An Early Look at Various 2014 NBA Mock Drafts
The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the odds to earn the #1 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. The Cavs have various options this off-season as they have a ton of cap space, a number of moveable players, the #1 pick as well as future draft picks that include 2 extra first rounders. Yesterday we covered why the Cavs should not trade the #1 pick for the T’Wolves Forward K. Love. Today we take a more conventional look at what the Cavs might do with the #1 pick as we peruse a number of NBA Mock Drafts on the next few pages:
"1. Cleveland Cavaliers: Jabari Parker, Duke, SF, 6-8, 241 pounds, Fr. Scout’s take: “He is ready to play right now. Assuming he does not have weight issues, he is a long-time starter and possibly an All-Star.” Mar 21, 2014; Raleigh, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Jabari Parker (1) saves a ball from going out of bounds against Mercer Bears forward Jakob Gollon (20) in the first half of a men"
- Parker is considered the most NBA ready of all the players but there are concerns about his ability to defend, his physical make up and his need to dominate the ball. With Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters already on the team it might be hard for Parker to excel with that style of play. It will also not improve the Cavs not so good defense. GM David Griffin has talked about “fit” a lot since getting the job. Parker may not be the perfect fit. He could go on to be the best player in this draft on another team, but does that mean the Cavs should draft him? Great question for Griffin.
"1. Cleveland Cavaliers Joel Embiid, C, Kansas The Cavaliers are one of the only teams that might consider taking Embiid over Andrew Wiggins or Jabari Parker. The Cavaliers have a hole at center, and Embiid — despite his back issues — is just too big and too good to pass up. Pairing Embiid with point guard Kyrie Irving gives the Cavaliers one of the best young duos in the Eastern Conference to build around."
- Embiid is the top center in this draft. He has the ability to change the game on the defensive end of the court, which could help the Cavs greatly, and has a developing offensive. Yet Embiid hasn’t played the game for long and has his lingering back issue which could be a long term concern for a big man. Historically when choosing between a big man and a wing when teams have chose the big man they have gotten the short end of the stick. Think Kevin Durant and Greg Oden. Michael Jordan and Sam Bowie.
"1 Andrew Wiggins Cleveland Cavaliers (33 – 49) COLLEGE: Kansas HT: 6-8 WT: 200 POS: SG The Cavs win the lottery for the third time in four years. That is pretty incredible. They hit a home run with Kyrie Irving and screwed it up with Anthony Bennett. There’s no guarantee that Luol Deng is going to sign with them this summer and Parker brings high character and a versatile scoring threat. Joel Embiid is another guy to watch here. Anderson Varejao is 32 years old. They need a long-term replacement. But will Dan Gilbert have the patience to wait? I thought they’d to go safe and bring in Jabari Parker. However, sources in Cleveland say that Wiggins is the likely choice. The team feels he has the most long-term potential, helps them defensively right out of the gate, can replace Dion Waiters in the starting lineup while adding character to the team."
- The third of the big 3 possible picks at #1 is many Twitter people’s favorite in Wiggins the ultra athlete. Wiggins could fill the role as a small forward though many see him at shooting guard. If the Cavs draft Wiggins they could look to move Waiters in another move but if they keep both it could cause some issues on defense with undersized players at both the 2 and 3. Wiggins fits better then Parker as he doesn’t need the ball in his hands, can be a lock down defender and can hit knock down threes.
We will take a look on the next page at the rest of the places: