2011 NBA Mock Draft Grades for Chad Ford's Prediction of Charles Jenkins to Chicago Bulls at No. 30

Charles Jenkins is a 22 year old combo-guard from Hofstra who is used to being the star player.  Jenkins was absolutely dominant at Hofstra without getting any help from his teammates. 

ESPN's Chad Ford believes that even though Jenkins is a bit undersized to play SG in the NBA at only 6'3, the Bulls will select Jenkins and provides this analysis on the pick,

"The Bulls need scorers in their backcourt and ultimately need to find a backup for Derrick Rose at point guard. Jenkins' ability to play both backcourt positions is intriguing. He is big, strong, a very good shooter and one of the best pure scorers in the draft. He is a real sleeper."

Overall Grade for Ford: B

I really love the pick of Tyler Honeycutt for the Bulls at No. 28 but I am a bit mixed on the selection of Jenkins at No. 30.

While Jenkins was a big-time scorer at Hofstra, he does not have ideal size or length for a SG in the NBA so he would mainly be Rose's backup.

He is very strong though and has a great range on his jumper so he may turn out to be a solid pick.  However, I think a player like Nolan Smith, who is a leader on the court may be a better option as a backup PG for Derrick Rose.

Smith is a solid defender and does a terrific job of getting his teammates involved.

Either way, Jenkins and Smith both represent solid value as a backup PG for Rose at this point in the draft.

2011 NBA Mock Draft Grades for Chad Ford's Prediction of Lucas Nogueira to San Antonio Spurs at No. 29

Like many other International players in this draft, Brazilian International Lucas Nogueira is a that excels on the glass and defensive side of the ball.

ESPN analyst Chad Ford sees him as a late first-round pick and has him landing with San Antonio. Ford provided this analysis of the pick,

"The Spurs have done a good job over the years of finding young international players and stashing them overseas for a few years until they are ready. Nogueira seems like another good candidate.

He is long, athletic and a terrific shot-blocker. He just needs more experience and about 30 pounds of muscle. A few years in Europe should help prepare him."

Overall Grade for Ford: B

Nogueira is still very raw offensively and needs to add a lot of strength before coming to the NBA.  However, at only 18 years of age Nogueira has some time to develop before he will be expected to make an impact with the Spurs.

Nogueira has shown some flashes, including some dominating performances in the FIBA Americas U-18 Championship.

If Nogueira develops over the next couple of years in Europe, Norueira will end up as a very good pick for the Spurs at this point in the first round, however, they will definitely be waiting to get any production from Nogueira.

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2011 NBA Mock Draft Grades for Chad Ford's Prediction of Tyler Honeycutt to Chicago Bulls at No. 28

Tyler Honeycutt is a versatile player that will be able to play SG or SF in the NBA.  He is a very smart player and is one of the premier passers in the draft.

ESPN analyst Chad Ford believes that he is a perfect fit with the Chicago Bulls,

"The Bulls continue to look for long-term answers at the 2, and Honeycutt could be a really nice steal here if he slides this far. He not only has a great basketball IQ and the ability to handle the ball, but is also a good shooter who can stretch the defense."

Overall Grade for Ford: B+

Tyler Honeycutt's versatility and athleticism will be a perfect fit for Tom Thibodeau.  Honeycutt is an excellent defensive player already and Thibodeau will be able to get the most out of him,

As Ford points out the Bulls desperately need to bring in a SG this offseason so Honeycutt makes perfect sense.  Honeycutt can play the SG position and be a backup option for Luol Deng at SF.

Honeycutt makes perfect sense for Chicago as his versatility and shooting  abilities can really help Chicago.

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2011 NBA Mock Draft Grades for Chad Ford's Prediction of Justin Harper to New Jersey Nets at No. 27

Justin Harper made a name for himself in the NCAA Tournament when he carried Richmond to the Sweet 16, however, he is far from an elite NBA prospect.

ESPN's Chad Ford believes in Harper's upside and has him landing with the Nets,

Harper fits a need for New Jersey. He is big and athletic and can shoot the ball with range. After experimenting with guys like Yi Jianlian and Troy Murphy in this role over the past few years, Harper is cheaper and has more upside.

Overall Grade for Ford: B-

Harper has potential to end up as a solid player, but I still don't feel he is worthy of a first-round pick.  Harper was not considered a first-round pick at any point of his college career until his team made a run in the NCAA Tournament.

