2011 NBA Mock Draft: The Best Decision for Every Team's First-Round Selection
Heading into the 2011 NBA draft, every team is looking to fill a need.
The only team that could be fine without a good draft are the Dallas Mavericks, who just won their first NBA championship. However, even Dallas could use more depth and can get better in the draft.
But with so many teams gunning for the same players, who will go where? Much of it depends on philosophy.
Teams drafting in the first round need to make a decision. Do you draft a need or the best player available?
Here are the smartest picks for each team drafting in the first round of the 2011 NBA draft.
1. Derrick Williams to the Cleveland Cavaliers
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Draft Needs Remaining: SF, SG
As attractive as Kyrie Irving is as the No. 1 pick, he would not be the smartest pick for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Cavaliers need a lot of things, but one thing they don't need is a point guard.
Ramon Sessions and Baron Davis are by no means superstars, but they are two of the Cavalier's best players, and they can still compete.
The biggest need Cleveland has is at forward. A player like Derrick Williams would do a great job complementing J.J. Hickson and Samardo Samuels, who proved to be solid for the Cavaliers.
Taking Kyrie Irving with the No. 1 pick would make Cleveland better, but taking Derrick Williams at No. 1 would benefit the Cavaliers the most.
2. Enes Kanter to the Minnesota Timberwolves
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Draft Needs Remaining: C, SF
Should Derrick Williams be picked at No. 1 by the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Minnesota Timberwolves will need to decide if they want to draft for value or for need.
With the recent addition of Ricky Rubio, the Timberwolves no longer need a point guard, but Kyrie Irving would give them a tradable player that could get them more draft picks in the future.
If the Timberwolves chose to draft a need, they should select Enes Kanter. One of the only true centers in the 2011 draft, Kanter would be the best player to fill Minnesota's need for a big man to play alongside Kevin Love.
Although Irving has trade value, should he slip to the Timberwolves at No. 2, the best decision for Minnesota to make would be to let him continue to slip to No. 3 and select Enes Kanter with their first pick.
3. Kyrie Irving to Utah Jazz
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Draft Needs Remaining: SG, C
Now, Kyrie Irving is likely to be taken at No. 1 by the Cleveland Cavaliers, so this scenario probably won't happen, but let's play it out.
The Utah Jazz need a shooting guard who can score. Raja Bell may be a great defender and a decent three-point shooter, but he's aging and hasn't been producing enough at the two guard. However, there are no top 10 shooting guard prospects for Utah to pick at No. 3, so they'll need to take the best player available with the third pick.
Unfortunately for Utah, in this scenario, Kanter has already been taken at No. 2 by Minnesota, and the next best true center available is Jonas Valanciunas, who would be a stretch this early in the draft.
That leaves point guard, and for the Jazz, seeing Kyrie Irving still available is the best possible scenario. The Jazz would get great value and add another solid point guard by taking Kyrie Irving.
4. Brandon Knight to the Cleveland Cavaliers
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Draft Needs Remaining: SG
This may seem contradictory to the argument I made against not picking Kyrie Irving at No. 1, but let me explain.
With the first pick, the Cavaliers had their choice: Fill a need with the second-best player in the draft or pick the best player available. I suggested that they should pick the second-best player in Derrick Williams who also filled their biggest need.
At the No. 4 pick, the decision becomes a little more complicated. The primary need the Cavaliers have remaining is at shooting guard. Similar to the Jazz's situation, the Cavaliers really can't take Alec Burks (the best shooting guard available) this high.
The best thing for the Cavs to do would be to trade down. If they can find another team picking in the top 10 who would be willing to trade up to get Brandon Knight, that would allow them to fill their shooting guard need while also getting draft picks in the coming years.
However, there's a good chance that there aren't going to be any teams interested in giving up draft picks to get a player like Brandon Knight, so Cleveland might be "stuck" with the No. 4 pick.
If that is the situation Cleveland finds itself in, picking Knight makes the most sense because he has the most value out of any player left in the draft.
5. Jan Vesely to the Toronto Raptors
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Draft Needs Remaining: C, SF
Because Enes Kanter is off the board, the Toronto Raptors can look to fill their small forward need. The best small forward remaining at this point is Jan Vesely.
