Stories of the 2014 NBA Draft

[SkylineXC]

Its been awhile since I've opened the game, but I decided to try out the new update.

Here are the top prospects from the draft:

1. SG Richard Lee
Height: 6-6
Weight: 219
Class: Freshman
School: Stanford

2013-2014 NCAA Stats:
30.5 Points
8.6 Assists
10.6 Rebounds
1.8 Blocks
2.3 Steals

Lee is the top prospect of the draft. He lead the NCAA in scoring and also almost averaged a triple double as a freshman. He also excelled in his studies, finishing with a 4.0 GPA for his freshman year.


2. C Cugat Ibanez
Height: 7-0
Weight: 282
Age: 18
School: Spain

2013-2014 Spanish League Stats:
18.4 Points
4.2 Assists
14.2 Rebounds
1.3 Blocks
1.0 Steals

Ibanez appears to be the latest foreign player touted to be a star in the NBA. At just 18 he is already a physical force that dominates the glass night in and night out.


3. PF Tony Sawyer
Height: 6-10
Weight: 218
Class: Sophomore
School: Seton Hall

2013-2014 NCAA Stats:
28.6 Points
4.5 Assists
12.0 Rebounds
1.0 Blocks
0.8 Steals

Sawyer was the best post player in the NCAA. Concerns have been voiced over his lack of strength, due to him weighing less than 220 as a power forward.


4. PF Shane Meads
Height: 6-8
Weight: 250
Class: Sophomore
School: Duke

2013-2014 NCAA Stats:
20.6 Points
3.3 Assists
7.7 Rebounds
1.8 Blocks
1.1 Steals

Meads is an undersized power forward who is extremely built. He often uses his strength to overpower college opponents, but that may not translate to the bigger, stronger NBA game.


5. C Cassidy Edwards
Height: 6-9
Weight: 266
Class: Senior
School: Texas

2013-2014 NCAA Stats:
18.8 Points
2.1 Assists
15.1 Rebounds
1.9 Blocks
0.5 Steals

Edwards is another undersized big who, through sheer effort and will, was able to dominate the boards in the NCAA


Then some other intriguing prospects include:

SG Tyler Rainey
Height: 6-7
Weight: 189
Class: Sophomore
School: Indiana

2013-2014 NCAA Stats:
24.3 Points
6.8 Assists
5.9 Rebounds
1.1 Blocks
1.4 Steals


SF Andre Simmons
Height: 6-8
Weight: 205
Class: Freshman
School: Charleston Southern

2013-2014 NCAA Stats:
20.8 Points
5.8 Assists
10.2 Rebounds
0.7 Blocks
2.2 Steals


PG Mark Gannon
Height: 6-2
Weight: 193
Class: Sophomore
School: North Carolina

2013-2014 NCAA Stats:
23.2 Points
7.2 Assists
8.8 Rebounds
1.1 Blocks
3.2 Steals

SF Maurice Kraft
Height: 6-10
Weight: 210
Class: Sophomore
School: Boston

2013-2014 NCAA Stats:
19.3 Points
4.7 Assists
9.8 Rebounds
1.7 Blocks
0.6 Steals


C Jing-xiang Mei
Height: 6-9
Weight: 270
Class: 18
School: China

2013-2014 Chinese League Stats:
17.9 Points
3.2 Assists
12.2 Rebounds
1.4 Blocks
1.6 Steals

[brutusbrutus]

please continue with this, it is very interesting to me.

[SkylineXC]

2014 NBA Draft
1. Toronto Raptors PF Tony Sawyer
-Will he become the next Bargnani?

2. Sacramento Kings SG Richard Lee
-Will be stuck behind Ben Mclemore and Marcus Thorton

3. Boston Celtics C Jerry Weisse Boston College
–the Celtics took a bit of a reach on the hometown favorite.

4. Utah Jazz SG Tyler Rainey
- Jazz traded for Dion Waiters but Rainey can move over to the 3

5. Orlando Magic PG Mark Gannon
- solid point guard to pair with Victor Oladipo in the backcourt

6. Phoenix Suns SG Mathew Grant Centenary
- solid two guard but I think there were some better players available

7. Milwaukee Bucks C Cassidy Edwards Texas
- best scoring center in the draft but will be stuck behind Larry Sanders

8. Atlanta Hawks C Jay Stewart Saint Johns
- Best rebounder in the draft, but not the best offensive player

9. Memphis Grizzlies SF Andre Simmons
- a super athletic player who has potential, but needs to work on his outside shot.

10. Charlotte Bobcats PF Shane Mead
-a good jump shooter although he is an awful rebounder for a 4

11. New Orleans Pelicans C Jing-xiang Mei
–The best defensive player taken so far, not a slouch at rebounding either.

12. Denver Nuggets SF Maurice Kraft
–Kraft is the most court savvy player in the draft and also does everything fairly well.

13. Orlando Magic C Cugat Ibanez
–Ibanez is a project, but he could become the best center of the draft. He has a great work ethic.

