NBA Draft 2011: The 10 Rookies Who Have the Best Chance To Start Immediately
By now, it's pretty clear that the depth of the NBA draft is one of the shallowest in recent history and there is seemingly little to be had in the second round. There’s bound to be a sleeper that emerges here and there based on fit, but not many present instant impact in a starting rotation right away. If you are looking for guys who have the best chance to start right away, the smart place to look is in the lottery and first round.
This is a draft largely based on potential that will fill out the majority of the lottery and first round, but there are indefinite starters who can play right away. That is not to say that everyone on this list will start for the team he is drafted to, but they will have the best chance based on their history and skill sets.
That said, SwishScout.com presents the 10 rookies who have the best chance to start immediately.
Note: Click on each player's name for a more detailed profile with an extensive scouting report and in-game highlights.
Honorable Mentions: JaJuan Johnson (Purdue), Demetri McCamey (Illinois)
10. Jordan Williams (Maryland)
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Jordan Williams (Maryland)
Williams is a talented big man who has gone largely under the radar in college basketball and in draft talks. He’s a little undersized for a center, but has a great build and does an excellent job of positioning himself on both ends of the floor in the paint.
Jordan was a double-double guy on a nightly basis at College Park and one of the more unheralded players in the ACC. He has a big body, motor and rebounding ability in the mold of Kevin Love. Williams could easily end up being one of the real sleepers in the draft, but don’t be surprised if he gets some serious time in a team’s rotation this season because of his post play.
9. Nolan Smith (Duke)
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Nolan Smith (Duke)
A consummate college star who blew away the NCAA all year in the absence of the Blue Devils star PG, Kyrie Irving. Smith is getting sold very short in his year's draft because of his limited upside and slight height disadvantage relative to his peers. Make no mistake though, this is an NBA-ready guard with a pro skill set that can make an immediate impact.
Smith is an aggressive guard who can penetrate the lane, break down his defender off the dribble and set up his teammates. Smith is about as solid as they come for guards this year and could easily step in for a team at the 1 or 2 spot if a team needs him this season.
8. Marcus Morris (Kansas)
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Marcus Morris (Kansas)
About as solid an all-around player in every facet of the game, Marcus has the build and skill set for an NBA forward. At 6’9” with a compact frame, the more perimeter-skilled Morris twin has a great inside-out game that gives him the versatility to throw his man off. The big knock on his game is a lack of consistency from three and lack of great athleticism, but Morris makes up with it in his feel for the game and basketball IQ.
Marcus was one of the lone bright spots for Kansas in the Elite Eight loss to VCU when he kept the Jayhawks afloat almost single-handedly with 20 points and 16 rebounds. He can fit in at either the wing or in the post and will be able to do just fine with his versatility.
7. Chris Singleton (Florida State)
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Chris Singleton (Florida State)
The best pure defender in the draft, Singleton is a former McDonald’s All-American and a late bloomer at FSU who had injury problems late in the NCAA season.
Chris is a unique combination of size at 6’9”, a tremendously long wingspan and athleticism. The forward has great natural strength and lateral quickness that allows him to guard players on the perimeter or in the post. His versatility allows him to guard nearly every position except for center, and he already does a better defensive job than half of the league already.
Singleton was a defensive playmaker who bailed out his teammates on blown assignments in college, and will be all the better as a lockdown defender who can focus his efforts to shut down one guy in the league.
6. Donatas Motiejunas (Lithuania)
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Donatas Motiejunas (Lithuania)
Another very versatile player available who should go in the draft lottery, Motiejunas is a young star in Lithuania in the mold of Andrea Bargnani. Another great European big at 7'0", Donatas has a perimeter game and shooting stroke that make him a tough matchup for any defender in the NBA.
He’s a smart player who has some moves in the paint and a great jump hook, but there have been questions about his toughness, athleticism and maturity. Motiejunas is a stud that brings fire in his game and can be a lift immediately to a team.
5. Enes Kanter (Turkey)
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Enes Kanter (Turkey)
The Kentucky star that never was, Kanter has been high on a lot of teams' boards because of his inspired, epic performance in last year’s Nike Hoop Summit. A former professional player in the Turkish league for Fenerbahce Ulker, Kanter made some noise as a youngster because of his mature post play.
