My Opinion on the 2011 NBA Draft by Team

The 2011 NBA Draft, that took place on Thursday, was different than years before. The draft was mainly different because this year it was held at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey instead of Madison Square Garden in New York, which is where it is usually held. This years draft also, a lot of people think, does not have a "superstar" in it compared to drafts before. Even though there might not be a "superstar" in this years draft there are some really good shooters, scorers, rebounders, defenders, etc. A lot of the players in the draft will make an NBA team and some will be good role players for an NBA team right away and years to come.

I am just going to give my opinion on how I think each team did in the draft. I would like to hear everyone's opinion, though.

Cleveland Cavaliers - I kind of expected the Cav's to take Kyrie Irving with the 1st pick, but they surprised me with drafting Tristan Thompson with the 4th pick. Even though I like Tristan Thompson, I just don't really see a fit for him in Cleveland since they already have, what I think, an up and coming star in J.J. Hickson at PF. Tristan is also undersized at PF with his weight and he isn't versatile enough to go and play SF. I would've liked to see the Cav's trade the 4th pick for a pick in the middle of the 1st round and player. The Cav's could of then got a pretty decent SG, Marshon Brooks, that can score or even a PF, Kenneth Faried, that can rebound better than Tristan. Overall I think the Cav's did a decent job, but could of done better.

Minnesota Timberwolves - The Timberwolves got the best player in the draft with the 2nd pick, Derrick Williams. Since Derrick is so versatile, he can either play SF or PF. He can go down in the paint and do what he does best, create contact and finish. Not only can he do that, but he can also step out and hit the 3. The Timberwolves also got Malcolm Lee in the draft. Lee is someone that would probably play SG in the NBA, but it wouldn't be surprising to see him play PG. He has great size at about 6'6" and 200 lbs and he also is stronger than expected, only doing 2 bench press reps less than Derrick Williams. The Timberwolves also traded Jonny Flynn and received a veteran, Brad Miller. With Flynn being traded, either Ridnour or Rubio will be the starting PG next year, unless there is a trade or a free agent acquisition. Overall I think the Timberwolves did a very good job since they got a very talented player in Williams, a role player in Lee, and a veteran in Miller.

Utah Jazz - The Jazz did a wonderful job with their picks. Drafting the best big guy in the draft, Enes Kanter, with the 3rd pick and Alec Burks, who I think could be ROY, with the 12th pick. Kanter will provide low post scoring, but he will probably come off the bench at the beginning of the year unless the Jazz trade 1 or 2 of their big guys. Burks should be starting right away for the Jazz at SG, since all they have right now is Raja Bell. Burks is very athletic and can score in bunches. Burks has to hit the weight room right away, though.

Toronto Raptors - The Raptors only had one draft pick for the night and they drafted Jonas Valanciunas with the 5th pick. Jonas is considered to be better than Enes Kanter by some people. Jonas is a tall and long European that is good at scoring around the rim in pick and roll situations. Scouts say he has to improve on his low post scoring though and get a "go to" move. He is very good at using his long arms to block shots. The only downfall to Jonas is that he might not be able to come over and play next season due to his contract overseas. This could be good though in case there is a lockout next year in the NBA he could still play overseas. The Raptors did a good job with their one pick they had and got help down low, where they needed help.

Washington Wizards - I think the Washington Wizards did the best out of any team in the draft. The Wizards drafted Jan Vesely with the 6th pick, Chris Singleton with the 18th pick, and Shelvin Mack with the 34th pick. Vesely is very long and athletic. He loves to run the floor and finish some with some nasty dunks. Vesely also though is capable of stretching the defense and shooting the 3 ball. The Wizards got a steal with Singleton at 18, since most people had him going in the lottery. He is the best defender in the draft and he can guard multiple positions. Hopefully he will develop more of an offensive game later in his career, but to start off he will mainly out in the game to guard the other team's best player. Shelvin Mack was a good pick in the 2nd round to back up John Wall. Mack can shoot the ball pretty consistently and he has great size and strength to play PG. Mack also is a proven winner, as we saw him help lead his team to back to back NCAA National Championship game appearances.

