NBA: 15 Rookies Who Will Make the Biggest Impact Next Season

As we (hopefully) head into the 2011-2012 NBA season, there will be a new crop of rookies looking to make an immediate impact on their new NBA teams.

 Although some are calling it one of the weaker drafts in recent memories, there are plenty of players taken in the 2011 NBA draft that will have their chance to shine in the NBA for many years to come.

15. Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bulls

Jimmy Butler has one of the best stories of any player selected in the 2011 NBA draft.

After being kicked out of his house at age 13, Butler did not play organized basketball until his senior year of high school, after which he was not heavily recruited and landed in junior college before eventually transferring to Marquette. 

Now, after being selected with the last pick of the first round by the Chicago Bulls, Butler will get a chance to show his skills on a team in need of scoring and athleticism in the 2 and 3 positions coming off the bench.  

Butler may not make any All-Rookie teams, but his defensive ability may allow him to be in the rotation on a championship caliber team.

14. Darius Morris, Los Angeles Lakers

Darius Morris could have been a lottery pick next year if he had stayed just one more season at Michigan.

With almost every player coming back next season, the Wolverines were poised to finally return to greatness with their talented point guard Darius Morris at the helm, but Morris jolted the Wolverines and entered the 2011 NBA draft.

Morris fell all the way down to 41st in the draft and may be kicking himself for not playing his junior season at Ann Arbor.

But all is not lost for Morris going into next season. Drafted by his hometown Los Angeles Lakers, Morris will get the opportunity to play with veterans Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom and use his tremendous passing skills to rack up assists. 

With Shannon Brown expected to leave town, Morris will battle for minutes with Steve Blake, who was ineffective last year for Los Angeles, and 36-year-old Derek Fisher, whose days in an NBA uniform appear to be numbered. 

Morris still has a long way to go to be an all-star caliber player, but the Lakers might be just the right fit for the former Wolverine. 

13. Alec Burks, Utah Jazz

With young talent such as Alec Burks, Enes Kanter, Gordon Heyward and Derrick Favors joining effective veterans Devin Harris, Al Jefferson and Andrei Kirilenko, the Utah Jazz seem to be in an excellent position to make a jump next season.

Burks will be given an opportunity to show what he can do after being selected 12th in the 2011 NBA draft out of Colorado. While with the Buffaloes, Burks established himself as a dominant scorer. 

Will his game translate to the NBA? I say yes. Burks possesses the quickness going to the rim that is needed to succeed and is a tremendous athlete. Although he still needs to improve his outside shooting game and defensive abilities, Burks may very well shine in Utah on the offensive end.

12. Iman Shumpert, New York Knicks

One of the most controversial picks of the 2011 NBA draft was Iman Shumpert out of Georgia Tech, who was selected 18th overall by the New York Knicks.

Fans booed mercilessly at the announcement of Shumpert by the hometown Knicks, and many experts questioned if they could have picked up Shumpert later in the draft and traded their pick.

However, Shumpert may give the New York fans a reason to eat their words next season.  While he lacks a polished offensive game, the Knicks are not in need of scoring with perennial all stars Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudemire and Chauncey Billups already on board.  Where Shumpert shines is his physical ability and defensive prowess, which will benefit the Knicks greatly next season.

Shumpert rebounds very well for his size and has excellent length. Although he many not fill out the stat sheet, Shumpert will improve the defensively challenged Knicks in the 2011-2012 season.

11. JaJuan Johnson, Boston Celtics

JaJuan Johnson will have an immediate chance to play with the Boston Celtics next season. 

Joining a team that relied heavily on aging often injured veteran big men last season, Johnson will undoubtedly bring a new sense of energy to the front court in Boston, who still has title hopes for next year.

Johnson, at 6'11", has an excellent mid-range game and open floor abilities that he used at Purdue to become one of the nation's best big men.  Now with the Celtics, Johnson has an opportunity to even possibly become a starter with questions surrounding the other big men on the roster not named Kevin Garnett. 

Although he may struggle defensively, banging down low with the bigger more skilled NBA post players, Johnson does rebound well and is an excellent shot blocker, and has the offensive game to more than make up for his defensive shortcomings. 

