2014 Mock Draft: Volume 1

We are now storming towards December and a nice portion of the season is in the rearview mirror. The leagues bottom dwellers appear to be set in place and the overwhelming majority of those teams reside in the Eastern Conference. Several of the teams are going to come as a surprise, considering their lofty expectations coming in to the season but its only the first mock draft at least a few of these teams will climb out of the ditch they are in. Utah, Milwaukee, Orlando and Phoenix were all expected to be here, but Brooklyn and New York are complete shocks.

Here is the crap thing for Brooklyn, they surrendered their picks in hopes for the instant gratification of winning a championship by investing in a hand full of past their prime stars. Probably not good long term planning, but they may be able to salvage their draft hopes by trading away what they can to crawl in to the latter end of the lottery. Meanwhile if Carmelo leaves for greener pastures and the Knicks continue to suck then a trip to the lottery may be just what this team needs. Problem is, they traded this pick away for Carmelo. They have several pieces they can part with and well if another week goes by of win less basketball they may need to consider the fire sale option. Which may be able to get them back into the lottery.

The good news for many of these teams (currently excluding Brooklyn and New York) the class of 2014 may be the best in the last 10 years. It most certainly appears to be the richest in terms of depth and talent of the last 5 years. All lottery teams will walkaway with a major piece if they select right. The top five can't go wrong, unless they completely shock the world (Cleveland in 2013, how is Anthony Bennett working out?) and pick someone other than the obvious. Four of the potential top five picks (Parker, Randle, Smart and Gordon) have been lights out so far this year. The fifth player, 6'6 Dante Exum is in Australia finishing up high school and left a good enough impression over the summer to lock in his place.

The remainder of the potential players in this draft class have been just as pleasant and are expected to remain near the top of the drat lottery shopping list. Below are my early predictions, based off of current NBA records and top rated talent playing in college and overseas.

*All personal opinion based off of the facts I have at my disposal*

1. Utah Jazz - Jabari Parker, PF/SF, Duke, 23. 6 ppg and 8 rebounds
2. Milwaukee Bucks - Andrew Wiggins, SF/SG, Kansas 16.8 ppg and 5.6 rebounds
3. Denver Nuggets (Knicks Pick) - Julius Randle, PF, Kentucky 19 ppg and 13.1 rebounds
4. Atlanta Hawks (Nets Pick) - Dante Exum, PG/SG, Australia
5. Sacramento Kings - Marcus Smart, PG, OKST 22.5 ppg and 3.7 assists
6. Cleveland Cavaliers - Gary Harris, SG, MSU 17.7 ppg and 4.3 rebounds
7. Boston Celtics - Semaj Christon, PG, Xavier, 16 ppg and 4.5 assists
8. Orlando Magic - Andrew Harrison, PG, Kentucky 10.7 ppg and 3.7 assists
9. Philadelphia 76ers - James Young, SF, Kentucky 12.3 ppg and 3.7 rebounds
10. New Orleans Pelicans - Rodney Hood, SF, Duke 19.9 ppg and 4.6 rebounds
11. Charlotte Bobcats - Doug McDermott, SF, Creighton 27.4 ppg and 7.6 rebounds
12. LA Lakers - Adreian Payne, PF, MSU 17.2 ppg and 8 rebounds
13. Minnesota Timberwolves - Mitch McGary, PF, Michigan 8.8 ppg and 7.8 rebounds
14. Phoenix Suns - Aaron Gordon, SF/PF, Arizona 12.5 ppg and 9.7 rebounds


The Draft Fanatic

Thankful for the Game: Thanksgiving Special

I am thankful for many things, such as my family, my health, my opportunity to serve my country and of course my friends. I am also grateful for the sport of basketball. I am especially grateful when basketball is being played at a high level, the way it has been played for the last few weeks during the early portion of the college season. Through the first month of the season we as fans have been treated to a smorgasbord (MONEY WORD!) of amazing play. While November is usually the meat of both the college football and NFL season, the outstanding play of a handful of promising young talents has  captured the attention of many.

