The Official 2014 NBA Draft Thread (1 Viewer)

[THE HCP]

It's never too early and here are the top 20 players according to ESPN

 

[jlprk]

A draft for the ages. It says there will be only 4 Top 5 picks. Now THAT is elite.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

This time last year the top two were Shabazz Muhammad and Cody Zeller, and Myck Kabongo was probably top ten.

 

[PapaG]

This time last year the top two were Shabazz Muhammad and Cody Zeller, and Myck Kabongo was probably top ten.

True, but Wiggins/Smart/Parker would all have been the #1 pick this year, IMO.

Smart made a bad decision in going back to OSU. He legitimately could have been the #1 overall pick, especially since Cleveland could use a SG with his skills.

 

[BrianFromWA]

A draft for the ages. It says there will be only 4 Top 5 picks. Now THAT is elite.

15 lottery picks, though, for 14 spots.

 

[BBert]

Holy wow.
This season is going to be a tank fest.
It will be an interesting dynamic
With players doing their best
While managers subtly sabotage their success.

 

[PapaG]

Holy wow.
This season is going to be a tank fest.
It will be an interesting dynamic
With players doing their best
While managers subtly sabotage their success.

The 5th pick in the 2014 draft will probably be more valued than the 1st pick in this year's draft. No wonder Cleveland couldn't move it. Can you imagine if Portland had drafted Bennett to 'replace' LMA, and whatever garbage they would have received at #19?

Tank City...

 

[SlyPokerDog]

When will Shawn Kemp's 17 children start reaching draft age?

 

[PapaG]

When will Shawn Kemp's 17 children start reaching draft age?

One of them already is draft eligible and plays for UW (Shawn Kemp Jr.). He didn't declare this year, though. Probably because he has zero chance at the NBA.

 

[THE HCP]

Should be a good one

The 2003 NBA draft brought us LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony. The 2014 draft has a chance to bring us one franchise player (Andrew Wiggins) and a host of other ridiculously talented prospects.

What a difference a year makes.

The 2013 draft didn't have a franchise player or even any locks to be All-Stars at the top of the draft. While there was considerable depth in this year's draft, star power was definitely lacking.

The 2014 draft, on the other hand, is stacked at the top thanks to a few top returning underclassmen and a phenomenal freshman class. Several NBA scouts and GMs said our 2014 Top 100 draft prospect list may be the strongest ever. Wiggins is the consensus No. 1 prospect in our Top 100 after talking with numerous NBA scouts and executives. He is one of the most hyped prospects ever to come out of high school and draws comparisons to a young Tracy McGrady. Wiggins received the top vote from every scout and GM I spoke with.

Wiggins is an elite athlete who does just about everything well. He has great size for his position on the wing, is an explosive leaper and can score from beyond the arc and off the bounce. While there are times when he appears to be a bit disengaged, his talent -- both physically and from a skills perspective -- is off the charts.

While Wiggins is the current king of the 2014 class, he'll have his hands full fending off contenders to the throne. Overall, scouts believe that there could be multiple franchise players and as many as eight NBA All-Stars in this group. That's a big-time draft.

Beyond Wiggins, here's a breakdown of the top five prospects for 2014 and a look at key storylines for next year's draft.


The best of the rest

Kentucky forward Julius Randle is also highly regarded by scouts. "In a normal, non-Wiggins year, he would easily be the No. 1 pick," said one scout. Randle is another freak of nature, an explosive athlete who stands at 6-foot-9 and weighs 250 pounds. He has the ability to score in the paint and on the perimeter, and plays with an aggressive motor.

Marcus Smart, who had a stellar freshman season at Oklahoma State, could be the top pick in 2014.
Oklahoma State sophomore Marcus Smart, who would've been the No. 2 pick in the 2013 draft had he declared, is also a potential rival to the throne. Smart decided he wanted another year of experience under his belt and returned to Oklahoma State. He has great size for his position, is ferocious on both ends of the floor and is a natural leader. If he improves his jump shot and tightens his handle, he'll give Wiggins and Randle a run for their money.

