2011 NBA Draft: Each Team's Ideal Draft Pick
It would be easy to say that Kyrie Irving or Derrick Williams would add instant impact to any team from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Miami Heat. But what if each team needed to draft for a specific void on their team?
Think about the Memphis Grizzlies; sure, Irving or Williams would be nice but they already have Rudy Gay and Mike Conley. Yes, you can argue the Irving would be a huge improvement but he doesn't fit what exactly the Grizzlies need.
The Grizzlies don't necessarily need more scoring; if Gay returns and is healthy, they don't need that. What the Grizzlies could use is a backup center, possibly a starter if Marc Gasol leaves. Enes Kanter would make more sense for them than either Kyrie Irving or Derrick Williams.
This is the same logic that will be applied to every team, regardless of their actual draft position.
Atlanta Hawks, Enes Kanter, C
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Al Horford technically plays Center at times for the Atlanta Hawks and plays well, considering he is usually giving up four inches to his opponent. The Hawks would be well-served to move Horford over to a power forward position where he would easily push around most power forwards.
No other center on the Hawks roster is even a really good option for a backup center. Etan Thomas, Zaza Pachulia, Hilton Armstrong and Jason Collins all deserve to be spending some time in the NBA's D-League.
Kanter is a huge mystery but has professional experience and was recruited by John Calipari, so he was basically NBA ready at the beginning of the summer. As the best NBA-ready big man, Kanter might be able to get the Hawks past a four seed next year.
Boston Celtics, Alec Burks, SG
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The easy answer now that Shaq has retired is to get them a big man in the middle. Unfortunately, the Jeff Green experiment didn't exactly catch the world on fire, and Ray Allen and Paul Pierce are a little too old to be playing as many minutes as they are in the middle of February.
Enter Alec Burks. A scorer who can get rebounds, Burks would provide a spark off the bench that the Celtics need. Burks didn't exactly play against top-level opponents last year, so he might benefit from a year on the bench learning from Pierce and Allen.
Burks can get to the basket and shoot from outside, something the Celtics desperately need to allow Kevin Garnett and Glen Davis to work underneath.
Charlotte Bobcats, Tristan Thompson, PF
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DJ Augustin and Stephen Jackson are solid but not spectacular starters. Michael Jordan loves him some Kwame Brown, and truth be told, he's not all that bad at this point in his career. If Gerald Henderson can continue the production he had at the end of last season, he is certainly a valuable shooting guard.
Boris Diaw is just not the answer at power forward. There has not been enough consistency in Charlotte for Diaw to find a role in terms of what he should be doing. He seems to have already peaked and hasn't looked truly comfortable since he left Phoenix.
Tristan Thompson is limited offensively but can rebound very well for his size. He doesn't have a lot of size yet, but he could work his way into that with the right strength program. He has that motor that Jordan seems to be looking for and would hustle and rarely makes mistakes.
Chicago Bulls, Alec Burks, SG
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To be successful, your starting shooting guard should not average 4.4 points a game. Keith Bogans is a serviceable reserve, but the Bulls are loaded with reserves at the shooting guard position with Kyle Korver and Ronnie Brewer.
The easy answer to this question is to get rid of Luol Deng and add Derrick Williams, but Deng is rather valuable to the Bulls. He can spread the floor, rebounds well and plays hard on defense. The problem is that Derrick Rose does not truly have a secondary scoring option to draw some attention away from him.
Alec Burks would give Rose three legitimate scoring options to get the ball to besides himself. Sure, Burks would be the fourth option in his first year but that would allow him to better transition into the league as opposed to coming in and needing to share a brunt of the offensive workload.
Burks can create his own shot, which is helpful when your point guard is constantly running around waiting for someone to get open.
Cleveland Cavaliers, Derrick Williams, SF
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The Cavaliers could use help at every single position except power forward. Everyone already thinks the Kyrie Irving is going one overall, but Ramon Sessions is a legitimate starter as long as he is not a primary focus of the offense.
Alonzo Gee, Christian Eyenga and Joey Graham should all be starters for an overseas team. Not a single one of these guys inspires thoughts of greatness.
Maybe that was Dan Gilbert's thought process after LeBron left. He would just put a bunch of scrubs at the small forward spot, so no one would feel pressure to be LeBron.
