NBA Draft 2012 Grades: Biggest Steals in Top 20

Every year in the NBA draft, teams see promising prospects unexpectedly fall in their laps.

The 2012 NBA Draft was no different, as several teams grabbed potential gems who had dropped down draft boards for whatever reason.

The Detroit Pistons got the player they were searching for at No. 9 overall, and a few other teams lucked out, as well.

Here are the biggest steals in the Top 20 of the 2012 NBA Draft.

9. Detroit Pistons: Andre Drummond, C (Connecticut)

Grade: A

Andre Drummond could have gone in the first five picks, but he slid to the Pistons, and they gladly gobbled him up.

There are questions about Drummond's character and desire on the floor, but if he can stay committed in the NBA, he has the athleticism and explosiveness to be a handful on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Drummond and center Greg Monroe could form a powerful combo for years to come in Detroit.

15. Philadelphia 76ers: Moe Harkless, SF (St. John's)

Grade: B+

Moe Harkless still needs to improve his perimeter game to be a consistent impact player in the NBA, but his explosiveness and athleticism make him a terror driving to the basket, rebounding the basketball and disrupting on defense.

The 19-year-old has tons of potential, evidenced by his freshman season at St. John's—he averaged 15.3 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.4 blocks. He has the potential to be an all-around player in the NBA with some seasoning.

Goodbye, Andre Iguodala. 

18. Houston Rockets: Terrence Jones, F (Kentucky)

Grade: A

I'm personally a huge fan of Terrence Jones. Given his point-forward ability, I could see him being the next Lamar Odom (pre-Dallas).

In that respect, I was astonished that Jones fell so far. There are questions about his body language and consistency, but I saw nothing wrong with him when he stepped up for the Wildcats during their title run this past season.

I think he's going to be a steal. 

19. Orlando Magic: Andrew Nicholson, PF (St. Bonaventure)

Grade: B+

There's a lot to like about Andrew Nicholson. He has great length and athleticism, he crashes the glass, he can block shots and he has an impressive perimeter game (he knocked it down as well as most guards at the NBA pre-draft camp).

He's not going to be the center the Magic need after Dwight Howard leaves town, but Nicholson is still a very promising post player to have around.

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