2011 NBA Mock Draft: Complete 1st-Round Mock
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The 2011 NBA draft lottery has been set and after a long-awaited process, the Cleveland Cavaliers look like they came out as the big winners.
Cleveland won the draft lottery and will be awarded the No. 1 pick in this summer's NBA draft.
The last time Dan Gilbert's club had the No. 1 pick was in 2003, when they selected a guy by the name of LeBron James.
While there isn't any type of player in this year's draft who is of the same caliber as James, there are some very good prospects who have the potential to turn into franchise pieces for the Cavs. Guys like Kyrie Irving (Duke), Derrick Williams (Arizona) and Brandon Knight (Kentucky) all look like players whose games will transition nicely to the NBA.
So with that said, who will Cleveland choose with that No. 1 pick? How else will the rest of the draft play out after that?
Stay tuned right here as I take you through my complete 2011 NBA mock draft.
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The 2011 NBA Draft Lottery paved the way for this year's NBA Draft and set the order of selection in stone. Our focus now turns to where each coveted lottery pick will land. Which star prospects are bound for fame and which ones will burn out before we ever get to know them?
Follow all the action on Bleacher Report as we bring you all the latest news, updates and rumors while projecting every pick along the way.
Obviously, the Chicago Bulls are not searching for a starting point guard with this pick. But truth be told, C.J. Watson looked shaky in the backup role, and might not be in the windy city for that much longer.
With that said, in comes Darius Morris, a true point guard with great size and athleticism for the position.
In Morris, the Bulls would get a guy who could relive Derrick Rose and provide some much-needed scoring off the bench. He has an uncanny knack to break defenses down off the dribble and kick to the open man for the threes.
That sounds like an ideal compliment to Kyle Korver coming off the bench for the Bulls.
The 2011 NBA Draft Lottery paved the way for this year's NBA Draft and set the order of selection in stone. Our focus now turns to where each coveted lottery pick will land. Which star prospects are bound for fame and which ones will burn out before we ever get to know them?
Follow all the action on Bleacher Report as we bring you all the latest news, updates and rumors while projecting every pick along the way.
JaJuan Johnson was the best player in the Big Ten this season, which featured the likes of Jared Sullinger, Kalin Lucas and John Leuer.
San Antonio has been searching for another post player opposite Tim Duncan for the past couple of years. In Johnson, they get a guy with good size and excellent ability to rebound and score the basketball.
Johnson was an elite player in college, and there isn't anything that would make one think he couldn't do the same at the NBA level.
He won't be Tim Duncan, but Johnson could be a solid player off the bench for San Antonio, who could eventually turn into a starter in the future for the Spurs.
The 2011 NBA Draft Lottery paved the way for this year's NBA Draft and set the order of selection in stone. Our focus now turns to where each coveted lottery pick will land. Which star prospects are bound for fame and which ones will burn out before we ever get to know them?
Follow all the action on Bleacher Report as we bring you all the latest news, updates and rumors while projecting every pick along the way.
Scotty Hopson is a player who many expected to be a feature lottery pick down the road when he came to Tennessee.
While he didn't quite live up to the hype, Hopson did put together three productive years in the Orange and White, and looks ready to take the next step towards the NBA.
This is a guy who is a superior athlete and would give Chicago some depth at the shooting guard position, which is something they are in need of. He averaged 17 points per game last year, and should be able to fill the role of a scoring guard in the NBA.
The 2011 NBA Draft Lottery paved the way for this year's NBA Draft and set the order of selection in stone. Our focus now turns to where each coveted lottery pick will land. Which star prospects are bound for fame and which ones will burn out before we ever get to know them?
Follow all the action on Bleacher Report as we bring you all the latest news, updates and rumors while projecting every pick along the way.
The New Jersey Nets need a ton of help, so at this point, they should be just focusing on drafting the best player available.
At this point, that player could be Justin Harper.
The former Richmond star has great size and athleticism. He can bang down low if needed, but also excels and stepping out and shooting the ball.
Harper's role will most likely be as a role player, perhaps even a 6th man down the road. He is a guy who can provide instant offense and has a great basketball IQ, which is always a good thing to add to a young, rebuilding franchise.
The 2011 NBA Draft Lottery paved the way for this year's NBA Draft and set the order of selection in stone. Our focus now turns to where each coveted lottery pick will land. Which star prospects are bound for fame and which ones will burn out before we ever get to know them?
Follow all the action on Bleacher Report as we bring you all the latest news, updates and rumors while projecting every pick along the way.
Now, I know you're thinking to yourself that the Mavs already have Dirk Nowitzki, who is arguably the top power forward in the game today. Why in the world do they need another power forward?
Hear me out.
