The ping pong balls have bounced. The envelopes have been revealed. And once again, the fix is clearly in. The 2014 NBA Draft Lottery was released last night, with the Cleveland Cavaliers once again somehow winning and receiving the No. 1 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. While I’m not sure what it is exactly that Dan Gilbert has on the NBA, which clearly goes past David Stern, I am positive that it must be good. Perhaps, it involved Stern and Silver. I don’t know. Either way, the Cavs have once bucked the odds, moving up from the No. 9 spot to the No. 1 overall selection. They also won the lottery in 2013, moving up from No. 8. Of course, last year’s selection of Anthony Bennett as the top choice seems like a bust for the Cavs as of now, so they will be looking to hit the jackpot this year more along the lines of two of their past No. 1 picks – LeBron James and Kyrie Irving.
It is no secret that this is a very deep draft class. It may actually be the deepest since 2003, when Cleveland drafted James with the No. 1 overall pick in a class that also featured Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. While four of the top five picks have turned into perennial All-Stars, it is worth noting that Darko Milicic was selected second behind only James. It just goes to prove that even in the deepest of draft classes, they can’t all be winners.
The top three consensus picks in the 2014 NBA draft class appear to clear. The order is what differs, depending on which teams you ask. Former Kansas Jayhawks teammates Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid will likely battle former Duke Blue Devils star Jabari Parker for the top spot overall. After that, it is up in the air. Here is a look at my first mock draft, with the 2014 NBA Draft just over a month away.
1. Cleveland Cavaliers – Jabari Parker, SF, Duke
2. Milwaukee Bucks – Joel Embiid, C, Kansas
3. Philadelphia 76ers – Andrew Wiggins, SF, Kansas
4. Orlando Magic – Dante Exum, PG, Australia
5. Utah Jazz – Noah Vonleh, PF, Indiana
6. Boston Celtics – Julius Randle, PF, Kentucky
7. Los Angeles Lakers – Marcus Smart, PG, Oklahoma State
8. Sacramento Kings – Doug McDermott, F, Creighton
9. Charlotte Hornets – Aaron Gordon, F, Arizona
10. Philadelphia 76ers – Dario Saric, F, Croatia
11. Denver Nuggets – Gary Harris, G, Michigan State
12. Orlando Magic – James Young, SF, Kentucky
13. Minnesota Timberwolves – Adreian Payne, PF, Michigan State
14. Phoenix Suns – Clint Capella, F, Switzerland
15. Atlanta Hawks – Nik Stauskas, SG, Michigan
16. Chicago Bulls – Rodney Hood, SF, Duke
17. Boston Celtics – P.J. Hairston, SG, D-League Via North Carolina
18. Phoenix Suns – K.J. McDaniels, SF, Clemson
19. Chicago Bulls – Zach LaVine, G, UCLA
20. Toronto Raptors – Tyler Ennis, PG, Syracuse
21. Oklahoma City Thunder – T.J. Warren, SF, North Carolina State
22. Memphis Grizzlies – Kyle Anderson, F, UCLA
23. Utah Jazz – Jusuf Nurkic, C, Bosnia
24. Charlotte Hornets – Cleanthony Early, F, Wichita State
25. Houston Rockets – Elfrid Payton, PG, Louisiana-Lafayette
26. Miami Heat – Shabazz Napier, PG, Connecticut
27. Phoenix Suns – Jerami Grant, PF, Syracuse
28. Los Angeles Clippers – C.J. Wilcox, SG, Washington
29. Oklahoma City Thunder – Mitch McGary, C, Michigan
30. San Antonio Spurs – Jordan Adams, SG, UCLA
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