2011 Mock Draft (First round with notes)

[babyjax13]

Right now this is just my gut and I can't really quantify many of my picks. As the year develops so will this mock. I am not overly impressed with the depth of this class coming out - but it does have a lot of interesting foreign prospects.

1. Kyrie Irving
Someone up top will need a point guard, Irving is looking like the best one in the class of 2011 at this point. He is an explosive athlete and has good shooting mechanics. Amazing ball handler with great end-to-end speed and anticipation.

2. Perry Jones
Has great athletic ability, extremely gifted run-jump athlete; can sprint the floor like a guard with the height of a power forward. Not a horrible ball handler by any means, but that part of his game needs to improve if he wants to be a day-to-day small forward in the NBA. His attitude throws up some red flags (or rather some of his fundamentals on defense). Instead of simply trying to block a shot and tip it to his teammate he will try and send it into the third row, eventually this habit is going to come back to bite him. Extremely exciting to watch at times but at other times he almost seems to disappear, but will come back eventually with a bang. Many people think that once his jump shot improves he will translate as a small forward, but I think his real value would be as a power forward that can create matchup nightmares. He certainly needs to add some weight to withstand the rigors of NBA play, translates as a rich man’s (a very rich man’s) Anthony Randolph. I am absolutely in love with his potential, but I think that he is going to have to correct some things in his game to tap into that potential and not become the next Tyrus Thomas/Stromile Swift.

3. Jared Sullinger
Nice little hook shot, seems a little undersized but makes up for it with his strength. Good at establishing position on the low block and better than average ability to put the ball on the floor for a power forward (but won’t be mistaken for a guard). Good at boxing out and nice footwork, usually players with good footwork do well transitioning to the NBA game. Great effort level, not the strongest finisher. He has a great body, he's not tall, but he is strong and thick; he's great at creating separation and he knows how to get good position in the post. The only thing I am really concerned about with him is if he will be able to block shots and get his shot off over taller defenders at the next level. He sort of reminds me of Chuck Hayes (build, not game) meets David West. He just silently gets his points and rebounds to help his team win. I see the potential for him to be a very good player, he is certainly a top 5 pick in my opinion; wondering if everyone else thinks the same thing...

4. Jonas Valanciunas
Big and young. Scouts will drool over his potential.

5. Terrence Jones
Reminds me a lot of Lamar Odom. Very tough and fluid player which is a combination you don't see much in power forward prospects. A bit undersized but I think he is a legitimate 4. Great passer and has a pretty good jump shot for a power forward.

6. Harrison Barnes
Crafty with the ball, has a nice pump fake and isn’t afraid to go to the basket. Not the fastest first step and awkward free throw release, but he has great strength when he is driving to the hoop. A great rebounder, who isn’t afraid to use his body, gets on the floor and hustles. Willing to give the ball up, shoots too many jump shots, really needs to develop that part of his game to become a “great” prospect. I had him so high because of his potential, but he just isn’t polished enough to be top four in my opinion. Reminds me of Corey Maggette.

7. Enes Kanter
The year of the European bigs. Kanter is a very polished interior player with a variety of post moves and a nose for the ball. Not explosive or huge, but athletic enough to get the job done as a "true post."

8. Kemba Walker
A gifted scorer, as a great ability to create separation and get his shot off, very fast and has very good ball handling abilities. A volume shooter and not the best distributer, these are areas that he has to improve in, and I really haven’t seen any signs that he can be a true point guard. I think that his role in the NBA will be remotely similar to a Jason Terry/Leandro Barbosa. Great free throw shooter.

9. Derrick Williams
Great athlete, can run and jump with the best of them. Has a decent stroke for a power forward, but terrible for a small forward. Not going to wow with his ball handling, more suited to play power forward at this time, but he is undersized. Sort of reminds me of Joel Anthony and Hakim Warrick coming out. Not a great back to the basket player, more of a face-up player that will thrive off of ally-oops and dunks. I don't think he is as good as most people think, but if he wants to be in the lottery, this is his year.

10. Brandon Knight
Decent shooter, dominates the ball a lot so I question his ability to be a true point guard, but he could work well next to a Brandon Roy or Tyreke Evans. Right now he is the candidate highest on my most likely to bust board, but once I see him in college my opinion may change.

