2012 NBA Draft: 10 Prospects Who Must Land in Right Team System

The 2012 NBA draft is loaded with prospects that could develop into fantastic pros, but that potential largely depends on where these talented youngsters land.

With many players leaving college after one or two years, there are plenty of raw prospects projected to go early. Without the proper grooming and mentorship from the right organization, their promising NBA careers may be short-lived.

Here are 10 prospects that must find the right system in order to excel in the NBA.

Andre Drummond

Despite a 6'11", 280-pound frame, questions about Drummond's very raw game continue to persist.

As freakishly athletic and big as Drummond is, he has very raw offensive skills, and the biggest knock on him is his work ethic and desire to get better. He allegedly doesn't play hard all the time.

Jeremy Lamb, Drummond's UConn teammate, was asked about Drummond's NBA potential. Lamb replied that it depends how hard Drummond wants to work.

Being drafted very high onto a team with a losing culture would not bode well for Drummond at all.

Drummond must go to a situation where pieces are in place for him to succeed. Ideally, there need to be offensive players who can create their own shot and make plays driving to the hoop so Drummond can get easy buckets.

There should also be veteran big men on the roster to teach Drummond how to improve his game. He has an unbelievable talent and already a fantastic NBA body.

If he can develop his offensive skills and learn to how to be a professional from a veteran mentor, Drummond could capitalize on his massive potential.

He could become a player closer to his more favorable comparison in Andrew Bynum rather than a player similar to No. 1 overall bust Kwame Brown.

Austin Rivers

On the Tim Brando Show on Thursday, HOOPSWORLD.com's Steve Kyler was asked to give a shocking pick in the first round of the draft.

He replied with the Portland Trail Blazers selecting Rivers at No. 6 overall.

While this seems outrageous since no mock drafts project Rivers going that high, it could still work out if the Blazers can add a solid piece with their No. 11 pick.

Whether this happens remains to be seen, but Rivers must land in the right spot.

NBADraft.net's scouting report compares him to OJ Mayo, which I think is an accurate comparison.

Both players had one year of college experience, with exceptional offensive skills, but also character question marks and not very well-rounded games.

Rivers projects as a shooting guard at the next level rather than a point guard, even though that has been the position he's played in a ball-hogging fashion.

According to ESPN's Chad Ford, Rivers thinks he's Kobe Bryant, but contends that he's not.

I would agree with that assessment, even if that is true. It sounds like Rivers doesn't bring good intangibles to the table if he thinks he's Kobe.

A good fit for Rivers would be a situation where he can come off the bench and provide instant offense, rather than serve immediately as the centerpiece for creating the offense.

He also needs to develop a better all-around game to become a consistent starter in the NBA.

If he can't be expected to step in and start right away, Rivers isn't worthy of a top 10 pick.

This will be helpful for his development as a player and not thrust him into a prominent role before he's ready.

John Henson

As stellar defensively as Henson has the potential to be with his 7'4" wingspan, he must put on some serious weight.

At 6'10", 216 pounds, Henson is a rail. Unlike Kevin Durant in 2007, who couldn't bench-press 185 pounds, Henson is an interior player who could really get banged around in the pros.

The stellar rebounding and shot-blocking ability Henson displayed at North Carolina may be nullified in the NBA simply because he could be out-muscled more often than not.

Henson badly needs a team with a great strength and conditioning program, and can't be asked to do too much too soon because of his lack of strength.

Unfortunately, NBADraft.net and FoxSports.com both project Henson at No. 9 overall to the Detroit Pistons, which has been a disastrous team in recent years and would need Henson to immediately contribute alongside Greg Monroe.

While there is potential for that to work, the Pistons are in shambles right now and don't have a capable veteran mentor to bring Henson along.

Perry Jones

The Baylor super sophomore may have the most upside of perimeter players in the entire draft due to his incredible athleticism and versatility.

However, if Jones is taken too high, his talents may go to waste without a solid organizational structure with a respected coach and solid pieces around him.

Jones should be able to start immediately if he goes to the right situation, and be allowed to develop with the right foundation.

NBADraft.net has the Philadelphia 76ers taking Jones with the No. 16 pick.

For a team that is starved of offense and desperately needs athleticism, Jones would be the perfect fit here. Head coach Doug Collins got the most out of a lackluster roster last season and guided the Sixers all the way to the conference finals.

Jones' massive size and guard-like skills provide limitless potential, and his explosiveness would be a huge plus to a team that desperately needs it.

With an energetic coach in Collins in the fold, who has clearly motivated the current team to maximizing their abilities, Jones could develop into something special.

Royce White

Off-court concerns are the biggest knock on White, who was involved in a theft case and was forced to leave Minnesota and transfer to Iowa State.

White has special abilities, though. For a 6'8", 261-pound player, White has incredible athleticism and exceptional passing skills. He has a high basketball IQ.

It is imperative that White maintains his current stock as a mid-to-late first round prospect, because that is just the situation he needs in order to thrive as a pro.

While he could start right away on a fringe playoff team, White could also be developed in a good organization and provide a match-up nightmare coming off the bench.

