NBA Mock Draft 2011: Will Kyrie Irving or Derrick Williams Go First?
The NBA is preparing for one of the weakest drafts in years. There are so many players that are high risk, and very few players that possess any real star power.
Nonetheless, this makes the 2011 draft one of the hardest ever to predict. Other than the first two picks, there is no certainty.
This is one writer's opinion of how the draft will play out.
30. Chicago Bulls: Mason Plumlee (Duke)
1 of 30
Position: Power Forward
Height/Weight: 6’10" / 230
The Chicago Bulls play solid interior defense and are one of the best teams in the league at controlling the boards. Most of this success is due to their strong frontline of Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer.
Other than Taj Gibson, the Bulls don’t have another real post threat off the bench. Kurt Thomas is past his prime, and it is time to go younger.
Mason Plumlee gives them a good energy guy off the bench. He plays smart defense and is one of the best rebounders available.
29. San Antonio Spurs: Lucas Nogueria
2 of 30Position: Center
Height/Weight: 6’11” / 218
The 18-year-old out of Brazil, Lucas Nogueira, is an untapped talent. He is a vicious shot blocker and a relentless rebounder.
Along with being foreign, he sounds like a true San Antonio Spurs player. Nogueira and Antonio McDyess would give the Spurs the best backup big men in the NBA.
He will fit in and solidify their bench.
28. Chicago Bulls: Jeremy Lamb (UConn)
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Position: Shooting Guard
Height/Weight: 6’5” / 185
The Bulls most obvious need is a shooting guard who can score big. Currently, all of the offensive output from the backcourt is coming from point guard Derrick Rose.
Jeremy Lamb gives the Bulls great outside shooting and unparallel athleticism.
He also fit’s the reputation of the Bulls, because he is an exceptional defender.
27. New Jersey Nets: Khris Middleton (Texas A&M)
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Position: Small Forward
Height/Weight: 6’7” / 215
With a core of Deron Williams and Brook Lopez, the Nets have something to work with now. The only thing missing is a solid wing player.
Khris Middleton is exactly that.
Middleton is an excellent shooter and a smart player. He is a very similar player to Jared Dudley of the Phoenix Suns in that he does not beat you with athleticism.
26. Dallas Mavericks: JaJuan Johnson (Purdue)
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Position: Power Forward
Height/Weight: 6’10” / 221
The Dallas Mavericks lack a true inside offensive presence. Dirk Nowitzki spend most of his time outside the paint, and Tyson Chandler can only score off dunks.
JaJuan Johnson gives the Mavs a versatile big man that can score. Last season, at Purdue, Johnson averaged 20.5 points per game and shot 49.4 percent from the field.
25. Boston Celtics: Nolan Smith (Duke)
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Position: Point Guard
Height/Weight: 6’2” / 185
Other than Rajon Rondo, the Celtics do not have a player than can run their offense for an extended period of time. With Nolan Smith, the Celtics would have a very solid backup to Rondo.
Smith doesn’t have any glaring weaknesses. He plays hard defense, has a good shot and is good at creating shots for others.
He will probably be a better option than anyone they will find on the free-agent market. Draft Nolan, he will give you consistency.
24. Oklahoma City Thunder: Kyle Singler (Duke)
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Position: Small Forward
Height/Weight: 6’8” / 230
Now that the Thunder have addressed their inside presence problem, it is time to address the issue of three-point shooting.
Daquan Cook is the only player in the Thunder’s usual rotation that shoots over 40 percent from beyond the arch.
I say draft Singler and sit in the corner and wait for open shots. Singler has a pure shot and is someone teams will be forced to keep an eye on. This should open up a lot of shots for Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.
23. Houston Rockets: Trey Tompkins (Georgia)
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Position: Power Forward
Height/Weight: 6’10” / 245
Trey Tompkins is a gifted inside scorer with an underrated jump shot, but that’s not why the Rockets need him
The Rockets need Tompkins because of this size and his rebounding ability.
With a big build, Tompkins would get instant playing time on the undersized Rockets.
22. Denver Nuggets: Tyler Honeycutt (UCLA)
9 of 30
Position: Small Forward
Height/Weight: 6’8" / 188
The new look Denver Nuggets are loaded when is comes to big men and are more than secure at the point guard spot.
Swingman J.R. Smith is expected to become a free agent, so the Nuggets will need a replacement.
Tyler Honeycutt should be able to provide a similar spark to the one brought be Smith. Like Smith, he is a good athlete who can score off the drive and by spotting up from three.
21. Portland Trail Blazers: Patric Young (Florida)
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Position: Center
Height/Weight: 6’9” / 245
Marcus Camby is getting old, and the Trail Blazers are in desperate need of depth in the post.
