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Top 5 Players From 2011 NBA Draft

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The 2011 NBA Draft is headlined by several current stars, including three members of the last three NBA champions and one Finals MVP. Here’s a look at who’s the head of the class of 2011.

Nov 19, 2014; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) dribbles against San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard (2) in the third quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Almost every prospect in the 2011 NBA Draft was surrounded with questions about their potential for professional success.

The perceived top prospect in Duke point guard Kyrie Irving dazzled fans and scouts with his ridiculous handle and effortless scoring in transition when he was on the floor, averaging 17.4 points on a extraordinary shooting split of .529/.462/.901.

But that was just it: Irving only played in 11 games in his only collegiate season due to a severe ligament tear in his right big toe. There was no question about Irving’s talent, but there were concerns over whether or not the star guard would continue to deal with injuries in his pro career.

Outside of Irving, there were tons of solid prospects but none that really flashed legitimate star potential.

Arizona’s Derrick Williams dominated in the NCAA Tournament, but faced questions about his size and defensive ability at the power forward spot.

There were also several other prospects in Tristan Thompson, Klay Thompson and Kawhi Leonard who had solid years at their respective schools, but were not ranked high on draft boards due to perceived underproduction (Tristan Thompson) or the school they played for (Klay Thompson and Leonard).

In retrospect, the 2011 draft class ended up being one of the most talented to come along in a while.

So far, the 2011 draft has produced five All-Stars, four All-NBAers, one two-time Defensive Player of the Year, five members of the last three NBA championship teams and one Finals MVP.

With all that star power and solid production in tow, here’s the select few that have risen to the top of such a talented draft class.

Apr 12, 2015; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker (15) defended by Detroit Pistons guard Reggie Jackson (1) during the first quarter at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

Honorable Mentions

Reggie Jackson, Detroit Pistons (Round 1, Pick 24): While he might not have had the career that some others on this list have already had, Reggie Jackson has just been too good over the last season and a half to ignore.

Since being promoted from a sixth man role with the Oklahoma City Thunder to the starting point guard for the Detroit Pistons, Jackson has thrived, averaging 18.2 points, 7.7 assists and 4.0 rebounds in 106 games in the Motor City.

The Boston College alum was a borderline All-Star in 2015-16, averaging 19.2 points and 6.2 assists on a shooting split of .434/.353/.864 while being one half of the dynamic duo that led the Pistons to their first playoff appearance since 2011.

Jackson has developed into one of the elite floor generals in the league and will continue to do so in 2016-17.

Tristan Thompson, Cleveland Cavaliers (Round 1, Pick 4): After a one-and-done season at Texas where he averaged a pedestrian 13.1 points and 7.8 rebounds and only led the Longhorns to the second round of the NCAA Tournament,

Tristan Thompson still managed to go in the top five, drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers at the fourth overall spot.

Since then, Thompson has made a name for himself as arguably the best offensive rebounder in the game.

The Canadian forward has averaged nine-plus rebounds in three of his five seasons and was tied for fourth in the NBA with 3.3 offensive rebounds per game last season.

He was also a crucial contributor in clinching the Cavs’ first NBA title this summer, averaging a double-double of 10.3 points and 10.1 rebounds a night and showing off tenacious perimeter defense in their seven game victory over the world-beating Golden State Warriors.

Thompson’s grown remarkably ever since LeBron James returned to the Land, and the future looks bright for the 25-year-old rebounding machine.

Kemba Walker, Charlotte Hornets (Round 1, Pick 9): Kemba Walker was the hottest player in college basketball going into the 2011 draft, leading the UConn Huskies to an NCAA championship and hitting the ankle-breaking shot of the year in a Big East Tournament quarterfinal win over Pittsburgh.

Still, Walker’s short stature caused him to slip in the draft, going to the-then Charlotte Bobcats with the ninth pick.

Despite struggling in his rookie season, Walker has developed into an elite point guard and is coming off of a 2015-16 season where he was a legitimate candidate for the Most Improved Player award, averaging a career-high 20.9 points per game on a career-high shooting split of .427/.371/.847 and leading the second iteration of the Charlotte Hornets to the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Walker’s a borderline All-Star due to his ability to score from anywhere on the floor and his still-killer crossover that continues to devastate opponents much like it did to poor Pitt center Gary McGhee.

With the Hornets losing several key players this offseason, the team will rely even more on Walker to lead the way in 2016-17.

Mar 26, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (4) reacts against the Phoenix Suns during the second half at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Celtics won 102-99. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

5. Isaiah Thomas, Boston Celtics

2011 Draft Selection: Round 2, Pick 60 (Sacramento)
2015-16 Stats: 22.2 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 6.2 APG, 1.1 SPG
Accolades: All-Rookie Second Team (2012), NBA All-Star (2016)

Since 1989, when the NBA draft was shortened to two rounds, there have been 27 players with the misfortune of being selected dead last with the 60th overall pick. Only one has gone on to become an NBA All-Star.

That’s because with Isaiah Thomas, it’s not about the size of the 5’9″, 185-pound dog in the fight: it’s about the size of the fight in the dog.