Derrick Williams will not be LeBron to be sure. He is a legitimate scoring threat and is a scrappy guy who does well underneath the basket.
Williams is also not shy about wanting to be a leader, stating that he wants to be the first pick overall and telling teams he is a best fit at small forward. That kind of confidence will be needed the next few years in Cleveland.
Dallas Mavericks, Chris Singleton, SF
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The Mavericks may already have the right team in place but Jason Kidd is getting old, no one seems to be the clear-cut starter at small forward if Caron Butler is healthy; and Jason Terry comes off the bench but could easily start.
If all things were to stay the same, J.J. Barea could easily replace Jason Kidd if he were to retire, Caron Butler is no sure thing to return, and Shawn Marion is likely on his last legs.
The Mavericks' problem has always been defense and even thought Marion is handling the Miami Heat well he certainly isn't a defensive stopper.
Chris Singleton is a defensive specialist. He could either start or replace Shawn Marion off the bench. The problem is he is basically useless on the offensive side of the court.
Beyond hitting close range jumpers and getting put backs, Singleton's offensive game is very limited, but his defense would come in handy at crunch time.
Denver Nuggets, Klay Thompson, SG
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The Nuggets came out of the Carmelo trade looking better than when they were before it. What is interesting with this team is that if developed right they could become a contender. Just like we say every year about the Portland Trail Blazers.
Wilson Chandler and J.R. Smith may both be gone this offseason, and the Nuggets would be left with Aaron Affalo. Affalo is a nice enough bench player and spot starter, but the Nuggets would need someone who can score.
Klay Thompson can spread the floor and is a deadly long-range shooter. With a strong inside game led by Nene and Kenyon Martin, this would easily leave room for Thompson and Gallinari to work and for Raymond Felton or Ty Lawson to get to the basket.
Detroit Pistons, Jordan Hamilton, SF
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The Detroit Pistons need help everywhere. Richard Hamilton is unhappy and may be dealt as part of a draft day trade. Tayshaun Prince may be leaving to take a pay cut elsewhere and thus far the signings of Charlie Villenueva and Ben Gordon have not worked.
The only places that the Pistons have stability is at center and point guard, which is why they need to find a solid wingman.
With Prince and Hamilton leaving, that would leave Ben Gordon and Austin Daye as their starting shooting guard and small forward. That won't cut it.
Jordan Hamilton is lottery pick that could help immediately. Hamilton is a natural scorer who would need to add some bulk to keep his rebounding numbers near where they were at Texas.
Hamilton brings what the Pistons hoped their free agent pickups would: offense.
Houston Rockets, Kyrie Irving, PG
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The Rockets have solid pieces at every spot. They even have solid backups at every spot. The Rockets can no longer rely on the health of Yao Ming, who is breaking down just like Greg Oden. Chuck Hayes is undersized, Brad Miller is old and Hasheem Thabeet is Hasheem Thabeet. But center isn't the area where the Rockets need to improve.
In a point guard driven league, Kyle Lowry is not the answer. Goran Dragic is not the answer either. The Rockets need to seek someone who can be a court leader and get the ball to an open man while being able to create for himself if needed.
Kyrie Irving solves both those problems. In his 11 games at Duke, Irving showed tremendously play making ability. In his final game against Arizona in the NCAA tournament, he essentially put the team on his back, as a freshmen, playing in his second game since coming off an injury and dealing with the rust of not playing for three months. Irving is a leader that the Rocket just don't have right now.
Indiana Pacers, JaJuan Johnson, PF
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The Indiana Pacers look to have a solid, young starter at every single spot. Roy Hibbert finally came into his own. Darren Collison was a great pickup from the Hornets. Danny Granger is a legitimate All-Star and Paul George was a great pick up last year.
Tyler Hansborough is a glue guy and every team needs one. His style of play tends to make a career and season seem a little long. While he held up for the most part in his first season, he may not be so lucky as the games add up.
JaJuan Johnson is a late first-round sleeper who would add a scoring threat off the bench. His style of play is reminiscent of Kevin Garnett in that he has an outside/inside game. He would need to add more strength but could spell Hansborough without seeing a huge loss in production.
Golden State Warriors, Chris Singleton. SF
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The Warriors are the league's premier all-offense team. With Dorrell Wright having a breakout season, the Warriors had legitimate scoring threats at every single position on the court.
