances. They have built a solid team, and if they can re-sign a couple restricted free agents, they will be back on track. 

Helping them back on track could be point guard Damian Lillard. Lillard may be a stretch at No. 6, but Portland will be worried of him being snatched up before it picks again at No. 11. 

The Trail Blazers finished 12th in the West in scoring last season, something that won't fly in the high-scoring half of the NBA. Lillard can immediately enter and put up points at a position that struggled to do so. Jonny Flynn and Raymond Felton combined for just 15 points per game last season. 

Lillard, coupled with the No. 11 pick, should have enough of an impact on Portland to help it leapfrog back into the playoffs in 2013. 

Anthony Davis to the New Orleans Hornets

The impact of Anthony Davis' rookie season increased marginally when New Orleans won the NBA draft lottery. Were he going at No. 1 to a team with fewer pieces like Charlotte or Brooklyn, Davis' impact would be significantly less. 

The Hornets have some talent in their system already and will be adding two top-10 picks in the upcoming draft. Davis will immediately cause an impact defensively thanks entirely to his own talent. However, it is within the offensive flow of New Orleans that his impact will have to be the greatest. 

If the Hornets are able to re-sign either Eric Gordon or Chris Kaman, a lot of scoring pressure will be taken off Davis and he will be allowed to mature at his own rate.

Using his defense as a confidence builder in the NBA, he will improve throughout the season offensively and at the end of the year will be one of the most impactful rookies in the league.

Kendall Marshall to the Houston Rockets

Whether it be at No. 14, No. 16 or No. 18, the Houston Rockets could definitely use a point guard of Kendall Marshall's mold to get them over the hump and into the playoffs.

Houston made waves recently, grabbing the 18th pick from Minnesota in a trade. What it does with all those first-round picks remains to be seen, but if it brings in three young rookies, it will need a PG able to run the show. 

Marshall was a brilliant floor general at North Carolina, averaging just under 10 assists per game. If Houston loses Goran Dragic to free agency and trades Kyle Lowry, there will be a gaping opening at Marshall's position.

Whether the Rockets nail the picks or use them to bring in a star free agent, Marshall could benefit from playing the role of distributor to a talented Rocket team. 

His impact will be elevated depending on what Houston does with its three picks. If Marshall is the starting PG on a Western Conference playoff team, his impact will be undeniable.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist to Anywhere

While it will be difficult for a lot of players in the top 10 to make drastic impacts on their teams due to the lack of talent surrounding them, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist can rise above that. 

Kidd-Gilchrist has the all-around game that can impact any team. While his impact will be less noticeable than some, he needs to be mentioned because wherever he winds up he will have some effect on that team.

His impact will not be dependent on his teammates or coaching or position availability—he is a basketball player. He will be able to fill such a variety of holes that it will not matter what the flaws are on his drafting team because he can cover them. 

If Charlotte snatches him at No. 2, he can slide right into its relatively open small forward spot. Same with Cleveland or Sacramento.

He is less of a project and more of a definite entity. 

Royce White to the Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics finished last in rebounding in the entire NBA last season. They were forced to play small lineups regularly when Jermaine O'Neal and Chris Wilcox were lost for the season. Royce White averaged nearly 10 boards at Iowa State last season.

He is one of the best rebounders in the draft and has tremendous upside. He will fall to Boston's area of the draft because of non-basketball related issues.

White's size should be very attractive to the Celtics, who lacked a strong defensive presence at the four when Kevin Garnett moved to center.

With everything about the Celtics up in the air right now, it would help to bring in an instant impact player like White.

At the very least he will be able to rebound and has the potential for much more. Despite a lot of probable turnover in their roster, this was still a team that held a 3-2 advantage in the Eastern Conference finals a few short weeks ago. Playing for that high profile of a team will make his impact more noticeable.

If Brandon Bass is let go as an RFA, there will be a natural spot for White to slide in and make an impact with the youth movement in Boston. 

Tyler Zeller to the Milwaukee Bucks

When Milwaukee shipped Andrew Bogut out to Golden State, the Bucks left a big hole at center. Now, with Ersan Ilyasova a free agent, they can undoubtedly use Tyler Zeller right away.

Zeller has true size for an NBA center and can come in and score off the bat for the Bucks. He averaged 16.5 points per game for North Carolina, while also grabbing just under 10 rebounds.

In the Bogut trade, the Bucks received Ekpe Udoh, who struggles offensively but is a big body and good shot-blocker. Zeller and he would make up a legitimate center duo for Milwaukee. 

The opening as a scoring big man in Milwaukee is just what Zeller will need to make an immediate impact in the NBA. He is not as much of a project as some of the other center-power forward prospects in the draft.

The Bucks just missed the playoffs in the East last season, and if Zeller can have a solid season playing bigger minutes than most rookies, his impact will be just as noticeable. Especially if the Bucks are able to sneak into the playoffs. 

Festus Ezeli to the Miami Heat

The team that won the NBA championship this season has been searching for a role player to man the center position seemingly forever. Still, this has not stopped them from reaching back-to-back NBA Finals. 

This means the Heat do not need to make a drastic move for a big-name center via trade or free agency. They will most likely take a young player like Festus Ezeli and see if he can do the job that Joel Anthony, Eddy Curry, Jermaine O'Neal and Ronny Turiaf have struggled with the past couple seasons.

Ezeli is a physical monster who does not need the ball and will do all the dirty work on the defensive end. He will be able to help Chris Bosh with the physical play down low, as well.

In terms of immediate impact, his competition for minutes will come against Anthony, not a name that will scare off the soon-to-be 23-year-old. He has four years of experience in the SEC and would be playing on the most visible team in the NBA.