This is it! The Hoops Nerd's 1st Official 2014 NBA Mock Draft. There will be one now, one after March Madness (one round) and one a week before the actual draft (two rounds). Here are the ground rules.
1) The drafting ranks are based on the standings of December 17th, 2013. I didn't do any lottery. Too complicated.
2) I ranked the lottery teams first, then playoff teams second, based on actual winning percentages. Based on that methodology, weird things happened, like Toronto being in the playoffs for example.
3) Everybody declares until players say otherwise.
Are you ready? Forget everything you know about mock drafts.
Australian torpedo Dante Exum will enter the discussion at one point during pre-draft buzz. Management will give it a serious thought, but the precarious financial situation of the team and the fear of passing by a generational talent will speak louder and Milwaukee will draft the über-athletic Wiggins. The Greek Freak being now 6'10, they'll move him at four and hand the Canadian kid the wing and the keys to their franchise and hope for the best. Both kids should get along find and save the Bucks.
To a certain extent, Utah needs Jabari Parker more than they need Andrew Wiggins. It's not a basketball thing, it's a business thing. The most complete, versatile and NBA ready college player since Kevin Durant is mormon. He will be worshipped like a god in Salt Lake City, fill up the arena and make the franchise profitable for the next decade. Expect Utah to let Gordan Hayward go next summer and let Parker take over their team. He will average 20 pts his first year and most likely win rookie of the year. Good things will happen if Utah can secure Jabari Parker.
If Philadelphia cannot secure one of the two aforementioned superstar wings, they will go for the safest pick. Julius Randle will remind you of Chris Webber and Rasheed Wallace both. He will average 20-10 alongside the Sixers' unlikely hero Michael Carter-Williams. The Sixers drafted a stay-at-home rim defender last year, who will get along nicely with Randle's hyperactive. He will flourish under the tutelage of Brett Brown. Randle may not become the flashiest player, but he will be a reliable scoring option for many years.
(from New York Knicks, via Denver Nuggets)
If the Knicks hand the Magic another top 5 on a silver platter, Handsome Rob Hennigan will roll the dices on towering center Joel Embiid. Nikola Vucevic is a volume scorer, but his poor defensive play will eventually make him expendable. The kid is insanely raw, but he's built like Hakeem Olajuwon, has a decent shooting stroke, small man reflexes and he's been soaking it in, showing improvement game after game. The Embiid buzz is getting stronger and in the position Orlando is in, it's worth it to take a chance.
The smoke is finally clearing and the pieces are starting to fall nicely in Sacramento. The next logical piece they need is a floor general. Dante Exum plays basketball at an unreal speed. He has blow-by speed and attacks the rim at a ridiculous pace. He would be an ideal backcourt partner to last year's pick Ben McLemore and electrify the already upbeat squad. I could see Exum become the best player this draft has produced.
It's been in the air for a while. If Orlando has only one top 10 pick, I believe they will go for Smart if he's still available. Can you imagine the crazy athletic backcourt duo he would form with Victor Oladipo? The kid is already a reputable leader of man, a complete player and absolutely gigantic for his position. I have faith that Smart will become the point guard equivalent to James Harden.
(from Brooklyn Nets)
Underrated kid. Big and strong for a wing. Also has great scoring instincts and superb work ethic. He has a cozy gig next to Jabari Parker in Duke, but expect him to seduce several teams in the period going from the combine to draft night. Al Horford could use another scorer in Atlanta and Kyle Korver, despite being awesome, would be best used coming from the bench. Hood is going to be one of the great risers of this draft. He might even be gone before 7.
Dion Waiters is punching his ticket out of town and bigs are lining up to actually play some minutes in Cleveland, so the timing is good to take a chance on the intriguing, athletic UCLA prospect. What the Cavs need is a wing and I don't think they'll find satisfying options in low top 10. He's been playing well, but right now he's nothing more than a UFO, soaring on the NBA scouts list. The kid is all mystery and speculation at this point.
Vonleh is the best player available at this point. He's a freshman and has shown both skills and instincts at college level. Charlotte needs a competent big to play alongside their other Indiana alumni Cody Zeller. If both play their strength and play within Steve Clifford's system, they should become reliable NBA starters.
I believe Gordon will slip on draft night for two reasons : 1) He's a tad one dimensional and 2) He doesn't have the superstar upside of other prospects. Nonetheless, Memphis is starting to play the post-Z-Bo era and given the right conditions, I could see Gordon turning into a valuable piece in Memphis.
I've been high on this kid since last year and I believe the Lakers won't pass up on him. He's a very mobile center, a reliable rim defender and a versatile defensive player. Reliable role players are a rare commodity in Los Angeles, so I believe they'll give Cauley-Stein a genuine chance to prove himself.
