Experts Can Be Wrong: 5 Picks From The 2011 NBA Draft Who Exceeded Expectations

Jimmy Butler
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If you were to judge the 2011 NBA Draft solely by the first 10 picks, you’d be forgiven for thinking it wasn’t a particularly strong crop of players. Sure, the No. 1 overall pick Kyrie Irving is an all-star, but you also have major disappointments like No. 4 pick, Derrick Williams, as well as full-fledged disaster areas like Jimmer Fredette and Jan Vesely. There’s more to it than that, however; the 2011 draft was saved largely by how many quality players appeared later on.

With that in mind, let’s look at five non-lottery picks from 2011 who have gone on to have far better careers than most would have guessed.

5. Nikola Vucevic – 16th Overall Pick

David Stern, Nikola Vucevic
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Vucevic is a difficult player to evaluate right now because he’s in the “good stats, bad team” zone, which is why he didn’t make the All-Star team despite averaging 19.6 points and 11.3 rebounds per game during the 2014-15 season. Still, it’s hard not to like what we’re seeing from Vucevic. He’s made a huge leap in his fourth season, reaching career highs not only in points, but field goal and free-throw percentage as well. He’s not the best defender, but he’s as good of an offensive center as you’ll find in the NBA, and it’s not hard to imagine an All-Star bid coming his way in the near future.

4. Donatas Montejunas – 20th Overall Pick

Donantas Montiejunas
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This was a major breakout year for Montejunas, who has earned the starting power forward spot for the Rockets, and was a big reason the team has stayed afloat with Dwight Howard missing a lot of the regular season. He’s proven himself to be an effective scorer in the post, shooting a career high of 50.4 percent in his third season (he was drafted in 2011, didn’t come over from Poland until before the 2012-13 season). The power forward spot had been a question for years in Houston, but they appear to have found a long-term solution in D-Mo.

Still, Terrence Jones was the starting four during Houston’s run to the Western Conference Finals, so Houston might look to deal the native Lithuanian if they can get something better in return. Regardless, he was still a steal at No. 20 that year.

3. Chandler Parsons – 38th Overall Pick

Chandler Parsons
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An excellent shooter, Parsons was overlooked going into the draft despite being a key player on multiple Florida teams that went deep into the NCAA Tournament. After three successful years in Houston, Mark Cuban offered Parsons a three-year, $46 million deal that would ultimately prove to be too rich for the Rockets’ blood (well, that and they thought they were getting Chris Bosh). Now, Parsons is learning to fit in as a Maverick, and his knee issues in the playoffs were the biggest reason Dallas wasn’t able to muster much of an obstacle for Houston in the first round this year.

2. Isaiah Thomas – 60th Overall Pick

Isaiah Thomas
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It’s not too often that “Mr. Irrelevant” — the final pick in the draft — is someone we hear a great deal from. Thomas has been a notable exception, however, putting in three quality seasons with the Kings before heading to Phoenix in free agency last summer, and recently moving to the Celtics. Thomas had a career year in 2013-14, averaging more than 20 points per game. Sadly, the three-guard experiment never quite worked out in Phoenix, with Gordan Dragic demanding a trade, and Thomas also getting moved at the February deadline this year. Since moving to the Celtics, however, Thomas has been playing brilliantly off the bench, and looks to be a major part of that team’s future.

1. Jimmy Butler – 30th Overall Pick

Jimmy Butler
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Butler had been a solid player in 2012-13 and 2013-14, but this past season was a breakout for him. He became the first option for the Bulls, averaging more than 20 points a game, and earning an All-Star nod. With Derrick Rose still trying to get his old form back, there were major questions as to who would be the primary scorer for the Bulls, and Butler has filled that role ably. With free agency looming this summer, we’re still wondering whether the Bulls will pay Butler what could be a max deal, or if he’ll head elsewhere. No matter where Butler goes, however, it’s quite clear he’s going to have a fantastic career.

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