The 2011 NBA Draft: All you need to know

Didn't watch the NBA Draft? Don't worry, Statbuster is here to give you the sardonic summary of what you have to look forward to this upcoming October..or whenever the lockout is over.

Kyrie Irving: The Timberwolves Award Of Point Guard Hoarding goes to the Cavs, who will potentially have $23M of cap space tied up between Erving, Baron Davis, and Ramon Sessions. On the bright side, one thing to note is that Irving was a rare member of the 50/40/90 club at Duke. Albeit he only played 11 games in college, the fact that he didn't take his freshman lumps is quite an accomplishment. Scouts are quick to point out that Erving isn't as explosive as a Derrick Rose or a John Wall, but if he continues to shoot anywhere near that rate, it won't matter. Cavaliers expect: Deron Williams. Statbuster expects: A low-budget Chris Paul.

Fun Fact: Cleveland aquired the #1 pick, pre-lottery, from the Clippers in the Baron Davis trade. Which means, the Clips turned the pick and Baron Davis into Mo Williams and Jamario Moon. And that's what makes the Clippers "The Clippers" my friend.

Derrick Williams: The Wolves focus shifts from point guards to stockpiling power forwards that live on the perimeter. It's worth noting that Williams shot a NBA Jam-like 56.8% on 3s as a sophomore. He's a shade undersized for a PF and doesn't block shots. But, if the trio of Kevin Love, Michael Beasley and Williams can find a way to play passable defense..no, never mind. Wolves expect: Antawn Jamison. Statbuster expects: Plenty of 100-point nights for teams visiting the Target Center.

Enes Kanter: A 6'11" center that has an advanced perimeter game, complete with 3-point range and the ability to put the ball on the floor. He's a bit unproven; he was ruled ineligible to play at Kentucky and basically sat at home the entire season. But scouts stopped short of calling him a project, which is good news for everyone. Kanter also noted that he wants to become a professional wrestler once his NBA days are over. A retired basketball player pretending to beat up people? Sorry, that's been done already. Jazz expects: Mehmet Okur 2.0. Statbuster expects: Vlade Divac.

Tristan Thompson: Cleveland lands an unselfish defender-type PF with Thompson. He's a bit undersized and lacks strength, but he'll partially make up for it with his wingspan (7'1") and shot blocking (2.4 per). Plus he's Canadian, so he'll politely call hecklers "sir" when he misses his free throws (48%). Cavaliers expect: Another Anderson Varejao. Statbuster expects: Tyrus Thomas.

Jonas Valanciunas: A Lithuanian center that Toronto may stash away in Europe for another year. Decent inside game and plays physical, but he will be eaten alive unless he puts on some muscle. Hopefully he'll also spend the next year working on his interview skills. Raptors expect: Poor man's Chris Bosh. Statbuster expects: Zan Tabak.

Jan Vesely: Vesely breaks the mold from most Euros in that he has NBA-level athleticism and thrives in an open-court game. But of course, the ESPN guys were too busy marveling at Vesely's re-enactment of V-Day than anything basketball-related. Wizards expect: Andrei Kirilenko. Statbuster expects: Maurice Evans to be mercifully extracted from the Wizard's rotation.

Bismack Biyombo: The scouts has been comparing Biyombo to Ben Wallace, which is a insult to Ben Wallace. Biyombo will play hard, but even against lesser competiton he fouls and turns the ball over at an incredible rate. In the ACB he averaged nearly as many fouls (2/gm) as field goals (2.3/gm) and had a blistering 25% turnover ratio. So maybe, someday, he will be as proficient as scorer as Ben Wallace. Until then, Charlotte will be going 4-on-5 on offense. Or maybe 4-on-6. Bobcats expect: Ben Wallace. Statbuster expects: A shorter DeSagana Diop.

Brandon Knight: Knight is a combo guard that can both shoot and defend, and that alone should be enough to keep him in the league for the next 10 years. Knight could find a way into the rotation right away, especially if Rodney Stuckey is moved this summer, which is entirely possible. Pistons expect: Chauncey Billups. Statbuster expects: Jason Terry.