10. Kenneth Faried, Denver Nuggets

One of the most comparable players to Kenneth Faried currently in the NBA will be his future Denver Nuggets teammate Chris "Birdman" Andersen. 

Both Faried and Andersen are high energy, high intensity players who inject new life into the game when they check in, and together, they could prove to be a deadly combination in Denver.

Faried is undersized for an NBA power forward, but he more than makes up for it with effort and work ethic.  The leading rebounder in NCAA Division I history since 1973 (yes, you read that correctly), Faried broke the mark previously held by future NBA Hall of Famer and four-time NBA champion Tim Duncan. 

Faried figures not to demand a lot of shots, which is good news for a team that already has a ton of offensive talent, but he will be a focal point of George Karl's defense next season. 

9. Shelvin Mack, Washington Wizards

Shelvin Mack may very well be the steal of the 2011 NBA draft.

After leading the Butler Bulldogs to back to back NCAA Championship Games, Shelvin Mack declared himself eligible for the 2011 NBA Draft and was selected by the Washington Wizards with the 34th overall pick.

I'm no NBA scout, but there is simply no way that Shelvin Mack was only the 34th best player to be eligible for the draft this year, and anyone who watched him play in either of the last two NCAA tournaments would likely agree. 

Mack has three skills that are needed for an NBA all star caliber guard: above average shooting ability, toughness and the clutch gene. 

At Butler, Mack showed all three of these skills time and time again, and there is no reason to believe he will not posses them on the next level.

Although Mack may be undersized and it remains unclear whether he will be more effective as a true point or combo guard in the NBA, Mack will undoubtedly form an excellent guard combination in Washington next season with last year's number one overall pick, John Wall. 

8. Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors

Klay Thompson will have no problem fitting in with the Golden State Warriors' high powered offensive team next season.

At Washington State, Thompson established himself as one of the most effective scorers in the country, averaging 21.5 PPG for the Cougars.

Thompson is the complete package of any ideal shooter at the NBA level. Thompson has tremendous range, square up ability, can create off the dribble and moves well off the ball. I would compare him to Pistons shooting guard Rip Hamilton.

Although questions remain about his character and athleticism, with Monta Ellis expected to be on his way out, Thompson should see plenty of minutes under new head coach Mark Jackson and could prove to be a great sidekick to Stephen Curry in Oakland next season.

7. Chris Singelton, Washington Wizards

Lost in the shuffle of mid major underdogs like VCU and Butler, Florida State's 2011 NCAA Tournament run to the sweet 16 was one of the more improbable of the entire tournament. Their upsets over win over Texas A&M and Notre Dame can be largely accredited to their superstar Chris Singleton.

Singleton, a 6'9" forward, has unbelievable athletic ability and is one of the best lockdown defenders to come out of the draft this year. At his size, he can guard multiple positions on the court and can be explosive in transition. Don't be surprised if you see more than a couple Chris Singleton highlight dunks next year.

Although he'll need to battle with minutes from veterans such as Rashard Lewis and Josh Howard on the Wizards roster, something tells me Flip Saunders will find minutes for a guy that plays with the energy of Chris Singelton.

6. Enes Kanter, Utah Jazz

Enes Kanter is one of the biggest mysteries coming out of this most recent NBA draft. 

Since he never played a game for Kentucky, fans everywhere are anxious to see just what all the hype is about from the No. 3 overall selection in the 2011 NBA draft.

Kanter's build, 6'10", 255, allows him to be able to bang in the low post, and scouts say he has an excellent game around the basket.  His feel for the game, ability to run the floor and rebounding ability are also pointed out to be Kanter's biggest strengths  on the court.

Will he be the next Pau Gasol? Or maybe the next Dark Milicic?  Those questions will remain a mystery for now, but for Utah, the potential of this Turkish big man was just too much to pass up.

5. Jan Vesely, Washington Wizards.

Beginning to notice a clear winner here yet?

The Washington Wizards' third and final player to appear on this list is Jan Vesely from the Czech Republic, selected sixth overall in the 2011 NBA Draft.