Unfortunately, to win games in the NBA you need to score more than the other team and if you can't stop the other team, it doesn't matter how many points you score.
Ekpe Udoh should improve and at the end of the season, he showed significant defensive skill. David Lee is a bull fighter on defense but hustles to get boards so people tend to overlook that, and the guards are constantly in a contest to see who can score the most.
Chris Singleton would be the ideal stopper for this team. He can guard the shooting guard, small forward or power forward depending on need and would not need the ball in his hands to make a difference.
He could easily come off the bench for key minutes, especially at the end of games if the Warriors happen to be ahead.
Los Angeles Clippers, Enes Kanter, C
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Donald Sterling, Donald Sterling, Donald Sterling. Tsk Tsk Tsk. How do you leave a top three pick unprotected? Imagine Blake Griffin, Eric Gordon and Kyrie Irving. Or Derrick Williams. Or Enes Kanter.
DeAndre Jordan is likely gone if someone gives him the right deal because rather than build a playoff contender, Donald Sterling would rather save money and waste poor Blake Griffin's early athletic years.
Chris Kaman is heading into the last year of his contract and will likely find some team to pay him an outrageous salary.
Enes Kanter could be the starting center next year adding depth to an already potent front court. If only...
Los Angeles Lakers, Brandon Knight, PG
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Derek Fisher needs to retire. Two years ago. He can't keep up with anyone. Unfortunately, he runs the triangle well and that is what Phil Jackson was looking for. Mike Brown needs to find someone who can keep up with the opponent's point guard on defense.
Brandon Knight is by no means Bruce Bowen or Tony Allen on defense. He is quick, though, and that would at least keep him in front of his opponent. Knight also adds shooting skills and may be more comfortable as a third or fourth option.
Basically, any upgrade at point guard should get the Lakers back near the championship.
Memphis Grizzlies, Jimmer Fredette, PG
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The Grizzlies do not necessarily have a ton of needs. Zach Randolph has finally put it all together. Mike Conley has become a serviceable floor general despite being grossly overpaid.
Rudy Gay, O.J. Mayo and Marc Gasol have all proven at one point or another to be All-Star caliber for stretches. Finally, Tony Allen and Shane Battier have shown to be defensive stalwarts and great glue guys.
The Grizzlies can shoot, but have a bona fide sniper who can let it go from anywhere on the court would be a final piece that could push the Grizzlies into true contenders.
Greivis Vasquez is a serviceable backup point guard and fills in well when Conley is on the bench, but Fredette would truly be a focus that the opponent would have to guard at all times.
Fredette may not project to be an All-Star at any point in his career, but he will likely win a Three-Point Shootout at All-Star Weekend. Besides, what team can't use a three-point threat?
Miami Heat, Nikola Vucivec, C
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Take a look at the Miami Heat's roster sometime. Notice somewhere on the team that need a huge upgrade. Mike Bibby and Mario Chalmers can hold down their own. The smorgasbord of centers that the Miami Heat employ just isn't going to cut it.
There is a chance that every center on the Heat's roster could be out of the league by next year. Erick Dampier is still tricking teams into employing him.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas is basically employed as a favor to LeBron and Jamaal Maglorie actually made an All-Star team at one point, but you would never know that from watching him now.
Joel Anthony is a hustle guy who is not quite what you would call a quality starter but hides it because of LeBron, Wade and Chris Bosh.
Vucivec is big enough to step in right away and start. He has developed an inside/outside game similar to Mehmet Okur and other foreign big men.
This would allow him to step out of the lane and open up space for LeBron and Wade. At the same time, Vucivec would add much needed rebounding as he averaged over 10 rebounds a game at USC.
Milwaukee Bucks, Bismack Biyombo, PF
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The problem with the Milwaukee Bucks is that they have too many me-first guys. Brandon Jennings, Corey Maggette and John Salmons are all most effective with the ball in their hands. But the ball can only be at one place at one time.
Ersan Ilyasova was a breath of fresh air for fantasy players two years ago as a rookie and although his stats increased he did not see the floor enough last season.
Larry Sanders is not looking like the steal he was supposed to be last season and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute is going to cut it averaging six rebounds and less than one block per game.