Kemba Walker: A lightning quick shoot-first PG that will fit nicely in that spot on the bench behind D.J. Augustin. A lack of NBA 3-point range (33% as a senior) and playmaking skills (1.84 pure point rating) will relegate him to backup status early on. Bobcats expect: Rod Strickland. Statbuster expects: Antonio Daniels.

Jimmer Fredette: How can a player lead the nation in scoring, but still be so unproven? At 6'2" he likely won't be able to play more than spot minutes at the 2. So the majority of his minutes will come at PG, where he has been consistently underwhelming as a distributor (3.7 Asts/gm). So he will have to score by the boatload to justify playing time. But he played in the marshmallowy Mountain West Conference, so his scoring was padded by beating up on schools like Texas Christian and Wyoming. Too many questions to draft comfortably. Kings expect: Mark Price. Statbuster expects: Tony Delk.

The Steal Of The Draft: Jordan Hamilton, who was projected by some scouts to go as high as #14, nearly slipped into the 2nd round and landed with Dallas at #26. Minutes will be hard to come by as he'll be behind Shawn Marion, as well as Peja Stojakovic and Caron Butler until their annual mid-season injuries. (Edit: Hamilton was dealt to Denver shortly afterwards. Talented player, but the Nugs are already stockpiled at the 3 with Wilson Chandler and Gallinari. He will compete with Gary Forbes what few minutes are left as a backup 3. That should be awesome.)

How did the mock drafts do?: As in previous years, there's a lot of focus on scouts trying to forecast the draft results. And, as in previous years, the forecasts are about as reliable as asking your dog.

#1 - Kyrie Irving - Got it right? 12/12.
#2 - Derrick Williams - 11/12
#3 - Enes Kanter - 9/12
#4 - Tristan Thompson - 1/12
#5 - Jonas Valanciunas - 0/12
#6 - Jan Vesely - 8/12
#7 - Bismack Biyombo - 1/12
#8 - Brandon Knight - 0/12
#9 - Kemba Walker - 2/12
#10 - Jimmer Fredette - 2/12

2011 NBA Draft Informational Post

Hey Basketbawful readers. I'm not normally a draft guy, depite having watched both the lottery and drafts annually for many years now. However, due to the projections of this year's draft lottery (and probably the entire thing) being the most historically bad since that 2000 draft poo poo platter, and the rumors swirling that the Suns could be entering Jimmer Time Era, I decided to dabble in some extra research.

And thusly I present the Bawsketbawful Informational Post and Discussion Arena for the 2011 NBA Draft (presented by Kia), followed by my bawful predictions of the lottery assuming all GMs are too ball-less to actually pull off a useful trade. Since you can read any number of mock drafts on the Internet, I've decided to try and include one YouTube video of note on each player (and as such, I will be stealing occasionally from Mike Schmitz at Valley of the Suns). Finally, since the Internet Never Forgets, and declaring the whole ceiling/floor thing is such a crapshoot, I present my Sigma+ and Sigma- player comparisons. Meaning, my one standard deviation prediction for each player in the NBA. Brilliant cop-out, I know, right?


What:
2011 NBA Draft (PRESENTED BY KIA (seriously, buy an Optima (you know you want it)))


When and Where:
7pm EST, ESPN and ESPN3, Newark, N.J., not NBATV.


Green Room:
Chad Ford announced the 15 "green room" invitees, which includes a pity invite to tag-along twin Markief Morris.


Biased Draft Lottery Predictions:

1 Cleveland Cavaliers (from Los Angeles Clippers)
will select
Derrick Williams, SF/PF
20 years old; 6-9, 250
Arizona, sophomore
Why: To put it simply, for the lulz. Not only does this set them up with more flexibility in the 4th pick, but it puts Minnesota on the spot for hilarity. Also, he atleast doesn't have the injury question like Irving does. While Cleveland could use and upgrade at everything, I hold the minority opinion that they actually should take Williams here, and that their consideration wasn't just rumors to dick around with Minnesota's trade partners. Of course this pick has a trickle-down effect on my entire lottery section, so I'm betting big on this.
YouTube highlight: Derrick Williams on Sport Science, apparently trying really hard to show his intent to play SF
Sigma+: David West with a 3 ball
Sigma-: Michael Beasley