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Thomas rose through the ranks into the starting point guard spot with the Sacramento Kings, earning a spot on the All-Rookie Second Team in 2011-12 and having a then-career year in 2013-14 with averages of 20.3 points, 6.3 assists and 1.3 steals a game, with the last two still being career bests for Thomas.

Thomas spent the entirety of the 2014-15 season in the sixth man role, struggling to perform in the role as a member of the Phoenix Suns before becoming a legitimate Sixth Man of the Year candidate with the Boston Celtics after being moved at the trade deadline that season.

Following that campaign, Thomas emerged as a bonafide All-Star in 2015-16, leading a young and competitive Cs squad with 22.2 points per game.

In five short years, Thomas has overcome the label that comes with his draft position and has been anything other than irrelevant, accomplishing things that no one selected with the draft’s last pick has ever done.

Now that he’s proven his worth as a star in the league, his focus can now shift to improving upon a stellar year in 2015-16 and leading an underrated Celtics squad beyond the first round of the playoffs.

Apr 3, 2016; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler (21) during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Chicago won 102-98. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

4. Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bulls

2011 Draft Selection: Round 1, Pick 30 (Chicago)
2015-16 Stats: 20.9 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 4.8 APG, 1.6 SPG
Accolades: NBA Most Improved Player (2015), 3X All-Defensive Second Team (2014-16), 2X NBA All-Star (2015-16)

Despite playing at a relatively popular program at Marquette University, Jimmy Butler was unknown to most entering the 2011 NBA Draft. Despite that, the Chicago Bulls took a chance on the young man with a rough past, selecting him with the last pick of the first round.

Initially playing limited minutes as a role player, Butler rose to prominence in the Windy City due to several key players being plagued with injuries.

By his third season, Butler was a full-time starter, averaging 13.1 points per game in a league-leading 38.7 minutes a night and earning an All-Defensive Team selection.

However, it wasn’t until the 2014-15 season that Butler emerged as a real star.

In that year, Butler became the Bulls’ go-to guy on both ends and their most consistent player, putting up 20.0 points, 5.8 boards, 3.3 assists and 1.8 steals a night while once again leading the league in minutes per game with 38.7.

Jimmy Buckets’ dramatic improvement earned him his first All-Star nod, another All-Defensive Team selection and the Most Improved Player Award.

Butler continued his dominance in 2015-16 despite battling injuries and locker room disputes over leadership, posting a career-high 20.9 points per contest and earning another All-Star selection.

Although Butler’s relationship with the front office has been tumultuous to say the least, they showed faith in him this offseason by ridding the team of former stars Derrick Rose, Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah and finally giving him the leadership role he deserves.

Although the team has added former superstars and champions in fellow Marquette alum Dwyane Wade and point guard Rajon Rondo, the Bulls will once again go as far as Jimmy Buckets takes them in 2016-17.

May 1, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) celebrates after making a three point basket against the Portland Trail Blazers during the first quarter in game one of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

3. Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors

2011 NBA Draft Selection: Round 1, Pick 11 (Golden State)
2015-16 Stats: 22.1 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.1 APG, 0.8 SPG
Accolades: All-Rookie First Team (2012), NBA Champion (2015), 2X All-NBA Third Team (2015-16), 2X NBA All-Star (2015-16)

The son of a former Showtime Laker, Klay Thompson flew under the radar while dominating at a school that’s not really known for any sport in Washington State, putting up 21.6 points per game on a shooting split of .436/.398/.836.

The Golden State Warriors were impressed enough to take him with the 11th overall pick and make him Monta Ellis‘ long-term replacement alongside prized point guard Stephen Curry in the backcourt.

The two have since formed a shooting tandem unparalleled by any other the league has ever witnessed — one that has come to be known and revered as the “Splash Brothers.”

Like his backcourt partner, Thompson has the ability to fill up the scoring column in short order and reduce or add on to deficits single-handedly.

Last season, the oft-underrated guard laid claim to the third-most made three-pointers in a season with 276 of them, trailing the last two marks set  by Curry.

He’s also the guy who did this:

Yeah, that actually happened.

And yet, he’s arguably the fourth-best player on a Warriors team that is a year removed from a championship, broke a record that stood for two decades and just added a former league MVP to put them in the driver’s seat to win another championship.

On any other team, a stud of a scorer like Thompson would likely be the star of the show, but the sharpshooter is content being a secondary (or now, tertiary) scoring option on the greatest team the league has to offer.

That hasn’t stopped him from getting his due though: in his short career, Thompson has earned two All-NBA Third Team selections and two All-Star nods in addition to helping the Warriors earn their first championship in 40 years in 2015.

Despite the fact that he’ll inevitably have to take a lesser role this season, Thompson and his sharpshooting will continue to play a large role in the Warriors’ success going forward.

