Kyrie Irving is projected as the top pick -- currently in possession of the Minnesota Timberwolves -- according to most NBA mock drafts, but ESPN's Fran Fraschilla warns that Wolves fans probably shouldn't set their sights too high.
The article is for ESPN Insider subscribers only, but essentially Fraschilla says that after watching Irving since high school and breaking him down using Synergy Sports technology, NBA fans should temper their expectations for the 6-foot-2 freshman that averaged 17.5 points and 4.3 assists as a freshman for the Duke Blue Devils last season.
The bottom line for me is that Irving is a high-lottery selection to his left hand and a late-first-rounder to his right. But he's young and possesses great intangibles to go along with his talent. I don't see him as an elite NBA point guard in the Paul or Williams mode, but so what? The way this draft shapes up, if Irving matches the production of a Stephen Curry or Mike Conley, I'd be ecstatic.
Ultimately this speaks more to the quality of the 2011 NBA Draft class, but if the lottery goes as planned and the Wolves end up with the first pick, drafting the next Mike Conley probably isn't going to make the fan base anything close to ecstatic.
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http://minnesota.sbnation.com/minnesota-timberwolves/2011/5/12/2168039/nba-mock-draft-kyrie-irving-timberwolves-espn-fran-fraschilla-big-board
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