Charlotte Bobcats - The Bobcats drafted Bismack Biyombo with the 7th pick and Kemba Walker with the 9th pick. Biyombo, out of Congo, is very athletic and is a great shot blocker and rebounder. He is only 6'9" but he has a wingspan of 7'7", which helps him get his hands on the ball. Offensively he is no threat whatsoever, and he will be a garbage guy, kind of like Tyson Chandler. Kemba, in my mind, was the 2nd best PG in the draft just behind Irving. Kemba has a will to win and we all saw him lead his to a Big East and National Championship. He is very quick with the ball and attacks the basket with force. Kemba also is a very solid defender and a clutch player. The only downfall to him is his size (even though he is about the same size as Charlotte's starting PG, D.J. Augustin). The Bobcats also traded their top scorer last year, Stephen Jackson, to the Bucks, but the Bobcats also acquired Corey Maggette in a trade. Overall the Bobcats got some help out of the draft by getting drafting the positions they needed (they still need a lot of help though).

Detroit Pistons - The Pistons did a fairly good job in the draft getting a lot of leadership. Detroit drafted Brandon Knight (8th pick), Kyle Singler (33rd pick), and Vernon Macklin (52nd pick). Knight has a lot of upside to him. He has great basketball IQ and is great leadership. He lead his young Kentucky team to a Final Four by having 2 game winners in the NCAA tournament. If Rodney Stuckey leaves the Pistons then Knight should be the starting PG.Kyle Singler is also a great leader leading his team to a National Championship 2 years ago. Singler is a versatile player since he can shoot the ball consistently and he can take some people off the dribble and attack the rim. Vernon Macklin is a very long and athletic player that has potential to be a role player in the future.

Sacramento Kings - The Kings got 3 very talented players in the draft. Sacramento drafted Jimmer Fredette (10th), Tyler Honeycutt (35th), and Isaiah Thomas (60th). Jimmer is the best shooter in the draft; he has to be guarded right when he crosses half court. He is a born scorer and he will have a good chance at starting PG next year since the Kings traded Beno Udrih. Jimmer will have to improve on his defense though. Tyler Honeycutt is full of potential and is very athletic. He didn't score that much at UCLA (averaging just less than 13 points a game), but I could see him being a better scorer in the NBA. Honeycutt is also a very good defender. Isaiah Thomas at Washington had to score a lot his first 2 years since he played SG, but after Abdul Gaddy got hurt last year he had to move to PG. He adjusted to the change very well averaging 6 assists a game, but he also was a scorer that year averaging just less than 17 points a game. The main downfall to him is his size (5'9"). The Kings also acquired John Salmons in a trade who will help out with scoring and be a leader for this young team.

Golden State Warriors - The Warriors did an excellent job drafting and is right up there with the Wizards for the best. Golden State drafted Klay Thompson (11th), Jeremy Tyler (39th;from Charlotte), and Charles Jenkins (44th). Klay Thompson is a great scorer and one of the best shooters in the draft. He has great size for a SG, but he needs to put on some weight and hit the weight room to play SF. Jeremy Tyler has the athleticism and potential to be a starting Center in the NBA. He has pretty good size and weight right now, but he would definitely have to get stronger and a better work ethic so he can live up to his potential. Charles Jenkins could of been the steal of the draft. Dropping to the middle of the 2nd round, Jenkins was projected by some to go in the 1st round. Jenkins is a combo guard that can score the ball in many different ways. He has great size at 6'3" and 220 lbs. and he would create a lot of mismatches in NBA with his speed and strength.

Phoenix Suns - The Phoenix Suns only had one draft pick for the night and they chose Markieff Morris with the 13th pick. Being a KU fan, I was shocked to see Markieff go before Marcus, but it made since afterwards since the Suns were wanting a PF. Markieff is a good finisher around the basket and he can step out every once and a while and shoot the 3. He also is a very good defensive player and he rebounds the ball very well. I am hoping that Markieff will be a solid player in the NBA, and I think the Suns made a good choice with him since they need some help at PF.

