2011 NBA Mock Draft (with Wikipedia Facts)
Wikipedia facts about the NBA Draft: Some of the most noted NBA draft years are 1984, 1996, and 2003. Each of those is often referred to as one of, if not the, best NBA Draft ever, though the 2003 Draft was too recent to accurately compare. The 2000 NBA Draft has been regarded as the worst in history, with Sports Illustrated calling its first round “a horrible group of players.” The 1986 Draft was notable for the number of solid and even outstanding players selected in later rounds, partly because of drug problems that claimed the life of second overall pick Len Bias and affected the careers of several other first-round picks.
Round One
1. Cleveland Cavaliers – Kyrie Irving, Guard, Duke University
Wikipedia facts: Irving was born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia where his father, Drederick Irving, played professional basketball for the Bulleen Boomers. Irving subsequently lived in Australia before relocating to the United States at the age of 2. He has dual citizenship in the United States and Australia and has recently expressed interest in representing the Australian National Team.
2. Minnesota Timberwolves – Derrick Williams, Forward, University of Arizona
Wikipedia fact: Derrick Williams originally committed to play at the University of Southern California but asked for a release from his letter of intent when head coach Tim Floyd resigned amid allegations of NCAA rules violations.
3. Utah Jazz – Brandon Knight, Guard, University of Kentucky
Wikipedia fact: On April 14, 2010, Knight signed an aid agreement with the University of Kentucky, not a letter of intent. Amid rumors that Kentucky coach John Calipari would jump to coach in the NBA, Knight’s parents advised him to sign an aid agreement. An aid agreement is different from a letter of intent in that the aid agreement is only a one way commitment, with Kentucky committed to give him one scholarship year while he can transfer without any repercussions from the NCAA, while a Letter of Intent means the deal is a two-way commitment between the school and the athlete. By signing an aid agreement, the Wildcats were committed to Knight, but he was not committed to them.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers – Enes Kanter, Center, University of Kentucky/Turkey
Wikipedia fact: During the 2008-09 season, Kanter was a seldom-used reserve for Fenerbahçe Ülker, a Turkish professional basketball team. He played in at least nine games with the team – four in the Euroleague and five in the Turkish Basketball League.
5. Toronto Raptors – Kawhi Leonard, Forward, San Diego State University
Wikipedia fact: In 2009 as a senior at Martin Luther King High School in Riverside, California, he was named Mr. Basketball California.
6. Washington Wizards – Jan Vesely, Forward, Serbia
Wikipedia fact: Due to his speed and court movement, Veselý has been compared to Dirk Nowitzki and Andrei Kirilenko.
7. Sacramento Kings – Jimmer Fredette, Guard, Brigham Young University
Wikipedia fact: From his early childhood, he showed unusual dedication to athletics, his older brother TJ recalling, “He was the most determined, competitive four-year-old I had ever seen.” TJ, an aspiring rapper, helped train him for his basketball career since before kindergarten.
8. Detroit Pistons – Kemba Walker, Guard, University of Connecticut
Wikipedia facts: Walker grew up in the Sack-Wern Houses in Soundview, Bronx, and is the youngest of three siblings. His mother is Crucian and his father is Antiguan. Walker is also a dancer. He performed three times at the Apollo Theater for the TV show Showtime at the Apollo.
9. Charlotte Bobcats – Bismack Biyombo, Forward/Center, Congo
Wikipedia fact: Biyombo was discovered by the former Jordanian and Angolan national team head coach, Mario Palma, at the age of 16 at a youth tournament in Yemen.
10. Milwaukee Bucks – Marcus Morris, Forward, Kansas University
Wikipedia facts: He was named the 2010-11 Big 12 Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Year. He was also named a second team All-American for his play in the 2010–11 basketball season by both the Associated Press and by the National Association of Basketball Coaches, and a third team All-America by Fox Sports.
