NBA Predictions: Six Lottery Picks Who Could Be Busts

Every year, a new class of rookies permeates the NBA.

Some are able to meet their full potential and rise to the top of the league, while many others at least become serviceable role players.

However, there are always those players who are just not able to make a successful transition and end up with the dreaded "bust" label; even if they were initially lottery picks.  

Although this year's class is fairly deep, here are six lottery picks that are most likely to fall short of expectations.   

Andre Drummond

Andre Drummond is a big boy. 

In fact, ESPN lists him at 6'10" and 270 pounds. 

He takes up a ton of space down low and he's very athletic; a pair of traits that seem to be a commodity in the National Basketball Association. 

But in his one season at the University of Connecticut, the biggest knock on him was a lack of effort. 

In the NBA, size and athleticism alone can get you a contract, but it rarely breeds any long-term success without also being a hard worker. 

Drummond accumulated decent stats last year with UConn, but with his size and athleticism he could have performed better than 10 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. 

And in Detroit, there is already a talented and hardworking big man by the name of Greg Monroe, who isn't going to lose his spot to Drummond.

If Drummond can up the ante on his work ethic, he and Monroe could create a formidable duo down low. 

DeMarcus Cousins is slowly proving wrong those who said he lacked the effort to ever reach his potential, so it's not impossible.

But it's much easier to teach a hard worker some new skills than it is to teach a skilled player how to work hard.  

Meyers Leonard

On the NBA.com's 2012 draft page, center Meyers Leonard is listed as the Portland Trail Blazers' "big man to help turn page from Oden era."

The University of Illinois product could certainly turn the page from the Oden era in Portland simply by staying healthy, but in no way, shape or form is Leonard coming into the NBA with the same hype that the former No. 1 draft pick Greg Oden had. 

Leonard is 7'1" and was a decent shot blocker in college, but he was inconsistent on the offensive end.

With his height, you'd think he would have averaged more than 9.1 field goal attempts per game.

With his height, you'd also think he'd weigh more than 245 pounds. By comparison, last year's MVP, LeBron James, is five inches shorter yet five pounds heavier than Leonard, according to ESPN. 

If Leonard can use his size to be an effective rebounder and shot blocker, forward LaMarcus Aldridge can take care of the scoring for the Blazers.

But until Leonard adds some mass to his body and becomes a more potent offensive player, I have a feeling that other centers in the Western Conference—Dwight Howard, DeMarcus Cousins, Nikola Pekovic, Andrew Bogut and Kendrick Perkins to name a few—are going to have their way with him on both ends of the court.  

Jeremy Lamb

The Houston Rockets were in dire need of more depth in their backcourt after losing Kyle Lowry and Goran Dragic in the offseason.

The addressed this need by adding the Jeremy L.s—free agent Jeremy Lin and draftee Jeremy Lamb. 

Lamb showed his ability to score in college, but largely because he rarely passed the ball; which doesn't make him the ideal candidate to be on the floor at the same time as Kevin Martin. Lamb averaged a measly 1.7 assists per game at the University of Connecticut last season.

He also settled for his jump shot way more often then he needed to. He was only able to get to the foul line an average of 3.6 times per game last season.

And although Lamb is a lanky 6'5", his 180-pound frame makes him susceptible to being pushed around and tough for him to break through screens on defense.

Lamb shoots a lot, doesn't pass much, isn't very strong and already has a veteran player that fits his mold on the team. It could be a very tough transition for him. 

Harrison Barnes

I know I'm going against the grain on this one, but I think Harrison Barnes' role on the Golden State Warriors could lead to a shaky start for him. 

The Warriors needed a small forward, and Barnes' 6'8" muscular frame fits the mold. Unfortunately, he also fits the mold of almost every other player on the team who is not a power forward or center. 

If Barnes ends up starting over Richard Jefferson and Brandon Rush, the Warriors will have a projected starting perimeter of Barnes, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson—all shoot-first, pass-second players who aren't particularly great at getting to the basket. 

Barnes is not that great of a ball handler either, so he'll need someone to get him the ball. With Curry, Thompson and David Lee being the focal points of the Warriors offense in the coming season, Barnes may find it hard to get a lot of touches. 

Barnes will help the Warriors on defense, which alone may raise his value, but with a struggling head coach and a lot of similar players, Barnes' progression in the NBA may not be as good as many think.

Dion Waiters

According to DraftExpress, Syracuse played only zone defense, meaning Dion Waiters never played man-to-man at the collegiate level.

While many teams utilize the zone defense, it's tough to be a successful defender in the NBA if you can't keep up with your man individually. Waiters may be capable of doing so, but as a collegiate bench player in a zone defensive scheme, he's never had the opportunity to show that he can.

By the way, Waiters was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers; a team that ranked 26th in opponent's points per game.  

Waiters is also a talented ball handler and is very skilled at getting to the rim. But according to DraftExpress, his weakness is his shot selection. 

So while he had success in college, he was mainly a bench player that provided a scoring punch as a sixth man. 

He'll likely start in Cleveland—if not from day one then shortly thereafter—but he'll have to show that he can handle the extra minutes and be effective without the ball.  

And with Kyrie Irving being the starting point guard and No. 1 option on offense, Waiters will have to show that he can hit open shots and not force the issue when Irving is open. 

John Henson

John Henson is a talented shot blocker and rebounder. 

In fact, he led the ACC in blocks and rebounding last season. 

However, ESPN has Henson listed at 6'11" but only 220 pounds, meaning he's likely to get pushed around by fellow NBA centers until he adds some mass on his body. 

So despite his rebounding and shot-blocking ability, he gives up a lot of position down low because of his lack of strength for his size. 

He also lacks any consistency on the offensive end, which worries me. 

He's likely to get pushed around down low on defense and likely won't get great position on offense. 

The Milwaukee Bucks drafted Henson to try and make up for the loss of center and elite defender Andrew Bogut last year. Unfortunately, I worry that Henson may end up more like Hassan Whiteside than Bogut.