Houston Rockets - The Rockets drafted Marcus Morris (14th), Donatas Motiejunas (20th; from Timberwolves), and Chandler Parsons (38th). Like I said before I was shocked to see Markieff go before Marcus, but he just went one pick ahead. Marcus is a versatile player that can shoot the three, but his favorite thing to do is to post up and shoot a turnaround jumper. He could cause some match-up problems at SF, but he would have to get stronger to play PF. Donatas Motiejunas has great size and versatility for a PF. He can step out and shoot the 3 pretty good or get involved into a pick and roll and finish around the basket. He isn't a very good rebounder for as tall as he is and he will need to get stronger and gain more weight.Chandler Parsons is also a very versatile player. At 6'10" he is a very good dribbler and he can create his own shot. He is a decent rebounder and he can find the open man at times. He is just like the other Rocket draftees, he will have to get stronger. The Rockets also acquired Jonny Flynn in a trade, but there is already rumors that they are ready to trade him. The Rockets overall had an okay draft, but I feel like they should of drafted a true Center in there in case Yao won't be able to play.

San Antonio Spurs - The Spurs received Kawhi Leonard (15th) and Davis Bertans (42nd) from a trade with the Indiana Pacers. The Spurs also drafted Cory Joseph with the 29th pick and Adam Hanga with the 59th pick. Kawhi Leonard is a full of athleticism, talent, and potential. He is a great defensive player and an even better rebounder. Kawhi is good at attacking the basket, but he has to get a more consistent jump shot. I am glad to see the Spurs get him though since Richard Jefferson is aging and on the decline. Cory Joseph a good player that will benefit from learning behind Tony Parker, since George Hill was traded. Cory has great size for a PG, but he needs to mature. Davis Bertans has great size for a SF at 6'10" and great potential. He can stroke the ball from 3, but he won't be coming over to play in the NBA for a few more years, so he will be able to improve his game even more. Adam Hanga has good size for a SG at 6'7" and he loves to attack and get to the rim. He will continue playing overseas for now, and hopefully get stronger and gain weight. I like the Spurs choices and the trade they made.

Philadelphia 76ers - The 76ers drafted Nikola Vucevic with the 16th pick and Lavoy Allen with the 50th pick. Vucevic has great size at 6'11" and a 7'4" wingspan to help him get rebounds. He is a good low post scorer and he can hit the mid range jumper as well. I read also where he is improving his 3 point shot. Lavoy Allen is a guy that can go out there and get a few rebounds and get some garbage points. I think the 76ers did a fairly good job with the draft since they got 2 big guys and that's what they needed.

New York Knicks - The Knicks drafted Iman Shumpert with the 17th pick and got Josh Harrellson (45th) in a trade. Shumpert is a very athletic individual who has a 42 inch vertical. Shumpert has the tools to blossom into a very good player. He is 6'5" and 220 lbs. and he is very strong, one bench press rep less than Derrick Williams. Shumpert can either play PG or SG. He was the leader for the Yellow Jackets last year and he wanted the ball in crunch time. The main thing Shumpert will have to improve is his jump shot. Josh Harrellson is a guy that could either be a backup or a guy that just sits the bench. He can rebound the ball fairly well and finish around the basket. He did impress me though in the tournament game against Ohio State and he recorded a double double on Jared Sullinger.Overall I wish the Knicks would of drafted a big guy with the 17th pick like Faried, but Shumpert has the ability to become a well rounded player.

Milwaukee Bucks - The Bucks drafted Tobias Harris with the 18th pick and Jon Leuer with the 40th pick. Tobias is a very athletic player that I think could make some noise in a couple of years. He has the potential and the body to be a great player, but he has to mature and get a more consistent jump shot. He could be a match up nightmare too, since he is 6'8" 225 lbs. , and has some quickness to him. Leuer was one of my favorite players in college. He was all about fundamentals and hard nosed defense, under Bo Ryan. He can step out and hit the mid range jumper and go into the post and play one on one with you there too. The Bucks also got Stephen Jackson, Beno Udrih, and Shaun Livingston in a trade, but they also lost Corey Maggette and John Salmons. I think the Bucks did a good job in the draft getting some size and versatility and a scorer in Stephen Jackson.

Portland Trail Blazers - The Trail Blazers made some good moves in the draft by getting Raymond Felton in a trade, but they traded a veteran PG Andre Miller away as well as Rudy Fernandez. Portland drafted Nolan Smith with the 21st pick and Jon Diebler 51st pick. Nolan Smith is a great leader as he helped lead his team to a National Championship 2 years ago. Nolan is a great scorer, who can shoot the 3 or take his man right to the hoop and finish. He did a good job this past year taking over the PG spot after Irving got hurt. Jon Diebler is the 2nd best shooter in the draft behind Jimmer. Diebler is mainly out there just to shoot the 3. I didn't think the Trail Blazers did a good job drafting since they took Nolan Smith kind of early when there were better choices, but I like the Felton trade.