Jabari Parker
Andrew Wiggins
Julius Randle
Aaron Gordon
Joel Embiid


Those are the names of freshmen. They are also the names of the top ranked prospects currently playing in college basketball. They are the names of the five individuals that if healthy come seasons end, will certainly highlight a loaded NBA draft class. Both Jabari Parker (22 ppg/8 Rebs) and Julius Randle (20 ppg/13 Rebs) have outright destroyed the competition. Neither seems to be phased by the attention they have received from the media or the opposing teams. They have delivered every time out thus far. Andrew Wiggins (16 ppg/6 Rebs) looks as composed and explosive as many predicted he would, while Embiid (8 ppg/ 8 Rebs) and Gordon (13 ppg/9 Ast) have remained in their lane and operated efficiently around the basket.

This potential draft class also includes sophomore sensations Marcus Smart (20 ppg/3.5 Ast), Mitch McGary (9 ppg/7 Rebs), Kyle Anderson (10 ppg/ 8 Ast/ 9 Rebs) and Gary Harris (17 ppg/4 Rebs). It will also include seasoned veteran Doug McDermott (25.7/5 Rebs), quite possible the heir apparent to Dirk Nowitzki, as a big man that can flat out shoot. This class has the potential to rival the 84, 96 and 03 Draft Classes, which included Michael Jordan  (84) Hakeem Olajuwon (84), Allen Iverson (96), Kobe Bryant (96), LeBron James (03) and Dwyane Wade (03). This class could yield as many as 12 future NBA All Stars and a hand full of hall of famers.

Over the course of the last month all of the aforementioned players have managed to not only live up to the hype, they are destroying it. Which should make for a entertaining rest of the season. I only mentioned the premier players, several others are also simultaneously climbing up in to the national spotlight and NBA draft board. Players such as Michigan's Nik Stauskas (20 ppg/3 Ast) and Duke's Rodney Hood (21 ppg/ 4 Rebs) can get overshadowed by their more famous teammates, but are both top notch talents as well. This season appears to not only be about the greatness of individual players, but the impressive teams they all belong to.

The race for the National title is wide open right now. If I were to choose a Final Four based off of what I have seen, Michigan State, Duke, Oklahoma State and Louisville are the early favorites. They can't rest on their bums though, because Kansas, Arizona and Kentucky are all right there too. The Elite programs are back in the national spotlight for all the right reasons, with talented players. If they can all put it together, we will be in for a treat.

If November is any indication of what we have to look forward to, we may end up with the most difficult decision for National Player of the Year, college basketball has seen in decades. We may also see one of the best tournaments ever. Unlike in certain seasons where marquee players can sometimes find themselves playing on average teams, every elite talent is playing for a team that is either expected to win their conference title or at least compete for it. All of that, combined with the constant auditions for bright lights of the NBA and we are on the verge of something historic.

Enjoy Your Turkey Day and be sure to partake of the Basketball Feast.

Draft Fanatic.

NCAAM Preview: I AM PUMPED!

Hello all, I realize many of you were probably expecting a wrap up of the first week of the NBA season, but that can wait. This week we will be discussing the Men's College Basketball season and what to expect. In a matter of hours several young men will embark on a seven month journey that will result in joy and pain. Joy for those who will cut down the nets, earn awards and receive national recognition en route to a potential pay day. Pain for the remaining teams that won't cut down nets or get any attention from scouts ahead of next spring's NBA combine. This college basketball seasons has the potential to be historic. Many of the nations early season favorites to win it all will be led by freshmen, other teams will be led by superstar veterans with lottery potential and one goal in mind. To win it all…. So enjoy my season outlook and look forward to updates regularly.

FINAL FOUR FAVORITES:

Duke: Coach K is back with a vengeance this season and he brought a slew of young guns with him. Jabari Parker and Rodney Hood will light it up and create small ball havoc for opposing defenses.







