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2011 NBA Mock Draft: SB Nation Projects Kyrie Irving At No. 1, Jimmy Butler To Mavericks

It's already NBA draft week, and SB Nation has their newest mock draft posted. The Mavericks are projected to take a player with a compelling personal background, Jimmy Butler.

26. Dallas Mavericks: Jimmy Butler, G/F, Marquette

If you haven't read Chad Ford's profile of Butler, do so now. It's excellent. Sandra Bullock has already been cast in the lead role.

Butler is a senior and a prototypical swing type who spent one year at a junior college and three at Marquette, improving role significantly for his junior and senior seasons.

Kyrie Irving is still projected first in the draft, with Derrick Williams, Enes Kanter, Jonas Valanciunas and Brandon Knight rounding out the top five and giving the Cavs a curious Irving/Valanciunas combo out of their big draft. But, hey, at least they aren't taking two point guards. Tristan Thompson and Jordan Hamilton are back in the lottery at eight and 14 to Detroit and Houston, and high profile guards Jimmer Fredette and Kemba Walker are projected 12 and 13 to Utah and Phoenix.

Photographs by jamesbrandon, jdtornow, phlezk, flygraphix, mcdlttx, tomasland, and literalbarrage used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.