2011 NBA Draft Order

Tuesday night had a few NBA fans excited for a couple of minutes as the draft order for the 2011 NBA Draft was announced. Gone are the years when fans tuned into this show to find out if their favorite team(s) was getting a good draft position. Now most fans will find out through a friend or wait until watching a game next season to find out that said player was a first round draft pick.

For those of you still somewhat interested in the 2011 NBA draft, I broke it down for you.

1. Cleveland Cavaliers
2. Minnesota Timberwolves
3. Utah Jazz
4. Cleveland Cavaliers
5. Toronto Raptors
6. Washington Wizards
7. Sacramento Kings
8. Detroit Pistons
9. Charlotte Bobcats
10. Milwaukee Bucks
11. Golden State Warriors
12. Utah Jazz
13. Phoenix Suns
14. Houston Rockets
15. Indiana Pacers
16. Philadelphia 76ers
17. New York Knicks
18. Washington Wizards
19. Charlotte Bobcats
20. Minnesota Timberwolves
21. Portland Trailblazers
22. Denver Nuggets
23. Houston Rockets
24. Oklahoma City Thunder
25. Boston Celtics
26. Dallas Mavericks
27. New Jersey Nets
28. Chicago Bulls
29. San Antonio Spurs
30. Chicago Bulls

Seven teams pick twice this year (T-Wolves, Wizards, Bobcats, Rockets, and Bulls) and the Cavs and Jazz pick twice within the lottery (picks 1-13). This could be a good year for the Cavs to rebound from LeBron’s departure.

Two of the top prospects barely had a college basketball career. Kyrie Irving is expected to go #1 overall and Enes Kanter, a Kentucky signee that never made into a college game and has not played competitively in two years should be drafted within the top 10. What does that say about incoming NBA talent? Not a lot.

Former Arizona Wildcat player, PF Derrick Williams, is considered the second best player in the draft. Problem is the T-Wolves two best players are power forwards. You can bet the T-Wolves will be trading something or someone come draft time. Williams is listed at 6’8” which means he’s more than likely 6’6”. Is that the size you want for a PF?

Three foreign players should go in the first 10 picks. I know nothing about them other than they are foreign players and I still have no idea where Ricky Rubio is!

Jimmer Fredette, the 2011 NCAA basketball player of the year, is expected to drop into the second half of the first round. Does anyone remember how good Stockton and Price were in the NBA? Back when the NBA was loaded with talent! If Fredette learns how to guard someone, he could be a good player for years to come… I just realized I was writing about NBA players and defense. I had to laugh.

Even though the Bulls have two of the last three picks in the draft, I look for them to do something with both picks. I’m not sure if they will trade the picks or take two players. Either way, I see them getting value in this draft. They have done a really good job of stockpiling young talent over the last 4-5 years.

This is another year of the point guard draft. 7 point guards could go in the first round, with three going in the top 5.

Three Kansas players might be selected in the first round. Which poses the question, what is Bill Self doing in Kansas? He has too much talent going through there to not win at a higher level year after year.

Just to clarify, the Cavs and Jazz can make some good strides in this year’s draft. Both teams could draft a point guard to build around and add much needed talent with their second lottery pick. This should give both die hard fan bases something to be excited about for years to come.

The overall talent in this draft is very weak. How can it be great if the NBA has one lottery pick that played in only 11 college games and another that has not played competitively in two years?