2011 NBA Draft Big Board: Way Too Early Edition

by JoshuaR on Sep 14, 2025 9:26 PM EDT

Promoted from the Fan Posts. I think Mr. Michael Levin was going to get to this eventually, but since he hasn't, I'm glad JoshuaR took the initiative. -- Scott

I wanted to put out a big board for the 2011 NBA draft. It's quiet in basketball land, so I figured now would be a good time to post the first edition. You may ask, 'why are you doing this?' I wanted to post a big board for my own reasons (to see who to keep an eye on this season), to give you a different perspective than other sites (DraftExpress, ESPN, other writers on this site) and to get feedback on my thoughts.

Some assumptions before you get to the list:

- This is a list of all eligible draft players and assumes all will enter the draft.

- This is not a mock draft but a big board of the best prospects available, ranked by talent.

Today's big board will just be a teaser and list the names. Once the season gets started, I will supplement it with some thoughts on each player and their movement in the board.

1) Harrison Barnes, UNC, F

2) Perry Jones, Baylor, F

3) Donatas Motiejunas, International, F/C

4) JD Sullinger, Ohio State, C

5) Jan Vesely, International, F

6) Josh Selby, Kansas, G

7) Kyrie Irving, Duke, G

8) Fab Melo, Syracuse, C

9) Alec Burks, Colorado, G

10) Enes Kanter, Unknown, F

11) Brandon Knight, Kentucky, G

12) Jeff Taylor, Vanderbilt, F

13) Kris Joseph, Syracuse, F

14) Trey Thompkins, Georgia, F

15) Mason Plumlee, Duke, F

16) Kemba Walker, Connecticut, G

17) CJ Leslie, NC State, F

18) Elias Harris, Gonzaga, F

19) William Buford, Ohio State, G

20) Chris Singleton, FSU, F

21) Kyle Singler, Duke, F

22) Marcus Morris, Kansas, F

23) Kenneth Faried, Morehead State, F

24) Travis Leslie, Georgia, F

25) Tyshawn Taylor, Kansas, G

26) Malcolm Lee, UCLA, G

27) Nolan Smith, Duke, G

28) Jimmer Freddette, BYU, G

29) Kawhi Leonard, San Diego State, F

30) Keith Benson, Oakland, C

31) Corey Fisher, Villanova, G

32) Shelvin Mack, Butler, G

33) Jordan Hamilton, Texas, G

34) Wesley Witherspoon, Memphis, F

35) Aaric Murray, La Salle, C

36) Demetri McCamey, Illinois, G

37) Derrick Williams, Arizona, F

38) JuJuan Johnson, Purdue, F

39) JaMychal Green, Alabama, C

40) Klay Thompson, WSU, F

41) Iman Shumpert, Georgia Tech, G

42) Kalin Lucas, Michigan State, G

43) Scotty Hopson, Tennessee, F

44) Chris Wright, Dayton, F

45) Jon Leuer, Wisconsin, C

46) Chandler Parsons, Florida, G

47) Kevin Jones, WVU, F

48) LaceDarius Dunn, Baylor, G

49) Lavoy Allen, Temple, F

50) Renardo Sidney, Miss State, F

51) Jeremy Tyler, International team, F

52) DJ Kennedy, St. John's, G

53) Durrell Summers, MSU, F

54) Maalik Wayns, Villanova, G

55) Robin Benzing, International, F

56) Eniel Polynice, Seton Hall, G

57) Will Coleman, Memphis, C

58) Robert Sacre, Gonzaga, C

59) Jamine Peterson, Providence, F

60) Yancy Gates, Cincinnati, F

So there is the first edition of my big board. Thoughts? Comments? Any opinions on the ranking? Any noticeable absences?

This is a FanPost, not the work of the author of Ridiculous Upside. The People speak! Questions or comments about this post should be addressed in the comments. To issue a complaint about this FanPost, please email ridiculousupside (at) gmail (dot) com.

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Comments

Glad you did this

Should be fun following along during the season.

I write about basketball players with Ridiculous Upside. I know you'll love it.

by Scott Schroeder on Sep 15, 2025 1:53 AM EDT reply actions

Ten bucks LeVin answers with one of his own sometime today, 9/15/2010 haha

Nice work, Joshy-boy and remember, it’s never too early for a draft board my friend

Now for some odd reason, I’ll comment on the guy you have at 41, Iman Schumbert. I’d agree he’s probably in that range now but I’m hoping to see him climb up the boards as the season starts/progresses. He’s a quick guard that can get to the basket, has a little j workin for him, and is a pretty good man defender. If he can enhance his pg skills (distributing, decision making, using the whole floor) I think he could end up somewhere in the first round

"I'm a beast ready to be unleashed." -- Paul George

LibertyBallers // @tsteidel

by Tanner Steidel on Sep 15, 2025 8:21 AM EDT reply actions

Yeah, Shumpert is one of those players that could definitely jump up the board. He is now the best player at GT and should get plenty of opportunities. He has a strong, athletic frame and I think you nailed his strengths and weaknesses on the head. He has to show he can be a better ball handler to move up in the draft.

The Mikan Drill

by JoshuaR on Sep 15, 2025 8:41 AM EDT up reply actions

He was their best perimeter player last year too though...

and did not look good out there. It won’t be easy to show more without Lawal or Favors demanding attention inside, because the GT big men this year are huge step back from those two plus Peacock.

by Mr. Sanchez on Sep 15, 2025 9:36 PM EDT up reply actions

but since he hasn’t, I’m glad JoshuaR took the initiative.

is that a subtle ‘boom-roasted’ on little mikey?

