NBA Draft Sleepers And Busts
By Zak Kolesar
As the NBA Draft quickly approaches, Right Down Euclid takes a look at some possible sleepers and busts in this upcoming draft. Zachary Kolesar and Chris Manning give their two cents on which players they think will disappoint in the NBA and which players they think will make teams happy and become a late first round success.
First up is Chris Manning with his NBA Drafts busts
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Top Five Potential Busts
1. Andre Drummond — C — Connecticut — Drummond is either going to be a star or he’s going to become the next Hasheem Thabeet. He has potential, but his game is so raw that no one really knows what kind of player he will become. Huge risk for any team that takes him.
2. Jared Sullinger — PF — Ohio State — Unlike Drummond, Sullinger won’t be a bust because of his games, as his skills are top notch. But his health concerns are a major issue, and if they derail his career, he would have to be considered a bust.
3. Perry Jones III — PF — Baylor — Jones’s talent is undeniable, but he didn’t produce up to his talent level in the college ranks at Baylor. If he can elevate his game, he will be a star. If not, it’ll be another example of wasted potential in a top ten pick. He’s either going to be Josh Smith or Yi Jianlin – no in between.
4. Dion Walters — SG — Syracuse — Dion Walters never started a game while at Syracuse. He played great as a sixth    man, and could become a James Harden type player, but if not, then there may not be a spot for him in the NBA.
5. Damian Lillard — PG — Weber State — Lillard is a guy with major scoring ability, but no one knows if he can do it against elite talent every night, as he played at mid-major Weber State. If he can indeed stack up, he’ll be worth a top ten pick. If not, it’ll be another tale of another player from a little school who couldn’t cut it against the big boys.
Now it’s Zachary Kolesar’s turn to tell who he thinks will make an impact in the NBA as a late-round pick
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Top Five Potential Sleepers
1. Royce White – PF – Iowa State – Standing 6’ 8” White led his team in five different categories, averaging 13.4 points, 9.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.9 blocks. With that said, I feel like White could be a high-threat player that is a great second option to Perry Jones III. Although he struggled from the free throw line last season, White shot 53.4 percent from the field.
2. Draymond Green — PF – Michigan State – In Green’s four years at Michigan State he did nothing but improve his game and draft stock. The 22-year-old Spartan, who averaged a double-double (16.2 points and 10.6 rebounds), lacks the size to match up against other NBA big men, but is a great leader on the court and shows off his high basketball IQ whenever he has the ball by making good passes and knocking down deep shots.
3. Jeffrey Taylor – SF – Vanderbilt – The explosive swingman out of Vanderbilt averaged 16.1 points in his final collegiate season. Taylor, who turned 23 a month ago, could be a gem among the many great shooting forwards that are in the draft such as Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Harrison Barnes. Taylor has the strive to make in the NBA, as his goal to play as a professional started at age 17 when he moved to America from Sweden.
4. Terrence Ross – SG/SF – Washington – His troubles in finding a way to get to the basket could be a problem, but I think Ross, who could go around pick No. 10, might be one of the purest scorers in the draft. He is a threat from basically any range on the court, which should make him a hot commodity in the draft.
5. Doron Lamb – SG – Kentucky – Another Kentucky player could end up going in the first round. Lamb, who could develop into a go-to guy in a few years, could help compliment many point guards in the NBA. A shooting guard at Kentucky who averaged 13.7 points, Lamb is very careful with the ball and could find his way into the end of the first round.