2011 NBA Draft Recap – 5 Biggest Winners in the NBA Draft: Another NBA draft is in the books, and although the 2011 crop of rookies was considered weak, that doesn’t mean there weren’t a few teams that hit it big. A few surprises among the early picks and a few draft night deals helped push a few clubs to the head of the class. While this year’s draft can’t ultimately be graded until a few years down the road, there are certainly a few teams that look good on paper following draft night.
1. Washington Wizards
The Wizards added three players during the 2011 draft, highlighted by small forward Jan Vesely. Vesely is a long, athletic scorer who can get his points from all over the court. More importantly, his speed gives point guard John Wall a running mate in transition, and his outside game can open up the lane for Wall in the halfcourt.
Washington followed with forward Florida State star Chris Singleton. While his offensive game may be a bit limited at this stage of his career, Singleton is one of the top defenders in the draft, and he can do a little bit of everything. Like Vesely, Singleton will be able to run the court with Wall. He will also be able to defend multiple positions at a high level, making him a versatile all-around contributor in the mold of an Andrei Kirilenko.
Last but not least, the Wizards added Butler shooting guard Shelvin Mack. Mack was knocked for a lack of athleticism during workouts, but it is tough to argue with what he was able to accomplish in college, helping the Bulldogs to back-to-back NCAA tournament finals. At the very least, Mack should be able to knock down 3-pointers on a consistent basis, but he has the potential to be one of the top bench scorers in the game. Either way, Washington got a contributor with this pick.
2. Utah Jazz
The Jazz needed a point guard, but give the organization credit for not reaching for the unpolished Brandon Knight. Instead, Utah selected Enes Canter with the No. 3 pick in the draft. Canter is skilled 7-footer that will score, rebound and block shots at the NBA level. He has the soft touch seen from a lot of foreign big men, but he isn’t afraid to bang underneath the hoop either. Canter will immediately team with Al Jefferson to give the Jazz an intimidating frontcourt, and he has the potential to become an All-Star for years to come.
After adding a big man, Utah used its second first round pick to select Colorado shooting guard Alec Burks. While he isn’t exactly a stat sheet stuffer, Burks can certainly score. He has plenty of range and got to the foul line on a consistent basis in college. The Jazz have assembled a young core of forwards, and Burks is a nice change of pace who can spread the floor with his excellent 3-point shooting ability. He wasn’t the most talented player on the board, but Burks was a good fit for the Jazz.
3. Charlotte Bobcats
The franchise has never really recovered from the Kwame Brown debacle, but Charlotte got it right this time around. Combining potential with proven talent, the Bobcats brought in forward/center Bismack Biyombo of the Congo and Connecticut guard Kemba Walker. Not to mention the fact that Charlotte was able to ship disgruntled forward Stephen Jackson out of town during the draft as well – a move that can only help team chemistry.
Biyombo is completely raw on the offensive end, but it’s not like the Bobcats were getting a lot of offense out of the center position anyway. He is an athletic freak, and even if his offensive game never develops, Biyombo has all the tools he needs to rebound and block shots at the NBA level. At worst, he becomes a Kendrick Perkins-type enforcer, but his ceiling is much higher.
After guiding his team to the NCAA title, Walker intangibles are off the charts. Whether or not he can successfully transition to the point guard position remains to be seen, but Walker is going to find a way to score at the NBA level. He will give the Bobcats a leader that this team has been lacking, along with a player not afraid to take big shots down the stretch of games.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers
Considering the Cavaliers had two of the first four picks, it would have been more of a surprise not to see Cleveland among the winners in this draft. Kyrie Irving wasn’t the best player on the board, but he was the best point guard. Cleveland’s goal in this draft was to officially put an end to the LeBron James era, and the Cavaliers now have a centerpiece to build around. In a point guard driven league, Irving made sense.
Sticking with a quick turnaround mentality, the Cavaliers shocked some folks by selecting Texas forward Tristan Thompson. However, Thompson wowed scouts during workouts, and he is an inside-outside scorer that can start right away. Cleveland may regret passing on center Jonas Valanciunas in the long run, but Thompson certainly has the athleticism and talent to be an all-around contributor.
The Cavaliers finished off the draft by picking up big man Milan Macvan. Cleveland fans will likely have to wait a few years to see Macvan, but he is described as a physical player that isn’t afraid to throw his body around down low. If he develops as planned, Macvan will make a nice frontcourt contributor one day, if he doesn’t, the Cavaliers still came away from the draft with a pair of starters.
5. Dallas Mavericks
After winning the NBA title, the Mavericks kept the momentum going on draft night. Dallas got an absolute steal when Texas forward Jordan Hamilton fell to them, and the Mavericks promptly exchanged Hamilton for a proven player that can make an immediate impact in Rudy Fernandez. Fernandez is an up-tempo player that loves to fill the passing lanes on defense and knock down 3-pointers on the offensive end. With his ability to spread the court and run in transition, he is a perfect fit for the Dallas system. Not to mention he adds some energy to a veteran club. Coming of a championship-winning season, the Mavericks added depth to an already solid bench. Fernandez will contribute far more than any rookie draft pick, which is why Dallas was one of the big winners on draft night.
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