He fills a need though for the Nets so it is tough to grade this pick horribly, and he may end up as a solid role player for this team for a long time, but don't expect Harper to become a star.

Harper has a quality shot, but for a PF, he is very soft on the inside.  He lacks quality post moves and tends to settle for his jump shot.  The Nets are going to need to have Harper hit the gym early and often if he wants to become a quality NBA player.

2011 NBA Mock Draft Grades for Chad Ford's Prediction of Davis Bertans to Dallas Mavericks at No. 26

Davis Bertans can absolutely shoot the lights out and shot over 50 percent from three-point range last season with Union Olimpija Ljubljana.

ESPN analyst thinks that Bertans belongs in Dallas,

"It's unfair to compare any young European player to Dirk Nowitzki. But after watching Bertans shoot the lights out in the practices at the Nike Hoop Summit, that's how some scouts were referring to him. Bertans doesn't have Nowitzki's size or strength and looks to be a pretty serious project. But long term, he could be a really nice addition for the Mavs."

Overall Grade for Ford: B

If Bertans even resembles Dirk Nowitzki he is a steal at this point in the draft.  Bertans is no where near as strong as he needs to be, but at only 18 years old he should be a solid project for the Mavericks.

Bertans will likely stay in Europe to continue his development, but in time he could become a nice addition for the Mavericks.

There are some other players they could add here that could contribute instantly, such as Tyler Honeycutt, but Bertans has more long-term potential.

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2011 NBA Mock Draft Grades for Chad Ford's Prediction of Jordan Williams to Boston Celtics at No. 25

Jordan Williams is a tough, physical center that can come in and contribute immediately on the defensive end and on the glass.

ESPN analyst Chad Ford believes he is exactly what the Boston Celtics need at No. 25,

"The Celtics miss Kendrick Perkins, who was drafted (by Memphis) late in the first round of the 2003 draft. Williams could be another potential sleeper. He is big and physical and was one of the best rebounders in college basketball this past season. If he can stay in the sort of shape he displayed in Las Vegas, he could be a steal at this juncture in the draft"

Overall Grade for Ford: B+

I couldn't agree more that the Celtics miss Kendrick Perkins, even if they want to deny that fact.  They need to get bigger and more physical on the interior and Williams can help do that.

Williams is a high impact player on the boards, and was one of the best rebounders in the country, even though he is a bit undersized.

Williams fits what the Celtics need, and while Williams is not very athletic and lacks explosiveness, he fits the Celtics mold.

2011 NBA Mock Draft Grades for Chad Ford's Prediction of Nikola Mirotic to Oklahoma City at No. 24

Nikola Mirotic is an elite prospect that would likely be a lottery choice if not for the fact that it is going to massive buyout to get him away from Real Madrid.

ESPN analyst still believes that someone will gamble on Mirotic in the first round if he keeps his name in the draft and believes that team will be the Thunder,

"Sam Presti is an opportunist, and he is patient -- two critical traits in a great GM. Mirotic, based on talent, is a lottery pick. But a massive buyout means he won't be playing in the NBA anytime soon. If he stays in the draft -- a big "if" at this point -- someone will gamble on him. If it's Presti, he could be getting a major steal down the road."

Overall Draft Grade: A-

Landing Mirotic at this point in the draft would be a steal, but as Ford pointed out Mirotic will not be available for the Thunder this season unless they pay a massive buyout.  The bigger issue here is that Mirotic is still able to withdraw his name from the NBA Draft and enter at a later date.

Talent-wise, Mirotic is a steal this late in the draft.  He is extremely talented and could be a star in the NBA, but he still needs to hit the weight room. 

Mirotic is an extremely smart player, a terrific shooter, and a solid passer.  He is also versatile enough to play PF and SF.  I absolutely love Mirotic's game, but the huge buyout remains the biggest issue.

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2011 NBA Mock Draft Grades for Chad Ford's Prediction of Reggie Jackson to Houston Rockets at No. 23

Reggie Jackson was the only player of relevance on the court at times for Boston College this past season.  He absolutely dominated some games and showed off his incredible athleticism on a regular basis.

ESPN analyst Chad Ford believes that the Houston Rockets should bring in the Boston College PG and had this to say about Houston selecting Jackson,

"Kyle Lowry is coming off a career year, but Jackson would give them a very different look. Jackson is a terrific athlete, has a ridiculous 7-foot wingspan and shot the lights out his junior year. He has virtually every quality you look for in a modern NBA point guard and would likely be a good complement to Lowry."

