Posted by zhayes9 on May 19th, 2011
Zach Hayes is an RTC contributor, columnist and bracketologist. For the next six weeks, he’ll also be our chief draftnik, mocking up the place with his first round selections. For additional detail, be sure to also check out our 35 draft profiles of the top collegians that we are rolling out over the next five weeks.
As a college basketball fan, the NBA Draft has always represented a final sendoff to the previous season and for the players we’ve followed religiously over the course of their collegiate careers. Even though some stops (Derrick Rose, John Wall, Greg Oden) have been shorter than others (Tyler Hansbrough, J.J. Redick, Evan Turner), each player has provided a long list of memories while making their individual imprint on the college game. Similar to a parent sending their kids off to school for the first time, the draft in late June serves as one last chance to say goodbye.
It's 2003 All Over Again For the Cavs... Sorta
Now that the lottery order has been unveiled, it’s time to introduce our first ever 2011 NBA Mock Draft here at RTC. As someone who annually follows the happenings surrounding the draft for weeks leading up to the big night, hopefully my mock selections will provide both insight and expectation into what will transpire in around five weeks time, although with this year’s weak draft class we could see more trades than ever with teams looking to exchange picks this year for 2012 selections.
1. Cleveland Cavaliers- Kyrie Irving, PG, Duke. In a point guard heavy league where a gifted court general is essential for any team with championship aspirations, Irving makes the most sense of any single pick in the draft. Irving has tremendous playmaking ability at the position both setting up teammates and generating his own offense.
2. Minnesota Timberwolves- Derrick Williams, SF, Arizona. The most efficient player in college basketball who possesses phenomenal athleticism and excels in isolation, Williams is the clear cut choice if Minnesota hangs onto this pick. Although Williams is a bit of a tweener, an improved mid-range game will render Williams a matchup nightmare for opposing threes.
3. Utah Jazz- Brandon Knight, PG, Kentucky. This pick could certainly go in a different direction if the Jazz head honchos feel Devin Harris is their point guard for the foreseeable future. Even if Harris sticks around, Knight needs some grooming as a distributor before he’s ready to shine. Knight is already a capable shooter and offensive threat.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers- Enes Kanter, C, Turkey. After selecting Irving, it only makes sense to grab the best available big man and pick Kanter. A supremely skilled 7-footer with advanced footwork and scoring ability in the post, Kanter’s ceiling is very high. Kanter hasn’t played outside of a Kentucky practice in over a year, so there’s risk in this selection.
5. Toronto Raptors- Jonas Valanciunas, PF, Lithuania. The Raptors have never been bashful about selecting international players and there’s certainly a need for more athleticism in the low post for Toronto. If the question marks surrounding Valanciunas’ buyout can be resolved, the Raptors are nabbing a projectable low-post threat who can really rebound.
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| 2011 nba draft
| Tagged: alec burks, Bismack Biyombo, brandon knight, chris singleton, derrick williams, donatas motiejunas, enes kanter, jan vesely, jimmer fredette, jonas valanciunas, jordan williams, kawhi leonard, kemba walker, kenneth faried, klay thompson, kyrie irving, marcus morris, markieff morris, reggie jackson, tristan thompson
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