NBA Draft 2011: Kyrie Irving vs. Derrick Williams, Comparing the Top 2 Prospects

As the NBA Draft rolls around the two prospects names being thrown around the most are easily Kyrie Irving and Derrick Williams.

It is also worth noting that this draft class has been labeled as being full of potential players who can have a solid impact on a team, without any player being looked at as having enough potential to become a superstar.

However, Irving and Williams are almost a lock to be drafted in the No. 1 and 2 slots, respectively.

While other players will certainly arise and may even out perform Irving and Williams and have us look back at the draft, questioning why certain players were not drafted higher or why some were drafted too high, the two aforementioned players are the ones who are garnering all the attention as the potential No. 1 and 2 pick, with Irving likely going to the Cleveland Cavaliers at No. 1 and WIlliams likely being drafted to the Minnesota Timberwolves at No. 2, although their is a lot of potential for them to trade this pick, since the team is already stocked up at the forward positions with Kevin Love, Michael Beasley and Wesley Johnson.

While it will be hard to compare the two since they play different positions, it will be a worthy endeavor as it will shed light on who is the better player heading into the draft and who is the better fit for the Cavs and Wolves, who hold the No. 1 and 2 draft positions respectively.

Kyrie Irving of the Duke Blue Devils

Coming into the draft, Irving will be highly touted as the man who the Cavaliers will be able to start anew with and can maybe get their franchise going in the right direction again. After the whole LeBron James Decision debacle, Irving will not be the franchise-changing player that LeBron was or still is, but he can certainly have a heavy impact and will be a good start in making Cleveland fans look towards a brighter future and leave the loss of LeBron in their rear-view mirror.

One of the more interesting, if not alarming similarities between Irving and Williams is that they were reported showing up over 10 percent body fat. This is usually a good gauge on how well you've kept in shape, as anything that exceeds 8 percent is usually looked down upon.

With that being said, it is hard to compare the two directly since they are playing two different positions, but what stands out about the two players is their ability to make an impact right away at their respective positions, and they will ultimately land on teams, who are likely struggling and can be solid pieces who get their teams heading in the right direction again.

Irving is more of a facilitator at the point guard position, and Williams is likely to do his damage in the scoring column.

Playing in only eight games during his one and only year of college, could be cause for concern as he may have a rougher transition to the NBA level than some expect, although his play over those eight games seemed to be mature for a freshman. Not to mention that his coach Mike Krzyzewski made a bold statement saying that, "He could've been the best player at the college level, had he played the entire season" doesn't exactly hurt either.

As far as comparisons go, he has been compared to players like John Stockton, Chris Paul and Mike Conley. What these all basically boil down to, is that he is a pure point guard and has a great feel for the game as all of the aforementioned comparisons are a great complement to him, although comparisons should always be taken with a grain of salt.

However, his comparisons seem pretty accurate as he is a solid athlete, although not at the level of freakish athletic point guards such as Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook or even John Wall.

While a team especially like the Cavaliers would likely want more experience from a player they are taking with the No. 1 overall pick, he looks like he has the total package and getting the seal of approval from his well-repected head coach at Duke, doesn't hurt either.

He will likely be a breath of fresh air for the Cavaliers as he is viewed as a charismatic player who has good court vision and has the ability to run a team successfully at the NBA level, while having the potential to become a borderline All-Star and have a similar impact to that of Stephen Curry, although his jumper is solid but not quite as deadly as Curry's is.

Derrick Williams of the Arizona Wildcats

While taking into consideration the fact that it is possible for the Cavaliers to take Williams with the first overall pick, it is important for everyone to note that while he is certainly a talented player, comparing him to LeBron James just because he wears the same number and can dunk athletically would be a foolish thing to do.

It will be a hard thing for Cavalier fans to not be excited about the No. 1 pick however, since the team hasn't had much to look forward too since LeBron left them in the dust and took his talents to South Beach.

Comparisons of Michael Beasley and Antawn Jamison have surfaced as of late, and those seem to be more accurate. Although he will tell you he is not a power forward, and he will likely play a small forward, he may be able to learn to play both positions overtime and fit the bill for what is known as a "tweener" in the NBA.

He is a player who has shown tremendous footwork and ability to draw contact when going to work in the paint on the offensive end, although when he gets to the line his efficiency needs work as he is in the low 70's when shooting from the free-throw line.

While he may not possess the quickness or the handle to get by his defender, he wisely compensates for this by using his body to shield the ball and makes his shot tough to defend by doing so. It is worth noting that his quickness is more useful to him than his strength however, as he will rely on his speed combined with length to be effective at the NBA level.

Obviously he has the build to add muscle to it but will need to work hard and hit the weight room at the NBA level, as he will be facing opponents who are quicker and much stronger at his position than what he faced at the college level.

If he is able to add a consistent mid-range jump shot, to make him less predictable on the offensive end and add muscle to bang in the post, making him tougher to guard, he has the potential to make the previously mentioned comparisons a reality, since just like Irving, he holds a lot of potential to get better.