Overall Grade for Ford: D

I love Reggie Jackson's talent and potential but he is not a great fit with the Rockets.  Houston needs to add a SF after trading away Battier and could also use another center.

Ford has Houston selecting Markieff Morris with thier first pick, who will likely back up Luis Scola and does not fill a major need.  Adding another player who does not fill a need for the Rockets would be an absolute failure.

UCLA's Tyler Honeycutt and Maryland's Jordan Williams would make much more sense here for the Rockets and adding a PG and PF don't make much sense for a team with a hole at SF and center.

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2011 NBA Mock Draft Grades for Chad Ford's Prediction of Tobias Harris to Denver Nuggets at No. 22

Tobias Harris was the premier player for the Tennessee Volunteers this past season and quickly departed once Bruce Pearl was let go by Tennessee.

Harris is a quality player all-around and ESPN analyst Chad Ford has him as the No. 14 player on his big board, but does not have him off the board until Denver at No. 22.  Ford had this to say about Harris,

"Harris may be one of the more underrated players in the draft. He can play both the 3 and 4, and he has a very high basketball IQ and an NBA body. Harris doesn't do any one thing at an elite level, but he is one of the most well-rounded players in the draft."

Overall Grade for Ford: C+

Ford believes that Harris is an underrated player, but I tend to lead the opposite direction.  I would put Harris as a bubble pick that should go anywhere between 25 and 35 overall.

Harris is a tweener and does not really excel in any one part of his game, but is well-rounded.  He played PF at Tennessee but does not really have the length or size to play that position in the NBA.

Harris has enough range on his jumper to be a SF in the NBA, however, he does not have the athleticism or the explosive first step needed to be successful.

2011 NBA Mock Draft Grades for Chad Ford's Prediction of Donatas Motiejunas to Portland Trail Blazers at No. 21

Donatas Motiejunas is a very intriguing prospect that dominated Team USA at the 2009 Nike Hoop Summit.  Motiejunas is a tall, skinny center that still has some room to improve, but represents excellent potential.

ESPN analyst Chad Ford has him as the No. 17 overall prospect, but has him landing with the Trail Blazers at No. 21,

"The Blazers have been looking for a point guard -- Reggie Jackson, Darius Morris and Nolan Smith will get a look -- but the team also needs depth on its front line. Motiejunas provides that and, at No. 21, he's a big-time bargain."

Overall Grade for Ford: B+

Montiejunas is a player that has the potential to go in the Top Ten in such a weak draft class, but Ford has him falling to No. 21.  Montiejunas is a very aggressive player around the basket and has a solid jumper from mid-range.

He is also much quicker than players with his size and could come in and contribute fairly quickly on the offensive end.

Montiejunas' potential is sky high, and thus a perfect ft for the Trail Blazers.

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2011 NBA Mock Draft Grades for Chad Ford's Prediction of Marshon Brooks to Minnesota Timberwolves at No. 20

Marshon Brooks has all the potential and athleticism needed to be a premier player in the NBA.  Brooks could score in bunches at Providence and that could carry over nicely into the NBA as he slides into the shooting guard position.

ESPN analyst Chad Ford likes Brooks so much that he has him going No. 20 overall to the Timberwolves,

"While the Wolves are stacked with young talent at multiple positions, 2-guard has been an ongoing need for the past two years. The Wesley Johnson at the 2 experiment didn't really go well this past season -- he's been a forward his whole life and will likely stay that way.

Enter Brooks, the second-best scorer in college basketball. Brooks' dynamic ability to create his own shot off the dribble, combined with solid shooting numbers, should be a big help to Minnesota."

Overall Grade for Ford: A-

While Brooks was a bit of a ballhog at Providence, that should not be as much of a problem with Minnesota, as his teammates will be much more capable contributors.

Brooks will need to work on his range, as he mainly used his athleticism to get to the bucket during college. 

However, Brooks is a terrific athlete and excels at penetrating the lane.  He also has the length needed to be a successful defender in the NBA.

The two guard has been an area of need for the Timberwolves so the selection of Brooks, who is the second best SG available is a no-brainer.

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2011 NBA Mock Draft Grades for Chad Ford's Prediction of Jordan Hamilton to Charlotte Bobcats at No. 19

Jordan Hamilton had Texas in position to be one of the No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament, however, they found themselves as a four seed and heading home after a loss to Arizona in the Round of 32.

Hamilton is a versatile player that can play the two guard or the SF position, and has incredible athleticism.

