2011 NBA Mock Draft: Is Brandon Knight a Lock to Go to Utah?
The draft is just under a month away and the excitement couldn't be higher. After the combine, some players saw their stock rise and others saw their stock fall and thus mock drafts are as interesting as they've ever been.
Some players, like Brandon Knight, seem to be a lock to go to a certain team at a certain pick. The rest of the players could go just about anywhere in this year's draft.
This draft is where I think certain players are going to go, some will agree and many will disagree, but let me know why you disagree and what you would change.
1. Cleveland Cavaliers, Kyrie Irving PG Duke
1 of 30
Kyrie Irving has drawn comparisons to Chris Paul. If he turns out to be anything like Chris Paul, then the Cavs will be getting a future star in the NBA for years to come.
Even with Derrick Williams on the board, Irving is the best pick for Cleveland. The Cavs already have their big man of the future in J.J. Hickson, so while they might take a look at Enes Kanter, I think Irving will ultimately be their pick.
In the point guard-driven NBA, Irving will likely be the future for Cleveland. Irving offers true point guard skills: great ball handler, great passer and the ability to create his own shot and score. I think Irving's perimeter defense could be the strongest aspect to his game.
Irving's durability is a huge question mark. He battled a toe injury during his one-year career at Duke. It could have just been a one-time freak injury for Irving, but Irving's durability is still his biggest question mark.
2. Minnesota Timberwolves, Derrick Williams SF/PF Arizona
2 of 30
In my last mock draft I had the Wolves taking Enes Kanter. I have written an article explaining how Derrick Williams is going to fall to the Jazz. But now I have him going with the second pick, but he will not be going to Minnesota.
The Wolves are going to trade the pick, I just don't know who they are going to trade it to. If they keep the pick, then they will take Kanter, but I don't see any way that they are going to be able to keep this pick.
Williams is a freak athlete, explosive and a surprisingly good shooter. I think that he is the most NBA-ready prospect in all of the draft. Whatever team he goes to will be able to expect an instant impact from Williams.
Yes, kind of a cheap way out on this one, but Williams goes at No. 2 to a team that will be named later.
3. Utah Jazz, Brandon Knight PG Kentucky
3 of 30
At just 18 years old, Brandon Knight led the Kentucky Wildcats to the Final Four. He has proven leadership and game-closing abilities. That is one of the many pieces that the Jazz need in order to get back to the playoffs. Utah could take Kanter because they need a true center, but I don't see them passing on Knight.
Knight can shoot the ball and is a true scorer. He can get to the basket and pull up from mid-range. He has excellent skills on defense and I think that will benefit him greatly with the Jazz.
Knight is streaky and will need to work on his consistency if he is ever going to be the prolific point guard that he can become.
Brandon Knight is inheriting a good situation in Utah. He can learn from Devin Harris, who looks similar to Knight and he has a lot of help with the big men on the Jazz.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers, Enes Kanter C/PF Turkey/Kentucky
4 of 30
The Cavs have the opportunity to have one of the best drafts in recent history. With Kyrie Irving already taken with the top pick, the Cavs can hit a home run by taking Enes Kanter.
Kanter will be teamed up with JJ Hickson. Toward the end of the year, Hickson emerged as a legitimate big man. With Irving, Kanter and Hickson, the Cavs has a young core that could hang around for years.
Kanter is big and talented. He does have a history of knee problems and just sat out an entire year of basketball because he was ruled ineligible by the NCAA. There is cause for concern.
But Kanter's abilities down low might be too much to pass up for Minnesota.
5. Toronto Raptors, Jonas Valanciunas C/PF Lithuania
5 of 30
Even if the Raptors had the No. 1 pick in the draft, they are still a few years out from being a contender in the East. That being said, Toronto can afford to draft a player that needs to develop a little bit.
Chris Bosh left and the Raptors need a big man that can replace him. Jonas Valanciunas could be the replacement that Toronto is looking for. He is a young big man with a lot of upside. He has great inside game and a good mid-range jump shot.
Valanciunas will need to put on some weight before he becomes a dominant post player in the NBA, but fortunately the Raptors have the time to wait.
6. Washington Wizards, Bismack Biyombo C/PF Congo
6 of 30
Bismack Biyombo could very easily end up having one of the most successful careers from this year's draft class. He has ridiculous upside but is a raw talent. In a few years, he could be a dominant force for the Wizards.
His 7'7" wingspan makes him an absolute beast down low. He is a great rebounder and a great shot blocker. He needs some work on the offensive side of the ball but can be a force on defense.
Washington needs defense.
