Updated 6/23/11
1. Cleveland Cavaliers- PG Kyrie Irving (Duke)
First reports say the Cavaliers haven’t made up their mind. Then reports say they’ve made up their mind and are going with Irving. Then another report comes out that they haven’t made a decision yet. In the end, even if they do give Derrick Williams strong consideration, I think they go with Kyrie Irving. The NBA is a copycat league and franchise point guards being drafted early is the big rage in recent years.
NBA Comparison: Chris Paul
2. Minnesota Timberwolves- SF Derrick Williams (Arizona)
I had Enes Kanter here in recent weeks, because he filled the biggest need for the Timberwolves and because the Timberwolves are known for doing head scratching things. Obviously they agree with me that Derrick Williams isn’t a great fit for them because with Kevin Love, Derrick Williams, Michael Beasley, and Ricky Rubio, they’d score a lot of points, but they wouldn’t play a lot of defense. They are desperately trying to move this pick and if they do manage to do that, this pick would almost definitely be Derrick Williams. If they are unable to move this pick, I think they settle on Williams and try to move Michael Beasley. He doesn’t fit, but he’s too talented for them to pass on.
NBA Comparison: Antawn Jamison
3. Utah Jazz- C Enes Kanter (Turkey)
The Jazz seem locked in on Enes Kanter, going with his talent, even though he’s joining a very crowded front court.
NBA Comparison: Vlade Divac
4. Cleveland Cavaliers- C Jonas Valanciunas (Lithuania)
The Cavaliers have made it known that they’d like Enes Kanter here at #4, but he’s not available so they’ll have to go with Jonas Valanciunas, another big man they really like. Valanciunas won’t come over to America next year, but it’s not like the Cavaliers are going anywhere either, so they take him and playing the waiting game.
NBA Comparison: Andris Biedrins
5. Toronto Raptors- PG Brandon Knight (Kentucky)
Jose Calderon is a decent point guard, but they’re going with the home run here with the high upside Brandon Knight over Kemba Walker, who is suddenly slipping.
NBA Comparison: Jrue Holiday
6. Washington Wizards- PF Jan Vesely (Czech Republic)
With John Wall and Nick Young, they have a really good back court. However, they need to build upfront and help a defense that ranked 7th worst in the league at 104.7 points per game allowed. Vesely gives them an upgrade at forward.
NBA Comparison: Andrei Kirilenko
7. Charlotte Bobcats- PF Tristan Thompson (Texas)
The Bobcats traded up to 7 for the sole intent of taking Tristan Thompson above Detroit. They were considering moving up as high as 4th for Thompson and will almost definitely take him here at 7.
NBA Comparison: Taj Gibson
8. Detroit Pistons- PF Bismack Biyombo (Congo)
With Thompson gone, the Pistons have to go with Plan B, Bismack Biyombo. They need size inside next to Greg Monroe and Biyombo can be that for them.
NBA Comparison: Serge Ibaka
9. Charlotte Bobcats- SG Alec Burks (Colorado)
The Bobcats reportedly are in love with Burks and won’t let the top shooting guard in this class fall past them and I agree with them. Burks should be rated among the top 5 in this class. He’s a natural scorer who isn’t one dimensional and I doubt he busts because he is so polished. The Bobcats like to take proven college players early in the draft and Burks could give them an immediate upgrade as a starting shooting guard over Gerald Henderson.
NBA Comparison: Andre Iguodala
10. Sacramento Kings- PG Jimmer Fredette (BYU)
The Kings moved down from 7 to 10 with the intent of drafting Jimmer Fredette to play alongside Tyreke Evans.
NBA Comparison: Ben Gordon
11. Golden State Warriors- SG Klay Thompson (Washington State)
Reports say the Warriors are enamored with Klay Thompson and that he won’t fall past them at 11. That makes sense because this team is “secretly” frantically trying to move Monta Ellis. Thompson gives them a more traditional 2 guard alongside Stephen Curry and he also fits their run and gun style of play.
NBA Comparison: Marco Belinelli
12. Utah Jazz- PG Kemba Walker (Connecticut)
They miss out on Jimmer, but they still get a very good point guard here with the Kings preferring Jimmer to Kemba at 10. I think Walker leaps Devin Harris on the depth chart very quickly.
NBA Comparison: Jameer Nelson
13. Phoenix Suns- SF Kawhi Leonard (San Diego State)
The Suns need to add some youth on the wings where they are starting Vince Carter and Grant Hill. Leonard is that and he’s a very good value at this point.
NBA Comparison: Trevor Ariza
14. Houston Rockets- SF Chris Singleton (Florida State)
The Rockets shipped Shane Battier off at the deadline for Hasheem Thabeet and some cap space and Battier went on to do in Memphis what he’s done almost everywhere else, make the playoffs. Singleton gives them the perimeter defender they lost when they shipped off Battier. I think he’s the best perimeter defender in this class and would definitely fill a role for the role player loving Rockets.
NBA Comparison: Ron Artest
Go on to 15-30
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