The question of this draft was to take the PG or the forward first. There was some debate, but most stuff I read and heard seemed to favor going with Kyrie Irving at the top pick. That was my feeling. History would also seem to favor going with the PG. Going back to the 1966 draft, which was the first with no territorial selections, there have been 10 drafts that where a forward (either power or small) and a PG were drafted 1-2. Draft 1st pick 2nd pick Better … [Read more...] about NBA Draft 2011: Draft Grades

Right now it is impossible to know exactly where the 2011 draft will rank in overall badness. Of recent drafts, 2000 stands out as the worst and this one could get there. If Kyrie Irving’s numbers are no more than an 11-game mirage, the foreign centers never develop and the rest of this group achieves only their projected status of career journeymen, then 2011 could easily become the worst draft ever. Of course all it takes is one Bismark Biyombo emerging as a force to change everything. As is … [Read more...] about NBA Draft 2011: Our Top 30

The 2011 NCAA center class might be the worst I’ve ever seen. Usually I get at least one player like John Bryant, Herbert Hill or Alecks Marek who I’m convinced can be at least a semi-effective NBA center. This year such a guy isn’t there. There are a couple of raw, but promising foreign center who should probably both be drafted in the top 5 considering their potential. There’s another who might join them in Kanter. I look for the following in centers: On offense efficiency is most … [Read more...] about NBA Draft 2011: Centers

This year’s crop of PFs looks like the strongest position in the draft. The PGs seem to be the most talked about group, but they look like a wildly overrated bunch to me. While there is no single great player here, there are some solid players and promising raw talent. The benchmarks I look for in PFs: Two point FG pct. at least .570 and preferable higher. This tells us that the player can handle inside scoring. Scores at least 18 P40 and preferably more. Rebounds … [Read more...] about NBA Draft 2011: Power Forwards

SF is the most difficult position to assess by far. This is mainly because the position offers a wide range of looks and responsibilities. I’ve zeroed in on some important numbers, though it isn’t like a player needs to hit every benchmark to be considered a strong or weak prospect. As analyst we just need to look at the entire package offered by any prospect and make a decision from there. Scoring: At least 18 P40 is expected and the higher the better. For efficiency the number I look … [Read more...] about NBA Draft 2011: Small Forwards

For shooting guards I look at 6 benchmarks. These have historically been numbers that SGs who made any significant impact on the NBA have hit as college players. Hitting over 50% on 2 pointers or at least very close to it. This higher the better, as usually is the case. Scoring 20.0 points per 40 minutes. This one seems almost set in stone. There have been very few successful SGs who didn’t score 20 P40 regardless of how impressive their other numbers were. A combined rebounds, … [Read more...] about NBA Draft 2011: Shooting Guards