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.

2012 NBA Draft

The NBA Draft happened last night at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ (Even though New Jersey does not have an NBA team anymore). The 100% sure thing in the 66th NBA Draft was Anthony Davis going #1 to New Orleans. It was a very good draft and there many interesting picks. Here is my opinion on some picks and a trade. Also, a unique fact.

Pick #18: Houston Rockets select Terrence Jones

Jones went back to Kentucky for a sophomore season and ended up winning the National Title. However, he went lower this year then he would have expected to go last year. The Rockets got a player who was forgotten throughout this process. Many of his numbers dropped during his 2nd season, but he wasn't used in the same way last season. He is a good defender and can play inside and out of the post. I believe he can be a solid NBA player. On this Houston Rockets team, he probably won't start, but will be a highly used back-up at both forward positions. 

Perry Jones III
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Pick #28 Oklahoma City Thunder select Perry Jones III 

Perry Jones III, like Terrence Jones and Pick #22 Jarod Sullenger, went back to college for his sophomore season. And, also like Sullenger, his stock and his selection time dropped due to an injury. Many NBA doctors apparently were warning teams about a meniscus problem in his knee. Jones III is a talent that, even with the knee problem, should have been drafted in the 18-24 range. Without the knee issue, he is definitely a lottery selection. He is that good. At the 28th pick, Jones III is at a spot where he might not get the money he would have expected, but he goes to winning team where he is going to get playing time. That is what he needs to grow and mature as a player. 

Pick #35: Golden State Warriors select Draymond Green

Draymond Green was a very successful college player, but his stock in the NBA draft didn't reflect college career.   He was a 1st Team All-American last season, 2011-12 Big Ten Player of the Year, and went to Final Fours 2 years in a row. The problem is that he is undersized for a power forward at 6'7. He will have to become a small forward in the NBA. He can shoot a jumper and dribble the ball well, so that will make for an easier transition. The worry for Green was he will have a trouble guarding the quicker small forwards and the power forwards will over power him in the post. I believe he can make the transition to guard small forwards, but with power forwards he would have a difficulty. Still, he will be a good player in the NBA. 

Will Barton
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Pick #40: Portland Trail Blazers select Will Barton

Will Barton is a player I really like. He is a guy that has talent and would be a bigger name if he went to a higher-profile school then Memphis. He improved in his 2 year at Memphis in almost all categories. He has improved on his shooting from the field and the line. His 3-point percentage went up, but that was because he took less shots from distance. He is a good shooting guard with strong potential. I thought Barton could have went much earlier in the draft, but I think he is in a great situation in Portland. The shooting guards on the Trail Blazers last year include: Jamal Crawford, who is a free agent, Wesley Matthews, who averaged almost 14 points a game,  and Elliot Williams, who didn't play much and also went to Memphis.  Even if Crawford comes back, Barton should get playing time and more importantly, time to develop into a very good scorer.

Pick #48: New York Knicks select Kostas Papanikolaou

The 1st European selected out of the 48-57 area, where 7 out of 9 picks were from Europe. He is one of the players in that area I really like because of his European history. In the Euroleague Finals against CSKA Moscow, he scored 18 points and led Olympiacos to an 19 point comeback to win 62-61. I always like European players that were successful in Europe. To me, it shows that they were successful in a highly-competitive league. If he improves his game in the next few years and then comes over, I would expect him to be a decent player, at least, in the NBA.

Trade: Cleveland gets: #17 Pick Tyler Zeller, Kelenna Azubuike (Not a Rookie)                            
             Dallas gets: Pick #24 Jared Cunningham, Pick #33 Bernard James, Pick #34 Jae Crowder

Tyler Zeller
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This was a trade that I thought was a little questionable from the Cavaliers side. I like Tyler Zeller and I think he can become a really good player in Cleveland. But, I think the Cavs should have given up 3 picks to get him, especially because of the deepness of the Draft. Jared Cunningham who is a good defender and gets to the foul line a lot. Bernard James served in the Air Force from 2002-08 and didn't play basketball in high school. Even though he's 27, he still is fresh and will get better. Jae Crowder is a good all-around player who will be productive in the pros. The more I look at the trade, the more I begin to understand it, but I still think 3 was a little too much. 

Same College, Same NBA Team

It seem like a lot of players who played on the same team in college heading to the same NBA training camp. #1 Pick Anthony Davis's Kentucky teammate Darius Miller was selected by the New Orleans Hornets at Pick #46. Syracuse teammates Fab Melo and Kris Joseph were picked by the Boston Celtics at 22 and 51 respectively.