May 2, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) during the second half in game one of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavs won 104-93. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

2. Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers

2011 Draft Selection: Round 1, Pick 1 (Cleveland)
2015-16 Stats: 19.6 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.1 SPG
Accolades: Rising Stars Challenge MVP (2012), NBA Rookie of the Year (2012), All-Rookie First Team (2012), 3X NBA All-Star (2013-15), All-Star Game MVP (2014), All-NBA Third Team (2015), NBA Champion (2016)

One could argue that there wouldn’t have been a resurgence of the Cleveland Cavaliers, a return of LeBron James to the Land or a first championship in 50-plus years for the city without the arrival of Kyrie Irving.

Irving landed in Cleveland one season after the infamous Decision ripped the city’s beloved son from his home state and immediately brought a level of optimism and intrigue back to the franchise, averaging 18.5 points, 5.4 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals a night on an efficient shooting split of .469/.399/.872 on his way to almost sweeping the first-place votes for Rookie of the Year.

Since then, Irving has emerged as one of the league’s best point guards and brightest young stars.

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He earned his first All-Star selection in 2013 and became the second youngest player to win the game’s MVP honors next to James in 2014 while continuing to dazzle fans with his acrobat tactics in the lane and otherworldly yo-yo handles.

Irving was a crucial factor in the King’s return to the Land and has been the second best player on a title contender the last two seasons.

While he only played 55 games in the 2015-16 regular season due to a knee injury sustained in the 2015 NBA Finals and put up his most pedestrian stats since his rookie season, it was his postseason that revived, elevated and cemented his clutch legacy.

Irving was a driving force in the Cavs’ spectacular championship run, averaging 25.2 points on a shooting split of .475/.440/.875 in the team’s 21 contests.

The young point guard was the best player in this year’s Finals not named LeBron James, utterly outdoing the two-time MVP in Stephen Curry to the tune of 27.1 points and 2.1 steals a night on a fantastic shooting split of .465/.405/.939.

This was capped off by what will undoubtedly be the defining moment of his career: the championship-clinching shot in a do-or-die Game 7.

While he might not be as dynamic of a point guard as some of his peers, Irving is a cold-blooded scorer who’s as lethal and clutch as they come.

He’s one of the more reliable scoring options the league has to offer and never backs down from the big matchups or the big moments — a trait that can single-handedly make a player a superstar.

At the tender age of 24 years old, the young point guard has already established himself as an NBA superstar and one of the greatest players in Cleveland sports history.

Apr 30, 2016; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs small forward Kawhi Leonard (2) smiles before game one of the second round of the NBA Playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

1. Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs

2011 Draft Selection: Round 1, Pick 15 (Indiana)
2015-16 Stats: 21.2 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.0 BPG, 1.8 SPG
Accolades: All-Rookie First Team (2012), All-Defensive Second Team (2014), NBA Champion (2014), NBA Finals MVP (2014), 2X All-Defensive First Team (2015-16), 2X Defensive Player of the Year (2015-16), All-NBA First Team (2016), NBA All-Star (2016)

As dynamic and decorated a player as Kyrie Irving is, there’s still one player on this list who is more dynamic, more decorated and perhaps even more talented than the former No. 1 overall pick.

Enter Kawhi Leonard, a.k.a. the best defensive player in the NBA.

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Last season, Leonard ranked in the top five in defensive win shares (second) and defensive rating (third).

He was the anchor on a San Antonio Spurs team that allowed the fewest points and points per game last season, has been an All-Defensive selection in the last three seasons and is the reigning two-time Defensive Player of the Year.

However, Leonard has evolved into much more than just the league’s top stopper. He’s now a legitimate two-way star who’s already a proven player on the big stage.

In two NBA Finals appearances, Leonard has absolutely spectacular.

He averaged 14.6 points and 11.1 rebounds in a seven game loss to the Miami Heat in 2013 before being the difference maker in the 2014 rematch, posting 17.8 points, 6.4 boards, 2.0 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks on an incredibly efficient shooting percentages of 61.2 from the field and 57.8 from distance on his way to becoming the third-youngest player at 22 years and 351 days old to win Finals MVP honors.

Since then, the Spurs have steadily been pushing Leonard to the forefront and developing him to be the star of the post-Tim Duncan era in San Antonio. In 2015-16, the 25-year-old forward took the mantle and ran with it.

Leonard’s offensive game finally caught up with his superb defensive skills as he put together an MVP-caliber season.

He was one of the league’s most efficient scorers, putting up 21.2 points a night while shooting 50.6 percent from the field and posting the league’s best mark from deep with a 44.3 percentage.

His all-around spectacular play, teamed with the exploits of newly acquired star LaMarcus Aldridge and the presence of the Big Three in Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, helped lead the Spurs to a franchise-record 67 wins and a NBA-record 40 home wins and also helped the player known as The Klaw earn his first All-Star nod as a starter and place second in the MVP voting behind Stephen Curry.

Leonard is eerily reminiscent of his predecessor: a man of few words who has become a franchise player by letting his play do the talking. He’s a seamless fit as the leader of this Spurs team in the future and has already gained valuable experience shouldering the load in deep playoff runs.

San Antonio should continue to see monumental success and potentially add a few more championships in the future with the braided superstar at the helm in the new era.

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