NBA Lockout: What Each 2011 First-Round Pick Should Buy with His First Paycheck

The NBA Lockout has kept the recent picks in the NBA Draft from getting and spending any paychecks, and the players have to be looking forward to their first payday as soon as this lockout ends.

Usually when a basketball player gets his first big paycheck he will go out and buy a car, some fancy new duds, a house or something for his family, but I think they need to buy some less conventional items.

They need to buy things that will make the transition to their new cities easier, make them better players and just buy things that will ease their transition into the league.

Some players need to focus more on things to endear themselves to their new fans, while others need to spend some of that new money on things from their past.

So, for whenever this lockout does end and these players do get paid, this is what each pick in the first round should buy with his new basketball money.

Kyrie Irving: Indians Hat, Browns Jersey

It's a small purchase, but Kyrie Irving, you need to go out and buy an Indians hat and a Browns jersey.

I don't care if you dislike the teams, this is an action that would endear you to the city of Cleveland immediately.

Irving already has done and said all the right things since being drafted by the Cavs; sounding confident but not cocky, this move would just put him over the top.

Derrick Williams: A Big, Fluffy Winter Coat

Derrick Williams is a Southern California kid who went straight from the sunshine in SoCal to the sunshine in Arizona for college.

He's been sheltered away from cold and snow, and he's about to get a rude awakening living in Minnesota during the winter.

Sure, it's going to suck being that cold, but if he can make the team good again he'll get plenty of love from fans—love that will warm him up enough to forget about having to scrape the ice off his windshield.

Enes Kanter: A Parting Gift

One Turkish center is coming into Utah and that should mean another one is on the way out.

Mehmet Okur has spent the past seven years as a center for the Utah Jazz and five of them as the starter, but recent injury problems and a downturn in production should mean he is on the way out of Utah.

Since it's likely that fellow Turk Okur will help Kanter transition to the NBA, Kanter should get Okur a nice watch or just a nice dinner for his help, considering the fact that he'll be replacing him.

Tristan Thompson: A Believeland T-Shirt

The Cleveland Cavaliers stunned everyone when they picked Tristan Thompson with the fourth pick in the draft a few months back, and it caused many to question whether he was worth the pick.

So, Thompson should go out and get himself a "Believeland" t-shirt to both endear himself to Cleveland and tell the fans of the city to relax and just believe in him.

Jonas Valanciunas: An Everything-to-English Dictionary

Jonas Valanciunas is coming over from Lithuania and won't play for the team until the 2012-2013 season, but that shouldn't stop him from getting a jump on things.

Whenever he does sign a contract with the Raptors, Valanciunas needs to buy himself a dictionary for just about every language you can imagine so he can communicate with everyone in the Raptors' multinational locker room.

Jan Vesely: An Oxygen Tank

The Washington Wizards are looking like they're going to be one of the most exciting, high-flying teams in the NBA.

They have a point guard who can dish out alley-oops like Scott Raab dishes out LeBron James hate. That means the team full of athletes like Vesely, Nick Young, Jordan Crawford and JaVale McGee are going to be spending a lot of time in the air.

Vesely might be in the air so often that he could get lightheaded while he's up there, so he'll need a good suck of oxygen from time to time.

Bismack Biyombo: Lessons from Hakeem Olajuwon

Bismack Biyombo is going to be a big part of the Charlotte Bobcats future, but it's going to take a lot of work to change him from being described as raw to being a finished NBA product.

The Bobcats are investing a lot into Biyombo, so he should invest in himself and get some lessons from the best big man to ever come out of Africa.

Olajuwon can teach him the good habits and footwork that a big man needs to succeed in the NBA.

Brandon Knight: A Ford

The most humble thing Brandon Knight could do to endear himself to the people of Detroit—without being too obvious about it—would be to buy a car from one of the big three.

Whether he buys a Ford, GM or Chrysler, the people of the city would appreciate that he's supporting the local economy by buying a car produced right in their backyard.

Kemba Walker: A Box of Tissues

I love that Kemba Walker cried at the draft. It was a real moment from a real person. He realized his dream that night and his emotions got the better of him.

However, he's the future of the Bobcats, so he needs to buy some tissues, blow his nose and get ready to lead Charlotte into the future.

Jimmer Fredette: A Very Small Trophy Shelf

The doubt circling Jimmer Fredette in the sports world has been surpassed in the past year only by the doubt surrounding Cam Newton and Tim Tebow—but that doesn't mean the doubt is minimal.

I have to agree that I don't see Fredette amounting to much more than a role player in the NBA, so I would advise him to buy a small trophy shelf for his college awards, maybe with space for a ring if he lands on the right team at the right time.

Klay Thompson: Some Weights

Klay Thompson is without a doubt an offensive talent, but his slight frame is going to make it difficult for him to be physical with his opponent at the next level.

Look at it this way. He's a good five inches taller than I am, but I weigh 10 pounds more than he does, and I wouldn't consider myself all that muscular.

Thompson is like a reincarnation of Tayshaun Prince in body, but he is going to need to pack on some weight to be a tenacious defender.

Alec Burks: The Big Ball

Alec Burks could very well be one of the best players to come out of this draft class, but he's going to need to work on one key skill.

Burks is an extremely poor shooter from any kind of distance (he shot less than 30 percent from three), so this shooting aid should help him out a bit.

Markieff Morris: A Present for His Brother

Markieff got the best news of all when his name got called before his brother's.

Of the past three set of twins to be drafted—the Collins brothers, the Lopez brothers and the Griffin brothers—the first one drafted has had the better NBA career.

Get your brother something nice, you already beat him by getting drafted before he did.

Marcus Morris: A Slice of Humble Pie

Even though his brother was drafted first, Marcus Morris isn't about to act like he's not the best player in the draft.

