NBA Draft 2011: Kemba Walker and 10 Prospects Whose Stocks Continue To Rise
As in all drafts, there are players whose stocks continue to rise and who have tremendous upsides. The question is whether those upsides can outweigh the concerns that NBA general managers have about them. Here are 10 prospects whose upsides could enable them to rise big in the upcoming draft.
Kawhi Leonard, San Diego State
1 of 10
As a 6’7” forward, Leonard is a bit of a "tweener," something that NBA GMs usually want to avoid. However, given the physical skills that this guy possesses, he has a great chance to rise up the board on draft night.
One of the biggest knocks on him was his lack of outside shooting ability. However, reports from the pre-draft workouts have indicated that Leonard is adjusting to the NBA three-point line nicely. His biggest advantages are his ability to both score and rebound, and his strength and athleticism.
His intangibles are also a plus, considering that he led a largely unknown team in San Diego State to national prominence this past season.
Keith Benson, Oakland
2 of 10
Another player from a non-power conference school, Benson is a tremendously skilled center, who averaged 17.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per game at Oakland. The knocks on Benson are that he is not physical or strong enough to really compete at the next level.
However, Benson’s stock has the potential to rise because of all the different things he has proven he can do. He averaged one assist per game, nearly four blocks and shot 39 percent from the three-point line.
Benson, unlike most of the other American big men in this draft, is less of a project because all a team really needs to do is teach him to play harder and more physically, and convince him to add some muscle to his frame.
Malcolm Lee, UCLA
3 of 10
This is a guy who is not talked about much in draft talk around the country. Part of the reason is his lack of stats. Lee averaged just 13 points and two assists per game and was on a UCLA team that pales in comparison to the ones of recent memory. However, he could be boosted on draft night not by what he has done on the college court, but by what some other guys have done on the NBA court.
Four guards starting on 2011 NBA playoff teams (Russell Westbrook, Arron Afflalo, Darren Collison and Jrue Holiday) were former UCLA Bruins guards who, much like Lee, were not considered to be really great NBA prospects. However, each has made a nice career so far in the NBA, and anyone who would think that NBA GMs won’t take that into consideration is a fool.
Jordan Williams, Maryland
4 of 10
Last year, Williams was one of the best rebounders in college basketball, pulling down 11.8 rebounds per game. He also averaged 17 points on 53 percent field-goal shooting. However, Williams, like most college big men, did not have an NBA body and was considered to be a bit flabby. This led many to criticize him as not being explosive or quick enough for the NBA.
Williams showed tremendous humility in listening to that criticism. Since declaring early for the draft, Williams has gotten down to five percent body fat and is ripped. Now, he not only has the strength and power needed in the paint, but also the quickness and agility needed to compete with smaller, quicker big men. His stock is definitely on the rise.
Jon Diebler, Ohio State
5 of 10
NBA teams need shooters to surround their superstars. Diebler will be one of those shooters. Diebler shot 227 threes last season and made an astonishing 50 percent of them. He’s been overlooked somewhat because he is not a great athlete, but his shooting ability will help him rise in the draft.
Also, Diebler is 6’6” and just over 200 pounds, which is a good size for an NBA shooting guard. He averaged 2.4 assists and one steal per game in college, so he has proven that he can also do a few other things than just shoot.
Isaiah Thomas, Washington
6 of 10
Being 5’9” on a good day usually dashes the hopes of NBA prospects. Here is the exception.
Thomas is an athletic 185 pounds and has proven that he is strong enough not to be pushed around by bigger players. He averaged 17 points and six assists in college and was a pretty solid defender. Unlike a guy like Nate Robinson (the comparison is unavoidable), Thomas has true point guard skills as far as running an offense and playing defense go. As a result, he has the potential to rise in June’s draft.
Klay Thompson, Washington State
7 of 10
Like Diebler, Thompson is a 6’6” shooting guard who is mostly a spot-up shooter. In fact, he is a better, more athletic version of Diebler.
Thompson averaged 22 points, four assists, five rebounds and two steals per game at WSU, proving that he can be an asset to a team for purposes other than his shooting. He also was a tremendous vocal leader on his team, a quality that is looked upon well in the NBA.
Alec Burks, Colorado
8 of 10
Burks is one of the few backcourt slashers in this draft and as a result, has the potential to rise if a team decides that is what it needs. Burks is considered to be the No. 1 shooting guard prospect in the draft and, though his outside shooting has been somewhat suspect, at 6’6” and just under 200 pounds, he is physically reminiscent of a young Michael Jordan.
The fact that he led his Colorado team to a deep postseason NIT run and its best season in recent memory adds to that comparison.
Josh Selby, Kansas
9 of 10
Selby was considered to be one of the players to watch heading into the 2010-11 college basketball season. However, he had a disappointing season, averaging just 7.9 points, 2.2 assists and 2.2 rebounds per game. Selby was written off as a disappointment and was forgotten by most.
However, he could rise quite a bit in this draft for a variety of reasons. First of all, he is extremely gifted athletically, something that fits right at home in the NBA. His struggles at Kansas can be attributed to a variety of causes—from his nine-game suspension to start the season to the fact that he was largely prohibited from doing his thing on the offensive end of the floor due to the talent surrounding him.
In the pre-draft camps and workouts, Selby has looked like a star again, scoring well versus some of the top defensive prospects in the draft. He may not yet have the vision needed to play the point in the NBA, but his athleticism and offensive capability will help him rise up the board.
Kemba Walker, Connecticut
10 of 10
Walker is a very small guard at just 6’1” and struggles at times shooting outside, which is an important skill in the NBA for small guards. He was erratic in college, at times looking out of control with bad decision-making skills, and at other times leading his team to a conference and national title.
He is probably the biggest wild card in the draft. However, he will probably go higher than expected for one crucial reason: “clutch-ness.”
Despite his physical limitations and the common reservations about his play, he did lead his team well, which is something that teams expect of point guards. Plus, Kyrie Irving is the only other point guard in the draft who is considered to be flat-out better than Walker.
