Post by itnas123 on May 15, 2014 0:41:36 GMT
This draft has seen so many trades and movements up and down with many wanting out and many others wanting to get in. Lets take a look at the top 10 picks this season, how well they did in the NCEA, potential roles and potential minutes, and how well they fit on their teams.
1. Jazz: Nikola Mirotic
With a team that got lucky this year getting the #1 draft pick this season has given them the liberty to choose which ever way they wanted a PG, a SG, a SF, a PF but ultimately selected Center Nikola Mirotic. Nikola could start this year ahead of Dalembert but he has to show the GM that he can trust a rookie with this task by showing big numbers early this season. Nikola Mirotic has been compared to to the one and only Dirk Nowitzki for his superb 3pt stroke getting 40% from 3 pt land. He has also demonstrated a good post-up game with a 45% FG. This combination of outside and inside scoring has made him a dangerous offensive threat. In the NCEA Nikola Mirotic scored 21.5 a game making him the 4th best scorer. Nikola Mirotic also has great rebounding instincts getting 9.9 a game and defensively he was the best shot blocker in the NCEA getting 2 a game. If he gets minutes on the Jazz and develop well he should make waves on his team.
Grade: A-
2. Cavaliers: Kyrie Irving
Irving is arguably the best PG in the NCEA this season and this draft. He lands with the Cavs and can play right now for them. The Cavs traded Childress once they got Kyrie to give him the reigns of this team. Irving has a good shot and has almost unlimited range. His handles are bar to none, he has counter moves upon counter moves and makes it difficult for defenders to stop him. Irving’s combination of handles and shot has led him to #2 in scoring in the NCEA with 25.6 a game right behind Lillard. He has good potential in running an offense well. He was #1 in the NCEA getting 7.5 a game but the one thing he does do is get out of control at times. He does turnover the ball 2.8 a game. A very good player as soon as he steps on the floor. Oh and did I mention he is 19 YEARS OLD.
Grade: A+
3. 76ers: Jonas Valanciunas
This is a nice pick here but could have gone a different direction. They had Kwame Brown, Brook Lopez, and Larry Sanders. A very established big man rotation and may have needed a better SG or SF for this team to solidify better wing depth. The 76ers it seems liked what they saw in Jonas Valanciunas. Jonas Valanciunas has a solid inside post-up and pick and roll game. He does seem to score just from close range which is his flaw. He scored 11 PPG showing some skill but has been inconsistent all year. A solid rebounder nabbing 8.8 a game, and has good box-out technique. One of his better attribute is his defensive awareness knowing were to be on the floor. He was #10 in BPG getting 1.2 a game. When he gets starter minutes will be Valanciunas main concern but Jonas has the chance to get better at his own pace.
Grade: B
4. Bobcats: Isaiah Thomas
Thomas looks to be the starting PG over Marcus Banks due to Thomas’ inability to play SG. Sliding Banks to the 6th man role looks to be the better option adding some depth at the guard position for the Bobcats. Many fans were surprised with the trade that brought the 4th pick to the Bobcats hands. Many questioned why select someone the Cats could have easily chosen at #8 but the Cats had intel that the Magic had the intention to get the 5’9” PG with the #7 pick so they moved up to the #4 spot. Before the Cats selected Thomas the coaching staff put Thomas in a personal workout(Scout camp) to see how good his handles, Quickness, and 3pt shot were. They were pleasantly surprised and astonished on how he performed. The staff saw Thomas to potentially become better than Collison in a year. In the NCEA he was #3 in scoring getting 22.5 a game. In this season with Crimson he shot in high frequency, shooting 20 FGA a game and still shooting 45%, he also shot 4.6 3 pointers a game and shooting at a 38% clip in the top 15. An excellent shooter and at his size it is really tough to stay in front of at times. Thomas is a great orchestrator in leading a team. Thomas has a great assist to T/O ratio at 6.8 : 1.5 which shows a good controlled game. Good defender in the perimeter getting 1.5 steals a game is excellent but does struggle defending a PG if he is posted down low.