Denver Nuggets - The Nuggets received Andre Miller in a trade. Andre Miller will be a veteran for the Nuggets and he will back up Ty Lawson. The Nuggets drafted Kenneth Faried (22nd) and got Jordan Hamilton (26th pick) in a trade. Faried is a monster! This guy has a motor that seems like it never quits running. He goes after every rebound, every loose ball like it was a piece of meat. It also helps when you have a 7'0" wingspan. He is a great defensive player as well recording just under 2 steals a game and over 2 blocks a game. He will have to gain some weight and become more of an offensive threat, but K-Mart will be a great mentor for him. Jordan Hamilton dropped a lot compared to what people projected him to go. I thought he was a lottery player, but I obviously was wrong. Hamilton is a great scorer though, and a spectacular shooter. He needs to learn how to get to the basket more and he needs to work on his shot selection as he seems to become impatient. Overall I think the Nuggets did a great job in the draft getting more depth to their team.

Chicago Bulls - The Bulls drafted Nikola Mirotic with the 23rd pick and Jimmy Butler with the 30th pick. Mirotic is a very talented player at 6'10". Mirotic stretches the floor as he is a great shooter from the 3 point line. He also can score in a variety of ways down in the low post. The main downfall to him is that he won't be able to come over and play for the Bulls for at least 3 years. Jimmy Butler is a tremendous talent. He can shoot the 3 decently, but he loves to attack the rim. He is also a great defender. The Bulls lost Brad Miller in a trade. I think the Bulls did a pretty good job drafting and I think they got the best players available.

Oklahoma City Thunder - The Thunder got a very talented and athletic player in Reggie Jackson with their 24th pick. He is 6'3", but he has a 7' wingspan. I think Reggie is one of the most NBA ready players coming into the draft. He can score in so many ways from shooting the 3 to mid range to floaters to finishing through contact, etc. He loves the ball in his hands when the game is on the line and is a pretty clutch player. He will have to learn how to not be the star player though and come off the bench. I like the pick because it adds depth to the Thunder's PG's and I think they could play Reggie and Russell Westbrook at the same time, which would be fun to watch.

New Jersey Nets - The Nets got Marshon Brooks (25th pick from Celtics) and Bojan Bogdanovic (31st pick from Timberwolves) in trades. The Nets though drafted Jordan Williams with the 36th pick. Marshon Brooks is one of the best scorers in the draft. He can heat up quick and score in bunches. He is one of the biggest steals in the draft. Bojan Bogdanovic has great size at 6'7" for a SG. He can shoot the 3 and just like Marshon this guy is a scorer. He won't be able to play in the NBA though until a few more years. Jordan Williams is big guy that can rebound the ball very well. He is undersized for a Center (he does have a 7' wingspan though), so he will probably play more PF. The Nets did a good job with their draft class since they drafted a scoring SG, which they needed, and some size.

Boston Celtics - The Celtics stayed in the Big-10 with their two picks and also stayed with the same Big-10 team, Purdue. Boston selected JaJuan Johnson with the 27th pick and E'Twuane Moore with the 55th pick. JaJuan at 6'10" is really skinny and lanky. He has some long arms that give him his 7'2" wingspan. He is a good low post scorer and he can step out and hit the mid range jumper. He is also great at blocking shot with those long arms of his. He somewhat reminds me of Kevin Garnett, but JaJuan will have to gain some weight and muscle. E'Twuan Moore more of a SG than PG, but he is only 190 lbs. He is a good scorer though and he is a smart player that doesn't turn the ball over very much. I thought the Celtics picks were good, but I would of liked to see them draft Scotty Hopson over Moore.

Miami Heat - The Heat traded Timberwolves to get Norris Cole. Norris is a great pick for the Heat as they are in need of a backup PG or maybe even a starting PG if Chalmers leaves. Norris is very athletic, with his 38" vertical, and he can do a lot of things for his team. He is very quick and can go right around his defender or he can shoot the 3. I like the Heat's pick up here a lot, I think Cole has a lot of potential.

