NBA Draft 2012 Results: Which Teams Landed 2nd-Round Steals?
The first round of the NBA draft isn't the only time teams can add a great player to their roster.
Second-round picks are often looked at as inferior to first-round picks, but the second round produces its fair share of impressive NBA talent.
First-round picks get the big money and crazy publicity, but the second round is where all the steals happen.
Here are three steals from Round 2 of the 2012 NBA draft.
No. 31 overall: Charlotte Bobcats select Jeff Taylor, F, Vanderbilt
The Bobcats added a lockdown wing defender by drafting Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, then added a more offensively minded version of MKG with the first pick of the second round.
Taylor is a great perimeter defender just like Kidd-Gilchrist, but he has a better offensive game than the former Kentucky standout. He's no unstoppable scorer, but he's a good guy to look to for a few threes if you need them.
Just like Kidd-Gilchrist, he's an explosive, athletic player who can cover a lot of ground. Taylor is also an accomplished rebounder at the small forward position, giving the Bobcats a pair of bright, young talents in Taylor and MKG.
No. 35 Overall: Golden State Warriors select Draymond Green, F, Michigan State
I really don't understand how a team late in the first round didn't take a chance on Draymond Green. He led Michigan State the entire season and was endlessly touted as one of the hardest working players in the entire country.
We'll get Green's shortcomings out in the open first. Nobody has any clue what position this guy is going to defend in the pros, but then again, the Warriors don't play much defense anyway. He's not all that fast on defense, but he has the work ethic and drive to fix that.
Everybody loves his basketball IQ. Not only can he score in a variety of ways, but he's a great passer, a gritty rebounder, can handle the ball and can shoot from behind the arc. Unfortunately for Green, he's a point guard stuck in a body that is somewhere between a small forward and power forward..
One of the things that is always stressed in the NBA draft is that you can't doubt college production. If a guy produced in college, there's less of a reason to believe he won't do the same in the pros than there are in other sports.
Green got the job done in college and will be able to make a much bigger impact for the Warriors than people think—and a lot sooner, too.
No. 42 overall: Milwaukee Bucks select Doron Lamb, G, Kentucky
This doesn't seem like the pick the Bucks would make with a backcourt led by Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings, but it's going to work out in Milwaukee.
First of all, Lamb is one of the best three-point shooters in this draft. What makes him more enticing is that he can score from mid-range and near the hoop when he's at his best. At 6'4", Lamb is a bit short for the two-guard spot, but his wingspan lets him get his shots up against taller defenders.
One of his main issues is his strength. Once he starts to get stronger thanks to an NBA conditioning schedule, he'll be able to penetrate and finish at the hoop much easier than he does now.
He has the clutch factor, too. He scored 22 points in the NCAA championship game against Kansas, leading the Kentucky Wildcats to a win in New Orleans.