At 6'11", Vesely is big enough to be a center but is athletic enough to play the small forward position, which is a good combination for the Raptors.
Andrea Bargnani does a lot of things well for Toronto at the center position, but what he doesn't do particularly well is rebound or defend. Adding the tall and long Jan Vesely should help remedy this problem.
Combining Vesely with a pretty good threesome in Bargnani, DeRozan and Calderon would help Toronto improve their 22-60 record from last season.
6. Kawhi Leonard to the Washington Wizards
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Draft Needs Remaining: SF, SG
The Washington Wizard's one gaping hole is at the small forward position. Rashard Lewis has not been performing at the level he used to, and Josh Howard has been virtually nonexistent.
Washington could also use a shooting guard with Nick Young being an unrestricted free agent, but at No. 6, the Wizards aren't going to find a shooting guard to replace him.
Kawhi Leonard is a logical pick for the Wizards. He gives them another young, talented player to complement last year's No. 1 pick, John Wall. Leonard can also help the Wizards improve an offense that ranked close to last in the league and give them solid rebounding.
7. Kemba Walker to the Sacramento Kings
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Draft Needs Remaining: PG, SF, C
The Sacramento Kings should use the No. 7 pick to fill their point guard need.
With Tyreke Evans showing that he is more comfortable playing as an off-guard, the Kings need to address the point guard position, and with Kemba Walker available, they can do it in the draft.
Kemba Walker may be a score-first player, but he is a true point guard, so he won't run into the same problems that we saw Evans run into. He would be able to complement Tyreke Evans well and solidify their backcourt for the future.
The Kings also need a small forward and a center, but with Kanter and the two best small forwards already gone, Walker makes the most sense here.
8. Jonas Valanciunas to the Detroit Pistons
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Draft Needs Remaining: PG, SG, SF, PF
You may be wondering why I'm suggesting the best pick for the Detroit Pistons is to take a center, even though it is the only need they don't have heading into the draft. Here's the reason:
Greg Monroe, the Piston's current center, is the one piece that Detroit can feel good about for the future. However, Monroe can also play the power forward position, and with Jonas Valanciunas available at No. 8, that may be the solution.
The Pistons ranked dead last in the league in rebounding even with Monroe, but by taking Valanciunas, Detroit would take a big step toward improving that.
9. Tristan Thompson to the Charlotte Bobcats
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Draft Needs Remaining: PF, C, SG
The Charlotte Bobcats are another team that needs a lot of pieces before they are ready to contend.
With another pick at No. 19, the Bobcats can fill two of those needs. They should use their first pick to address the power forward position and select Tristan Thompson.
Charlotte was actually pretty good on the defensive end in the 2010 season, ranking 11th among the league in points allowed per game. They do need to improve on the offensive end, though.
The Bobcats ranked second to last in scoring offense last season, but by drafting an offensive-minded power forward in Tristan Thompson, they can look to improve offensively.
10. Jordan Hamilton to the Milwaukee Bucks
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Draft Needs Remaining: SF, PF, SG
The Milwaukee Bucks need offensive help. In 2010, they were last in the NBA in points per game and last in the league in assists.
They need to fill both forward positions, and they could also use another shooting guard. With the 10th pick in the draft, though, they need to look at what's available.
At this point in the draft, Bismack Biyombo would be the best power forward available, but Biyombo is solely a defensive player and would provide no help to the Bucks on the offensive side of the ball.
Similarly, Chris Singleton would be the best small forward left, but his offensive game needs a lot of improvement.
The Bucks could go with shooting guard Alec Burks here, but with John Salmons currently playing the two guard, the best pick would be to select the next best small forward available: Jordan Hamilton.
Hamilton is a good shooter and is used to being relied on for scoring from his time at Texas, so he would be comfortable with his role in Milwaukee.
11. Chris Singleton to the Golden State Warriors
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Draft Needs Remaining: SF
The Golden State Warriors have a lot of offensive weapons. Monta Ellis, Stephan Curry and David Lee are all proficient scorers.
Ekpe Udoh, who was picked by the Warriors last year, is going to likely be the center of the future for Golden State. With point guard, shooting guard, power forward and center pretty much solidified for the Warriors, the one remaining need is at small forward.
