2011 NBA Mock Draft: Complete Projections for the First and Second Round
With college basketball's tournament heating up and the NBA's regular season drawing to a close, now is a great time to take a look at how the 2011 NBA Draft might play out.
You've been seeing a ton of draft projections for individual players and teams lately, but this one will tell you who each and every team might select in both the first and second rounds of the draft.
Some picks may surprise you and you may not have even heard of a few players that I've projected here, but don't let that convince you that these young men can't succeed at the next level.
Read on and as always, leave comments below!
1. Cleveland Cavaliers: Kyrie Irving
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Kyrie Irving showed a complete skill set during his brief tenure as the Duke Blue Devils' starting point guard, before a toe injury derailed his freshman season.
He was able to return for March Madness and led his team in scoring during Duke's first game, so any questions about a lingering injury are over. Now we just have to see if he declares early for the draft.
2. Minnesota Timberwolves: Derrick Williams
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The sophomore forward from Arizona was the nation's most efficient scorer, shooting well over 60 percent from the field over the course of the season.
Derrick Williams then took the nation by storm in the first few rounds of the NCAA tournament as he seemed to be in on each and every big play at the end of games.
3. Washington Wizards: Harrison Barnes
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Nominated to the preseason All-American team, Harrison Barnes failed to live up to the hype at the beginning of his freshman season, but he's turned on the afterburners as the season has progressed.
Riding a dominant ACC tournament performance, the talented freshman took his Tar Heels all the way to the Elite Eight before falling to Kentucky. The man can simply score and will be able to do so at the next level as well.
4. Toronto Raptors: Perry Jones
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Before he was suspended, Baylor's talented freshman was enjoying a fairly productive season during which he showed off his ridiculous athleticism time and time again.
Perry Jones may have averaged only 13.9 points and 7.2 rebounds per game this year, but he showed that he has the raw talent to play at a high level in the NBA.
5. Sacramento Kings: Enes Kanter
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Enes Kanter was declared permanently ineligible before ever donning the blue and white jerseys of the University of Kentucky, but don't let that take away from his greatness.
Despite his fragility, Kanter is the best big man in the draft. He's 6'11", strong for his size and possesses marvelous skills all over the court.
6. Utah Jazz: Donatas Montiejunas
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The seven-footer from Lithuania has boatloads of potential and he knows it. As soon as he lets his mental game catch up with his physical skills, Donatas Motiejunas has the ability to dominate no matter where he plays.
This young man could definitely become the next Andrea Bargnani or Dirk Nowitzki. The Jazz—assuming they pick him, of course—would likely let him play in the D-League some and hope he morphs into the latter.
7. Detroit Pistons: Jan Vesely
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Hailing from the Czech Republic, Jan Vesely is a 6'11" small forward. Obviously, size is one of the many things he brings to the table.
He's also not one of those lanky, uncoordinated big men. Instead, Vesely has an incredible amount of athleticism.
8. Cleveland Cavaliers: Marcus Morris
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The more talented of the two siblings on the Kansas Jayhawks squad, Marcus Morris is a 6'9" forward who can seemingly beat up on anyone in the low post.
He scored 17.2 points and grabbed 7.6 rebounds per game this past season and carried his team to quite a few wins. There is no doubt in my mind that Morris will be successful in the NBA.
9. Milwaukee Bucks: Terrence Jones
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There is no stopping Terrence Jones when he drives to the left. People realize that, but they still can't stop him. As soon as he learns some other moves, he'll be scary good.
As a freshman for the Kentucky Wildcats this year, Jones averaged 15.8 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. Those numbers could still climb as he has the Wildcats fighting for the NCAA championship.
10. Charlotte Bobcats: Jimmer Fredette
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What is there left to say about Jimmer Fredette?
Some people think that the BYU superstar will make it in the NBA. Others think that he'll be the next Adam Morrison.
I tend to agree that he'll be able to score proficiently at the next level.
11. Golden State Warriors: Kawhi Leonard
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The do-everything forward for the upstart San Diego State Aztecs managed to lead his team in both points and rebounds this season, with 15.5 and 10.6, respectively.
Kawhi Leonard might play passively at times, but when he gets his head in the game, he's a force to be reckoned with.
