NBA Draft 2011: How Does This Year's Class Rank Against Last Year's?
Is it just me, or is the 2011 draft class lacking fire power? Not only is the draft relatively weak at the top, it doesn't seem like there are many enticing prospects down the line.
Undoubtedly, this draft class will produce talented NBA stars, as every draft class does.
This class is far less talented than the historic 2003 draft class that produced Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Carmelo Anthony.
But it seems head and shoulders above the 2001 class that had close to no one.
Both are unfair comparisons. Last year featured a big name at the top of the draft in John Wall and was a fairly standard class.
Let's compare the 2010 draft class to the 2011 draft class to get a better feel for the talent as a whole.
Best of the Bunch: John Wall vs. Kyrie Irving
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John Wall was the big ticket item of last year's draft. Kyrie Irving is widely regarded as the best player in this year's draft.
Let's pretend for a moment that Wall and Irving both came out this year. They play the same position, so it isn't as though we are comparing apples and oranges. Both have great court vision and could be elite point guards at the next level.
Wall came out of Kentucky's pipeline that produces pro ready talent.
Irving came out of Duke, which has also generated its fair share of professional talent, but more frequently puts out college legends who excel at the collegiate level, but fizzle on the pro scene.
On top of that, Wall was a huge part of Kentucky's success during his stay.
The same cannot be said for Irving's situation at Duke. Some even speculate that his return threw off the chemistry Duke had that made them so successful.
The players are comparable on the court, but Irving has more red flags coming out.
Edge: 2010
Elite Big Men: Demarcus Cousins vs. Enes Kanter
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Enes Kanter got shafted by the NCAA and was unable to show off his talents this year at Kentucky.
Even so, he carries a lot of the stereotypical traits that a Euro center comes with. He's a technician around the rim, has good ball skills, unselfish, not overwhelmingly athletic, etc.
What makes Kanter different from many foreign players is that he is a physical basketball player. The "soft" connotation doesn't follow him, which makes his 6'10" frame less of a concern.
Demarcus Cousins came out with character concerns. He had the talent to be a dominant center at the next level, but immaturity issues were scaring some teams off.
Even so, he put up huge numbers on limited minutes. To be fair here, neither big man is overly impressive as the best center in the class.
We aren't talking Tim Duncan or Dwight Howard here, so let's keep it in perspective.
Edge: Draw
The Lottery Picks
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Now let's assess the lottery picks as a whole.
The 2010 lottery picks were as follows:
- John Wall
- Evan Turner
- Derrick Favors
- Wesley Johnson
- Demarcus Cousins
- Ekep Udoh
- Greg Monroe
- Al-Farouq Aminu
- Gordon Hayward
- Paul George
- Cole Aldrich
- Xavier Henry
- Ed Davis
- Patrick Patterson
When you look at these picks as a whole, there are many high ceiling and project guys. We've already seen some of these projects fall flat and come into question.
We see how just because someone like Evan Turner is a consensus superstar in the making, does not mean it is inevitable.
As a whole, I would call this group of promising talent a failure. There are only a handful of players I see emerging as stars, while many players with "upside" like Udoh have failed to make an early impact.
As we look at this year's class there are an equal amount of players with concerns.
Can Jimmer Fredette be complete basketball player and not just a streaky shooter? Is Kemba Walker more of a short shooting guard playing out of position?
I see Derrick Williams and Kyrie Irving to be the only game changers in the class. The class may have more talented lottery players, but the 2010 class has a stronger top of the class.
An argument could be made for either, but I'm leaning towards the 2011 class here.
Edge: 2011
Mid to Late First Round
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This could be the most telling group of how deep a class is.
Unlike the NFL, NBA teams drafting outside of the lottery aren't usually presented with the opportunity to select a superstar after the lottery.
This group is full of contributors, who could help a non-lottery team remain there.
The 2010 group of mid to late first-rounders was disappointing almost unanimously. Few look like they are even on their way to locking up starting jobs.
Intriguing names in the 2011 class like Josh Selby make for a potentially "stronger" group.
This class may be deeper than last year's, but it still doesn't have the marquee names last year did.
Edge: 2011
As a Whole
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Start to finish, the 2011 class has a more talented group coming out.
The 2010 class may be carried by great talent at the top, but the potential the 2011 class outweighs the lackluster overall performance of the 2010 class.
The 2011 class may present the same amount of underachievement, but at least there is an opportunity for them to exceed expectations, while the same can't be said for the 2010 class.
The unknown is probably the only thing keeping the 2011 in the conversation at this point.
The 2010 and 2011 classes don't really present an onslaught of talent we have seen at the top. It's going to be interesting to see how they measure up to each other when it's all said and done.
The John Wall to Kyrie Irving may be the best for the comparison.
Stay tuned to Bleacher Report to follow all NBA Draft Lottery news, including updated 2011 NBA Mock Drafts and immediate reaction and analysis to the updated NBA Draft Order.
