2011 NBA Mock Draft: Can the Orlando Magic Use Draft to Appease Dwight Howard?
With the NBA lottery behind us and the finals upon us, that means one thing and one thing only, the 2011 NBA draft is right around the corner.
This year's draft lacks some of the marque names and players we have seen in past drafts, but that does not mean there are not talented players out there to be had. What it really means is that General Managers will need to do their homework and scouts must dig deep to evaluate possible sleepers.
For the Orlando Magic, It will be tough to use the draft as a way to appease Dwight Howard.
Otis Smith traded away their first-round pick during the midseason trades to Phoenix, so the Magic will have to work out a deal if they want to target a player in the first round that can realistically play a roll in a title run.
The Magic currently only have a late second-round pick (53 overall), so unless they can find a late-round gem, the 2011 NBA draft will be a tough one for the Magic.
If the Magic jump into the first round via a trade of some sort, look for it not to be until the mid-to-late picks.
1. Cleveland Cavaliers: Kyrie Irving
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Even with Cleveland now having Baron Davis to go with Ramon Sessions, this one has to be Duke's Kyrie Irving.
Irving to me is the surest player in the draft and has the potential to right the ship in Cleveland and become the face of the franchise—a face that Cavalier fans desperately need to see.
Kyrie Irving drawls comparisons to Jon Wall, but Irving's shot is light years ahead of last year's No. 1 pick.
At 6'3", Irving is your do-it-all point guard that can create his own shot and has a way of making those around him better.
Irving will be the No. 1 overall pick in this years draft.
2. Minnesota Timberwolves: Derrick Williams
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This is a bit of a tough one for the Timberwolves as they do not have a huge need at power forward with Michael Beasley and Anthony Randolph, but Derrick Williams is the next best player available.
Enes Kanter is a definite possibility here for the Timberwolves as they could use him at center and play Kevin Love at the four, but I don't see them passing on Williams.
Williams is an explosive small forward who can beat opponents with his quickness and his ability to finish at the rim is jaw dropping.
Minnesota would love for Cleveland to pick Derrick Williams so they could run away with Irving who could upgrade their backcourt, but they will either settle for Williams or trade the pick.
If the Timberwolves do decide to trade the pick, they would most likely get two early to mid first-round picks in return so General Manager David Kahn has some options with this pick.
3. Utah Jazz: Enes Kanter
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With the Jazz receiving rookie Derrick Favors in the Derron Williams midseason trade, Enes Kanter fits in nicely for Utah.
Kanter at 6'11" and weighing 250 pounds demonstrates his willingness to throw his body around down low while also showing nice finesse around the basket and should be a good scoring center for years to come.
The Jazz would have options in their frontcourt with forwards Paul Milsap and Derrick Favors, and by adding center, Enes Canter they could lock things up for the future.
The Jazz could elect to go another route here and draft Kentucky's Brandon Knight, but the Jazz like European players, and Kanter looks like a player General Manager Kevin O' Connor would select.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers: Jonas Valanciunas
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The Cavaliers would most likely prefer Enes Kanter with this pick, but with him off the board, they go with international standout center Jonas Valanciunas.
Valanciunas will have his work cut of for him in the NBA, but he is only 19 years old, and he could become a seven-footer in the next couple of years, making him tough to pass up. Jonas can run the floor good for a big man and has no problem finishing plays around the basket. Once he finishes growing and putting on some more bulk, he could become a real force.
With Kyrie Irving and Jonas Valanciunas, Cavalier fans will be able to see some light at the end of the tunnel and will be well on their way to building a respectable team again.
5. Toronto Raptors: Brandon Knight
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The Raptors would be thrilled to land Knight here.
Knight is a big point guard at 6'3" and is explosive with the ball in his hands and for an added bonus, he can knock down three-pointers. Knight averaged over 17 per game during his freshman year at Kentucky while dishing out four assists.
Brandon Knight would be an upgrade at both ends of the court over current point guard Jose Calderon, and at 19 years of age, the upside is unreal. Toronto could elect to run Knight at the two with Calderon playing point if they wanted to.
If Knight is still on the board, this one is an absolute no-brainer for the Raptors.
6. Washington Wizards: Jan Vesley
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The Wizards need help with their frontcourt, and Jan Vesley or Kawhi Leonard could be options here.
Of the two, I think the pick will be Vesley as I think he has more potential to be superior on the offensive end.
Vesley will benefit from having Jon Wall on his team, who prove last year he will be a great passer for years to come. Wall will also make it easierr for Vesley to make the transition to the NBA.
Vesley could have been a top 10 pick had he elected for the draft last April, Wizards fans can be happy he chose to stay for another year.
7. Sacramento Kings: Kemba Walker
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The Kings could elect to go with Kawhi Leonard here, but the thought of Kemba Walker and Tyreke Evans in the same backcourt is too exciting to pass up.
