2011 NBA Mock Draft: Last-Second Draft Projections for Thursday Night

Ryan RudnanskyJun 23, 2011

In every NBA draft, there's always prospect that goes on to star in the NBA who was overlooked come draft day.

Leading up to the 2011 NBA Draft, there are two big men who I feel are undervalued: Congo forward Bismack Biyombo and USC center Nikola Vucevic.

Now, it's worth noting that both of these players could go in the lottery, but some reports have Biyombo sliding to the Golden State Warriors at No. 11 overall and Vucevic possibly sliding to the Philadelphia 76ers at No. 16 or getting picked up in the late first round.

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In his latest mock draft, Chad Ford of ESPN has the Detroit Pistons possibly selecting Texas forward Tristan Thompson over Biyombo at No. 8, despite some thinking Biyombo could become the next Ben Wallace.

There isn't much game tape on Biyombo, given, well, he's been playing in the Spanish ACB Basketball League and he's 18 years old, but everyone surely remembers his triple-double performance against Team USA in the 2011 Hoops Summit.

You may ask, how can a center prospect at 6'9", 243 pounds, notch a triple-double?

Well, he had 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 blocks.

He's just as bad as Wallace was offensively when he came into the league, but he could become such an impact player defensively that I think the Pistons passing on him at No. 8 would be a huge mistake if they are indeed drafting for defense.

As for Vucevic, he certainly hasn't gone unnoticed. He's gone from a second-rounder to possibly a lottery pick, with the chance he gets grabbed at No. 14 overall by the Houston Rockets (if they don't trade, as has been rumored).

Vucevic is one of the few prospects in this draft he can step in right away at center in the NBA, listed at 7'0", 260 pounds. He averaged 17.1 points, 10.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks for the Trojans last season and he not only has soft touch around the rim, he's got a nice face-up game and range out to the three-point line, shooting at a 34 percent clip last season.

He's not an explosive athlete, but few big centers are. He's a solid rebounder and his 7-foot-5 wingspan makes him play even bigger than he already is.

I project Biyombo and Vucevic to be solid starters in the NBA, and Biyombo could be a game-changer when he's on the floor.

For video of Biyombo at the 2011 Hoops Summit, go here.

1. Cleveland Cavaliers: Kyrie Irving

2. Minnesota Timberwolves: Derrick Williams

3. Utah Jazz: Enes Kanter

4. Cleveland Cavaliers: Jonas Valanciunas

5. Toronto Raptors: Brandon Knight

6. Washington Wizards: Jan Vesely

7. Sacramento Kings: Kemba Walker

8. Detroit Pistons: Bismack Biyombo

9. Charlotte Bobcats: Kawhi Leonard

10. Milwaukee Bucks: Klay Thompson