It might be a bit of a stretch, but I think Biyombo's stock continues to rise and he ultimately ends up in Washington.
7. Sacramento Kings, Kemba Walker PG UConn
7 of 30
By this point, everybody knows who Kemba Walker is. He is an electrifying point guard and a proven winner. Walker dominated the college game but has some question marks surrounding him heading into the NBA. He lacks size but he brings quickness. He could be an Allen Iverson type of player without the Iverson drama.
The Kings have Tyreke Evans but it's becoming more and more apparent that he is not a point guard. A backcourt of Evans and Walker could be outstanding.
This relationship could work out well; the Kings need a point guard and leadership, and Walker needs help. I think Walker to the Kings is a good fit.
8. Detroit Pistons, Kawhi Leonard SF San Diego State
8 of 30
The Pistons need help everywhere. They have a lot of options with this pick and as long as someone with talent comes to Detroit, their team will be a lot better.
Kawhi Leonard helped lead San Diego State to their first Sweet 16 ever. Simply put, Leonard can ball.
Leonard has been drawing comparisons to Gerald Wallace, and I think those comparisons are fair. I compare him to Ron Artest, without the rap CD and history of fighting fans. If Leonard can continue to improve his jump shot, he could end up being a steal with the eighth pick for Detroit.
There is no question that his athleticism and defense are his most NBA-ready traits. He is a versatile player who can guard bigger guys in the post and can take on point guards if he needs to. Leonard's defense will help the Pistons immediately.
9. Charlotte Bobcats, Tristan Thompson PF/C Texas
9 of 30
The Charlotte Bobcats need some size. Joel Pryzbilla, DeSagana Diop, Kwame Brown, Boris Diaw, Eduardo Najera and Tyrus Thomas—good players no doubt, but that list certainly doesn't make anyone tremble with fear when they play the Bobcats.
Tristan Thompson could bring some low post skills to Charlotte. At 6'9", he is a little small to play power forward, but he has put on some weight in college and his frame looks like it could put on even more weight. He needs that weight to be successful.
Thompson's post game is really good. He has a horrible shot. If he can develop any sort of jump shot then he could develop into a really good pro.
10. Milwaukee Bucks, Alec Burks SG/PG Colorado
10 of 30
Alec Burks is a dynamic scorer. He can get to the basket seemingly at will. Paired alongside Brandon Jennings, the Bucks would have some serious scorers in their backcourt. I think that pair is a perfect match.
Burks needs to develop an outside jump shot. He struggles shooting from beyond the arc and he will need that skill to get to the basket in the NBA. As soon as Burks starts shooting the ball, he will be able to put up similar numbers in the NBA that he put up in college.
He has soft touch and a quick first step. He is very athletic and has good speed. He can also be a serviceable defender. He reminds me of Evan Turner, but when Evan Turner was at Ohio State.
11. Golden State Warriors, Jan Vesely SF Czech Republic
11 of 30
When you watch Jan Vesely play, it's hard not to think of Andrei Kirilenko. They have similar size, similar skill sets and similar styles of play. Vesely is very capable of filling up the stat sheet. He is very versatile and capable of guarding multiple positions.
He lacks the offensive skills necessary to become a prolific scorer, but he can develop those skills. Golden State seems like a great fit for Vesely. He's versatile and could play well with Monta Ellis and Steph Curry.
If Vesely turns out to be like Kirilenko, then he is in for a long career and the Warriors will have made a very good pick with the 11th pick in the draft.
12. Utah Jazz, Marshon Brooks SG Providence
12 of 30
Marshon Brooks can score with the best of them. Each year that he played at Providence he got better. He has proved that he is teachable and willing to work hard. That is Brooks' best trait heading into the NBA.
Brooks needs to become a better passer and work on getting his teammates involved. If he does that, then he is a very good player. He reminds me of Josh Howard and I could see his career ending up very similar to Howard.
This is a bold prediction, as Brooks is likely a stretch at 12. Gordon Hayward was a stretch at nine last year, but the Jazz still did it. Brooks fills a need in Utah, he is a scorer and a shooter. Jimmer fits the mold, but the Jazz already picked Knight so I see them passing on the hometown hero.
He could be a steal at 12, but he's not a lock by any means.
13. Phoenix Suns, Jimmer Fredette PG/SG BYU
13 of 30
Jimmer Fredette dominated the college game. Long range shots and blowing past defenders were what Jimmer does best. I have no doubt he will be able to score in the NBA.
Much has been made about Jimmer's lack of defensive ability. But I think that he will be better than most say he will. He won't be a shutdown defender by any means, but he will do OK.
