In college basketball, one can often tell the viability of a Final Four contender by "counting the pros." Teams with the most NBA-caliber players on the roster are far more capable of crashing the Final Four than the cohesive units filled with little engines that think they can. We praise the latter during the season, but great talent that plays together will beat lesser talent that plays together every time.
That same kind of thing goes for the NBA, but it is more pronounced. The NBA is a superstar-driven league, where the major talents are the difference between a playoff team and a championship team. Every title team needs "pieces" to go around its superstars, and the NBA draft is the best place to collect those pieces and score a superstar to build around.
The 2012 NBA draft is very deep with good talent. From the first round to the very last pick in the draft, I cannot recall a deeper draft of solid players who can make a roster and help a team win. There may not be a lot of no-brainer, sure-thing superstars, but there are some really good players who have a chance to get better.
Here are five that I believe have a chance to be the best players in this draft class, and six who have potential but also more questions.
Anthony Davis, Kentucky Wildcats
Davis is the only player in this draft who is a sure thing. Even if he never develops as an offensive player, his defensive range and ability to impact the game on the defensive end makes him the consensus No. 1 selection. He gracefully covers ground. With his mobility, length, timing and tenacity, Davis can block and change shots from at the rim to 15 feet out.