11. Golden State Warriors – Klay Thompson, Guard/Forward, Washington State University
Wikipedia facts: Thompson is the son of former Los Angeles Laker great Mychal Thompson. His older brother Mychel played basketball for Pepperdine University and his younger brother, Trayce, was drafted in the 2009 MLB Draft by the Chicago White Sox. Klay faced controversy when he was suspended for his final regular season game at WSU after being issued a misdemeanor criminal citation for marijuana possession.
12. Utah Jazz - Chris Singleton, Forward, Florida State University
Wikipedia facts: In 2010 he was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. Singleton is from Canton, Georgia and played high school basketball at Dunwoody High.
13. Phoenix Suns – Tristan Thompson, Forward, University of Texas
Wikipedia fact: Thompson was born in Brampton, Ontario, and is the oldest of four brothers of Trevor and Andrea Thompson. He is also the cousin of fellow NCAA athlete and former Virginia State University Trojan football standout Jemal Thompson.
14. Houston Rockets – Jonas Valanciunas, Center, Lithuania
Wikipedia facts: Valančiūnas started playing professionally for Perlas in 2008 and played there until December 2009. During the 2008-09 season the team played in the Lithuanian National Basketball League (NKL), Lithuania’s second strongest league, but moved up to the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) the following season.
15. Indiana Pacers – Markieff Morris, Forward, University of Kansas
Wikipedia facts: Morris and his brother have signed with a sports agent from Los Angeles and they have announced that they are going to be entering the 2011 NBA draft. He was picked to the Fifth Team All-America by Fox Sports after his junior season.
16. Philadelphia 76ers – Nikola Vucevic, Forward/Center, University of Southern California
Wikipedia fact: NO ENTRY
17. New York Knicks – Kenneth Faried, Forward/Center, Morehead State
Wikipedia facts: Faried broke Tim Duncan‘s modern-era (post-1973) Division I career rebounding mark with 12 rebounds in the Eagles’ 71–65 victory over Indiana State on February 19, 2011. The NCAA’s modern era began after 1973 when freshmen were permitted to play along with the split into the three divisions in use today. Duncan’s previous record of 1,570 rebounds had stood since 1997.
18. Washington Wizards – Marshon Brooks, Guard, Providence College
Wikipedia fact: Brooks left Providence College with two months left in his senior year to focus on preparing for the 2011 NBA Draft. Brooks left school two classes short of obtaining his degree.
19. Charlotte Bobcats – Alec Burks, Guard, University of Colorado
Wikipedia facts: He attended Grandview High School, where in 2009 he was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Missouri. His senior year he averaged 23.0 points per game, in addition to 6.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. He was also named the Kansas City Star and Metro Sports Player of the Year during his senior year.
20. Minnesota Timberwolves – Iman Shumpert, Guard, Georgia Institute of Technology
Wikipedia facts: Iman Shumpert’s father Odis Shumpert is an insurance broker and his mother L’Tanya Shumpert is an adjunct professor of art and design at Columbia College in Chicago.
21. Portland Trail Blazers – Jordan Hamilton, Forward, University of Texas
Wikipedia facts: As a sophomore he was a second team All-American by the USBWA. He was picked to the Fourth Team All-America by Fox Sports.
22. Denver Nuggets – Tobias Harris, Forward, University of Tennessee
Wikipedia facts: Harris attended Half Hollow Hills High School West in Dix Hills, NY for his senior year. He was named a 2010 McDonald’s All-American.
23. Houston Rockets – Dontas Motiejunas, Forward, Lithuania
Wikipedia facts: Motiejūnas was a part of the Lithuanian Under-16, Under-18, and Under-20 junior national teams. With Lithuania’s junior national teams, he played at the: 2006 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship, both the 2007 and 2008 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championships, the 2009 FIBA Under-19 World Championship, and the 2009 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship.
24. Oklahoma City Thunder – Tyler Honeycutt, Guard/Forward, University of California – Los Angeles
Wikipedia fact: Coming out of Sylmar High School, Tyler was very highly regarded, being rated as a top 10 small forward in the country by all of the major recruiting circuits.
25. Boston Celtics – Reggie Jackson, Guard, Boston College
Wikipedia fact: As a senior at Palmer High School in Colorado, Jackson won the 2007-08 Gatorade Colorado Boys Basketball Player of the Year.
