2011 NBA Mock Draft: What If Cleveland Takes Derrick Williams No. 1?
Then Minnesota just takes Kyrie Irving at No. 2. Actually, it's not that simple anymore.
Now that Spanish sensation Ricky Rubio has finally signed with the Timberworlves, the team that drafted him fifth overall in 2009, it wouldn't make a whole lot of sense for Minnesota to take the Duke standout point guard with their second pick.
So if Cleveland decides to go with dominant and charismatic forward from Arizona, how does it shake up the 2011 NBA Draft for the rest of the teams and rest of the players? Where do Brandon Knight and Kemba Walker fall now?
Let's find out.
1. Cleveland: Derrick Williams
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The Arizona forward had a huge coming out party in the NCAA tournament this year, and he's got more charisma than probably any other player we'll see in this year's draft. Some people in Cleveland may perceive that as arrogance and will therefore be reminded of LeBron James, but they shouldn't let that detract from Derrick Williams' talent.
He's a dominating presence in the 4-spot, is great on the boards and averaged almost 20 points and 10 rebounds in his sophomore season. He could do at least that with the offense going through him in Cleveland, and the Cavaliers will be able to sort out their point guard issues just three picks later.
2. Minnesota: Enes Kanter
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The Timberworlves have put so much effort into signing Ricky Rubio over the past two years that they can't possibly draft a replacement now.
Anyway, Enes Kanter would provide a real spark to Minnesota, one that would actually help them win some games.
Kanter and Kevin Love would make possibly the strongest rebounding duo in the league, and the Turkish international center is also fantastic on defense, something the 17-win Timberwolves clearly need.
Photo courtesy of nbadraft.net
3. Utah: Kyrie Irving
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So Kyrie Irving only had to wait a couple picks to hear his name, and at No. 3, the Utah Jazz simply can't believe their luck.
The Jazz had a tough season with the end of the Jerry Sloan era, and Devin Harris' running of the offense hasn't inspired much faith in anyone.
Instead of Kentucky's Brandon Knight or UConn's Kemba Walker, the Jazz can select the NBA-ready Irving to take the franchise back into contention in the Western Conference.
4. Cleveland: Brandon Knight
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The Cavaliers won't have been happy to see Enes Kanter go to Minnesota, but they need a new point guard to run the offense and make the team important again.
Brandon Knight is another one of John Calipari's one-and-done star point guards, and he had a stellar freshman season at Kentucky leading the Wildcats to the SEC Championship and the Final Four and was the top freshman in the country (because Irving was out for all of 11 games). He's got great speed, a powerful physique, doesn't turn the ball over and performs well under pressure.
He is known as a shoot-first point guard, but with Derrick Williams on his team, he'll break that habit quickly.
5. Toronto: Kemba Walker
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The Toronto Raptors need an explosive player who can make things happen no matter what. Enter UConn's Kemba Walker.
The 6'1" point guard led his Huskies to the NCAA title last season and was the Bob Cousy award winner and is always in offensive mode. His speed and ability to score from anywhere on the court draws extra defenders to him, and he gets to the free-throw line regularly. His presence will create easy buckets for his Raptors teammates and will bring some excitement to Toronto.
6. Washington: Jan Vesely
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Jan Vesely of Czechoslovakia can play the small or power forward role and has great length allowing him to guard multiple positions on defense.
His skills are particularly apparent under the basket, but he is also comfortable shooting from outside when his feet are set. He still needs to improve his dribbling and one-on-one play and add some weight to contend in the physical NBA, but he's got all the tools to succeed.
His tenacity makes him a tough player to guard, and John Wall would be very happy to have someone like him on the floor in Washington.
Photo courtesy of nbadraft.net
7. Sacramento: Kawhi Leonard
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With DeMarcus Cousins dominating the paint in Sacramento, the Kings need a solid perimeter shooter to balance out the offense.
San Diego State's Kawhi Leonard has great strength and speed for a small forward, and he grabs a decent number of rebounds for his size as well. He can also make things happen on the inside when he needs to and is alert on the defensive end.
Assuming Tyreke Evans will come out of his sophomore slump, the Kings could have quite a backcourt threat.
