NBA Summer League 2012 Stats: Top Draft Picks Who Have Disappointed

It may only be the summer league, but it pays to get off to a good start in the NBA when you're a rookie.

Early struggles can linger, not to mention injuries, and when you are a top 10 draft pick, you can certainly start feeling the pressure from the fans (and, yes, the media) as you try to find your way in the pros.

A few top 10 picks have struggled right out of the gate in Las Vegas, and they weren't generally considered absolute top 10 talents, either.

Here's a look at some young rookies who are trying to get on track.

Dion Waiters

Dion Waiters rose dramatically up in the draft boards after the 2012 NCAA tournament, but he certainly hasn't looked like a top 10 pick in summer league.

The former Syracuse standout averaged just 12.3 points, three assists and three rebounds for the Cleveland Cavaliers while shooting 30 percent from the floor in three summer league games before missing the last two games with a sore knee.

It's certainly not time to panic for Cavaliers fans, but they may as well, given that they went 21-45 last season.

Terrence Ross

A lot of people found it a stretch when the Toronto Raptors selected Terrence Ross at No. 8 overall in the draft this year, and Ross certainly isn't quieting his doubters.

Ross averaged 14.4 points in five summer league games, but he shot just 37 percent from the field and 25 percent from beyond the arc, and scoring is supposed to be his strength. He also averaged just 3.6 rebounds.

Ross obviously has the ability to be a good scorer in the league, but he hasn't shown it yet.

Austin Rivers

I said from the very beginning that the New Orleans Hornets were making a mistake when they grabbed Austin Rivers at No. 10 overall as their presumptive starting point guard.

I understand that they needed a point guard, but they also had other areas to address, and Rivers was frankly overhyped headed into the draft.

I'm going to be very clear about this: Austin Rivers is not a point guard. He's always been a scorer, and his inability to play within the game and find his teammates throughout his freshman season at Duke was reason enough to draft him as a shooting guard.

River has averaged just 3.5 assists in two summer league games thus far. He's averaging 2.5 rebounds, and even his scoring hasn't been there. The 19-year-old is averaging 10 points on 21 percent shooting.

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