12. Utah Jazz: Brandon Knight
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The talented freshman point guard for the Kentucky Wildcats may not be as good as John Wall, but a couple more games like his 30-point outburst could keep Brandon Knight moving up the draft boards.
I wasn't terribly impressed with Knight at the beginning of the season, but his court vision and confidence have improved remarkably as the year has progressed. He's the real deal.
13. Phoenix Suns: Kemba Walker
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Kemba Walker has become so famous now that he might as well pull a Jimmer and drop his last name altogether.
Walker has been the most dominant player in college basketball over the last month as he carried the Connecticut Huskies to an unprecedented five straight wins in the Big East conference tournament and has the team still alive at the Big Dance.
14. Houston Rockets: Jonas Valanciunas
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The 18-year-old center is nowhere near ready to play in the NBA, but the Rockets would love to add Jonas Valanciunas' skills to their farm system and let him develop for a little while.
He's already 6'11" and doesn't appear to be done growing. Despite his size, Valanciunas still looks very fluid out on the court and has a ton of untapped potential.
No international pick is ever safe, but this young man should make it in the NBA one day.
15. Indiana Pacers: Markieff Morris
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The "worse" of the two Morris twins, Markieff is still an incredibly talented player who should be able to be quite successful at the professional level.
He also averaged a near double-double during the year, putting up 13.6 points and grabbing 8.3 rebounds per game. Similar stats will follow him to the NBA.
16. New York Knicks: Tristan Thompson
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Averaging 13.1 points and 7.8 rebounds per game to go along with his 2.4 blocks per contest, this freshman was a stud down low for the Texas Longhorns.
It wasn't enough to get past Derrick Williams and the Arizona Wildcats in the end, but Tristan Thompson still helped the Longhorns immensely. Pairing him with the defensively challenged Amar'e Stoudemire would be incredible.
17. Philadelphia 76ers: Trey Thompkins
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The best player on the Georgia Bulldogs during the 2010-2011 college basketball season, Trey Thompkins could do it all.
He can shoot threes, pull down rebounds, pull off incredible post moves and pass the ball proficiently. My only two knocks on Thompkins are that he seems unmotivated and disinterested at times and he isn't the most athletic player in the world.
18. Minnesota Timberwolves: Alec Burks
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The country missed out when Colorado was snubbed by the selection committee because no one really had a chance to see Alec Burks ply his trade.
The sophomore guard for the Buffaloes scored 20.5 points and pulled down 6.5 rebounds per game and stands 6'6". He's got a lot going for him.
19. Washington Wizards: Tyler Honeycutt
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Besides possessing a pretty sweet name (see what I did there?), Tyler Honeycutt has copious talent.
The UCLA forward was proficient at putting the basketball in the hoop, scoring 12.8 points per game, and pulling it down off the glass after a missed shot, with 7.2 rebounds per game.
20. New Orleans Hornets: Thomas Robinson
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Overcoming tragedy after tragedy, Thomas Robinson still put together a good season for the Kansas Jayhawks.
The third player from that squad to appear thus far, Robinson may not have put up huge numbers, but he came through when it counted and showed NBA scouts that he has quite a bit of talent.
21. Portland Trailblazers: Chris Singleton
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In my opinion, Chris Singleton was the best defensive player in college basketball this year.
In a league where defense isn't usually the first thing people think of, Singleton will still be able to succeed because he could do many other things for the Florida State Seminoles.
22. Denver Nuggets: Tobias Harris
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The Tennessee freshman named Tobias Harris averaged 15.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game from the power forward spot.
He's not afraid to step up in the big moments and his game is sound across the board. It also only got better as the season went on.
23. Phoenix Suns: Kenneth Faried
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Kenneth Faried is a double-double machine.
Oh, and he's kind of decent at rebounding. He recently passed Tim Duncan to become the all-time leader in college basketball history in that stat.
It will carry over to the pros.
24. Oklahoma City Thunder: Nolan Smith
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In my opinion, Nolan Smith was the single best player in college basketball as soon as Kyrie Irving was hurt and Smith had to play on the ball.