This year's the right year for Dario Saric. The T-Wolves will benefit of his excellent shooting and his versatility in the soon aproaching post-Kevin Love era. Expect Saric to become a favored passing outlet for Ricky Rubio and overachieve soon in his career. Minnesota would be an ideal situation for him.
(from New Orleans Pelicans)
If they miss on the Wiggins/Parker sweepstakes, Philadelphia will still need a wing player. Enter James Young, a freshman with a sweet shooting stroke, good basketball IQ and a head on his shoulders. A little small and not very explosive for his position, but he's a cerebral player who finds ways to always stay relevant.
(from Golden State Warriors)
Smart, low-key player. A budding elite spot-up shooter. He's been flourishing under the radar in Kansas and should be flourishing in Utah, next to Trey Burke, Jabari Parker and Derrick Favors. Not the type of kid you would hand your franchise to, but a heat-check player bound to play hero in crunch time.
It doesn't matter what the scouts are saying about Harrison, the Bulls need a promising point guard to groom and Harrison will have to do. The Bulls will hesitate between him an Dinwiddie, from Colorado, but Harrison's overall upside will tip the scales in his favor.
Harrell has very high upside and superstar charisma, but he seems to struggle to assert himself on the court. Toronto needs a front court friend to Jonas Valanciunas who can rebound and finish above the rim. Harrell seems like a natural fit. Another high flyer in T.O.
(from Washington Wizards)
Phoenix lucked out last year selecting the unloved Archie Goodwin 29th overall. I think they will try their luck with GRIII this year. While the tweener wing might not be the offensive showstopper he was advertised to be, I could see him playing an important role in the Suns' upbeat rotation.
The mysterious sophomore seems to be breaking out of his shell and evolving nicely into a solid two-way player. Boston needs dependable scoring options right now and Grant finds ways to put up numbers. He can shoot and he's not afraid to attack the rim. Very dynamic and fun to watch.
(from Detroit Pistons)
I am far from being sold on Harris. Whenever I watch him play, his shot selection is horrible and I am convinced he will slip down come draft night. The Bobcats love to gamble with their draft picks though and they do have to contemplate the soon approaching departure of their disgruntled starter Ben Gordon.
(from Atlanta Hawks)
Here is a kid who is better than he looked, so far. He has a ton of responsibilities at Colorado U., a team that relies on him to carry their entire offense and he's finding ways to improve and stand out year after year. A more relaxed role in the structured approach of Brad Stevens will turn him into a useful NBA player.
Austin has been intriguing NBA scouts for two years now. He is a big who can shoot (51% this year, so far) and bigs who can shoot have always been a sexy idea to general managers. Of course he is flawed. He isn't super strong, not a great defensive player yet. But once again, he fits Phoenix's identity.
Injuries have been plaguing Denver's wings for a couple of years, now. Drafting Sam Dekker would give coach Brian Shaw an interesting option from the bench and GM Tim Connelly an interesting array of options. Dekker has all the tools to become a solid rotational player in the NBA.
Dwight Howard is not a strapping young lad anymore and Daryl Morey needs to start thinking long term at the 5 spot. Nurkic is not a budding superstar, but he's already showing signs of being a reliable center and a volume rebounder. He's a big, strong stay-at-home center.
Jahii Carson's size will keep him out of the lottery, but his talent will keep him in the first round. There are no quick fixes for the Clippers at this position. The education of Eric Bledsoe has been such a success, the Clips should think of getting Chris Paul another understudy. Worst case scenario Carson becomes another awesome trading chip.
McGary has been struggling without Trey Burke, this year. He is the type of kid who needs a good situation to flourish and Miami can give him that situation. Their downfall (if you can even say that) has always been interior defense and rebounding and Mitch McGary can give them that.
I think the Spurs will gamble again on an euro player this year because they showed interest in him last year and its time for Tim Duncan to pass his knowledge to a worthy heir. Word is that Jaiteh has maturity problems but I'm sure it's nothing Coach Pop and his squad can't squash.
Power. Athleticism. Versatility. Walker offers a lot for a freshman. OKC has already a very interesting backcourt, but they could still use some big bodies. Walker is a best case scenario for them. He is strong, fearless and attacks the rim like a tiger. I could see this working out for OKC.
(from Indiana Pacers)
Maybe not the best point guard available at that rank, but he's the most athletic and he fits the Suns' run and gun mentality. Hanlan will be able to pick up the pace when Eric Bledsoe sits on the bench for a few minutes. I'm expecting the Suns to go for the fit more than for talent and Hanlan is a great fit.
Poythress has been nothing but disappointing so far, but I believe Portland should take a leap of faith on him. He's athletic, versatile and enormous for his position. Plus, they have the right culture to turn him around. It's not a huge bet when you're drafting last, but Poythress is still worth the gamble.
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