2011 NBA Draft: Top 10 Playmakers to Be Had in the Draft
Most basketball players will tell you that their dream is to play in the NBA someday. The reality is though that only the top playmakers are chosen to walk across the stage in New York City on draft night.
In this article I will rundown the top 10 prospects who will be available in this year's NBA draft.
Let me know your comments regardless of whether they are positive or negative.
Note: Some of the players listed are underclassmen, and I'm making an educated prediction that they will declare for the draft.
10. Marshon Brooks (Providence)
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Brooks is likely a second-round pick rather than a first-round selection, but that shouldn’t take away from Marshon’s ability to stuff the stat sheet.
Brooks averaged 24.6 points and seven rebounds and was similar to Jimmer Fredette in that Brooks was often the focal aspect of opposing teams’ defensive strategy.
Whether it’s crashing the glass, attacking the rim or hitting long-range jumpers, Brooks always needs to be accounted for.
The ability of Marshon Brooks to always be in the thick of the play makes him an attractive NBA prospect. As I said earlier, Brooks will probably slip into the late second round, but whoever drafts Brooks will be receiving a playmaker who is always a threat to make a play.
9. Travis Leslie (Georgia)
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Travis is similar to Derrick Williams in the fact that he can throw down ridiculous dunks in the open court.
Scouts love Leslie’s pure athleticism and think that there is a lot of potential for growth in the junior from Decatur, Georgia.
Travis’s scoring has actually slightly dipped from 14.8 points per game as a sophomore to 14.5 points as a junior, but the draft buzz surrounding Travis Leslie is heating up nevertheless.
The fast paced, one-on-one oriented NBA style of play ties well into Travis’s strengths as a player, and he could quickly become a fan favorite for whichever team that drafts him.
8. Harrison Barnes (North Carolina)
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Barnes is still growing into his game, but this prospect’s explosiveness and potential cannot be denied.
Harrison can score in multiple ways and also crashes the glass as evidenced by his 5.7 rebounds per game.
It’s unclear how long Harrison Barnes will stay in Chapel Hill, but he definitely projects to be an explosive NBA prospect. Harrison had arguably the best game of his young collegiate career yesterday against Clemson scoring 40 points and grabbing eight rebounds in North Carolina’s overtime victory.
Harrison still has room to improve, but the prospect’s raw potential and burgeoning skills land him a spot on this list as one of the top 10 playmakers in this year’s NBA draft.
7. Marcus Morris (Kansas)
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Morris is a tough matchup for opponents because while the big man is comfortable fighting for position in the paint he can also run the floor and score in transition.
Marcus is averaging 17.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per game as a junior for Kansas, and his versatility makes him a strong NBA prospect. Morris also shoots 36 percent from three-point range where he will shoot from on occasion.
Marcus’s strong transition game coupled with his punishing strength makes him not only an explosive college player, but also a valued professional prospect as well.
6. Kawhi Leonard (San Diego State)
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Kawhi flies under the radar as an NBA prospect from the Mountain West Conference, and the sophomore from Riverside, California has yet to become a household name like Jimmer Fredette.
There is no denying Kawhi’s explosive play on the court and the way he handles his business on the hardwood. Leonard uses his athleticism and a quick first step to the basket to get to the rim. Kawhi is averaging 15.4 points per game for San Diego State and is one of the driving forces behind this unlikely West Coast power.
Leonard may not come from a big-time program, but he is definitely one of the top playmakers to be had in the draft. Wherever Kawhi goes in the draft, the team that selects him will receive a prospect who can shake things up immediately.
5. Jordan Hamilton (Texas)
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At 6'7" 220 lbs, Hamilton is a wiry athlete who can either post up behind the three-point line, where he shoots 39 percent, or use his strength to drive the lane.
Jordan projects to be a solid NBA talent because of the number of different ways he can score on the court.
Hamilton makes big plays for Texas, but plays with a finesse that makes high difficulty plays look simplistic.
Regardless, there is no denying Hamilton’s place on this list based on the number of ways in which he can contribute on the court.
4. Terrence Jones (Kentucky)
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When Terrence Jones drives the ball to the rim, he is almost impossible to slow down, and it’s more than likely that the play will end with Jones finishing at the rim.
Jones mixes his raw athletic ability with a strength that makes the freshman from Portland, Oregon an extremely tough matchup.
The competition will obviously step up once Terrence makes his transition to the league, but Jones’s explosive play will be a welcome addition to whoever drafts the Kentucky Wildcat.
Jones also has all the intangibles you love in a prospect such as fearlessness and a love of competition, which drive his aggressive style of play on the court.
3. Jimmer Fredette (BYU)
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Jimmer Fredette is one of those rare players who is a threat to score from anywhere he is standing on the court, and that is what makes the guard from BYU as explosive as any prospect in the draft.
Fredette is averaging 28.5 points per game, and despite the fact that Jimmer is the focus of every team’s defensive strategy, there have been few teams that have been able to slow down this young man.
There are questions about Fredette’s NBA prospects based on the fact that he does play against lighter competition in the Mountain West Conference. Fredette’s accomplishment of scoring 30 or more points 13 times this season is an impressive feat regardless of the league he plays in.
Jimmer’s ability to constantly put up huge numbers day in and day out lands him a spot on this list as he is definitely one of the top 10 playmakers in this year’s draft class.
2. Derrick Williams (Arizona)
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Derrick Williams’s jaw-dropping dunks have already made him a YouTube sensation, and whichever team drafts Derrick will be receiving an explosive athlete.
Williams a sophomore from La Mirada, California has been the main catalyst behind Arizona’s 27 wins this season.
Derrick is at his best when he can get out in the open court and make plays which make him an especially attractive NBA prospect. Williams makes it a point to constantly hone his skills as well, as evidenced by the fact that he is shooting 60 percent from three-point range in 2011 in comparison to the 25 percent he shot from behind the arc in 2010.
Teams that are looking to draft Williams better jump to the top of the first because Derrick isn’t projected to stay on the board very long.
1. Kemba Walker (UCONN)
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To describe Kemba Walker’s game as simply electrifying would probably be an understatement.
The junior guard is averaging 23.5 points and 5.3 rebounds per game for Jim Calhoun and Connecticut.
Walker’s gaudy statistics are impressive in their own right, but Kemba’s clutch shooting and gritty competitiveness are his defining qualities.
Throughout this season alone, the point guard has buried heavyweight squads such as Texas, Villanova and Pittsburgh with heroic last-second, game-winning shots. Kemba wears his emotions on his sleeve during ballgames and this visible intensity has helped make him a household name.
I don’t foresee Kemba Walker abandoning these traits once he makes the jump to the NBA, and Walker will likely be making similar plays throughout what will hopefully be a long professional career for the young man from Brooklyn.
