2011 NBA Mock Draft: Players Each Team Would Be Wise To Select in 1st Round
In a draft many believe to be one of the weaker in recent years, teams seem to be more conscious than ever of what players they pick up, especially with the free agency shake up that occurred last season.
All-Stars Dwayne Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined forces in Miami and teams like New York and Chicago added big name free agents to their rosters.
Meanwhile, teams like Cleveland were left to rebuild. Which brings us to this draft.
Here are players each franchise's wiseman needs to consider for their respective team.
Cleveland Cavaliers
1 of 30
Wise Man's Pick: Kyrie Irving
The Cavaliers franchise was devastated when LeBron James left.
They need a player to revitalize the city. So naturally, why shouldn't they pick the talented Duke point guard to bring the team back to life?
Irving may not be the end-all solution to the Cavs' woes, but he's a pretty good start.
Minnesota Timberwolves
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Wise Man's Pick: Derrick Williams
The Timberwolves' last All-Star before last year's Kevin Love was the other Kevin, Kevin Garnett.
While Love has some similar Garnett skills, he doesn't necessarily have Garnett's ferocity. Add a guy who has Garnett's energy and some similar athleticism, like Arizona's Derrick Williams, and the T-Wolves could have a pretty tough pair.
Athletic, blessed with a big wingspan and full of energy, he might end up channeling a little Josh Smith rather than KG, but along Kevin Love, that might be a nice combo.
Did I forget to mention that Ricky Rubio is on his way? Rubio could be dropping dimes left and right on fast breaks, making both his and Williams' rookie years pretty entertaining.
Utah Jazz
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Wise Man's Pick: Brandon Knight
The Utah Jazz had it nice Deron Williams.
Now that he's gone, the team could use a point guard like Brandon Knight. There's no guarantee he'll be at Williams' level anytime soon, but he's a talent regardless.
A quick and accurate jump shooter, he also measures at 6'3", good height for an NBA point guard.
Cleveland Cavaliers
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Wise Man's Pick: Enes Kanter
The Cavs got it good in this draft and while the pot might not be the greatest to pick from, Cleveland can add some supporting cast to possible first pick Kyrie Irving.
Why not rebuild with a one-two combination and draft the NBA-ready point guard and the 6'11" big man? Enes Kanter can come up strong crashing the boards and utilize a soft shooting touch to score.
Irving and Kanter would be a nice boost for Cleveland's NBA hopes.
Toronto Raptors
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Wise Man's Pick: Kemba Walker
Chris Bosh flew the coup and the Hedo Turkoglu experiment failed, so pick up Kemba Walker.
He can inject some serious offense into Toronto, driving into the lane and shooting the 15-footer on back. Plus, he'd be a good addition to DeMar DeRozan and Andrea Bargnani.
Washington Wizards
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Wise Man's Pick: Jan Vesely
Teetering between small forward and power forward, the Czech player has the potential to be a headache at either position due to his size and quickness.
John Wall could benefit from a big man who can take some of the pressure off of his shoulders.
Sacramento Kings
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Wise Man's Pick: Kawhi Leonard
Kawhi Leonard is a high-energy, athletic wingman.
Add him to the Sacramento Kings' Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins and Sacramento might be ensuring their stay in Sacramento past this season.
Detroit Pistons
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Wise Man's Pick: Jonas Valanciunas
The Detroit Pistons could use a fresh injection of new blood on a squad that still has remnants of Larry Brown's old championship team. They tried with Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon, but that experiment failed.
Now, add in the 6'11" Valanciunas, who can move and score well around the basket, and the Motor City could move in the right direction.
Charlotte Bobcats
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Wise Man's Pick: Tristan Thompson
Shot-blocking, solid defense and high energy would give the Charlotte Bobcats some more help on the defensive end. This would be a welcomed addition following the loss of star Gerald Wallace to Portland.
Milwaukee Bucks
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Wise Man's Pick: Alec Burks
Former All-Star and sharpshooter Michael Redd just isn't what he used to be anymore. Now a young squad, the Milwaukee Bucks are led by Andrew Bogut and Brandon Jennings.
Throw in guard Alec Burks, who can play either point or shooting guard and the young Bucks get a guy who can create his own shot and take some pressure off of Bogut and Jennings.
Golden State Warriors
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Wise Man's Pick: Bismack Biyombo
The Golden State Warriors are filled with offense. Whether you consider him a ball hog or not, guard Monta Ellis can carry a lot of the Warriors offense, whether they like it or not.
So that's where Biyombo comes in. With a wingspan like a golden eagle (7'7"), he could be all over the place, blocking and contesting shots and pulling down rebounds. At least he can mature alongside Epke Udoh and give Andris Biedrins some breathing room.
Utah Jazz
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Wise Man's Pick: Klay Thompson
After some of the Utah Jazz's biggest names jumped ship and ended up in Chicago and New Jersey, the Jazz ended up a bit gutted.
So to replace a guy like Kyle Korver, the Jazz can pick up Klay Thompson. Thompson can move around screens and his shooting could offer some instant offense off the bench.
Phoenix Suns
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Wise Man's Pick: Marcus Morris
Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns miss Amar'e Stoudemire.
He may not put up Stoudemire's numbers, but Morris can play either the 3 or the 4 and has a good shot as well as good ability to score.
