Joel Embiid is demanding the rock, and the first pick, with his play recently.
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Note: Team needs have NOT been taken into account.
Round 1
1 | Milwaukee Bucks | Joel Embiid, C, Kansas (7’0″/250 lbs)
There have been some interesting rumors and rumblings amongst NBA executives as of late. I heard one that said Embiid won’t be the first overall pick because it’s a wing-driven league now, and then apparently a conflicting statement from another executive who thought Embiid would be the undisputed first overall pick. I agree with the latter. A player this new to basketball shouldn’t be dominating at the top level of college basketball like Embiid is. Center is such a valuable position, and Embiid has the potential to be the best one in the league; his numbers are continuing to increase as he’s now up to 11 points and 7 rebounds per game.
2 | Orlando Magic | Jabari Parker, SF, Duke (6’8”/235 lbs)
After getting off to a rough start in ACC competition, Jabari Parker is starting to become an unstoppable force again. Saturday against NC State he broke out for 23 points and 7 boards. He then followed that up against Miami with 17 points and 15 rebounds. Right now, I’d say that Parker and Embiid are battling for the first overall pick, but a very interesting report surfaced Tuesday night that claimed Parker loves the college experience and is heavily considering returning to Durham next fall. Currently Parker is averaging around 19 points and 8 rebounds per game while shooting around 48% from the field.
3 | Utah Jazz | Andrew Wiggins, SG/SF, Kansas (6’8”/200 lbs)
Andrew Wiggins recently received some criticism after Saturday’s big-time clash at Oklahoma State where he only scored three points. Still, I believe Wiggins has been playing his best ball of the season recently despite a bad outing versus the Cowboys. Monday against Baylor he scored 17 points while reeling in 7 rebounds. Last Monday at Iowa State he finished with 17 points and a whopping 19 rebounds. Then last Saturday against Kansas State he scored 22 points. All three of those teams were ranked in the top 25 when Kansas played them. As far as I’m concerned, Wiggins is still the third best prospect in the draft, and he still has an impressive stat line of 15 points and 6 boards per contest.
4 | Philadelphia 76ers | Dante Exum, PG/SG, Australia (6’6”/190 lbs)
I’ve recently been watching a lot more film on Exum, and I’ve come to the conclusion that I had him a little bit too low in my last mock. Right now, Marcus Smart is probably the more complete guard prospect, but Exum’s ceiling is so much higher. His athleticism and explosiveness are off the charts; he’s somewhat similar to what Derrick Rose was coming out of college. Not a bad comparison.
5 | Boston Celtics | Julius Randle, PF, Kentucky (6’9”/250 lbs)
At this point there are two great prospects left in Julius Randle and Marcus Smart before you would begin to see a slight drop-off in talent. I’m going to give the slightest of all edges here to Randle, who I think is going to have multiple 20-10 seasons throughout his career. If he reaches his ceiling, he can anchor an offense and be one of the best rebounders in the NBA.
6 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Marcus Smart, PG, Oklahoma State (6’4”/200 lbs)
Marcus Smart would be a no-brainer here. At sixth overall, he’s clearly the best prospect left on the board. Smart is just such a complete prospect; he has a vast array of ways to score and he makes great decisions. He may not ever be a superstar, but he’s going to be an extremely good PG in the NBA for a long time.
7 | Sacramento Kings | Gary Harris, SG, Michigan State (6’4”/210 lbs)
This is where things are going to start to open up a bit. You could make an argument for four or five players that reasonably could be taken with this pick. Despite the fact that Gary Harris’ shooting percentages are still considerably lower than they were last year, he’s really started to turn it on as of late by scoring 24 and 23 in his last two games. Harris has really stepped up as a leader for the Spartans this year; he’s now up to 18.3 PPG which is second in the Big 10.
8 | Los Angeles Lakers | Rodney Hood, SF, Duke (6’8”/205 lbs)
If Rodney Hood remains in the form he is in right now, there’s no way he’s going to fall out of the top 10. His numbers are ridiculous: 17.6 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 52.1 FG%, and 45.9 3PT%. I highly doubt Hood will ever be a superstar, but I think he can be an ideal second option on a contending team. He is a prototypical NBA SF.
