Texas' Tristan Thompson (left) was selected by the Cavaliers, while Arizona's Derrick Williams went to the Timberwolves. (US PRESSWIRE)

The picks went fast and furious, but mostly without a hitch. At the end of the first round, NBA Commissioner David Stern was booed by the fans who attended Thursday’s draft in New Jersey but that was to be expected as basketball fans are worried about an impending lockout that may interrupt the 2011-12 season.

Duke point guard Kyrie Irving, not surprisingly, went No. 1 overall to the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, the Cavs thought they had Turkish center Enes Kanter at No. 4, but he was snagged by the Utah Jazz at No. 3, forcing the Cavs to scramble a little bit and made a panic pick with Texas’ Tristan Thompson. Jay Bilas described Thompson as someone “who needs to learn how to play and how to score.” Not exactly a ringing endorsement.

OneManFastBreak.net examines the five biggest losers and winners from the 2011 NBA draft.

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LOSERS: Cavaliers, Spurs, Raptors, Bobcats, Pistons

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— CAVALIERS – Before Cleveland fans can start coming out of their post-LeBron doldrums, remember these names: Bobby Hurley, Jeff Capel, William Avery, Jay Williams, Chris Duhon and Jon Scheyer. All were spectacular players at Duke, but none of them became stars in the NBA. Irving is a good point guard, but was he really the best player in the draft and deserves to be the No. 1 overall pick? That was the million-dollar question the Cavs faced weeks prior to the draft. He played in only 11 games in college because of a toe injury so that’s one red flag, and the other warning sign is he’s not super quick. In the Eastern Conference, you have dynamic and explosive point guards such as Derrick Rose, Deron Williams and Rajon Rondo. Irving will have to adjust to the speed of the game and must get stronger. The Cavs were hoping Kanter would fall to them at No. 4, but the Jazz ruined that master plan. Instead of taking the next best player available, the Cavs pulled off a head-scratcher with the selection of Texas forward Tristan Thompson, who is a decent player but is not worthy of a top-five pick. And where is Thompson going to play? Is he better than J.J. Hickson or Anderson Varejao? Probably not.

— SPURS – Heading into Thursday, the Spurs were reportedly shopping point guard Tony Parker for one of the top-eight picks. As it turned out, they were shopping Parker’s backup, George Hill. Now, this one is a bit puzzling. Hill is a terrific defender and can play either guard position, which makes him very valuable for Spurs coach Gregg Popovich given the history of injuries for Parker and Manu Ginobili. In a very un-Spurs-like move, Hill was traded to Indiana in exchange for the No. 15 pick, which turned out to be San Diego State’s Kawhi Leonard. Leonard is a good athlete who can defend and rebound, but he shot just 29% from the college 3-point line and it’s not going to get easier since the NBA line is 3 feet farther. Normally, Popovich and general manager R.C. Buford excel on draft day but shipping Hill out of San Antonio is a little questionable.

— RAPTORS – First of all, the Raptors hired Dwane Casey as their head coach. Casey has a career coaching record of 43-59. No matter how you spin it, Casey is not a good NBA coach. That’s not a good way to retool your franchise. As if that wasn’t enough of a flub, the Raptors drafted 6-10 Lithuanian center Jonas Valanciunas, who is a terrific prospect but may not be able to get out of his Euroleague contract until 2014. There is no doubt about Valanciunas’ talent. But why would the Raptors gamble on a guy who can’t help them right away? Puzzling. Better hope Valanciunas is worth the wait.

— BOBCATS – So far, Michael Jordan has shown very little skills as the head of basketball operations in Charlotte. Should we be surprised about that since Jordan was the mastermind in ruining the Wizards almost 10 years ago? Jordan’s latest move was trading his best player, Stephen Jackson, to Milwaukee for Corey Maggette. What saves Jordan from having a complete disaster on draft night were his picks: center Bismack Biyombo (Congo) and guard Kemba Walker (Connecticut). Both should be decent contributors for the Bobcats, but can they change the fortunes of the franchise? Not with Michael calling the shots.

— PISTONS – The Pistons’ offseason started with the firing of head coach John Kuester. Not a good way to being your offseason. Then, general manager Joe Dumars, who has had a run of bad picks lately, chose Kentucky guard Brandon Knight with the eighth overall pick. Knight didn’t look pleased at all when he step up to the stage and shook hands with the commissioner. He’s probably thinking, “Why did a guard-heavy team that already has Rodney Stuckey, Ben Gordon, Will Bynum, Richard Hamilton and Tracy McGrady would ever need me?” If that’s what Knight was thinking, he certainly has a point.