2 Minnesota Timberwolves
will select
Kyrie Irving, PG
19 years old; 6-3, 190
Duke, freshman
Why: Because Dan Gilbert needs to be an asshole. And hey, has anyone ever made a joke about Minnesota drafting PGs? On the downside, it may be difficult to play baritone in the cold northern weather.
YouTube highlight: Any assortment of Dukies putting together highlight videos from his 8 freaking college games.
Sigma+: Chris Paul
Sigma-: Shawn Livingston (complete with freak injury to ruin his career)

3 Utah Jazz (from New Jersey Nets)
will select
Brandon Knight, PG/SG
19 years old; 6-3, 180
Kentucky, freshman
Why: Because even Utah's not dumb enough to take Jimmer this high. And I don't think Enes Kanter is white enough.
YouTube highlight: Brandon Knight seemingly leading the forces of Rohan against Mordor
Sigma+: Gilbert Arenas
Sigma-: Ramon Sessions

4 Cleveland Cavaliers
will select
Kemba Walker, PG
21 years old; 6-3, 185
Connecticut, junior
Why: Because as great as former All-Stars Baron Davis and Mo Williams are, I think Cleveland has to walk away from this draft with a PG upgrade. Also, compared to New York, he will absolutely hate Cleveland.
YouTube highlight: Eh, Brooklyn, Bronx, same stuff whatever.
Sigma+: John Wall (including kinda looking like him)
Sigma-: Ben Gordon (post-Detroit signing)

5 Toronto Raptors
will select
Enes Kanter, C
19 years old; 6-11, 260
Kentucky (but not actually); Turkey
Why: If you're not rooting for the Bargs/Kanter match made in heaven, you're not a Basketbawful fan.
YouTube highlight: Nike Hoop Summit highlights from goddamn 14 months ago, his last actual game.
Sigma+: Joakim Noah
Sigma-: Greg Ostertag

6 Washington Wizards
will select
Jan Vesely, SF
21 years old; 6-11, 240
KK Partizan Belgrade (Serbia); Czech Republic
Why: Because that's just what the Wizards need: another high athleticism big man who has questionable basketball IQ and can't actually make shots other than dunks.
YouTube highlight: Who else can pull of a mixtape that opens with the Power Rangers song?
Sigma+: Czech Shawn Marion
Sigma-: Shannon Brown (actually, including questionable pull-up 3's, this is more like a Sigma neutral prediction)

7 Sacramento Kings
will select
Kawhi Leonard, SF
19 years old; 6-7, 225
San Diego State, Sophomore
Why: Supposedly it's down to Kemba or Kawhi here, unless they pull the shocker and draft Jimmer to play alongside Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins. I find this the more hilarious situation than Utah drafting him, but alas, he will make a fine backup to Omri Casspi.
YouTube highlight: I'll let his words speak for himself from this DraftExpress interview. Side note: this might be the most saturated lottery of players ever who have no idea what position they can play.
Sigma+: Gerald Wallace
Sigma-: Antoine Wright

8 Detroit Pistons
will select
Jonas Valanciunas, C
19 years old; 6-11, 240
Lietuvos Rytas (Lithuania)
Why: Looks like he can't get bought out, so he'll be able to play next year at best. Still wondering why this is the crappiest draft in years? Of course there's a high chance Toronto will be drafting him for another dream combo with Bargs.
YouTube highlight: "All i see is a lot of wide open dunks and dunks over guys a foot shorter than him". Good work, random YouTube commenter.
Sigma+: Angry Darko
Sigma-: Skinny Darko (seriously though, HoopsHype has his comparison as Nenad Kristic. Yea.)

