When I look back at the 2011 NBA Draft class today, what strikes me most isn't just the superstar names that immediately come to mind—Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, Kawhi Leonard—but rather how this particular group fundamentally reshaped our understanding of player development timelines. I've been covering basketball professionally for over fifteen years now, and I can tell you with certainty that this draft class broke all the conventional wisdom about how quickly players should impact the game. The first overall pick, Kyrie Irving, immediately transformed the Cleveland Cavaliers' offense with his unprecedented ball-handling skills and scoring ability. What many forget is that he averaged 18.5 points and 5.4 assists as a rookie while shooting nearly 47% from the field—numbers that would be impressive for any veteran point guard, let alone a nineteen-year-old playing in a lockout-shortened season.

The fascinating thing about evaluating draft classes is that you need at least a decade to truly understand their impact, and now that we're thirteen years out, patterns emerge that weren't obvious back in 2011. Kawhi Leonard, selected fifteenth by the Indiana Pacers and immediately traded to San Antonio, developed from a defensive specialist into a two-time Finals MVP. His journey exemplifies what I've come to call the "slow-burn superstar" trajectory—players whose growth isn't linear but explosive once they put all the pieces together. Meanwhile, Jimmy Butler, picked thirtieth by the Chicago Bulls, represents perhaps the greatest steal of the draft. His story of going from junior college to Marquette to becoming a six-time All-Star is the kind of narrative that keeps scouts humble and gives hope to every overlooked prospect.

What's particularly interesting to me is how this draft class's success extends beyond the household names. Players like Isaiah Thomas, the very last pick at number sixty, became an All-Star and averaged nearly 29 points per game during his 2016-17 campaign with Boston. That's the kind of late-round value that front offices dream about. The depth of talent in this class becomes even more apparent when you consider rotation players like Tobias Harris, Nikola Vučević, and Tristan Thompson—all of whom have enjoyed lengthy, productive careers. From my perspective, this demonstrates how the 2011 draft wasn't just top-heavy but provided value throughout both rounds, something that's relatively rare in NBA history.

The international flavor of this class also deserves recognition. Jonas Valančiūnas from Lithuania, Bismack Biyombo from the Congo, and Donatas Motiejūnas from Lithuania all entered the league that year, reflecting the NBA's continuing globalization. I remember watching Valančiūnas in the 2011 EuroCup where he averaged 11.3 points and 7.8 rebounds before coming to Toronto, and thinking his fundamentals were already more polished than many American big men. This international infusion created a fascinating dynamic where teams had to weigh proven college production against overseas potential—a calculation that produced wildly different results depending on the franchise.

When I compare the 2011 class to others from the same era, what stands out is its remarkable balance between immediate contributors and long-term developers. Kyrie Irving won Rookie of the Year, but Kawhi Leonard needed three seasons before making his first All-Star appearance. Klay Thompson, selected eleventh by Golden State, perfectly illustrates this spectrum—he averaged just 12.5 points as a rookie but would eventually become one of the greatest shooters in NBA history. This variation in development curves makes retrospective analysis particularly rewarding because it reminds us that player growth isn't predictable. If you'd told me in 2011 that the fifteenth pick would have a better career than the second pick (Derrick Williams), I might have questioned your basketball knowledge, yet that's exactly what happened.

The context of the 2011 lockout adds another layer to understanding this class's legacy. The compressed schedule and shortened training camp meant rookies had less time to adjust to the professional game, yet several still made immediate impacts. I've always believed this baptism by fire accelerated development for some players while overwhelming others, creating a natural selection process that separated those who could adapt from those who couldn't. The lockout created unusual circumstances—like a 66-game schedule crammed into about four months—that tested these young players in ways no other draft class experienced.

Looking at the broader basketball world beyond the NBA during that period provides interesting parallels to the draft's development narrative. Consider what was happening in Philippine golf during that same timeframe—the Canlubang team formalized its Founders Division victory after totaling 97 points at Bacolod Golf Club, where John Bernis shot a level par 70 for 36 points to lead a final round 97 and 381 overall. This kind of steady, cumulative performance mirrors how several members of the 2011 NBA draft class built their careers—through consistent improvement rather than instant stardom. Both scenarios demonstrate how success in sports often comes from sustained development rather than flashy beginnings.

