With just over a week to go until the 2011 NBA Draft kicks off, prospects are in the finals stages of workouts as teams get one last look at some of the best and brightest this year's class has to offer. It's been a whirlwind few weeks for the draft class as teams across the country conduct workouts, inspect measurements and pick apart every positive and negative one has to offer. But for Washington State's Klay Thompson, the weeks of work should pay off in a big way, at least if the latest rounds of 2011 NBA mock drafts are close to correct.
SB Nation's Tom Ziller is getting down to business with the 2011 NBA Draft just a week away. On Tuesday, he released another iteration of his 2011 NBA mock draft, and Thompson is moving on up again. Thanks to another strong week of workouts, Thompson finds himself in the top-10, and the New York Knicks may be responsible for his raised stock.
10. Milwaukee Bucks: Klay Thompson, G/F, Washington State
The Knicks are said to be madly in love with Thompson, which means Thompson needs to be off the board before the Knicks pick.
The good news is the spot Thompson is projected to be picked in. A top-10 pick has clout, a significant amount of money attached and the all-important label of lottery pick. The bad news? It's Milwaukee! Only kidding, of course, and in Milwaukee he'd be paired with Jon Brockman, a fellow in-state product from Washington.
What's left unsaid, or screamed from the hilltops depending on who you read, is just how bad this draft is. With an impending lockout and a plethora of top-flight prospects deciding to stay in school one more year, the class is shallow and low on talent. But Thompson rising to the top is a good sign, and shows just how impressed teams have been with his workouts. We've known he has skills for year; now the rest of the country is getting to know him.
For the latest on Thompson's place in the draft, feel free to peruse the rest of our 2011 NBA mock draft StoryStream. Head over to SB Nation's CougCenter for all things Washington State athletics, as well.