NBA Draft Preview: Second round picks who could make immediate impact

For a class without a true superstar and a relatively weak lottery due to players staying at school, there will be plenty of steals to be had in the 2011 NBA Draft. Some of those steals will come in the first round, but every year there are second round picks who seemingly fly under the radar yet are able to make immediate impacts in the NBA.

While size and length is important in the NBA, sometimes college production can be overlooked. Look no further than San Antonio’s DeJuan Blair, who fell to the 37th overall selection two years ago. He came off the bench and averaged 7.8 points and 6.4 rebounds and was crucial for fantasy owners down the stretch looking for rebounds.

A year ago, New York’s second round selection, Stanford’s Landry Fields, was one of the best fantasy rookies in the league. He averaged 9.7 points and 6.4 rebounds and, while he faded down the stretch, was a key guard who produced threes, rebounds, and the occasional scoring outburst.

While there may not be a Gilbert Arenas (selected in the second round by Golden State in 2002), there are potential players in the 2011 draft class who could produce for fantasy owners in their first year.

Josh Selby, PG, Kansas: His draft stock is rising and there is a chance he slips into the middle of the first round, but if the freshman falls he could land with a team that has plenty of minutes to hand out. After a shaky freshman year with the Jayhawks that saw him average 7.9 points and 2.2 assists, Selby declared for the NBA draft. He’s the type of player who will flourish in a more open NBA style, and it would not be surprising to see him be a big contributor in both assists and three pointers if he lands with the right team.

Nolan Smith, SG, Duke: Like Blair, Smith is the typical senior who is being overlooked for younger, more promising youngsters this year. One of the best players in the NCAA a year ago, Smith does not have great size and isn’t the quickest shooting guard, but all he did was produce for the Blue Devils. He averaged 20.6 points and 1.5 threes per game in his senior year and could be a spark off the bench for a contender looking for scoring. Duke prospects do not have a great track record in the NBA, but Smith is an excellent shooter who could produce like Gary Neal did for the Spurs a year ago.

Norris Cole, PG, Cleveland State:

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2011 NBA Mock Draft with fantasy implications

Duke point guard Kyrie Irving and Arizona forward Derrick Williams are expected to be selected first and second by Cleveland and Minnesota in the 2011 NBA Draft, but after that the rest of the first round is anyone’s guess. So here’s my best stab at the first round of the draft, including one sentence of analysis on why they will or will not make an impact in 2011.

1. Cleveland Cavaliers: Kyrie Irving, PG, Duke: Well…the Cavaliers are starting from the ground up and Irving will be the new face of the franchise, so he should see plenty of playing time right away. But…Byron Scott has said Baron Davis will be starting at point guard to begin the season, so Irving may be worked in slowly.

2. Minnesota Timberwolves: Derrick Williams, SF, Arizona: Well…Williams’ skill set is NBA-ready and the Timberwolves will need the most talented players on the court. But…Michael Beasley is very similar, so there may be a logjam at the position.

3. Utah Jazz: Brandon Knight, PG, Kentucky: Well…Knight’s size and ability to shoot from the perimeter makes him a perfect candidate to split time with Devin Harris, which could wind up something like Raymond Felton and Ty Lawson in Denver. But…timeshares with rookies rarely pan out, so don’t hold your breath on the 19-year-old Knight showing much impact.

4. Cleveland Cavaliers: Enes Kanter, C, Kentucky: Well…many believe he is the most talented player in the class and his size will allow him to bang down low. But…he is still young and raw, and could need more time to develop and add strength to his frame.

5. Toronto Raptors: Jan Vesley, PF, Czech Republic:

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NBA Draft preview: How good can Kyrie Irving become?

Barring an unforeseen change from the Cleveland front office, the Cavaliers will make Duke point guard Kyrie Irving the No. 1 selection in the 2011 NBA Draft on June 23.

Many draft experts have already labeled the draft as relatively underwhelming, especially after North Carolina’s Harrison Barnes, Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger and Baylor’s Perry Jones decided to return to school. But while the draft will not make anyone forget about the 2003 class, Irving is the real deal and could very well be the next in a long line of young point guards taking over the league.

But just how good can Irving be? Does he have a chance to obtain Chris Paul-like status or will he just be a nice player in an otherwise weak draft, much like No. 1 picks Andrew Bogut and Andrea Bargnani were in 2005 and 2006?

Irving’s measurables do not compare to that of a John Wall, Russell Westbrook or Derrick Rose, but his 6-foot, 3.5-inch, 190-pound frame is almost identical to that of Utah’s Deron Williams, and his reach is longer than Paul’s. Irving does not project as a lockdown defender and will not guard many shooting guards at the next level, but his size is not an issue, especially with his quickness and strength.