Bismack Biyombo is a high-motor guy who doesn't mind getting physical even if it is to his own detriment. He plays hard every play and does not need the ball to make a difference.
He rebounds well for his size due to enormous arms and will get point through hustle not finesse. He may be just what the Bucks need.
Minnesota Timberwolves, Enes Kanter, C
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David Kahn has built a solid and respectable team out of the Timberwolves. Through what we all thought was a folly in drafting three consecutive point guards to signing Darko Milicic, the Timberwolves are left with a solid if not spectacular player at each spot on the roster.
With a starting five that projects to be Milicic, Kevin Love, Michael Beasley, Wesley Johnson and Ricky Rubio, the Timberwolves may be ready for the playoffs.
Look at that lineup again. Rubio is the point guard of the future. Beasley showed he can be a go-to scorer. Love is an All-Star and Johnson was just picked last year and looks to make improvements this offseason. Milicic is the biggest "hole" on the starting roster and he wasn't even that bad.
Enes Kanter is unproven but shows glimpse of being offensively dominant. He has good hands and can get to the basket but looks weak on the defensive end.
While Milicic is not Dikembe Mutombo, he averaged two blocks and just under a steal per game. Kanter would provide offense while learning the defensive end, where Milicic could sub in.
New Jersey Nets, Derrick Williams, SF
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When the Nets traded for Deron Williams it came as a huge surprise but Mikhail Prokhorov promised he would make the Nets a world champ in five years.
Brook Lopez has been a slight disappointment in his second season since not developing as much as fans wanted after a strong rookie campaign.
Anthony Morrow looks to be a solid shooting guard who can shoot the three, but the Nets are missing a complementary wingman.
Travis Outlaw was the big move the Nets made in the offseason but it didn't really pan out. After seven seasons, he is what he is: a reserve. Mr. Kardashian, Kris Humphries broke out of his shell this year and managed a double-double, but there is no guarantee he will be back.
Derrick Williams fills both problems. As a wingman who can score, Williams can shoot even from beyond the arc, shooting 56 percent from three. He can also score inside and adds a ton of athleticism to the team.
The one negative about Williams is that if he plays at power forward, he is very undersized, and his rebounding numbers would not match those of Humphries.
New Orleans Hornets, Alec Burks, SG
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The Hornets may need to draft a stud just to keep Chris Paul around. The Hornets, in this current incarnation, are a fringe second-round team.
The rumor mill swirls about which team will trade for Chris Paul or what team will he sign with next offseason. Paul could stay in New Orleans if the team is right and they may not be far off.
If David West returns and can stay healthy, the Hornets would be a shooting guard away from making a deep push to the playoffs. Marco Belinelli and Willie Green will not cut it. Marcus Thornton was the type of player they need without the chemistry issues.
Alec Burks could step into Thornton's role. An athletic, explosive scorer, Burks has spent the offseason working to improve his shot to make him more of an outside threat. With another scorer in addition to West, Paul and Emeka Okafor, the Hornets could easily see themselves contending next year.
New York Knicks, Kenneth Faried, PF
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With Amare and now Carmelo, the Knicks are looking to make a big push to become truly relevant in the NBA again. The biggest problem the Knicks had was rebounding and strength in the middle.
With your centers averaging a total of nine rebounds a game, the Knicks look overwhelmed and overmatched at the center position.
Amare can play center. His preference is to play power forward. He is better suited for that, but the Knicks also need to find someone who will exclusively work on rebounding and hustle. That's it. Kenneth Faried will do that.
Excelling at rebounding is Faried's claim to fame. He has been compared to Dennis Rodman for his singular focus. A chiseled 6'8", 225-pound frame is not huge for a power forward, but his hustle will get him that last step.
Faried is by no means a scorer or ball hog, either. With Amare, Carmelo, Chauncey Billups and Landry Fields all more than capable of scoring, Faried could be there to get any putbacks and allow for the other Knicks the get the ball as much as needed.
Oklahoma City Thunder, Chris Singleton, SF
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The Oklahoma City Thunder were overmatched by an experienced Dallas Mavericks team.
With Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant providing the scoring and Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka serving as big men, the Thunder have the ability to have a legitimate contender for the title next year and that is without making any moves.
The shooting guard position is the weakest of the five spots, with Harden not yet hitting his stride as a scorer but having blossomed after Jeff Green left, this position should be settled after this offseason.
