The 2011 NBA Draft is shaping up as one of the weakest in recent memory. An already-suspect talent pool got even shallower when Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger, North Carolina’s Harrison Barnes and Baylor’s Perry Jones – the projected second, fourth and fifth picks in our last mock – all opted to stay in school for another year, possibly due to concerns about a potential NBA lockout.
Their departures create opportunities for players like Enes Kanter, who now seems likely to go in the top three despite the fact that he hasn’t appeared in a game in a year.
Here’s our latest mock. Please note – no attempt has been made to match players to team needs as of yet; that will come after the NBA Draft Lottery – scheduled for May 17 – clarifies the draft order. The order in this mock is based on this season’s final NBA standings alone.
via 2011 NBA Draft: Mock Draft version 3.0.