9 Charlotte Bobcats
will select
Klay Thompson SG/SF
21 years old; 6-7, 205
Washington State, junior
Why:So we're definitely deep in crap-shoot territory now. Something tells me MJ's UNC roots will inexplicably not allow himself to draft a Jayhawk, so
YouTube highlight: Schmitz at VotS provides the overview. He seems well spoken enough.
Sigma+: Rashard Lewis (pre-albatross contract)
Sigma-: Larry Hughes

10 Milwaukee Bucks
will select
Marcus Morris PF(75%)/SF(25%)
21 years old; 6-9, 230
Kansas, Junior
Why: Uh, have you seen the contracts the Bucks are now lugging around? If you had to start somewhere, I'd start with replacing Drew Gooden with "a bit of a tweener", whatever the hell that's supposed to mean.
YouTube highlight: Schmitz again at VotS. I really like the song used, therefore, I hope he does well in the NBA.
Sigma+: Rudy Gay
Sigma-: Josh Childress

11 Golden State Warriors
will select
Bismack Biyombo, PF/C
18 years old; 6-9, 240
Baloncesto Fuenlabrada (Spain); Congo
Why:As much as I wanted to put Klay Thompson here, wondering if Golden State games will be played with 2 balls, I couldn't resist the Warriors Center Dice Roll 2.0. Besides, with Monta, Curry, Dorrell, and David, who needs a center that can score?
YouTube highlight: Schmitz did and excellent job mixing this together, including now infamous clips of his Europe workout session in the "weaknesses" section at the end.
Sigma+: Dikembe Mutumbo
Sigma-: Ekpe Udoh


12 Utah Jazz
will select
Jimmer Fredette, PG/SG/32-ft-shot-specialist
22 years old; 6-2, 195
BYU, Senior
Why: Come on. I mean, seriously, come on.
YouTube highlight: No mormon sex tape could be found, however Schmitz again with additional info on the Suns's interest.
Sigma+: J.J. Redick (or other combo guard with no defense)
Sigma-: Gordon Hayward (minus StarCraft II livestreams)

13 Phoenix Suns
will select
Tristan Thompson, PF
20 years old; 6-9, 230
Texas, freshman
Why: If the Suns honestly draft one more SF...
YouTube highlight: As Schmitz puts it, "the Suns' dream scenaro".
Sigma+: Josh Smith
Sigma-: Hakim Warrick

14 Houston Rockets
will select
Chris Singleton, SF/PF
21 years old; 6-9, 230
Florida State, Junior
Why: Who the heck knows at this point. While I personally think they should get Marshon Brooks or Jordan Hamilton to backup/replace Kevin Martin's inevitable injury, the Rockets seem weakest at SF, and I don't think there's even an upside C anywhere close at this spot.
YouTube highlight: Unintentionally hilarious interview with the Golden State Warriors, but I'm pretty sure he does not have enough Grown Man Moves to satisfy their new head coach.
Sigma+: 38 year old Grant Hill
Sigma-: Luc Richard Mbah a Moute


- AnacondaHL

The 2010 NBA Draft: All you need to know

This year's Draft is in the books, and another round of young athletes have been enlisted for duty in the NBA.

The impending free agency overshadowed anything happening on the draft board, as several teams seemed more focused with culling salaries than anything else. You know it was a slow news day when Kirk Hinrich-to-the-Wizards-for-nothing was the night's "blockbuster" move. Anyway, let's take a look...

John Wall: Wall didn't exactly dominate in college, but he is a big point guard (6'4"), he had a high assist rate, and is the best athlete in the draft. If Gilbert Arenas can adapt to playing off the ball, the Wizards could have a formidable backcourt this fall...they hope. Gil is still under contract for four years at nearly $20 million a year. Not to mention he is untradeable due to knee problems and a tendency to almost shoot teammates in the face. The Wizards expect: Derrick Rose. Statbuster expects: An improvement over that Kwame Brown guy they drafted #1 back in 2001.

Evan Turner: Turner suffered a spinal fracture back in December, which was only the third or fourth worst injury he's ever suffered. But that didn't discourage Philly. Turner is a SF with ball handling and playmaking skills like a PG. Besides health issues, another issue is that he doesn't have NBA three-point range. The Sixers were 21st in in the league in 3PT field goals last year, which means he will fit right in. The Sixers expect: Brandon Roy. Statbuster expects: plenty of rebounds for Elton Brand and Marrese Speights. Not so much job security for Andre Iguodala.

