1. Cleveland Cavaliers: Derrick Williams, F, Arizona, Sophomore: The Cavaliers could very well end up with the first two picks in the draft, but as the order currently stands, they are slotted to choose first and fourth. Therefore, while Duke’s Kyrie Irving might be the best prospect in the draft, it might make the most sense for Cleveland to select Williams first then nab one of 2011’s other top point guard prospects with their second pick in the top five. Williams doesn’t have the upside of Irving, and he may have some character issues (a la Michael Beasley), but there’s no doubting that he is a fierce competitor.
2. Minnesota Timberwolves: Kyrie Irving, PG, Duke, Freshman: With the highly-touted Ricky Rubio set to take the court for the T-Pups in 2011-12, along with the fact that Johnny Flynn and Luke Ridnour are still on the team’s roster, Irving doesn’t make a lot of sense for the Wolves at No. 2. Which is why, if Williams begins to emerge as the frontrunner for the top pick in 2011, the Wolves will likely trade down in the draft as to not be stuck with a major logjam at the point guard spot. However, for the sake of reality, the Wolves currently have the number two pick, Derrick Williams has been predicted to go No. 1, and Kyrie Irving is simply too good of a prospect in such a weak draft to slip any further.
3. Utah Jazz: Enes Kanter, PF/C, Turkey, 1992: Even though Utah’s General Manager Kevin O’Connor is reportedly very high on Kentucky’s Brandon Knight, I see the Jazz going for value instead of need with this pick. They already have a plethora of young, quality big men with Derrick Favors, Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson under contract, but with Mehmet Okur’s recent string of injuries, and an inevitable trade involving Jefferson, Kanter seems like the most logical pick for the Jazz at No. 3. He’s an NBA-ready beast, and he’s arguably one of the best big man prospects to ever come out of Europe.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers: Brandon Knight, PG, Kentucky, Freshman: Knight has all of the tools to be a very successful point guard in an NBA where having a great point guard is essential to success. He may not have a Irving’s ceiling, but there’s no doubting that (assuming the Cavs don’t end up with the top two picks) the pairing of Knight and Williams will create a very successful duo in Cleveland for years to come.
5. Toronto Raptors: Kwahi Leonard, SF, San Diego State, Sophomore: Unless Kanter somehow falls into the Raptors’ lap at five, Toronto is somewhat forced into drafting for the perimeter, an area where they need much improvement. Leonard isn’t extremely polished offensively, but he has an insane motor and skills that will allow him to be a successful player in similar ways that Portland’s Gerald Wallace has been a productive NBA player.
6. Washington Wizards: Jan Vesely, F, Czech Republic, 1990: With the exception of Kanter, I don’t see much potential in the European prospects of 2011. Vesely is extremely athletic with great size, and he is a much better selection than Jonas Valanciunas, whose buyout clause has definitely caused him to slip on a lot of lottery team’s draft boards. Vesely’s an improving shooter with solid range out to the three-point line, but his “tweener” status as a SF/PF makes me curious about how successful he can be on an NBA team. He’s too big to be a small forward at the NBA level, and if he wants to be a four, he’s going to have to put on some muscle mass.
7. Sacramento Kings: Kemba Walker, PG, Connecticut, Junior: Walker could be drafted as high as No. 3 to the Jazz, but if he’s available, there’s no chance he slips past the Kings at seven. A true playmaker, Walker will be the perfect compliment to Tyreke Evans, who is much better suited for the off-guard position. Walker’s presence will force Evans to improve his shooting and moving-without-the-ball abilities, but a backcourt comprised of Walker and Evans will surely be a matchup nightmare for opposing teams.
8. Detroit Pistons: Jonas Valanciunas, C, Lithuania, 1992: The Pistons really needed a top-three pick in this draft, because once the trio of Williams/Irving/Kanter is off the table, it really becomes a crap shoot for the Pistons, who are in dire need of help at four out of their five starting positions. They could draft a perimeter player with this pick, but at this point, their available options won’t be much better than the players they already have. I haven’t seen much of Valanciunas, but he definitely has great size (6-foot-11, 240 pounds) and the Pistons need some beef up front.
9. Charlotte Bobcats: Bismack Biyombo, C, Congo, 1992*: Biyombo is an interesting prospect, as his name didn’t appear on most draft boards until a few months ago. He has the allure of potentially being the next Ben Wallace — or for the newbies, Serge Ibaka. As with any unknowns of the NBA draft, questions about his real age could cause Biyombo to fall from the lottery into the mid-late first round. However, his athleticism, explosiveness and defensive potential make him a very sexy pick for teams with needs up front.
10. Milwaukee Bucks: Alec Burks, SG, Colorado, Sophomore: Milwaukee’s need for depth on the perimeter has had the Bucks connected with Burks for quite some time. He’s talented player all-around with solid athleticism, and if the Bucks decide to keep Brandon Jennings in the fold, the two will form a deadly backcourt pairing for years to come.
