The 2012 NBA Draft had two likely HOF talents selected in the top-10 picks, from the New Orleans Hornets selecting Anthony Davis with the No. 1 overall pick to the Portland Trailblazers taking a swing on a small school guard by the name of Damian Lillard with the No. 6 overall pick. Despite these teams’ draft success, for other organizations, some of their decisions caused set backs in their rebuilds, resulting in some of the worst whiffs of the 2012 NBA Draft. Surprisingly, a couple of the selections on this list were from teams that aced their first selection but whiffed on their second opportunity.
Five Worst Whiffs in the 2012 NBA Draft
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (2nd overall)
With the No. 2 overall pick, the Charlotte Bobcats selected Kentucky forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. After this selection, Kentucky was now responsible for the first two selections of the 2012 NBA Draft, which marked an unprecedented, first-time accomplishment. As a freshman duo, Davis and Kidd-Gilchrist led the Wildcats to a historic season, cemented by a 2012 national championship victory. Particularly, Kidd-Gilchrist made an immediate impact on the wing, averaging 11.9 points and 7.4 rebounds. He went on to earn first-team All-SEC and All-SEC Defensive team alongside Davis while being nominated as a consensus second-team All-American.
Although Kidd-Gilchrist seemed like a fine consolation prize, Davis was the prized possession every rebuilding team was targeting at the top of the draft. However, after a historic 7-59 season, and entering the 2012 NBA Draft lottery with the No. 1 odds, the Bobcats fell to the second pick. Charlotte was on the wrong side of history all season and didn’t get rewarded.
Instead, they drafted Kidd-Gilchrist and instant regret hit their organization. He averaged a career-high of 12.7 points per game during the 2015-16 season. However, his offensive game never improved while his overall performance never justified his draft hype. Even though he stayed with Charlotte through most of his eight-year career, he served little impact, only peaking as a serviceable role player for the Hornets next to their 2011 NBA Draft pick, Kemba Walker.
Thomas Robinson (5th overall)
After a failed swing on Jimmer Fredette with their top-10 pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, the Sacramento Kings hoped to bounce back, selecting Kansas big man Thomas Robinson with the No. 5 overall pick. In his junior season with the Jayhawks, Robinson went from an afterthought to the building block of Kansas’ roster. During his final season, he heavily improved with more opportunity as he averaged 17.7 points and 11.9 rebounds per game. Robinson was a double-double machine, and it led to him becoming a consensus first-team All-American and the 2012 Big 12 Player of the Year.
However, once he reached the NBA, his potential took a turn. Robinson’s lack of true talent never gave Sacramento a chance to develop a potential scary front court duo alongside fellow 2010 No. 5 overall pick DeMarcus Cousins. After just 51 games of his rookie season, the Kings shipped him off to the Houston Rockets. By his sophomore season, Robinson was playing for the Trailblazers, and by his fifth and final season in the NBA, he had already suited up for six teams in five years.
Austin Rivers (10th overall)
After selecting Davis with the No. 1 overall pick, the New Orleans Hornets were on the clock once again with the No. 10 overall pick. This time they selected Duke guard Austin Rivers, the son of former Atlanta Hawks point guard Doc Rivers. With his basketball lineage, Rivers became a star in his single season with the Blue Devils where he won 2012 ACC Rookie of the Year, averaging 15.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game.
Rivers was lights out from distance at the collegiate level, and he eventually developed into a reliable three-point shooter during his 11-year NBA career. However, his career began with a rough tenure in New Orleans. In his two full seasons with New Orleans, Rivers never found consistent minutes and lacked any offensive efficiency, displaying little signs of a former top-10 draft selection.
During the 2014-15 season, New Orleans traded Rivers to the Los Angeles Clippers where he was given the opportunity to play for his father. There is a case Rivers doesn’t deserve to be on this list. In fact, his tenure with the Clippers is where he broke out into one of the best three-point scorers off the bench in the association. However, for the Pelicans, their whiff with Rivers at No. 10 failed to give them a chance at the grand slam the organization eyed during the 2012 NBA Draft.
Meyers Leonard (11th overall)
After selecting Lillard with the No. 6 overall pick, Portland had another chance, similarly to New Orleans, to hit a grand slam. However, similarly to New Orleans, they swung and missed, selecting Illinois center Meyers Leonard with the No. 11 overall pick. Coming out of Illinois, Leonard didn’t have the resume as other typical lottery selections. After an insignificant role as a freshman, he took a step as a sophomore for the Fighting Illini, averaging 13.6 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game.
Leonard wouldn’t pile up any college accolades, but teams still acknowledged the flashes they saw from him as a sophomore. As a result, teams were willing to bank on his development. The Blazers took the swing, attempting to develop him for all of seven seasons. From age 20 to age 26, Leonard would contribute as the backup center for several competitive Blazers teams. He averaged 5.6 points and 3.7 rebounds per game during that span, never showing true consistency Portland could take advantage of.
Kendall Marshall (13th overall)
A couple picks later, the Phoenix Suns selected North Carolina guard Kendall Marshall. As a freshman for UNC, Marshall immediately entered the lineup as the lead ball handler. Marshall was named to second-team All-ACC in 2012, which saw him jump from 6.2 assists to 9.8 assists in his sophomore season. Over his two-year collegiate career, he averaged 7.2 points and 8.0 assists per game.
However, Marshall showed no signs of the player he was at North Carolina, only averaging three points and three assists per game during his rookie season. The Suns soon traded him to the Washington Wizards where he was shortly waived. Before the 2013-14 season, he joined the Los Angeles Lakers where he averaged eight points and 8.8 assists in nearly 30 minutes per game. Despite his quality season, Marshall wouldn’t receive another real opportunity again, playing each of his four NBA seasons with four separate teams.
© Michael Clevenger/The Courier-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK
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