2012 NBA Draft: Prospects 1-5

It’s time to look at the top prospects for the 2012 NBA draft. Here are prospects 1-5.

2012 NBA Draft: Prospects 21-30

2012 NBA Draft: Prospects 16-20

2012 NBA Draft: Prospects 11-15

2012 NBA Draft: Prospects 6-10 

1. Harrison Barnes SF North Carolina Soph. 6’8” - Barnes got off to a slow freshman season, but as the season went on his was one of the best players in college basketball. His game reminds people of Joe Johnson with more aggressiveness. Barnes’ jump shot is textbook; he is an effective three-point shooter. Barnes really has an excellent mid range game; he really can create his own shot. Barnes is a clutch player; he made a lot of clutch shots for UNC last year. Smooth would describe his offensive game. His body is NBA ready with his length; he could add a few pounds. He can finish inside the lane with his strength; he also runs well in transition. Barnes is also an effective rebounder especially on the offensive glass. He needs to improve his ball handling; he also needs to attack the rim more, since sometimes he’s relies too much on the jump shot.

2. Anthony Davis PF Kentucky Fr. 6’10” – It’s hard to image that just a couple years ago in high school Davis was a guard, now he has grown into a power forward. His game reminds people of Kevin Garnett. Davis has great length and size, and he just needs to add some muscle. Davis is an outstanding athlete with great quickness and leaping ability. Offensively he has a great shooting touch around the basket. He also has a nice jump shot he can even make three pointers. He excels at running the floor in transition. Davis is a dominant rebounder and shot blocker thanks to his length. Davis really needs to work on his post moves and getting stronger in the paint; if he does that he will be unstoppable.

3. Jared Sullinger PF Ohio State Soph. 6’9” - As a freshman Sullinger was the most dominant post player in college basketball. Sullinger already has a NBA body with his length and weight. He excels at scoring in the post, and he is unstoppable down there. He has very good touch around the basket thanks to his soft hands. He has a jump hook. Sullinger gets to the free throw line a lot. His shooting stroke is nice and sweet; he can even make threes. With his body it’s no surprise he is an outstanding rebounder, and a great shot blocker. Sullinger, whose dad was a high school basketball coach, has great basketball IQ. He must work on being a better overall athlete; he needs to work on his quickness and leaping ability. He also forces some shots sometimes. Think Kevin Love.

4. Perry Jones PF Baylor Soph. 6’11” – Yes, a top college basketball player is playing at Baylor. Jones would have been a top pick in this year’s draft, but he decided to come back for another year. Jones may be tall, but he plays like and has the skills of a guard. He is a superb athlete, with great quickness and leaping ability. He has very good ball handling skills, which help him break down his defender 1 on 1. Jones has a very good mid range game; he can make that 15-foot shot. He runs the floor very well. He is a great rebounder because of his length. He really needs to work on his effort level, because some nights he doesn’t bring it, very inconsistent. Despite being a power forward Jones is not very tough in the paint and is not a great finisher, he just plays like a guard. Think Tracy McGrady.

5. Michael Gilchrist SF Kentucky Fr. 6’7” – Yes, another top freshman going to Kentucky. Gilchrist is really athletic with explosive leaping ability; he also has great quickness. He excels at attacking the rim; he can finish with the best of them. He also likes to run the floor and finish in transition. He has pretty good ball handling skills, and he is also a great passer for a big guy. Gilchrist brings intensity on defense; he can block shots. He has great length, but he could add some muscle. Gilchrist needs to work on his shot offensively. His mechanics really need to get better. If he can make his jump shot he will really be a complete player. Think Andre Iguodala.

Tags: Anthony Davis, Harrison Barnes, Jared Sullinger, Michael Gilchrist, Perry Jones