Houston Rockets
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Wise Man's Pick: Markieff Morris
Markieff Morris can give the Houston Rockets a tough presence down near the paint and under the basket.
And with Yao Ming gone, the Rockets could use it to take some of the heat off of Brad Miller. In Morris, they'll get a high-energy player who can take it up to the rim.
Indiana Pacers
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Wise Man's Pick: Jimmer Fredette
The Indiana Pacers and a shooter like Jimmer Fredette is seemingly a match made in heaven. If he plays point guard behind Darren Collison, he can at least make smart decisions and can pass.
The real benefit of him is the instant offense he can provide off the bench. His shooting can open up the floor for another scorer like Danny Granger.
Philadelphia 76ers
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Wise Man's Pick: Donatas Motiejunas
A skilled 7-footer could only help the Sixers. Motiejunas possesses footwork, soft hands and all the skills needed to play in the post. Under Elton Brand's tutelage, he might be able to pick up some of the other intricacies of the American game as well.
New York Knicks
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Wise Man's Pick: Darius Morris
When the Knicks traded for Carmelo Anthony, they were able to acquire Chauncey Billups, but lost Raymond Felton. Mr. Big Shot may still have a few quality seasons in him, but he's not getting any younger.
Darius Morris, however, is a young but capable floor general and would be a nice complement to Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony.
Washington Wizards
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Wise Man's Pick: Tyler Honeycutt
If the Washington Wizards take Vesely early and add Honeycutt, they would have two long and versatile players who can defend and more importantly, take some of the weight off of John Wall's shoulders.
Honeycutt can either drive the lane and attack the basket or free it up and knock down a jumper.
Charlotte Bobcats
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Wise Man's Pick: Chris Singleton
If the Bobcats pick up defending big man Tristan Thompson, they could load up with some more D by selecting Chris Singleton.
The guy is a lockdown defender and athletic enough to slash to the basket.
Minnesota Timberwolves
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Wise Man's Pick: Davis Bertans
An able ball-handler, leaper and defender, the T-Wolves can add Bertans' European-style shooting to Ricky Rubio's assist list as well.
Technically sound when it comes to shooting the ball, he has the instinct to score.
Derrick Williams in the post and Bertans on the wing makes for a nice couple assists for Rubio.
Portland Trail Blazers
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Wise Man's Pick: Jordan Hamilton
The Portland Trail Blazers are ripe with young talent and a definite sleeper in the West. So while they may be set at multiple positions, Hamilton's ability to shoot and push the floor would be a good fit in Portland.
Also, with Brandon Roy possibly never regaining his old form, Hamilton might be a smart choice in the long run.
Denver Nuggets
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Wise Man's Pick: Tobias Harris
Tobias Harris can put the ball on the floor and drive to the basket and he also possesses a nice mid-range jumper.
Add him to a great team of non-superstars and he might be able to find his place sooner than later.
Houston Rockets
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Wise Man's Pick: Josh Selby
If the Houston Rockets pick up his teammate Markieff Morris, why not draft Josh Selby? The two played together in Kansas and might be able to work some magic together in Houston.
Selby can play at either of the guard spots and more importantly, can score at either position.
Oklahoma City Thunder
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Wise Man's Pick: Lucas Nogueira
At 7'0" (not including is droopy hair), 18-year-old Lucas Nogueira isn't done growing yet. With his 7'6" wingspan, he could be all over the place.
Move Kendrick Perkins over to power forward eventually with Nogueira in the middle once he's developed and put on some muscle and the Oklahoma CIty Thunder could be set in the West.
Boston Celtics
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Wise Man's Pick: Jordan Williams
With the trade of Kendrick Perkins and the recent retirement of Shaq, the Celtics could use a tough big man in the paint to help out an aging but still very capable Kevin Garnett.
Williams rebounds and has a pair of soft hands and given the improvement Perkins made under Garnett, maybe Williams could too.
Dallas Mavericks
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Wise Man's Pick: Justin Harper
Able to shoot from almost anywhere on the floor as well as beat his defender off the dribble, the Mavs could be a good fit for big man Justin Harper. He could fit well into their offense and pick up some tips from their aging but still effective shooters like Peja Stojakovic.
New Jersey Nets
27 of 30
Wise Man's Pick: Trey Thompkins
Georgia's Trey Thompkins has some good post moves and nice footwork in the paint. He could be a good one-two with New Jersey's Brook Lopez.
Chicago Bulls
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Wise Man's Pick: Marshon Brooks
Everyone knows the Chicago Bulls need a shooting guard. He can shoot from outside the arc and has the ability to create his own shot. He has some instant offense in him; maybe he's what the Bulls need.
San Antonio Spurs
29 of 30
Wise Man's Pick: JaJuan Johnson
JaJuan Johnson would be a big help in San Antonio with his shot-blocking ability, especially with Tim Duncan nearing retirement.
His defensive tools seem to be there, so in San Antonio maybe he can pick up some of Duncan's offense to match.
Chicago Bulls
30 of 30
Wise Man's Pick: Shelvin Mack
The Bulls need more offense.
Shelvin Mack may be another smaller guard, but he's one that can score and play defense due to his long reach. His shot and driving ability could be welcome in Chicago.