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Top 25 Point Guards of 2011

As the 2011 NBA Finals wind down into what should be a 7-game series between the Mavericks and Heat, it’s time to put out early rankings for the 2011-2012 season. The first group up is point guards, which has certainly become the most important position in the game, both in fantasy and the NBA.

A core of young stars led by Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook and Stephen Curry (just to name a few) has made this the most exciting position on the court. At the same time, the depth at the position is increasing as well.

Relatively unknown players to the casual basketball fan such as Kyle Lowry, D.J. Augustin and Jose Calderon made point guard as deep a position as there is in fantasy, so if you miss out early on the premier players, know there is help in the later rounds.

With the NBA Draft and free agency still to come, this list could easily change between now and the beginning of the season. But for now, here are the top 25 point guards for 2011.

1. Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets: There were major injury concerns for Paul entering the 2010 season, but the top fantasy point guard in the league shook them off by playing in 80 games and finishing fourth in the league in assists. His all-around game is still tops in the league and he should not make it past the first three picks of fantasy drafts next season.

2. Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls: Consider me a believer. Because most fantasy leagues only comprise of the regular season, Rose comes in as the second best point guard. He was clearly exhausted in the Miami series, but his numbers speak for themselves. His scoring will be there and if the Bulls can bring in a shooting guard, his assist numbers could rise as well.

3. Deron Williams, New Jersey Nets: Williams was a major disappointment for fantasy owners, struggling with a wrist injury the second half of the season and posting sub-par numbers (for his standards) in New Jersey. Still, Williams is in the last year of his contract and needs a big 2011, and history shows that this will happen. Feel free drafting Williams anywhere in the second round of drafts.

4. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors: This spot on the list is based on the speculation that shooting guard Monta Ellis will be shipped out before the season begins. The two can not work together, and Curry is the future. The second year guard out of Davidson shot 48 percent, hit two threes per game, and averaged 1.5 steals while shooting 94 percent from the free throw line. He does a little bit of everything and will see a huge stock rise if Ellis leaves.

5. Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder:

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Trade Impact: Warriors, Sixers discussing Ellis, Iguodala swap

The Golden State Warriors announced ESPN analyst Mark Jackson as their head coach Monday night, and just hours later rumors surfaced that the team may be attempting to trade guard Monta Ellis.

The rumor, which surfaced via ESPN’s Ric Bucher, is believed to send the Golden State scorer to Philadelphia in exchange for small forward Andre Iguodala.

Both player’s contracts are close enough that a one-for-one swap could be made and still meet league salary cap rules. The trade would certainly considered “blockbuster” as both young players bring star power to their respective teams.

From a fantasy standpoint, this trade could have major implications as well.

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2011 Fantasy Basketball All-Rookie Team

No other professional league has more impact players than the NBA, and the 2010-2011 season was no exception. Here’s a look at the top rookies from last year’s draft class and how they impacted the fantasy season.

PG: John Wall, Washington Wizards: It’s a shame that Blake Griffin had to steal all the thunder from this year’s rookie class because Wall was a truly special player. Injuries early in the year limited him to 69 games, but he finished the year with a very respectable 16.4 points and 8.3 assists, the latter of which ranked him seventh in the league. He shot just 41 percent from the field and averaged 3.8 turnovers, but his 1.8 steals and 4.1 rebounds all but made up for it. Wall should be a mid-round pick next season with plenty of upside going forward.

SG: Landry Fields, New York Knicks: He tailed off toward the end of the season which may have caused some to forget how good Fields was in the first half of the season. He averaged 11 points and seven rebounds through the first two months of the year, leading all rookie guards in rebounding and was also making over 50 percent of his shots. Many expected the departure of Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari to open things up even more for Fields, but Carmelo Anthony took over offensively, causing the rookie to average just 8.3 points and 4.3 rebounds the final two months.

SF:Wes Johnson, Minnesota Timberwolves:

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2011 Fantasy Basketball defensive POY: Dwight Howard

It should come as little shock that the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year also takes home fantasy honors in the same category for the 2010-2011 season. Simply put, Dwight Howard was a beast. It’s hard to find a player who put your team in a 99.9 percent chance to win two categories every week. In Howard’s case, he finished second in rebounding at 14.1 boards per game and finished second in blocks per game with 2.4 per game.

He played in 78 games for the Magic, which is more than Memphis’ Zach Randolph, Milwaukee’s Andrew Bogut, Golden State’s David Lee, or Dallas’ Tyson Chandler could say. His Apr. 10 suspension may have cost fantasy owners leagues, but then again he finished the season up with two monster games across the board. Durability has never been an issue with Howard.

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