Vesely has an outstanding shooting touch, and at 6'11", runs the floor very well for a big man. Although they have an excess amount of forwards, Vesley has an excellent chance to be a key player on an improving Washington team. 

Big men from overseas that can shoot are not uncommon, but what makes Vesely stand out is his oustanding leaping ability and ability to run the floor effectively.  Vesely is not afraid to try and dunk over his opponents.

The Wizards might not be sure exactly what kind of talent they have yet with Vesely, but if he ever taps into his potential, the Wizards could strike gold. 

4. Derrick Williams, Minnesota Timberwolves

Derrick Williams established himself as a can't miss talent during the 2011 NCAA Tournament.

Williams led his Arizona squad to the Elite Eight and entertained fans with his tremendous dunks, shot blocks and overall dominating performances along the way.

But how will Williams game transfer over to the NBA? Questions remain about Williams in the NBA after being selected second overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves.   Is he a 3 or a 4? Will he get enough playing time to find out with Wesley Johnson, Kevin Love and Michael Beasley all playing in similar roles?

Even if Williams may not have a position yet, he is a huge matchup problem for his opponents.  Bigger slower defenders will learn quickly that Williams has tremendous ability to get himself to the rim and will go right around them and even take them out to the three-point line. Smaller defenders will see Williams' ever improving post game.

Williams will have to fight for minutes with Love, Johnson and Beasley (all former top four picks themselves), but there is no doubt his overall skill package will have an impact on the next level.

3. Jimmer Fredette, Sacremento Kings

Call me a homer, but I always have believed that the Jimmer has all the skills necessary to become an NBA All-Star.

For anyone who has lived under a rock over the last year, Fredette led the NCAA in scoring last season and captured every major award in college basketball his senior season while at BYU.

Out of all the players in this year's NBA Draft, experts were most divided on their assessment of Fredette. Some, think his remarkable shooting range and ability to create his own shot as well as distribute will put Fredette into the ranks of one of the best point guards in the league in time.

Others believe Fredette's game will not translate to the NBA level because of his lack of athleticism, below average defensive skills and shooting guard's mentality in a point guard's body.

Whatever he will be, he'll do it for the Sacramento Kings, who selected him 12th overall, far away from his home in Glens Falls, New York.

With Tyreke Evans already established, it will be interesting to see how these two player counteract, and the question must be asked: Where will the shots come from to satisfy Fredette, Evans, DeMarcus Cousins and Marcus Thornton?

Nevertheless, Fredette certainly has captured the eye of American sports fans, and everyone is anxiously awaiting his arrival on an NBA court. 

2. Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers

With being selected first overall in the draft, there are certain expectations that follow you throughout your career to be a dominant player. Kyrie Irving has the potential to meet and even exceed all of these expectations.

After the Cleveland Cavaliers won the NBA Draft Lottery, there was little doubt about who they would select, as Irving seemed to many as the clear cut No. 1 overall pick. 

Irving made his impact in his freshman year despite playing only 11 games for the Duke Blue Devils during the 2010-2011 season.  Irving possess lightning quickness, uncanny passing and scoring ability and has the absolute complete package for an NBA Point Guard.

While Irving still has to prove himself if he wishes to be talked about with the elite point guards of the game such as Chris Paul, Derron Williams and Rajon Rondo, Irving could very well be playing at their level very soon.

1. Kemba Walker, Charlotte Bobcats

When it comes to making an impact, few have done it better then Kemba Walker.

After willing his team to the Big East Championship, Walker did the even more unthinkable, taking them all the way through the field and taking home the National Championship for the UCONN Huskies in his junior season.

Now Walker will look to take his heroics to the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats, who selected him ninth overall in the 2011 NBA Draft.

Walker has all of the tools of a successful NBA player. Intangibles like his lightning quick ball handling skills, great defensive mindset, ability to create off the dribble, finishing through contact and his improving outside shooting abilities, as well as his leadership skills and proven championship credentials.

With all that being said, it's hard to imagine that Walker will be able to take the Bobcats very far with their current roster, which leaves a lot to be desired. However, Walker is potentially a guy that the franchise can build around, and in five years, people will be talking about Kemba Walker being the best player drafted in 2011.