Orlando Magic - The Magic drafted DeAndre Liggins with the 55th pick and got Justin Harper (32nd pick) from the Cleveland Cavaliers. Justin Harper is a versatile player at 6'9" that can step out and stretch the defense by shooting the 3 ball. He has to get bigger though to be able to play PF and has to get more motivated to go after rebounds. DeAndre Liggins is a great defensive player that can guard multiple positions. The Magic got the best available players especially Justin Harper since some projected him to go first round.

Los Angeles Clippers - The Clippers also drafted teammates, but from Georgia, Trey Thompkins with the 37th pick and Travis Leslie with the 47th pick. Trey is a big body underneath the basket. He is very good at finishing around the basket and he is a decent shooter. He needs to get better at rebounding. Travis Leslie is an athletic freak. At 6'4" he has a 6'10" wingspan and a 40 inch vertical. He is very good at rebounding for his position and he loves to finish at the rim with some nasty dunks. He needs to improve his outside game more though. Overall I like the picks by the Clippers because both of these players were 1st round worthy, gotten in the 2nd round.

Los Angeles Lakers - The Lakers had no draft picks in the first round but they had four picks in the 2nd round. The Lakers selected Darius Morris with the 41st pick and Andrew Goudelouck with the 46th pick. Los Angeles needed help at the PG spot and they drafted 2 PG's that have great potential to be a starting PG in a year or two. Darius Morris has great size for a PG at 6'5" and he was projected by some to go in the first round. Darius is a good decision maker with the ball in his hands too averaging just less than 7 assists a game. He will have to develop a more consistent jump shot, though. Andrew Goudelouck was drafted as a PG, but he may play more of a SG in the NBA and just spot up in the corner or run off screens. He is a great shooter, but he lacks at getting around his defender and getting to the basket. Also he needs to become more reliable on the defensive side. Hopefully he will work hard and get better at these things because he could help right away with scoring (averaged just under 24 points a game in college). The Lakers also drafted an International player, Ater Majok, at the end of the 2nd round, but he is doubtful to come over and play in the NBA.

Atlanta Hawks - Atlanta only had one pick for the night and they got help where they needed it, at the Center position. The Hawks drafted Keith Benson, out of Oakland, with the 48th pick. Benson is very long and athletic. He is 6'11" with a wingspan of 7'3", which helps him grab rebounds and swat shots on defense (averaged 3.6 blocks per game in college). Keith can score with his back to the basket in the low post, as well as being able to shoot the mid range jumper and 3 ball. He will have to get much stronger and gain weight as he is only 220 lbs. right now, but he has a lot of upside to him.

Memphis Grizzlies - The Grizzlies also only had one pick for the night and they drafted Josh Selby with the 49th pick. I liked this pick because I thought he was the best player available and I could of seen him going late 1st round early 2nd. Josh has tons of potential as he was ranked on some sites the #1 freshman coming into college this year, but he had to sit out for 9 games at the beginning of the season. He is very athletic with his 42 inch vertical, but his height hurts him a lot. At 6'3" he will probably have to play SG in the NBA and he will be undersized most of the time. Selby can shoot the ball pretty decently and he has great quickness to get to the rim. Many people didn't get to see his quickness at KU because of his foot injury he sustained. He will have to get stronger and become more reliable with the ball and make better decisions.

Indiana Pacers - The Pacers traded both of their draft picks, Kawhi Leonard and Davis Bertans, to the Spurs for George Hill. The Pacers got a good backup for Darren Collison and a good 6th man out of the deal. I would of kept with the draft picks that Indiana had and tried to get a backup in free agency or just re-sign T.J. Ford.

Dallas Mavericks - The Mavericks drafted Jordan Hamilton with the 26th pick, but they traded him to Denver. In the same trade though, the Mavericks got Rudy Fernandez from Portland. I think Dallas should of stuck with Hamilton because just in case if Caron Butler were to get hurt again they would have a scorer at SF (even though Shawn Marion did good in the playoffs, I see him more as an energy player). The Mavericks already have some good SG's with Stevenson, Terry, and even Corey Brewer.

New Orleans Hornets - The Hornets had the 45th pick in the draft, but they decided to trade the pick to the Knicks for cash. It is reported that New Orleans got around $700,000 for the pick.