Grade:B
5. Cavaliers: Klay Thompson
Klay was chosen by the Cavaliers, who do have Eric Gordon on this roster and Rudy Gay at SF. It is very tough to see Klay get any starting minutes unless he proves the GM that he can. Currently Klay is going to play the 6th man role and get a decent 20 minutes a game. Adding Klay does add much needed wing depth for this team and could substantially make a better overall 3 pt shooting threat to defend. Klay is a very cerebral player shooting off of picks, catch and shoot situations, and an excellent triple threat player. Klay has textbook form on his jump shot he shot at 45 FG%, Klay shot 4 3pts a game and shot 38% from three a top 15 shooter in the NCEA. Klay is a very average defender and needs to be laterally quicker. Klay has good passing touch getting 4 assists a game but does turn it over at times 2.3 T/O a game. Klay could be a good role player for years to come and potentially be a 17 point scorer in the main league.
Grade:B
6. Celtics: Brandon Knight
Brandon Knight was selected by the Celtics and looks to be the back-up to Jameer Nelson and potentially play behind Tyreke Evans as well. Primed for the 6th man role Knight must learn as much as he can from Star PG Jameer Nelson. Knight looks to get at max 20 minutes a game just like Klay will with the Cavaliers. Knight was one of the most efficient 3pt shooters in the NCEA. Knight shot 41% from three and was #5 in 3pt%. Knight used his shooting ability to become the 7th best scorer in the NCEA. Knight scored 19.5 PPG behind Anthony Davis. Knight can become a great assist man. He was # 2 in assists this season with 7.2 a game but he does tend to get too pass happy and it lead to 3.7 turnovers a game. Defensively Knight gambles for steal too much and gets burnt at times. Hopefully Jameer Nelson can mentor Knight into becoming a much better player overall.
Grade: B
7. Magic: Kawhai Leonard
The Orlando Magic add another SF to the roster. The Magic has a very loaded team at the wings, Shawn Marion, James Johnson, Marvin Williams, Ron Artest, Josh Selby, Alec Burks and Kahwai Leonard. The Magic Could have used a PF for this team who only has 2 capable big men in Blair, and Stepnia. If Kawhai wants to see a 6th man role he must become substantially better and learn as much as he can from Marion and Artest. Kawhai is a very solid inside scorer, 3pt shooter, a mid range shooter and can take it to the basket. Leonard shot 44% FG, 38% from 3 and 77% from FT% staying within the top 15 in all three categories. With his solid percentages he was able to score 17 PPG. His defense is good he can keep players from scoring big numbers because he has huge motor and a long wingspan. Leonard likes to crash the glass frequently whilst his 7 RPG. A quiet player the Magic hope they can turn into a diamond…..
Grade: B-
8: Warriors: Kenneth Faried
Faried lands with the Warriors who currently has a loaded big man rotation with Hasheem Thabeet, Hassan Whiteside, Bismack Biyombo, Chris Copeland, Luke Harangody and superstar Zach Randolph. As of right now the Warriors are shopping Biyombo and Copeland around the league which should open up the 6th man role for Faried on the Warriors. Faried looks to be primed to be a sparkplug and a change of pace type player off the bench this season. Faried has shown tremendous motor and at first glance at his stats might not seem spectacular. Scoring 11 PPG and only 8 rebounds. Faried only played 28 minutes a game in the NCEA, and based on how he plays, if Faried played close to 35 minutes he would have been a 16/10 player. Faried does well but does commit 2.4 turnovers a game for every 3 assists which might be why he played only 28 minutes a game. IF the Warriors can get faried minutes he could help this team a lot coming off the bench.