Kanter is far and away the most refined center prospect available in the draft, and should get some consideration for the No. 1 overall pick. He is a tremendous offensive talent who can play with his back to the basket or face up in the post, and absolutely dominate with his scoring ability and rebounding like Al Jefferson.
Enes will probably go in the first five picks, but there’s no question Kanter has what it takes to be a starter, if not an All-Star, in the NBA and an absolute value if he falls beyond that.
4. Kawhi Leonard (San Diego State)
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Kawhi Leonard (San Diego State)
The San Diego State standout blew away the Mountain West with his scoring prowess and rebounding ability to average an impressive 15.5 points and 10.6 rebounds in a sensational sophomore season. Leonard is a prototypical NBA small forward with great natural strength, athleticism and feel for the game. His enormous hands are like magnets rebounding the ball and he is an outstanding perimeter forward who brings a lot of energy on the floor on a nightly basis. His shooting consistency is the biggest issue in his game, but word from pre-draft workouts is that his stroke is greatly improved, and if that’s true, then Leonard’s stock will sky-rocket leading up to the draft.
Kawhi was the star of the SDSU show, leading the Aztecs to their first NCAA tournament Sweet 16 in school history. He’s a winner and undeniable talent who understands his role and gives his team an outstanding chance to win whenever he’s on the floor.
3. Kemba Walker (Connecticut)
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Kemba Walker (Connecticut)
It's well documented that we already believe Kemba could give a team the best value in the draft, but can he become an instant starter on a team that needs a proven winner? His natural scoring ability, superb quickness, clutch shooting and history of winning suggests, depending on the team, that he could be of instant assistance to a squad’s starting lineup. Originally thought to be a just a backup in the league, Kemba has a big-time game that should help instill a winning attitude in a team desperately in need of help.
Maybe he’s not a pure point guard, but he will no longer have to deal with double teams on a nightly at the next level and he does have some underrated passing ability (4.5 assists per game as a junior). Kemba will have no problem creating his own offense and getting his points at the next level, and that should make an instant contender for a team at a starting spot on the wing.
2. Kyrie Irving (Duke)
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Kyrie Irving (Duke)
You don’t take a player No. 1 overall in the NBA just to bench him, and if Irving is that first overall pick, expect him to get significant minutes at the point to ease his learning curve. Despite playing only 11 games in the 2010-11 season, there’s little doubt that Irving can be a franchise cornerstone running the point. He has a complete skill set handling and distributing the ball, and his basketball IQ was clearly a notch above the NCAA competition last season. Irving has a rap as a streaky shooter, but his 46.2 percent from three as a freshman helped to dispel the notion that a defense can just leave him open for the jumper.
Many like to compare him to Chris Paul, but he won’t make quite the splash CP3 did as a rookie because of inexperience against elite competition (less than half a season compared to Paul's full two seasons at Wake Forest) like Paul had coming into the league. It will take him some time to reach his potential, but there’s no reason he can’t make some noise around the league as a rookie running the show for a franchise that’s badly in need.
1. Derrick Williams (Arizona)
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Derrick Williams (Arizona)
Funny to think how Williams was projected as a fringe first-rounder coming into this past season as far as the NBA draft, but he impressively played his way into consideration for the top pick. Call it a weak draft if you want, but even if Barnes, Sullinger or Jones were available, a team with the top pick would still take a good, hard look at D-Wills' potential contributions at forward. While he’s only 6’8”, Williams possesses a lot of grit and toughness that will allow him to bang in the post and muscle his way for scores at the basket and rebounds. Outside of the occasional streak play from Momo Jones, Williams was the heart and soul of the Wildcats' Elite Eight run.
He wasn’t a great shooter his freshman year, but his incredible 56.8 percent from three-point range displays how much work went into his game in the offseason and proves how much upside Williams still has. He has probably the best inside-out game of any player in the draft, and should be able to hang with the best of them because of his competitiveness.
Williams is a very smart, battle-tested player who will be in immediate contention for a starting spot among the team that takes him.
