NBA Draft 2011: 10 Prospects Who Could Fall out of the 1st Round
The 2011 NBA draft is just around the corner, as NBA teams make final scouting decisions and start to put together their list of potential draft pick.
With the NBA draft lottery tonight, lottery teams with the best chance at receiving the No. 1 selection in the draft like the Minnesota Timberwolves, Washington Wizards and Cleveland Cavaliers will soon have a better idea as to which talent will add to their roster in the first round.
Countless 2011 NBA mock drafts have been developed and amended and will continue to be created, as the the NBA draft is just over a month away.
Join B/R and myself in naming the 10 players that are projected first-round picks that could likely find themselves destined to be second-round choices on draft night.
Josh Selby, Shooting Guard, Kansas
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Yeah, I know, it's got to be tough coming in as an unproven-freshman.
Straight out of Baltimore, Maryland, Josh Selby is one of the finer talents at the guard position in his class. At 6'2", Selby is a shorter 2-guard in the pros and his strength of scoring the basketball will be put to the test.
Not to mention Selby averaged just over 20 minutes a contest with his Jayhawks, averaging 7.9 points and 2.2 assists on 37 percent shooting.
This might not be the production most NBA teams will look for out of a first-round selection.
Tyler Honeycutt, Small Forward, UCLA
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Tyler Honeycutt has a plethora of potential in that he has a long frame and has height to his advantage at the small forward position.
The issue with Honeycutt in his ability to produce on a consistent basis both offensively and defensively.
This season, in 35 minutes a game, Honeycutt averaged 12.8 points and 7.2 rebounds.
Coming into the NBA at just 180 pounds, his strength might be a factor teams will have to help improve for the next several seasons. Don't be surprised if this talent find himself as a second-round selection in the NBA draft.
Travis Leslie, Shooting Guard, Georgia
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Travis Leslie is arguably one of the more all-around talented guards this 2011 NBA draft class has to offer.
The Georgia Bulldog enters the draft after playing three years of college ball. Leslie may just slip out of the first round due to the fact there are many players like him that are receiving more looks going into the draft.
It could be argued that Leslie may have more of an immediate impact than players like a Kemba Walker or even a Kyrie Irving in the pros, yet there is a chance teams overlook this talent in a draft full of scorers.
Reggie Jackson, Point Guard, Boston College
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If there's one thing basketball fans know about Reggie Jackson, it's that his scoring ability is what makes him such an effective basketball player.
Jackson is a tall, athletic point guard that can cause a share of matchup problems against smaller point guards.
As a point guard, however, getting others involved isn't exactly his thing.
On the season, Jackson averaged just 4.5 assists and 2.4 turnovers a game. These aren't exactly numbers that cut it for successful point guards in the NBA.
Donatas Motiejunas, Center, Lithuania
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Donotas Motiejunas is a seven-footer that enters the draft at just 20 years of age.
Motiejunas has the potential to be one of the better talents in the league, yet he is one of the least aggressive big men in the draft when it comes to clearing the boards.
In 25.7 minutes a game, Motiejunas averged just 4.4 rebounds last season, down 1.2 rebounds from his average two seasons ago.
Markieff Morris, Power Forward, Kansas
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Considered the worse of the two Morris twins, Markieff Morris is still quite the talent at the forward spot in this year's draft.
Morris is one of the more average scoring threats at the forward slot and is there to make hustle plays on the glass and finish around the rim on the offensive end.
Make no mistake, he is a talent that could be a useful role player to countless teams, but he just might lack the explosiveness of a first-round choice.
Lucas Nogueira, Center, Brazil
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The young Brazilian talent, Lucas Nogueira, is a lanky seven-footer that suffers from being one of the younger players entering the 2011 NBA draft.
He is a player that has NBA teams hoping he can live up to his potential but isn't necessarily a guarantee for production. Teams roll the dice in taking Nogueira in that he is young and an inexperienced player that will take time to develop after getting to the next level.
Don't be surprised if this talent finds himself just outside the first round.
Jordan Williams, Center, Maryland
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After just two seasons with the Maryland Terrapins, center Jordan Williams will enter the 2011 NBA draft.
Williams has a wide frame that allows him space in the paint to operate both offensively and defensively. His touch around the rim is unmatched by most of the forwards in his class and he has a solid skill set in the rebounding department, grabbing over 11 a game last season with the Terps.
Despite his talent and skill set, NBA teams may overlook Williams in the first round due to the fact he is quite undersized at the center position.
Nolan Smith, Guard, Duke
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In place of Kyrie Irving this season, Nolan Smith played arguably as well as he could have, helping lead his Duke Blue Devils to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.
An evident winner, Smith is also a scorer that gets to the rim and has a decent outside jump shot. Defensively, he is a slimmer athlete that may get overpowered by bigger, more athletic defenders in the pros.
Smith was arguably one of the better talents in the college game this season, yet NBA scouts might not be so keen on taking Smith in the first round.
Jimmer Fredette, Guard, BYU
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Jimmer, Jimmer, Jimmer.
It's tough to go against the 2011 Naismith Player of the Year, yet Jimmer Fredette might just be on the outside looking in when the first round is set and done.
Fredette is arguably the best scorer in the class, having averaged 28.9 points per game on 45 percent shooting on the season. Experts and analysts argue that Fredette did so in a weaker conference and that translating his game to the next level will be a difficult change.
Fredette is quite the talent, make no mistake, yet NBA teams just might second guess Fredette's game when faced with a selection in the first round.
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