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Who are some notable 14th overall picks in NBA history?

By Chad Porto

15 Jan 2001: Lamond Murray #30 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks to make a free throw during the game against the Golden State Warriors at the Arena in Oakland in Oakland, California. The Cavaliers defeated the Warriors 107-101. NOTE TO USER: It is expressly understood that the only rights Allsport are offering to license in this Photograph are one-time, non-exclusive editorial rights. No advertising or commercial uses of any kind may be made of Allsport photos. User acknowledges that it is aware that Allsport is an editorial sports agency and that NO RELEASES OF ANY TYPE ARE OBTAINED from the subjects contained in the photographs.Mandatory Credit: Tom Hauck /Allsport
15 Jan 2001: Lamond Murray #30 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks to make a free throw during the game against the Golden State Warriors at the Arena in Oakland in Oakland, California. The Cavaliers defeated the Warriors 107-101. NOTE TO USER: It is expressly understood that the only rights Allsport are offering to license in this Photograph are one-time, non-exclusive editorial rights. No advertising or commercial uses of any kind may be made of Allsport photos. User acknowledges that it is aware that Allsport is an editorial sports agency and that NO RELEASES OF ANY TYPE ARE OBTAINED from the subjects contained in the photographs.Mandatory Credit: Tom Hauck /Allsport /
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The Cleveland Cavaliers’ hopes of hitting big with the No. 14 pick aren’t great.

The NFL Draft is really the only sports league that has a draft that can reasonably give you stars throughout the process. Granted, it’s no guarantee and you’re still not likely to hit that often but it’s far more likely in the NFL or even the MLB Draft than it is with the NBA Draft.

Most great players don’t come from outside the first 10 or so picks. There are always exceptions, sure. Guys develop past their ceiling and become huge stars, but mostly if you’re not getting one of the first few picks, you’re making do with what you have.

The Cavs have the 14th pick in the upcoming 2022 NBA Draft and it’s a pick the team has never actually had before. So this player will be by default the best player the Cavs have ever taken at No.14.

So we’re going all the way back to 1989 to look at past 14th overall picks to see what the Cavs should expect. 1989 is the first year the draft was just two rounds, so we figured this is the closest to the modern form of drafting we can find.

So first, let’s talk Cavaliers.

The best players the Cavs have taken around the #14th pick

The Cavaliers have not had the 14th pick in any draft but they’ve had the 13th pick once and the 15th pick three times. Those four men were John Lambert (No. 15, 1975), Chuckie Williams (No. 15, 1976), Mike Mitchell (No. 15, 1978), and Derek Anderson (No. 13, 1997).

The four men combined for just 11 seasons all together with the Cavs, and only one of them, Anderson really qualifies to be on the list.

They only made one All-Star team between them (Mitchell), and he and Anderson were the most productive of the two across their careers. Mitchell was a 20-points-per-game guy over three of his four seasons in Cleveland, while Anderson was a 10+ point scorer in his two seasons in Cleveland, before going on to Portland where he became a solid three-point shooter for his time.

Funny enough, Anderson was traded for Lamond Murray, an oft-forgotten Cavalier during their “dark ages”.

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