2011 NBA Mock Draft: Full Two-Round Post-Combine Projections for the Draft
Now that the results of the 2011 NBA Draft Combine are in the books, mock drafts are going to start to look a lot different.
Even though we can only glean a little bit of information from the measurements, drills, interviews and tests that the prospects went through, every little bit helps. Some players managed to raise their draft stock even higher while others tanked theirs.
So now, with the draft order set and even more information in the banks, how will the two-round draft look?
Read on to find out.
1. Cleveland Cavaliers: Kyrie Irving
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One of the few sure things in the draft, Kyrie Irving needs to be the player that Cleveland selects with the first overall pick, especially with the bevy of forwards expected to be a part of the 2012 NBA draft class.
Irving, despite only playing 11 games at the collegiate level, is an incredibly talented point guard who will be able to immediately start for the Cavaliers. He's the first step to truly helping the unlucky city forget LeBron James.
2. Minnesota Timberwolves: Derrick Williams
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With Kyrie Irving off the board, the only logical choice here is Derrick Williams.
The forward from Arizona is a very good all-around player whose trademark is his incredible efficiency shooting the ball.
Minnesota could use Williams to pair up with Kevin Love, forming one of the most potent forward tandems in the league.
3. Utah Jazz: Brandon Knight
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Enes Kanter has been thought to be the third-best player in the draft for quite some time now, but Utah doesn't really need a center. They're much more desperate for solid guard play.
That means that Utah is going to be looking at either Brandon Knight or Kemba Walker with the third overall pick. Right now, the consensus is that the Jazz will go with the score-first, pass-second guard from Kentucky, Brandon Knight.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers: Enes Kanter
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With the fourth pick in the draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers get to add a second future All-Star to their squad.
Enes Kanter may have been deemed worthy of the No. 1 overall pick if he didn't have balky knees, but that concern has pushed him down the board a little. Well, that and the lack of competition for the last year since he was ruled ineligible at Kentucky.
But regardless, the Turkish center is a ridiculously talented player and pairing him with Irving could turn the franchise around.
5. Toronto Raptors: Jonas Valanciunas
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The 18-year-old center still has a bit of work to do on his underdeveloped game before he's entirely ready to play in the big leagues, but his skills will be a great addition to the Raptors' system so they can look on with pride as he progresses.
The Lithuanian big man is already 6'11", but he doesn't appear to be done growing yet and shows a lot of potential. No international pick is ever safe in the draft, but Valanciunas' ridiculously high ceiling outweighs the risks here.
6. Washington Wizards: Kawhi Leonard
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After his huge hands made a great impression at the combine, Kawhi Leonard used his athleticism and versatility to climb up to his highest spot yet in the mock drafts.
Leonard is a do-everything forward from San Diego State who will have to improve his shooting to be anything other than a role player in the NBA. His legitimate inclusion in the top 10 is a true testament to just how weak this draft class is.
7. Sacramento Kings: Kemba Walker
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You've all heard the story of Kemba Walker by now. You know, the one where he carried his team all the way through the Big East Conference Tournament and then the NCAA Tournament en route to a championship in each.
With ridiculous speed and athleticism, Walker has a chance to go as high as No. 3 and the Kings will be thrilled to land him here and move Tyreke Evans to his more natural position as a shooting guard.
8. Detroit Pistons: Bismack Biyombo
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Talk about a meteoric rise up the ranks of the 2011 NBA draft class.
Bismack Biyombo went from unknown to highly coveted in just a few weeks, thanks to his defensive skills, 7'7" wingspan and triple-double at the Nike Hoops Summit.
He has the highest ceiling of any player in the draft, but Biyombo's offensive game is incredibly raw and he is a rather risky selection.
9. Charlotte Bobcats: Jan Vesely
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Formerly calling the Czech Republic home, Jan Vesely is now ready to take his talents across the Atlantic Ocean to the NBA. Vesely is a 6'11" small forward, so he's not exactly lacking in the size department. But does he have the skill to go along with the size?
Most scouts are saying that he does, as Vesely is very athletic and not just a lanky, Shawn Bradley-esque big man. Once again, though, the international picks are not safe. With two picks in the lottery, Utah can afford to use one in a rather risky fashion.
10. Milwaukee Bucks: Alec Burks
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Everything I've heard points towards the Milwaukee Bucks taking Alec Burks at No. 10 if he's not already off the boards.
Burks, a shooting guard from Colorado, is an incredibly talented, athletic scorer. He just needs to develop an outside shot to have a complete offensive game.
I've been calling Burks one of the biggest sleepers in the draft and think that he will be a steal no matter where he's drafted for quite some time now.
11. Golden State Warriors: Donatas Motiejunas
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The seven-footer from Lithuania has a ton of potential, and he is fully aware of that fact. Unfortunately though, sometimes Donatas Motiejunas gets a big head and thinks he's a bit better than he currently is.
As soon as he lets his mental game catch up with his physical skills, Donatas Motiejunas has the ability to dominate no matter where he plays, much like Dirk Nowitzki.
Motiejunas might not be the most sexy pick at No. 11, but it's the smartest one.
12. Utah Jazz: Jimmer Fredette
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The lack of effort that Jimmer Fredette showed at the NBA Draft Combine supposedly hurt his stock, but that won't matter much because the local fans will put too much pressure on Utah to take him here and the Jazz will almost have no choice but to do so.
This would absolutely be the ideal situation for Fredette.
13: Phoenix Suns: Tristan Thompson
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As long as Tristan Thompson can manage to only take shots from inside the paint, he'll be very successful. Well, I guess he can learn how to shoot too, but that seems a bit harder to me.
Thompson is very athletic and has high upside, especially if he's put in a situation where he can play with one of the league's premier point guards.
14. Houston Rockets: Marcus Morris
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Rounding out the lottery is Marcus Morris, the more talented of the set of twins eligible to be drafted this year.
Morris is a very physical forward with a soft shooting touch. He is about as NBA-ready as they come and should make an immediate impact with the Houston Rockets if they do indeed draft him.
15. Indiana Pacers: Klay Thompson
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A shooting guard with a Jimmer-like shot, Klay Thompson could flat-out score at the shooting guard position for the Washington State Cougars.
But questions about his maturity, thanks to marijuana-related charges, and speed, thanks to his lack of quickness, have dropped Thompson down the boards in the minds of quite a few scouts. Thompson could prove to be a steal for the Pacers, though.
16. Philadelphia 76ers: Kenneth Faried
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Thanks to an unstoppable motor and a surprising amount of defensive skill, Kenneth Faried truly stood out at the NBA Draft Combine. In fact, he was one of the players that helped improve his stock the most.
Faried, college basketball's all-time leading rebounder, managed to change some opinions about him, including mine. I now think this may be too low a draft spot for a player with his talent and energy.
17. New York Knicks: Jordan Hamilton
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One of the best scorers in this year's draft class, Jordan Hamilton can slash as well as he can shoot from outside.
The New York Knicks need either a center or a solid guard in this draft and Hamilton is the best option that would fill either of those needs. Well, that's if he's available this late of course.
18. Washington Wizards: Markieff Morris
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It's a shame that Markieff Morris isn't going to go higher because it will be quite some time before we get another opportunity to see the first pair of twins drafted in the same NBA Draft Lottery.
Markieff has a higher ceiling than his brother, but he also has a lower floor because he has a very balanced game without any stand-out attributes. He should be an immediate contributor, though.
19. Charlotte Bobcats: Chris Singleton
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The best defender in this draft class, Chris Singleton impressed plenty of people with his skills during the combine.
It's not easy to make an impression on defense during drills and low-intensity game simulations, but Singleton still managed to do so. He's unbelievably talented on that end of the floor.
20. Minnesota Timberwolves: Darius Morris
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Minnesota couldn't manage to score Kyrie Irving in this mock draft, instead settling for Arizona's Derrick Williams, but this won't be a bad consolation prize at all.
Darius Morris is a very talented guard out of Michigan who was essentially the Wolverines' entire team at stretches during the 2010-2011 season. He can score and pass quite well.
21. Portland Trail Blazers: Lucas Nogueira
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The 18-year-old Brazilian center named Lucas Nogueira is a very intriguing NBA prospect much like Bismack Biyombo.
He stands 7'0" tall and is poised to make an immediate impact on defense, but his offensive game is very raw and he's really just kind of a mystery at this point. Nogueira hasn't been on the draft scene for very long, so he's still being figured out by many teams.
22. Denver Nuggets: Malcolm Lee
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The guard from UCLA absolutely shot up the draft boards thanks to an impressive showing at the combine, and he may actually be drafted before fellow Bruin Tyler Honeycutt now.
Lee is a big guard with a defensive orientation. He doesn't have the highest ceiling but he's a relatively safe draft pick at this late first-round stage.
23. Houston Rockets: Josh Selby
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Josh Selby's immaturity is a major red flag and has kept him from going as high as his preseason lottery projections, but his talent is boosting him back up the boards.
Selby was very highly recruited by Kansas but his collegiate career was nothing more than a sham and he proved to have absolutely no loyalty to the Jayhawks. Hopefully the same will not be true in Houston.
24. Oklahoma City Thunder: JaJuan Johnson
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Moving up on the boards thanks to impressive measurements at the NBA Draft Combine, JaJuan Johnson has everything you could want in an NBA player.
It boggles my mind how the teams drafting players earlier in the draft aren't realizing this. But that just means that the Thunder will find yet another draft day gem in the lanky Johnson.
25. Boston Celtics: Tyler Honeycutt
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Inconsistent shooting at the combine dropped Tyler Honeycutt before a whole bunch of other players, including former teammate Malcolm Lee.
Honeycutt is still very athletic and has all the tools necessary to be a successful guard in the NBA. Now he just has to put all the tools together in the same toolbox.
26. Dallas Mavericks: Trey Thompkins
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Oh how the mighty have fallen. Once a top-10 pick, Trey Thompkins has seen his stock fall quite a bit.
Thompkins is as talented as they come, but his lack of athleticism and poor work ethic have sent up too many red flags for a bunch of teams. Weighing in at the combine with 15.5 percent body fat, the highest such number of all 54 prospects, didn't help his case.
27. New Jersey Nets: Iman Shumpert
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It's amazing what a few days in the spotlight can do for someone. Such was the case for Iman Shumpert, who went from being expected to go undrafted to a potential first round pick thanks to the combine.
The Georgia Tech point guard is a great scorer but still needs to improve both his passing and jump shooting before he's deemed a pure point guard.
28. Chicago Bulls: Reggie Jackson
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The combo guard from Boston College is another player who has seen his stock soar like an eagle in recent days.
Reggie Jackson is a very balanced player with a ridiculously big wingspan. The only problem is that he lacks the upside that usually goes along with a first-round pick.
29. San Antonio Spurs: Tobias Harris
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Tobias Harris had a lot of positives and negative come out of the NBA Draft Combine. Most of the positives had to do with his body, which now appears to be in much better shape thanks to cutting Swedish Fish from his diet, while most of the negatives had to do with his skillset.
Harris is a very good all-around player, though, who has a chance to make an impact in a lot of different ways.
30. Chicago Bulls: Nikola Mirotic
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The Bulls, who already have a great team and have two first-round picks, can afford to take a chance on an international player here.
Hailing from Montenegro and currently playing for Real Madrid (the basketball team, not the soccer team), Nikola Mirotic has a great skill set for a 6'10" forward and can shoot a jump shot as well as just about anyone in this draft.
31. Miami Heat: Marshon Brooks
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One of the best scorers in the draft class, Marshon Brooks impressed quite a few people during the combine and may sneak into the first round when it's all said and done.
32. Cleveland Cavaliers: Jeremy Tyler
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After playing professionally in Israel, the immensely talented American big man is going to come back across the pond and make the leap to the NBA, hoping to demonstrate more maturity in the process.
33. Detroit Pistons: Nikola Vucevic
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Some people said that Nikola Vucevic looked better than Enes Kanter during the combine, and that's quite a compliment for the center from Southern Cal.
34. Washington Wizards: Justin Harper
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Now that the versatile forward is done inspiring arachnophobia in his opponents while at Richmond, it's time for Justin Harper to work his magic with Washington.
35. Sacramento Kings: Chandler Parsons
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A jack of all trades and a master of none (except for avoiding combs), Chandler Parsons is still going to be a matchup nightmare when he makes the leap to the pros.
36. New Jersey Nets: Nolan Smith
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The best regular season college basketball player in 2010-2011, Nolan Smith still has to prove that he has the speed and strength necessary to be a successful guard in the NBA.
37. Los Angeles Clippers: Kyle Singler
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Kyle Singler is good at everything but isn't really great at anything, a characteristic which will keep him from going any higher than this spot when the draft rolls around on June 23rd.
38. Houston Rockets: Shelvin Mack
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Shelvin Mack is a great scorer, as he proved time after time during Butler's magical run to a second straight NCAA championship game, but he needs to work on his passing before he can be called one of the truly elite guards in this year's draft class.
39. Charlotte Bobcats: Jordan Williams
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Jordan Williams probably should have returned for one more year at Maryland, but now he'll have to settle for developing his post moves while riding the pine in Charlotte after being drafted in the second round.
40. Milwaukee Bucks: Jon Leuer
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A bit of a hard player to figure out, Jon Leuer is a very tall forward with a better three-point shot than set of post moves. He'll find his niche on an NBA roster, but it might be hard for him to consistently crack a rotation.
41. Los Angeles Lakers: Travis Leslie
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The most athletic player in the draft class also became the cockiest when he said that he wanted to be compared to someone better than the Memphis Grizzlies' Tony Allen, dropping him down some draft boards.
42. Indiana Pacers: Charles Jenkins
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A tremendous shooting combo guard from Hofstra, Charles Jenkins rose up draft boards in the last week thanks to a great showing at the combine. It's time to see if he can take it to the next level.
43. Golden State Warriors: Greg Smith
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A center from Fresno State with a boring name, Greg Smith didn't put up great stats in college (11.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game), but he showed brief flashes of incredible potential that the Warriors hope to bring out of him sooner rather than later.
44. Chicago Bulls: Demetri McCamey
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Thanks to one of the best showings at the combine, Demetri McCamey, a senior point guard for Illinois, is now being thought of as one of the better pure point guards in the draft, meaning that he could be a valuable backup guard to Derrick Rose.
45. New Orleans Hornets: Matthew Bryan-Amaning
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One of the most athletic players available at any point during the draft, Matthew Bryan-Amaning needs for his basketball skills to catch up to his physical ones in order for the Hornets to be able to justify taking the former Washington Husky.
46. Los Angles Lakers: Keith Benson
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An offensively gifted center from Oakland, Keith Benson has a lot of work left to do on the defensive side of the court before any team will be able to justify giving him consistent minutes.
47. Los Angeles Clippers: Norris Cole
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One of the nation's leading scorers thanks to his 21.7 points per game during his senior season at Cleveland State, Norris Cole will be able to make an immediate offensive impact for whichever team drafts him.
48. Atlanta Hawks: Jereme Richmond
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A very raw freshman from Illinois, Jereme Richmond has yet to put it all together but could be very good when he finally does. This is a high-risk, high-reward pick for the Hawks.
For a more detailed analysis of the Atlanta Hawks' draft strategy, read the following article: NBA Draft 2011: 10 Players the Atlanta Hawks Should Consider.
49. Memphis Grizzlies: Jamie Skeen
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Thanks to VCU's unlikely Cinderella story during March Madness, Jamie Skeen's name finally became known. Now the versatile forward's all-around skillset should keep him in the nation's collective consciousness.
50. Philadelphia 76ers: David Lighty
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David Lighty was the prototypical glue guy for the Ohio State Buckeyes and should be able to serve the same role on any NBA team, making him quite valuable despite his limited upside.
51. Portland Trail Blazers: Ravern Johnson
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Towering over other guards at 6'6", Ravern Johnson has a great shot and is fairly NBA ready, but he needs to add some weight to his frame before he can shed the "soft" label.
52. Denver Nuggets: Gary Flowers
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With one of the highest vertical jumps at the combine, Flowers has blossomed into a surefire draft selection with high upside. The Nuggets would love it if the small forward from Southern Mississippi dropped this far.
53. Orlando Magic: Malcolm Thomas
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A rather recent inclusion in many mock drafts, the second player drafted out of San Diego State in this year's draft will be Malcolm Thomas, a power forward that has every tool except for a consistent jump shot at this stage in his career.
54. Cleveland Cavaliers: Scotty Hopson
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Will the magical powers of the flat-top carry over from Knoxville to Cleveland? Only time will tell, but the athletic tweener from Tennessee can score in bunches thanks to his size and athleticism.
55. Boston Celtics: DeAndre Liggins
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Most people thought that it would be Terrence Jones, not DeAndre Liggins, who would be the second drafted player from Kentucky in 2011, but once Jones dropped out, that honor was left to the talented 6'6" shooting guard.
56. Los Angeles Lakers: Gilbert Brown
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Gilbert Brown definitely possesses an NBA body and he has the game to back it up. The 6'6", 200-pound shooting guard or small forward was a pass-first team-oriented player who would love nothing more than to feed the rock to Kobe Bryant.
57. Dallas Mavericks: Chris Wright
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Nicknamed "Top Flight," Chris Wright has incredible athleticism and a very high ceiling. The only problem is that he has significant work to do on his passing...and shooting...and ball handling...and, well, everything on offense.
58. Los Angeles Lakers: Cory Joseph
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Cory Joseph looked like he didn't belong on the same floor as the other guards during the combine and the point guard from Texas' draft stock fell accordingly to the point where he may not even be drafted if a contender like the Lakers isn't willing to take a flyer on him.
59. San Antonio Spurs: E'twaun Moore
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A very talented guard from Purdue, E'twaun Moore is a prolific scorer with passing skills to boot. Concerns about his athleticism and size are the only things keeping him from going much earlier in the second round.
60. Sacramento Kings: Isaiah Thomas
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The smallest player in the draft is also one of the guys with the biggest vertical jumps. Isaiah Thomas needs every inch of elevation to make up for his 5'10" frame, but his athleticism will get him drafted before David Stern steps off the stage in 2011.