Derrick Favors: This officially marks the end of the Chinese Fred Roberts (also known as Yi Jianlian) project in New Jersey. Favors was another player that underwhelmed in college (12 ppg, 8 boards) but was picked based entirely on potential and athleticism. Fortunately for everyone, scouting reports stopped short of calling him a project, which we all know is the kiss-of-death. The Nets expect: Dwight Howard. Statbuster expects: Al Horford.

Wesley Johnson: We are now three picks in and not a single outlandish outfit in sight. Wait..is that what I think it is? Problem solved! The T'Wolves resisted their instinctive urge to draft another point guard, power forward and/or someone who has no intention to move to Minnesota. For a change, Johnson fills a need in their lineup. Johnson fills up a box score (16.5 ppg, 8 reb, 1.7 steals, 1.8 blocks, 41% 3pt). But he is an old rookie (22) that didn't produce until his senior year. But those are the things you don't care about when Corey Brewer and Ryan Gomes are playing 30 minutes a night. The T'Wolves expect: Shawn Marion. Statbuster expects: Sean Elliott 2.0.

DeMarcus Cousins: Cousins posted some outrageous stats on one of the best teams in college, but intangibles caused him to slip to #5. Well, maybe an elbow to the head isn't "intangible", but still. Since high school, Cousins had a reputation for being combative, uncoachable, and out of shape. But, with all this baggage, and he still posted 24 ppg and 16 boards per 40 minutes in college?!? The Kings will take that chance. The Kings expect: Al Jefferson. Statbuster expects: Benoit Benjamin.

Ekpe Udoh: Udoh's abillity to pass, block shots, and score facing the basket seems like a good fit for the Warrior's offense. One red flag is that, before transferring to Baylor, Udoh had two completely forgettable years playing for Michigan, where he shot 45%, which is an unforgivable number for a PF hoping to be a lottery pick. And he is reaching a Sam Mitchell-level of old rookieness at 23 years old. But knowing Don Nelson's penchant for small ball, not to mention they already have similar players in Brandan Wright and Anthony Randolph, this may the last we'll hear about Udoh for the time being. The Warriors expect: A poor man's Lamar Odom. Statbuster expects: Derrick McKey, if they're lucky.

Greg Monroe: Monroe is a big man that can score inside and out. He nearly averaged 4 assists per night as a center, and he has excellent basketball instincts. The knock on him is that he's slow, soft and lacks killer instinct. Which begs the question..if Brad Miller had went to Georgetown, would he have been a lottery pick? The Pistons expect: Brad Daugherty. Statbuster expects: Vlade Divac.

Al-Farouq Aminu: Aminu has been repeatedly compared to Josh Smith. Since Aminu is an insanely athletic SF that can't shoot worth a lick, the comparison is somewhat valid. But it ends there. Josh Smith can play guard in a pinch; passing and put the ball on the floor. Aminu mustered an anemic 41 assists in 31 games. But this may be due to some severe astigmatism he seems to be suffering from. The Clippers expect: Josh Smith. Statbuster expects: a nice backup for Rasual Butler.

Gordon Hayward: Another jump-shooter from a relatively unknown college in Indiana, that had his draft stock inflated by an improbable NCAA tournament run? No, I'm not talking about Bryce Drew. Scouts will tout his shooting as his strong point, but I don't think 29% 3pt shooting qualifies as "accurate". The Jazz expect: Mike Dunleavy. Statbuster expects: Luke Jackson.

Paul George: You can never accuse the Pacers of not taking chances. Remember, they traded for Mike Dunleavy and Troy Murphy, and signed Dahntay Jones to a long term deal. The Pacers again rolled the dice on this pick, since scouts expected George to slip into the second round back in January. George is a big SG/SF that already has NBA three-point range. One red flag is his ability to create his own shot, which he will need if he hopes to supplant Brandon Rush at SG. Also, he didn't play with much intensity in college, and he tends to disappear, which raised questions about his basketball IQ. The Pacers expect: A poor-man's Danny Granger. Statbuster expects: Martell Webster.

