Most Disappointing NBA Rookies This Season

The 2012 NBA draft was looked at as one of the best classes to enter the league in a while, but that doesn't mean it's exempt from its fair share of disappointment.

The NBA is a star-driven league, and every franchise hopes for the next big thing on draft day. Unfortunately for the organizations who reached, took chances and held their breath for greatness, very few end up becoming perennial All-Stars.

A slow start to a professional career doesn't mean much long-term, but for the teams seeking immediate turnarounds, success will have to wait when it comes to un-groomed prospects.

*All stats are accurate as of Jan. 3, 2013 at 12:00 AM.

Thomas Robinson

2012-13 Stats: 4.3 RPG, 3.8 RPG, .4 BPG, 9.26 PER

Thomas Robinson entered the Association being touted as one of the most NBA-ready prospects, and his integration to the professional game was supposed to be relatively seamless.

However, from what we've seen thus far, the big man clearly has a long way to go.

Coming into the league, we knew that Robinson wasn't going to be much of a shot-blocker, but we hoped that his massive frame and physical nature would carry over to the NBA game. He was a great rebounder in college, but we've yet to see it up to this point.

Offensively, the 6'10" power forward clearly has work to do. He's relying purely on size and strength, which isn't going to get him where he wants to be against bigger, stronger competition.

If Robinson truly puts in the effort to correct his flaws, he'll have a chance at eventually becoming a good player. But "eventually" isn't a word people like to use involving top-5 picks, and the Sacramento Kings have to hope he doesn't join the list of lost potential they've groomed throughout the years. 

Meyers Leonard

2012-13 Statistics: 4.7 PPG, 3.5 RPG, .8 BPG, 13.01 PER

The Portland Trail Blazers desperately needed size entering the 2012-13 season, so Meyers Leonard was a reasonable selection with the 11th pick in the draft. But after two months of play, it's looking like the Blazers reached based on what we've seen thus far.

Despite being a solid 7'1", Leonard has yet to show any semblance of dominance on the block. He doesn't have great timing on defense, boxing out has been a struggle and he lacks any low-post moves on offense.

What Leonard has going for him is his energy. The big man knows how to get up and down the floor, and he's even hit the highlight reels with his emphatic finishes above the rim.

But an occasional dunk hardly justifies leaving talent on the board when your bench is by far the worst in the league. Leonard is a project, and while he has the potential to be a solid presence in the middle, he's done very little when it comes to boosting the scoring of a second unit that desperately needs it.

Kendall Marshall

2012-13 Stats: .9 PPG, .8 APG, .1 RPG, .20 PER

Before we begin ragging on the former North Carolina Tar Heel, let's recognize that the point guard has been given a raw deal this season.

With Steve Nash as good as out the door, the situation looked ideal when he was drafted by the Phoenix Suns. But the free-agent signing of Goran Dragic pushed Marshall down the rotation, and he's yet to fully recover.

All that being said, it doesn't change the fact that the draft's purest point guard has done absolutely nothing after being taken 13th.

Despite hardly seeing the floor, Marshall has been ineffective when given playing time. He hasn't been a bad passer by any means, but he's shown that he's not as much of a playmaker as the Suns would like him to be. 

The 6'4" guard hasn't hit his shots early in his career, and when you're not racking up assists at a high rate, you have to at least show you can put the ball in the basket.

When Marshall finally earns his shot, that's when he'll prove us all right or wrong; but his non-existent start is disappointing to say the least for those who thought he'd come in and help Phoenix transition into a post-Nash era of Suns basketball.

Austin Rivers

2012-13 Stats: 7.3 PPG, 2.6 APG, 2.3 RPG, 6.26 PER

Austin Rivers was one of the most polarizing rookies taken in the 2012 NBA draft, and whether it's fair or not, he was going to be criticized unless he blew us all away with unexpected greatness.

Rivers is the kind of player who could have grown with more time at the collegiate level. The problem is that he clearly outgrew the college experience quickly, and he now finds himself completely overwhelmed among the pros.

The 6'4" guard has been a creative scorer his entire basketball career, but now that his shot isn't falling, the No. 1 aspect of his game is virtually out the window.

In 27.4 minutes per game, Rivers is averaging just 7.3 points on 7.8 shots. His field-goal percentage is awful, and while he's adapting to the roles of moving off the ball and conceding to his teammates, he's far from where he and the Hornets' organization hoped he would be.

Rivers has the potential to become a very good isolation scorer, as he knows how to beat his man off the dribble; but finding his go-to move is going to be crucial, and mastering it is going to take a good amount of time.

Royce White

2012-13 Stats: N/A

The Houston Rockets knew what they were getting themselves into when they drafted Royce White, so while his absence from the court hasn't been a surprising disappointment, it's certainly been a disappointment nonetheless.

The Rockets selected White with the 16th pick in the draft with knowledge of his mental health issues. They knew it would be a challenge, but they were willing to take the chance for one reason.

The kid can play.

He is a strong, physical forward who can handle the ball well. He averaged an impressive 13.4 points, 9.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game at Iowa State, and while he has the potential to be a playmaker in the NBA, his off-the-court issues have kept him from playing a single minute in the 2012-13 season.

White recently refused his assignment to the D-League (according to ESPN via the AP), and he's even recognized that he may never play a single minute in the Association (according to ESPN's Henry Abbott).

If White is able to find his way into the league at some point, it will be a great day for both him and the Rockets' organization. But if he can't, and he exits stage left before ever playing a game, he just might go down as one of the greatest players most of us never saw play.