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WINNERS: Timberwolves, Jazz, Kings, Wizards, Nuggets

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— TIMBERWOLVES – The night started great for general manager David Kahn with the selection of Arizona forward Derrick Williams with the No. 2 overall. Williams is the most NBA-ready player out of all the prospects, and that includes Irving, and he’ll pair up well with fellow Pac-10 stud Kevin Love. Then, the night got even better when Kahn was able to dump disappointing point guard Jonny Flynn to Houston, opening up the point position for Spanish star Ricky Rubio. The Wolves also picked up center Brad Miller via a trade, and Florida forward Chandler Parsons is not a bad second-round selection.

— JAZZ – The Jazz put a wrench into the Cavaliers master plan with they picked Kanter at No. 3. ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla rated Kanter as the best international player in the draft and he could turn out to be the best player, along with Williams, from this class. Kanter is a physical big man who can face up and hit a mid-range jumper. He describes himself as a Pau Gasol low-post player with a Dirk Nowitzki-type of perimeter game. Big talk from a very confident player. He should pair up well with Jazz forward Al Jefferson. The Jazz also added Colorado shooting guard Alec Burks in the first round to round out their excellent draft day.

— KINGS – Year after year, the Kings have done a great job in picking players in the draft and this year was no exception. BYU star Jimmer Fredette is headed for Sacramento to play with Tyreke Evans (class of 2009) and DeMarcus Cousins (class of 2010). Fredette should well in Sacramento because he’s a spot up shooter who has unlimited range, which is good news for Evans because this allows him to play more point guard. The Kings were so high on Fredette that they shipped last year’s starting point guard Beno Udrih to Milwaukee.

— WIZARDS – In less than two years, general manager Ernie Grunfeld has managed to change the culture in Washington. Point guard John Wall is now the face of the franchise and center JaVale McGee is one of the best young big men in the league. OnThursday night, the Wizards added more young pieces to their roster in forwards Jan Vesely and Chris Singleton and guard Shelvin Mack. Vesely, from the Czech Republic, brings a lot of energy and athleticism to a Wizards squad that should be running more often next season. We’ve seen Vesely finish plays above the rim and has shown a non-stop motor. What we didn’t know about him is he likes public displays of affection. Check out the video:

Singleton is a rock-solid defender who brings a lot of toughness, and Mack was the catalyst of the Butler squad that made it to the NCAA Tournament final in back-to-back years.

— NUGGETS – If Raymond Felton is a better fit in Portland then Andre Miller is a much better fit in Denver. The Nuggets, at times, plays too fast and having the heady, crafty Miller running point should help maximize their offensive possessions. The trade also allows coach George Karl to play Ty Lawson and Miller together, with Miller defending the 2 guard spot. Denver landed a diamond in the rough with the 22nd pick in Morehead State forward Kenneth Faried. The 6-7 Faried is a high-energy player who defends and rebounds. Think Paul Millsap and Udonis Haslem. Faried doesn’t need any set plays to be effective, which is perfect in Denver because Karl has enough scorers on the team and Faried’s effort and hustle will be a tremendous addition.

Guard Kemba Walker plays a similar style to former UConn star Ben Gordon. (US PRESSWIRE)

The NCAA Tournament is the best showcase event in terms of evaluating talent entering the NBA. In the past 10 years, current NBA stars Dwyane Wade (Marquette), Derrick Rose (Memphis), Russell Westbrook (UCLA), Deron Williams (Illinois) and Carmelo Anthony (Syracuse) all made their big first impressions in The Big Dance.

Of course, there are always those hidden gems (ahem! Enes Kanter) who didn’t get a chance to shine in the NCAA Tournament. But, for the most part, the best prospects in the 2011 NBA draft took part in March Madness.

Most experts feel this year’s crop of NCAA talent is not as good as previous years. I disagree. There are plenty of talent waiting to be discovered, and it takes a shrewd GM and a smart scout to pick them out of a crowd. Here are the eight best prospects this season – OneManFastBreak’s version of the Elite 8 – with their strengths and weaknesses, and who they compare with:

DERRICK WILLIAMS
Arizona, Forward, Sophomore
* Strengths: The 6-foot-8, 240-pound forward has the prototype body to play in the NBA. He can play with his back to the basket, and face up and shoot from 20 feet. Pop in the tape against Duke and that’s all you need to know about his versatility. A tough cover when he’s making his outside shot because he can put the ball on the floor and get to the rim. Williams was also the 2011 Pac-10 Player of the Year, and from a talent standpoint the Pac-10 has produced some of the best NBA talent the last 10 years.
* Weaknesses: A little passive and a late-bloomer. Could also mean he hasn’t hit his ceiling yet.
NBA comparison: Amare Stoudemire