Grade: B
9: Bobcats: Chandler Parsons
It is no secret the Bobcats would have wanted Leonard, or Klay Thompson one for his defense and the other for his pure shooting but Leonard was selected at # 7 by the Magic and Klay Thompson was selected 5th by the Cavs. So the Bobcats selected the next best thing in Chandler Parsons. The Bobcats already have DaJuan Summers but the Cats intend to slide Parsons to the SG position. Depending on FA the Cats might start the 6’9” Parsons from the get go. IF Parsons does start he will have a chance to become an integral piece to the Cats season. Why have so much faith in Parsons? Well Parsons has an excellent 4 years with the Razorbacks scoring 12 PPG his rookie season, 21 PPG his Sophomore year and 25 PPG his Junior year whilst Irving was not on this team until his senior year in which he scored 19.4 a game becoming the 8th in the NCEA. Parsons is a good shooter and has excellent inside finish and mid-range game. Parsons shot 45% FG, 77% FT and 39% from 3. He could become a better FT shooter which could increase his scoring but is excellent elsewhere. Parsons does well getting rebounds, crashing from the perimeter Parsons collects 7 Rebounds a game. Parsons is a great passer getting 3.4 assists and only 1.5 T/O show great vision for a player his size and position. Parsons does need to improve his defense though he need to become a better post and perimeter defender to keep the opposition in front of him.
Grade:B
10. Nets: Enes Kanter
Kanter is chosen by the Nets who looks like was selected by need. The only true good big man the Nets have is Carlos Boozer. The Nets have Paul Pierce at SF, Corey Maggette at SG and Holiday at PG, so one could see Enes Kanter Start for the Nets unless the Nets get a better big in FA. If Kanter does start it might look a little ugly due to the fact of how raw his scoring and defensive awareness show. Kanter looks to only be able to score from very close range, good on the pick and roll and good at putbacks but that looks to about it. Scoring a low amount of points only 9 a game in the NCEA. Kanter is a good rebounder due to quick reactions and strength which helped Kanter get 8.8 rebounds a game. Kanter needs to learn where to rotate on defense. Kanter only had 1 BPG in the NCEA this season. Kanter has potential to be good but he has to put in a lot of work to become much better and help this team substantially.
Grade: B-
1. Jazz: Nikola Mirotic
With a team that got lucky this year getting the #1 draft pick this season has given them the liberty to choose which ever way they wanted a PG, a SG, a SF, a PF but ultimately selected Center Nikola Mirotic. Nikola could start this year ahead of Dalembert but he has to show the GM that he can trust a rookie with this task by showing big numbers early this season. Nikola Mirotic has been compared to to the one and only Dirk Nowitzki for his superb 3pt stroke getting 40% from 3 pt land. He has also demonstrated a good post-up game with a 45% FG. This combination of outside and inside scoring has made him a dangerous offensive threat. In the NCEA Nikola Mirotic scored 21.5 a game making him the 4th best scorer. Nikola Mirotic also has great rebounding instincts getting 9.9 a game and defensively he was the best shot blocker in the NCEA getting 2 a game. If he gets minutes on the Jazz and develop well he should make waves on his team.
Grade: A-
2. Cavaliers: Kyrie Irving
Irving is arguably the best PG in the NCEA this season and this draft. He lands with the Cavs and can play right now for them. The Cavs traded Childress once they got Kyrie to give him the reigns of this team. Irving has a good shot and has almost unlimited range. His handles are bar to none, he has counter moves upon counter moves and makes it difficult for defenders to stop him. Irving’s combination of handles and shot has led him to #2 in scoring in the NCEA with 25.6 a game right behind Lillard. He has good potential in running an offense well. He was #1 in the NCEA getting 7.5 a game but the one thing he does do is get out of control at times. He does turnover the ball 2.8 a game. A very good player as soon as he steps on the floor. Oh and did I mention he is 19 YEARS OLD.