Walker had a huge junior year for the Huskies last year, averaging over 23 points per contest. Walker was as exciting as they come to watch, and he should be a capable scorer at the next level.
Kings fans will for sure have a reason to go to the games next year, if for nothing else to watch Evans and Walker work the offense.
8. Detroit Piston Kawhi Leonard
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Leonard has been working his way up the draft boards of late, and he would fit in with the Pistons nicely next year.
The Pistons will most likely be losing Tayshaun Prince this offseason, and Leonard can fill that spot.
Kawhi is an athletic small forward and at 6'7", 225 he can play multiple positions in a game.
If Leonard can continue to improve his offensive game, he should be a solid player at the next level.
9. Charlotte Bobcats: Marcus Morris
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The Bobcats will be looking for someone to fill in for Gerald Wallace, who the Bobcats traded away to Portland.
Marcus Morris should be the man for the job.
Morris averaged over 17 points per game last year for Kansas, and he can bring some physicality to the Bobcat's frontcourt.
10. Milwaukee Bucks: Alec Burks
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The sophomore shooting guard from Colorado can help the Bucks out at the shooting guard position, with Michael Redd and Chris Douglas Roberts becoming free agents.
Burks has good size for a shooting guard at 6'6" and can score the ball in many different ways.
The Bucks could get some instant offense from Burks, and Brandon Jennings would love to have some more offensive playmakers for him to pass to.
11. Golden State Warriors: Bismack Biyombo
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Bismack Biyombo is only 18 years old but already stands 6'9" and weighs over 240 pounds.
Golden State already has some depth at the forward position with David Lee, Andris Biedrins and Ekpe Udoh, but Biyombo is a terror on the boards, and with his potential, I don't see him dropping any further.
12. Utah Jazz: Jimmer Fredette
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Jimmer was the 2011 Player of the Year and seemingly was the BYU offense.
Jimmer fits in with the Jazz perfectly.
Fans would come to watch him play, and he could back up Devin Harris and provide some instant offense when he is in the game.
13. Phoenix Suns: Tristan Thompson
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Tristan Thompson is a young power forward who should be a great rebounder in the NBA.
Thompson is a very athletic player and can get you out of your seat with some of his dunks, but he needs to improve the rest of his offensive game to be a real force in the NBA.
The Suns already have Macin Gortat and Robin Lopez to play center to a forward like Thompson helps fill out their roster.
14. Houston Rockets: Donatas Motiejunas
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The Houston Rockets need a permanent replacementt for Yao Ming, and that very well could be the 20-year-old Lithuanian Donatas Motiejunas.
Donatas is a seven-footer who has good finesse around the rim, but at times, appears to play lazy and not keep it going 100 percent all of the time.
He should be a starting center at the next level for years to come if he can put on some bulk.
15. Indiana Pacers: Klay Thompson
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The Pacers get a 6'7" shooting guard that can stroke it from deep better then anyone in the draft.
Thompson will provide instant offense for the Pacers and will immediately become their best three-point shooter.
Darren Collinson will enjoy being able to drive the ball and dish it out to Klay on the perimeter, and that could become a nice combination for the Pacers.
16. Philadelphia 76ers: Markieff Morris
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The 76ers have are a guard heavy team so this is an easy pick for them.
Markieff Morris is a physical prospect that stands 6'10" and weighs 245 pounds and knows how to use his body down low to finish at the rim. Morris has an above-average, mid-range game and can also knock down the occasional three pointer.
Philadelphia desperately needs a dominate presence inside, and Morris can help fill that void.
17. New York Knicks: Chris Singleton
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This would be the ideal pick for the Knicks.
Singleton would fit in nicely in a lineup next to Anthony and Stoudemire. His athletic ability is as good as anyone in the draft. Singleton has improved his shot enough throughout his three years at Florida State.
Singleton would give the Knicks a much-needed role player that can produce on both ends of the court.
18. Washington Wizards: Torbias Harris
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Tobias Harris is another young prospect in the 2011 NBA draft at only 18 years old.
Harris can play a point forward type roll for the Wizards at times and can score from inside and out.
I like Harris to be one of the sleepers in this year's draft, and I think he can develop into a very good NBA player.
This would be a good draft to this point for the Wizards who would have Jan Vesley and Torbias Harris.
19. Charlotte Bobcats: Jordan Hamilton
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The Bobcats get this pick from the trade with Portland, and I like this one to be either Jordan Hamilton or Marshon Brooks.
I think the final selection will be Hamilton as he is the more versatile player that can play guard or forward giving the Bobcats some options on where to use him.
If Hamilton can gain some consistency with his shooting, he could be a real threat for Charlotte in the coming years.