KEMBA WALKER
Connecticut, Guard, Junior
* Strengths: A typical New York City baller who plays with a chip on his shoulder and has a ton of swagger. Made a huge leap from last season to this season. An explosive scorer who can create his own shot, and has the ability to play either guard position. Plays his best against the best competition. A very dangerous scorer late in the game, and is not afraid to take – and make – the big shot.
* Weaknesses: Even though he’s capable of running point, his game is more suited for shooting guard. Listed at just 6 feet tall.
NBA comparison: Ben Gordon

KYRIE IRVING
Duke, Guard, Freshman
* Strengths: Had Irving played the entire season, nobody would have known about Nolan Smith. That’s how good Irving is. Irving has all the tools to be a top-flight point guard in the NBA: quickness, ball-handling, outside shooting, passing and creativity. He was easily the best player on the court for Duke in its loss to Arizona in the Sweet 16, and that was only his third game in three months.
* Weaknesses: The foot injury Irving suffered early in the season is the only reason to have any doubts about this young man.
NBA comparison: Chris Paul

ENES KANTER
Kentucky (from Turkey), Center, Freshman
* Strengths: Kanter is a legit post-up big man who measures at 6-11 with a 7-1 wingspan. He recently turned 19 so he’s still maturing from a physical standpoint. He spent the entire 2010-11 season at Kentucky on the sidelines because he was ruled ineligible. Nonetheless, he made good use of that year by staying active, participating in practice and working out with the team. Kanter is cut from the same cloth as other recent big men from Turkey (Semih Erden and Omer Asik), and can play with his back to the basket.
* Weaknesses: Still a relative unknown because he hasn’t played enough games to get a strong evaluation. A high-risk, high-reward type of player.
NBA comparison: Omer Asik

BRANDON KNIGHT
Kentucky, Guard, Freshman
* Strengths: Plays with a lot of confidence. Teammate Terrence Jones may be the better talent, but there’s something special about the way Knight makes plays at the end of games. Knight showed his clutch gene during the Sweet 16 game against Ohio State when he buried the game-winning shot with five seconds left. Knight is a big point guard (6-3, 170) who can survive the physical pounding of an 82-game season. And John Calipari has done pretty well with his last two one-and-done point guards (Derrick Rose and John Wall).
* Weaknesses: At times makes questionable decisions and takes bad shots. More of a lead guard than a true point.
NBA comparison: Jason Terry

JIMMER FREDETTE
BYU, Guard, Senior
* Strengths: See Kemba Walker. A very explosive scorer who can create his own shot and has unlimited range as a shooter. Has the ability to play either guard position, but probably more suited at shooting guard. Worked out for scouts a year ago and was told to get stronger, which he did. Worked on his ball-handling this season, which has enabled him to drive through traffic.
* Weaknesses: Not a good defender. Has trouble staying in front of his man, especially against quicker point guards.
NBA comparison: Danny Ainge

JORDAN HAMILTON
Texas, Guard-Forward, Sophomore
* Strengths: A long and athletic wing player who can score from anywhere on the court. Has NBA 3-point range and a technically sound shooter. Can create scoring opportunities off the dribble, and able to rise up and get his shoulders square to the basket. Because of his length (6-9 wingspan), defenders have a hard time blocking his shot. Adapted well to Rick Barnes’ new motion/screen offense at Texas. Hamilton can play the 2 or 3 spots and is an extremely confident player with a ton of Southern California swagger.
* Weaknesses: Tends to be a volume shooter at times, and a bit of a streak shooter. Not a good defender at this point of his career.
NBA comparison: Rudy Gay

SHELVIN MACK
Butler, Guard, Junior
* Strengths: A combo guard who can create his own shot. Has decent 3-point range, but owns an above-average mid-range game. He was instant offense for Butler, and was a key reason why the Bulldogs reached the NCAA Tournament championship game the past two seasons. Having gone through the pressure cooker of the NCAA Tournament, Mack is battle-tested and is not afraid of the big moment. At 205 pounds, Mack is extremely strong for a guard and can shed physical contact.
* Weaknesses: Is more of a natural shooting guard, but may have to play some point in the NBA because he’s only 6-2. Not overly explosive off the floor, and has average quickness for a guard.
NBA comparison: Eric Gordon

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter at: twitter.com/onemanfastbreak.