The truth is that with the No. 26 pick in the draft, you probably arn't going to get a guy who is going to come in and start right away. With that said, Dallas obviously knows how to develop their foreign players, so why not take a shot here with Motiejunas.
Some NBA Draft experts have the Lithuanian star going as early as top-10 in the draft. I doubt that will happen, but it is possible that he could fall all the way here to Dallas.
This pick would give the Mavs some depth at the power forward position, and a guy who could become a pleasant surprise down the road.
Dallas struck gold with Dirk, why not give it another try right here?
The 2011 NBA Draft Lottery paved the way for this year's NBA Draft and set the order of selection in stone. Our focus now turns to where each coveted lottery pick will land. Which star prospects are bound for fame and which ones will burn out before we ever get to know them?
Follow all the action on Bleacher Report as we bring you all the latest news, updates and rumors while projecting every pick along the way.
Despite a poor performance in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, Keith Benson still remains one of the most underrated prospects in this year's draft class.
The former Oakland University standout has good size and is a true center, standing at 6'11" and weighing in at 225 pounds. He is a bit raw, but his game will mature with time.
It became more than evident throughout this year's playoffs, that the Celtics made a mistake when they parted ways with Kendrick Perkins. Shaq and Jermaine O'Neal are getting up there in age and are by no-means, long term answers for this Boston team.
In Benson, the Celtics get there center of the future who could be a double-double machine in 3-4 years.
The 2011 NBA Draft Lottery paved the way for this year's NBA Draft and set the order of selection in stone. Our focus now turns to where each coveted lottery pick will land. Which star prospects are bound for fame and which ones will burn out before we ever get to know them?
Follow all the action on Bleacher Report as we bring you all the latest news, updates and rumors while projecting every pick along the way.
Tobias Harris is a guy who isn't getting a ton of recognition heading into the draft, but he was one of the top rated high school players in the country just a year ago, and had an outstanding freshman season at Tennessee.
Harris was a double-double machine last year for the Orange and White. He averaged just over 15 points and seven rebounds per game for the Vols.
Oklahoma City has a great starting lineup, but after the trade of Jeff Green, they could use some depth at the forward positions. Harris is a guy who could come in and provide them with an immediate spark off the bench.
If he is there at this point, this seems like a perfect fit for Harris.
The 2011 NBA Draft Lottery paved the way for this year's NBA Draft and set the order of selection in stone. Our focus now turns to where each coveted lottery pick will land. Which star prospects are bound for fame and which ones will burn out before we ever get to know them?
Follow all the action on Bleacher Report as we bring you all the latest news, updates and rumors while projecting every pick along the way.
The Houston Rockets address the center position with their first round pick, and then they could look for a small forward here with this pick.
Shane Battier left town to join the Grizzlies this past season, and now, the Rockets are looking for someone to fill a forward spot. The one guy who comes to mind here could be UCLA's Tyler Honeycutt.
The former Bruin had a solid year in 2010, but it is his potential that has some NBA scouts drooling. At 6'8, he has the ideal size for an NBA small forward. He is a very smart player who seems to excel at pretty much every aspect of the game.
By adding Honeycutt, Houston gets a guy who is an ideal replacement for Shane Battier. He fits the mold of the young, athletic type players that Houston seems to be building their team around.
The 2011 NBA Draft Lottery paved the way for this year's NBA Draft and set the order of selection in stone. Our focus now turns to where each coveted lottery pick will land. Which star prospects are bound for fame and which ones will burn out before we ever get to know them?
Follow all the action on Bleacher Report as we bring you all the latest news, updates and rumors while projecting every pick along the way.
Chris Singleton has the talent to be a top-10 pick, but somehow I have him falling all the way here to Denver with the No. 22 overall pick in the first round.
When Denver got rid of Carmelo Anthony, they gained a lot of good players, but they don't have a true superstar. Now, this isn't to say that Chris Singleton is going to be an NBA superstar. But, he is a freak athlete who has the ability to play and guard a number of different positions.
Defense is something that Denver certainly lacks, but by selecting Singleton, they get one of the best defensive players in this year's draft class.
Denver would be thrilled if this former FSU star fell to them with this pick.
The 2011 NBA Draft Lottery paved the way for this year's NBA Draft and set the order of selection in stone. Our focus now turns to where each coveted lottery pick will land. Which star prospects are bound for fame and which ones will burn out before we ever get to know them?
Follow all the action on Bleacher Report as we bring you all the latest news, updates and rumors while projecting every pick along the way.
It seems like it's about time that the Portland Trailblazers begin to look for their point guard of the future. With Andre Miller getting up there in age and likely in his final year in a Portland jersey, the Blazers need to look for a guy who is an NBA-ready player.