11. Golden State Warriors: Jordan Hamilton, SG/SF, Texas, Sophomore: The Warriors have a major hole to fill in their starting lineup: a lockdown perimeter defender. Unfortunately for the Warriors, the player they seek to fill such needs probably isn’t available in this draft. Florida State’s Chris Singleton is a legitimate option here, but his size makes him more of a power forward than a wing, and the Warriors don’t need anymore unpolished big men with Ekpe Udoh, Andris Biedrins and Luis Amundson already under contract. Hamilton, who is known for his confidence shooting the ball from the wing, essentially duplicates what the Warriors already have in Dorrell Wright and Reggie Williams, but if Monta Ellis is traded this summer, Hamilton has the skills to step in as Stephen Curry’s counterpart in the backcourt.
12. Utah Jazz: Jimmer Fredette, PG, Brigham Young, Senior: It only makes sense for Utah’s biggest celebrity, AKA “The Jimmer,” to remain where he became a star in his own right. With uncertainties at the Jazz’s point guard position, Fredette and his improving playmaking abilities could certainly fill a need in Utah. Everyone knows that he is capable of scoring a lot of points, and although he may not be the 28 PPG scorer that he was in college, he’ll certainly be an effective player in the NBA if he can make the transformation from an undersized shooting guard to an all-around point guard (a la Stephen Curry).
13. Phoenix Suns: Tristan Thompson, PF, Texas, Freshman: Ever since the departure of Amaré Stoudemire, the Suns have been in dire need of help up front. Recently acquired Marcin Gortat proved to be a valuable addition to the Suns’ frontline, but they need more. He’s not the ideal size for a Western Conference power forward (6-foot-9, 225 pounds), but his length and athleticism will make him a perfect fit in Phoenix’s notoriously up-tempo run n’ gun offense.
14. Houston Rockets: Marcus Morris, F, Kansas, Junior: The Rockets’ real need lies at the center position, but with no legitimate prospects available at this pick in the draft, Houston must either draft based on value or trade the pick. Marcus Morris is a versatile big man, who can stretch the court and bang down low. He’s not as good of a rebounder or defender as his brother, Markieff, but offensively, he’s much more talented. The Rockets have been known for getting productivity out of undersized big men in the past (Carl Landry, Chuck Hayes, etc.) and they should expect to see the same type of success with Morris.
Next: 15-20
15. Indiana Pacers: Klay Thompson, SG, Washington State, Junior: Marshon Brooks may be the better scorer, but the comparisons drawn between Thompson and Pacer great Reggie Miller may be too tantalizing for Indiana to pass up. He’s arguably the best shooter in the 2011 class, and similar to Miller, is great when playing without the ball. He doesn’t possess much athleticism, but in Indiana’s half court offense, that isn’t extremely necessary.
16. Philadelphia 76ers: Markieff Morris, PF/C, Kansas, Junior: The Sixers are reportedly looking for a big man with their first round pick this year, and at 16, there aren’t many better options than Kansas’ Markieff Morris. At just under 6-foot-10, he’s definitely undersized to play a lot of minutes at center, but his defensive and rebounding abilities will make him a very solid player down low for the 76ers. Offensively, he’s pretty raw, but his hustle and energy will make up for that while he’s young.
17. New York Knicks: Marshon Brooks, SG, Providence, Senior: It wouldn’t be an NBA draft if the entire audience didn’t shower Knicks’ management with boo’s following their selection. Despite Brooks’ potential and shocking comparisons to superstar Kobe Bryant, Knicks’ fans want a point guard, and although New York is in desperate need of some youth at that position, it’s unlikely they find a suitable option at this point in the draft. Landry Fields was great for the majority of the season at the shooting guard position, but with the departures of Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari, it wouldn’t hurt the Knicks to acquire some more firepower on the wing to flank Carmelo Anthony. Kansas’ Josh Selby and Michigan’s Darius Morris will both be considered for this pick, but with Brooks climbing up draft boards every day, if he is still around at this pick, it might be too difficult for the Knicks to pass him up.
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9v8W2pumHX8
18. Washington Wizards: Tobias Harris, SF, Tennessee, Freshman: Harris is a bit of a tweener, but he’s talented and has enough skills to be an effective NBA player. His size, length and athleticism display all the tools to become a great defender, and if he improves his perimeter skills offensively, he could have a similar career to Shane Battier. He could play either forward positions in the right offense, but given his physique, he would be much better suited to develop into a perimeter player, rather than a post player.
19. Charlotte Bobcats: Darius Morris, PG, Michigan, Sophomore: The Bobcats honestly need improvements in all areas. Their bigs are shoddy, they lack quality depth on the wings and they have one slightly better-than-average point guard in DJ Augustin. Morris wouldn’t necessarily be a replacement for Augustin, but he could end up being such. However, if the Bobcats want to keep both, either could be successful in the back up role, and given Morris’ size (6-foot-4), the pair could even play at the same time.
