Biggest Riser and Faller on Draft Night

The NBA draft is this Thursday night, and the eyes of all NBA franchises are sure to be set on it.  Each year, there seems to be one huge riser, a la Dion Waiters of last year, and one who falls far below his expected pick.  Now, it is important to remember that with this article, I am not considering one very important and likely key element: traded draft picks.  There is truly no way to know if any team is going to move their pick, but we do know that nearly all teams are interested in at least gauging the interest in the selection they have.  My personal gut says that anywhere from 2-4 lottery picks will be dealt on or leading up to draft night, but we’ll see how all that transpires.

The Cleveland Cavaliers will make the top selection after a very fortunate lottery, and there are at least 3 or 4 prospects that will be considered.  As it stands, many of the mock drafts have Noel going number 1, but there are quite a few others, such as our own, who have Otto Porter going first.  The one thing we do know about the pick is that we have no idea what Cleveland will do if they even keep it.  But considering that Noel is projected widely to go first, a choice to pick another player could end up placing Noel far down the draft board.  It is speculated that Charlotte will likely take a big, and assuming that Noel doesn’t go 1, he’d have the opportunity to go here.  If the Bobcats would rather take Bennett or Len or another player, then Noel could have a big fall.  Should Phoenix go small or New Orleans opt for a point guard, Noel may not hear his name called until Portland or Philadelphia, as Sacramento, Detroit, and Minnesota are all set on their bigs.  It sounds a bit speculative, but with a draft like this, who really knows what will happen?

Alex Len’s path could be quite different than Noel.  Though there are many guys being considered for the top spot, Len is not exactly the front-runner.  He’s widely projected to go 6^th to New Orleans, but draft night could have Len hearing his name called first.  While that is only 5 spots, the prestige coming from the top pick is quite different than any other pick.  A rise by this injured ex-Terrapin could be larger than anyone else’s.

There isn’t an NBA fan in the world whose team has a pick Thursday who isn’t intrigued about what will unfold, and there is going to be much to talk about, including a big riser and faller.  We shall see if Noel and Len are those men.

By Brandon Garland
Follow @RealBG