Look no further than former Duke standout Nolan Smith.
Smith was one of the best players in the country this past season. He is a combo guard who has superior athleticism. He is a good floor general who has the ability to create shots for others, something that could only help the likes of Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge.
Nolan Smith is an elite college player and he has the skill and IQ to do much the same at the NBA level. It very well could be wearing the Portland Red and Black.
The 2011 NBA Draft Lottery paved the way for this year's NBA Draft and set the order of selection in stone. Our focus now turns to where each coveted lottery pick will land. Which star prospects are bound for fame and which ones will burn out before we ever get to know them?
Follow all the action on Bleacher Report as we bring you all the latest news, updates and rumors while projecting every pick along the way.
With Minnesota being guaranteed Kyrie Irving or Derrick Williams with that No. 2 pick, they will likely take a look at selecting a shooting guard with this pick.
The man who comes to mind here is Marshon Brooks, an elite scorer from Providence.
Brooks is a guy who is instant offense, which is something that Minnesota could use at this point. They have an elite rebounder in Kevin Love, and if they can add an elite point guard like Irving and an elite scorer like Brooks, this is a team that will be a force to be reckoned with in a few years down the road.
Marshon Brooks makes a lot of sense here, and he should be there for the taking.
The 2011 NBA Draft Lottery paved the way for this year's NBA Draft and set the order of selection in stone. Our focus now turns to where each coveted lottery pick will land. Which star prospects are bound for fame and which ones will burn out before we ever get to know them?
Follow all the action on Bleacher Report as we bring you all the latest news, updates and rumors while projecting every pick along the way.
Jordan Hamilton has the talent to be a top-10 pick, so if he does fall to Charlotte with this pick, Michael Jordan and co. would be more than happy about this selection.
Hamilton is an elite offensive player who has the ability to play shooting guard and or small forward at the NBA level. He is a good outside shooter, but also excels at taking the ball to the rack.
Charlotte is a team that struggles to find an identity. If they are indeed going to start over and attempt to rebuild, Hamilton is a nice piece to build around. He excelled in his two years at Texas, and should do much the same in an NBA jersey.
The 2011 NBA Draft Lottery paved the way for this year's NBA Draft and set the order of selection in stone. Our focus now turns to where each coveted lottery pick will land. Which star prospects are bound for fame and which ones will burn out before we ever get to know them?
Follow all the action on Bleacher Report as we bring you all the latest news, updates and rumors while projecting every pick along the way.
Klay Thompson is one of the most underrated players in this year's NBA Draft. He is an elite shooter who had a great season at Washington State, but just didn't get a ton of national recognition because he played on an average team.
By adding both Leonard and Thompson in the first round, Washington can part ways with Nick Young, and not lose a beat.
The Wizards are an up-and-coming team in this league, and they have the chance to take a big step towards the future with this draft. Adding Thompson is a great step.
The 2011 NBA Draft Lottery paved the way for this year's NBA Draft and set the order of selection in stone. Our focus now turns to where each coveted lottery pick will land. Which star prospects are bound for fame and which ones will burn out before we ever get to know them?
Follow all the action on Bleacher Report as we bring you all the latest news, updates and rumors while projecting every pick along the way.
The New York Knicks are all set at point guard, small forward and power forward. But shooting guard and center are two positions that this team has to address in the off-season.
With that said, due to the lack of centers in this draft, New York will likely go after a shooting guard with this pick here. One guy who should be available at this point is former Kansas SG, Josh Selby.
Selby is a guy who was one of the top rated players coming out of high school last year, but he struggled finding any type of consistency at Kansas. He didn't put up big numbers in college, but he has the type of talent that is worthy of a lottery pick selection.
The Knicks took a chance with making that trade for Carmelo Anthony, so why not take a chance at selecting a guy like Selby.
The 2011 NBA Draft Lottery paved the way for this year's NBA Draft and set the order of selection in stone. Our focus now turns to where each coveted lottery pick will land. Which star prospects are bound for fame and which ones will burn out before we ever get to know them?
Follow all the action on Bleacher Report as we bring you all the latest news, updates and rumors while projecting every pick along the way.
The 76ers have some great young guards in Evan Turner and Jrue Holiday. Because of that, this is a team that needs to go after a big man.
Kenneth Faried fits that need, and he is the most underrated player in this draft. He is an absolute rebounding machine, and fits the mold of Paul Milsap, who has made a living in the NBA as an elite rebounder.
If Faried is available at this point, this should be a no-brainier pick for Philadelphia.
Morehead State might not be a household name school, but Kenneth Faried will be a household name in Philadelphia, if they make this pick. That's a guarantee.



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