2011 NBA Mock Draft: Was Kyrie Irving or Nick Gilbert Top Story at the Lottery?
Now that the lottery order is set, 2011 NBA Mock Drafts will start in earnest. Kyrie Irving appears to be the top prize, but the award from Tuesday night's NBA Draft Lottery goes to Nick Gilbert.
Kyrie Irving is simply the best player in the 2011 NBA Draft. However, some wonder if a toe injury will keep him from being the top overall pick. He missed all but 11 games of his freshman year at Duke with a toe injury and was absent as the Blue Devils won the ACC Tournament. He did attend the lottery in Secacus, NJ though. After all, it is just 20 miles from home.
While Irving was expected to command most of the attention at the NBA Draft Lottery, Nick Gilbert ended up stealing the show. The 14-year-old son of Cleveland Cavaliers' owner Dan Gilbert represented the team at the NBA Draft Lottery.
Dan Gilbert's good luck charm worked wonders for the Cavs, as they were awarded with the first and fourth pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. After the picks were assigned he stated “I guess you couldn’t do any better than this. I guess you could [get] one and two, but we’ll take one and four.”
Not everyone was happy with the outcome.
Minnesota Timberwolves general manager David Kahn joked things were just a little too perfect Tuesday night. Maybe it isn't that much of a joke, particularly in a league still hampered from accusations of officials controlling games.
Kahn stated: "This league has a habit, and I am just going to say habit, of producing some pretty incredible story lines. Last year it was Abe Pollin's widow and this year it was a 14-year-old boy, and the only thing we have in common is we have both been bar-mitzvahed. We were done. I told (Jazz GM Kevin O'Connor) 'We're toast.' This is not happening for us and I was right."
The USA Today Poll showed much of America agrees, as a little over half of the respondents feel the lottery is fixed at least part of the time.
The Cavs received a second lottery pick after making a considerable financial investment in point guard Baron Davis. A February trade with the Los Angeles Clippers netted Baron Davis and the Clippers' lottery pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.
Given Davis' presence, the injury in 2011 and a pronounced need at other positions, is it possible the Cavaliers opt to go a different direction?
While possible, it is extremely unlikely. A source from the Cavs' front office confirmed the primary target in the February trade wasn't Davis, but acquiring the Clippers' draft pick.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the source told ESPN.com "we know we're going to have to build this team through the lottery. We hope Baron works out, but our primary focus was the pick. We really wanted two top-10 picks to infuse the team with young talent."
Hoping for a top-10 pick, fortune was smiling on the Cavs. With just a 2.8 percent chance of taking the top spot, the pick acquired from the Clippers did just that.
The Cavs are devoid of star power, and Irving can step in from day one and run the floor. For Cleveland to rebuild the team, they need top-tier players, not "good enough for now." After absorbing much of Davis' contract, he could be on the trading block again.
Irving is the kind of talent a team can be built around. The overall talent pool is depleted in 2011, thanks in large part to fewer underclassmen entering the draft due to labor uncertainty. But Irving is a top prospect in any draft, and Cavalier fans should revolt if he isn't the first pick.
That said, I can see a trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves, allowing them to grab Enes Kanter and Brandon Knight.
Potential trades aside, here is my initial 2011 NBA Mock Draft:
1. Cleveland Cavaliers: Kyrie Irving, PG Duke
2. Minnesota Timberwolves: Enes Kanter, PF/C Turkey
3. Utah Jazz: Derrick Williams, SF Arizona
4. Cleveland Cavaliers: Jan Vesely, SF Czech Republic
5. Toronto Raptors: Brandon Knight, G Kentucky
For the balance of my mock, and an expanded read on Nick Gilbert, please see my full article.
