2011 NBA Mock Draft: Needs of Teams with No First-Round Draft Picks

In my last entry, I waxed poetic about how the seven teams with multiple picks in the first round of the 2011 NBA Draft might exercise their rights to draft during Thursday's festivities.

But let's not forget about those who won't have a direct hand in deciding how the first 30 selections go down. For every team with more than one choice, there must be another that has forfeited the same privilege.

Some would say that such teams won't be missing out on much, particularly when considering the dearth of franchise-defining talent in this year's group, even when including Kyrie Irving and Derrick Williams.

However, that's not to say that the seven teams without first-round picks, including the Los Angeles Lakers and the Orlando Magic, don't have needs that could very well be filled by players in this draft.

Hence, for the sake discussion, let's have a look at what these seven teams need most and which players would have filled those needs best with the picks those teams would've had.

Phew!

Los Angeles Clippers

What better place to start than at the top, where the Los Angeles Clippers would've had the first-overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft had they not tried so desperately to get Baron Davis' contract off their books.

The Clippers have plenty of young talent on their roster, certainly enough to be a playoff team in the next year or two given some good coaching, the maturation of their current crop and another wily veteran or two.

That being said, it's not as though the Clips wouldn't be able to make room for another tremendous talent. LA, with Mo Williams and Eric Bledsoe, is no less jammed at point guard than the Cleveland Cavaliers, so Kyrie Irving would certainly work. 

If the Clips thought Derrick Williams could man the three, they could pair him with All-Star forward Blake Griffin to form one of the most devastating frontline combinations in the league for years to come.

Or, at least until Griffin becomes a free agent and Clippers owner Donald Sterling decides he's too cheap to pay him.

Atlanta Hawks

The Washington Wizards currently own Atlanta's first-round pick at a particularly inopportune time for the Hawks.

The Hawks are likely to lose sensational sixth man Jamal Crawford to free agency, lest either the team pony up or he decide to offer an incumbent team discount. Such a loss would set the team back after the current bunch pushed the Chicago Bulls to six games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Had Atlanta hung onto its first-rounder this year, GM Rick Sund would've had a shot at Providence's Marshon Brooks, a prolific scorer in his own right who would've filled in beautifully for Crawford.

New Orleans Hornets

Chris Paul and the New Orleans Hornets gave the two-time defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers all they could handle in the first round even without All-Star forward David West, who missed the series with a left knee injury.

West has a player option for the final year of his deal, which he is likely to exercise given his health and his age (31), though the Hornets may still be thin along the front line should Carl Landry and Aaron Gray both abandon the Bayou.

At No. 19, Nawlins would've had access to a number of young big men, including Markieff Morris, Kenneth Faried and Nikola Vucevic. Instead, they'll have to cross their fingers and hope that trading for Emeka Okafor was a worthwhile move in the end.

Memphis Grizzlies

In a world without trades, the Memphis Grizzlies would've been up next at No. 20, with plenty of issues to address.

Shane Battier, whom the Grizzlies brought back into the fold midseason, will be an unrestricted free agent, while Memphis will have to concern itself with retaining restricted free agents Marc Gasol and Sam Young.

Like the Hornets, the up-and-coming Grizzlies would have had a shot at bigs like Kenneth Faried, Nikola Vucevic and Markieff Morris along with a chance to target Kyle Singler who, like Battier, is a highly-decorated forward from Duke who can do a little bit of everything.

Even without a first-round pick, though, the Grizzlies should be able to build on their recent playoff success assuming Rudy Gay returns to form and becomes the franchise superstar he's always been pegged to be.

Orlando Magic

A few spots later, at No. 23, the Orlando Magic would've had a pick to use on a player to boost their roster and, in turn, their chances of retaining superstar center Dwight Howard.

Perhaps an athletic wing like Tobias Harris or Tyler Honeycutt to fill in the hole that is likely to be left behind by the departure of free agent Jason Richardson.

Instead, Magic GM Otis Smith will have to watch as the Houston Rockets use the pick on a European big man to stash overseas or another solid role player to add to their core.

Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers are in the midst of an offseason of tremendous change. From the disappointing ending to their three-peat bid in a sweep at the hands of the eventual-champion Dallas Mavericks and the retirement of Phil Jackson to the hiring of new head coach Mike Brown and the subsequent displeasure expressed by Kobe Bryant with how the process went down, the Lakers have plenty of drama to deal with and have thus far attempted to deal with their shortcomings by exploring a wide array of trade possibilities.

That's because the Lakers don't have a pick in this year's first round, thanks to a three-way trade back in December of 2010 in which LA sent away Sasha Vujacic and two first-round picks while getting back Joe Smith, a couple of second round picks and the draft rights to Sergei Lischuk.

Yeah, I know, my thoughts exactly.

So instead of using the 27th pick on some guard or to boost their bench with a player like Reggie Jackson or Tyler Honeycutt, the Lakers will hope they can find a gem with one of their four (count 'em) second-round picks this year.

Miami Heat

Last but not least are the Miami Heat, who obviously had to give up SOMETHING to bring LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh together on one team.

Among those things sacrificed was the team's first round pick this year, which just so happened to end up with the Chicago Bulls at No. 28.

According to multiple reports, the Heat have already given a guarantee to Boston College guard Reggie Jackson, though he might be gone sometime in the first round before Miami has a chance to take him at No. 31.

So while LeBron and company may still have just enough to sneak their way back to the NBA Finals, they won't likely be able to do much better than a six-game defeat without some more backcourt depth to support their Big Three.

For more 2011 NBA draft coverage, stay tuned to Bleacher Report for updated NBA mock drafts, B/R's Big Board of Recruits, NBA draft rumors, NBA draft results and draft grades.