With completion of the second round, the 2011 NBA Draft is now complete. The second round offered some surprises where projected first round talents slid with a few teams taking some stabs at overseas talent. Eight of the thirty second round picks were spent on former ACC or SEC players giving the two conferences 16 selections in the two rounds of the draft.
With the No. 33 overall selection, Detroit selected former Duke forward Kyle Singler. There will be some debate as to whether or not Singler hurt himself by going back to school after last season. He slides into the second round but has enough skill and basketball IQ to stick around on the Pistons roster.
The New Jersey Nets grabbed former Maryland big man Jordan Williams with the No. 39 selection in the draft. Williams is a very polished rebounder averaging 11.8 per game this season. Rebounding usually translates to the pros but Williams isn't much of an athlete and will have to adjust his game. Still his strength and rebounding prowess will give him an opportunity to stick around.
With the No. 37 overall selection, the Los Angeles Clippers selected Trey Thompkins out of the University of Georgia. Thompkins saw his stock slide throughout his junior season as he was once thought of as a solid first round pick. Injuries and a lack of conditioning hurt his stock. If he is sufficiently motivated and in shape, then Los Angeles could have a steal in Thompkins.
The Houston Rockets selected Chandler Parsons at No. 38. The do everything forward faces the challenge of not doing any one thing spectacularly.
Kentucky's Josh Harrellson was selected with the No. 45 pick by the New Orleans Hornets and was then sold to the New York Knicks. Harrellson was arguably one of Kentucky's most productive players in the SEC and NCAA tournaments. He is an intangibles guy and is a great story to see drafted due to his hard work.
The Los Angeles Clippers look to become the UGA of the west coast after selecting Travis Leslie with the No. 47 pick. Leslie joins his former Georgia teammate Trey Thompkins with the Clippers. Leslie is a super athlete who possesses a suspect jump shot. He should develop into a pretty good defender and would seem to have a lot of upside. Especially if his jump shot comes around.
The Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic grab former SEC players Vernon Macklin out of the University of Florida and DeAndre Liggins out of Kentucky with the No. 52 and No. 53 picks. Macklin will provide a big body for Detroit to take to training camp. Liggins is a good defender with a developing offensive game but is inserted into a already crowded picture in the Orlando back court.