2014 NBA Draft: Players Who Landed In Ideal Spots

2 of 8

Jun 26, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Shabazz Napier (Connecticut) heads up to the stage after being selected as the number twenty-four overall pick to the Charlotte Hornets in the 2014 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Shabazz Napier: Miami Heat

Could it get any better for Shabazz?

The NCAA Champion got lucky enough that the “Big 3” and the Miami Mafia want him to take his talents to South Beach. Not only does Napier get to live in Miami, but he’s going to be playing with the best player on the planet right now, along with two, possibly three or four, future hall-of-famers. On top of all that, he’s probably going to be the starting point guard on the best team in the East by quite a considerable margin.

More from Atlanta Hawks

If that’s not the most ideal landing spot for any rookie, I don’t know what is. While I wrote that last paragraph, I convinced myself I could play on the Miami Heat. All I would have to do is stand around a shoot threes and try to get in the way on defense, and I’d still be doing more than Mario Chalmers did for the Heat in the NBA Finals. BOOM!

You have to think Miami was going to let Chalmers walk at the end of this season, but his stink bomb of a performance in the Finals was the last straw and swung the door wide-open for Napier.

Yes, Norris Cole is still on the Miami Heat for a few more seasons. I’m not so sure the Heat are sold on Cole being the starting point guard of the future like they thought he could eventually be when they drafted him. Cole brings energy off the bench, much like Patty Mills, and I can’t imagine either of those guys as everyday starting point guards in the NBA. They’re both supremely talented and have played major roles in their teams winning the NBA Finals, but there’s a difference between being good at times and being good for periods of time. If you don’t understand the difference, go watch Raymond Felton play basketball.

Home/Atlanta Hawks