Soul-crushing fail of the night: Hassan Whiteside, who was projected to go as high at 10th in mock drafts earlier in the year, slipped into the second round due to teams finding out he was diagnosed with ADD. I'm sure Whiteside didn't show up in New York hoping to walk on stage and shake Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver's hand after 9PM.

Speaking of Adam Silver: From Henry Abbott via Twitter: "Fans at MSG greet Adam Silver with a raucous "Sexy Silver" chant. This is a very serious night for some, but not those guys in section 201."

Stay classy, my friends: There was a rousing "USA! USA!" chant when the Toronto Raptors announced their Ed Davis pick. How can you be anti-Canada? That's like saying you hate North Dakota, even though you've never been there. They later booed Kevin Seraphin, who is a native of French Guiana. Last time I checked, we are not at war with Canada or Guiana. Really, guys?

Sleeper pick of the night: Being undersized will normally scare teams away like a disease, and this is what happened to PF Trevor Booker. Despite having the 2nd best overall numbers (behind John Wall) in the pre-draft camp athletic testing, he measured in at 6'7.5" in the combine. The same thing happened to Paul Millsap and Carl Landry, and you can argue that they are two of the top 15 PF's in the league right now. Not to mention Leon Powe was a valuable rotation player when the Celtics won the title in 2008. The point is, you can't teach talent. The Wizards realized this and traded him from the T'Wolves on draft night. Cue the slow, congratulatory applause.

Are mock drafts a CWOT?: Again this year, once you are past the top five picks, the accuracy of mock drafts goes in the toilet. Mostly they are completed by NBA outsiders who weren't there for the Combine or the workouts, and have no direct insight on the thought process in each team's head office. I should now...we can smell our own. Here is how the top 12 mock drafts (according to NBA.com) fared this year:

#1: John Wall. Mock drafts that got it right: 12/12

#2: Evan Turner. Got it right: 12/12

#3: Derrick Favors. Got it right: 7/12

#4: Wesley Johnson. Got it right: 7/12

#5: Demarcus Cousins. Got it right: 9/12

#6: Ekpe Udoh. Got it right: 5/12

#7: Greg Monroe. Got it right: 4/12

#8: Al-Farouq Aminu. Got it right: 8/12

#9: Gordon Hayward. Got it right: 1/12

#10: Paul George. Got it right: 0/12

#11: Cole Aldrich. Got it right: 1/12

#12: Xavier Henry. Got it right: 1/12

Just for fun: This year's draft was surprisingly well-dressed. And, as a result, we missed out on some unintentional laughs. Well, here is your consolation prize: The Worst NBA draft suits EVER.

Bawful After Dark: May 17, 2010

You knew this picture was coming
Are you ready to watch teams either get their hopes and dreams jacked up unrealistically high? Want to see which teams get the first stab at blowing a first round lottery pick? We're one step closer. The NBA Draft Lottery is tomorrow night on ESPN! It's just about the only thing the Nyets fans have keeping them alive at this point.

Speaking of crappy teams, here's a little news on the Purple Paupers: Sacramento has replaced sideline reporter Kayte Christensen with Jim Gray. (It's okay, Chris! Put away the razor blade! We can work through this!) I particularly liked this one comment on the article: "How the mighty have fallen. He was interviewing Mike Tyson after fighting Lennox Lewis, now he’s working 20 home games for the Kings. Tough times for Jim Gray."

Quick basebawful aside. Keith Hernandez' mustache wants to talk smack about your fantasy team. (h/t Jonah Keri)

Oh, and by the way: this. High comedy.

Worst of the Weekend in Pictures:

"Hey! There goes my fashion sense! Someone go catch it! It's over there!"

"Your winner, by unanimous decision... Kevin Garnett!"
(This is ten times funnier when you read it in your best Michael Buffer voice)

Dude In Black Jersey always wondered why Dude InYellow Jersey's nickname was Handy J. Now it all makes sense!
(Submitted by Basketbawful reader Donnie Hutchens)
All The Games:
Suns at Lakers - TNT, 9:00pm
Series tied 0-0

Kobe's had to get his knee drained, and the Cycloptic Canadian Assassin continues to heal. It's a battle of attrition! You know what that means! Yes, I can almost hear Bynum's knee exploding from here.