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Despite being over two months away, this year’s draft class has already been given the label of weak that will take years for it to shed. Whether it be because of a lack of star power or overall depth, most experts just don’t seem to be expecting much at all from the 2011 draft. If there is any reason to be optimistic about it, though, it’s the talent at both forward positions. As our rankings indicated, the point guard and shooting guard positions were a bit thin, but that isn’t the case at both the small forward and power forward spots. Here’s a look at the top five most-NBA ready small forwards, with power forwards next to come.

Jan Vesely (Czech Republic) – 6’11, 240 lbs.
Had Jan Vesely decided to stay in last year’s draft he almost certainly would have been a top ten pick. Passing up on that is something that has come back to haunt a lot of players, but as of right now it looks like Vesely made the right choice. He’s going to go just as high, maybe even higher, than he would have in the 2010 draft this year.

For American fans who aren’t very familiar with Vesely’s game, the first thing that will impress them is just how explosive and athletic he is. He’s one of the most exciting players overseas with height and a wingspan that is well-above average for the three spot.

At the young age of 20 Vesely is a long ways from peaking. He has a ceiling that is thought to be quiet high, so he has to continue to work hard and impose himself like he’s capable of. He’ll be tested defensively in the NBA on a nightly basis unlike anything he’s seen in Europe, so he’ll have to step up and adjust accordingly. His contract with Partizan will require a buyout, which could be messy, but Vesely is still worthy of a top ten pick.

Kawhi Leonard, So. (San Diego State) – 6’7, 225 lbs.
The San Diego State Aztecs had their best season in school history this year and spearheading that effort was sophomore forward Kawhi Leonard. Leonard led the team in points with 15 as well as rebounds with 10, a breakout campaign that made it hard to return back to SDSU due to his stock skyrocketing.

Kawhi is just 6’7, but his length and activity level make him far more imposing – especially on the defensive end. In situations where a coach could want to play small ball he could be able to play both forward spots because of those assets.

In order to be a successful player at the next level, though, Leonard is going to have to become a better shooter with an offensive skill set that isn’t so reliant on his athleticism. Defenses are going to play off of him regularly until he proves that he can knock down an open look. As a young player who has a lot of development ahead of him teams will look past his lack of a jump shot on draft night and likely make him a high first round pick.

{AUTHOR_BOX}Jordan Hamilton, So. (Texas) – 6’7, 220 lbs.
The Texas Longhorns really needed Jordan Hamilton to step up in his sophomore year and he answered the call by becoming one of the nation’s toughest players to defend. Hamilton averaged 18 points a night while also collective seven rebounds. He was a threat to go off for more than 20 on every single occasion and was by far the most consistent Longhorn in a year where they were killed by inconsistency at the end.

Hamilton can score in a multitude of ways. His creativeness with the basketball has some believing that he could also play some shooting guard as a pro. With the game of a natural scorer teams who need some instant offense are going to have a hard time passing him up.

Defensively is where Hamilton will have to prove himself the most in order to become a star at the next level like he was at Texas. He thought long and hard about staying at Texas for his junior season, but wisely pulled out due to the strong possibility of being a lottery selection.

Chris Singleton, Jr. (Florida State) – 6’9, 225 lbs.
It’s really disappointing that Chris Singleton wasn’t healthy at the tail end of the season because he missed out on an opportunity to educate everyone on just how good he really is. As a guy who does a lot of the dirty work that goes unnoticed Singleton could have really made a name for himself amongst the average college basketball fan base during the tournament. However, NBA teams know all they need to know about him already and that’s what really matters.

Singleton is a lockdown defender who is comfortable and confident in his ability to defend any position 1-4. He’s got a mentality much like former Defensive Player of the Year Bruce Bowen; he feels like he can take any offensive player out of the game no matter how capable he is.

His offense isn’t on par with his defense, but improved throughout his three years at Florida State. The strides he makes in that department early on will determine how much he plays as a rookie. He’ll likely end up being drafted by a playoff team in the middle-to-late portion of the first round.

Kyle Singler, Sr. (Duke) – 6’8, 230 lbs.
After passing up on definitely being a first round pick in the 2010 NBA Draft Kyle Singler knew that his stock was going to take a hit. Winning another national championship would make it all worth the while, though. Unfortunately for Singler and Duke, they were upset by Arizona in the tourney and now he’s a borderline first round pick that is projected to go in the second round by many.

If Singler ends up going in the second round he’s an absolute steal there. He’s not the most athletic and he’s going to have some trouble defensively, but he knows how to play the game of basketball at a high level. What he doesn’t have in athleticism he makes up for with his basketball IQ.

Singler is the kind of guy that is going to find ways to make plays of both ends of the floor. While his days as a star may be done, he’s definitely going to be a contributor who makes a general manager look very smart for choosing him despite his flaws.

Honorable Mention: Jereme Richmond (Illinois), Jimmy Butler (Marquette), Justin Holiday (Washington) and Tobias Harris (Tennessee).

Next up in our positional rankings is the power forwards!