NBA Draft Preview: The Top 5

The NBA draft will be held on June 24 with the customary holding of new team jerseys, pictures with Commissioner David Stern, and million dollar smiles on the athletes that just got drafted. Before that takes place though the draft picture needs to be cleared up a bit, and that will take place on on May 18 with the NBA Draft Lottery. Here are the players that the lottery winners will be looking at to change the fortunes of their franchises.

1. John Wall: There is no doubt that Kentucky's point guard is the ultimate prize in this year's draft. He came into this past NCAA basketball with a lot of hype and expectations and he lived up to them. He averaged 16.6 points and 6.5 assists per game, his one year with Kentucky. Wall is an incredible athlete and will rely on his speed to his advantage. He could help himself out greatly if he developed an outside shot.

2. Evan Turner: Ohio State junior shooting guard, Evan Turner, is a player that can create his shot or dish the ball to others. Although he isn't the athlete that John Wall is, Turner is a student of the game that handles the ball extremely well. Turner averaged 20.4 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 6.0 assists his final year in Columbus. Turner like Wall needs to gain confidence in his outside shot, he attempted only 55 three pointers his junior year.

3. DeMarcus Cousins: Another freshman out of Kentucky, the 6' 11", 280 lb., Cousins is a big man to be reckoned with. At Kentucky he averaged 15.1 points and 9.8 rebounds per contest. Cousins is a defensive presence and has the ability to block shots. He also can score away from the basket and has good ball skills for a man of his size. One thing that the team that drafts Cousins will need to work with him on is helping him keep his composure. He gets frustrated easily at times and that hurts the team as a whole.

4. Wesley Johnson: A small forward out of Syracuse, Johnson is a good shooter that excels off the dribble who is also a good on the glass. Johnson averaged 16.5 points and 8.5 rebounds a game in his junior year for the Orange. During his time at Syracuse he steadily improved his three point shooting. Johnson could stand to bulk up so that he can drive to the basket more and not have to rely on his jump shot so much.

5. Derrick Favors: The Georgia Tech freshman power forward is known for his quickness and leaping ability. Favors is a solid rebounder who has good hands. His one year at Georgia Tech he averaged 12.4 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. The 18 year old needs to work on his conditioning some. Favors is a quick learner and that will serve him well as he heads for the NBA.

Stats from ESPN.com Men's Basketball page.