NBA Draft 2011: Kyrie Irving and 5 Point Guards Ready for Stardom
The 2011 NBA draft is upon us. Just weeks from today, each NBA team will have decisions to make as far as who to draft with their selections in the draft.
This year's draft class arguably boasts three point guards who fall in the list of the top six prospects in the draft. Duke freshman point guard Kyrie Irving is predicted to more than likely fall No. 1 to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
There are a good share of point guards projected to be selected in the first round in the 2011 NBA draft, yet there are five that could potentially take the league by storm.
Here are the five point guards that are most ready to produce at the next level for any NBA team next season.
5) Charles Jenkins
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It may come as a surprise to most, yet Hofstra point guard Charles Jenkins is a force to be reckoned with at the point guard position.
His ability to score the basketball is what makes this player a standout in the 2011 NBA draft. Last season as a member of the Pride, Jenkins chipped in 22.6 points per game on 51.7 percent shooting. That mark made him the sixth best scorer in Division I basketball last season.
With a 6'3'', 216-pound frame, Jenkins is an athlete that boasts a tremendous athletic ability better than most point guards in the draft.
Come draft day, expect Jenkins to be a first-round lock.
4) Jimmer Fredette
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The 2011 Naismith Player of the Year in Division I college basketball is one of the more prolific scorers at the point guard position that the 2011 NBA draft has to offer.
Jimmer Fredette, freshman point guard out of BYU, was the leading scorer in the nation last season. He averaged 28.9 points per game and was a shooter that had an impressive range with his jump shot. Let's just say the NBA three-point shot won't be a drastic change for this knock-down shooter.
Coming into the league at just over 6'0'', Fredette is one of the smaller point guards in the draft, who seems to have received his share of criticism heading into draft day.
As a point guard with BYU, it was also interesting to note how Fredette's passing game was never quite put to the test. It will be interesting to see what NBA scouts and organizations make of this aspect of his game.
3) Kemba Walker
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UCONN point guard Kemba Walker has a plethora of qualities that will make him an effective point guard in the NBA.
Walker has a unique passing ability, a tool he helped facilitate effectively while also managing to score left and right. Last season with the Huskies, Walker averaged 23.5 points on 7.7 field goals made per game. Much like a player like Jamal Crawford, Walker is a scoring talent that is on the smaller side.
Walker was also known as a defensive presence, averaging 1.9 steals a contest. His tough perimeter defense will be key in how high he gets drafted.
More than anything, Walker has the ability to close out basketball games and get the "W". He is a national champion that has gotten the job done on the biggest of stages and is known for his clutch scoring late in ball games.
Walker is as ready for the next level as any point guard in the 2011 NBA draft class.
2) Kyrie Irving
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Duke point guard Kyrie Irving is easily the second-best point guard in this draft class, as he boasts a great share of both talent and athleticism at the point guard position.
Irving is projected to more than likely be the No. 1 pick in the 2011 NBA draft, yet lacks one thing that a point guard at the next level must have: the ability to win basketball games.
Granted, he was injured and he never got the chance to quite prove himself, but Irving still lacks the experience to be the No. 1 point guard in this year's draft. It was known as Nolan Smith's team throughout the season, not Kyrie Irving's. Irving never got the chance to play effective minutes in big games to prove himself as a winner.
In fact, when he returned in time for the 2011 NCAA tournament, there seemed to be problems between him and Smith as to who really performed what role for the team. Sure enough, the No. 1 seeded Duke Blue Devils would be sent home sooner than expected.
Taking Kyrie Irving at No. 1 would not be a mistake by the Cleveland Cavaliers, but just consider Irving is yet to really have much experience playing a starting point guard role.
1) Brandon Knight
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Irving fans, understand I do not doubt the talent he will bring to the NBA, yet at the end of the day, it will be Knight that will prove to be the most NBA-ready point guard of the bunch.
Kentucky freshman sensation Brandon Knight is arguably the best point guard in the 2011 NBA draft.
In his one year with the Wildcats, Knight proved he had passing ability, scoring talent and the skill-set to help close out basketball games night in and night out.
Knight also had the luxury to play under the wing of head coach John Calipari, who is known for his ability to recruit NBA-ready point guards. Derrick Rose, Tyreke Evans and John Wall were all players under Calipari's instruction, and all three were starting point guards in the league from the get-go.
His athletic ability is unmatched by most in the draft class at the point guard position, which also gives him the edge making the transition into the pros.
