NBA Draft 2014 Preview

Mock Draft

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1. Cleveland Cavaliers: Andrew Wiggins, G, Kansas
2. Miwaukee Bucks: Jabari Parker, F, Duke
3. Philadelphia 76ers: Dante Exum, G, Austrailia
4. Orlando Magic: Marcus Smart, G, Oklahoma State
5. Utah Jazz: Noah Vonleh, F, Indiana
6. Boston Celtics: Joel Embiid, C, Kansas
7. Los Angeles Lakers: Julius Randle, F, Kentucky
8. Sacramento Kings: Aaron Gordon, F, Arizona
9. Charlotte Hornets: Doug McDermott, F, Creighton
10. Philadelphia 76ers: Dario Saric, F, Croatia
11. Denver Nuggets: Nik Stauskas, G, Michigan
12. Orlando Magic: James Young, F, Kentucky
13. Minnesota Timberwolves: Gary Harris, G, Michigan State
14. Phoenix Suns: Adreian Payne, F, Michigan State
15. Atlanta Hawks: Rodney Hood, F, Duke
16. Chicago Bulls: PJ Hairston, G, Texas Legends
17. Boston Celtics: Tyler Ennis, G, Syracuse
18. Phoenix Suns: Elfrid Payton, G, Louisiana-Lafayette 
19. Chicago Bulls: TJ Warren, F, NC State
20. Toronto Raptors: Clint Capela, F, Switzerland
21. Oklahoma City Thunder: CJ Wilcox, G, Washington
22. Memphis Grizzlies: Cleanthony Early, F, Wichita State
23. Utah Jazz: Zach LeVine, G, UCLA
24. Charlotte Hornets: Jarnell Stokes, F, Tennessee
25. Houston Rockets: Kyle Anderson, F, UCLA
26. Miami Heat: Shabazz Napier, G, UCONN
27. Phoenix Suns: Jusef Nurkic, C, Bosnia and Herzegovina
28. Los Angeles Clippers: Jordan Clarkson, G, Missouri 
29. Oklahoma City Thunder: Glenn Robinson III, F, Michigan
30. San Antonio Spurs: KJ McDaniels, G, Clemson

Rants and Raves

Jabari Parker
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• Jabari Parker is the best player in this draft and I would pick him number one. However, I think Wiggins goes at one because he may be able to garner more interest in a trade and would be a better fit. 
• The next best players are Marcus Smart and Julius Randle.
• Parker's teammate at Duke, Rodney Hood, could be one of the better players in this draft. His ability to shoot and score can make him a threat from the wing for any team.
• I am selling Andrew Wiggins stock. He proved very little this year at Kansas and his shooting percentages are way too low for someone who is going to play the wing. Even though he has elite athletism, I would stay away from Wiggins.
• I have questions about Noah Vonleh. He did not do a lot at Indiana and that lack of playing time makes me wonder if he is ready to play at this level.
• While Dante Exem and Dario Saric are getting most of the headlines involving international players, Clint Capela has great potential. He is 6'10-6'11 with a wingspan of 7'4.5" and incredible leaping ability. If he can improve his offensive game, Capela could become an outstanding power forward. 
• There are some fantastic shooters in this draft in Gary Harris, Rodney Hood, Nik Staustaks, James Young, among others. 
• Aaron Gordan is a talented player. Even if he never develops a good mid-range jumper, he can be an important member of a winning team.
• Kyle Anderson is a very unique player. His ability to be a point forward and a stretch 4 will be very intriguing for teams from as early as pick 11 to as late as pick 30. 
• Sim Bhuller out of New Mexico State is an interesting player. He does not have much potential, but at 7'5", 360 pounds, he is worth at least being picked up as an undrafted free agent.
• Walter Tavares is a 7'3 center from Cap e Verde playing for Gran Canaria. He would be a great 2nd round for a pick willing to let him improve in Europe for a couple more years and then come across the Atlantic.
• Aaron Craft is worthy of a second round pick due to his defensive tenacity. 

