2012 NBA Draft: Prospects 21-30

It’s time to look at the top prospects for the 2012 NBA draft. Here are prospects 21-30.

21. Jeff Taylor SF Vanderbilt Sr. 6’ 7” - He is an elite athlete who is a versatile scorer. Taylor excels at finishing at the rim with his size and strength. He needs to continue on his three point shot, which he did last college season. Taylor also needs to cut down on his turnovers.

22. Festus Ezeli C Vanderbilt Sr. 6’11”- Ezeli, is a very raw prospect who is just starting to live up to his potential. He excels on the defensive end where he is an imposing presence in the paint with his shot blocking ability. Ezeli must continue to improve his post moves and scoring ability; he started to do this last season averaging 13 points per game.

23. Mason Plumlee C Duke Jr. 6’11”- Plumlee is a very athletic big guy who runs the floor well. He is a very active rebounder on both ends, and he knows how to block shots. On offense he can throw down the monster dunk, but he really needs to work on his post moves, which are lacking. Another thing Plumlee is lacking is that toughness on the court.

24.Mouptaou Yarou C Villianova Jr. 6’10”- Just like Ezeli, Yarou is a raw prospect who has loads of potential. Yarou plays in an offense at Villanova that is very guard centered. His offense of game is just starting to develop, and it will get better with more playing experience. He is really athletic for a big guy; he also needs to be a more aggressive rebounder and shot blocker.

25. William Buford SG Ohio State Sr. 6’5”– Buford is a deadly shooter; especially from behind the arch. He has great quickness to create his own shot; and excels as an on the ball defender. Buford is really just a jump shooter; he rarely attacks the rim for whatever reason. When his shot isn’t falling he can disappear on offense.

26. John Jenkins SG Vanderbilt Jr 6’4” - Yes another Vanderbilt player, Jenkins can flat out shoot the ball, he has unlimited range. He excels at coming off screens to get his shots. Jenkins is also a very clutch player. Jenkins is not a great athlete, which causes him to struggle to  create his own shot. He also really needs to work on his defense.

27. Kris Joseph SF Syracuse Sr. 6’7”- Joseph can do a little bit of everything, he doesn’t do anything exceptionally well and doesn’t have any real weakness. He is an excellent athlete who can finished well in transition and is a very good rebounder. Last season he improved some on his jump shot, and he needs to get even better. He really needs to work on his ball handling skills.

28. Kendall Marshall PG North Carolina Soph. 6’4” -Marshall was the man behind North Carolina’s turn around mid season. He is a true point guard with excellent court vision, and passing ability. Marshall really has high basketball IQ, and he knows how to lead a team. Marshall needs to improve his shooting ability as well as get quicker. If I were a scorer I would want Marshall as my point guard.

29. C.J. Leslie PF North Carolina State Soph 6’9”– Leslie is one of the most athletic players in the country, he also has great length. He has pretty good dribbling skills for a big guy, he can beat his guy 1 on 1. Leslie is a great rebounder and shot blocker. If he wants to play in the paint in the NBA he needs to add weight; he also needs to work on a jump shot and his post moves.

30. Will Barton SG Memphis Soph. 6’6”- Barton had a somewhat of a disappointing season last year at Memphis. He has great length but he needs to add weight. Barton has unlimited shooting range, which causes him to take a lot of bad shots. He needs to continue to attack the rim to add another dimension to his game. Barton is also a good rebounder for being a guard.

Tags: 2012 NBA Draft