NBA Draft 2011 starts new chapter for Cleveland Cavaliers

NBA Draft 2011 will prove to be the start of a new era for the Cleveland Cavaliers after being spurned by LeBron James in the offseason. Helped by favorable odds in the lottery after finishing second to last in the regular season standings, the Cavaliers nabbed the top pick in this year's draft.

It has been a whirlwind two years for Cavaliers fans. Just a couple of years back, LeBron James led the team to a league-best 61-21 record before coming up short in the playoffs. James then signed up with the Miami Heat as a free agent, a decision which was met with anger in Ohio. Without James, the Cavs faltered to a 19-63 record this season.

Now armed with the top pick of the NBA Draft 2011, the Cavaliers are looking ahead to forget the bitter past with its former superstar. The team also secured the fourth overall pick from the Los Angeles Clippers in a trade that sent guard Baron Davis to the Cavs.

"Shocking events took place last summer and it was a slow, long, painful haul to get through it," Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert said after the NBA Draft 2011 lottery results. "Maybe this will be the final straw in getting over the hump, getting to the other side, and having a lot of hope for the future."

This year's cellar dweller Minnesota Timberwolves will pick second overall behind the Cavs in the NBA Draft 2011 on June 23. The Wolves finished 17-65 and had a 25 percent chance to get the top pick. Although it participated 14 times in the lottery in team history, the team never once managed to get the number one pick.

The class for the NBA Draft 2011 is considered the weakest in years. Most sports analysts see Kyrie Irving of Duke University and Derrick Williams of the University of Arizona as the top prospects.