Class of 2014 – Where Are They Now?

Which players from last year’s draft have entered their sophomore slump and which players have kept the second-year stride?

The 2014 NBA draft could go down as one of the best draft classes in history. No, there won’t be the HOF recognition like the 1984 or 2003 classes, and it might not be quite as deep as the 1991 or 1996 classes, but in the end, it may have a decent combination of depth and star power. Until the days leading up to the draft, there was serious doubt over who the Cavaliers would select at number one. Jabari Parker, Andrew Wiggins, and Joel Embiid headlined the class, but the top tier was not separated from the rest by much. With players like Dante Exum, Julius Randle, and Marcus Smart, it was thought that even a late lottery pick could end up being the potential face of a franchise.

Wiggins was picked first, then shipped off to the Timberwolves, along with Anthony Bennett, who somehow was himself a former number 1 pick (detailing the huge difference in the 2013 and 2014 NBA drafts), in exchange for Kevin Love and spare parts. Parker was picked second, then proceeded to somehow help Milwaukee’s playoff chances by getting injured. Third on the board was Embiid, whose injury didn’t allow him to play a single minute his rookie season. Many more lottery picks turned in good seasons, and even a few non-lottery picks impressed, including Jordan Clarkson (pick 46) and Jusuf Nurkic (pick 16), both of whom received Rookie of the Year votes.

Now, with the 2015-16 season halfway over, let’s take a look at how several of the top players from last year’s draft are faring in their sophomore campaign.

The Good

Andrew Wiggins has followed up his Rookie of the Year season with an All-Star worthy season, posting 20.4 PPG on 45 percent shooting from the field in less minutes per game than he played last year. There are a few things left to be desired in his game however, as you would expect a 6’8″ small forward to have more than 3.8 rebounds per game, and his shooting stroke from downtown (24.5 percent) could use some work as well.

Julius Randle was highly sought after coming out of Kentucky. Seen as a double-double machine at the next level, Randle could fit in on any roster. The Lakers landed the big man but lost him after 14 minutes of action in his first NBA game. He’s back in a big way for the Lakers this year. Averaging near a double-double (10.5 PPG, 9.6 RPG) and only playing 27 minutes per game (24 starts out of 45 games), he’s become what analysts thought he would become already. His shooting numbers (40 percent from the field) are a bit low for a big man, but the work on the glass is a welcome addition for almost any team.

Jordan Clarkson, another member of the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2014 draft picks, has really improved his game a lot as well. Clarkson surprised many last year by performing well enough to supplant Jeremy Lin as starting point guard and earn All-Rookie 1st Team honors. Clarkson has improved his points per game from 12 to 15 as well as improving his rebounds and steals, though he’s not assisting the ball as much this year with the emergence of D’Angelo Russell as well as the addition of Lou Williams in the offseason. However, the second-round pick figures to play a key role in the Lakers going forward, possibly taking over full-time shooting guard duties and effectively replacing Kobe Bryant in that spot next year.

Elfrid Payton is a curious case. He’s improved his scoring (8.9 to 11.3), he’s a legitimate triple-double threat (two last year), and yet his rebounding, assist, steal, and even field-goal percentage numbers have decreased from his first year. It’s hard to say that he’s in a sophomore slump because his stats are still very good (11.3 points, 5.9 assists, 3.6 rebounds, 1.4 steals), but he almost seems to have plateaued, at least for now. I think this guy is a modern Gary Payton-esque player that can really be a cornerstone for the Magic, but this doesn’t seem to be his breakout year

The Bad

Nurkic, Exum and Embiid have all been heavily dealing with injuries this season. Embiid still hasn’t played a minute of NBA basketball. Nurkic made his season debut on January 2nd after undergoing offseason knee surgery (only played in 7 games so far). Exum is out for the whole 2015-16 season after suffering a torn ACL while playing with the Australian national team. It’s hard to say that any of them are having a good year so far.

Jabari Parker’s return has been hyped all year in 2015, including by Gatorade commercials, but he’s not exactly lived up to the number two pick just yet. Don’t take this as a death sentence, because Parker is technically only halfway through his first (hopefully) full season of NBA play. However, with averages of 11.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists, Parker has been good, not great. We expect our number two picks to be otherworldly after seeing players like Kevin Durant, Jason Kidd, Alonzo Mourning, and LaMarcus Aldridge picked at the spot. It’s hard to imagine that a player of his talent will stay quiet for long.

Marcus Smart has just been dealt a bad hand. Mr. Irrelevant (Isaiah Thomas) was traded to the Celtics last year, and since then, he’s absolutely exploded, leaving little room for Smart to start (#SmartToStart? Maybe if Thomas ever starts sucking). Smart has improved his averages (9.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists) a bit, but starting 8 games out of 25 so far for the number 6 pick in the draft is a bit disappointing. This is more of an instance of roster challenges though, as he was stuck behind Rondo partially last year and will remain stuck behind Thomas and Avery Bradley, barring injury or horrible play.

Aaron Gordon, or the next coming of Blake Griffin, has been anything but. Gordon, also because of a log-jammed position on the roster, has only started 10 of the 89 career games in which he’s played. He’s putting up pretty decent numbers (7.3 points and 5.1 rebounds) considering his playing time is under 20 minutes per game, but like Smart, we really want to see more of the former number 4 overall pick. With the Magic making a push for the playoffs this year, Gordon may have a chance to show out in the playoffs and earn a starting spot next year, but until then, he’s still not producing exactly what you’d want out of your second-year prized power forward.