And we can't count out Duke's Jabari Parker. For several years Parker was ranked as the top player in his class (until Wiggins reclassified). Parker is already one of the most NBA-ready prospects on our list. He can play the 3 and the 4, has an extremely high basketball IQ and is one of the most skilled players in the draft. The only thing holding him back is a lack of elite athletic ability.

Kentucky point guard Andrew Harrison rounds out the top five. Like Smart, he's a big point guard who overwhelms his opponents on both ends with his size, strength and toughness.


An elite freshman class

Freshmen have always had a huge impact on good drafts. After all, one-and-dones are the true royalty of great drafts.

In the 2008 draft, a record seven freshmen went in the lottery. In 2014, we're projecting another seven freshmen as potential lottery picks. They include Wiggins, Randle, Parker, Harrison, Arizona's Aaron Gordon, Kansas' Joel Embiid and Florida's Chris Walker.

Four other freshmen -- Kentucky's James Young, Dakari Johnson and Aaron Harrison as well as LSU's Jarrell Martin -- are possible first-rounders.


A solid sophomore and junior class

A small number of talented players decided to skip the 2013 draft and return to college. Just about everyone with a shot at the first round threw their hat into the ring. Only one returning college player -- Smart -- ended up cracking our top five.

However, there are a number of interesting returning players in this draft. We're projecting sophomores such as Michigan State's Gary Harris, Michigan's Glenn Robinson III, Kentucky's Willie Cauley-Stein and Louisville's Montrezl Harrell to be potential lottery picks in 2014.

Several other returning players, including Tennesee's Jarnell Stokes, Michigan's Mitch McGary, Syracuse's Jerami Grant, Wisconsin's Sam Dekker and Kentucky's Alex Poythress, also could work their way into the lottery with excellent seasons.

Another strong crop of international prospects



The 2011 class boasted a number of stellar international prospects. Four international players -- Enes Kanter, Jan Vesely, Jonas Valanciunas and Bismack Biyombo -- went in the lottery. Several others, including Donatas Motiejunas, Nikola Mirotic and Davis Bertans, went in the first round.


Dario Saric, the No. 8 overall prospect of 2014, leads a strong crop of international players.
However, 2012 had the weakest international class. Only one player, France's Evan Fournier, was selected in the first round.

This year's international class bounced back, featuring seven players led by Sergey Karasev, Lucas Nogueira, Dennis Schroeder, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Rudy Gobert, Livio Jean-Charles and Nemanja Nedovic going in the first round.

And the 2014 class also appears strong. There have been only two international players taken in the lottery in the past three years, but this coming year we could have three: Croatia's Dario Saric and Mario Hezonja, as well as Australia's Dante Exum. Several other international players, including France's Boris Dallo, Spain's Guillermo Hernangomez and Serbia's Vasilije Micic, also could crack the first round.

Lean forward …

In 2014, a whopping nine small forwards and eight power forwards make our top 30.

That's good news for teams that had to suffer through one of the worst power forward drafts ever in 2013. Only three power forwards -- Anthony Bennett, Cody Zeller and Kelly Olynyk -- were selected in the lottery.

On the other end of the spectrum, we have only three point guards and three centers ranked in the top 30 for the 2014 class.

The point guard drought continues to be especially depressing. The 2012 crop was historically weak (one PG in the lottery), while the 2013 crop produced three lottery picks, but none in the top five. In our 2014 list, two of the four are ranked in the top five, but there are only two other PG prospects in the rest of the draft.

Overall, the draft class of 2014 is rounding out to be a once-in-a-decade sort of group. And it could get even better. You also have to factor in that some players who we're not talking about will rise -- they always do. Victor Oladipo, Alex Len and Michael Carter-Williams weren't listed as lottery picks before this season, for example.

.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Portland is supposedly looking to fill out the roster with cheap vets, so we will secure the 8th seed for years to come and not have a pick in the mo st talent laden draft in a decade

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

2016!

http://www.nbadraft.net/players/stephen-zimmerman

Going into his jr. year and already polished offensively @ 7'0"

 

[NOVoodoo]

This draft is full of "potential," but damn, it's mostly high school talent. Who are we to even speculate on any of these guys yet, when all we've seen from them are All-Star games, highlights, and scouting reports? The NCAA season should really shake things up at the top.