The Suns offense seems to be a great fit for Jimmer. He would be able to have the ball in his hands a lot like Steve Nash and be the facilitator of the offense. He would be able to learn from Nash for a while and then take the reins.
For Jimmer, it doesn't really matter how high he goes in the draft, he just needs to go to the right team. I think the Suns could be a good fit.
14. Houston Rockets, PF/SF Marcus Morris Kansas
14 of 30
Marcus is the more developed of the Morris twins. His skills are very similar to Al Harrington. He has a really, really good jump shot. He has good post skills and can play with his back to the basket. As far as offense goes, I think he's about as ready as anyone to transition to the NBA.
His defense is average. A lot of the reason he's not a great defender is because he is undersized. He doesn't have the length that a typical lock-down post defender has in the NBA. That will hurt him on both sides of the ball but especially on defense.
Houston traded away Shane Battier and need to replace him. Morris fits the mold.
15. Indiana Pacers, Kenneth Faried PF Morehead State
15 of 30
Kenneth Faried is one of the most exciting players in the entire country to watch. His energy and athleticism make him a beast on the boards and a force on the block. His offensive game is raw and needs some work, but his defense and rebounding are great.
Indiana has had some luck taking players like this. Tyler Hansbrough had all sorts of questions surrounding him when he came to the league but the Pacers took the gamble and have helped Hansbrough turn into a good NBA player. The same can be said about Jeff Foster. They seem like the team that will take the gamble on Faried.
Faried needs to work on his offensive skills in order to be successful, but his defense and rebounding are outstanding. The comparison to Dennis Rodman is almost too perfect.
For Faried, I see his career shaping out to be similar to Paul Millsap. When Millsap came out he didn't have much of an offensive game, but over a few years he developed into a very good forward. I see the same for Faried.
16. Philadelphia 76ers, Donatas Motiejunas C/PF Lithuania
16 of 30
Some compare Donata Motiejunas to Kevin Durant. I think a better comparison is Andrea Bargnani, although both comparisons make sense. Motiejunas is a tall, lanky big man who has as much potential as anyone in the draft.
He has good size, good quickness and a pretty good jump shot. He will need to work on his defense in order to play a big role in the NBA.
Admittedly, I don't know as much about Motiejunas as I should.
17. New York Knicks, Josh Selby PG Kansas
17 of 30
Had Josh Selby been able to enter the draft right out of high school, he would have likely been a top-10 pick. Unfortunately for Selby, he had to go to a year of school, and he was disappointing at best. He was ruled ineligible to start the year and battled injuries to end the year, so it wasn't completely his fault that he was disappointing.
Even though he had a disappointing season, the potential is still there. Selby has the potential to be a great point guard. I think the Knicks are a good fit for Selby. He could play alongside Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire for years to come.
Selby has a good jump shot, but he is streaky. He will need to become a better passer in order to be effective, especially with Anthony and Stoudemire.
The Knicks need a point guard and Knick fans always love a big name; Selby is both.
18. Washington Wizards, Chris Singleton SF/PF Florida State
18 of 30
I had the Wizards taking Bismack Biyombo with the sixth pick in the draft because of defensive needs. I think they take Chris Singleton at 18 for the same reason.
Singleton is outstanding defender. He will be able to go to Washington and instantly make an impact on defense. At 18, can you ask for anything more than a player that can instantly make an impact?
Singleton reminds many of Luc Richard Mbah a Moute. That's a fair comparison. I think he will be just as successful as Mbah a Moute.
He needs to develop more on the offensive side of the ball, but that will come with time. Singleton is a great fit for Washington.
19. Charlotte Bobcats, Markeiff Morris SF/PF Kansas
19 of 30
The other Morris twin is not quite as developed at his brother. He is good around the rim and a good spot-up shooter; he's lacking the in-between game though. I think he will develop that game over time and could be very good for the Bobcats.
Markeiff is a little bigger than his brother and that will serve him well. I think Markeiff Morris is a very solid pick for the Bobcats.
The Bobcats need a lot of help. Thompson and Morris, although they are both big, are an upgrade at their current platoon of big men.
20. Minnesota Timberwolves, Klay Thompson SG Washington State
20 of 30
Who Minnesota takes with this pick in the draft likely depends on who they get in the trade for the second pick. But they need outside scoring to help free things up for Kevin Love down low.
In my opinion, Klay Thompson is the second best shooter in the draft behind Jimmer. He has a lot of question marks surrounding him about his defensive abilities. But I think that he will be able to fill a Kyle Korver-type role for the Wolves.