The NBA Draft Wheel

The Draft Lottery has been around since 1985 and has always been filled with controversy. The newest controversy involves teams tanking to get a better chance at the number one pick. Many teams have been accused of doing, especially this year. Well, a proposal submitted by an NBA team official believes he has a way to stop tanking. According to Zach Lowe of Grantland, this proposal involves killing the lottery and using a wheel to determine the draft spot of each team, for the next 30 years.

Here is how the wheel would work: Each team would be given a pick every year for thirty years. They would not be able to pick in the same spot twice for thirty years. They follow a sequence, shown in the wheel below. So if a team drafts 1st in year one, they would draft 30th, 19th, 18th, and then 7th in the next four drafts. If they draft 28th, in the next four drafts they would draft 21st, 16th, 9th, and then 4th. Every five seasons, each team would have a top six pick and every four years, each team would have a top twelve pick. If this system is used, there is no upside, being being bad and tanking.

The Wheel
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The proposal has it's fans and adversaries. It has gained some traction among officials and may be discussed by the NBA owners in 2014. However, not all officials like the idea.
I believe the idea is interesting, but is way too flawed to ever be used in any capacity.

First, how does this give teams that are awful a chance to rebuild. Many of the best teams in sports build through the draft. This system makes it very difficult to do so. After getting a top five pick, most of the time it is followed up by three non-lottery picks. It is very unusual for one player to change the franchise from a loser to perennial title contender. For example, the Thunder (then the Supersonics) drafted Kevin Durant second in 2007. However, they didn't make the playoffs until they drafted Russell Westbrook fourth in 2008 and James Harden third in 2009. That would have been impossible for the Thunder to do with the wheel in place. 

Secondly, this gives college players too much power. If the best player in college is a freshman and he does not want to go to the team picking first, he can wait until next year or two years so he gets to go where he wants to. That not only is unfair to the "undesired" team who will get cheated out of getting an opportunity to pick the best player possible, it also gives the college players to much power and leverage in their decisions.

Thirdly, this is too predetermined in an dramatic, entertainment minded sports world. One of the best things about sports is that anything can happen. There are so many of examples of the greatness of unpredictability in sports. With this system, the suspense of the draft lottery and the seasons of bad teams will go away. Nothing in sports is predetermined and that  is a good thing. If the draft becomes predetermined, it will become less interesting.

Lets hope the Ping Pong balls do not go away
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Those are just three of the big reasons why the draft wheel should not be put in place. The wheel is a truly unique and interesting, but it is not a good idea. Bad teams need a chance to get better. For many teams, it's not through free agency or trades, but they get better through the draft. This new system will make it impossible for many bad teams to get good real quick. That would create an even bigger gap between good and bad. I don't think that the NBA will approve getting rid of the lottery system and replacing it with  the wheel. There would be too much controversy and questions surrounding it. The wheel is and would not be good for the league.

2013 NBA Draft's Top International Prospects

1. Dennis Schroeder-PG-Germany-6'2"

Dennis Schroeder
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Schroeder is the top international player for good reason. The 19-year-old has the aptitude to become a high-quality point guard. He is fast with a large wingspan and 6'7" for his height. He is strong on defense. He has the potential to be a shut-down defender. A great characteristic of Schroeder is that he can run an up-tempo or half-court offense. A question mark is his shooting. He shoots a good percentage from three, but not from inside the arc. His biggest weakness is his high turnover rate. This needs to be fixed; quickly. Schroeder also needs to improve going to his left. For his team, the New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig in Germany's BBL, he averaged 11.9 ppg, 3.3 apg, and 0.9 spg. He shot 40.2% from the three and 43.6% from the field. A good spot for Schroeder would be 13th to the Dallas Mavericks.

2. Rudy Gobert-C-France-7'2"

Rudy Gobert has something that every team wants. That is size. He is 7'2" and a wingspan of 7'9". Gobert is good around the rim, offensively and defensively. His offense is mostly in the low post. He also works well in pick-and-rolls. On defense, he protects the rim very well. He needs to add some pounds to his frame. He is only 238 lbs. If he does not bulk up, he is going to have  difficultly playing down low. He also has no mid-range game at all. For Chelot of France's Pro A league, he averaged 8.4 ppg, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.9 bpg. He is very raw and will need to be drafted by a team willing to let him develop over time and possibly play another season in Europe. Two fits that I feel are best are the Boston Celtics with the 16th and the New York Knicks with the  24th pick.