Patric Young may very well be the second coming of Marcus Camby. He is an excellent defensive presence and can dominate the boards.
The knock on Young is that he has not had much experience. Last season at Florida, he only played 37 games and just 17 minutes per game. He will be a project in the NBA.
20. Minnesota Timberwolves: Tobias Harris (Tennessee)
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Position: Small Forward
Height/Weight: 6’8”/ 226
The difference between Tobias Harris and the Timberwolves current small forwards, Wesley Johnson and Martell Webster, is his consistency.
Harris is a very hard-working player that can do anything for his team. I feel that Harris is one of the safer picks in the draft.
A team with busts like Corey Brewer and Michael Beasley might consider taking a safer pick in 2011.
20. Charlotte Bobcats: Reggie Jackson (Boston College)
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Position: Point Guard
Height/Weight: 6’3” / 208
Reggie Jackson is the biggest sleeper in this entire draft. I feel he is the first guy featured on this list with superstar ability.
Jackson is a great athlete that sees the floor well at the point guard position. He shot 42 percent from three last season with Boston College and improved each season he was there.
Jackson gives Michael Jordan a point guard to build his team around if D.J. Augustin doesn’t pan out.
18. Washington Wizards: Nikola Mirotic (Serbia)
13 of 30Position: Small Forward
Height/Weight: 6’10” / 226
With John Wall, Nick Young, Andre Blatche and JaVale McGee, the Wizards have four solid young players to build with. The main piece of the puzzle they are missing is a versatile small forward.
Take a chance with Nikola Mirotic.
Mirotic is one of the best pure shooters in the draft but is a raw talent in most other areas.
If the Wizards can teach him to play tougher, Mirotic could be a stud.
17. New York Knicks: Markieff Morris (Kansas)
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Position: Center
Height/Weight: 6’10” / 245
I can not emphasize enough how much the Knicks need another big man to play with Amare Stoudemire.
Markieff Morris is perfect because he is defensive minded and plays with a lot of toughness. In other words, he does the things that Amare does not.
I think Morris this high would be a godsend for the Knicks. I see them as a title contender if Morris can contribute right away.
16. Philadelphia 76ers: Kawhi Leonard (San Diego State)
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Position: Small Forward
Height/Weight: 6’7” / 225
Kawhi Leonard is a tweener. He played more of an inside game in college but will be forced to be a small forward in the NBA.
Leonard is a project player. He has a strong motor, great leaping ability and his upside his huge.
The 76ers are a perfect fit because they already have a lot of players who can score big offensively. They give Leonard an opportunity to contribute defensively and on the boards until he can develop an NBA-quality offensive game.
15. Indiana Pacers: Jimmer Fredette (BYU)
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Position: Point Guard
Height/Weight: 6’2” / 195
Jimmer is a legend at the college level, but his game might have some trouble translating to the next level.
If he is around this late, the Pacers are almost obligated to draft him. Even though he is listed as a point guard, Jimmer might be better suited at shooting guard.
With some much uncertainty at that position for Indiana, they might as well take a chance on the great Jimmer.
14. Houston Rockets: Marcus Morris (Kansas)
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Position: Power Forward
Height/Weight: 6’9” / 235
Like I mentioned earlier, the Rockets need size.
Marcus Morris is just that. He can rebound, play defense and is one of the better scoring power forwards available.
The Rockets should just stock up on young bigs and see which ones can break out.
13. Phoenix Suns: Kenneth Faired (Morehead State)
18 of 30
Position: Power Forward
Height/Weight: 6’8” / 225
Ever since Steve Nash era began in Phoenix, the Suns have struggled from a lack of toughness and consistency while rebound.
So why not draft the best rebounder in the draft?
Faried averaged a staggering 14.5 boards last season and is one of the hardest working basketball players around.
He reminds me of a more talented Lou Amundsen (former Sun). I could see Faried becoming a fan-favorite and a possible starter in the valley.
12. Utah Jazz: Jordan Hamilton (Texas)
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Position: Small Forward
Height/Weight: 6’7” / 220
The latter of two early draft picks for Utah, I see them going for a big-time scorer here.
There is no player in the draft that has that mentality more than Jordan Hamilton. He wants to take every shot and has the ability to do anything on the court.
He has been dubbed a selfish player, but he will need to shake that if he wants to have success in this league.
11. Golden State Warriors: Terrence Jones (Kentucky)
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Position: Power Forward
Height/Weight: 6’8” / 244
The Warriors like to run the floor and score a lot of points. A player like Terrence Jones is their prototypical power forward.
He is a tweener at the forward positions and possesses a great combination of size and speed.
Sometimes he gets trigger happy from deep, and his biggest knock is that he is inconsistent.
Sounds like a Warrior player to me.
