2011 NBA Draft: With Irving, Smith and Singler, Duke Hits the Trifecta
For Duke Blue Devils’ fans, the 2011 NBA Draft started off predictably when Kyrie Irving went first overall to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Later in the draft, though, we were left confused, surprised and maybe even a little dumbfounded.
No. 1: Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers
While Irving doesn’t get the same amount of attention as other first-overall point guards like Derrick Rose and John Wall, it was clear that the Cavaliers had to take him. No offense to Derrick Williams who wanted desperately to be the top pick, but the NBA is a point guard league right now.
Kyrie is a great shooter, great ball handler and a finisher. He can drive to the rim with both his left and right hands. He will make his teammates better. As long as he stays healthy, in shape and off of motorcycles, he’s going to be an elite point guard in this league for a long time.
Looking to next season, Irving should start right away, although I’m not sure how Cleveland will work it out with Baron Davis. Maybe they move Davis to the two spot? I don’t know. I just know Baron is not the future and I suspect he’ll be gone before the 2012-2013 season starts.
Also, Irving will need to be patient. This is not going to be like joining Duke. The Cavaliers are a few years away from competing. Let’s face it, this team was not good in the post-LeBron era.
I would argue that they still have three starters (Anthony Parker, Ryan Hollins and Alonzo Gee) who shouldn’t be starters at this level.
They also added Tristan Thompson, but I don't think he's ready to compete every night at this level. Thompson (who is also a freshman) will defend, block shots and rebound, but he's simply not an NBA-level scoring power forward...yet.
2011-2012 OUTLOOK: Look for Irving to average about 17 points and seven assists per game. Good numbers, but don't be surprised if his shooting percentages are less-than-impressive. He should be a finalist for Rookie of the Year by the time the season ends.
No. 21: Nolan Smith, Portland Trail Blazers
The first shock of the night came when Nolan Smith was taken this early, ahead of Kyle Singler. While I knew Smith had worked out for Portland, I really never considered it a possible destination.
Personally, I think Nolan is an underrated player. Sure, he's not lightning quick, but he's shown the ability to get by just about anyone by using smart steps. That's just using your whole body and the whole court and taking advantage of your opponents' weaknesses to beat them. That's smart basketball.
Smith has a solid NBA ready mid-range game, as well as a good three-point shot. He's also a very underrated defender, something I think Trailblazer fans will be excited about.
For now Smith is a combo guard off the bench. Currently, Portland's starting backfield is Andre Miller and Brandon Roy. However, Miller is a free agent in 2012, and rumor has it he might be dealt for Raymond Felton, who is also a free agent in 2012.
The current backup at PG is Patrick Mills, but Portland may be looking to part ways with him. This means Smith could get legit backup minutes running the point.
At the shooting guard spot, Brandon Roy is a star, but he's also injury-prone. The number one option off the bench is Wesley Matthews who started 69 games this past season thanks to Roy's injury.
No matter what happens with Portland's lineup, this is a nice, soft landing spot for Nolan. The Trail Blazers are a playoff team already and that's without Roy and Greg Oden. Nolan should have a couple of years to develop his NBA skills while playing for a winner.
2011-2012 OUTLOOK: Look for Nolan to get about 10 minutes per game as a rookie. He might have a couple of double-digit nights, but not much more since Portland is pretty deep at the guard spots.
No. 33: Kyle Singler, Detroit Pistons
Speaking of shocking...
First, I'm dumbfounded Singler fell out of the first-round. Second, I'm surprised Detroit took him.
Here's the deal for all you disappointed Duke fans—the NBA basically sees Kyle as an unathletic 'tweener.'
No matter how big your heart is, it will never match a long wingspan. That's a fact.
Further, if Singler was going to distinguish himself during his senior year, he would need to show scouts that he was a lethal shooter. He never did. In fact, his numbers dipped in his final year.
His 32 percent shooting from three-point range was the lowest in his carer. In fact, his best shooting year was his freshman season when he shot 46 percent from the floor.
In reality, he might be a good fit for Detroit. If any team showed that they played with no heart last season, it was the Pistons.
While it is hard to imagine Singler earning starter minutes right now, the Pistons have some figuring out to do. Both their starting small forward (Tayshaun Prince) and power forward (Chris Wilcox) are unrestricted free agents.
Currently, the Pistons' payroll is around $65 million, not tragic (19th overall), but if the NBA comes up with a hard cap or even semi-flexible cap, how will they afford to keep Prince or Wilcox, along with three others restricted free agents?
Also, even if Detroit wanted to re-sign Prince, does he want to come back? He's 31 years old—does he really want to take part in a rebuilding effort? The fact is, the Pistons may not have any choice but to give Singler solid rookie minutes.
2011-2012 OUTLOOK: Detroit will find another starting SF, but Singler will see 15-20 minutes per game off the bench. Look for Singler to average about eight points and five rebounds per game.
