NBA Rookies 2012: Ranking Newcomers Who Will Have Most Immediate Impact

When gauging which NBA rookies will have the biggest impact in 2012, looking at the top of the draft is a good place to start. But some teams are in too dire of situations for non-instant-superstar rookies to come in and contribute significantly right away.

Most of these first-year players will benefit from a variety of things—fellow first-round picks on the roster, landing on a playoff team, or from just simply being that good.

Here is a look at the four newcomers who will have the leave their mark on the league the quickest and emerge as the class of their draft class.

4. Jared Sullinger, Boston Celtics

Being mentored on the fly by Kevin Garnett and Brandon Bass certainly won't hurt the development of the former Ohio State star.

Despite being slightly undersized for the prototypical NBA power forward, Sullinger is an exceptional rebounder and is crafty around the rim. Garnett will be able to help him the most on the defensive end, as he calls the shots on the interior.

It would have been realistic to say that Sullinger could be the first one off the bench of all the Celtics' bigs. However, bigger things may be in store for the 21st overall pick.

According to a report by A. Sherrod Blakely, a Celtics insider for CSNNE.com, head coach Doc Rivers is becoming more and more intrigued with the idea of starting Sullinger. He would then have Bass come off the bench to pack some scoring punch with the second unit.

Any concerns about Sullinger's back before the draft have been put to rest so far, and they certainly aren't stopping the Celtics from considering giving him a big role right off the bat.

With the veteran experience around him—Garnett, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo—Sullinger should thrive in his first NBA campaign.

3. Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers

The pride of Weber State may be smaller in stature and come from a smaller school, but there is nothing small about his game.

Already in the preseason, Lillard is making an instant impact with the Blazers, scoring an average of 16 points and dishing out nearly six assists per contest. He should key the development of No. 11 overall pick Meyers Leonard, who will be sliding into the starting lineup as well.

As Joe Freeman of The Oregonian points out, Lillard has been torrid in the second half of Portland's games thus far, but seems passive in the first half. The rookie had a rather brutally honest explanation for the apparent trend:

"

In the first half, I’m too busy making sure I get guys involved. I think I worry too much about them and (whether) they get the ball enough. So I make sure I spread the ball around. And in the second half, I know I’ve done that throughout the first half, so it’s easier for me to come out and just attack.

"

There is still plenty of time for Lillard to find the balance between being aggressive enough and getting his teammates involved. It remains to be seen when that will happen.

But what seems true is that there is a certain calm about Lillard, who doesn't have a lot of wasted motion, is an efficient scorer due to his shooting ability and doesn't make poor decisions with the ball. He's also accountable for his actions, as the quote in Freeman's article indicated.

All of those factors should equate to a successful year for the Blazer point guard, and being able to diagnose his problems in such a direct way will allow Lillard to improve even more quickly.

2. Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards

Alongside 2010 No. 1 overall pick John Wall in the backcourt, the Wizards may find themselves in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff hunt sooner than expected.

The starting five in D.C. looks legitimate, and certainly upgraded from a defensive standpoint. Emeka Okafor will anchor the paint at center, and the presence of Beal and Trevor Ariza on the wing will fortify the team's lackluster perimeter defense.

Not to mention, Beal was arguably the best pure shooter in the draft other than John Jenkins, and clearly has premier talent to be selected so high.

With Nene's passing ability at the four and Wall's knack for penetrating the lane, there should be plenty of opportunities for Beal to spot up from long-distance. Although his college shooting percentage doesn't indicate it, Beal is a great three-point marksman who improved significantly as his freshman season progressed.

That notion was further fortified by college coach Billy Donovan ahead of the draft, as reported by ESPN's Michael DiRocco:

"

I don't think Brad necessarily shot the ball this year like he's capable of, but he is a great shooter and I've seen him enough. But he to me can be a Ray Allen kind of player. Brad is going to be a scorer in the NBA. He's going to be a guy that they're going to run plays for to get him shots and to make plays.

"

Beal is a great fit in Washington, and his high basketball IQ will allow him to contribute immediately. Being compared to the likes of Ray Allen is also certainly a good sign.

1. Anthony Davis, New Orleans Hornets

This is appropriate, since Davis was the first pick in the draft. The franchise felt confident enough to part with Chris Kaman at center and insert Davis right away.

And for good reason.

The NCAA Tournament Final Four's Most Outstanding Player added a gold medal at the Summer Olympics to his national title hardware from the University of Kentucky. Playing alongside many of the league's world-class players and see how they prepare had to be an invaluable experience for Davis.

Adam Figman of SLAM Magazine conducted an extensive interview with Davis, in which he discussed how Kobe Bryant took him under his wing in London. The rest of the team was really supportive of Davis as well, as the youngest player on the team.

As for how he fits in with the Hornets? Davis seems to be really pleased with how he and his teammates have bonded so far:

"

Al-Farouq [Aminu] and Lance [Thomas] and Darius and Brian Roberts, all those guys are probably the funniest guys I ever met. And to be put in one room, just laughing about every time, always making a joke out of something. It can be not funny and they say something and it’s just funny, ‘cause they’re such funny guys. It’s definitely one of the funniest teams I’ve ever been.

"

Of course, who is going to say bad things about their teammates in an interview?

In any event, Davis, and his unique guard skill set trapped inside of a big man's body, are going to strike the fear of the brow into opponents on both ends of the floor every night. 

The explosive scoring talent of Eric Gordon and top-10 pick Austin Rivers are going to greatly benefit from Davis' ability to pass out of the post.

Defensive-minded head coach Monty Williams had a solid defense without Davis. With him, the Hornets could formulate their own New Orleans sports franchise underdog story as soon as this season.