If Chris Singleton is available, he would be the perfect pick.
Mark Jackson, the Warriors new head coach, wants to use this pick to make his team better defensively as they ranked 27th in points per game allowed in 2010.
Singleton gives Golden State a player who is defensively focused at the small forward position. He will be able to guard the opposing team's best player and will be able to instantly buy into Jackson's new defensive philosophy.
12. Alec Burks to the Utah Jazz
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Draft Needs Remaining: SG, C
With Kyrie Irving taking care of the point guard need for the Utah Jazz, they can look to fill their shooting guard need with the 12th pick.
Because the 2011 draft class features so few true centers, by default, the Jazz will need to look for a two guard with their second pick. Fortunately, there's a decent chance that the best off guard in the draft will be available to them.
Alec Burks, out of Colorado, is a 6'6" shooting guard who will be able to score at the NBA level. He has great size for a shooting guard and, as he demonstrated in college, he possesses a great offensive skill set.
Picking Burks would provide Devin Harris with offensive help, and the Jazz would still remain defensively competent with Raja Bell also at shooting guard.
13. Klay Thompson to the Phoenix Suns
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Draft Needs Remaining: SF, SG
The Phoenix Suns would like to draft a small forward here to replace Jared Dudley and Vince Carter, but in the 2011 draft class, the Small Forward talent drops off significantly after Jordan Hamilton.
Even though they would like a Small Forward here, the Suns can also look to find a future replacement for Grant Hill with the 13th pick.
Klay Thompson is the second-best shooting guard in the draft and would do a great job complementing Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns' style of offense.
Thompson was one of the best outside shooters in college basketball at Washington State. He would add another offensive weapon to the Suns as well as some much-needed youth.
14. Bismack Biyombo to the Houston Rockets
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Draft Needs Remaining: C, SF, PG
The Houston Rockets are in a rebuilding stage. They seem to be rebuilding around Luis Scola and Kevin Martin, so that leaves the center, small forward and point guard position to be addressed.
Bismack Biyombo is listed as a power forward, but with an unbelievable 7'7" wingspan, Biyombo is more than capable of filling that center need.
For the last few years, the Rockets have missed Yao Ming's defensive presence in the paint, finishing in the bottom half of the league in defense, statistically. Biyombo, along with his length is a defensive stopper. He will add a few block shots a game and intimidate or alter a bunch of other shots.
15. Marcus Morris to the Indiana Pacers
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Draft Needs Remaining: SG, PF
With both Alec Burks and Klay Thompson gone at this point in the draft, the Indiana Pacers should use their first pick to take the best player available.
Marcus Morris is the 14th best overall player available in the 2011 draft, according to Chad Ford's Big Board, and should he be available at pick No. 15, the Pacers should definitely take him.
Although the Pacers have Tyler Hansbrough at Power Forward, they could use a better athlete at that position. Marcus Morris provides the athleticism that the Pacers are looking for.
16. Tobias Harris to the Philadelphia 76ers
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Draft Needs Remaining: C
The biggest draft need for the Philadelphia 76ers is at center. Spencer Hawes, Marreese Speights, and Tony Battie are not going to cut it down low going into the future. Unfortunately for Philadelphia, there are no centers available to be picked this high.
With Andre Iguodala in the middle of trade rumors and with only two years left on Elton Brand's contract, Tobias Harris would be a great pick here.
At 6'8", Harris possesses the size to play the power forward position and the athleticism to play at the small forward.
The 76ers showed a lot of grit in their playoff series against the Heat, and adding Tobias Harris will only make them better.
17. Jimmer Fredette to the New York Knicks
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Draft Needs Remaining: C, SG, PG
When the New York Knicks traded for Carmelo Season midseason, they also got Chauncey Billups who turned out to be just as important to the Team.
However, Billups is a free agent this offseason so there is no guarantee that he'll be around next season. Because of that uncertainty, the best pick the New York Knicks can make at this point in the draft is to take Jimmer Fredette.
Fredette has been criticized a lot for his defensive game and for his lack of athleticism, but let's not forget that he was the collegiate National Player of the Year in 2010 at BYU, and this kid can flat out shoot.
With Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony drawing extra attention when they have the ball, Fredette could serve as an excellent kick-out shooter that would stretch the defense.
18. Marshon Brooks to the Washington Wizards
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Draft Needs Remaining: SG
If Nick Young takes his talents elsewhere this offseason, the shooting guard position will be left to Jordan Crawford.
Crawford had a good year in 2010 and is a good young player, but the Wizards can use this pick to get better in that position.
Marshon Brooks is the best scoring shooting guard in the draft. He quietly finished second in all of college basketball in scoring at over 23 points per game.
With Nick Young possibly leaving, Brooks would be able to step in nicely as a scoring two guard with a similar style to Young.
19. Kenneth Faried to the Charlotte Bobcats
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Draft Needs Remaining: C, SG
Unfortunately for the Charlotte Bobcats, both draft needs they have won't be filled with the 18th pick.
As it's been said several times, centers and shooting guards are few and far between in the 2011 draft, so the Bobcats should look for the best available player that doesn't play point guard.
With D.J. Augustine running the point for the Bobcats, Charlotte doesn't need to draft another point guard. Instead, the Bobcats should take the next best available player, Kenneth Faried.
For a team that was 24th in the NBA in rebounding, Faried would offer a great need for the Bobcats. He would also help the Bobcats on the defensive end, an area that Charlotte already excels in.
20. Tyler Honeycutt to the Minnesota Timberwolves
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Draft Needs Remaining: SF
With the 20th Pick in the first round, the Minnesota Timberwolves could take Josh Selby or another player high on the draft board who is still available, but they really do not need a point guard.
Instead, the Timberwolves should fill their only remaining draft need by taking the next best available small forward. At this point in the draft, that player would be Tyler Honeycutt.
Michael Beasley, a former first-round pick for the Timberwolves, is a solid player. However, he seems to be a bit of a head case with some off-the-court issues. Honeycutt could complement Wesley Johnson nicely as a wing player opposite him.
21. Josh Selby to the Portland Trail Blazers
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Draft Needs Remaining: C, PG
The Portland Trail Blazers are still recovering from taking Greg Oden with the first overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft. Can you imagine where they might be had they taken Kevin Durant with that pick?
Nevertheless, the Blazers come into this years draft needing to find a point guard to potentially replace Andre Miller who is a free agent.
Josh Selby is a wild card at the 21st pick. If you look solely at his time at Kansas, then you might say he's a stretch at 21, but if you look at Selby out of high school and see his potential, you might say he's a steal at 21.
In my opinion, Selby gives the Blazers the best value they can get with their first-round pick.
22. Markieff Morris to Denver Nuggets
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Draft Needs Remaining: SG, C, PF
The Denver Nuggets are not going to find anyone to replace Carmelo Anthony in this year's draft, but there are still players out there who can help the Nuggets make another step toward contending for a championship.
One of those needs is at power forward. With Nene and Kenyon Martin both entering free agency, the Nuggets can sure up an uncertain frontcourt by selecting Markieff Morris.
Like his twin brother, Marcus, Markieff Morris will bring solid scoring and rebounding to his team. He will also help the Nuggets improve their 21st ranked defense, should the Nuggets select him with their pick.
23. Darius Morris to the Houston Rockets
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Draft Needs Remaining: SF, PG
The Houston Rockets addressed their need at center with their first pick, drafting Bismack Biyombo, but they'll need to figure out the small forward or point guard position with the 23rd pick.
With Tyler Honeycutt off the board after being taken by the Timberwolves, the Rockets should take a point guard, but the question is, which one?
At this point in the draft, there are a lot of players valued about the same so a team's pick becomes more about preference, and the Rocket's should like Darius Morris.
Morris, standing 6'5", serves as a big matchup problem for opposing defenses, and along with Kevin Martin, he would create a lethal backcourt.
What the Rockets will like most about Morris, though, is his passing ability.
24. Justin Harper to the Oklahoma City Thunder
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Draft Needs Remaining: SG, PF
The Oklahoma City Thunder are one piece away from completing their championship puzzle. Justin Harper just might be that piece.
