NBA Draft 2011: The Top 10 Prospects at Each Position

The 2011 NBA Draft is this Thursday at 7 p.m. EST. The draft is upon us, and because of that, we need to know who are the best prospects at each position.

NBA GMs know what positions they are thin at and therefore must draft.

No matter what position your favorite team needs, this is the list for you. This list ranks the top 10 prospects at each position in order of projected success in the NBA.

With so much information being thrown at us, we need to simplify things so that we know which players should be drafted early and which ones should be drafted late.

Bear in mind, not all of these players will be drafted. With 50 players on this list, and only 60 picks in the draft, some positions will be drafted more heavily than others, and a few prospects on this list will not make it to the NBA this year.

Point Guards

1. Kyrie Irving- Kyrie Irving is the best point guard in the 2011 NBA Draft. No surprises or anything new here. We've all heard about his amazing speed, vision, agility, quickness, shooting, defense, etc. The only thing left now is to see how he does in the NBA.

2. Kemba Walker- Kemba Walker has jumped up to No. 2 in this ranking. Walker is a great scorer with good defense, but he has been ranked behind Brandon Knight until now. Walker has been tested in big games before, and he beat Knight head-to-head.

This is less Walker jumping up, and more Knight falling down a spot.

3. Brandon Knight- Brandon Knight is only a 19-year-old kid who has not shown the best characteristics. While the kid has a lot of talent, he needs to become a better passer. Knight seems to be a do-it-all shooting guard instead of a point guard.

4. Jimmer Fredette- Jimmer Fredette is known as a great scorer, but he knows how to get others involved to a degree. We know that he has the shot down, but the question is, will he have to take a backseat role on his new team? And if so, how will he adjust to that?

5. Nolan Smith- Nolan Smith played both point guard and shooting guard very well this season, but he will probably become a point guard in the NBA. Smith is a great passer, he can score and he has excellent defense. Smith knows how to lead a team; his only problem is consistently getting others involved.

6. Iman Shumpert

7. Norris Cole

8. Malcolm Lee

9. Darius Morris

10. Reggie Jackson

Shooting Guards

1. Klay Thompson- Klay Thompson is a shooting guard out of Washington State with great size, a deadly shot, good vision and a very high basketball IQ. Thompson's range will allow him to hit deep threes, and his ability to adjust to any offense makes him an excellent pick.

2. Alec Burks- A 19-year-old from Colorado, Alec Burks reminds me of a LeBron James-type player. He probably won't be as good as LeBron, but he is great at penetrating while his jumper is only pretty good. Burks won't be a three-point shooter, but he will be able to use his athleticism to cut through the lane.

3. Marshon Brooks- Marshon Brooks turned Providence basketball around, and he is one of the best. Brooks is great at penetrating, and he is very athletic. Brooks has great rebounding skills at 6'5", and he gets a lot of offensive rebounds. Brooks has been working on his shot, and he is ready for the NBA.

4. E'Twaun Moore- E'Twaun Moore and the rest of these guys are a tier below the top three shooting guards, and they probably won't be drafted until the middle of the second round.

5. Travis Leslie

6. Scotty Hopson

7. Andrew Goudelock

8. David Lighty

9. Julyan Stone

10. DeAndre Liggins- Liggins is VERY overrated. While he does have pretty good perimeter defense, his offense is appalling. He has an inconsistent jump shot, and whoever takes him is taking a risk.

Small Forwards

1. Kawhi Leonard- Kawhi Leonard has been considered the best small forward for a while now. Leonard is a big risk because he might not become anything special, but the rest of this class is weak. Leonard is very athletic, so hopefully that will help him take his game to the next level.

2. Chris Singleton- Chris Singleton is a defensive machine from Florida State. Singleton also has great size and is pretty athletic. Singleton stepped up his game offensively this season, and now he is ready to take on the NBA.

3. Jan Vesely- Coming from the Czech Republic, Jan Vesely is 6'11" and very athletic. Vesely could probably play power forward because of his body, but his skill set is better fit for a small forward.

4. Jordan Hamilton- Jordan Hamilton has the ability to become one of the best scorers in the league. He can shoot extremely well, but he has also improved his drive. His perimeter defense is pretty good, but he can take you inside as well.

5. Tyler Honeycutt

6. Davis Bertans

7. Nikola Mirotic

8. Chandler Parsons

9. Kyle Singler- A preseason Player of the Year candidate, Kyle Singler had a very bad 2010-11 season. He showed us that he is not ready for the NBA. His size makes him one of the smaller forwards, and his jump shot was very inconsistent last season.

Anyone who drafts him is thinking too much about the 2009-10 season.

10. Jereme Richmond

Power Forwards

1. Derrick Williams- What's left to say about Derrick Williams? We know that he is the finest physical specimen out there. We know that he is a deadly shooter. We know that he is ready for the NBA.

The only thing we don't know is whether he will be the first or second pick.

2. Bismack Biyombo- An 18-year-old from Congo, Bismack Biyombo is a great defender. He is also excellent on the boards, and he is very athletic for his 6'9" stature. Biyombo could either be a steal or a bust, but I am thinking that he will pan out nicely.

3. Tristan Thompson- Tristan Thompson is the type of power forward a team looks for. He is a presence down low, able to grab rebounds and defend nicely. He gives 100 percent on every play, and he has stepped up his offensive game. Thompson is a very solid pick with little risk.

4. Kenneth Faried- Kenneth Faried is one of the best rebounders in the draft, Faried is athletic and has a great jump, allowing him to snatch rebounds. He is also very persistent, and he never quits on a play.

Faried stepped up his offensive game in his senior year with Morehead State, and he should be a lottery pick.

5. Tobias Harris

6. Marcus Morris

7. Markieff Morris- Markieff Morris is the lesser of the two twins, but he still has a chance to be a lottery pick. Morris is part of a very talented, very deep power forward class and he could be the seventh power forward to be chosen by a lottery team. If not, then he will go to the Philadelphia 76ers.

8. Justin Harper

9. Donatas Motiejunas

10. Jeremy Tyler

Centers

1. Enes Kanter- Enes Kanter is a 19-year-old center from Turkey. Kanter is very smart in the way he plays. He is also a great defender and rebounder. Kanter also has great passing skills, and if double-teamed, he can kick the ball out to an open man very well.

2. Jonas Valanciunas- Jonas Valanciunas is a big center from Lithuania. Valanciunas has a great build, and he is an excellent rebounder. Valanciunas is a great player, and he is going to be a lottery pick.

3. Nikola Vucevic- Nikola Vucevic is a center from USC. Vucevic is a very smart player with great size. He is able to adjust to any offense. Vucevic really stepped up his game in his junior year with the Trojans, and he is ready for the NBA. Vucevic will be the last first-round pick for centers.

4. Greg Smith- Greg Smith is a center from Fresno State, and he is looking to take his talents to the NBA. Smith is a big guy, and he has excellent reach. Smith can take up a lot of space in the lane, making it hard for offenses to penetrate and score.

5. Jordan Williams

6. Keith Benson

7. Giorgi Shermadini- Giorgi Shermadini will be the last center taken in the 2011 NBA draft. Shermadini is similar to Jonas Valanciunas, but he is the worse of the two. Shermadini should sneak into the draft as one of the last picks made.

8. Michael Dunigan

9. Miro Bilan

10. Josh Harrellson