For example, I saw Ford had Joel Embiid at #7, while he had Dante Exum at #17, and my first thought was, "Shit, those guys' draft positions should really be swapped," but then I remembered that all I had to go on either one was scouting reports and some highlight reels.

 

[THE HCP]

I[ve said it before, highlight videos don't mean shit....... you can make any player look amazing if you're good.

 

[MickZagger]

I[ve said it before, highlight videos don't mean shit....... you can make any player look amazing if you're good.

Let me see your highlight vid then and I'll be the judge of that. FAMZ

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Vasilije Micic isnt the most athletic PG youll find, but he's a brilliant ball-handler and incredibly smart and savvy. #fibau19 -- DX

Reading scouting reports he sounds a lot like he could be the next Rubio.

 

[NOVoodoo]

Looking way too far ahead, NBADraft.Net has come out with their first 2015 mock draft -

http://nbadraft.net/2015mock_draft

Top 3 -

#1 - Myles Turner - C - HS
#2 - Emmanuel Mudiay - PG/SG - HS
#3 - Dante Exum - SG - HS/Australia

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

The C prospects are the new breed of bigs: mid-range shooters with post play second.

Looking way ahead at the C prospects in HS one thing is crystal clear: Greg Oden was EXTREMELY rare.

 

[illmatic99]

We will not have a pick.

 

[BrianFromWA]

^^Barring a trade where we get one in return, or catastrophic injury to half the team, I agree.

 

[OregonHuskerMan]

Jabari Parker. Yes please.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Vasilije Micic isnt the most athletic PG youll find, but he's a brilliant ball-handler and incredibly smart and savvy. #fibau19 -- DX

Reading scouting reports he sounds a lot like he could be the next Rubio.

[video=youtube;jetP_HWGbJg]

 

[NOVoodoo]

Just throwing this out there... I think Will Sheehey, who is projected undrafted next season, could easily climb all the way into the first round by the end of next season.

I've been watching the World University Games, and he's really been a bright spot for Team USA. He only averaged 9.5 ppg last year for the Hoosiers, but he was sort of playing third fiddle to Oladipo and Zeller, not to mention competing for touches with senior Christian Watford.

With those three guys gone and Sheehey looking like the offensive focal point of the Hoosiers, I wouldn't be surprised in the least if this was his "breakout" season.

He's 6'7", a good shooter (surprisingly not from the line though for some reason), and despite him being a white guy that looks like he should be doing your taxes, he's got bounce. He might be one of the best athletes coming into the 2014 draft.

There's no buzz on Sheehey right now, but I figured I'd just say it now... keep an eye on him rising from "undrafted" to at least the first round.

EDIT:

He's been scoring in a lot of ways, including draining threes, but this 6'7" white guy's got some bounce too -

[video=youtube;NqNSF8X51q8]

 

[MickZagger]

^ Hope he's not another Brandon Paul scenario.

 

[NOVoodoo]

^ Hope he's not another Brandon Paul scenario.

Still bitter about the time he torched y'all for 35 inside the new Kennel?

 

[MickZagger]

Every dog has his day.

 

[jlprk]

This draft is full of "potential," but damn, it's mostly high school talent. Who are we to even speculate on any of these guys yet, when all we've seen from them are All-Star games, highlights, and scouting reports? The NCAA season should really shake things up at the top.

Imagine the bad old days when most of the top 5-10 in the draft were drafted out of high school. Darkos and Martells galore.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Imagine the bad old days when most of the top 5-10 in the draft were drafted out of high school. Darkos and Martells galore.

Imagine the bad, bad old days when Glenn Robinson's agent was asking for $100 mil before he'd ever played an NBA game.

 

[chris_in_pdx]

Since we'll have the first pick next year, this is a very important thread.

 

[Rick2583]

It's never too early and here are the top 20 players according to ESPN

HCP Can you do me a favor & post this over on the Celtics board? I'd really appreciate it.