NBA Draft 2011: Predicting the 2012 NBA All-Rookie Teams

So maybe it is a little too early for a list like this.

No, it is way too early for this.

I should let the players at least get on the courts for a practice, meet the team, pick out a locker and jersey number and find a place to live in their new city.

But where is the fun in that?

Now that the NBA Draft is a few days old, new players have been introduced to the fans, and we know all of the draft grades, what better time to take a look at how this year's NBA Rookie class will perform next season.

While some have listed this draft class as weaker than past years, there will still be several stars, and several surprises.There will also be several players that do not turn out as planned, and some that perform better than projected.

At the end of the season, some teams will look like geniuses, and some will look foolish with the players they selected.

The following slides will predict those who will follow in the footsteps of some of the greatest players in league history and be named to the 2011-'12 NBA All-Rookie team.

NBA All-Rookie First Team Guard: Ricky Rubio, Minnesota Timberwolves

While not being drafted last week, Ricky Rubio will be eligible for rookie honors as this will be his first year playing in the league.

Although he is a rookie, the 20-year-old Rubio has played professional basketball in Europe since he was 14.

Rubio coming into the league at this time is one of the best decisions he will make. He will play alongside Kevin Love, Derrick Williams, Michael Beasley and be a part of a good young team that will greatly improve over last season.

He will also come to the team with the opportunity to start over Luke Ridnour and Sebastian Telfair, which will give him the playing time needed to succeed in the league.

In a recent USA Today article, Minnesota All-Star Kevin Love said of Rubio, "He's a guy who sees passes ahead of time and puts guys in a position to score … He's going to be extremely fun to play with and a guy I'm looking forward to playing with."

NBA All-Rookie First Team Guard: Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers

Irving was the first pick in this year's draft for a reason. Not only will he have a great rookie season, he will be the Cavaliers point guard for a very long time.

Following the departure of LeBron James, the Cavaliers were left in need of help in several positions on the court.

Already having Baron Davis and several other guards that can play in this league, they had the opportunity to take a big man such as Derrick Williams or Enes Kanter.

After drafting Irving, the Cavaliers will most likely have to trade away one of the point guards they have on the roster. If they keep Baron Davis, Irving may not start immediately, but he should earn the starting role in the early part of the season.

If the NBA rule barring players from entering the draft out of high school was not in place, Irving would have been drafted in the lottery last season. His athleticism and playmaking ability were enough to make him the No. 1 pick despite not playing much at Duke due to injury.

Irving will help the Cavaliers earn a better record this season, and will be on the All-Rookie first team. He will make a great case for the Rookie of the Year award, and hopefully help Cavalier fans forget about their last No. 1 pick.

NBA All-Rookie First Team Forward: Jan Vesely, Washington Wizards

Jan Vesely was the perfect pick for the Wizards. He is a tall, long, athletic guy that can jump out of the gym.

Many have compared him to a young Andrei Kirilenko, but he could be better.

Adding him to the young players that the Wizards already have in John Wall, JaVale McGee, and Andray Blatche builds a good, solid core group of players for several years to come.

Vesely, who could have been a top-10 selection in last year's draft, decided to stay in Europe for one more season to better learn the game. His move seemed to pay off and he became the No. 6-overall selection.

Like Kirilenko, his height makes him a difficult player to match up with. At 6'11", and playing at small forward, he will find himself with the height advantage against nearly every player who will defend him.

His ability to move very quickly up and down the court will be a great compliment to the speed and athleticism of point guard John Wall.

Look for Vesely to quickly work himself into a starting role, and become a fan favorite due to his unique style of play.

NBA All-Rookie First Team Forward: Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs

After falling down the draft board a bit and being traded away by the Indiana Pacers, Kawhi Leonard finds himself in a good situation with the San Antonio Spurs.

He will have the opportunity to play alongside and learn from one of the greatest big men to ever play the game. Leonard will benefit from Tim Duncan being a great mentor and teacher.

After playing for Steve Fisher and taking his San Diego State team to unprecedented success, Leonard should adjust well to the NBA game. He is the type of player that will do anything that it takes to win. He may not be the best shooter at this point, but he is a great rebounder and hustle player. He has a nose for the ball and is known for his length and incredibly large hands.

He should find a good role with a disciplined Spurs team.

Learning the game from Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and playing for coach Greg Popovich will help him to become a standout rookie early in his first season.

NBA All-Rookie First Team Center: Enes Kanter, Utah Jazz

While many Utah Jazz fans were hoping that the team selected a point guard with the third-overall selection, the team got the best player available in Turkish center Enes Kanter.

As one of the few talented centers in this years draft, Kanter has amazing potential and is a good combination of size and athletic ability. He will be a great complement to front court players, Al Jefferson, Derrick Favors and Paul Millsap.

Some say having that many big men could be a problem, but it is a good problem to have. Despite the solid players that the Jazz have, look to Kanter to assert himself, challenge for playing time and possibly push one of those players out via trade.

So much has been said of Kanter's performance at the Nike Hoops Summit where he dominated and scored 34 points. If this is any indication of the ability and type of play Kanter can bring, he may challenge not only for a first team All-Rookie selection, but also for Rookie of the Year honors.

