We reconvene the SB Nation 2011 NBA Mock Draft at pick No. 11, where Nate Parham of Golden State Of Mind selects Chris Singleton, a wing out of Florida State. Here’s Nate’s explanation for the pick.
NBA Mock Draft 2011: Warriors Pick Chris Singleton At No. 11
If indeed new Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson believes that he's going to turn a woeful defensive team into a unit with a defensive identity, then that has to begin by actually adding some defensive players to the roster. And regardless of whether they choose to keep or split up Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis, they could definitely use a perimeter defender here.
Washington State guard Klay Thompson has been linked to the Warriors repeatedly and, after continuing to impress in workouts, could be considered the best player available. But although there’s little question that he could become a solid contributor on an already strong defensive team, the Warriors are not that and perhaps the biggest doubt about him -- isolation defense -- also happens to be among the Warriors biggest defensive weaknesses.
With Bismack Biyombo off the board, Florida State forward Chris Singleton and Texas forward Tristan Thompson stand out here as players with potential to become at least above average, if not elite, defenders in the league. Singleton is the selection here because of his versatile on-ball defensive ability despite some major questions offensively. The bottom line is that if the Warriors have a choice between a scorer with question marks and a defender with question marks, the defender should probably get the edge.
Follow this StoryStream to see our entire SB Nation mock draft play out over the next couple days. See our 2011 NBA Draft hub for full coverage.
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