A team that is thin at point guard could also use White to spell that concern, which is why he would make sense for the Boston Celtics at No. 21 or 22.

White could sub for Rondo at the point, or provide a second dangerous passing weapon, and could also be mentored at the 3 by future Hall of Famer Paul Pierce.

Meyers Leonard

An athletic legitimate seven-footer, Leonard's stock is rising rapidly.

The raw Illinois sophomore prospect must not be asked to step in right away and start on a bad lottery team.

He simply isn't ready for that kind of role, and could use to fill out his frame a little bit more before entering such a prominent role on an NBA team.

At No. 17, the Dallas Mavericks would be an interesting landing spot for Leonard. He would walk into a situation where he could learn offensively from Dirk Nowitzki and defensively from Brendan Haywood.

As long as Haywood could provide some relief for Leonard and the Mavs can add one other big man for value in free agency, the frontcourt could be a big strength for the team in 2012-13.

It should be a couple of years before Leonard reaches his potential, but that process could be accelerated if he lands on a playoff team with quality veteran bigs to show him the ropes.

Jared Sullinger

Even though there is a medical red flag about Sullinger's back, the former Ohio State forward is one of the strongest players in the draft and rebounds as well as anyone.

He also has one of the best post games in the draft. With that said, Sullinger isn't the most athletic player and his defense leaves much to be desired.

That is why he would benefit if he could plug into a defensive team in need of establishing a post presence inside.

With an athletic, defensive center beside him, Sullinger would be able to be masked on that end of the floor, but also learn a lot from that player.

He projects as a mid-to-late first round draft pick, which means he could be on the board for the Orlando Magic at No. 19 or the Memphis Grizzlies at No. 25.

If Dwight Howard stays in Orlando, this sounds like the perfect marriage for a dominant, balanced starting frontcourt.

However, if Sullinger were put in a rotation with Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph, that could be devastating for opposing teams in the Western Conference.

Regardless, Sullinger should be a solid pro as long as he can stay healthy, and taking a flier on him in the middle or latter part of the first round is worth it as long as the fit is right.

Marquis Teague

Many draft experts I've heard, especially during Thursday's broadcast of CBS Sports' Inside College Basketball, agree that Teague could have benefited from another year of development at Kentucky.

Teague is incredibly raw, and had the tendency to make bad decisions and turn the ball over frequently in his only college season despite the talent around him. He also doesn't have a reliable jumper.

With that said, Teague is extremely athletic and could provide a huge spark off the bench for the right team.

It remains to be seen what the Houston Rockets do with all of their first-round picks, as it seems they're attempting to trade for Dwight Howard.

If that plan falls through, don't be surprised if the Rockets select Teague at some point in the middle of the first round to back up point guard Kyle Lowry.

Another possibility is the Orlando Magic at No. 19, where he would end up playing with Howard anyway if the Rockets trade never materializes.

Jameer Nelson is testing the free agency waters, and Teague would be nice insurance at the position.

Wherever he goes, Teague can't be expected to start right away, but still has potential to grow physically.

Teague would benefit from coming off the bench sparingly for at least a year while he develops his perimeter game on both offense and defense.

John Jenkins

The most talented shooter in the draft this side of Bradley Beal, Jenkins has the stroke to put up 20 points any given night in the NBA.

The only problem is, Jenkins isn't the most athletic player, nor does he have ideal size for a 2-guard, which is his natural and projected position.

A player with his offensive savvy and ability to work off the ball, though, is worth a shot despite his perceived weaknesses.

The contenders who need a valuable bench player would be crazy not to grab Jenkins at the end of the first round. Even if he winds up being a defensive liability, Jenkins' scoring ability is off the charts.

The fact that Jenkins shot nearly nine threes per game at about 44 percent as a senior against SEC competition when opponents knew it was coming is staggering.

Not bad, considering the knock on Jenkins is that he can't create his own shot well, and considering teams knew he was going to launch even when shots were hotly contested.

Watch for the Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Chicago Bulls to take a hard look at Jenkins at the end of Round 1.

Scott Machado

The under-the-radar prospect out of Iona led college basketball with 9.9 assists in 2011-12.

NBADraft.net has consistently projected Machado as the last pick of the draft by the Los Angeles Lakers at No. 60.

Machado had a three-to-one assist/turnover ratio in his senior year, and also shot nearly 50 percent from the floor and over 40 percent from beyond the arc.

A quality team would benefit greatly from Machado's pass-first ability, and a squad with a lot of good shooters could also create open shots for him, which he's proven he can knock down.

Stereotypically, a player from a smaller school may not be considered athletic enough. His scouting report indicates that Machado's athletic ability may be a slight detriment against quicker guards.

The high basketball IQ that Machado has displayed with his excellent decision-making should translate into being in the right place defensively. Although he's only 6'2", he has a solid frame at 205 pounds.

The valid concern about Machado is that he didn't face elite competition in college.

However, if a playoff-caliber team snags Machado at the end of the second round, especially teams such as the Dallas Mavericks and the Lakers who need point guards, they could be getting a huge steal.