9 | Denver Nuggets | Noah Vonleh, PF/C, Indiana (6’10”/242 lbs)
At this point in the first round, there are still two really solid big-man prospects in Noah Vonleh and Willie Cauley-Stein. Right now, I’m going to give the edge to Vonleh because he has much more potential offensively and he’s a more versatile player, despite still being so raw.
10 | Charlotte Bobcats (via Detroit) | Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky (7’0”/245 lbs)
Despite being so limited on the offensive end, it still would be hard for me to imagine Cauley-Stein falling out of the top 10 because of his potential to be an elite defensive center. Right now, he’s probably the most polished rim protector in the draft, and he’s only going to get better.
11 | Philadelphia 76ers (via New Orleans) | Zach Lavine, PG/SG, UCLA (6’5”/180 lbs)
If LaVine enters the 2014 Draft, he’ll be a pretty high pick but almost solely based on potential. LaVine is freakishly athletic and has shown signs of having a pretty decent jump-shot, but his game needs some polishing. With the proper coaching I believe he can be one of the five best players from this draft.
12 | Memphis Grizzlies | James Young, SG/SF, Kentucky (6’6”/215 lbs)
Despite low shooting percentages, James Young is still very much a lottery prospect. Young is a versatile prospect in the sense that he can spend time at either SG or SF, and his shooting is only going to improve as he gets more comfortable. If Young can reach his ceiling, I believe he can have multiple seasons where he averages over 20 PPG and end up being one of the best scorers out of this draft.
13 | Minnesota Timberwolves | Doug McDermott, SF, Creighton (6’8”/225 lbs)
Doug McDermott is at it again this year; he’s second in the nation with 24.8 PPG. This guy is just a lethal scorer with the prettiest shot in the draft. There’s no doubt he’s likely going to struggle some on defense, but he has a very high basketball IQ and can shoot it from anywhere on the floor.
14 | Orlando Magic (via Denver) | Aaron Gordon, PF, Arizona (6’9”/215 lbs)
In my last mock draft, I had Aaron Gordon around 20 or so. That was probably too low, but I’m still not very high on this guy. Regardless, he’s going to be a top 20 pick, and he’s continuing to improve this season; he now averages 12.4 PPG and 7.6 RPG.
15 | Atlanta Hawks (via Brooklyn) | Sam Dekker, SF, Wisconsin (6’8”/220 lbs)
Sam Dekker is really on the rise as a prospect, and for a good reason. Most scouts would agree his game still needs some refining but whose doesn’t? Dekker can score and rebound at a high rate. He needs to get more consistent on his three-point shooting, but there is a lot of similarities to Chandler Parsons in his game.
16 | Chicago Bulls (via Charlotte) | Dario Saric, SF, Croatia (6’10”/223 lbs)
There may not be a prospect that has as many mixed opinions as Dario Saric. I’ve seen some mock drafts that have him going in the top 10 while others have him at the end of the first round. I’m pretty high on him, so I think here in the middle of the first round is about right. Saric has the ability to be a “point forward” as he has great court vision and can create for himself as well as others.
17 | Phoenix Suns (via Washington) | Jeremi Grant, SF, Syracuse (6’8”/200 lbs)
I really jumped the gun on Jerami Grant in my last mock draft as I had him slotted to go in the top 10. While he does have the potential to be one of the best defensive wings in the NBA, I can’t see him going over some of these other SF’s because he still struggles so much shooting the ball.
18 | Chicago Bulls | Tyler Ennis, PG, Syracuse (6’2”/180 lbs)
Tyler Ennis is easily the best freshman PG in college basketball right now. He’s a natural when it comes to running an offense, and he’s also a good scorer and will only improve there. However he does seem to really be enjoying the college experience so I could see him returning to Syracuse for at least another year.
19 | Toronto Raptors | PJ Hairston, SG, UNC/Texas Legends (6’5”/230 lbs)
In just his second game in 10 months, PJ Hairston dropped 40 points for the Texas Legends Friday night. There are definitely some off-the-court concerns that Hairston brings with him, but he’s an incredibly talented player that can score the ball at will. I think he’ll end up going in the top 20.
20 | Boston Celtics (via Atlanta) | Montrezl Harrell, PF/C, Louisville (6’8”/230 lbs)
Montrezl Harrell continues to have a great sophomore season; he now has a field goal percentage of 62.6% which is fourth in the nation. Harrell is also a great rebounder and knows how to box-out; he projects to be a great role playing big man at the next level. The knock on him is that he is probably best fit to play center, but he doesn’t have the size to do it.
