NBA Draft 2011: Kawhi Leonard and 10 Prospects to Watch on Draft Night

The 2011 NBA Draft is tonight, and there are a lot of storylines to follow. Players like Kawhi Leonard and others could give us a very interesting draft.

The 2011 NBA Draft is filled with talent, but there are going to be a few busts. This list has a few players who could turn out to be busts, so it will be interesting to see where they will go.

College heroes like J.J. Redick do not always shine in the NBA, but they do give us something to watch on draft night.

All of these players have a story surrounding them, and while it is hard to define all of them in a few words, they will entertain us tonight.

Kyle Singler

Kyle Singler could have been a lottery pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, but he decided to come back for his senior season at Duke.

Singler had Player of the Year expectations, but he was overshadowed by teammates Kyrie Irving and Nolan Smith.

Singler showed an inconsistent jump shot, and a hesitancy to drive. He disappointed both scouts and fans alike, and his draft stock plummeted.

Now that Singler has shown us the worst of him, where will he be drafted? Will he be drafted early by a team who remembers the 2009-10 season and is trying to find a diamond in the rough? Or will be drafted late?

Kyle Singler could go at just about anytime tonight. He could be just outside of the lottery, or a late-second round pick.

Marshon Brooks

Marshon Brooks changed Providence basketball almost single-handedly.

Brooks averaged 24.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game in his senior season. He has the ability to penetrate, and the jumper to shoot threes. Brooks is a great offensive player, but he is not one-dimensional.

Brooks is also one of the best perimeter defenders in the draft. He is smart and quick, staying in front of his man at all times. Brooks can guard the best guards in the league.

Brooks is projected to go sometime after the lottery, but he should be a lottery pick. Brooks has impressed quite a few lottery teams, and there is a possibility that they will take him. There is also the possibility that Brooks will fall to the second round because he did not play at a big school.

Brooks has a window of about 25 picks that he could go during, and we will have to watch to find out where he goes.

Brandon Knight/Kemba Walker

This one counts as two.

Brandon Knight is currently projected to go third in the 2011 NBA Draft, but he could fall out of the top 10. Kemba Walker is projected to go about 10th, but he could jump up to the third pick in the draft.

Knight is a very young and inexperienced guard out of Kentucky. Knight has a lot of raw talent, but he does not have the intangibles. Walker is a battle-tested player who has been to the NCAA tournament and played on the big stage before. Walker led his Connecticut team, and he can do the same in the NBA.

Knight was originally projected to go in the mid to late first round, but is now expected to be one of the first picks. Knight did impress us down the stretch, but not enough to jump that high.

Knight is competing with Walker for the title of second best point guard in the Draft. Knight does have some size on Kemba, but Walker has the championship experience that teams love. Knight and Walker are both great players, and it is a toss up of who goes first.

The Utah Jazz should take one of these guys, but it is a question of who. If Walker is taken, then Knight could potentially slip out of the top 10. If Knight is taken, then it is a question of where Walker will go.

Chris Singleton

Chris Singleton is a defensive-minded player. He plays the best perimeter defense of any prospect, and he can play defense inside too.

Singleton has worked on his offensive game, but it is only at an average level. Singleton is also a monster on the boards.

Singleton could go anywhere from the lottery to the end of the first round.

His defensive game was great for him in college, but it will hold him back from becoming a superstar in the NBA. Singleton is currently projected at a late lottery pick, but he could fall much farther, making him a steal for a team down the road.

Nolan Smith

Nolan Smith plays a similar style of play as Kyrie Irving, yet he is considered a late first round pick.

Smith has great vision, and he can be a true point guard when necessary. He also has great offensive skills, with the ability to drive and a great shot.

Smith was a big contributor on the 2009-10 National Champion Duke team, and he has had a lot of experience on the big stage.

For some reason, Smith is considered much worse than teammate Kyrie Irving, even though the two are almost the exact same. Irving may be quicker, but Smith has had more experience.

Some teams in the early first round might notice this and take him sooner than projected. He could also fall to the second round because of his poor performance in the NCAA tournament against Arizona.

Jimmer Fredette

Jimmer Fredette was one of the best players in college basketball. However, many experts are questioning his ability to take his game to the next level.

Fredette has good athleticism, but he may not be ready for the fast-paced NBA action. He was a beast in college, but he won't be taking every shot in the NBA, and he will have to adjust.

There are many concerns about taking Jimmer Fredette, as some experts are comparing him to J.J. Redick.

Fredette has the potential to go in the middle of the lottery picks, but he could also fall to the later half of the first round. With so much uncertainty about him, it will be interesting to see who will take him.

Markieff Morris

Markieff Morris is considered the lesser of the Morris twins. Markieff is currently projected to go as one of the final picks of the lottery, or fall to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Markieff is a Philly native, so the Sixers really want him. He would fit into their system nicely, but the question is: will they get him.

If it looks like they might miss out of Markieff with the 16th pick, the Sixers could try to make a move up the ladder to try and snag him.

There is some uncertainty about where Markieff, and that could lead to possible trades. When the end of the lottery is coming, we need to watch for potential moves to get Markieff.

Bismack Biyombo

Bismack Biyombo is a 6'9" power forward from Spain who has played in the Congo.

Biyombo is considered to be a player who could become one of the best in the draft, or one of the biggest busts.

Biyombo reminds some of Yi Jianlian, drafted sixth overall, who was a complete bust. Biyombo could be the same mold.

There is so much uncertainty about Biyombo that he could go early, or he could fall out of the lottery. Biyombo is a big risk, and we will have to see who will take arguably the riskiest player of the draft.

Kawhi Leonard

Kawhi Leonard, forward from San Diego State University, has been one of the most interesting players of the draft.

Originally labeled a player who would probably fall out of the lottery, he is now projected to go in the top five or six.

Leonard impressed scouts at the Combine and during the season, but his jump from about 20th to about fifth is huge.

Leonard is athletic, and he could play a big role for a team right away. However, Leonard could also be a bust. Despite being long, he is short for a power forward. Leonard does not have the shot or ability to drive to become a great small forward either.

Leonard could go as early as third, but he could also fall out of the lottery if NBA team remember how they felt about him two months ago.

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.