Three Texas Longhorns were picked in last night's 2011 NBA Draft. Here's where they went, when they went, and how I think they'll fit on their new teams.
Tristan Thompson: Went 4th overall to the Cleveland Cavaliers. This picked surprised a ton of people. Thompson was supposed to go somewhere in the 8-15 range. I'm happy for him and I think this is a great for him. There is a lot of pressure on him, but most of the focus will be on Kyrie Irving. Thompson will be a great rebounder and solid defender. In a draft where there were so many uncertainties, I think Thompson prevailed because you can count on him to defend and rebound at a high level.
Jordan Hamilton: Went 26th overall to the Denver Nuggets via Dallas: Interesting pick by the Nuggets. They've got a log jam at small forward with Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari, but I think they just like Hamilton as a talent. Either way, they could probably play two out of these three guys at the same time. Hamilton is a much better shooter than Chandler and maybe they are looking for someone to replace JR Smith. Hard to tell with this pick.
Corey Joseph (shown above): Went 29th Overall to the San Antonio Spurs. This was really a shocker. No one thought Joseph would go before the 40th pick or so, maybe even later than that. The Spurs traded George Hill earlier that night so it seems that Joseph is viewed as his replacement. This is a great fit and opportunity for the Spurs who clearly believe in Joseph. Not even Joseph must have thought this would play out so perfectly for him. He should get an opportunity to contribute from day 1.
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