11. Jordan Hamilton
A talented scorer with a nice shooting stroke. Inconsistent. Have not watched him since last year, and I am well aware that he has been playing extremely well, so I will be waiting to see a game in which he plays well.

12. Jimmer Fredette
One of the most cerebral scorers in the NCAA. Has a great feel for the game. Fantastic distrubuter, great shooter. The most impressing aspect of his game to me is the way in which he can change directions. JJ Barea on steriods. His defense is questionable, but he is such a good offensive player and so smart that I can't see him out of the lottery in any draft.

13. Marcus Morris
One of the most physical players in college basketball. Has great instincts on defense and is a very good player on offense with his footwork and effort around the basket.

14. Jan Vessely
Really athletic European player, don't know what position he plays or what his skillset is for the NBA.

15. Donatus Motiejunas
Has great length and height. Needs to pack some muscle on his frame to become a true threat in the post. Will get knocked around his first couple of years in the NBA, but with the right conditioning could become a threat. Needs work on his jump-shot.

16. Jon Henson
Henson's length and jumping ability are impressive. Appears undersized at the power forward even at the college level, very thin, won't dominate games (even at the college level) when playing power forward just because he is so thin. Disappears at times and seems a bit lethargic.

17. Josh Selby
If he proves he can play point guard he will rise.

18. Trey Tompkins
Has a lot of basketball skills that traditional power forwards don't have. He's a good shooter with good fundamentals when he has the ball. His physical abilities are underwhelming, but he has decent size at 6-9, 245.

19.Mason Plumlee
Being a Duke player helps his stock, so does being huge. In a league where center is the weakest position having a draft where it is strong would be a huge boost. With Valanciunas and Kanter coming out this year's center crop is above average, Plumlee has the chance to make it great if he develops.

20. Mouphtao Yarou
Amazing physical specimen. He has a good grasp on the game and is a very intelligent player. Yarou has a chance to be extremely special.

21. Travis Leslie
Another incredible athlete that still has a ways to go. Has more experience than his brother and shot a good percentage from deep but doesn't attempt many shots from that territory.

22. Jeff Taylor
Tweener.

23. CJ Leslie
Fantastic athlete with limited basketball skills at this point. He needs to add a reliable jumpshot to his game and improve his ball handling to move up.

24.Kyle Singler
Another of those "fundamental" players. He is a good shooter, ball handler and has a very high basketball IQ - unfortunantly his physical build is fairly unimpressive.

25. Corey Fisher
Admittedly I have caught him in his best performances, but boy is he exciting when he is hot. He is a very small point guard, but is also fairly quick and great at creating separation. Great shooter and penetrator; he is faster than most point guards at the college level, but I don’t know that he is fast enough at the NBA level. Needs to get a bit stronger and he should have a good transition to the NBA. Very good shooting form, but still room to improve (elbow goes out to the side a bit).

26. Alec Burks
Explosive scorer, needs to work on his consistency from 3 to be a great shooting guard prospect.

27. Kris Joseph
Poor shooter, good defender - tough..... The way he plays with Wesley Johnson gone and the focus of the defense on him will have a huge impact on his draft stock.

28. Kawhi Leonard
He's positionless (like Faried) but he is a good rebounder and he has a knack for getting steals.

29. JaJuan Johnson
Smooth offensive player, dominating defender at the college level, lots of experience in big games.

30. Kenneth Faried
A fantastic rebounder and defender. Has a great motor but needs to either add some bulk to his frame or learn to shoot well from outside.

Bubble/2nd round -
Robbie Hummel
Great shooter, hard-nosed defender - the type of player that winning teams like to pick.

Cade Davis
Fanstastic shooter, great athlete and defender. He is a senior so his ceiling isn't as high as players drafter earlier, but I think he can be a fantastic player, especially if he slips through the cracks into the second round.

Nolan Smith
Nolan Smith is a bit of an enigma. He's undersized, he is a poor passer but his scoring and shooting abilities are great. Gets overlooked because of his physical build, but good be a decent player at the next level.

Tim Abromitas
Athletically he may have a challenging time moving to the NBA, but he is a fantastic shooter and just finds ways to get the ball. Could be a stretch four in the mold of Austin Croshere.

Marshon Brooks
His stats are freakish, but no one really knows what position he will translate to. Reminiscent of Bill Walker.

Elias Harris
I'm starting to warm up on Harris. I think he has the right tools (mentally and physically) to become a good player, and he is in the right place to develop some more skills.

