Feb 2, 2012; New York, NY, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler (21) defends New York Knicks guard Iman Shumpert (21) during the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

With the NBA season coming to a close, teams who are not advancing to the playoffs will be looking at prospects for the upcoming draft. It has been said that this year’s NBA Draft is one of the weakest in league history, and that only a few teams who are positioned to get lottery picks will have the best chance of selecting a good, talented player. However, there was another “weak” draft not too long ago that was supposed to be lacking in talent, but some teams outside of the top 10 picks walked away with a great player that is now part of the main rotation for their respective organizations.

Let’s take a look at five players from the 2011 NBA Draft who are either starters or important role players that weren’t expected to make that big of an impact.

1) Kenneth Faried – Denver Nuggets 11.7 ppg 9 rebounds

Before draft night, Faried was someone to watch for as scouts and draft experts had him on their radar for being a potential steal. They were right, but I don’t think they fully knew the effect he’d have on the Denver Nuggets. In his first two seasons, Faried has almost averaged a double-double, and in the first playoff series of his career, he averaged 10.4 ppg, grabbing 10 rebounds as a rookie. He was going to be one of the bright spots in the very dim 2011 draft, but he’s out-shined everyone, being an important asset to Denver. He’s a game changer for sure, and his toughness and ability to grab rebounds shows his worth. Most franchises only dream of having a hard worker like Faried, and on draft night 21 teams ahead of Denver missed out on a talented player.

2) Kawhi Leonard – San Antonio Spurs 11.7 ppg  5.7 rebounds

Coming into the draft, it was predicted that Leonard was going to be a great role player, and that he is. He was traded by the Indiana Pacers and sent to San Antonio for George Hill. It was a great acquisition on the Spurs part and from day one, Leonard has stepped in very veteran-like. This season he was given the starting job as a forward/guard and has been a main contributor for the currently number one seeded Spurs. He’s not superstar caliber, but he’s an important piece to the veteran team.

3) Iman Shumpert – New York Knicks 6.2 ppg 2.6 rebounds

It’s not the stats that show Shumpert’s worth to the New York Knicks. The defense that he supplies changes the complexion of games and has been known to shut down some of the best guards in the league. He’s highly underrated on both ends of the floor. Shumpert is an excellent three point shooter making 42% of his shots beyond the ark, and on a few occasions can finish games with double figures in points. However, it’s his defense that makes him stand out. He’s given the Boston Celtics a lot of trouble, especially when he’s going up against Avery Bradley or Jason Terry. His size makes him a combo guard who can keep up with point guards, but he’s big enough to take on decent sized shooting guards. When New York selected Shumpert Knicks fans booed and weren’t sure what he could bring to the team. One year later, they’re not questioning the organization after what he’s displayed on the floor.

4) Tobias Harris – Orlando Magic 9.6 ppg 4.6 rebounds

March 27, 2013; Charlotte, NC, USA; Orlando Magic forward Tobias Harris (12) drives to the basket while defended by Charlotte Bobcats forward Josh McRoberts (11) during the game at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

After being sent to Orlando in a trade during this year’s trade deadline, Tobias Harris has impressed a lot of people. When he was with the Milwaukee Bucks, Harris didn’t get much playing time, and his talent was rotting on the bench. Since arriving in Orlando, his scoring totals have soared and is now averaging 16.4 ppg, scoring 15 or more points in 12 out of 20 games with the Magic. Orlando is currently going through a rebuilding period, and it’s very possible that they may have found their centerpiece of the organization. For a player picked 19th overall in the draft, no one expected him to emerge as a scoring threat.

5) Jimmy Butler – Chicago Bulls 7.8 ppg 3.6 rebounds

Due to injuries, Tom Thibodeau has had to look to the bench for players who can come in and temporarily fill the shoes of key rotational players, and Jimmy Butler has been that guy. Selected at the 30th pick overall in the draft, Butler wasn’t expected to be a big time scorer, but in the month of March he’s put up two 20 point night’s against the Indiana Pacers and Minnesota Timberwolves. Butler is a hard worker, just like Leon Powe when he was with the Celtics. It’s been great watching him be successful with Chicago, and the team needs him, especially with all the injuries they’ve endured.

Time will tell if this year’s NBA draft will have any hidden talent late in the first round. It’s never wise to overlook drafts, because there is always the chance a rising star could be born. Kyrie Irving only played 10 games with Duke, and now he’s one of the best point guards in the game today. This draft may not be as good as last year’s, but it’s up to GM’s to evaluate talent correctly and come away with a great player.

