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The Top Ten Picks are:
No. 1 CLEVELAND CAVALIERS Kyrie Irving (Duke) Guard 6-4 191 lbs. – Irving was expected to go either No.1 or 2. The Duke freshman only played 11 games in college but he averaged 17.5 points along with .462% 3 FG shooting. He is expected to be the floor general of the new-look Cavs. He has big shoes to fill after Lebron James left for Miami but Cleveland’s newest No.1 pick will just hope have a stat line like current MVP Derrick Rose or New Orlean‘s Chris Paul. This pick is quiet good, I expect to see freshman numbers like this 16 ppg 6 apg 45% 3 Fg%. Question: Will he be the savior of the kingdom left by Lebron?
No.2 MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES Derrick Williams (Arizona) PF 6-8 241 lbs. – As expected, Williams is No.2 pick. A lot of experts see him as probably the most NBA-ready of this year batch of rookies. He has guild build and he has shown that he can score anywhere in the court. He has the potential to average over 20 ppg in his first year. The problem now in Minnesota is who will they move since they have a glut in scoring forwards with the presence Michael Beasley (19.2 ppg 5.6 rpg) and Anthony Randolph. With the entry of Ricky Rubio the starting PF for the Wolves has the potential to be one of the NBA’s scoring leaders. Question: Will the Williams-Rubio tandem become the next Malone-Stockton pairing?
No.3 UTAH JAZZ Enes Kanter (Kentucky) C 6-11 262 lbs. - Kanter of Turkey was not able to play in the NCAA because he was deemed ineligible after playing in the Turkish pro league. He is projected to be a versatile and athletic big man that will help in rebuilding process in Utah. The Jazz seriously considered Brandon Knight for this slot but the management decided that big men are more important on this draft. Question: Will he be better than Darko?
No.4 CLEVELAND CAVALIERS Tristan Thompson (Texas) PF 6-8 225 lbs. – Cleveland was considering a 6-8 PF for the top pick (D. Williams) but they still got 6-8 PF for the No.4 pick in Thompson. As a freshman, he averaged 13.1 ppg 7.8 rpg and Big 12 leading 2.4 blocks per game. He has a tremendous motor and that is probably main reason that he landed as the 4th pick in this year’s draft. He will be solid high energy guy for the Cavs in the years to come. The Cavs were though to pick Jonas Valanciunas of Lithuania. Question: Will he just be another Udonis Haslem?
No. 5 TORONTO RAPTORS Jonas Valanciunas (Lithuania) PF 6-11 240 lbs. – He could have gone higher if not for his contract situation. He might not be able to play this year but at 19 years old, he has a lot of upside. He dominated the European under-18 Championship (19 ppg 13 rpg 2.7 bpg). He needs to gain some muscles before he can really dominate in the NBA day in and day out. The Raptors are one of the few teams who can wait for this potentially exciting big man. Question: When will he play in the NBA?
No. 6 WASHINGTON WIZARDS Jan Vesely (Czech Republic) SF 6-11 240 lbs – The 6-11 athletic small forward will be the wing man of John Wall. He has drawn comparisons to Andrei Kirilenko and was supposed to be a lottery pick last year before pulling out from the draft. He is one of the more interesting prospects in this draft and hopefully his skill set will offer the Wizards a lot mismatches in their favor. Question: What position will he play in the NBA?
No. 7 SACRAMENTO KINGS Bismack Biyombo (Congo) PF 6-9 240 lbs. – This pick was traded to the Charlotte Bobcats. Biyombo is expected to dominate the defensive side of the ballgame ala Ben Wallace during his early days with the Pistons. With a wingspan of 7 feet and 7 inches he is known to be an extra tough defender and an energetic rebounder. He will be a big asset to the Bobcats. Just like Big Ben Wallace, he has no offensive game to speak off. Question: Is his defense enough to be picked in the top 10?
No.8 DETROIT PISTONS Brandon Knight (Kentucky) PG 6-3 185 lbs. – With no team needing a point guard, Brandon Knight feel to the lap of the Detroit Pistons. The Pistons are loaded with guards and were looking to draft a big man but Joe Dumars cannot help it but pick the best player available. The success of freshman Kentucky guards who moved to the NBA in recent years have been an overwhelming success. Derrick William, Tyreke Evans, and John Wall have shown that Calipari-trained guards can excel in the next level. Knight is the guard who succeeded the three and he led Kentucky to it first Final 4 appearance since 1998. It will be interesting to see how he will bring back the winning years for the Pistons who are revamping their coaching staff and line-up. Question: Is he the next Isiah Thomas?
N0.9 CHARLOTTE BOBCATS Kemba Walker (Connecticut) PG 6-1 172 lbs. – After winning the NCAA Basketball crown, Walker is drafted by Michael Jordan to be the starting point guard of the Bobcats. Kemba is a proven leader, scorer, defender and distributor. He might a bit undersized but he is a winner and he has shown that he can compete in the face of great adversity. Question: Will he start immediately?
N0. 10 MILWAUKEE BUCKS Jimmer Fredette (BYU) PG 6-2 195 lbs. -The 3rd straight point guard drafted will be playing in Sacramento next year. He will most likely play 1-2 with the Kings. With the presence of Tyreke Evans, his shooting skills will be very useful. He led college basketball in scoring last year. His defense might be questionable but the Kings are bent on having a high scoring team next year. Question: Is his offense enough to sell tickets?