10. Milwaukee Bucks: Alec Burks (Colorado)
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Position: Shooting Guard
Height/Weight: 6’6” / 195
Brandon Jennings needs a sidekick in his backcourt. Alec Burks gives the Bucks just that at the shooting guard position.
He was a dominant scorer in college and played very similar the Thunder’s James Harden. Like Harden coming out of college, he does not have a big time jump shot and gets most of his points off the drive.
9. Charlotte Bobcats: Bismack Biyombo (Congo)
22 of 30Position: Power Forward
Height/Weight: 6’9” / 243
The Charlotte Bobcats might have the most hopeless roster in the NBA right now; it is time to make a drastic move.
Take a chance on Bismack Biyombo. He is an unbelievably athletic and talented big man, with raw talent.
The Bobcats are not going to be a contender anytime soon, so why not try to find a new young superstar to build a team around?
8. Cleveland Cavaliers: Kemba Walker (UConn)
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Position: Point Guard
Height/Weight: 6’1” / 172
The Cavs absolutely need a superstar to rally behind. After LeBron left fans heartbroken, they have been searching ever since. The 2011 NBA draft could be their chance to find this star.
When I watch Kemba Walker play, I think Allen Iverson. He is one of the toughest guys you will ever meet, plays with heart and seems to score at will.
I feel Kemba has the biggest potential in this draft to be a dominant superstar. However, he also has a chance to be a complete bust.
7. Detroit Pistons: Jonas Valanciunas (Lithuania)
24 of 30Position: Center
Height/Weight: 6’10” / 230
The Pistons have a roster that is almost as hopeless as the Bobcats. It is time to move past the days when Tayshaun Prince and Ben Wallace led the team. It is now time to let Rodney Stuckey take over.
Other than Greg Monroe, he doesn’t have much young talent to work with.
Valanciunas is a great scorer inside that can dominate a game. He will need to improve his strength but appears he could be capable to contribute right away.
6. Utah Jazz: Brandon Knight (Kentucky)
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Position: Point Guard
Height/Weight: 6’3” / 185
The Jazz have to miss their former starting point guard Deron Williams, but it is time to move on.
Utah should draft Brandon Knight to start alongside Devin Harris.
They will be similar to the Steph Curry and Monta Ellis duo in Golden State because they are both combo guards. It gives both guards a chance to play on and off the ball.
5. Sacramento Kings: Jan Vesely (Czech Republic)
26 of 30Position: Small Forward
Height/Weight: 6’11” / 240
Jan Vesly is yet another oversized small forward from Europe. He would fit in nicely as forward with power guys like DeMarcus Cousins.
Vesly’s outside shooting ability should open up the middle of the floor for Cousins and Tyreke Evans to make plays.
He is another risk to draft. Vesly doesn’t see starter minutes yet over seas, so it might be a while until he finally reaches his potential in the NBA.
4. Washington Wizards: Donatas Motiejunas (Lithuania)
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Position: Power Forward
Height/Weight: 7’0”/ 224
Motiejunas would provide yet another athletic big man for the John Wall to work with.
He is quick, a good ball-handler and a relentless scorer. But like most of the foreign players on this list, he is a big risk, big reward type of guy.
If he wants to be a star in this league, he must first work on his bulk or lack of therefore.
3. Toronto Raptors: Enes Kanter (Turkey)
28 of 30Position: Center
Height/Weight: 6’10”/ 255
It is hard not to like Enes Kanter. He is a great finisher who never shies away from contact.
He would be a great pick up to a Toronto team that desperately needs some inside presence.
Kanter is young but could make an impact sooner that most think. He is already strong enough and has good size for the NBA. Game experience is all he needs to become a solid center.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers: Derrick Williams (Arizona)
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Position: Small Forward
Height/Weight: 6’8” / 241
Could you imagine if the Cavaliers could actually draft both Kemba Walker and Derrick Williams?
It could be more likely than you think.
Williams proved last season that he can do it all. He rebounds the ball, scores inside and can even bury shots from downtown.
The thing that scares me about Williams is that he is so similar to Michael Beasley, who has been a bust so far. However, I think Williams has a better head on his shoulders than Beasley and will be just fine.
1. Minnesota Timberwolves: Kyrie Irving (Duke)
30 of 30
Position: Point Guard
Height/Weight: 6’2” / 180
This pick depends greatly on whether or not Ricky Rubio joins the team next year. If does not, then I expect the T’Wolves to draft Kyrie Irving first overall.
There is not real weakness to Irving’s game. He is the ideal point guard.
Irving can shoot the lights out, has incredible court vision and uses his superior athleticism to play tough defense.
Not too much downside to this guy. Minnesota will not be a last place team with Irving running the point
