NBA Draft 2012: 2nd-Round Prospects That Would Go Round 1 Any Other Year
Deep classes help teams, but hurt players.
The 2012 NBA Draft is widely considered to feature the best class since 2003. It isn’t stocked with superstars, but it’s extremely deep.
Because of that, prospects that would hear their names called in the first round nine out of 10 years will fall to the second round on Thursday night. Here are three of those players and where they’ll land.
3. Mike Scott (PF, Virginia)
Mike Scott isn’t the most physically gifted prospect in the world. He’s only 6’9” and he doesn’t boast a jaw-dropping vertical, but Scott is still a phenomenal talent. Last season at Virginia, he averaged 18.0 points per game and 8.3 boards.
At 241 pounds, Scott has the size to score in the paint and he complements that with the ability to knock down jumpers all the way out to the three-point line. He’ll make an impact from day one in an NBA rotation.
Landing Spot: Portland Trail Blazers
Even if the Trail Blazers land a big man in the first-round, they still lack depth at the position.
2. Festus Ezeli (C, Vanderbilt)
How often do 7’0”, 264-pound athletic centers fall to the second round? Never. I mean, if Bismack Biyombo is drafted seventh overall, then what’s preventing Ezeli from going in the top 30 picks?
Ezeli is raw, but he possesses the physical ability to be a rebounding and shot blocking force at the next level. He only played 23.2 minutes a contest for the Commodores, but he still managed to average 10.1 points, 5.9 boards and 2.0 blocks per game.
The Nigerian big didn’t even start playing basketball until high school so he still has plenty of room to grow.
Landing Spot: Golden State Warriors
Golden State will likely address their needs at the two and three in the first round so they’ll need to add depth in the frontcourt in the second.
1. Orlando Johnson (SG, UC Santa Barbara)
Orlando Johnson is a scoring machine.
Last season for the Gauchos, he averaged 19.7 points per game and shot 42.7 percent from downtown. Despite shooting that well from three-point land, Johnson is more of a scorer than a pure shooter.
At 6’5”, 224 pounds with an explosive 39-inch vertical, two-guards don’t get much more physically gifted.
Why is Johnson a second-round prospect then? Well, he’s already 23 years old. He also isn’t elite in any one area.
Still, a team shouldn't pass on a Jack-of-all-trades scorer that’s capable of solidifying their bench for years to come.
Landing Spot: New Orleans Hornets
New Orleans needs a scoring boost badly, especially if Eric Gordon leaves in free agency.
David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.