Due to those traits, ESPN's Chad Ford has Hamilton off the board to the Bobcats at 19 overall and provided this analysis of Hamilton,

"Landing Hamilton here would be a steal. Not only is he a terrific shooter with size, but he may be one of the two or three best scorers in the draft. Yes, his shot selection can be a little wild, but he should be a very good fit in Charlotte as it begins the rebuilding process."

Overall Grade for Ford: A

The Bobcats need to find a replacement for Gerald Wallace to begin the rebuilding process, and Hamilton can be that player.  While the Bobcats do not land a premier point guard in Ford's mock draft they add some size in Bismack Biyombo and versatility in Hamilton.

While I still do not support Biyombo in the Top Ten, Hamilton is an absolute steal at No. 19.  Hamilton is a terrific shooter and has the athleticism to be a solid NBA defender as well.  Bobcats fans should be pretty happy about this draft, as long as Biyombo reaches his potential.

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2011 NBA Mock Draft Grades for Chad Ford's Prediction of Klay Thompson to Washington Wizards at No. 18

Klay Thompson is one of the best shooters in the draft with only Jimmer Fredette ahead of him in that regard.  Thompson was the leader for a Washington State team that did not meet expectation this past year, but he should be a great role player in the NBA.

ESPN analyst Chad Ford is projecting Thompson to land with the Washington Wizards at pick No. 18,

"Nick Young is heading into free agency, and the Wizards could use another shooter in their backcourt to complement Wall. Thompson rivals Fredette as the best shooter in the draft and would be a great fit for the Wizards."

Overall Grade for Ford: B

Klay Thompson is not going to become a superstar in the NBA, but with Nick Young hitting free agency it makes a lot of sense for the Wizards to select Thompson.

Thompson will be a great role player in the NBA and should excel coming off the bench to support John Wall.

Thompson also has the size and length to be able to play at the two guard and be the spot-up shooter that Washington is missing.

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2011 NBA Mock Draft Grades Chad Ford's Prediction of Josh Selby to New York Knicks at No. 17

Josh Selby may have been the biggest underachieving freshman in college basketball last season but he has a chance to be a first-round pick based on his potential.

However, ESPN analyst Chad Ford has Selby surging all the way to the No. 17 and had this to say about the surprise pick,

"GM Donnie Walsh may have made the biggest mistake of his career when he passed on a number of terrific, young but unproven point guards in 2009 so he could draft Jordan Hill. Brandon Jennings, Ty Lawson and Jrue Holiday -- and even Darren Collison, Eric Maynor and Jeff Teague -- each appears to be on his way to a long NBA career. Don't expect the Knicks to make the same mistake again.

They've been looking long and hard at Selby for a while, thinking he'd thrive in Mike D'Antoni's system, which allows guards much more freedom than they get at Kansas. Selby has lottery talent, but a shaky résumé. It may be a risk taking him this high, but he has a very high upside."

Overall Grade for Ford: C-

Selby definitely has the talent to be successful, but he comes off as being lazy and underachieved in one year at Kansas.

Maybe he will thrive in D'Antoni's system, but selecting him at No. 17 is a huge reach for a player that really should be on the bubble of the first round.

There is solid, proven talent still on the board including Jordan Hamilton, Klay Thompson, and Marshon Brooks, which is the reason it is such a risk to select Selby this high.

Based strictly on upside Selby makes sense, however, there is no question that selecting him this high is considered a reach.

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2011 NBA Mock Draft Grades for Chad Ford's Prediction of Markieff Morris to Philadelphia 76ers at No. 16

The "other" Morris brother, Markieff Morris, is a terrific rebounder and premier post defender.  However, Markieff's stock is not as high as Marcus Morris' stock due to his offensive game.

Markieff has a solid offensive game, but he still has a lot of work to do if he wants to become an effective scorer in the NBA.

ESPN analyst Chad Ford provided this analysis on Morris landing with the 76ers,

"The Sixers really need a big man, and Morris, a Philly native, is the best one left on the board. Morris has a rep as a good defender, shot-blocker and rebounder, but he also proved at Kansas that he can step out and hit the 3. He's a bit rawer than his brother, but he's a good get at this point in the draft."

Overall Grade for Ford: A+

This is a no-brainer for the 76ers.  If Markieff Morris is still available at No. 16 there is no question that the 76ers must pull the trigger.

If Morris can improve his post-up game and continue to improve his jump shot, he could end up at the steal of the 2011 NBA Draft.