His ridiculous crossover simply couldn't be stopped and he reminded me a lot of a slightly smaller Kobe Bryant who could pass better.
Yes, that's a pretty ringing endorsement.
25. Chicago Bulls: Jordan Williams
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During his sophomore season, the 6'10" forward for the Maryland Terrapins averaged 16.9 points and 11.8 rebounds per game.
If you look through the box scores for his games, it's pretty rare that you find one where Williams didn't have a double-double. He's big and skilled and that usually means he'll be successful.
26. Boston Celtics: Shelvin Mack
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During Butler's magical run back to the Final Four, Shelvin Mack was absolutely unstoppable. Truthfully, he's been better at scoring than any player not named Kemba Walker since the tournament started.
His 30-point game against Pittsburgh was simply magical and he couldn't be contained at all by any of the Pittsburgh defenders. Mack is one of the elite guards in this draft.
27. Dallas Mavericks: JaJuan Johnson
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The tall, lanky forward stands 6'10" but can still play outside just as well as he can play inside.
JaJuan Johnson was named an All-American this year, and deservedly so, as he put up 20.5 points and 8.6 rebounds per game.
He's an absolute matchup nightmare for any player.
28. New Jersey Nets: Jon Leuer
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Another big man who can shoot from outside, Jon Leuer averaged 18.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per game during his senior season.
Whenever Wisconsin needed someone to step up and make a big shot, it seemed as though it was always Leuer or Jordan Taylor who did so.
At 6'10", he'll be deadly in the NBA too.
29. Chicago Bulls: Jeremy Taylor
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Jeremy Taylor was bored with high school basketball and chose to forgo his collegiate career and play abroad in Europe.
Now, he'll attempt to return to the United States and have as big an impact as another man who made the same decision: Brandon Jennings.
I don't think there are any 55-point games in Taylor's near future, but he's still very talented and the Bulls could take a chance on him.
30. San Antonio Spurs: Kyle Singler
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Too talented to drop out of the first round, Kyle Singler possess a very unusual skill set because there is literally nothing that he can't do on the basketball court.
Touted as one of the best collegiate players in the nation going into the season, Singler had the spotlight stolen away from him by Nolan Smith and Kyrie Irving, but he still averaged 16.9 points and 6.8 rebounds per contest.
31. Cleveland Cavaliers: Darius Morris
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A very talented sophomore guard for the Michigan Wolverines, Darius Morris almost managed to engineer an upset of No. 1 Duke in the NCAA tournament, but couldn't do enough, as he and his teammates fell by two points when the final buzzer sounded.
Morris is still an incredible talent and averaged 15.0 points, 6.7 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game during his 2010-2011 campaign.
32. Miami Heat: Norris Cole
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Probably the best player in the country that no one has heard of, Norris Cole is a ridiculous scorer. He just knows how to make the ball find the bottom of the net.
Cole, a guard for Cleveland State, averaged 21.7 points, 5.3 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game during his senior season.
He'll be a steal for whoever gets him.
33. Washington Wizards: Josh Selby
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The impressive freshman for the Kansas Jayhawks opened his season with a bang by scoring 21 points in his first game against USC, delivering in the clutch by hitting the game-winning shot.
Clearly, the spotlight doesn't faze Josh Selby.
The shooting guard couldn't keep that pace up, though, and slipped a bit, averaging just 7.9 points per game this past season.
34. Detroit Pistons: Malcolm Lee
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The second UCLA Bruin to appear in this mock draft, Malcolm Lee averaged 13.1 points per game from the guard spot for this underachieving squad.
At 6'5", he's pretty big for a guard, and that will help to ease the transition to the NBA.
35. Sacramento Kings: Justin Harper
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The world was introduced to Justin Harper when the Richmond Spiders inspired a bit of arachnophobia in their first few opponents in the NCAA tournament.
There really isn't much that this versatile forward can't do on the court. He averaged 17.9 points and 6.9 rebounds and made a ton of people fear spiders at least a little bit more.
36. New Jersey Nets: Rick Jackson
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Even though his name sounds like it should belong to a politician, Rick Jackson had a very successful senior season as a forward for the Syracuse Orange.
He averaged 13.1 points, 2.2 assists and 10.3 rebounds per game.