8. Detroit: Bismack Biyombo
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Bismack Biyombo, the center out of Congo, certainly has a lot of upside mixed in with some questions, but his strength and power on the inside would be much appreciated in Detroit. His length makes him a constant shot-blocking threat, and he's great at grabbing offensive rebounds.
His overall offensive game needs to improve, but he would be a dominant inside force from the very beginning.
Photo courtesy of nbadraft.net
9. Charlotte: Marcus Morris
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Charlotte needs a player who can excite their fans, and Marcus Morris can definitely do that. The small or power forward out of Kansas has a great fadeaway shot, great post skills and is great at shaking off his defender.
He reads the game well and plays with a lot of intensity. He just needs to work on his free-throw shooting.
10. Milwaukee: Alec Burks
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Colorado's Alec Burks would add a lot of excitement to the Milwaukee Bucks. The combo guard gets to the rim with ease and can finish with either hand. He's a great free-throw shooter and has great awareness to create for himself and his teammates.
He's great on the fast break but needs to improve his three-point shooting and add a bit of muscle.
11. Golden State: Donatas Motiejunas
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Donatas Motiejunas out of Lithuania is a combo power forward and center with a lot of potential due to his versatility. He's got the strength to contend with the physicality of the NBA, and he's got great speed running the floor.
He gets defenders in the air and has good shot-blocking ability. He's a great competitor; he just needs to show it all the time. He could be a great first pick in the Mark Jackson and Jerry West era in Golden State.
Photo courtesy of nbadraft.net
12. Utah: Chris Singleton
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Because Utah got lucky with Kyrie Irving falling to them at No. 3, their No. 12 pick doesn't have quite as much riding on it. Florida State's Chris Singleton has great size for a small forward and has fantastic athleticism.
He's a great catch-and-shoot player and is a better defender than Jimmer Fredette.
Alongside Irving, Utah could get right back into the mix in the Western Conference.
13. Phoenix: Klay Thompson
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Klay Thompson out of Washington State is a great pure shooter who is active off the ball, a necessity when Steve Nash is running your offense.
He needs to work on his dribbling when outside the paint, but he's got a great fake to get his defenders in the air, and his defense got better and steals increased his senior season.
14. Houston: Jonas Valanciunas
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Houston may have finally given up on Yao Ming, but they need a center for the future regardless. With Bismack Biyombo gone, Jonas Valanciunas out of Lithuania has a lot of promise.
He's got great length making him difficult to guard on the inside, and he moves well and has a great outside shot for a big man. He has good vision, and even though he's 6'11", he may not be done growing.
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15. Indiana: Jimmer Fredette
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Jimmer Fredette was the most talked about college basketball player last season, and a lot of that talk centered around whether or not his game would translate to the pros. His scoring threat is no doubt, but his defense is definitely suspect.
Indiana needed a guy like Jimmer in the series against Chicago, when the Bulls just made a few more big shots to avoid the upset.
16. Philadelphia: Tristan Thompson
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Tristan Thompson, power forward out of Texas, has a great work ethic and length that allows him to dominate on both ends of the court. He runs the floor well and sees a lot of good early looks because of it.
He is a little short for an NBA power forward, but his tenacity on both ends can be a huge help as the 76ers try to get back among the elite in the East.
17. New York: Kenneth Faried
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Kenneth Faried out of Morehead State is an energetic post player, and his tenacity, willingness to lay his body on the line and do the dirty work will certainly go down well with the Knicks and their fans.
He's undersized, but his timing and athleticism make up for it, and he always competes hard.
18. Washington: Tyler Honeycutt
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Washington needs all kinds of help, and Tyler Honeycutt's versatility and length will certainly add to the Wizard's roster. The UCLA sophomore can play shooting guard or forward, and his long arms make up for his lack of height.
He's athletic enough to get around his defenders, and he's especially good on the offensive glass. His awareness on defense means he can guard multiple positions and can usually get at least one steal per game.
He needs to work on his ball handling, but with John Wall running the offense, that shouldn't be much of a problem.
19. Charlotte: Marshon Brooks
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Marshon Brooks brings a great shooting touch to Charlotte and the ability to create his own shot. He was second in scoring in the nation last year at Providence, and he also has the body control to score off-balance shots.
He's got great speed and length; he just needs some coaching. He can be a bit of a ball hog, but that's a habit Michael Jordan will quickly break.