NBA All-Rookie Second Team Guard: Jimmer Fredette, Sacramento Kings

After a trade, the most polarizing, intriguing and popular player in this year's draft ended up with the Sacramento Kings.

For a franchise hoping to gain a piece of the marketing and popularity of Jimmermania, selecting Fredette was a good move. Not only have they picked up an instant fan favorite, they got a pretty solid player as well.

We have all seen all of the arguments for and against Jimmer and how he will perform in the NBA. The bottom line is that he is a great scorer who is in range to make a shot the moment he steps on the floor.

His shooting abilities will only help the team and open up the floor for DeMarcus Cousins and Tyreke Evans.

The Kings will have the challenge of playing Evans and Fredette at the same time, but it will not take long for both players to see the benefit the other brings to their game. Sacramento will have three players on the court together that could draw a double team, and opponents will have to choose which one to leave open. 

If Jimmer continues to develop at the rate he did in college, the sky will be the limit for Fredette.

Once again, Jimmer will have the opportunity to prove the doubters wrong and will become one of the best players of this draft class.

NBA All-Rookie Second Team Guard: Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors

The Golden State Warriors should have drafted for size and strength under the rim, but instead opted for the type of player that they love.

Klay Thompson is a scorer who has shown the ability to shoot from outside with consistency. This may be important depending on whether Monta Ellis is with the team next season, or if he demands a trade.

Klay Thompson, the son of former Laker Mychal Thompson, will quickly fit into the plans for new head coach Mark Jackson.

If Jackson opts to run the same up-tempo, outside-shooting offense the Warriors have run in the past, Thompson should have no problem becoming a good player for the team. He will either give the Warriors good minutes off the bench, or will become the starter if Ellis is gone.

He will quickly become an asset to the team and will be an exciting player that is counted on to hit big shots.

NBA All-Rookie Second Team Forward: Derrick Williams, Minnesota Timberwolves

Many will argue Derrick Williams' athleticism and scoring ability warrant inclusion on the first team. Also that he will be the best player to come out of this draft.

While there is no disagreement to his abilities and that he was the best player available in the second position, he may find himself in the unfortunate situation of having to share playing time in several different directions.

Unless the Timberwolves make a trade to free up the frontcourt, Williams may not immediately get the playing time needed to reach his potential.

Assuming the team keeps all of it's frontcourt players, he will have to split time with Kevin Love, Anthony Randolph, Martell Webster, Wesley Johnson and Michael Beasley who is a very similar player to Williams.

While Williams will be the player that stays with this franchise for the long run, his difficulty getting on the court may turn out to be a positive as he can develop more slowly and not have the pressure to perform and transform the team into a winner.

If he does get the opportunity to play a lot of minutes, it will be hard to keep him off of the first team, or out of the conversation for Rookie of the Year.

NBA All-Rookie Second Team Forward: Kenneth Faried, Denver Nuggets

With the 22nd pick, the Denver Nuggets may have landed the player that will turn out to be the steal of the draft.

Kenneth Faried is a a bit of an undersized forward who makes up for it with his hustle plays, relentless rebounding and being one of the hardest workers in the draft.

Due to his size, work ethic, and rebounding ability, Faried has drawn comparisons to Paul Millsap of the Utah Jazz. If Faried can live up to that comparison, the Nuggets will have another frontcourt player who can be physical and rebound the ball.

In college, Faried exceeded the expectations of many and put together strong performances against some of the better NCAA teams.

He should be able to match that intensity and level of success with the Nuggets and land on the second All-Rookie team.

NBA All-Rookie Second Team Center: Bismack Biyombo

Bismack Biyombo is one of the most unknown players in this rookie class. Even though he is listed as a forward, he will no doubt get a lot of playing time at the center position.

Due to his incredible wingspan, defensive athletic ability and being on a team that lists Kwame Brown, Joel Przybilla, and DeSagana Diop as the other centers, Biyombo will get time in the middle.

Although his shooting needs some work, he has the potential to be a solid defensive stopper, and a good rebounder. He is a high-energy, emotional player that runs the floor well and finishes around the rim.

As he continues to develop his offensive game, he has the potential to be one of the best big men to come out of this draft.

Look to Biyombo to surprise a lot of people with the level of intensity he plays with, and his defensive abilities.

Both are qualities that the Bobcats desperately need to get some wins and energize the fanbase.

2012 NBA Rookie of the Year

So when it is all said and done, which player will have the best rookie season and become next season's Rookie of the Year.

Will it be the experienced Ricky Rubio, or the first-overall pick, Kyrie Irving?

Could it be a lesser known player such as Bismack Biyombo, or Enes Kanter?

Does Jimmer Fredette continue to impress?

Perhaps Derrick Williams does get enough playing time, or maybe it is one of the good players that is not even on this list?

Regardless of who wins the award, it will be interesting to see how each of the rookies perform at the next level in the NBA.

How will the decision to draft each player work out for each team?

I guess we will just have to wait and see.

Chris Johstoneaux is a contributor to Bleacher Report who usually covers the NBA and Major League Soccer. If you liked this article, please take a moment to leave me a comment and follow me on Twitter @JazzRSLExaminer.