#3: Enes Kanter
With the third overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft the Utah Jazz took center Enes Kanter. The Utah Jazz all along was trying to decide between point guard Brandon Knight and Kanter and ended up going with the big man.
Kanter brings offense in the post with a great shooting touch and soft hands. He could struggle on the defensive end, at least at first. Despite having a great NBA body at 6-11 and 260 pounds, he was forced to sit out during 2010-11 season because the NCAA ruled him ineligible. Depending on how long a possible lockout could last, it could be a long time between games for Kanter.
“I hate to lose and I love to play toughness,” said Kanter. “I love to play a tough game. And I will say back to basket and rebounds, but right now, I’m working on my shot and face up game.”
Current Jazz center Memo Okur told Kanter all about Utah.
“First of all he told me about the Utah Jazz, and it’s a great city,” said Kanter “It’s great and he has lots of fun there. And I’m so happy, because I have family there. You know, we are both from Turkey. And I believe when I go there, he will help me a lot, because we are both from Turkey. I will be so comfortable a lot and be playing center, he will be a big help for me to go there.”
He joins a somewhat crowded frontcourt with center Mehmet Okur, forward/center Al Jefferson, forward Paul Millsap, and forward Derrick Favors. Okur missed almost all of last season with injury, but was an All-Star center in 2007. Favors was the third pick in the draft last year and came over in the Deron Williams trade. Jefferson average 18.6 points and 9.7 rebounds as their starting center last year.
{AUTHOR_BOX}Combined, that group will earn $37.4 million in 2011-12, plus Kanter’s salary as the third overall pick. Needless to say, the team will need a trade to not only find some roster balance but also to add some abililty on the wing to complement Devin Harris and Gordon Hayward. They may address that with the 12th pick.
There has been talk of moving Jefferson back to his natural position at the four spot and Okur may not be the same player he was before the injury, opening up a spot in the starting lineup for Kanter. Millsap can play the three if the Jazz want to go big. Favors figures to be a possibly dynamic player with his rebounding and defensive abilities – and raw offense – next to a player like Kanter, which could give Utah a serious 1-2 punch up front.
That also means Utah is likely going to look for a way to move Jefferson, owed $29 million over the next two seasons. He isn’t a backup and Favors and Kanter clearly represent Utah’s future.
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