With the NBA Draft commencing 3 days from now, its time we peer into the looking glass and see what team will build on there future with the next crop of talent from the collegiate level. Will the Lakers finally find someone to build a new dynasty? Can the Knicks pick a player to help Carmelo make it past the second round of the playoffs? Here are my Top 10 predictions...
1. Minnesota Timberwolves select Karl-Anthony Towns, Center, Kentucky
I look at this pick from a need not want standpoint. Minnesota doesn't really need a game changer, just a body to put in that position. Towns gives you that and more. He can move like a power forward but plays the position of center to a tee. If Minnesota picks him, expect them to be atleast in the running for an 8th seed in the Western Conference.
2. Los Angeles Lakers select Andrew Harrison, Point Guard, Kentucky
As much as Lakers fans want a center (particularly one from Duke), they need to realize something: Kobe ain't getting any younger. And with Julius Randle playing alongside him, Andrew Harrison can be that next dynasty building block. While he is prototypically bigger than the average point guard at 6'6, his jumpshooting from deep and his ability to win big games( see two years ago vs Michigan and Wisconsin) makes him a can't miss asset. And if the Lakers pass on this, then Laker Nation will have to deal with the fact that they will be the New Clippers of Los Angeles.
3. Philadelphia 76ers select Jahlil Okafor, Center, Duke
Originally I was going to say that the Sixers would pick D'Angelo Russell, the point guard from Ohio State. But that was before Joel Embiid got hurt. Again. The 76ers need to realize that they can't drop all their chips on Embiid, expecting him to come back and make the team relevant again. For right now, they need a quick fix, and Okafor is that and more. He is a lot more talented than Embiid, can pull centers and bigger forwards away from the basket allowing shooting guards to drive through the middle. Plus he can also make his own shot, and that in turn will help Philly once Embiid comes back. Imagine having a defensive and rebounding savant like Embiid on one side, and Okafor on the other with his only focus being to help score on each possession? It would be a dangerous combo in the city of brotherly love.
4. New York Knicks select Aaron Harrison, Guard, Duke
Despite Stephen A. Smith's rants, I completely agree: the Knicks stink and they should have kept stinking in order to get a higher pick. They also should have Phil Jackson get down from being a GM and coach again but thats another story. The Knicks need an absolute scorer to help compliment Carmelo, and the other Harrison twin can do that. While he isn't as great a scorer as his brother, he still averaged decent numbers in the Kentucky offense. While he won't be great to begin with, his time under Carmelo Anthony should change that around.
5. Orlando Magic select Justise Winslow, Small Forward, Duke
This pick comes from a standpoint of history. Elfried Payton, Aaron Gordon and Winslow all played together in 2013 during the FIBA World Championships. That little nugget helps Orlando out immensely because the one thing you want going into training camp is experience working together and if they draft Winslow, they will get that right off the bat. Winslow has the ability to lock down any forward or combo guard put in front of him, and his jumpshooting is a bit underrated. And like teams before them, Orlando plays in an Eastern Conference that is pretty weak, and they need a game changer to make a move to the second season.
6. Sacramento Kings select Mario Hezonja, Small Forward, Croatia
While I don't know much about this pick, Im looking at this pick being made due to what the Kings currently have. Drafted Mudiay wouldn't work with Darren Collison already on the team, as the two play exactly like each other. Hezonja works because he can switch between the 2 and 3 spot on a starting 5, allowing the team to switch into in-game small ball, which has shown to not completely throw a team off guard but work long enough to create some form of distance. That could give the Kings an edge when playing in the West, which they need. Desperately.
7. Denver Nuggets select Emmanuel Mudiay, Point Guard, China
This pick isn't because Mudiay is the best option for him, he is the only option for them. They need a point guard and Mudiay would like to be drafted. Mudiay has an okay game, but he needs to be sharpened in order to make a difference. And despite what everyone thinks, unless you are playing in a Euro league, that isn't going to happen. He is definitely going to have to craft his game to the style Nuggets coach Michael Malone plays, and if he can do that, his slashing to the hoop style of play will work well for him in the future.
8. Detroit Pistons select Frank Kaminsky, Power Forward, Wisconsin
I so desperately want to be correct on this pick ( I also want the Pistons downtown, so fingers crossed on that front). If Kaminsky is picked here, the Pistons legitimately, and I can't stress that word enough, legitimately have the best shot of all the top 10 teams to make it into the playoffs. The Pistons were in playoff contention until Brandon Jennings went down, which drastically cut production on the offensive side of their game. And that would suggest that they pick a guard in the draft, just in case it happens again. And you would be right, if Greg Monroe was coming back next year. Something tells me he won't which will leave a major gap. With Kaminsky's addition to the team, you get a forward that can dominate on both sides of the ball which makes the Pistons even more dangerous with Drummond producing in the paint as well. If this pick happens, along with the rumored addition of Tim Hardaway Jr., the Pistons could be a dark horse to deal with in the East.
9. Charlotte Hornets select Willie Cauley-Stein, Center, Kentucky
While they are in the Top Ten for a reason, out of all the teams in the draft, Charlotte needs to start their draft with an absolute difference maker. Cauley-Stein is that for them. While he needs some tooling with his post game, their is no mistaking his quickness and his ability to play a fast paced offense and defense. Their where many times over the season when I compared him to Blake Griffin with his highlight dunks and blocks . And for the most part he is like him when Blake first came in. If that is the case, Charlotte will have a star in their hive as the kid has the talent and charisma to be great.
10.Miami Heat select Sam Dekker, Small Forward, Wisconsin
This is the one pick I feel sad for. Not because Miami is getting a bad player, more so because Sam Dekker is going to have a huge spotlight on him if he is drafted to the Heat. The Heat are currently in contract negotiations to keep Dwayne Wade around, and it seems like the love is gone there. There aren't any signs saying that a huge free agent will come to South Beach, so this great player, who besides Frank Kaminsky, was the heart and soul of the Wisconsin Badgers team last year. He has a great inside game and can drop 3's like it was practice in motion or in isolation. Expect him to be the one shining light if the fire in Miami begins to dim.
And there you have it, the Top Ten of the NBA Draft. Is it accurate? Probably not, but looking at who I have each team picking, I see only rising potential with each team's proposed selection. These teams are in the top ten for various reasons: multiple injuries, coaching switches, drama, etc. But the one thing that each team shares about being in the top ten is that they feel that whoever they pick first will be the building block to something great. Lets hope they are right.
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