3. Giannis Antetokounmpo-F-Greece-6'9"

Antetokounmpo is versile at 6'9", has ginormous hands, and has a 7'3" wingspan. The youngest player in this years draft, he will be 19 in December. His ball-handling and passing skills are good. He can also finish at the basket. His defense lacks fundamentals and needs a lot of work. He will also need to work on his outside game. For Filathlitikos of Greece's second rate league, Antetokounmpo averaged 9.5 ppg and 5.0 rpg. His shooting percentage from inside the arc was 62.1%, which is excellent. Antetokounmpo has a high ceiling and a has bust potential. Whoever picks him up will need to wait for him to develop in Europe for the next few years or must be confident in their developing program. I think the San Antonio Spurs at 28 will be a good fit. They will give him time to develop. 

4. Sergey Karasev-SG-Russia-6'7"

Sergey Karasev
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Karasev is a shooter and scorer. His lefty shot is very smooth. Karasev has the potential to be a great shooter in a few years. I think his shooting can improve to where he may be able to become one of the best shooters in the league. Karasev is not the most athletic player, which may be a problem on defense. He will also need to get stronger to help hide his athleticism problem. For Triumph of the PBL, he averaged 18.4 ppg and 5.3 rpg in the PBL and 16.1 ppg and a 49% shooting percentage from three. He also was on Russia's bronze-medal winning team at the Summer Olympics last year. The Minnesota Timberwolves at 26 would be a great spot for Karasev. They are desperate for a shooter and he would fill the role. 

5. Lucas Nogueira-C-Brazil-7'0"

Nogueira is a physically imposing player. He is 7'0" with a 7'6" wingspan, is very athletic, quick feet, fast reflexes, and has excellent speed for a big man. He can become an excellent shot blocker and defensive player. However, at this moment, his defense skills are very weak and lacks fundamentals. His rebounding is very good and so is his finishing. Nogueira will most likely be kept in Europe for a few years so he can develop into a complete center. The Oklahoma City Thunder with the 32nd pick or the Memphis Grizzlies ten picks later would be very good spots for Nogueira.

2013 MLB Draft Notes and Numbers

Mark Appel

Mark Appel
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For the second straight year, the Houston Astros had the first pick in the draft and for the second straight year, Mark Appel was available to be picked. In 2012, they instead drafted Carlos Correa and Appel dropped to the Pittsburgh Pirates at nine. Appel could not strike a deal with Pittsburgh and he returned to Stanford for his senior season. This proved to be the right move. The Houston native went 10-4 with a 2.12 ERA, .203 opponents batting average, and 130 strikeouts for Stanford and was drafted by the Astros with the number one pick. Appel has the potential to be in the majors and stay by as early as next April. He has good stuff that can develop in to great stuff. I have high hopes for Appel. 

First Round Numbers

Number of Picks: 33
Number of College Players selected: 18
Number of High School Players selected: 15
Number of Pitchers selected: 15
Number of Position Players selected: 18
Number of College Pitchers selected: 9
Number of High School Pitchers selected: 6
Number of College Position Players selected: 9
Number of High School Position Players selected: 9
Number of RHP selected: 11
Number of LHP selected: 4
Number of Catchers selected: 2
Number of Infielders selected: 10
Number of Outfielders selected: 6

Chad Jones

Chad Jones when he was at LSU
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With the 285th overall pick in the draft, the Cincinnati Reds selected Chad Jones. Jones is one of the most interesting picks. He hasn't played baseball since 2010. He was a two-sport star at LSU, winning the BCS Championship in 2007 and the College World Series in 2009. Jones was drafted twice before. He was selected in the 13th round in 2007 Draft by Houston and in the 50th round in the 2010 Draft by Milwaukee. He gave up baseball for football after being drafted by the New York Giants in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft. However, he never played a down in the NFL due to injuries sustained in a car accident. Jones has had 18 surgeries since then. After being released by the Giants last year, Jones attempted a comeback in football. It was not very successful, so he turned his attention back to baseball. He was originally an outfielder but moved to pitcher during the 2009 season. From reports, it looks like he has gotten some of his stuff back. Jones' fastball is the reportedly hitting the 90s and his slider is working well. If he can have success and stay healthy, Jones may have a chance to make the big show.