14. Portland Trailblazers SG John Stowers
- Stowers is a solid wing with a decent outside jumper.

# of each position taken in the lottery
1 Point Guard
4 Shooting Guards
2 Small Forwards
2 Power Forwards
5 Centers

It was a really weak draft for point guards with only 3 being selected in the first round
I think I’ll start out doing writes ups for the lottery picks and then add in some players that were non lottery picks that perform well in the NBA.

[SkylineXC]

2014-2015 Season Top 5

PF Tony Sawyer
Toronto 27-55
20 Years Old

Games (Started): 81 (64)
Points: 13.9
Assists: 1.1
Rebounds: 5.2
Steals: 0.4
Blocks: 0.2
Turnovers: 2.0
Minutes: 28.5
Field Goal: 44.6%
3 Point: 37.2%
Free Throw: 73.2%
Efficiency: 11.3

Sawyer played well in his rookie season, but it is rumored that he struggled with conditioning and as a result wasn’t able to stay on the floor as much as he would’ve liked. Plays similarly to Bargnani by drifting out to the 3 point line rather than battling in the paint.

2014 Rookie Game Starter
2014 All-Rookie 1st Team

SG Richard Lee
Sacramento 15-67
20 Years Old

Games (Started): 82 (81)
Points: 13.0
Assists: 2.0
Rebounds: 3.3
Steals: 1.3
Blocks: 0.6
Turnovers: 2.1
Minutes: 30.7
Field Goal: 35.4%
3 Point: 31.5%
Free Throw: 70.6%
Efficiency: 8.9

Lee struggled to find a rhythm throughout the season, shooting well under 40%, but he has a strong work ethic so we’ll see if he can bounce back in his sophomore season.

2014 Rookie Game Reserve
2014 All-Rookie 2nd Team

C Jerry Weisse
Boston 37-45
21 Years Old

Games (Started): 76 (0)
Points: 7.9
Assists: 1.1
Rebounds: 4.4
Steals: 0.7
Blocks: 0.4
Turnovers: 1.4
Minutes: 21.2
Field Goal: 42.3%
3 Point: 36.0% (25 attempts)
Free Throw: 52.0%
Efficiency: 7.3

Weisse proved to be a decent big with some solid range on his jump shot. Not the smartest player or the best rebounder though. Slotted in nicely as Boston’s sixth man.

2014 Rookie Game Reserve

SG Tyler Rainey
Utah 40-42
21 Years Old

Season
Games (Started): 82 (82)
Points: 16.5
Assists: 3.7
Rebounds: 3.4
Steals: 0.4
Blocks: 0.2
Turnovers: 2.2
Minutes: 32.4
Field Goal: 49.3%
3 Point: 42.3%
Free Throw: 79.8%
Efficiency: 14.8

Playoffs
Games (Started): 4 (4)
Points: 18.3
Assists: 3.5
Rebounds: 3.5
Steals: 0.3
Blocks: 0.3
Turnovers: 3.3
Minutes: 35.0

Rainey had a great rookie season and appears to be a great offensive player, but seems be lacking on the defensive side of the court. Along with Derrick Favors, he lead the Jazz into the playoffs as an 8th seed.

2014 NBA Rookie of the Year
2014 All-Rookie 1st Team
2014 Rookie Game Starter
2014 Three Point Shootout Contestant

PG Mark Gannon
Orlando 61-21
20 Years Old

Season
Games (Started): 77 (0)
Points: 9.2
Assists: 3.1
Rebounds: 2.4
Steals: 1.1
Blocks: 0.1
Turnovers: 1.3
Minutes: 21.0
Field Goal: 44.4%
3 Point: 44.1%
Free Throw: 72.7%
Efficiency: 9.7

Playoffs
Games (Started): 15 (0)
Points: 9.7
Assists: 3.2
Rebounds: 2.3
Steals: 1.8
Blocks: 0.2
Turnovers: 1.9
Minutes: 21.5

The Magic added Grevis Vasquez and Greg Monroe in the offseason and rocketed to the top of the NBA. Gannon played the sixth man role well, playing either guard spot when one of the starters needed a break.

2014 Rookie Game Starter
2014 All-Rookie 1st Team

[SkylineXC]

So my file for the last one corrupted Here goes another one!

2014 NBA Draft
1. Phoenix Suns C Victor Flint Iowa
Flint is a 7-4 defensive monster. The next Roy Hibbert? Averaged 18 points 15 rebounds and 3 blocks at Iowa. 21 years old.