Despite the fact that he is a low-basketball IQ tweener with a tendency to foul early and often, the Morris twin on his way to Houston has said that he thinks he's the best all-around player in the draft.

Buy yourself a slice of humble pie down there in Texas, Marcus, they have to have a few slices for you.

Kawhi Leonard: A Video Camera

I truly believe that if you want to make it in the NBA these days, if you have the athleticism to make it to this level, all you need is sound fundamentals and a high IQ and you'll carve out a long career.

The one player to model your game after—or even just the way you handle yourself with the public and the media—would have to be Tim Duncan.

Buy yourself a video camera and record what he does, because he does it all right.

Nikola Vucevic: Some More Arm Sleeves

One of my favorite things about the draft was that the one guy I can recall wearing an Iverson arm sleeve the past few years is joining he team that made the arm sleeve popular.

Iverson rocked it and made it popular, and at this point it's pretty much gone out of style. So, maybe Nikola Vucevic can bring it back if he makes it big.

Iman Shumpert: Sunglasses and a Hat

Once again the Knicks disappointed their fans in the draft, picking Iman Shumpert with guys like Kenneth Faried and Donatas Motiejunas, big men that could give them depth, still on the board.

I like the picks for the Knicks, but if he doesn't play well he's going to need something to disguise himself from the raucous New York fans when he's out in public.

Chris Singleton: Some Fancy Clothes

Among the Washington Wizards, Chris Singleton is going to stick out like a sore thumb. Get this, this guy actually plays defense!

So, why not just take it a step further, turn into the Walt Frazier of Washington and stick out wherever he goes by throwing on some fancy duds whenever he's out in public.

Tobias Harris: A Deep-Fried Brat and a Cheesehead Hat

It's time to get used to the northern Midwest, Tobias Harris.

Get used to the culture, buy yourself a beer or two, deep fry a bratwurst and wear a cheesehead hat to truly understand the people you are playing in front of. 

Donatas Motiejunas: Some Muscle Milk

Donatas Motiejunas has a jumper and the size that could make him a good player in the NBA, but Ben Wallace could use those skinny little arms as toothpicks.

Donatas Motiejunas needs to bulk up so he can bang around down low from time to time, otherwise you'll just have another European player burn out before he has a chance to be any good.

Nolan Smith: A Bicycle

Nolan Smith is going to Portland, a friendly city that really loves its basketball team, so he should just go ahead and adapt to the society he's joining.

The first step for the new Trail Blazer is to buy a bicycle and start pedaling his way around one of the most bike-friendly cities in the world.

Kenneth Faried: A Ben Wallace Jersey

Kenneth Faried is a guy coming out of an obscure school who is too short to play the position he wants to play and doesn't have the offensive prowess of a guy that usually makes it in the NBA.

He's basically at the same spot that Ben Wallace was when he came into the league.

Buy yourself a jersey and try to follow in his footsteps as closely as possible and you'll have a fine career there, Kenneth. 

Nikola Mirotic: Cowboy Hat

The Houston Rockets just lost their international icon when Yao Ming retired; now there is a vacuum in Houston about who their new international man of mystery will be.

I'd say that if Spanish-Montenegrin Nikola Mirotic puts on a cowboy hat and plays friendly with the fans of Houston then he could be their new hero. 

Reggie Jackson: A Short-Leased Apartment

Reggie Jackson has been around the world, and while he was in Colorado for a while as a kid, he hasn't settled down for a very long time in any one spot in his young life.

He's lived in Italy, England, North Dakota, Florida, Massachusetts and now Oklahoma. He may be on his way out again before he knows it, so he shouldn't tie himself down too tightly.

Marshon Brooks: The Complete Works of Jay-Z

Time to get buddy-buddy with the part-owner, Marshon Brooks, and maybe you'll get yourself a bigger paycheck once you get to sign a deal.

Brooks was drafted by Boston but shipped to New Jersey later in the draft, so he should feel happy that the team traded up a bit to get him.

Jordan Hamilton: A Tim Tebow Jersey

Jordan Hamilton is going into a power vacuum in Denver, but there is one way to get Nuggets fans to like you: Grab some Tim Tebow gear.

Denver could get a good player in Hamilton, and the best way to stick around a team longer is to become a fan favorite, so why not get in good with the fans?

JaJuan Johnson: Some Thank-You Notes

JaJuan Johnson was originally drafted by the Nets, which wouldn't have been terrible because he was picked in the first round and would still end up with a sizable NBA paycheck.

However, New Jersey promptly traded him to Boston, a title contender, with a chance to get some good playing time. Send some thank-you notes to the guys in Boston and New Jersey, because you're a lot better off now.

Norris Cole: A Cavs Jersey

Do this one for Ohio, Norris, it's the only thing we ask of you.

Get under the skin of your new Miami Heat teammate and rep the Wine and Gold from your old college town. He probably won't say anything about it, but it'll bother him just a little bit, and that'll make me happy.

Cory Joseph: A Stopwatch

Corey Joseph has the tools to be a good point guard in the NBA. He's a tremendous shooter, creator and defender, but he tends to hang onto the ball too long.

If he buys himself a stopwatch that starts every time he touches the ball then he can know how long he hangs onto it—and can learn to get rid of it earlier.

Jimmy Butler: Something for the Leslie Family

The story behind Jimmy Butler is probably one of the more inspiring stories in the NBA over the past few years.

His father left his family as an infant and his mother kicked him out of the house at just 13. He stayed with friends from time to time over the next few years, but he was basically homeless. However, in high school, his friend Jordan Leslie's family took him in, even though they had six children themselves.

Buy them something nice Jimmy, I'm sure they know you appreciate them, but they deserve a small gift of gratitude.