#1 New Orleans Hornets- Anthony Davis- UK
We all expected this, Davis was clearly the most unique and dominant player in College Basketball in 2011. Davis is just 19, 6’10 with a huge wingspan. Great on Defense, blocks everything in sight and has a huge presence in the middle. There hasn’t been a player like him that has come out of the draft in the longtime. He’s like a modern day Bill Russell. If he develops his jumper, he’s going to be unreal. The Hornets are extremely lucky they landed the #1 spot. Davis is going to be one of the best players in the NBA in a few years.
#2 Charlotte Bobcats- Michael Kidd-Gilchrist- UK
Lots of talk saying Charlotte would trade their pick here, smart move they didn’t. We see why UK won the Natl Title as both of their best players go #1 and 2 in this draft. Gilchrist is ultra quick, a good defender and is a great finisher around the rim. He is going to attack the basket with much success in the pros. This is an excellent pick by the Bobcats, MKG is going to be a extremely solid pro. The Bobcats could of took Beal here, but they did fine. Gilchrist just needs to develop his jumper, in the meantime he will be attacking the basket all day long.
# 3 Washington Wizards, Bradley Beal- Florida
Draft is going according to plan right now, as the GM’s have picked the best 3 players in the draft in my opinion. Beal is another sure fire pro who is going to be a success in the NBA. Beal has a NBA body, has a a developed jump shot and can take it to the rim as well. Also is a hustle guy who can rebound very well and defend. He stepped up big time for Florida in the NCAA Tournament. John Wall and Beal is a nice base for Washington to build on.
# 4 Cleveland Cavaliers, Dion Waiters- Cuse
Waiters has been climbing the draft board and the Cavs select him much earlier than he was originally projected. This was a quality pick by the Cavs, Waiters is a smart player who can shoot and drive. He has a lot of room to improve as well. 6’4 221, good size and he will combo nicely with Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson, nice job by the Cavs here.
#5 Sacramento Kings, Thomas Robinson- Kansas
Everybody was saying the Kings were going to take Andre Drummond here, but I’m glad they didn’t. They made the right pick. Robinson is a beast inside at 6’8 244. Robinson is very strong and will be an asset on the boards. He really developed last season after coming of the bench in 2010. Needs to get better offensively, especially with his shot, but he’s going to team up nicely with Isiah Thomas, Marcus Thornton and be a nice combo inside with DeMarcus Cousins. Robinson has been through a lot and you can bet he will work his butt off to get even better. Sensible pick by the Kings.
#6 Portland TrailBlazers, Damien Lillard- Weber State.
This is like Portland picking Damon Stoudamire back in the day. I could see Lillard having a similar impact like Stoudamire did early on, will see. Not really a pure PG, but Lillard is a pure scorer. Has great range and can get to the hoop. This could be a bit of a gamble by Portland, but it could work out. It might take Lillard a few years to get going. Not in love with this pick, but at #6 it’s not a bad pick by Portland at all. It will be interesting to see how this pick pans out for the Blazers. Would of liked to see Lillard play in the NCAA Tourny, but his team just missed making it out of the Big Sky Conference.
#7 Golden State Warriors, Harrison Barnes -UNC
I thought people had Barnes projected a bit too high going in the top 5 so I’m not surprised he dropped to #7. While I’m down on Barnes because he can’t really get to the rim consistently, this is probably a good fit in Golden State. Barnes has a nice jumpshot and in the Warriors Run n’ Gun O, he should see a lot of open looks. At the end of the day however, I think Barnes won’t be as good as people project.
#8 Toronto Raptors, Terrance Ross-Washington Huskies
I think Toronto reached here. Ross is definitely athletic and a good shooter, but he also played in a weak conference in the Pac-10. I’m not sold on him, but he could prove me wrong.
# 9 Detroit Pistons, Andre Drummond- UCONN
Drummond is raw, but has great size and is extremely athletic. 6’11 279? Geez. He really has no offensive game other than put backs and dunks, but he will be a defensive body inside and will be good on the boards. Coupled with Greg Monroe, the Pistons will have a nice inside feel. Drummond probably won’t ever be anything special, but he should be able to find a role in the NBA.
# 10 New Orleans Hornets, Austin Rivers- Duke
Rivers looks like a NBA player. He can beat you off the dribble and can shoot fairly well. He has good footwork and has NBA moves. Not sure how much upside he has, but I think he’s a good fit for New Orleans and a smart pick considering this is the #10 slot.
# 11 Portland TrailBlazers, Meyers Leonard- Illinois
Don’t really like this pick. Big white guy? How often do they succeed in the NBA. He isn’t a Kevin Love, he doesn’t have anywhere near the offensive game Love has. But he is 7’0 and they don’t grow on trees. Portland took Lillard who was a ? mark, so they probably should of took something that was more surefire here. Don’t think Meyers will be a good producer at the NBA level.
