The 2011 NBA Draft gets underway on Thursday evening and two of our local prospects have a shot at hearing their names called in the first round. For one, Washington State's Klay Thompson, it's not if he'll be taken in the first round, but when. Thompson has shot up draft boards and mock drafts, and may find himself in the top-10 before the night is over. The other, Washington's Isaiah Thomas, could slide into the end of the first round, but will almost assuredly be taken by the middle of the second.
In addition to Thompson and Thomas, Washington's Justin Holiday should be chosen in the second round and Washington State's DeAngelo Casto has an outside shot at being picked. If the cards fall the right way, the two Washington schools could have four picks in the 2011 NBA Draft, much to the delight of fans in the state. Even without an NBA team in Seattle, there's still plenty of reason to tune-in and check out the draft this year.
Here is all the information you need for the 2011 NBA Draft.
Start time: Coverage of the NBA Draft begins at 4 p.m. Sit back and prepare for a long process; unlike the NFL and MLB Drafts, the NBA will get it all over with at once. All 60 picks will take place over the course of Thursday evening.
TV information: ESPN has the broadcast duties for the NBA Draft and will be on the air from 4 p.m. until whenever the whole shindig concludes. The draft takes place live in New York and part of the pageantry of the first round includes player interviews for those who are in attendance and loads of analysis. In addition to the live broadcast, an online stream can be found at ESPN3.com.
Mock drafts: We've been tracking projections and predictions for Thompson and Thomas throughout the process in our 2011 NBA mock draft StoryStream. As it stands now, Thompson around the No. 10 pick, and appears to be a solid lottery pick by all accounts. Thomas, on the other hand, finds himself near the end of the first round or in the early second round.
Draft order: While we don't have a local team in the draft, the order is still important for those tracking at home. Here is the first round draft order. Pay close attention to the Sacramento Kings at No. 7, Milwaukee Bucks at No. 10 and Golden State Warriors at No. 11. All three have been linked to Thompson at one point or another.
1 Cleveland Cavaliers (from L.A. Clippers)[a]
2 Minnesota Timberwolves
3 Utah Jazz (from New Jersey)[b]
4 Cleveland Cavaliers
5 Toronto Raptors
6 Washington Wizards
7 Sacramento Kings
8 Detroit Pistons
9 Charlotte Bobcats
10 Milwaukee Bucks
11 Golden State Warriors
12 Utah Jazz
13 Phoenix Suns
14 Houston Rockets
15 Indiana Pacers
16 Philadelphia 76ers
17 New York Knicks
18 Washington Wizards (from Atlanta)[c]
19 Charlotte Bobcats (from New Orleans via Portland)[d]
20 Minnesota Timberwolves (from Memphis via Utah)[e]
21 Portland Trail Blazers
22 Denver Nuggets
23 Houston Rockets (from Orlando via Phoenix)[f]
24 Oklahoma City Thunder
25 Boston Celtics
26 Dallas Mavericks
27 New Jersey Nets (from L.A. Lakers)[g]
28 Chicago Bulls (from Miami via Toronto)[h]
29 San Antonio Spurs
30 Chicago Bulls
Follow along with the pre-draft news and rumors, as well as live-coverage of the draft, at SB Nation's NBA Draft hub. Stay with this StoryStream throughout the day for the latest on Thompson, Thomas, Justin Holiday and, if it warrants it, DeAngelo Casto.