The draft is an incredible process.  Every year we see players rise and fall in draft rankings, long after the last games have been played.  Teams get excited about a players workout, our sour on a player based on a perceived flaw.  Most importantly, teams make these same mistakes over and over. 

I don't watch much college basketball.  I watch even less international basketball.  As such, I struggle to evaluate players in traditional methods.  I rely heavily on what I read and learn from all of you.  Rather than writing a draft preview full of information gleamed from others, I instead prefer to focus on situations. 

In what has become a bit of a tradition (see 2010 and 2009 versions), I compare players and their draft situations.  As such, the following comparisons are not based on how players play.  At all.  I cannot emphasize this enough.  If I compare a player to Darko, it isn't because I think he plays like Darko.  It is because I believe his situation leading up to the draft is similar to Darko's.

If you click the links above, you'll see that I am often wrong.  Sometimes comically so.  That's OK.  These are intended to provoke though and discussion, and then to provide laughter in retrospect.  Looking at last year's predictions, mission accomplished.

Please note, players are in no particular order.  Although Sactown Royalty bylaws required that I list Jimmer first.

Jimmer Fredette

Rubio is the last player I can recall stirring StR into a such a frenzy, and was equaling polarizing.  Half loves him, half loathes him, half think he's somewhere in the middle, and the other half sucks at math.  Unfortunately, we still don't know if Rubio will be a success in the NBA.  However, this comparison does ensure that David Kahn will likely draft Jimmer and then spend the next 2 years trying to convince Jimmer to buy a house in Minnesota.

Bismack Biyombo

Enes Kanter

Jennings, due to completely different circumstances, was also unable to join the collegiate ranks.  Jennings opted to play overseas, but many of the same questions surrounded Jennings as now surround Kanter.  We wondered what might have been if he'd played college ball.  We wondered how his stats would translate?  Jennings was unimpressive overseas, but translated fairly well to the NBA.  Kanter is a similar mystery.  I suspect he will be similar to Jennings; not a flop, but not an immediate superstar.

Kyrie Irving

Derrick Williams

Whenever I make a comparison like this I feel compelled to include a reminder that I am not comparing styles of play nor am I comparing player potential.  The situations are similar, that is all.  Williams, like Durant, played the 3 in college but is considered an undersized 4 in the NBA.  Time will tell, but Williams does have the potential to be more successful in the NBA than the consensus first pick.  A consensus first pick who happens to have a history of injuries.

Jan Vesely

Jonas Valanciunas

Kawhi Leonard

Brandon Knight

Brandon Knight seems like a great kid.  I'd be pretty happy if he fell to the Kings at the 7th pick.  But it strikes me as odd that he shot up the draft board shortly after the season ended.  In early mocks, he was projected to be more in the 5-10 range, rather than seeming to be a top 5 lock.  He's a player who jumped, and is considered one of the prizes of this draft.  I'm not sure I disagree, but it seems to have come from nowhere.

Kemba Walker

Kemba Walker played a couple of successful seasons of college ball at UConn, leaving with a National Championship.  He's more of a scorer, but his size has him pegged as a point guard.  He's quick, and has been known to play a little out of control at times.  And now, despite playing very well and demonstrating a variety of admirable qualities and skills, people seem to be talking themselves into why he should fall in the draft.