2011 NBA Mock Draft: Power Forward Prospects

The 2010 NBA draft saw Kentucky have two players taken in the draft lottery that were listed as Power Forwards during much of the season in Patrick Patterson and DeMarcus Cousins. 2011 sees another Kentucky big man, Enes Kanter being ranked as one of the top-rated big men for the 2011 NBA draft-before playing a college game. Lithuanian Donatas Motiejunas and Jared Sullinger of the Ohio State are the next two rated power forward prospects who could quickly leapfrog Enes Kanter if he does not live up to his potential during the 2010-11 college basketball season.

#1 2011 NBA Mock Draft Power Forward Prospect - Enes Kanter - Kentucky

6-11/260 lbs

Freshman

Losing three big men to the 2010 NBA draft didn't faze Coach Calipari brining Enes Kanter to Kentucky. Kanter already possess a polished game with above average athleticism. Kanter is assessed as having a high basketball IQ and is already able to knock down mid-range jump shots in addition to making powerful inside moves. He is considered very coachable and is an above-average free throw shooter. Kanter is not perfect, however, with some scouts being worried about past knee injuries in his past.

#2 2011 NBA Mock Draft Power Forward Propsect - Donatas Motiejunas - Lithuania

7-0/ 200 lbs

Donatas Motiejunas is a highly regarded big man from Europe who normally plays the PF position but could also be used to fill the five spot. He is assessed at having good outside range as well as a jump hook and good footwork around the basket. Motijunas has shown tendencies in losing his focus and appearing lazy in practice while being observed ov the past few years. For Motiejunas to excel in the NBA, teams would also expect that he would need to bulk up some in the upper-body, though he is not currently assessed as being a "weak" player.

#3 2011 NBA Mock Draft Power Forward Prospect - Jared Sullinger - Ohio State

6-9/286 lbs

Fresman

Jared Sullinger is a powerful inside player who has OK size for a PF at a legitimate 6-9. Sullinger uses his body mass to push his way around the paint and is assessed at being a good post passer. Weaknesses in his game include average athleticism and a tendency to have his shot blocked by players of equal size or superior leaping ability. Areas of improvement for Sullinger include working on his conditioning and mid-range game in order to excel at the NBA level.

#4 2011 NBA Mock Draft Power Forward Prospect - Trey Thompkins - Georgia

6-10/247bs

Junior

Trey Thompkins is assessed as having an above-average offensive game and solid footwork in the post. He has demonstrated the ability to hit the three when on the wing and has a complimenting hook shot to the normal repertoire of post moves. He averaged just over 8 boards a game last year for Georgia and shot a respectable 75% from the free throw line last season. Weaknesses include his mid-range offensive shooting, and not having an explosive leaping ability.

#5 2011 NBA Mock Draft Power Forward Prospect - Marcus Morris - Kansas

6-9/218lbs

Sophomore

Marcus Morris was one of the the "go to" big men for Kansas in the 2009-10 basketball season. He has shown the ability to play the traditional post-up as a PF as well as a good mid-range jump shot. Weaknesses for Morris include the need to bulk up more in order to play the PF position at the NBA level and increasing his strength.

References:

http://www.nbadraft.net/2011mock_draft

http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-mock-draft/2011/

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Donatas-Motiejunas-1300/

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Trey-Thompkins-5254/

http://www.nbadraft.net/players/enes-kanter

http://www.nbadraft.net/players/jared-sullinger

http://www.collegehoopsvideo.com/