21 | Oklahoma City Thunder (via Dallas) | Glen Robinson lll, SF, Michigan (6’6”/210 lbs)
When you think about the most exciting players in this draft, Glenn Robinson lll, otherwise known as “GR3”, is one of the first players that come to mind. Robinson boasts terrific athleticism and can throw down some highlight reel dunks. In most drafts, he would probably be a lottery pick, but this draft is just so good that I have him falling to 21st. His big weakness is his outside shooting, but that can always improve.
22 | Phoenix Suns | Adreian Payne, PF, Michigan State (6’9”/215 lbs)
One of the main reasons Michigan State is having such a successful season is due to the leap that Adreian Payne has made. Currently he’s one of the best stretch-fours in the Big 10, and there’s a lot to like in him as a prospect. I would be surprised if he’s not a first-round pick.
23 | Houston Rockets | Jusuf Nurkic, C, Bosnia and Herzegovina (6’10”/280 lbs)
As far as first round prospects go, Jusuf Nurkic is as raw as they come, but his ceiling is through the roof. With proper coaching and development, he’s shown signs that he could potentially become a force in the league. He still needs to get in basketball shape and has a lot of refining to do before he’ll be close to NBA ready so I could see him staying overseas another year or two, but this is definitely a name to keep an eye on.
24 | Utah Jazz (via Golden State) | K.J. McDaniels, SF, Clemson (6’6”/200 lbs)
This is a new name to appear in the mock draft, but K.J. McDaniels is absolutely tearing it up for the Clemson Tigers. McDaniels has clearly established himself as one of the best players in the ACC and is a legitimate NBA draft prospect already. He’s averaging 16.4 PPG and 7 RPG, undoubtedly a first-round talent.
25 | Los Angeles Clippers | Wayne Selden, SG, Kansas (6’6”/225 lbs)
There’s no doubt that Wayne Selden is a really talented player and still a first-round prospect, but I’d really like to see him return to school for another year or two. Some games he looks dominant while others he is nonexistent. He needs to get more consistent, but there’s still a lot to like in his game.
26 | Miami Heat | Semaj Christon, PG, Xavier (6’3”/190 lbs)
Towards the end of the first round and the beginning of the second, you may see a big run on PG’s begin to take place. Semaj Christon is one who will be selected in this area. He features great size and terrific athleticism, although his shooting could use some work.
27 | Charlotte Bobcats (via Portland) | TJ Warren, SF, NC State (6’7”/220 lbs)
I really don’t like T.J. Warren as a prospect, but I can’t have him fall any lower than this because he’s going to be a first-round selection. Warren has done an admirable job stepping up as a leader and carrying NC State this year, but he can’t shoot. He’s shooting just over 21% from behind the arc which is terrifying; almost all his offense comes from getting to the rim.
28 | Oklahoma City Thunder | Markel Brown, SG, Oklahoma State (6’3”/190 lbs)
Through all of this talk about Marcus Smart in Stillwater, he has had a partner in crime that can play some ball as well. Markel Brown features outstanding athleticism and is improving as a shooter. He’s a senior so he has a ton of experience. He could potentially be a great sixth man in the NBA.
29 | San Antonio Spurs | Nik Stauskas, SG, Michigan (6’6”/205 lbs)
Over the past few weeks, there hasn’t been any player in college basketball hotter than Nik Stauskas. I would have never dreamed he’d be a first-round prospect in this draft, but now he undoubtedly is. He leads the Big 10 with 18.5 PPG. Stauskas just has unheard of range, and he will continue to be a deadly shooter in the NBA.
30 | Phoenix Suns (via Indiana) | Vasilije Micic, PG, Serbia (6’4”/190 lbs)
Here’s another one of those PG’s that will be taken in the late first or early second round. While he needs to continue to improve as a shooter, Micic has great court vision and knows how to run an offense. He also features great size for the position.
Round 2 Coming Soon…
Please find other consensus mock drafts:
http://walterfootball.com/nbadraftdata.php
http://nbamocks.blogspot.co.uk/p/2014-mock-drafts.html
http://www.dcprosportsreport.com/NBAMocks.htm
http://eatdrinkandsleepfootball.com/draft/mock-draft-database/nba.html
By Brian Emory
Follow @BrianEmory
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