2011 NBA Mock Draft: Consensus Projections from Bleacher Report Experts

Finding any consensus on who will go at the top of the 2011 NBA Draft is quite a chore, to say the least.

How the top five picks play out could change dramatically depending on how the Cleveland Cavaliers decide to work things out at No. 1 and No. 4, along with whether or not the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Utah Jazz find a deal worth making for their respective picks.

We here at the Bleacher Report have been following all of the rumors rather closely over the past few weeks. As such, I decided to poll a swath of our writers to see if I could come up with some agreement on who would go where in the first five.

Read on to see if I had any luck!

First Pick: Kyrie Irving (or Derrick Williams)

Nothing too shocking at No. 1, as most of the folks at B/R have the Cleveland Cavaliers taking Kyrie Irving, who stacks up as the best value and most complete prospect in the 2011 NBA Draft.

There are a few, like Eric Ball, who think the Cavs will take Arizona's Derrick Williams and wait to take a point guard at No. 4.

Second Pick: Derrick Williams (or Kyrie Irving)

With most of our experts at B/R tabbing Irving at No. 1, it should come as no surprise that the majority have Derrick Williams going to the Minnesota Timberwolves at No. 2.

The T-Wolves have explored trades for their pick for quite awhile, though GM David Kahn has been difficult to deal with, as always.

As expected, those few who had Williams at the top slotted Irving for the second pick.

Third Pick: Brandon Knight or Enes Kanter

Everyone at the Bleacher Report seems to think that the Utah Jazz will select someone with ties to the University of Kentucky at No. 3.

Whether the choice is Brandon Knight or Enes Kanter is a toss-up around the office.

The Jazz are in the market for a big-little combo with the third and 12th picks overall. Should Knight be the guy, as Adam Fromal and Michael Cahill think will be the case, Utah could opt for someone like Chris Singleton later on.

If Kanter is the man at No. 3, look for Utah to pick up home state favorite Jimmer Fredette to man the point.

Fourth Pick: Jonas Valanciunas (or Knight...or Kanter)

Multiple sources have the Cleveland Cavaliers springing for Lithuanian big man Jonas Valanciunas at No. 4, despite concerns about the lack of a buyout option on his European contract.

That information was enough to sway a number of us at B/R, including myself, to think Valanciunas will be the fourth guy out of the green room, though there were others, like David Daniels and Gabe Zaldivar, who think the Cavs will opt for Enes Kanter, Tristan Thompson or, if they take Derrick Williams at No. 1, Brandon Knight.

Fifth Pick: Kemba Walker/Brandon Knight/Jan Vesely/Kawhi Leonard

The fifth pick was something of a toss-up around B/R. 

Those who didn't have Brandon Knight going in the top four saw him as a no-brainer for the Toronto Raptors.

Others saw the Raptors' need at point guard as big enough to go for Kemba Walker at No. 5 should Knight be off the board.

If defense is a priority, Toronto could opt for San Diego State's Kawhi Leonard or Bismack Biyombo of the Congo, as Alex Kay would have it. 

And don't count out Jan Vesely of the Czech Republic. GM Bryan Colangelo has a long history of bringing international players to Toronto, and Vesely is one of the best and most NBA-ready in the 2011 NBA Draft.

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.