Ah yes! One of the most exciting nights of the year for basketball fans... The NBA Draft!
This year's Draft class has been highly anticipated for the past 2 years! In some ways, teams even had the nerve to tank this past season [Philly! *clears throat] in attempt to place their bid in the "Andrew Wiggins Sweepstakes". Yet, as the Draft Lottery positions were solidified and Cleveland found favor, once again securing the #1 ping pong ball, speculation of just who should be taken as this year's top prospect was in question leading up to Thursday night.
Prospects showed the best of what they had to offer in the NBA Draft Combine as well as individual team workouts. Along with Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker also gained his fair share of next-level foreshadowing during the college season. Being described as "the most NBA-ready" of the entire Draft class, his name also remained atop most mock draft boards even up to the moment of truth. However, this year's post-season, pre-draft buzz definitely bubbled amongst questions surrounding the health Joel Embiid.
You don't have to go much further to remember the likes of Greg Oden taken #1 ahead of now MVP, Scoring Champion, and All-Star, Kevin Durant... or other Bigs who's potential was cut short due to injury: Michael Olowokandi... or Kwame Brown... or Yao Ming. Bigs just don't seem to, shall I say, rebound from back or foot injuries, much less, both! But as seen through last night's decisions, Philly is either practicing the patience of Job by selecting Embiid right after taking Nerlens Noel last year (while also injured) or they enjoy the risk taking business.
As with the results of any NBA Draft, only time will tell...
Best Player:
Jabari Parker (Milwaukee) - Dynamic offensive prowess. potential weight concerns, yet surprisingly light on his feet. NBA-Ready.
Comparisons: Carmelo Anthony > Paul Pierce > Jamal Mashburn
Biggest Upside:
Andrew Wiggins (Cleveland) - Wiry Wing with world class athleticism. Can defend and create. Offense should only improve as he learns where he can be most effective in the NBA game. Cleveland seemingly made the right pick at #1 this year!
Comparisons: Latrell Sprewell > Jason Richardson > James White
Biggest Risk:
Joel Embiid (Philadelphia) - Prototypical Center with great size and athleticism. Recent foot injury and previous back problems are of immediate concern.
Comparisons: Hakeem Olajuwon > Greg Oden > Sam Bowie
Good Fit Picks:
Julius Randle (Los Angeles LAL) - Rebounding machine, beast with the rock. His 1-on-1 game is already mature and he'll be a tough cover for anyone on the block. Should offer Kobe a few more second-chance attempts.
Comparisons: Zach Randolph > Royce White > Marcus Fizer
Aaron Gordon (Orlando) - Best MOTOR in the Draft with very quick bounce. Undefined offensive position, but should be able to defend most wing or post players. Should be a nice fast break option with Victor Oladipo (and Elfrid Payton) in Orlando. *MJ fist pump
Comparisons: Blake Griffin > Shawn Marion > Josh Smith
Doug McDermott (Chicago) - Shooting Specialist with a knack for scoring. Very fluid offensively, may have challenges matching up defensively. Much needed scoring addition for Chicago.
Comparisons: Keith Van Horn > Adam Morrison > Kyle Korver
Kyle Anderson (San Antonio) - Offensive PG, Defensive PF. Great decision maker with the ball in his hands; questions about being able to adapt to the pace of the next level. San Antonio will be good for him.
Comparisons: Lamar Odom > Boris Diaw > Anthony Mason
My Sleeper:
Zach Lavine (UCLA) - Versatile PG/SG with crazy athleticism, good handle, and NBA-range. I expect him to initially come off the bench, but he has the tools to be a solid pro and gain a few of your Sports Center Top 10 nominations playing alongside Rubio! Oh yea, and if he enters the Slam Dunk Contest, I'm picking him NOW! #QuoteMeOnThis
Comparisons: Russell Westbrook > Jamal Crawford > Gerald Henderson
The Home Team:
Charlotte Hornets - After unveiling the new court, the NEW Charlotte HORNETS made some nice selections by landing Noah Vonleh at #9 (so glad they didn't pull the trigger for McDermott) and later trading the draft rights of Shabazz Napier at #24 to Miami for the draft rights of P.J. Hairston at #26 along with some future picks. I'm cool with both moves; way to begin bringing back the buzz Rich Cho!
Best Pick:
Isaiah Austin (NBA) - Well played Commissioner Adam Silver... very well played:
Isaiah Austin Drafted By The NBA
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