NBA Draft 2012: Ranking Top Shooting Guard Prospects in Incoming Draft Class

The shooting guard class is one of the strong suits of the 2012 NBA draft, with four players projected to go in the lottery and a possible fifth sneaking in. In fact, there are seven players at this position who seem almost sure to be among the first 30 names called out on Thursday night. 

Great offensive players abound at this position, as you might expect. The high-flyers and sharp-shooter have come out to play. 

Read on for the top 10 shooting guards in the 2012 class. 

10. Jared Cunningham, Oregon State

As a 6'5" shooting guard with enough hops to play above the rim and be a seemingly constant finisher on alley-oops, Jared Cunningham has quite a bit of potential. Even that isn't his best trait, though. 

Cunningham is a marvelous defender with nice lateral movement and quick hands, allowing him to stay active for every minute he's on the court. Despite Oregon State's overall defensive struggles, this junior was still able to make the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team.

If he can add some weight to his 188-pound frame, he'll be in a great position to succeed.

Projected: Early-Mid Second Round

9. Will Barton, Memphis

WIth a lot of quickness, athleticism and length, Will Barton excels in transition. He loves to play fast and thrives when the tempo is at a heart-pounding rate. 

Barton is a bit more polished than Jared Cunningham, but he does have two major weaknesses. 

First, the swingman needs to add more weight as well—6'6" and 174 pounds is not a recipe for success in the Association. Secondly, he needs to treat the basketball with a bit more care, both when it comes to turnovers and shot selection. 

Projected: Late First-Early Second Round

8. John Jenkins, Vanderbilt

John Jenkins has the most pure jumper of any prospect in this class. If you leave him wide open, as SEC schools did a little too often, you might as well count on three points for the opposition. There's a reason that this Vanderbilt Commodore managed to lead the conference in scoring for back-to-back seasons. 

The sharp-shooter isn't a great athlete, but he is an intelligent basketball player. It's hard to find many collegiate players who have used off-ball screens as effectively as Jenkins did during his four years at Vandy. 

Because of his shooting and work with the screens, I've always compared him to Ray Allen. That's not a complete comparison, though, as Jenkins isn't the athlete or ball-handler that Allen was in his prime. 

Projected: Late First-Early Second Round

7. Doron Lamb, Kentucky

Despite Doron Lamb's smooth offensive game, no one is quite sure exactly how good he's going to be. Uncertainty remains as to whether this two-way shooting guard looked better because of his talented teammates in Lexington or his skills were suppressed by his lack of opportunities. 

Lamb is an incredibly efficient all-around offensive player with capable talent on the defensive end of the court. He also got a lot of practice running the show when Marquis Teague needed a rest, so his skills as a facilitator can only help.

Projected: Late First Round

6. Evan Fournier, France

The only foreign player to appear in the top 10 shooting guards, Evan Fournier is also the top overall international prospect and the only player from overseas commonly projected to be selected in the first round of the 2012 NBA draft. 

Fournier is another smooth operator, this time despite the aggression he plays with. Although he loves to drive to the rim—partially because he's good at it and partially because it's a mask for his lack of a jumper—the French guard always plays within the flow of the offense. 

He's one of the more intelligent players in the class and shows a lot of heart on defense. 

Projected: Late First Round

5. Terrence Ross, Washington

Terrence Ross isn't the best ball-handler and he doesn't always play with a high basketball I.Q., particularly when he's driving to the rack, but his jump shot is pure and more than makes up for his shortcomings. 

The former Washington Husky can spot up, create his own shot, come off a screen or cut to the basket without the ball and finish in any and all of the listed scenarios. He's also a great defender, thanks to his abundance of athleticism and speed. 

Ross might settle in as a small forward at the NBA level, but he's going to be limited to shooting guard until he puts a little more meat on his bones. 

Projected: Lottery-Mid First Round

4. Austin Rivers, Duke

One phrase sticks out in my mind above all else when it comes to Austin Rivers: It's only cocky if you can't back it up. 

Rivers may play a brash brand of basketball with his constant shots and ability to get into the lane seemingly at will, but he does have the skill to back it up, even if he doesn't have the size or strength yet. 

You can name any variety of scoring play, and chances are that this son of Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers will be able to complete that play. 

Projected: Lottery

3. Dion Waiters, Syracuse

A combo guard during his two years spent at Syracuse under Jim Boeheim, Dion Waiters is going to become an undersized 2-guard at the next level. 

Waiters was inconsistent on offense and unenthused on defense during his collegiate career, but a little extra motivation and some work on his jumper could quickly change that. This guard has all the physical tools necessary to thrive after all. 

One of the biggest risers in recent weeks, Waiters excels in transition and pick-and-roll sets, particularly when handling the ball. Part of the reason for his sub-par numbers with the Orange can be attributed to the lack of affinity for those situations. 

Projected: Lottery-Top 10

2. Jeremy Lamb, Connecticut

Jeremy Lamb has the potential to become the best shooting guard in this class, but he's not as safe a bet as Bradley Beal. He might be if he'd ever displayed solid leadership skills and an unrelenting desire to be great. 

Instead, Lamb has yawned in interviews and called out teammates for questionable work ethic, a prime example of the pot calling the kettle black.

Lamb's pull-up jumper and ability to create his own shot is something that every prospect in this class is envious of, but there's just no telling if he can put it all together or not.

Projected: Lottery-Top 10 

1. Bradley Beal, Florida

Easily the No. 1 shooting guard in this class, Bradley Beal has all the makings of another Eric Gordon. It's easy to forget about just how good Gordon is because of his prolonged absence during the 2011-2012 season, but that's a huge compliment. 

In fact, Beal is not only the lone shooting guard in my overall top five, but he's the only player at his position to even make my top 10 players regardless of position.

This is primarily due to Beal's overall offensive game. He's a great shooter and a smooth player in every facet of the game. Intelligent but not overly athletic, Beal plays big for his size and has a very high floor to go along with his high ceiling.

Projected: Top 5