21. Portland Trail Blazers, Jordan Hamilton SF Texas
21 of 30
Jordan Hamilton is a really good player. He could be a great player given the right fit. I think that Portland is the right fit for Hamilton.
The problem with Hamilton is that he hasn't really developed any of his skills into his niche. He's a good scorer, but his jump shot is inconsistent. He can play defense and rebound, but he isn't a lock-down defender by any means.
Hamilton needs to develop some of his skills before he can be really good in the NBA.
22. Denver Nuggets, Jordan Williams C/PF Maryland
22 of 30
This one is simple. Denver has a ton of young talent in their backcourt and around the perimeter. They need to get younger in the post.
Jordan Williams is a big and strong rebounder. He doesn't have offensive skills that will "wow" you, but he's good. He could learn from Nene and develop into a similar player.
Jordan Williams fits in Denver.
23. Houston Rockets, Reggie Jackson PG Boston College
23 of 30
Reggie Jackson is 6'3" and has a ridiculous 7'0" wingspan. He is a very well-rounded player. He plays good defense but not great. He can shoot and pass the ball well, but not outstanding.
Houston needs a point guard. Goran Dragic is not the answer. Kyle Lowry is really good, but I'm not sure that he can be a starting point guard day in and day out.
Reggie Jackson might not be the answer either, but at 21 he's worth the gamble.
24. Oklahoma City Thunder, Tyler Honeycutt SF UCLA
24 of 30
I will keep this one simple.
Many think that Tyler Honeycutt needs to go back to UCLA for another year. Many thought that Russell Westbrook needed to go back to UCLA for another year.
The Westbrook gamble worked for the Thunder so maybe the Honeycutt gamble will too. On a team that doesn't have any obvious needs, Honeycutt could be good fit for the future.
25. Boston Celtics, Justin Harper PF/C Richmond
25 of 30
Justin Harper is so much like Channing Frye it's crazy. He's a big guy that has proven to be able to play outside a little bit. He has a good shot and could have similar impact to that of Frye or Mehmet Okur.
Harper needs some serious work on becoming a real big man, though. He needs to rebound better, defend better and develop better post skills.
He's got a similar frame to Kevin Garnett and could learn a lot from him in Boston.
26. Dallas Maveriks, Davis Bertans SF Latvia
26 of 30
It's completely unfair to compare anyone to Dirk Nowitzki, but you can't ignore the similarities between Nowitzki and Davis Bertans. Bertans needs some meat on his bones and isn't quite as tall as Nowitzki, but he's got similar skills.
Bertans is a project for sure, but if any player can help develop the future Dirk Nowitzki, it's the present Dirk Nowitzki.
27. New Jersey Nets, Darius Morris PG Michigan
27 of 30
The New Jersey Nets acquired Deron Williams and have their point guard of the future. Having a solid backup point guard is never a bad thing. Currently the Nets have Jordan Farmar on the roster but Morris could be an upgrade at the backup point guard position.
Morris reminds me of a young Andre Miller. He could be a very serviceable backup to Williams. Morris is a true point guard. He can lead a team and do exactly what you want a point guard to do.
He is turnover-prone at times, but under Deron Williams' tutelage he could develop into a good player.
28. Chicago Bulls, Nolan Smith PG Duke
28 of 30
The Bulls don't have any immediate needs; they are solid all the way around. They certainly don't need a point guard because they have the NBA MVP. Nolan Smith could be a very good backup to Rose.
I have my doubts whether or not Smith could be an everyday starter in the NBA. He could be a very good backup for a long time.
His defense is a great and that will be very beneficial for his NBA career. He will struggle to get time with the Bulls, but Smith would struggle to get time with anyone.
29. San Antonio Spurs, JaJuan Johnson PF Pudue
29 of 30
The Spurs played great throughout the entire regular season. They got dominated by Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol during the first round of the playoffs. Tim Duncan is getting older and the end of his career is sooner than most basketball fans would like to admit. They need to find his replacement.
JaJuan Johnson is a very good player and had a great career at Purdue. He's got good size and good athleticism. Johnson would learn a lot from Duncan and could develop into a really good player for the Spurs.
Besides, the Spurs have good luck with big men from Purdue.
30. Chicago Bulls, Lucas Nogueira PF/C Brazil
30 of 30
Like I said in the Bulls' earlier slide, they don't have any obvious needs. They can draft for the future with this pick.
Lucas Nogueira is a good pick. He's got size but needs muscle. He is an excellent shot blocker and shooter. A few years of development will benefit Nogueira and could benefit the Bulls as well.