Grade: A+
3. 76ers: Jonas Valanciunas
This is a nice pick here but could have gone a different direction. They had Kwame Brown, Brook Lopez, and Larry Sanders. A very established big man rotation and may have needed a better SG or SF for this team to solidify better wing depth. The 76ers it seems liked what they saw in Jonas Valanciunas. Jonas Valanciunas has a solid inside post-up and pick and roll game. He does seem to score just from close range which is his flaw. He scored 11 PPG showing some skill but has been inconsistent all year. A solid rebounder nabbing 8.8 a game, and has good box-out technique. One of his better attribute is his defensive awareness knowing were to be on the floor. He was #10 in BPG getting 1.2 a game. When he gets starter minutes will be Valanciunas main concern but Jonas has the chance to get better at his own pace.
Grade: B
4. Bobcats: Isaiah Thomas
Thomas looks to be the starting PG over Marcus Banks due to Thomas’ inability to play SG. Sliding Banks to the 6th man role looks to be the better option adding some depth at the guard position for the Bobcats. Many fans were surprised with the trade that brought the 4th pick to the Bobcats hands. Many questioned why select someone the Cats could have easily chosen at #8 but the Cats had intel that the Magic had the intention to get the 5’9” PG with the #7 pick so they moved up to the #4 spot. Before the Cats selected Thomas the coaching staff put Thomas in a personal workout(Scout camp) to see how good his handles, Quickness, and 3pt shot were. They were pleasantly surprised and astonished on how he performed. The staff saw Thomas to potentially become better than Collison in a year. In the NCEA he was #3 in scoring getting 22.5 a game. In this season with Crimson he shot in high frequency, shooting 20 FGA a game and still shooting 45%, he also shot 4.6 3 pointers a game and shooting at a 38% clip in the top 15. An excellent shooter and at his size it is really tough to stay in front of at times. Thomas is a great orchestrator in leading a team. Thomas has a great assist to T/O ratio at 6.8 : 1.5 which shows a good controlled game. Good defender in the perimeter getting 1.5 steals a game is excellent but does struggle defending a PG if he is posted down low.
Grade:B
5. Cavaliers: Klay Thompson
Klay was chosen by the Cavaliers, who do have Eric Gordon on this roster and Rudy Gay at SF. It is very tough to see Klay get any starting minutes unless he proves the GM that he can. Currently Klay is going to play the 6th man role and get a decent 20 minutes a game. Adding Klay does add much needed wing depth for this team and could substantially make a better overall 3 pt shooting threat to defend. Klay is a very cerebral player shooting off of picks, catch and shoot situations, and an excellent triple threat player. Klay has textbook form on his jump shot he shot at 45 FG%, Klay shot 4 3pts a game and shot 38% from three a top 15 shooter in the NCEA. Klay is a very average defender and needs to be laterally quicker. Klay has good passing touch getting 4 assists a game but does turn it over at times 2.3 T/O a game. Klay could be a good role player for years to come and potentially be a 17 point scorer in the main league.
Grade:B
6. Celtics: Brandon Knight
Brandon Knight was selected by the Celtics and looks to be the back-up to Jameer Nelson and potentially play behind Tyreke Evans as well. Primed for the 6th man role Knight must learn as much as he can from Star PG Jameer Nelson. Knight looks to get at max 20 minutes a game just like Klay will with the Cavaliers. Knight was one of the most efficient 3pt shooters in the NCEA. Knight shot 41% from three and was #5 in 3pt%. Knight used his shooting ability to become the 7th best scorer in the NCEA. Knight scored 19.5 PPG behind Anthony Davis. Knight can become a great assist man. He was # 2 in assists this season with 7.2 a game but he does tend to get too pass happy and it lead to 3.7 turnovers a game. Defensively Knight gambles for steal too much and gets burnt at times. Hopefully Jameer Nelson can mentor Knight into becoming a much better player overall.