Tyler Honeycutt
Have been completely unimpressed. Not overly athletic, not a great shooter, not a great ball handler. Sort of a jack of all trades type of player but he really is not great at anything. Too small to be an effective power forward and too slow to be an effective small forward.

David Lighty
Very inconsistent shooter, but good defender and athlete. Not a lottery type prospect, 5th year senior so he is quite old for just entering the NBA, which leads to the question of whether or not his game will transfer over well because he has little room for growth. Seems a bit undersized but makes up for it with his strength.

Scotty Hopson
I love his aggressiveness and the way he gets to the rim. Not a bad shooter, but his main value is what he can do with his athleticism.

Wally Judge
Wows with his athleticism, good rebounder but a very unpolished game. If he can refine it by the time he is a senior Judge could be a late lottery talent.

Jon Luer
Big, good shooter and rebounder...that's about all I know...

Keith Benson
Freakish stats, have not seen him play.

[vitamin-water]

damn 4/8 euros. tough sell.. but not that tough. all of them are great players and hopefully will shine in the league.

i know these euros well and this looks pretty good at the moment of what the order of their selection would be.. vesely, valanciunas, motiejunas, and kanter, although kanter's outburst in the summit could favor him a bit more than the two lithuanians.

[babyjax13]

It would be very strange to see that happen, but I think there is a good chance.

[babyjax13]

Updated.

[babyjax13]

Edited...

[vincecarter4pres]

I'd like to see Alec Burks in the lottery.

Kyrie Irving is one of the most complete point guard prospects in a long time BTW.

[babyjax13]

I'd like to see Alec Burks in the lottery.

Kyrie Irving is one of the most complete point guard prospects in a long time BTW.

The more I hear about him the more I like him (Irving). I really know nothing of Burks, but I will look for his name to come up in the following year.

[babyjax13]

Updated with entire first round.

[shangrila]

I don't think Hummell makes it into the first round. Not with ANOTHER knee injury.

Do you really think Knight will bust? I can see someone arguing that he's not a true point guard, but he has skills offensively, is one hell of a defender, has all the right physical tools and is reportedly a good, hard working kid. Doesn't strike me as a bust candidate.

If I had to pick anyone at this point I'd choose Walker, at least from the guys you have in the lottery. He's undersized, small and already struggles with getting his shot blocked in college. Not saying he'll suck and be out of the league or anything but I think you're right in that guys like Stuckey will push his draft stock up higher then it should be on draft day.

[babyjax13]

He was certainly convincing the other night, I'll be watching Knight VERY closely as the season progresses.

I really hate watching Kemba play, and I agree that he is a big bust candidate. He just doesn't have many point guard skills and if he is going to succeed he will have to develop those.

[babyjax13]

Also, on Hummel - he just seems like the type of player than teams like San Antonio/Utah, etc. could use. If he drops because of injury it wouldn't surprise me, but from a pure talent standpoint he is a first round pick.

[babyjax13]

Updated.

[babyjax13]

Waiting to see Derrick Williams play, then I am going to add him to the mock. Updated profiles on Perry Jones and Harrison Barnes.

[vincecarter4pres]

I'm sorry, but everyone needs to start dropping Barnes to at best 8th overall in updates IMHO, dude just hasn't shown much other then he's no franchise player or perennial All Star.

16ppg Shane Battier...

[princeofpalace]

I dont think Westbrook & Stuckey are apt comparisons to Kemba Walker at all.

And unless Walker has Rondo like length, Im not sure Kembra projects to be as good a defender as Westbrook/Stuckey in the NBA. And unlike Stuck, Westbrook, Rondo; Kemba actually shoot the basketball. He had a nice mid range shot but has added a 3 point shot to his arsenal this season.

[babyjax13]

I'm sorry, but everyone needs to start dropping Barnes to at best 8th overall in updates IMHO, dude just hasn't shown much other then he's no franchise player or perennial All Star.

16ppg Shane Battier...

A 16ppg Shane Battier is a damn good player....I agree that he doesn't have top 3-4 potential/skills, but the lowest I see him going us 7 (if Kanter and Jones jump him, which is not out of the realm of possibility).

[babyjax13]

Updates on Derrick Williams, Jared Sullinger, Corey Fisher, David Lighty, Jimmer Fredette and others.