Kevin Durant from time to time will need a breather, and Harden and Westbrook should be more than capable of carrying the offense. The Thunder need someone who will come in and focus only on defense, and the best defender in the draft is Chris Singleton.
Singleton made a career and possibly a lottery selection out of shutting down the opponents' wingman.Not overly quick, Singleton plays with a intelligence that allows him to make stops and create turnovers.
In order to get to the next level, every team needs a defensive stopper and Singleton would match up well with Perkins inside to create a dynamic, defensive tandem.
Orlando Magic, Marcus Morris, PF
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The Orlando Magic don't really know what direction they are moving in, it seems. Trading for Gilbert Arenas may have been one of the more perplexing moves this season, and the Magic seemed to take a step backwards for it.
Bringing back Hedo Turkoglu also proved not to work as well as the Magic had hoped. The Magic have not looked the same since reaching the Finals in 2008 and need to find someone who can come in and right the ship.
The power forward position is weak; neither Ryan Anderson nor Brandon Bass seem to be capable of putting up the type of rebounding numbers one would expect from players their size.
That may be due to Dwight Howard grabbing all of them, but that is another story. If either Anderson or Bass is not going to rebound, it is expected that they score, and they barely manage 20 points a game between them.
Marcus Morris is a very efficient scorer. He doesn't waste his time with the ball and has built enough post moves to get himself near 60 percent shooting from the floor.
Since Morris is undersized, he won't do better than five rebounds a game but with potential to score 15 to 20 points a night, that would compensate for Anderson and Bass and allow one or both of them to be let go to save a roster spot for a rebounder.
Philadelpha 76ers, Derrick Williams, SF
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This is all based on the rumor that Andre Iguodala may be traded for Chris Kaman. If that trade does indeed happen, the 76ers have filled a hole at center and opened one at small forward.
With young talent at every other spot, Doug Collins' squad could make a push for the second round of the playoffs if he can draft a small forward who can score.
Iguodala was not able to score at the same rate as years past. With Collins' focus on defense, Iguodala just isn't the type of player that Collins wants.
Under Collins, essentially all of Iguodala's stats slipped below his career average. That shouldn't happen in a player's prime.
Iguodala was hurt, so that possibly played a factor, but even in the playoffs, the shooting guard scored more than 20 only once and scored 10 or less three times.
Derrick Williams is not a prolific defender, either. He is a powerful scorer who will be a tough matchup as a small forward in the NBA.
With his size and ability to get inside, Williams also rebounds well for his size and should prove to rebound better, as he should matchup against smaller players than he is accustomed to at the college level.
Phoenix Suns, JaJuan Johnson, PF
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It is easy to say that the Suns need a point guard of the future. It is easy to say that with Vince Carter potentially leaving that the Suns could use a small forward.
The same could also be said at shooting guard with Grant Hill, but the Suns are built for next year. With a three-point shooting power forward in Channing Frye and the combination of Marcin Gortat and Robin Lopez at center, the last thing the Suns would need should be another big man.
JaJuan Johnson plays much the same game as Channing Frye. He is able to score inside and out, Johnson has shown the ability to rebound well and plays defense quite effectively, averaging 2.3 blocks per game.
Last offseason, Johnson managed to add 15 pounds of muscle to his frame and that should be expected again this offseason to better prepare him for the rigors of an NBA style of play.
If Johnson can do that, this will be an upgrade at the power forward spot and immediately make the Suns relevant for at least one last season.
Portland Trail Blazers, Nikola Vucivec, C
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The Greg Oden era needs to come to an end...quickly. Marcus Camby is still serviceable even with being one of the oldest players in the NBA. Through strong drafting and a few key moves, the Blazers have depth at nearly every other position.
If Oden were to re-sign it would be buyer beware. He can't stay healthy, and if the Blazers expect to compete in the playoffs, they need a big man who can spell Camby for some time and add some offense.
Nikola Vucivec is that type of player. Having both size and agility, even if he came off the bench, Vucivec would add a dimension to the Blazers that Camby can't.
Vucivec has the size to play center right away and has developed a nice inside/outside game, so he can spread the floor allowing Gerald Wallace, Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge a more open lane.
Vucivec would be the ideal complement to Camby.