20. Minnesota: Tobias Harris
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So far, Minnesota has a great frontcourt with Kevin Love and Enes Kanter, and Tobias Harris would be a great addition to their young backcourt.
The combo forward out of Tennessee has great ball-handling skills, and he can catch and score with either hand. He's got good post skills and the strength to contend in the pros, and he is great driving in the lane.
His defense needs work, but he's a smart guy and hard worker who wants to improve.
21. Portland: David Bertans
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Another first-round international, David Bertans of Latvia can be a great role-player in the NBA. He can shoot from all over the court and gets to the rim quickly. He's a great ball-handler as well, and he is a hard worker who would do well on any team.
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22. Denver: Darius Morris
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The Nuggets need a point guard to lead their rebuild, and someone as confident as Michigan's Darius Morris is a good start.
He's got great size and wingspan and is very aggressive driving in the paint with either hand. He's bigger than most guards, so he can take advantage, and he's a great passer.
23. Houston: Nolan Smith
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Houston is in rebuilding mode, and a point guard like Nolan Smith, with a high basketball IQ and great ball-handling, is a prime candidate to lead the Rockets.
He reads the game well and moves well off the ball. He makes good, quick decisions thanks to his ability to read the defense, and he draws defenders into the lane and dishes it out to open teammates with ease.
He'll need to get better at creating is own shot and shaking his defender, but his teammates will be able to afford him some time to do that.
24. Oklahoma City: Trey Thompkins
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Trey Thompkins out of Georgia has a great skill set to make up for him not being the most athletic power forward. He's great in transition as well, which fits in nicely with Oklahoma City's young team.
He can shoot the three but is also there for offensive rebounds and put-backs. He deals with contact well and makes his his free throws, and unlike some of the Thunder players, he doesn't let his temper get the best of him or get him into foul trouble.
25. Boston: Markieff Morris
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Markieff Morris, the other Morris twin, comes off the board a little later, but that's not always a bad thing. The Boston Big Three still have some time left to make another championship run, and the strong power forward out of Kansas can help them do that.
He's a focused player on both sides of the ball, and he's got a great perimeter shot. He's a great finisher at the rim, but his shot in between that and the three-point line needs to improve a bit.
26. Dallas: Josh Selby
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Dirk Nowitzki can't do all the scoring, and with his teammates getting a old (like him), Dallas will need another consistent scorer. Josh Selby has a scoring mentality and always looks to capitalize on a defensive mistake.
He has great body control at the rim, and he can absorb contact to finish the bucket. He has a respectable three-point shot that will get better watching Jason Terry and Jason Kidd.
Kidd can also help him improve his ball-handling and help him see is open teammates sooner.
27. New Jersey: Kyle Singler
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Kyle Singler, small forward out of Duke, can hit a wide array of shots, and he can hit them with a hand or a body in the face. His high basketball IQ gives him an edge off the ball and on defense, and he's good at finding open teammates.
He anticipates well to grab a decent number of rebounds, and he has a very competitive nature to make up for his lack of quickness.
28. Chicago: Justin Harper
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The Chicago Bulls need someone who can knock down shot after shot so that Derrick Rose can't ignore him. Rose can take the game into his own hands at points, and as the Eastern Conference finals proved, that won't work against the best teams.
Justin Harper out of Richmond is a solid shooter from all over the court and gets his defenders off balance with a great fake, so he either has an open shot or an open path to the rim.
The fact that he doesn't quite have a true position in the NBA could be a good thing for the Bulls, who can afford to experiment.
29. San Antonio: Jordan Hamilton
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Tim Duncan still has a least one year to be the center for San Antonio, but that means they need to add a bit more youth on the outside. Jordan Hamilton from Texas scores in a variety of ways and is great at getting open.
He can shoot with someone in his face, and he reads the game well, finding open teammates or anticipating the rebound.
He'll take some of the scoring pressure off Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker and is great on the fast break.
30. Chicago: Shelvin Mack
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The Bulls need a confident, capable point guard to back up Derrick Rose, and Shelvin Mack is a smart enough point guard to do that.
He reads the game well and is not wasteful in either his passes or shots. He has great strength to absorb contact and gets his defenders off balance with ease to give himself an open look. He's also a solid decision maker and is great in transition.