# 12 Houston Rockets, Jeremy Lamb- UCONN
I like this pick for Houston. Lamb is still developing and should continue to get better. Good size at 6′ 5 and has a good wingspan. Needs to bulk up a bit, kind of scrawny, but he has a nice shot and it will only get better. Nice pick by Houston here, Lamb will be able to create his own shot in the NBA. Shot 60% inside the 3-PT range.
# 13 Pheonix Suns, Kendall Marshall- UNC
Like this pick by the Suns. Also like the fact that Marshall has a chance to play under Steve Nash. Marshall is a pure PG, he is a very good passer and is smart with the basketball. His shot isn’t terrible, he has that set jumper like J-Kidd, it can develop over time. Marshall is solid in transition and can finish around the rim. Good job by the Suns.
# 14 Milwaukee Bucks, Jon Henson- UNC
Another Tarheel off the board, although I might of taken Tyler Zeller before Henson. He is very lengthy at 6’11, but def needs to gain some weight. Has a nice little jump hook and decent jumper, Henson is a gifted shot blocker and can rebound nicely with his length. Henson will be interesting, he is a unique player in this draft. I kind of like this selection by the Bucks.
# 15 Philadelphia 76ers, Maurice Harkless- St. John’s
Harkless is raw but comes with tons of potential. Former Utah coach and current St. Louis coach Rick Majerus said Harkless was easily one of the best players in the draft. Harkless is extremely athletic, but his jumper needs a lot of work. This is a project pick, will see how it pans out for the Sixers.
# 16 Houston Rockets, Royce White- Iowa State
White impressed me in the NCAA tournament when they played Kentucky. White is a crafty player with an NBA body at 6’8 260. Not sure about his defense, but he is very skilled offensively. Houston has done a better job with their 2 first rounders than Portland has. Solid selection at this point.
# 17 Dallas Mavericks, Tyler Zeller- UNC (Traded to the Cavs)
This is who the TrailBlazers should of taken. Zeller is much better offensively and is a better rebounder than Meyers. At 7’0, Zeller is very crafty for his size. Big white guys usually don’t pan out, but I think Zeller will be a nice contributor for the Cavs. Thompson and Zeller will be nice inside.
# 18 Houston Rockets, Terrance Jones- Kentucky
Houston with another solid selection. Jones can play inside out and can rebound and defend. He is crafty in the paint and can step out and bang the 3. You can argue he could of been in the Top 10. Beautiful value for Houston, they’ve done a great job with their selections.
# 19 Orlando Magic, Andrew Nicholson- St. Bonaventure
Nicholson made a name for himself when the Bonnies made the NCAA Tourny. Very skilled offensively, Nicholson looks like a good pick for the Magic, I just get the feeling he could be injury prone. Kind of looks like a old man, gives me that Greg Oden feel. End of the day, this guy is developed and ready to contribute from Day 1.
# 20 Denver Nuggets, Evan Fournier- France
Ugh, I hate international players. Very rare they contribute. Plus he’s from France? Weaksauce. Turrible pick by Denver here. There is so much talent available in this draft still, they should of went with something more solid. This guy will most likely stink like your Aunt Gordy’s feet.
# 21 Boston Celtics, Jared Sullinger- Ohio St.
Good pick by the Celtics. Sullinger won’t be the star he was in College, but he will be a body under the basket who can rebound and be crafty around the rim. A good comparison is DeJuan Blair with less defense and much more offense. Sullinger has good moves offensively, he just has no ups. But I think he fits in well with the Celtics and this was a good selection for them.
# 22 Boston Celtics, Fab Melo- Syracuse
Eh, Looks like the Celtics are really looking for size, they should of added a wingman here. Not a fan of Melo, but has good size at 7’0 and should be somewhat of a presence inside. But not a fan of this pick by the Celtics. Melo is really going to give them nothing offensively and is kind of a dopey player. They already drafted one guy who can’t really run with Rondo in Sullinger, no sense in taking two. Should of took somebody who can help them score. Danny Ainge fail with this pick.
# 23 Atlanta Hawks, John Jenkins- Mizzou
Very good shooter.. He will be a 3-Point specialist in the NBA. He’s like a black JJ Reddick. He can def contribute and be a solid addition to the Hawks. Just don’t expect him to be a big time player in the NBA. Not that great defensively and can’t really get to the rim with consistency.
# 24 Cleveland Cavaliers, Jared Cunningham- Oregon State (Possibly Going To Mavs)
Shot 270 FT’s so it shows he can get to the rim. Looks athletic but to be honest, I don’t know much about him. But there are much better picks left in my opinion.