Feb 01, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics power forward Kevin Garnett (5) and head coach Doc Rivers share a hand-shake during a break in the action against the Orlando Magic in the second half at the TD Garden. The Celtics defeated the Orlando Magic 97-84. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Celtics come into tonight’s game looking for their seventh straight victory as they take on the red hot Denver Nuggets who have a nine game winning streak of their own. The Celtics will have their hands full on defense; having the task of stopping Andre Iguodala and Danillo Gallinari who both can go off at any time. Boston’s defense has been great throughout the last six games, but tonight is the true test of how well they can play. Denver is also the only team that Boston has faced in the last two weeks that is healthy and on a roll. If there is a game where we find out if the Celtics can win a big game without Rajon Rondo, it would be tonight.

Like they’ve done since Rondo’s season ended, the Celtics have to play with an up-tempo offense. That style of play has been effective and the main component in winning games. But to play a fast break offense, Boston’s defense must step up, and more than they have in the previous six games. Ty Lawson is a dangerous guard, and both Courtney Lee and Avery Bradley will have to be at the top of their games.

The Celtics will also have to box out exceptionally well if they want to win. Denver has size, and a lot of it. Kenneth Faried is very active on the glass and will be someone to watch for throughout the game. Boston cannot afford to allow second chance opportunities, which they did a great job against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night. Foul trouble will be something that Boston must stay clear of. On Thursday, Kevin Garnett, Chris Wilcox, and Jason Collins all had two fouls in the first quarter alone. With Denver’s front line being healthy, it would be a major blow for the Celtics to find themselves in the same position.

The bench has to step up tonight and is my key to a Celtics victory. Jeff Green, Jason Terry, and Leandro Barbosa have played very well in Rondo’s absence, and will be relied heavily upon from here on out. Tonight will be no different. The Nuggets are a very deep team, and Boston must match them stride for stride. This is the first test for the Celtics, but the way they’ve played recently, it doesn’t seem like it matters who they’re playing. If Boston continues to play with the style of offense that’s won them six straight games, they’ll come away with the victory.

July 17, 2012; Las Vegas, NV, USA; New York Knicks player Chris Copeland (14) looks on as Denver Nuggets player Kenneth Faried (35) makes a shot in the first half of the game at Cox Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

Hakeem Olajuwon is kind of the guru of post moves.  He’s worked with a number of NBA stars, including Dwight Howard, Amar’e Stoudemire, and now Nuggets big men JaVale McGee and Kenneth Faried.

What I really want to know is who has the greater learning curve?  Who is it that will benefit more from his services — Faried or McGee?

Truth be told, as gifted an athlete as McGee is, Faried is quite nearly as blessed.  And I do believe he works harder.  Faried plays nose to the grindstone ball, hitting the boards hard, as he led the NCAA in rebounding his senior year at Morehead State, averaging 14.5 rebounds per game and an average of 12.3 rebounds pre game over his four years at Morehead.

Last season, his per-36 numbers were nearly jaw dropping:  16.4 points per game, 12.2 rebounds per game, and over a block and a half per contest, as well.

He’s down to earth, too, and realizes he has a long way to go in this league.  He will miss Al Harrington.  Last year, in an interview with the Associated Press, Faried touched on the mentorship of Harrington  He cited their friendship and his tutelage as a large reason for his early success in his NBA career.

Hakeem Olajuwon is kind of the guru of post moves. He’s worked with a number of NBA stars, including Dwight Howard, Amar’e Stoudemire, and now Nuggets big men JaVale McGee and Kenneth Faried.

What I really want to know is who has the greater learning curve? Who is it that will benefit more from his services — Faried or McGee?

Truth be told, as gifted an athlete as McGee is, Faried is quite nearly as blessed. And I do believe he works harder. Faried plays nose to the grindstone ball, hitting the boards hard, as he led the NCAA in rebounding his senior year at Morehead State, averaging 14.5 rebounds per game and an average of 12.3 rebounds pre game over his four years at Morehead.

Last season, his per-36 numbers were nearly jaw dropping: 16.4 points per game, 12.2 rebounds per game, and over a block and a half per contest, as well.

He’s down to earth, too, and realizes he has a long way to go in this league. He will miss Al Harrington. Last year, in an interview with the Associated Press, Faried touched on the mentorship of Harrington (see video).  He cited their friendship and his tutelage as a large reason for his early success in his NBA career.

Even prior to Faried entering the NBA, I expected big things, ranking him No. 1 on the list of potential realistic targets for the Orlando Magic to trade up for in the 2011 NBA Draft. He ended up going No. 22 overall to the Nuggets, a bit further than he was expected to fall in the days leading up to the draft. Trading up for him would have been a real option for that Magic team.

Now that Faried is working with Olajuwon, expect him to get very good very fast. He has the intelligence and diligence to maximize the teachings of the master Olajuwon.

He’s going to enter next year with high expectations. He’ll go high in fantasy leagues…

And he should.