26. Dallas Mavericks – JaJuan Johnson, Forward, Purdue University
Wikipedia facts: JaJuan finished his career at Purdue as the seventh highest scorer in school history (1,919), averaging 13.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2 blocks, .7 assists, and .7 steals. He shares school records with games in a season (37), total games (140), and games won (107). He finished 2nd in school history in career blocks with 263, as well as tallying 854 rebounds.
27. New Jersey Nets – Kyle Singler, Forward, Duke University
Wikipedia facts: Singler’s parents were both athletes at Oregon State University: his father, Ed Singler, was quarterback of the football team, and his mother, Kris Brosterhous, was on the basketball team. Four of Singler’s uncles played Division I football, baseball or basketball. His younger brother, E.J. Singler, plays basketball for the University of Oregon.
28. Chicago Bulls – Jimmy Butler, Forward, Marquette University
Wikipedia fact: Butler was not heavily recruited coming out of high school and chose to attend Tyler Junior College in Tyler, Texas.
29. San Antonio Spurs – Nikola Mirotic, Forward, Serbia
Wikipedia facts: Mirotić began his professional career with the Spanish ACB League club Real Madrid. During the Euroleague 2010-11 season, he emerged as one of his team’s most valuable cogs to win the Euroleague Rising Star award. In 2011, he signed a 5 year contract extension with Real Madrid.
30. Chicago Bulls – Shelvin Mack, Guard, Butler University
Wikipedia facts: In 2011, Mack help lead the Bulldogs to the 2011 NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship game. He declared for the 2011 NBA Draft, to be held June 23, following his junior year.
Round Two
31. Miami Heat – Josh Selby, Guard, Kansas University
32. Cleveland Cavaliers – Malcolm Lee, Guard, University of California – Los Angeles
33. Detroit Pistons – Justin Harper, Forward, University of Richmond
34. Washington Wizards – Jordan Williams, Forward, University of Maryland
35. Sacramento Kings – Chandler Parsons, Guard/Forward, University of Florida
36. New Jersey Nets – Charles Jenkins, Guard, Hofstra University
37. Los Angeles Clippers – Nolan Smith, Guard, Duke University
38. Houston Rockets – Jeremy Tyler, Forward/Center, Tokyo Apache
39. Charlotte Bobcats – Travis Leslie, Guard, Georgia
40. Milwaukee Bucks – Jon Leuer, Forward, University of Wisconsin
41. Los Angeles Lakers – Darius Morris, Guard, University of Michigan
42. Indiana Pacers – E’Twuan Moore, Guard, Purdue University
43. Chicago Bulls – Norris Cole, Guard, Cleveland State
44. Golden State Warriors – Trey Thompkins, Forward, Georgia
45. New Orleans Hornets – Rick Jackson, Center, Syracuse University
46. Los Angeles Lakers – Bojan Bogdanovic, Forward, Serbia
47. Los Angeles Clippers – Scotty Hopson, Guard, University of Tennessee
48. Atlanta Hawks – Malcolm Thomas, Forward, San Diego State University
49. Memphis Grizzlies – DeAndre Liggins, Guard, University of Kentucky
50. Philadelphia 76ers – Willie Reed, Forward, St. Louis University
51. Portland Trail Blazers – Demetri McCamey, Guard, Illinois
52. Detroit Pistons – Isiah Thomas, Guard, University of Washington
53. Orlando Magic – Cory Joseph, Guard, University of Texas
54. Cleveland Cavaliers – David Lighty, Guard, The Ohio State University
55. Boston Celtics – Keith Benson, Center, Oakland University
56. Los Angeles Lakers – Jereme Richmond, Forward, University of Illinois
57. Dallas Mavericks – Greg Smith, Center, Fresno State University
58. Los Angles Lakers – Andrew Goudelock, Guard, College of Charleston
59. San Antonio Spurs – Davis Bertans, Forward, Latvia
60. Sacramento Kings – Ben Hansbrough, Guard, University of Notre Dame
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