"I'm a beast ready to be unleashed." -- Paul George

LibertyBallers // @tsteidel

by Tanner Steidel on Sep 15, 2025 8:22 AM EDT reply actions

Burn central.

Liberty Ballers / Ridiculous Upside / SBN Philly / Twitter

The Artist Formerly Known As The Artist Formerly Known As Michael Bourn

by Michael Levin on Sep 15, 2025 1:18 PM EDT up reply actions

Just sayin.

I believe you teased it like three months ago. You’re a tease.

I write about basketball players with Ridiculous Upside. I know you'll love it.

by Scott Schroeder on Sep 15, 2025 1:26 PM EDT up reply actions

Not the first time I've heard that.

I’ll get on my own soon, bucko.

Liberty Ballers / Ridiculous Upside / SBN Philly / Twitter

The Artist Formerly Known As The Artist Formerly Known As Michael Bourn

by Michael Levin on Sep 15, 2025 2:21 PM EDT up reply actions

I figured someone else on the site was going to do one. I just wanted to do one to see where I thought people were and to have it as another one for discussion. Looking forward to Michael’s.

The Mikan Drill

by JoshuaR on Sep 15, 2025 8:43 AM EDT reply actions

I was going to wait until the preseason rankings came out...

But nice work Josh to beat me to it. Let’s take this outside and rumble.

Liberty Ballers / Ridiculous Upside / SBN Philly / Twitter

The Artist Formerly Known As The Artist Formerly Known As Michael Bourn

by Michael Levin on Sep 15, 2025 1:19 PM EDT reply actions

Hey, this is what happens when you are on the road in the middle of nowhere, VA.

The Mikan Drill

by JoshuaR on Sep 15, 2025 1:57 PM EDT up reply actions

How about adding the players' age and/or year-in-school?

The only people who really know where [the edge] is are the ones who have gone over it.

by SagehenMacGyver47 on Sep 15, 2025 5:59 PM EDT reply actions

Good idea. I will put that in for the next board.

The Mikan Drill

by JoshuaR on Sep 15, 2025 6:05 PM EDT up reply actions

A warning re Tyshawn Taylor

if he starts all season long, then he could very well end up right where you have him. But there’s a good chance he doesn’t (he and Bill Self have had some “attitude problem” issues) and if so, then he’ll be a draft board afterthought.

The only people who really know where [the edge] is are the ones who have gone over it.

by SagehenMacGyver47 on Sep 15, 2025 6:02 PM EDT reply actions

Yeah, I could see that happening. I think end of the first round/top of the second round is where he fits though. If he can’t show his skills at Kansas, he will be able to show them at workouts, so even if he does not get the PT, he could still get drafted in that area.

The Mikan Drill

by JoshuaR on Sep 15, 2025 6:06 PM EDT up reply actions

Hoosier boy living in Atlanta now. While I love IU, I will say that I’ve seen Travis Leslie play and the guy can flat out ball.

by Sparhawk on Sep 17, 2025 2:45 PM EDT reply actions

Yeah, I am looking forward to watching him this year.

The Mikan Drill

by JoshuaR on Sep 17, 2025 4:52 PM EDT up reply actions

He needs to improve his ball handling and court awareness...

but the athleticism is there, and for someone who watched him often, his jump shot is much better than he gets credit for. He began to step back to 3 pt range at the end of the year, but he’s got good form and hit a lot of long 2s last year. With another year of development, I’m confident he’ll be a strong outside shooter this year. Now if he can improve his ball handling, he’ll be a beast.

by Mr. Sanchez on Sep 20, 2025 9:06 AM EDT up reply actions

Only four international players, and only two up top?

The looming lockout is going to have exactly the opposite effect to the one it had this time around. NCAA kids will be encouraged to sit tight and wait another year to declare (unless their agents simply ‘war chest’ them for the duration – and even then, would potentially sitting out a season be good for anyone’s development at 19 or 20?). Meanwhile European prospects will be looking at that thinned-out field of NCAA talent, and stand not to lose any money if they wait a year while playing on overseas contracts, so they’ll have more incentive to put their names in.

Toss in any amelioration of buyout terms for NBA teams – a few teams with big Euro prospects (like Rubio) happen to be on that committee and would want to go there – and add, maybe, a surprisingly effective year from someone like Splitter or Pekovic.

Seems to me like we’ll be talking about more than one Vesely next May or so….

by feral on Sep 19, 2025 6:17 PM EDT reply actions

That makes sense, if there's a lockout...

but personally; with the current economic climate, I won’t believe any major sport has a lockout/strike (the NFL is rumored the same) until it happens. There is just too much to lose, especially considering the ridiculous bubble most of these sports operate in (how long can they sustain the price of business on $50+ tickets for one, $10 beers, etc making attending games so costly), that the risk is just too great for a work stoppage, especially adding the likely public resentment for billionaires bickering with millionaires over their hard earned money.

by Mr. Sanchez on Sep 20, 2025 9:10 AM EDT up reply actions

Even if there wasn't one,

you just know the two sides will wait up until the very brink of the CBA expiring to get anything done, which is too late for players to make their decisions one way or the other.

The actual lockout would occur after draft night.

by feral on Sep 20, 2025 2:52 PM EDT up reply actions

I agree with the above post. There is the threat of the lockout but until it happens, I expect the sides to come to a compromise. Both sides will leave too much on the table if they do not come to a deal.

This is an early edition and I can’t even know what NCAA kids are going to put their names in the draft. Therefore, I just tried to put up the best 50 players, which may include more international names as the season goes on.

The Mikan Drill

by JoshuaR on Sep 20, 2025 9:42 AM EDT up reply actions