37. Los Angeles Clippers: Chandler Parsons
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The definition of a matchup nightmare, Chandler Parsons was the SEC Player of the Year and for good reason.
He's a threat on the offensive glass, he can handle the ball like a guard, he can drain three-pointers, he is a great leader, he looks like he never combs his hair and he stands 6'10".
38. Houston Rockets: Nikola Mirotic
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Hailing from Montenegro and currently playing for Real Madrid (the basketball team, not the soccer team), Nikola Mirotic has a great skill set for a 6'10" forward and can shoot a jump shot as well as anyone in this draft.
No, I'm not exaggerating at all. He may have the best jump shot of anyone available not named Jimmer Fredette.
39. Milwaukee Bucks: LaceDarius Dunn
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During his senior season at guard for the Baylor Bears, LaceDarius Dunn impressed a whole bunch of NBA scouts.
He averaged a ridiculous 19.5 points per game and still found time to put up 2.1 assists and 3.6 rebounds per contest.
A 43-point explosion against Morgan State tells you just how great a scorer Dunn can be when it's all said and done.
40. Philadelphia 76ers: Marshon Brooks
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Another great player on a not-so-great team, Marshon Brooks simply knows how to score. He also plays shooting guard and would be a very viable backup until he fully develops to adjust to the NBA level.
Brooks is the nation's second-leading scorer, behind only Jimmer Fredette. To go along with his 24.6 points per game, he also averaged 2.5 assists, 7.0 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 1.5 steals.
There are really no weaknesses in his game. Just like with Kenneth Faried, if he played for a school like Duke, he'd be one of the top overall picks in the draft.
41. Los Angeles Lakers: Keith Benson
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Another player that deserved significantly more credit than he got during the 2010-2011 season was Oakland's Keith Benson.
The senior center averaged a double-double with 17.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per game and was named to the Second-Team All-American squad despite playing for the unheralded Golden Grizzlies.
42. Golden State Warriors: Greg Smith
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Another center, Greg Smith played for Fresno State and just finished up his sophomore season.
During that campaign, he averaged 11.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. He may not have the greatest stats in the nation, but the potential is undoubtedly there.
43. Chicago Bulls: Gary Flowers
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Playing for the Southern Miss Golden Eagles, Gary Flowers really blossomed during his senior season when he averaged 18.8 points and 7.7 rebounds per game.
Sorry for the pun, but it was too good to pass up. Similarly, Flowers is too good to pass up at this point in the draft.
44. Los Angeles Clippers: Ravern Johnson
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A 6'7" guard for Mississippi State, Ravern Johnson overcame both difficult opponents and a suspension for tweeting to post 17.6 points per game during his senior season.
He doesn't do much else (0.8 assists per game is ridiculously low for a guard), but he can definitely score.
45. Indiana Pacers: David Lighty
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David Lighty definitely wishes he was still playing college basketball, but at least he'll be able to move on to the next level now that his senior season is over.
Lighty, a swingman for the Ohio State Buckeyes, may not put up great stats, but he's a typical glue guy that will be invaluable on an NBA roster.
46. Los Angeles Lakers: Demetri McCamey
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The senior guard for Illinois is going to have to move on to the professional level next season after a very productive collegiate career.
During his final year for the Fighting Illini, McCamey averaged 14.6 points, 6.1 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game.
47. Charlotte Bobcats: Scotty Hopson
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Will the magical powers of the flattop carry over to the next level? Only time will tell!
Playing for the Tennessee Volunteers, Scotty Hopson proved that he was a talented scorer by putting up 17 points per game as a junior. When he gets rolling, he can keep up with anyone in the country.
48. Memphis Grizzlies: E'twaun Moore
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Besides possessing the coolest first name in the field, E'twaun Moore also has a fantastic nose for scoring and managing a basketball game.
In the final season of his four-year career as a Purdue Boilermaker, Moore averaged 18.0 points, 3.2 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game.
Sometimes he just blew away everyone on the court. For example, he put up 38 points in an upset win against Ohio State in which every single shot seemed to fall.
49. Atlanta Hawks: Justin Brownlee
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So who is the most athletic forward left in the draft?