# 25 Memphis Grizzlies, Tony Wroten- Washington
Good quickness, very athletic and gets to the rim. At 6’6 203 Wroten has the size to get to the rim and get to the charity stripe in the NBA. He is still raw and can’t shoot, but this is a decent project pick for Memphis.
# 26 Indiana Pacers, Miles Plumlee- Duke
Plumlee has no upside whatsoever. But this is a Indiana type pick. Plumlee will give solid minutes and be able to rebound and defend a bit. Should be a decent bench player. But really don’t like this pick at all.
# 27 Miami Heat, Arnette Moultrie- Mississippi State (Traded to Philly)
Not sure I like this pick because I feel like the Heat could of took Jones, Teague, Johnson-Odom among others but Pat Riley should know what he’s doing here. But I will admit I never saw Moultrie play once. UPDATE : Traded to Philly
# 28 Oklahoma City Thunder, Perry Jones III- Baylor
The team with a ton of athletic ability takes probably the best athlete left in the draft. I thought Jones was being projected too high and wasn’t high on him, but this is good value at this point. He disappeared in big games for Baylor and his attitude is a concern, but he’s very talented with some solid upside. I’m not sure Jones will ever pan out, but I think this is a good fit for Ok City. The concerns about his knee dropped him this low.
# 29 Chicago Bulls, Marcus Teague- Chicago Bulls
I was waiting for this pick. Teague is excellent value at this point for the Bulls. He didn’t play like a Freshmen, he looked like a Senior out there. Teague is very quick, great in transition and finishes well around the rim. Also has a decent shot which should only get better. Smart kid, only knock is his size at 6’2, but his quickness will help him overcome that. Calipari says he will be better than his brother Jeff, who played well last season for the Hawks.
# 30 Golden State Warriors, Festus Ezeli- Vanderbilt
Crafty player with huge size ( 6’11, 264) , not a bad pick by the Warriors. Still a bit raw, it will probably take some before Ezeli is a contributor. Not a huge fan of this pick though, again there are better selections in my mind.
2nd Round
# 31 Charlotte Bobcats, Jeffrey Taylor- Vanderbilt
Too much Vanderbilt hype, there’s a reason why they got bounced out of the Tournament early. Don’t like this pick for Charlotte. They hit a Homerun with Taylor, but K’ed with this one. Taylor has some talent, I just don’t see him being a factor in the NBA.
# 32 Washington Wizards, Tomas Satoransky- Czech Rebulic
Another European? Eh….I have no clue about this guy other than so many Euro’s fail to do much. Still some quality talent left from the College game, Washington fails with this pick.
# 33 Cleveland Cavaliers, Bernard James- Florida State
Good pick by the Cavs. They are getting a solid defensive player and good rebounder. James is a marine with a fierceness to his game. The Cavs know what they are going to get from James, good effort and tough defense. Isn’t good offensively, but not what he was drafted for. Better pick than the Euro that went before him, James will embrace his role on the Cavs.
# 34 Cleveland Cavaliers, Jae Crowder- Marquette
Big East Player of the Year. Good pick by the Cavs, Crowder has a strong muscular body and can shoot, drive, rebound, and defend. Will play hard . Another quality pick by the Cavs. I like what they are doing.
# 35 Golden State Warriors, Draymond Green- Michigan State
Great pick by the Warriors, this is a solid selection. Green should of went in the first round. Green came a long way and really developed his offensive game the last two years. He can shoot from anywhere on the court and is a good rebounder. Nice job by the Warriors.
# 36 Sacramento Kings, Orlando Johnson- University California Santa Barbara (Traded to Pacers for Cash)
The Kings get another good athlete. Johnson played in a bad conference, but he is a solid player. He can score and it provides the Kings with another offensive threat off the bench. Decent pick here.
# 37 Toronto Raptors, Quincy Acy- Baylor
Acy is a high energy player and a good rebounder. Strong inside but doesn’t have much of an offensive game at all. Still, he will work hard under the boards and should find a role on the Raptors. Not a bad pick.
# 38 Denver Nuggets, Quincy Miller- Baylor
Another Baylor guy? Eh, not crazy about Denver’s draft at this point. Miller has size at 6’10 but is really raw. Not sure what Denver is doing tonight, bad job by them.
# 39 Detroit Pistons- Khris Middelton- Texas A&M
I like Middelton, good slasher who can shoot a bit, but I didn’t like his development last year. Not a bad pick by Detroit.
# 40 Portland TrailBlazers- Will Barton- Memphis
Barton should of went earlier, good athlete and can slash very nicely. Barton is probably one of the best athletes in the draft. Good pick by Portland, Barton could be a Tyreke Evans type of player.
