Best Case/Worst Case 2012’s top prospects

I did this 2 years ago for John Wall and company and it received rave reviews so I’ll do it once more… BTW i jammed my left middle/ring fingers super tough at golds today playing ball so I’m doing my best to man up through this pain! typing is not as fun as it seems with bum fingers!!

Anthony Davis – 6’10” 220 – F/C – Kentucky – Freshman

Best Case: The long and athletic Davis gets swollowed up with the 1st pick by the Charlotte Bobcats. Michael Jordan gets relieved of his duties and the Bobcats hire Brian Shaw to become the head coach. Kemba Walker and Davis hit it off right away as the Bobcats become the east coast version of Lob City. Davis adds 10 lbs of muscle to his frame in the summer and doesn’t get pushed around nearly as much by opposing bigs. He averages 14, 11 and 2.5 in his first season and helps Charlotte win 25 games next year along with winning rookie of the year.

Worst Case: The Toronto Raptors somehow manage to win the lottery and against all odds, they don’t trade down to take a player of need and instead select Davis. Davis and Valanciunas split time at the center spot and both players have inevitable stunts in their growth. Davis comes off the bench for the majority of the season and has a hard time asserting himself amongst the other long shot blockers like Ed Davis and Amir Johnson and he isn’t able to break away from the crowd. Dwane Casey is fired and the Raptors have a nightmare season. Davis averages 7 and 4 in 18 minutes per game.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist – 6’7” 232 – SF – Kentucky – Freshman

Best Case: The Wizards wisely take MKG with the 2nd pick in the draft and he immediately beats out Chris Singleton for the smarting small forward position. He brings the Wizards an outlandish amount of energy, defense and hustle plays. His passion for the game excites everyone in the DC area, including Ted Leonsis, who no longer needs viagra. Kidd-Gilchrist fits in perfectly and averages 12, 5, and 2 while shooting 45% from the field. The Wizards get a big boost from Jan Vesely and somehow manage to finish 9th in the east. Randy Wittman’s job is secure. Future looks bright.

Worst Case: The Hornets manage the 2nd pick in the draft and with it, draft Kidd-Gilchrist. He doesn’t fit in well with the Hornets as he’s asked to score a lot as a rookie. The Hornets don’t move Ariza either so the logjam at the 3 is very apparent. Due to this, they force MKG to play a lot of minutes at the power forward position. Monty Williams is fired midway through the season and Kidd-Gilchrist finishes the year shooting under 40% from the field. The Hornets finish dead last in the west. The wear and tear begins to take its toll on MKG and he battles the injury bug come late in the year and eventually sits out the last 6 games of the season with numerous ailments.

Thomas Robinson – 6’9” 240 – PF – Kansas – Junior

Best Case: With the 4th pick in the draft, New Orleans takes this bruising, NBA-ready power forward. Okafor is amnestied and Jason Smith returns to where he is most comfortable- the bench. Carl Landry takes Robinson under his wing and helps turn him into an extremely reliable banger off the pine. T-Rob shoots 52% from the field and averages 10 and 8 as a rookie. He helps re-energize a previously lowly Hornets squad that manages to win 30 games this year. The nickname T-Rob sticks.

Worst Case: He drops to Sacramento at 6 and the anger monkeys are prevalent and visible from the second hes drafted. He’s pissed he doesn’t get the starting job over Jason Thompson and his previously inexistent attitude shows. When he gets in the game, he wants to play 1 on 1 to prove he belongs as the starter. Even worse, he and DeMarcus Cousins fight in the locker room on numerous occasions. Keith Smart, who was previously retained, gets let go after a 9-23 start. The rookie averages 5 and 4 on 43% shooting.

Bradley Beal – 6’4” 207 – SG – Florida – Freshman

Best Case: The Cavs grab this talented 2 guard with the 3rd overall selection. The chemistry between he and Irving his visible from day 1. There isn’t anything that Beal can’t do on the court. He gets compared to Brandon Roy and Eric Gordon. He immediately becomes the starter in Cleveland and averages 15 and 5 and shoots 35% from deep. He’s instantly recognized as one of 2012’s top rookies. Irving and Thompson both continue to improve and the Cavs squeeze into the playoffs. Beal gains valuable experience.

Worst Case: The Detroit Pistons trade up to #3 to select him with the mindset of pairing him with Brandon Knight as the future backcourt. However, Rodney Stuckey has no plan of this happening and starts 2012 on a tear averaging 24 points over the first 11 games. Beal has a hard time getting minutes, battling Ben Gordon for time at the backup shooting guard position. When played at the 1, he’s turnover-prone and looks uncomfortable. His confidence is drained and Lawrence Frank’s incompetency proves to be too much as Beal is limited to just 11 minutes per game for the months of March and April. He averages 7 and 2 while shooting 29% from deep.

Andre Drummond – 6’11” 270 – C – UCONN- Freshman

Best Case: Portland trades up to #4 to draft this potential-filled big man. He is groomed under the tutelage of long-time vets Kurt Thomas and Joel Przybilla on how to be a professional and compete hard. Chicago assistant coach Ron Adams gets hired and teaches Drummond the values of being effective on defense. Over the course of the offseason he polishes up his offensive game and becomes a reliable threat on the offensive end too. He isn’t forced into action and in consistent minutes, proves to be extremely athletic and useful. He averages 6 and 5 in 21 minutes per game. Thomas and Przybilla both retire and nobody cares.

Worst Case: Drummond gets selected with the #3 pick in the draft by the Hornets. Chris Kaman steps up his play for fear of his losing his job and Drummond has a hard time seeing the floor. When played together, the two don’t mesh. Jason Smith and Carl Landry see a lot of Drummond’s minutes and the big man simply falls down the depth chart. He pulls a Jerome James and falls asleep during a film session. Many begin questioning if the Hornets should have taken a more NBA ready player in Thomas Robinson. Drummond has a forgettable rookie season and many begin comparing him to the likes of Kwame Brown and Hasheem Thabeet.