Sacremento Kings, Derrick Williams, SF or Enes Kanter, C
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This all depends on if Samuel Dalembert is a King come opening day. If Dalembert were to re-sign, it is easy for the Kings to upgrade the small forward spot. Francisco Garcia is best suited to come off the bench.
If Dalembert does not re-sign, the Kings could still opt to draft a small forward and move Jason Thompson back to center, but that isn't ideal.
Enes Kanter is NBA-ready but isn't going to be able to provide immediate defensive help. Even though he has the size, he has not played against this type of competition before and may fall behind.
Offensively, he is skilled enough to be productive, and Thompson could help spell him on defense.
Enough has been written about Derrick Williams in this article to say that he would be a welcome addition on the offensive end on any team.
Pairing him with Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins, the Kings would be downright potent scorers.
San Antonio Spurs, Marcus Morris, PF
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Tim Duncan is old. Coming off his worst season ever, Duncan is decaying the way most big men do...quickly.
The only way to prolong the "Big Fundamental's" career is to find someone who can come in and provide long periods of rest for the aging Duncan.
With DeJuan Blair and Antonio McDyess being the only two centers of experience and being under sized themselves the Spurs may opt to add size to the front court.
Tiago Splitter will hopefully grow into a serviceable option at center over the next year or so; if not Blair will have to play an extremely undersized center. It would make sense for the Spurs to then add a big center in the draft.
Not the case, Duncan can play center on occasion depending on the opponent and if Marcus Morris is there to be the offense, Duncan can focus on rebounding and defense.
Morris comes NBA-ready, having solid post moves and a good shooting touch. Again, he is undersized but could be the right type of player for the Spurs system, even though he isn't foreign born.
Toronto Raptors, Kyrie Irving, PG
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The Raptors will pick a point guard in the draft so might as well get the best one. Brandon Knight and Kemba Walker are not great distributors. Neither are the current point guards on the roster.
Jose Calderon and Jerryd Bayless are both shooters and the Raptors need someone to facilitate the offense.
With Andrea Bargnani, DeMar DeRozan and James Johnson able to handle scoring duties for right now the only real holes on the team are power forward and point guard.
Amir Johnson was an overpriced free agent signing and Ed Davis wasn't expected to make a huge difference in his first year. Davis should improve to be able to take a shot at the starting spot.
Kyrie Irving is the most complete point guard in the draft able to score and facilitate. He knows when to take over and when to take a backseat to others.
With a true blue chip prospect running their offense, the Raptors would improve to a playoff contender immediately.
Utah Jazz, Klay Thompson, SF
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With Devin Harris on the roster and Gordon Hayward playing at shooting guard, the Jazz should be all set in the backcourt.
Andrei Kirilenko will likely be gone and with the mid-season trade with the Nets bringing Derrick Favors, the Jazz are set long-term with the power forward spots. Al Jefferson has played center and is undersized but works for the Jazz.
With Kirilenko gone, the Jazz have hole at small forward. The Jazz also need to add a shooting threat from the outside to spread the floor for Jefferson, Millsap and Favors. C.J. Miles is solid but is not a long-term solution.
Klay Thompson is easily one of the best shooters in the draft and would add the ability to spread the floor. A natural scorer, Thompson would work well with the Jazz' big men, easily spreading the floor to allow them to work down low.
Thompson may need to bulk up, however, to play defense against some of the bigger small forwards, as he does not have a ton of strength.
Washington Wizards, Chris Singleton, SF
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The Wizards main problem is their youth. JaVale McGee, Andray Blatche, John Wall, Jordan Crawford and Nick Young are all 26 and younger. The oldest, Young. may not even be back next year. If this core remains, though, the Wizards will be competitive very soon.
Every player listed above, with the exception of McGee, is an offensive specialist. Defense wins championships, just ask Mike D'Antoni.
The only way to get out of the East is to be able to lock down, LeBron, Carmelo or D-Rose for a game or two in a seven game series.
Chris Singleton's defense has been talked about ad nauseam in this column. Averaging two steals and a block and a half per game, Singleton can shut a defender down.
What might be most appealing is his size.
Singleton matches up perfectly against the size of Carmelo and LeBron and would allow for one on one match ups rather than relying on double teams and leaving Wade or Amare open when playing them.
