NBA Summer League 2012: Key Players with the Most to Prove

Just because the NBA draft is over doesn't mean all the hard work is done and all of the draftees have earned instant tickets to NBA stardom.

Most of the newly anointed rookies are going to need stellar performances in the Summer League to solidify themselves as worthy of roster spots. If they don't, they'll be relegated to the Development League, and who knows how long it will take them to escape from there?

Anyone who is on the bubble at the moment needs to be excellent during the Summer League games, or else those players might have shown their new front offices everything they need to know, which unfortunately could be that those players aren't quite ready for the big time.

Here's a look at some of the players who must go big or suffer the consequences this summer.

Quincy Miller, Denver Nuggets
38th Overall Pick
First Game: July 14 vs. Golden State

Miller was a player who, at the beginning of the season, was originally projected to be a lottery pick, but after undergoing surgery to repair his ACL, he never quite managed to live up to the hype. On paper, he looked great: 6'10", 219-pound small forward with a 7'1" wingspan. Ideally, he has the size to play either the 3 or the 4, he's athletic and he plays good defense.

However, as a freshman, Miller's numbers were far from stellar: He averaged 10.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 turnovers in 24.4 minutes per game and showed a tendency to fire away from the perimeter with too many misses.

Now that he's been named to the Nuggets' Summer League roster, he has an opportunity to show that he's improved his ability to knock down those shots and that his defense is worth a roster spot. 

Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors
35th Overall Pick
First Game: July 13 vs. L.A. Lakers

Green could've been drafted at the end of the first round, but instead, he fell to the Warriors at No. 35. If he pans out, he could end up being a steal, despite the fact that he's on the small side as a 6'8" small forward (he's listed at 6'8", though he's actually closer to 6'6").

Some pundits had him going in the first round of the draft because he was a four-year player under Tom Izzo who proved to be a winner, a very smart player, a good passer and someone who could knock down his shots from all over the court. But Green's size—and the fact that he's not tall enough to play the 4, but isn't really quick enough to play the 3—were concerning enough to knock him out of the first round.

During the Summer League schedule, he has a terrific opportunity to prove that he's a good enough shooter, smart enough and experienced enough to get a roster spot.

Tyshawn Taylor, Brooklyn Nets
41st Overall Pick
Next Game: July 12 vs. Oklahoma City

Taylor saw his teammate Thomas Robinson go in the top five, but he was a bit too much of a wild card to establish himself as a first-rounder, despite the fact that he helped the overachieving Jayhawks get all the way to the national championship game this season.

The primary reason for his slip in the draft is the fact that he's far from a complete player, despite being a combo guard with exceptional speed and athleticism. His shot isn't quite there, his range isn't there, his ball handling isn't there and he proved to be too inconsistent in his decision-making.

Despite all that, though, it's impossible for the Nets to avoid taking a chance on him, given his ideal size (6'4", 177 pounds) and his quickness. Plus, now that Deron Williams has agreed to terms with the Nets, there could be a terrific mentor in the house for the rookie.

Taylor's mission throughout the Summer League schedule must be to prove that he can be more consistent and can get his shot where it needs to be. He's off to a rocky start—he went 4-for-9 from the field but had seven turnovers in a loss to the Celtics on Tuesday—and has displayed precisely the type of poor decision-making scouts feared.

He really needs to turn it around in order to establish himself as worthy of a roster spot, because time is winding down for him.