2011 NBA Draft Redo
20 years, 20 drafts, and from 1995 all the way through 2014, hindsight is a virtue. I am re-drafting the lottery picks from every draft since the '95 season all the way through 2014, making it a full 20 years of perfect hindsight. Some things to remember is the lottery didn't go to 14 teams until 2015, and that for the years closer to the present, I am only basing this off of current events, and not on projections. I also don't care which team selected who when, this is just a ranking of the best players.
1) SF Kawhi Leonard, San Diego State
Accomplishments: NBA Champion, Finals MVP, 2x DPOY, All-Star, All-NBA 1st, 2x All-Defensive 1st, All-Defensive 2nd, All-Rookie 1st
Kawhi Leonard has become the face of the San Antonio Spurs, and is probably the best two-way player in the NBA at this point. He'll score 30 points and shut down you're best player in the same game, and he has shown durability as well.
2) PG Kyrie Irving, Duke
Accomplishments: NBA Champion, 3x All-Star, All-Star MVP, ROY, All-NBA 3rd, All-Rookie 1st, 3 point champ
Kyrie Irving has become an electric point guard, one that some believe is the best in the NBA. I'm not entirely sure about that, but his play is a big reason why LeBron James went back to Cleveland and why they are favorites to get to a third straight NBA Finals.
3) SG Klay Thompson, Washington State
Accomplishments: NBA Champion, 2x All-Star, 2x All-NBA 3rd, All-Rookie 1st, 3 Point Champ
The other splash brother, Klay Thompson, is the second best shooter in the NBA and is one of the best shooting guards in the game. Not only does he put up 20 PPG, but he also plays great defense. He actually scored his career high this season, in spite of the addition of Kevin Durant.
4) PG Isaiah Thomas, Washington
Accomplishments: All-Star, All-Rookie 2nd
Isaiah was the last pick in the draft, and he has become one of the best scorers in the NBA. Had he been 6 feet instead of 5-9, he probably would have made the first round. Thomas has been scoring over 20 per game for a few years now, and led the Celtics to the number one seed in the East.
5) PG Kemba Walker, Connecticut
Accomplishments: NCAA Champion
Kemba has become the star of the Charlotte Hornets, and is another guy in this class who is currently averaging over 20 PPG. He is the heart and soul of their offense, and has many good years to come.
6) SF Jimmy Butler, Marquette
Accomplishments: 2x All-Star, MIP, 3x All-Defensive 2nd
Jimmy Butler was the hidden gem of this class, and he started out as a defensive stud with Chicago early on. Over time, he has become another great two-way player, and he is the best player on the Bulls now. He is the subject of many trade rumors.
7) C Jonas Valanciunas, Lithuania
Accomplishments: All-Rookie 2nd
Valanciunas hasn't received a ton of recognition yet, but he is an important part of the Toronto Raptors present and future. He is a traditional center, and can play defense as well.
8) C Nikola Vucevic, Switzerland
Vucevic is a guy who can put up 20 points and 20 boards in a game, and he is one of the hidden stars in the NBA since he is on Orlando. It's unclear how good his future is.
9) PF Kenneth Faried, Morehead State
Accomplishments: All-Rookie 1st
Faried's career has sort of been on a downward spiral already, as he is sort of the forgotten man in Denver. He's one of the best rebounders in the NBA, and is also incredibly energetic.
10) SF Tobias Harris, Tennessee
Already on his third team, Harris has become a good scorer and solid defender. He led the Pistons in scoring last season, and was also part of the JJ Redick trade that sent him to the Milwaukee Bucks.
11) PG Reggie Jackson, Boston College
Jackson is another point guard that backed up Russell Westbrook who eventually became a star elsewhere, and he is a score-first point guard. He currently plays for the Detroit Pistons.
12) C Tristan Thompson, Texas
Accomplishments: NBA Champion, All-Rookie 2nd
Tristan Thompson is likely the best offensive rebounder in the NBA, and has an unbelievable motor. He has been a key part of why Cleveland has made it to two straight NBA Finals.
13) PG Brandan Knight, Kentucky
Accomplishments: All-Rookie 1st
The rise of Devin Booker has put Knight's role in Phoenix on the backseat, but prior to that he has shown the capability of being a franchise point guard.
14) SF Chandler Parsons, Florida
Accomplishments: All-Rookie 2nd
This has turned out to be a very good draft class, and Parsons has been one of the better two-way players in the league when healthy. However, struggles with injuries dropped him down this list quite a bit.
OTHERS: Enes Kanter, Alec Burks, Markieff & Marcus Morris, Iman Shumpert, Donatas Motiejunas, Nikola Mirotic, Norris Cole, Cory Joseph, Bojan Bogdanovic, Jon Leuer, Lavoy Allen, Shelvin Mack, E'Twaun Moore, Derrick Williams