Players from Bahamas, Curacao, and Italy

Bahamas, Curacao, and Italy each had one player born in that country drafted this year. The first of these three players was Champ Stuart of the Bahamas. He was drafted by the Mets with the 176th pick (6th round, 10th pick). He went to Bernard College, a Division II school in North Carolina for the last three years. He had a .300 batting average and .444 on-base percentage for Bernard this year.

Sherman Lacrus followed in the foot steps of fellow Curacao native, Atlanta Braves Shortstop Andrelton Simmons and went to Western Oklahoma State College. The result was being drafted 820th overall (27th round, 24th pick). He can hit for power as he had 12 homers on the season, get on base as his on-base percentage was .503, and can run evident by his 26 steals. He played both Catcher and Outfield at Western Oklahoma, but he will most likely stay in the outfield. 

The Baltimore Orioles selected Federico Castagnini from Verona, Italy with the 909th pick overall (30th round, 23rd pick). He spent the last season at Creighton University after two seasons at Barton Community College. This year, Castagnini batted .320 with 54 hits and eight doubles. While at Barton CC, he was a NJCAA All-American Honorable Mention. He is a third baseman, but may have to move because he does not have the power to give the production needed from the spot.

Top College Teams Represented 

Rankings based on seeding in College World Series'

 #1 North Carolina: 6 Players Drafted---Notable: Colin Moran, 3B, 6th overall (1st round, 6th pick) 
#2 Vanderbilt: 6 Players Drafted---Notable: Mike Yastrzemski, OF, 429th overall (14th round, 23rd pick)
#3 Oregon State: 7 Players Drafted---Notable: Matt Boyd, LHP, 175th overall (6th round, 9th pick)
#4 LSU: 9 Players Drafted---Notable: Ryan Eades 43rd overall (2nd round, 4th pick)
#5 Cal State Fullerton: 4 Players Drafted---Notable: Michael Lorenzen, RHP, 38th overall (Competitive Balance Round A, 5th pick)
#6 Virginia: 3 Players Drafted---Notable: Kyle Crockett, LHP, 111th overall (4th round, 5th pick)
#7 Florida State: 5 Players Drafted---Notable: Stephen McGee, C, 277th overall (9th round, 21st pick)
#8 Oregon: 6 Players Drafted---Notable: Ryon Healy, 1B, 100th overall (3rd round, 27th pick)

Cory Hahn

Cory Hahn
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A great moment happened in the 34th round on Saturday. With the 1020th pick in the draft, the Arizona Diamondbacks selected Cory Hahn. Hahn went to Arizona State, but he only played three career games. He was drafted by the Padres in 2010 Draft, but decided to head to Arizona State instead. On February 2011, Hahn slide into the knee of New Mexico second baseman Kyle Stilner. He was taken off on a stretcher due to a spinal injury. The 2010 Mr. Baseball in California is now paralyzed from the chest down. He was spent the last two seasons as a student coach for the Sun Devils. He was drafted in the 34th round because he wore the number 34 at ASU. The Diamondbacks are hoping to make Hahn an employe. This is one of the greatest story in baseball this year. 

2013 NFL Draft Player Previews

Jarvis Jones-OLB-Georgia-6'2''-245 lbs

Jarvis Jones
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In my mind, Jarvis Jones was the best linebacker in college football last season. Playing in the rough SEC, the two-time consensus All-American led the nation in tackles for loss with 24.5 and sacks with 14.5. He was a monster for the Georgia defense. In a conference with other great defenders like Dee Milner, Alec Ogletree, and Barkevious Mingo, Jones won the SEC Defensive Player of the Year Award. He is being underrated coming into the draft due to a bad 40 yard dash time and his spinal stenosis. A team in the middle part of the draft is definitely going to get a steal with Jones. He will probably go between the 13th and 16th pick. He would be an upgrade at Outside Linebacker for all of the teams in that range. I would like to see him in Carolina, where he, Luke Kuechly, and Jon Beason would be a great linebacking core.