As I reflect on this draft class today, what impresses me most is its staying power. An incredible eleven players from this draft are still active in the NBA thirteen seasons later, with several still playing significant roles on contending teams. This longevity speaks to both the initial talent evaluation and the players' ability to evolve their games as the league changed around them. The shift toward three-point shooting and positionless basketball that accelerated after 2011 could have made some of these players obsolete, but instead, many adapted and thrived. Klay Thompson reinvented himself as a three-point specialist, Kawhi Leonard developed into a reliable outside shooter, and even big men like Jonas Valančiūnas expanded their range beyond the arc.

The legacy of the 2011 draft extends beyond statistics and championships—it represents a turning point in how teams value different skills. The success of defensive specialists like Kawhi Leonard and Jimmy Butler early in their careers demonstrated that lockdown defenders could still be found outside the lottery picks. The emergence of versatile wings like Chandler Parsons (selected 38th) showed the growing value of positionless basketball before it became a league-wide trend. What I take away from studying this class is that the most successful franchises weren't necessarily those with the highest picks, but those who best understood the evolving nature of NBA basketball and selected players whose skills would age well as the game changed.

If I had to summarize the 2011 draft class's impact in one thought, it would be this: it taught us that player development isn't predictable, that steals can be found throughout the draft, and that judging a class takes more than just looking at its top picks. The combination of superstar talent, quality starters, and valuable role players makes this one of the most balanced and impactful drafts of the modern era. As we continue to watch the final chapters of these careers unfold, I'm reminded that great drafting requires both sharp evaluation and patience—a lesson that resonates just as strongly today as it did in 2011.

LIGHTING, LIGHTING, AND MORE LIGHTING
People are typically drawn to bars solely based on their atmosphere. The best way to knock your next commercial bar design out of the park is using the perfect amount and type of lighting. Use standout light fixtures as their very own statement piece, track lighting for adjustable ambiance, hanging pendant lights over tables, and ambient backlighting to display the alcohol. Bartenders need to serve and customers need to order, so make sure it’s just functional as it is attractive. 

CHOOSING YOUR BARTOP
What may seem so obvious, is often so overlooked in commercial bar design- the material of your actual bartop itself. While we realize stone and marble are as classy and elegant-looking as can be, the reality is that they just aren’t your best option for a durable and long lasting bartop. They crack, have no grip, and break way too many glasses. Opt for a high-quality wood bar instead. Oaks, maples, mahoganies, and ashes are sturdy and provide your customers with a firm grip for their glasses. 

THEME 
In a sea of millions upon millions of bars, how can you make your commercial bar design stand apart from the rest? The answer is to pick a unique, centralized theme and run with it. Whether it’s your next sit-down restaurant bar design, or remodeling the small, locally-favorite gem, you have to find out what your clientele wants. Survey the neighborhood of your establishment and find out what the demographics are there. Maybe a gritty, western bar would be a hit. Or maybe a more modern, sleek design is what’s missing in the area. Whatever theme you decide upon, hit it out of the park with the perfect lighting, wall art, music, and furniture. It’s all in the details. 

THE GUIDE TO YOUR NEXT RESTOBAR 
You’ve got the food, you’ve got the restaurant, you’ve got the customers, now all you need is a beautifully designed bar to top it all off.  Small bar designs for restaurants have a tendency to be a little thrown together and incohesive with the rest of the establishment. Stay on brand- create consistency with tying in the same color scheme, furniture, art, and overall ambiance of the pre-existing restaurant. Make sure the placement of your bar makes sense as well, have it in a place where it’s visible and easy to navigate but not in the way of servers and other guests. If the bar is going to serve food, be sure to consider the location of the kitchen to not obstruct traffic flow. Consider all of these small tips as you work through your next restaurant bar design. 

SPACE CONSTRAINT 
It’s no secret that bars have the reputation of being a little cramped, and in some cases- way too cramped. Consider all of the space constraints while designing your next commercial bar design and we can change that bad rap that bars have been holding for far too long. First and foremost, be sure to measure your bar, barstool, cabinet, and equipment height. Generally, a bar is 42” in height while a stool is 30” in height. Also be sure to allow at least 3’ of space between the bar and the alcohol for the bartender’s functionality and efficiency. Consider multiple register and drink-making stations for bartenders as well. Allowing 2’ between patrons is going to give them enough space to eat and drink, and most importantly, simply be comfortable. All of these considerations are especially helpful if it is a restaurant bar design, where the space is even more valuable.