# 41 Portland Trailblazers- Tyshawn Taylor- Kansas (Traded to Brooklyn)
Not a fan of Taylor but he is a good athlete. He is just too inconsistent of a shooter. Very Hot n Cold. He can drive and play good D however and should be a decent bench player. Similar to Terrance Williams from Louisville.
# 42 Milwaukee Bucks- Doron Lamb- Kentucky
Lamb is a very good shooter, pretty decent pick at this point. John Jenkins went earlier, I would say the Lamb is just as good if not better. Good value for the Bucks here.
# 43 Atlanta Hawks- Mike Scott- Virgina
Good pick by the Hawks. Scott is 6’8 and has NBA moves. He’s a smooth player with a nice jumper. Scott can score and plays in the post.
# 44 Detroit Pistons- Kim English- Missouri
The Pistons might of got the better player from Missouri in English who could have a better NBA career than John Jenkins. English is quick, can shoot and drive. Decent pick here by Detroit.
# 45 Philadelphia 76ers- Justin Hamilton- LSU
Boo at this pick. You won’t hear much of Hamilton in the NBA.
# 46 New Orleans Hornets- Darius Miller- Kentucky
4 year player from Kentucky, Miller can shoot and plays solid D. Should be a decent player off the bench in the NBA. Quality pick this late.
# 47 Utah Jazz, Kevin Murphy- Tennessee Tech
Definitely a Utah Pick. Doubt he will have an impact.
# 48 New York Knicks, Kostas Papanikolau- Greece
Wow, Just horrible by the Knicks, Book it, this guy will do nothing in the NBA. Do some of these GM’s watch any College Hoops? Darius Johnson-Odom would of been 10x better at this point. Plenty of others as well. The Knicks need to win now, they can’t wait 3 years for some EURO.
# 49 Orlando Magic- Kyle O’Quinn- Norfolk State
O’Quinn is talented can rebound and score down low, he led Norfolk State in that upset over Mizzou, but Orlando won’t get much here.
# 50 Denver Nuggets, Izzet Turkyilmaz- Turkey
Denver has had a horrible night. Just awful.
# 51 Boston Celtics, Kris Joseph- Syracuse
Joseph underachieved at Cuse, he never really developed like he should of. He can drive a bit, but can’t really rebound and is not a good shooter. Again, Darius Johnson-Odom!!! Joseph had his chance to develop in college and didn’t get it done.
# 52 Golden State Warriors, Ognjen Kuzmic- Bosnia and Herzegovina
These GM’s are playing the lottery with these crazy picks. This guy is 7’0 240 that’s about it, I guarantee you he does nothing in the NBA. Turrible.
# 53 Los Angeles Clippers- Furkan Aldemir- Turkey
Sounds like a good rebounder, averaged 15 a game. Still a terrible pick.
# 54 Philadelphia 76ers, Tornike Shengelia- Georgia
Does David Stern pay these GM’s to take these Euro’s to globalize the game? I can’t deal with this!!! Darius Johnson-Odom!! His first name has Nike in it though.
# 55 Dallas Mavericks, Darius Johnson-Odom- Marquette
Finally!!!! I’m glad the Mavs know what they are doing. Best pick of the last 20 picks. Odom can drive and shoot. Has a strong body and will be able to get into the lane in the NBA. This was a great pick by the Mavs here. Odom is going to be a contributor in the NBA.
# 56 Toronto Raptors- Tomislav Zubcic- Croatia
He’s from Croatia so he might be good, usually breed good players. I’ll give the Raptors a pass here.
# 57 Brooklyn Nets, ILLKAN KARAMAN- Turkey
I’m done with this. Kevin Jones, William Buford, Henry Sims, Drew Gordon, Robbie Hummel, all guys who can help right away, this guy, not so much. Fraschila said he may never play in the league!!
# 58 Minnesota Timberwolves, Robbie Hummel- Purdue
I’m glad, this kid deserves it after suffering back to back knee injuries. Hummel is a very good shooter and a smart player. He can help the Wolves, good pick by Minnesota, props to them for not succumbing to the EURO philosophy.
# 59 San Antonio Spurs, Marcus Denmon- Mizzouri
Good pick late by the Spurs. They obviously know what they are doing. This could be better pick than his teammates Jenkins and English. Denmon can shoot and is a hard worker, perfect Spurs player.
# 60 L.A. Lakers, Robert Sacre- Gonzaga
Would of rather had Drew Gordon or Kevin Jones, but at least they took a College player. Sacre is strong (7’0 260) and can rebound. Decent offensive game. He can help the Lakers a bit. Instantly could become one of their best bench players, but not saying much since their bench stinks.
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