The Great Reckoning: The 2014 Draft

In 2003, the NBA was introduced to an incredible mix of athletes and superstars that would guide the league for years to come. Since this draft, four of the top five picks have blossomed into world champions as well as global icons, and several other lesser regarded players made names for themselves as well. Players like Kirk Hinrich, Chris Kaman, Boris Diaw, and David West represent only a portion of the influential role players inducted into the association in 2003. Every draft class since then has had to face the daunting and unfair comparison to that immortal group. Does it have the star power? How deep is this draft? How many Darko Milicic's do we see in this first round? No draft to date has compared. The 2007 Draft had some stars; Kevin Durant, Al Horford, and Joakim Noah turned out nicely, but while Domonic McGuire was finding a home in 2007, with the same forty-seventh selection in 2003 Mo Williams was impacting a franchise. The 2011 draft featured many contributors who are guaranteed to have successful careers, but let's not be daft; Kyrie Irving is the only brand name player coming out of this year. That said, the 2003 draft was fairly solid. It would be a fair assumption to guess a draft quite like it would appear once in a lifetime, or at least a basketball era. Yet here we stand, on the precipice of potentially the most influential draft in a decade. Future superstars are chomping at the bit to steal the limelight, and this group is entirely capable of reshaping the landscape of basketball.

 I am the NBA's reckoning, Mr. James.

Chad Ford, ESPN's resident draft guru, because you know, they couldn't sign me, suggests that this year's top eight or so players may have all-star level potential. An extremely bold statement, but also one with much support deserves recognition. While most players on this draft board break the mold of typical NBA players, I've attempted to map out the careers of these players by comparing them to their NBA avatars. Some predictions are brash, some are unfairly lofty, but all may be reached given the proper development.

10. Glenn Robinson III

 

`           Glenn Robinson III was the most overqualified fourth-best-player-on-his-team in college basketball last year. This stunning vortex of athleticism has the athleticism, work ethic, and heritage to succeed. Robinson is great at nothing, good at everything, and bad at nothing. With time, Robinson could convert some of his unbridled athleticism into defensive stoppage. At this moment, Robinson is one of the most electric open court players in the world, college or otherwise. With development under a competent Michigan staff and an NBA dad, Glenn figures one day be an Andre Iguodala type player. Robinson possesses much upside with little chance to fail.

9. Dario Saric

 

            In case you don’t eat, sleep, and breathe basketball like I do, you are unaware that Dario Saric recently led the U19 basketball world championship in scoring, rebounding, and assisting. Dario is 6'10'', possesses some point forward type qualities, and is reminiscent of Hedu Turkoglu. Saric is an excellent shooter with NBA range and is from all accounts a pretty good kid. The only negative derived from his game is how prone he is to turning the ball over, a product that may simply be the factor of having the ball in his hands way more than he is interested in or capable of. Saric has top ten potential, and should be a much improved version of Hedu Turkoglu at the next level. If that sounds as awful as it feels to type, try to remember that once upon a time, Hedu was good at basketball.

8. Andrew Harrison

 

            Andrew Harrison is a player prepared to defy the current point guard regime currently residing atop the NBA pedestal. Quick, athletic point guards dominate the league, and Andrew Harrison is both of those things. Oh, and he's built like a tight end. Across the board, point guards top out at around the size of 6'4'', with a weight of roughly 195, this being the general maximum. Harrison is a match-up nightmare who revels in defending his position. At 6'5'' 210, who in the league will be able to defend this kid? The reason big point guards are rare in the NBA is because they lack the lateral quickness to handle the much more popular speedy and agile guard. Small quick guards will struggle with his size, and bigger guards are typically too slow to match him. The extra size also opens up Harrison's vision for finding passing lanes. Perhaps the comparison is extreme, but Harrison has the potential to enjoy a Gary Payton like career, or if he so chooses, Tony Gonzalez.

7. Gary Harris

 

            Tom Izzo recruits toughness. The Spartans demand to live up to their moniker every time they step on the court, and Gary Harris epitomizes what it means to be a Michigan State basketball player. At 6'4'', Harris plays solid fundamental defense and boasts above average athleticism. He uses both his ability and toughness to subsidize for any issues he might have matching up against taller shooting guards. Gary shot over 41% from three this past season, making him a threat from all over the court. Harris is about as can't miss as a prospect can be given his work ethic, and was heralded as a top 5 pick in the 2013 draft before he opted to return to college. Harris reminds me of a contemporary Joe Dumars, or for a more recent comparison, a less athletic but headier Victor Oladipo.