Tavon Austin-WR/KR-West Virginia-5'8''-174 lbs

Tavon Austin is an electrifying player, on offense and on kick returns. He was the Johnny Rodgers Award winner (top kick returner). He ran a 4.34 40 yard dash at the NFL combine, second at wide receiver and overall, only behind Marquis Goodwin, and for the twenty yard shuffle, he was second at wide out with a 4.01 to TJ Moe. Austin may have been playing in a quick-tempo, high powered West Virginia offense, but that doesn't mean he did not earn all his yards. He is a great football player. Austin will have to play slot in the NFL because most of the time he will be too short to play out wide. However, he will be a great slot receiver. His kick/punt returning and ability to also take handoffs at the running back spot are big strengths. Like Jones, Austin will be drafted around the 13th-16th pick. The Jets at 13 would be a good fit because they need some offensive firepower. Austin would be that guy. I would also like to see him in New Orleans as Drew Brees' slot guy.

Barrett Jones-OL-Alabama-6'5-

Barrett Jones
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Barrett Jones is being very underrated that it is almost disrespectful. He is type of player every team wants. Jones was a four year starter for Alabama. Three of those four years, Alabama were national champions. He is versatile and one of the most versatile offensive lineman there is. He player right guard, left tackle, and center for the Crimson Tide at a very high level. In 2011, he won the Outland Trophy for best interior lineman, his first year at left tackle and then in 2012, won the Rimington Trophy for best center, his first year at center. He was also a consensus All-American in 2011 and 2012. Not only that he won the 2011 Wuerffel Award for community service and athletic and academic excellence and 2012 Capital One Academic All-American of the Year for D-1 football. I do not know what else you want from a prospect. He is smart, versatile, an individual award winner, and a winner. Jones will be a steal for anyone who picks him up. In a few years, he will be one of the best offensive lineman in the game, no matter where on the line he is playing.

Andre Ellington-RB-Clemson-5'9''-199 lbs

There are a lot of interesting running backs in this years draft class with Montee Ball and Marcus Lattimore, among others. Andre Ellington is a running back that is really intriguing. He was a good player at Clemson, but was up and down. In his first game last year, he ran for 228 yards for an average of 9.1 yards per attempt against Auburn. Many games, he was not given a lot of carries, which did not give him impressive stats. However, he averaged over five yards per carry for the last three season and had two 1000 yard seasons. If he is drafted by a team that needs a second or third string running back and will let him develop, Ellington can become a good backup running back.

Eric Reid-FS-LSU-6'1-213 lbs

Eric Reid is a very good player who will be underrated coming into the draft. The consensus All-American had 91 tackles and two interceptions. The high riser kept many opposing offenses from throwing deep and into his area. He can become a great safety one day. At the combine, Reid showed his speed and his leaping ability. He ran a 4.53 40 yard dash that put him in the top five. His vertical jump of 40.5 inches was tied for first and his 11'2'' broad jump was also tied for first. Reid will go in the second round and will be a big pick up for a team that needs a safety.

Denard Robinson-WR-Michigan-5'10''-

Denard Robinson
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Early in the 2010 season, Denard Robinson swept the nation as a duel-threat quarterback and was a Heisman threat. More then two years later, he is going to be drafted, but not as a QB. Last season, Robinson had a elbow injury that forced him to play wide receiver and running back. Converting to another position from quarterback is nothing new for many players. Many notable players and even Pro Bowlers switched to other positions when they entered the NFL. Robinson can be one of those players. He is very athletic and has good speed. He is being labled as a wide rfeciever, but I could also see him playing cornerback. However, he would adapt much quicker to playing wide out. Robinson will not be taken on day one, but I like him as early as the late second round and as late as the fourth round. He has a very high potential to become a good role player one day.