20. Minnesota Timberwolves: Josh Selby, G, Kansas, Junior: Selby is a player who I thought had an opportunity to pull a Russell Westbrook this year (no, not shoot his team out of the conference finals) and glide up draft boards, propelling himself into the lottery. Unfortunately, despite his massive amount of potential, great size and excellent skill set, it doesn’t seem that, that will be the case for Selby. Teams aren’t seeing the point guard skills necessary for him to be successful at that position, and are thus viewing him as an undersized combo guard. If that is the case, and the off-guard position is what suits him best, the T’Wolves, who lack talent at that position could be a solid fit for Selby, who is a real gamer and scorer.
Next: 21-25
21. Portland Trail Blazers: Kenneth Faried, PF, Morehead State, Senior: Assuming Greg Oden can never be pieced back together, the Blazers need to start looking for another big man. Faried is definitely undersized to play the power forward position, and there is no chance of him playing center, but the man certainly plays bigger than his 6-foot-7-inch frame. He won’t push LaMarcus Aldridge back to his natural position as a power forward, but instead of having to put Nicolas Batum or Gerald Wallace at the four for extended minutes, Faired is a player that can be successful at that position, and give the Blazers a strong presence down low.
22. Denver Nuggets: Chris Singleton, F, Florida State, Junior: There’s no player in this draft who could really fill an need for the Nuggets. Position wise, they are solid at each one (Lawson/Felton, Afflalo/Smith, Gallinari/Chandler, Martin/Harrington, Nene/Andersen), but what they lack is star power. So you can be sure that with the 22nd pick in arguably one of the worst drafts of all time, they won’t be filling that need here. However, Singleton brings a defensive presence to the offensively-driven Nuggets, and although it might be hard for him to find time with Gallinari, Chandler and Harrington playing a similar position, his potential as a lockdown defender will ultimately result in many minutes for the former Seminole.
23. Houston Rockets: Donatas Motiejunas, PF, Lithuania, 1990: In terms of his position on draft boards, Motiejunas has been pretty enigmatic. At the beginning of the year, he was projected as a top-five pick, but as draft day moved closer, the seven-footer out from Lithuania continued to slide down draft boards. He seems to be an Andrea Bargnani clone, which in this draft might not be so bad, but based on team needs, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Motiejunas slip into the early-20’s.
24. Oklahoma City Thunder: Tyler Honeycutt, SG/SF, UCLA, Sophomore: The Thunder are already set at the SF position with some guy named Kevin Durant already in place, but in terms of Durant’s backup, OKC is fairly thin. James Harden played a lot of SF and the undersized lineup did hurt the Thunder in the playoffs. Honeycutt’s ability to play the two and the three spots paired with his athleticism, will make him a prime candidate as a top reserve on OKC’s bench.
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2z4Ya9tGuM
25. Boston Celtics: Nikola Vucevic, C, USC, Junior: The Celtics made a mistake trading Kendrick Perkins for Jeff Green at the trade deadline. Unfortunately for them, that deal is not undoable, and they are stuck with a major hole down low. After blowing every GM and scout away with his measurements at the pre-draft combine, Vucevic proved to possess the necessary size to be a true center in the NBA. Originally projected as a second round pick, the USC product is shooting up draft boards, and if he is available at 25 when the Celtics pick, they will surely have found a diamond in the ruff.
Next: 26-30
26. Dallas Mavericks: Trey Thompkins, PF, Georgia, Junior: The Mavericks need one thing, and one thing only: youth. Yes, their veterans and wealth of experience is what propelled them into the NBA finals, but in order to maintain their position as a Western Conference power house, they will need some fresh legs. Lucky for them, they can’t mess that up with essentially any pick in the draft, and with no real back up to Dirk Nowitzki, Trey Thompkins will bring them the perfect combination of youth and rest for their superstar. His ability to stretch the floor with his shooting range will also fit in very nicely with the Mavericks’ offensive system.
27. New Jersey Nets: JaJuan Johnson, F, Purdue, Senior: As first team All-American, Johnson is definitely an NBA ready player. He may never be an all-star or a big minutes type player, but in terms of his value at 27, he’s definitely worth the “risk.” His ability to play both forward positions makes him appealing for any NBA team, and his 6-foot-10-inch frame, paired with his athleticism will make him a matchup nightmare for most defenders, even at the NBA level.
28. Chicago Bulls: Kyle Singler, F, Duke, Junior:
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJWPASQZqLc
29. San Antonio Spurs: Jeremy Tyler, PF, USA, 1991: I think that Tyler ends up going much higher than this, as NBA scouts and GMs are beginning to remember why this kid went pro after his junior year of high school. He may have some character issues, but with how talented and skilled he is, they shouldn’t be anything too difficult for the best coach in the NBA, Gregg Poppovich to work out of his personality.
30. Chicago Bulls: Nolan Smith, G, Duke, Senior: