From ESPN.com:
This is my personal Big Board as of today. Keep in mind that the mock drafts you see on ESPN.com are meant to mostly reflect what our analysts and insiders believe is going to happen; this instead is what I would do or who I would select if I were running a team.
1. Kyrie Irving, PG, Duke: Great mix of all the attributes that make a premier point guard. Tremendous feel, especially on ball screens, and does have a middle game. It is still difficult to tell whether he is Chris Paul or Brevin Knight, safe to say he is in between the two. A solid starting point guard in a league in which a point guard can quickly bring you back from the dead.
2. Enes Kanter, PF, Turkey: A legit big-time face-up 4 who can bang and dominate down low. Though he lost a year of game competition, the way he dominated at the Global Games, the agility he has shown and his vast skill set get you excited. Might be older than listed.
3. Tristan Thompson, PF, Texas: He has a spectacular combination of timing, skill, athleticism and feel as a shot blocker/rebounder. Like so many skilled big men, he thought he was a face-up 4 until college, but his lack of any sort of jumper keeps him at the 5. Can handle the ball and is a very good worker in the weight room. He needs more time in the gym to fix his J.
4. Chris Singleton, F, Florida State: Lockdown defender with 3-point range and, though he is a late bloomer on offense, he is ready-made for the NBA with the versatility needed to defend the 2-3-4 positions. Also showed great toughness and a desire to play by returning from a broken foot, whereas many would have shut it down and not risked the NCAA tournament.
5. Jan Vesely, PF, Czech Republic: Athletic big man who has played at a high level in Europe. Should be able to start right away and will play well in an up-tempo ball-screen type of offense. Not the shooter that Euro bigs normally are, but also a far better athlete than most Euro bigs.
6. Kenneth Faried, PF, Morehead State: Obviously a tremendous rebounder and athlete who can defend his position. In a draft with so many unknowns, Faried will be in the league 10 years, most of it as a starting power forward. He has a great body and is unrivaled in-game work ethic.
7. Derrick Williams, PF, Arizona: Late bloomer who some think has some ability to be a 3, but that seems to be a reach. Freak "Blake Griffin" type of finishing skills with far superior shooting touch. Below average low-post scorer who faces up against bigger opponents and scores mostly in transition, on open jumpers, drives and a ton of free throws. Starter, not likely to be an All-Star or a go-to player on an NBA team. Late development makes upside harder to project.
8. Tobias Harris, F, Tennessee: Big and skilled with a professional-style game, Harris should continue to climb draft boards as scouts see his body developed quite well in his one college season. He is a little soft and not terribly comfortable in the low post on offense, but he does have some skill down there to score at the low block. At 6-foot-8 he has to be a 3 in the NBA, and I believe he can be, though he played face-up 4 to this point.
9. Brandon Knight, PG, Kentucky: A scoring lead guard with plenty of upside, Knight can run a team and can also take and make the big shot. His game should translate very well as he struggles when people get into him. No hand checking in the NBA should make his game more efficient. Knight does not go left well and needs to continue to improve his range, but he is a very sound mid-range jump shooter.
10. Klay Thompson, SG, Washington State: He might be the only legit NBA 2-guard in the draft. Late bloomer who dominated this season on a team full of suspensions (including his own), Thompson has NBA range off the catch and has learned to create some off the bounce. Played through his rep as being "soft" and earned battle scars because of it. His father, Mychal, was the top pick in 1978, and his bloodlines help him.
11. Donatas Motiejunas, C, Lithuania: Legit 7-footer who can score at the low block. Not a rebounder out of his zone and will struggle to defend NBA quickness if he matches up with a better athlete or on a ball screen. Still has a ton of high-level experience and should stick as a likely starter or first big off the bench.
12. Kawhi Leonard, SF, San Diego State: He has huge hands and long arms, but he needs to work on his jump shot. His rebounding and toughness are legendary in the West Coast and his team lost to only BYU and UConn this season.
13. Bismack Biyombo, PF, Congo: Highly athletic big man who has exploded onto the scene. Emergence of Serge Ibaka helps his cause as well. Should be a rebounding/shot blocking/dunking machine with his high motor, though he is not skilled yet.
14. Jimmer Fredette, SG, BYU: Big-time shooter/scorer combo who needs the right fit to succeed. Fredette did everything off the bounce in college, but will have to play without the ball in order to be a successful pro. Still, those who knock his game might want to take a peek at the raw data of his numbers against top-level defenses, it's fairly impressive stuff.
15. Charles Jenkins, PG, Hofstra: Scoring machine from Hofstra who is bigger and a better NBA backup/combo than Kemba Walker due to his size, shooting and strength.
16. Marcus Morris, PF, Kansas: A skilled 4 who can score all the way out to the college 3. Struggles with NBA length but can pass and has a high basketball IQ. Morris is tough and unafraid but not explosive as a scorer or athlete and is probably a bench player.
17. Kemba Walker, PG, UConn: Explosive scorer who can lead a team as well. He is a high-volume shooter, not a creative passer and took a lot of plays off on defense as he had to carry his team on offense. He projects to be a backup point guard on a good team. Kemba may be a starter on a subpar team, but shot selection, shot percentage and turnovers have him behind the other three point guards. He's a great leader though, a winner with an explosive first step. Walker is a good influence to have on a dysfunctional team.
18. Alec Burks, SG, Colorado: Another late bloomer who grew his senior year in high school. He's a tremendous athlete who can score in the open floor and is an improving jump shooter. However, he doesn't have a true position, is not a good enough shooter and is likely to spend some time in the D-League, where he will have to establish himself as a pro 2.
19. Justin Harper, PF, Richmond: Legit NBA 3 in terms of size, skill and length, Harper also has something NBA scouts love: basketball DNA (his dad was a great player at Canisius). He can play some finesse 4 as well but is not a good man-to-man defender as his college team ran a lot of matchup zone.
20. Jonas Valanciunas, PF, Lithuania: Very skilled 6-10 power forward who might not have the athleticism to project as a lottery pick. He's very big, can guard the low post and will last with his game.
21. Nikola Mirotic, PF, Montenegro: Huge shooting wing with big-time experience in the Spanish ACB league. Contract issues drop his stock, but at just 20 years old, he can pass, shoot and move on the offensive end of the floor. Solid body that will only have to learn NBA defenses, but he would be a very good fit alongside scoring guards.
22. Trey Thompkins, C, Georgia: He's massive and has a bit of a high-post game. He never truly dominated in college but also never played with great guards. He has gotten out of shape in the past and the lockout will not be good for guys with a tendency to put on weight, but he has toughness, skill and good hands.
23. Reggie Jackson, G, Boston College: He's a scoring guard who is learning to be a point guard. Jackson has a very good mid-range game and has a scorer's feel. Can play some undersized 2 as well and would be an ideal scorer off the bench. A little turnover prone and does not throw the ball up the court well, but that will not likely be his role in the league.
24. Kyle Singler, SF, Duke: Not a great athlete but tough, skilled and will make a team better. Singler is the Tyler Hansbrough of this draft; you will get a ton out of him on the second night of back-to-back games that many others will take off.
25. Tyler Honeycutt, SF, UCLA: He's a very skilled passer, but he's also very soft and still learning to play. Honeycutt has a very high ceiling as an NBA 3 but is more Austin Daye than Tayshaun Prince.
26. Chandler Parsons, SF, Florida: Like Honeycutt he can disappear in a heartbeat, as he did in the Elite Eight against Butler, but he is as close to a European-type of game as anyone in college hoops. Makes others better, needs to get stronger.
27. Markieff Morris, PF, Kansas: A better rebounder and shot blocker than his twin brother, and he's not afraid to make the hard foul or the tough play. He's not as skilled in terms of low-post game and has not gotten as many minutes to display on-floor IQ as his brother. Solid big man who might become a starter someday.
28. Jordan Hamilton, SF, Texas: Scoring 3 who rebounds well and has a Paul Pierce-like deceptive first step. He can score at the block and out to 3, though he mostly goes right. Can become very selfish and would be better served to be on a good team with veterans in order to clean up some bad habits.
29. Norris Cole, SG, Cleveland State: He's the second-best true point guard in the draft. Cole does everything a true lead guard should, and he did it on a team with limited surrounding talent. An improved 3-point shooter, Cole controls a game and could develop into a starting point if his jumper stretches to the NBA line.
30. Jordan Williams, PF, Maryland: Big, strong and a little heavy, Williams is the best pure low-post scorer in the draft. He needs to drop 15 pounds, his feet are bad on ball-screen defense and he rarely goes over his right shoulder. But he establishes and maintains position, has soft hands and continues to improve.
5/10/2011 5:09 PM