Michigan State University: The nations most experienced team and one of the basketball worlds most talented coaches. This team has two potential lottery picks in Gary Harris and Adreian Payne, a seasoned point guard in Keith Appling and a human highlight reel in Branden Dawson.




Kentucky: Last season was an unexpected low point for the Kentucky faithful, but the past is the past. The future is bright, really, really, really BRIGHT! John Calipari has assembled what many have deemed the greatest recruiting class of all time. While much of the attention prior to pre-season was on 5 star stud Julius Randle, another stud has emerged as the potential leader. James Young has been lighting it up for the last month and now that the season is here I fully expect the Michigan native to anchor what will be the nations most entertaining team.





Oklahoma State University: When Marcus Smart shocked the basketball world and returned to school it was to improve as a player and win a national title. He is really close to doing both. There is no way that the best point guard in the nation won't lead his team deep in to spring and he won't do it alone. LeBryan Nash and Markel Brown will take much of the pressure off of the sturdy shoulders of Marcus Smart as they keep their eyes on the prize.





THE REMAINING FOUR TEAMS:

Kansas: Bill Self refused to be outdone in the recruiting department by Coach K and John Calipari, he had a Ace up his sleeve the entire time…Andrew Wiggins. The Canadian wing has received tons of attention from not only me but the world. He is on the cover of Sports Illustrated and ESPN the magazine. The sports world is ready to anoint him the "NEXT BIG THING", but first he has to lead his team during what will presumably be his only season in Lawrence. If he can handle the pressure and if Coach Self can get this young team to buy in, they will experience some of that Joy I mentioned earlier.




Michigan: The Maze and Blue came within seconds of winning a national title, but came up short. Even with that memory still fresh and the departure of Trey Burke this team remains a contender. The big fella Mitch McGary and long time friend Glen Robinson III are primed to return to the top. The supporting cast is led by Nik Stauskas, Caris Levert and freshmen Derrick Walton Jr. They have experience and talent, but can they put it together? We will see.





Louisville: Speaking of experience, the reigning national champs will be right back in the hunt. They have the best scoring guard in basketball, Russ Smith (18.7 ppg), a potential lottery pick in Montrezl Harrell and Rick Pitino leading the way. If they can get bruiser and scorer Chane Behanan back (suspended indefinitely) before conference play, they will be a favorite come March.







Arizona: Like Kentucky, Kansas and Michigan, Arizona will rely on youth to lead them to the promised land. Sophomores Brandon Ashley and Kaleb Tarczewski will team with freshman phenom Aaron Gordon to create a massive front line. Gordon has that Blake Griffin like ability to explode at any  given moment, which should create tons of youtube memories. This team will be fun to watch and barring injury will be tough to beat come March/April.

Teams that can ruin my picks and could crack the list:
Syracuse, Florida, Harvard, Ohio St., UCLA, Memphis, Oregon

BEST SMALL SCHOOLS HOPEFULS:

BYU: Big time scorer Tyler Haws (21.7) and freshmen big man Eric Mika should pose some serious issues for opposing defenses.










VCU: Coach Shaka Smart returns with his insane full court defense which allows his team to put up huge numbers.











Wichita State University: The surprise team of 2013 will be right back in the thick of it and they will be led by future NBA talent Cleanthony Early.









Creighton: The father and son duo from Iowa will try to make a run in their final season together. The younger McDermott will compete with Smart and Wiggins for National Player of the Year, but something tells me he would prefer a national title instead.















Finally I wouldn't be the Draft Fanatic if I didn't mention it now would I?

DEFINITE (NON FRESHMEN) LOTTERY PICKS:

1. Marcus Smart
2. Glen Robinson III
3. Adreian Payne
4. Mitch McGary
5. Doug McDermot

FRESHMEN LOTTERY PICKS:

1. Andrew Wiggins
2. Jabari Parker
3. Julius Randle
4. Aaron Gordon
5. James Young

The Draft Fanatic