Looking...looking...looking...Justin Brownlee from St. John's! Well then, that has to be who the Atlanta Hawks will select.
Sorry, but I can't help but be cynical about Atlanta's incompetence in the NBA draft. Not to say that Brownlee isn't a great player, because he is. It's just that the Hawks don't really need another forward.
50. New Orleans Hornets: Jamine Peterson
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To be honest, I'd never even heard of Jamine Peterson before I started researching for this mock draft. But I really should have.
He plays forward for the Providence Friars and put up some of the best numbers in the country. During his redshirt sophomore season, the 6'6" Brooklyn native averaged 19.6 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.
51. Detroit Pistons: Austin Freeman
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It's a shame to see the collegiate career of four-year Georgetown Hoya Austin Freeman draw to a close with a difficult blowout loss to VCU in his opening game of the 2011 NCAA tournament, but so it goes.
Freeman did enjoy a very productive senior season though. The guard averaged 17.6 points, 2.4 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game.
52. Portland Trailblazers: Bojan Bogdanovic
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The Croatian-born shooting guard currently plays for Cibona Zagreb, but he should be making the difficult transition to the world's premiere basketball league for this upcoming season.
Bojan Bogdanovic is 6'7" and can create his own shot well enough to lead the Adriatic League in scoring with 22 points per game.
53. Orlando Magic: Nikola Vucevic
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As a junior forward for the USC Trojans, Nikola Vucevic was an absolute beast in the paint.
He simply couldn't be stopped at times and managed to average an astounding 17.1 points and 10.3 rebounds per game during this past season.
54. Cleveland Cavaliers: Chris Wright
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Until a broken hand derailed both his season and the season of the Georgetown Hoyas, Chris Wright was proving to be one of the best guards in the country.
The senior guard may not be a great scorer—he only averaged 12.9 points during this season, 2.3 less than last year—but he can do just about everything else. Wright dished out 5.3 assists per game, for example, and also played tough, Big East-style defense on every possession.
He'll be an asset in the NBA.
55. Los Angeles Lakers: Jacob Pullen
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29 new teams are going to have to learn to fear the beard after Jacob Pullen is drafted.
Kansas State's unquestioned star and leader averaged 20.2 points, 3.7 assists and 2.9 rebounds during his senior season. No game showed his talents more than his final one.
In a five-point loss to Wisconsin in the third round of the NCAA tournament, Pullen scored a ridiculous 38 points and single-handedly kept the Wildcats in the contest.
56. Boston Celtics: Robin Benzing
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The 6'10" small forward from Germany is anything but small when he steps onto the basketball court.
Playing for Ratiopharm Ulm, Robin Benzing has a shooter's mentality and an offensive arsenal to boot. He needs to improve his defense and get stronger before he'll be successful in the NBA though.
57. Dallas Mavericks: Talor Battle
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Another of the nation's fairly obscure scoring leaders, Talor Battle led the Penn State Nittany Lions to the NCAA tournament with his 20.2 points per game.
Battle, a senior guard, also dished out 2.9 assists and pulled down 4.4 boards per contest. He was remarkably consistent throughout the season and never appeared to let the spotlight or a big moment get in his head.
58. Los Angeles Lakers: Chaisson Allen
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The best Northeastern Husky in recent memory improved drastically over the course of his collegiate career.
The 6'4" guard named Chaisson Allen is this player and he enjoyed by far his best season during his senior year. Allen averaged 16.7 points, 3.7 assists and 6.1 rebounds per game.
59. Sacramento Kings: Jamie Skeen
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If it wasn't for VCU's magical run to the Final Four, there is no way that Jamie Skeen would be drafted in the 2011 NBA Draft.
But now that the nation has been exposed to the versatile senior forward, there is no way that he can be overlooked. Skeen averaged 15.4 points and 7.4 rebounds per contest this season and has been even better during the Big Dance.
60. San Antonio Spurs: Brad Wanamaker
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Last but not least comes Pittsburgh star Brad Wanamaker.
I wanted to make him go higher in the draft, but I couldn't justify it in my head. After all, he's good at everything but lacks an elite skill.
That was fairly apparent in his 2010-2011 line of 11.7 points, 5.1 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game.