6. Aaron Gordon

            Aaron Gordon has drawn many comparisons to Blake Griffin, and not only because of his similar bi-racial complexion. Gordon jumps out of the gym, his vertical may actually surpass Blake's, helping to compensate for his lesser size. At roughly 6'8'', Gordon figures to be a small forward at the professional level, which means he will need to greatly improve his shooting and ball-handling capabilities. The MVP of the U-19 tournament in Prague led America in both scoring and rebounding, two things he is guaranteed to provide in the association.

5. Willie Cauley-Stein

            After Nerlens Noel's season ending ACL injury, Willie Cauley-Stein was the one object preventing Kentucky from sucking even worse than it did. Willie preformed admirably for the Wildcats a season ago and will look to provide leadership for this year's highly touted Kentucky squad in the post. Cauley-Stein can absolutely elevate. His vertical is surpassed in this draft class by only Aaron Gordon and Andrew Wiggins, and at 7'0'', he's a shot-blocking dynamo. Willie is still a youngling in the art of basketball, and his decision to return to Lexington to master the post and hone his instincts was an excellent one. With so many unknowns in his path, Cauley-Stein could have a career similar to Javale McGee's, or reach as high as Dikembe Mutombo.

4. Marcus Smart

 

            The first thing you will notice is that Mr. Smart is physically terrifying. At 6'4'' 225, Smart is a massive point guard built like Dwyane Wade. The comparison ends there however, as Smart is likely to play point guard in the NBA, his creativity passing and incredible feel for the game are evident when you watch him play. Smart is the fiercest competitor in this draft, and defends both backcourt positions with the ferocity of a Bengal tiger who has been poked one too many times. This is very important, as Smart possesses only above average athleticism. Other critiques include Smart's inability to shoot consistent jump shots, making shooting guard a poor position for him. Holding him back from truly converting to the point guard position is his lack of ball security; Smart turns the ball over more than an elite point guard should. Despite these shortcomings, Smart is the one player in this draft who I would select to go into battle with me. His NBA likeness may be found somewhere between Doc Rivers and James Harden, and will be a valuable asset to any team with a desire to win.

3. Julius Randle

            See, this is why this is supposed to be the best draft class in over a decade. The book on Julius Randle is as follows: fantastic kid with a fantastic work ethic; loves basketball. All of these guys are unlike so many newly knighted NBA players. These kids just love to play, and Randle is no exception. His high character combined with phenomenal athleticism would make him a top ten pick alone, but Randle complements his athleticism with an incredible degree of skill given his age. Julius has the ability to shoot out to the three point line, and has a decimating post game. A post game! A player entering the NBA with a post game! That's so novel! Randle has the potential to rise to a Karl Malone type level, and will at the minimum be of the Chris Webber mold. And he looks so happy!

2. Jabari Parker

 

            Ready for this? Jabari Parker is a, you guessed it! High character kid with a tremendous motor. Shocker right? What is surprising however is that Parker is actually one of only 10,000 black Mormons in the United States. Parker was kind enough to consider BYU when selecting colleges before eventually selecting Duke. Jabari plays the game with an incredible degree of intelligence, and is able to score in every feasible way. Parker can post up, shoot, drive, run, and crash the boards with a high degree of success. Parker was the LeBron James of this class before it was cool and Andrew Wiggins snatched the mantle. It's just as well, Parker plays in the fashion of Carmelo Anthony, if Carmelo cared at all about things that weren't scoring. Parker's athleticism is underrated, and at a higher level than that of Anthony. Off the court, I'm nobody to judge Carmelo's character or who he is as a person, but Parker is much more hands free. A gym rat, Parker is basically guaranteed to be a perennial all star, and should live a bountiful career.

1. Andrew Wiggins

 

            Aside from owning the record for all-time pictures on this website, Wiggins has established a few accomplishments for himself. Everything you've heard about him is true; with the exception of the rumor he is a shape shifting griffin, which is still unconfirmed. At the LeBron James skills camp, Wiggins OUTJUMPED THE MEASURING SYSTEM. Andrew is virtually unblockable, and has more vertical athleticism than any player we've ever seen…ever. Wiggins jumps higher than Michael, and higher than LeBron. That said, Wiggins does not have the all around ability of either of those legends. He isn't as strong as LeBron; he isn't as crafty as Michael. He can't pass like James, nor can he close like Jordan. Sure all of these traits may be learned, but it's extremely unrealistic to think that any player may just acquire the ability to play at the level of either of the two stars. What truly haunts Wiggins in terms of limiting his potential is at times, Wiggins grows complacent, and is reported to lack the work ethic of a Jabari Parker or Julius Randle. He may be hailed as the next LeBron, but a more realistic comparison is somewhere between Bron' and Scottie Pippen. Wiggins can be the best player in this draft; all he has to do is apply himself.