20. Minnesota Timberwolves: Marshon Brooks
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If the Orlando Magic are going to make a splash and try to get into the first round of the draft, this is their chance.
The Timberwolves are loaded with young players on their roster so they would most likely bite at a proven player maybe a Chris Duhon to back up Johnny Flynn.
If the Magic can acquire this pick, I think Marshon Brooks would work for Orlando.
The Magic are pretty desperate at the shooting guard position, and it's looking like J.J. Redick will be the starter next season with Jason Richardson being an unrestricted free agent.
Marshon Brooks drops because he is a senior so most general managers see him as a player that's reached his potential, but Brooks averaged over 24 points per game last year, good for second in the country.
The Magic need perimeter scoring badly, and Brooks could be a good player to target late in the first.
21.Portland Trail Blazer: Kenneth Faried
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Kenneth Faried averaged over 17 points per game last year for Morehead State, and with his extreme athleticism, he can be a very good forward in the NBA.
Faried is another one of those players that gets looked past for being a senior, but teams will regret looking past him.
Faried can be a good rebounder and defender to go a long with his big offensive game, and he should be a good future player for the Trail Blazers and an instant spark off the bench.
22. Denver Nuggets: Charles Jenkins
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Denver will most likely be losing J.R. Smith this offseason and possibly Arron Affalo as well which means they will need some help at the guard position.
Jenkins had a monster year at Hofstra during his senior campaign averaging over 23 points per game while shooting 42 percent from down town, something the Nuggest love to do.
As an expierenced senior Jenkins should be able to fill in for the departed J.R. Smith or Arron Affalo.
23. Houston Rockets: Josh Shelby
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This would be a bit of a high risk/high reward pick for the Rockets.
Shelby is a 20-year-old freshman who averaged only eight points per game last year for the Jay-Hawks, but Shelby displays the potential to be a starter in the NBA in the coming years if he develops.
24. Oklahoma City Thunder: Tyler Honeycutt
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The Thunder can gamble with this pick, as they have no major needs on their roster.
Tyler Honeycutt averaged nearly 13 points per game in his sophomore season with UCLA last year.
Honeycutt stands at 6'8", and he has a versatile game and could become a solid option for the Thunder off the bench.
25: Boston Celtics: Kyle Singler
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Singler had a prolific career in his four seasons with the Duke Blue-Devils, averaging over 17 points per game last year for Duke.
The Celtics are getting old at nearly every position except for point guard, I think Singler can come in and produce right away off the bench.
Singler is a hard-working player that fits in the mold for a Doc Rivers-coached player.
26.Dallas Mavericks: Travis Leslie
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Travis Leslie was the most athletic player in the country last year, and the Mavericks could use some more athleticism on the perimeter.
Leslie can play at small forward or guard and runs the floor very well.
Leslie lacks great shooting ability, but he makes up for it with his great defensive ability and sheer athleticism.
This may be a bit high for Leslie, but depending on how the Finals go for the Mavericks, a player like Leslie could be what they need to go up against teams with great guards.
27. New Jersey Nets: Reggie Jackson
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The Nets are lacking in every position except at point guard and center.
Reggie Jackson is a pure scorer on the wing, something the Nets are lacking.
Jackson averaged over 18 points per game last year for Boston College, including shooting over 42 percent from the three-point line.
Reggie Jackson is another player I think the Magic would be interested in targeting if they were to jump in late in the first. With the Nets losing Kris Humphries likely to free agency and the trade that sent Derrick Favors to Utah, the Nets might be interested in a player like Earl Clark from the Magic.
28. Chicago Bulls: Trey Thompkins
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The Bulls could really use a shooting guard here, but with one not being available, they get a value pick here with Trey Tompkins.
Tompkins is a power forward that can score averaging over 16 points per game last year for the Georgia Bulldogs.
29: San Antonio Spurs: JaJuan Johnson
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One of my other sleepers in the draft, the Spurs get a great pick here with Johnson.
Johnson is a 6'10 power forward that averaged over 20 points per game last year for Purdue. JaJuan has had pretty mid-range turn around jumper and has the skills to be a starter for the Spurs soon.
The Spurs will most likely be losing Antonio Mcdyess to retirement so Johnson fills a need for the spurs, who are aging quickly.
30. Chicago Bulls: Shelvin Mack
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The Bulls get the star Butler point guard who can also run shooting guard as well.
Derrick Rose at point with Shelvin Mack at the shooting guard position could give the Bulls another way to keep opposing teams off balance.
Mack can be a good perimeter scoring option for the Bulls who really need someone to help take some of the load off Derrick Rose's shoulders.
With the NBA Draft approaching, NBA Mock Draft season is here. Stay tuned to Bleacher Report for updated mock drafts, along with the latest NBA Draft news, analysis, rumors and predictions.