Serge Ibaka is a defensive force for the Thunder, and he has been very reliable for Oklahoma City. Nick Collison was solid for the them all year long and especially during key moments in the postseason.
However, neither Collison nor Ibaka are really valuable on offense, which is a problem that Justin Harper would gladly solve.
As a role player, Harper could bring great shooting and matchup problems off the bench.
25. Jeremy Tyler to the Boston Celtics
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Draft Needs Remaining: SG, C, PF
Jeremy Tyler may be the biggest wild card in the entire 2011 NBA draft.
Tyler left high school as a Junior to play overseas where he struggled until finding recent success in Japan. No one really knows how he will perform in the NBA, but he remains one of the most talented players available in the draft.
At pick No. 25 to the Boston Celtics, he's worth the risk.
The Celtics are getting older and older, and after the Kendrick Perkins trade, they are getting smaller too. Selecting Jeremy Tyler kills two birds with one stone.
26. Charles Jenkins to the Dallas Mavericks
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Draft Needs Remaining: SG, PG
What could the NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks possibly need? Well evidently not much.
The one thing the Mavericks could do is get younger in the back court. Jason Kidd is one of the oldest starting point guards in the NBA, and he only has a couple of years left in him. Jason Terry is going to be a free agent next year, and he's in his mid 30s also.
Charles Jenkins, the point guard out of Hofstra, would be a good pick for the Mavericks here.
He would inevitably learn a lot behind Kidd, who is a future Hall of Famer, and behind Terry, a player he is very similar to.
By the time both Kidd and Terry are done, Jenkins would be ready to become the point guard of the future.
27. Kyle Singler to the New Jersey Nets
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Draft Needs Remaining: PF, SG, SF
Other than Deron Williams and maybe Brook Lopez, the Nets can really use the draft to fill any other position.
For coach Avery Johnson and the Nets, though, the 27th pick would be best used to take a small forward in Kyle Singler.
Singler is Johnson's type of player. As a four-year starter at Duke, the Blue Devils could depend on Singler to play hard every game, bring a lot of intensity and make very few mistakes.
New Jersey could use a fundamental player like Singler who will know their role and help the team without occasionally hurting it.
28. Travis Leslie to the Chicago Bulls
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Draft Needs Remaining: SG, SF
The Chicago Bulls need help at the wing.
The NBA MVP, Derrick Rose, carried the offensive load all year long and got very little help from Keith Bogans. Kyle Korver provided some scoring off the bench but was not a threat off the dribble or capable of creating his own offense.
Travis Leslie, a shooting guard from Georgia, would give Derrick Rose another option in the backcourt.
Leslie is one of, if not the, most athletic players in the draft, and he can absolutely jump out of the building. Like Rose, he is a very explosive player that can get to the rim at will and excels at finishing at the basket.
The bulls need to find more help for Derrick Rose. Some of that help can be found from Travis Leslie.
29. Nikola Vucevic to the San Antonio Spurs
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Draft Needs Remaining: C, SF
The San Antonio Spurs need to find youth.
TIm Duncan has been the centerpiece for the Spurs for more than a decade now, but he's not the same player he was five years ago, and San Antonio needs to begin the transition towards a younger big man.
Getting Tiago Splitter was a good start for the Spurs, but even he hasn't developed into the player they thought he would be, at least not yet. Even if Splitter does become a legitimate big man for the Spurs, they are going to need to get another frontcourt player to play alongside him.
Nikola Vucevic is one of the most underrated players in the draft. As a 6'10" power forward/ center, Vucevic is one of the rare players who can both back a player down in the post, while also possessing the ability to step back and hit a three.
With Vucevic and Splitter, the Spurs would have laid a solid foundation for the future of their frontcourt.
30. JaJuan Johnson to the Chicago Bulls
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Draft Needs Remaining: SF
JaJuan Johnson isn't a Small Forward, but he's the best pick the Chicago Bulls can make with the last selection in the first round.
Johnson is another player who probably won't be an All-Star but can be a solid contributor for any team that drafts him.
At Purdue, Johnson averaged over 20 points and eight rebounds and was named the Big Ten Player of the Year.
As a big power forward, Johnson would work nicely playing behind Joakim Noah as a member of the Chicago Bulls.
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.
