Jun 27, 2013; Brooklyn, NY, USA; A general view as NBA commissioner David Stern (right) , deputy commissioner Adam Silver (left) and former NBA player Hakeem Olajuwon speak on stage after the first round of the 2013 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
We are approaching one of the most anticipated NBA draft lottery’s we’ve encountered in a few years. The last draft class to receive this much excitement before the draft lottery even took place was the 2010 NBA Draft class; which included John Wall, Evan Turner, DeMarcus Cousins, Greg Monroe, and Paul George. In this year’s class, much like the 2010 NBA Draft class, there is at least five potential stars available, but after them there appears to be a significant “drop off” in terms of talent.
During the course of the season there were reports surfacing that some teams were “tanking” on purpose in order to be in the running for some of the top prospects, which shows this year’s draft expectations. 2014 NBA Draft prospect from Indiana University, Noah Vonleh, made the following statement regarding this year’s draft class expectations in an interview at the NBA Scouting Combine:
"“I thought it was pretty crazy that teams were doing that. But they’re saying this is going to be one of the toughest draft classes since 2003.”"
The 2003 draft class included stars like LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh, so for this class to be compared to that amazing class says a lot. Here are five NBA draft prospects available that not only have the potential to be “stars” in the league right away, but are the reason the lottery is getting so much hype:
Top 5 2014 NBA Draft Prospects
1. Andrew Wiggins, G/F Kansas
2. Jabari Parker F, Duke
3. Joel Embiid C, Kansas
4. Dante Exum G, Austrailia
5. Julius Randle F, Kentucky
That short list of names among others is why everyone is so excited about the draft lottery. For the first time in league history neither the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, or the Boston Celtics managed to make the playoffs. Since the Knicks traded their 2014 first-round draft pick to the Denver Nuggets for Carmelo Anthony, New York will be on the outside looking in this year in the first round anyway. Just the thought of the Lakers and Celtics participating in the draft lottery is quite different. The Lakers are now focusing on “Life After Kobe”, and this off-season they are in perfect position to start that process with a good amount of cap room and a top-ten draft selection, at the very least, possibly even top-five.
We all expected teams like the Milwaukee Bucks, Utah Jazz, and Orlando Magic to be in the running for the number one overall pick, but the fact that the Philadelphia Sixers (who already have two huge NBA prospects to build around in Nerlens Noel and 2014 ROTY Michael Carter-Williams) could land another top-three pick puts them in a wonderful position as a franchise moving forward. According to nba.si.com, here is the 2014 NBA Draft Lottery Odds:
1. Milwaukee Bucks 25.0%
2. Philadelphia 76ers 19.9%
3. Orlando Magic 15.6%
4. Utah Jazz 10.4%
5. Boston Celtics 10.3%
6. Los Angeles Lakers 6.3%
7. Sacramento Kings 4.3%
8. Detroit Pistons* 2.8%
9. Cleveland Cavaliers 1.7%
10. New Orleans Pelicans* 1.1%
11. Denver Nuggets (via New York Knicks) 0.8%
12. Orlando Magic (via Denver Nuggets) 0.7%
13. Minnesota Timberwolves 0.6%
14. Phoenix Suns 0.5%
The winner gets the No. 1 pick in next month’s draft, when an Andrew Wiggins or Jabari Parker might make all of this season’s misery worth it. After a forgettable draft in 2013, this one is considered much more promising. The 2014 NBA draft lottery will be held tonight in New York to determine the order of the NBA Draft, which will be held Jun 26 draft.