Grade: B
7. Magic: Kawhai Leonard
The Orlando Magic add another SF to the roster. The Magic has a very loaded team at the wings, Shawn Marion, James Johnson, Marvin Williams, Ron Artest, Josh Selby, Alec Burks and Kahwai Leonard. The Magic Could have used a PF for this team who only has 2 capable big men in Blair, and Stepnia. If Kawhai wants to see a 6th man role he must become substantially better and learn as much as he can from Marion and Artest. Kawhai is a very solid inside scorer, 3pt shooter, a mid range shooter and can take it to the basket. Leonard shot 44% FG, 38% from 3 and 77% from FT% staying within the top 15 in all three categories. With his solid percentages he was able to score 17 PPG. His defense is good he can keep players from scoring big numbers because he has huge motor and a long wingspan. Leonard likes to crash the glass frequently whilst his 7 RPG. A quiet player the Magic hope they can turn into a diamond…..
Grade: B-
8: Warriors: Kenneth Faried
Faried lands with the Warriors who currently has a loaded big man rotation with Hasheem Thabeet, Hassan Whiteside, Bismack Biyombo, Chris Copeland, Luke Harangody and superstar Zach Randolph. As of right now the Warriors are shopping Biyombo and Copeland around the league which should open up the 6th man role for Faried on the Warriors. Faried looks to be primed to be a sparkplug and a change of pace type player off the bench this season. Faried has shown tremendous motor and at first glance at his stats might not seem spectacular. Scoring 11 PPG and only 8 rebounds. Faried only played 28 minutes a game in the NCEA, and based on how he plays, if Faried played close to 35 minutes he would have been a 16/10 player. Faried does well but does commit 2.4 turnovers a game for every 3 assists which might be why he played only 28 minutes a game. IF the Warriors can get faried minutes he could help this team a lot coming off the bench.
Grade: B
9: Bobcats: Chandler Parsons
It is no secret the Bobcats would have wanted Leonard, or Klay Thompson one for his defense and the other for his pure shooting but Leonard was selected at # 7 by the Magic and Klay Thompson was selected 5th by the Cavs. So the Bobcats selected the next best thing in Chandler Parsons. The Bobcats already have DaJuan Summers but the Cats intend to slide Parsons to the SG position. Depending on FA the Cats might start the 6’9” Parsons from the get go. IF Parsons does start he will have a chance to become an integral piece to the Cats season. Why have so much faith in Parsons? Well Parsons has an excellent 4 years with the Razorbacks scoring 12 PPG his rookie season, 21 PPG his Sophomore year and 25 PPG his Junior year whilst Irving was not on this team until his senior year in which he scored 19.4 a game becoming the 8th in the NCEA. Parsons is a good shooter and has excellent inside finish and mid-range game. Parsons shot 45% FG, 77% FT and 39% from 3. He could become a better FT shooter which could increase his scoring but is excellent elsewhere. Parsons does well getting rebounds, crashing from the perimeter Parsons collects 7 Rebounds a game. Parsons is a great passer getting 3.4 assists and only 1.5 T/O show great vision for a player his size and position. Parsons does need to improve his defense though he need to become a better post and perimeter defender to keep the opposition in front of him.
Grade:B
10. Nets: Enes Kanter
Kanter is chosen by the Nets who looks like was selected by need. The only true good big man the Nets have is Carlos Boozer. The Nets have Paul Pierce at SF, Corey Maggette at SG and Holiday at PG, so one could see Enes Kanter Start for the Nets unless the Nets get a better big in FA. If Kanter does start it might look a little ugly due to the fact of how raw his scoring and defensive awareness show. Kanter looks to only be able to score from very close range, good on the pick and roll and good at putbacks but that looks to about it. Scoring a low amount of points only 9 a game in the NCEA. Kanter is a good rebounder due to quick reactions and strength which helped Kanter get 8.8 rebounds a game. Kanter needs to learn where to rotate on defense. Kanter only had 1 BPG in the NCEA this season. Kanter has potential to be good but he has to put in a lot of work to become much better and help this team substantially.
Grade: B-
