The 2011 NBA Draft is later this week and several players getting ready to enter the league have seen their overall draft status improve over the last week. Here is a closer look at players that are climbing the draft boards.
Brandon Knight of Kentucky has moved into a top seven choice with his workouts over the last month. Knight has good size for a point guard at 6'3" and his overall skill level is at the level GM's are looking for in a player. Knight led the Wildcats to the Final Four this past season as a freshmen and has the confidence needed to play in the league.
Klay Thompson of Washington State had some problems while playing for the Cougars, but the more scouts see of him, the more he has climbed the draft boards. At 6'7", Thompson has good size for a shooting guard and his range makes him a sure-fire first round pick this week. Thompson averaged over 20 points for a team that plays a slow tempo, scouts are just imagining what he could do in an up-tempo pace.
Nikola Vucevic from USC is a true center and that is not easy in this years draft. At 6'11" and 260 pounds, Vucevic can run the floor and has a big wing span, something very useful on defense and rebounding. He might need better overall conditioning, but he has several assets that can't be coached.
While these players might be on the move up in the minds of scouts and GM's, a player must also fit the system a team runs on the court. Look for these players and several others to be drafted by a team with needs at their respective position and thus they may not be drafted as high as predicted.
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