2. Sacramento Kings SF Bobby Moore Morgan State
Moore was a bit of a stretch at the #2 pick. Has a lot of upside and is just 20 years old. Made of glass. 6-9 196

3. Toronto Raptors PF Luke Scott Georgia Tech
One of the older players in the top 10 at 23 years of age. He is a good scorer and a tremendous rebounder (averaged 18.6 in college), but is a sieve on defense. 6-8 253

4. Charlotte Bobcats SF Mark Heide Xavier
Heide is a solid wing with some upside as a defender, can do a little bit of everything. 6-7 233

5. Utah Jazz SG Andre Tiggs Memphis
Tiggs was a bit of a reach. The Jazz went with need over talent. A great ball handler and overall decent player. 6-3 223

6. New Orleans Pelicans SF Estell Hand Tennessee
Hand is smart, overall good small forward with minimal upside at 22 years old. 6-7 208

7. Orlando Magic PG Mark Grove Kentucky
Grove, while 22 years old, has loads of potential and will likely be the top point guard of this draft. 6-1 184

8. Portland Trailblazers C Matt Mason Maryland
Mason can draw fouls like a mad man, but struggles at defense and rebounding. 6-10 249

9. New Orleans SF Kitwana Butler Virginia
Butler is a bit undersized, but along with almost every other top SF in this draft he is an above average defender. 6-5 211

10. Memphis Grizzlies PF Jason Dawson Prairie View
Dawson is a defensive minded forward who plays with a lot of energy. 6-10 234

11. Atlanta Hawks SG Kevin Davis Memphis
Davis was friends and teammates with Andre Tiggs at Memphis, Davis is very raw but has a lot of potential to fulfill. 6-8 211

12. Chicago Bulls C Brian Springer Saint John’s
Springer is another very raw but exciting prospect. 6-11 258

13. Philly 76ers PG Saipele Bergig Israel
He is a solid point guard with not a lot of upside. 6-3 156

14. Portland Trailblazers PF Reggie Dixon Purdue
Dixon is a solid big with the potential to get a lot better. 6-10 254

15. Washington C Derek Ward
Ward is another huge center at 7-4, we’ll see how he pans out after playing 4 years at Oregon.


# of Position in top 15
PG: 2
SG: 2
SF: 4
PF: 3
C: 4

[SkylineXC]

2014-2015

Point Guards:

Mark Grove
Orlando 38-44
22 Years Old
Drafted #7

Games (Started): 82 (82)
Points: 9.9
Assists: 5.9
Rebounds: 3.1
Steals: 0.8
Blocks: 0.3
Turnovers: 2.5
Minutes: 30.0
Field Goal: 39.6%
3 Point: 29.6%
Free Throw: 85.7%

Grove was a starter from day one and proved to be a competent NBA point guard, but not a star.

2014
Rookie Game Starter
All-Rookie 1st Team

Saipele Bergig
Philadelphia 55-27
22 Years Old
Drafted #13

Season
Games (Started): 59 (56)
Points: 12.1
Assists: 5.0
Rebounds: 4.9
Steals: 1.2
Blocks: 0.3
Turnovers: 2.5
Minutes: 31.5
Field Goal: 42.0%
3 Point: 36.9%
Free Throw: 73.5%

Postseason
Games (Started): 5 (5)
Points: 11.2
Assists: 5.0
Rebounds: 4.6
Steals: 0.6
Blocks: 0.4
Turnovers: 2.6
Minutes: 32.0

Bergig missed 26 games after he suffered a broken leg in January. A good all-around player and the best passer from the draft.

2014
All-Rookie 2nd Team

Shooting Guard:

Andre Tiggs
Utah 27-55
22 Years Old
Drafted #5

Games (Started): 82 (77)
Points: 9.6
Assists: 1.8
Rebounds: 2.6
Steals: 0.5
Blocks: 0.1
Turnovers: 0.9
Minutes: 27.3
Field Goal: 43.3%
3 Point: 33.2%
Free Throw: 78.3%

Tiggs started for the Jazz and showed that he is a solid combo guard at the NBA level.

2014
Rookie Game Starter
All-Rookie 1st Team

Kevin Davis
Atlanta
19 Years Old
Drafted #11

Games (Started): 12 (0)
Points: 1.5
Assists: 0.8
Rebounds: 1.3
Steals: 0.1
Blocks: 0.0
Turnovers: 0.3
Minutes: 7.8
Field Goal: 26.9%
3 Point: 0%
Free Throw: 100%

Davis played most of the season in the D-League, he has a lot of potential, we’ll see if he can fulfill it.

[SkylineXC]

Small Forwards:

Bobby Moore
Sacramento 17-65
20 Years Old
Drafted #2

Games (Started): 74 (73)
Points: 10.0
Assists: 1.8
Rebounds: 3.2
Steals: 0.4
Blocks: 0.4
Turnovers: 1.5
Minutes: 26.5
Field Goal: 43.6%
3 Point: 41.2%
Free Throw: 76.9%

Moore showed flashes of potential. Many are now touting him as being the next Paul George. He has potential to become above average in every facet of his game and also become an elite defender.

2014
Rookie Game Reserve

Mark Heide
Charlotte 41-41
22 Years Old
Drafted #4

Games (Started): 82 (81)
Points: 12.0
Assists: 2.1
Rebounds: 3.9
Steals: 1.3
Blocks: 0.3
Turnovers: 1.6
Minutes: 32.8
Field Goal: 40.2%
3 Point: 25.8%
Free Throw: 81.5%

Heide is a good all-around player with some potential to improve as a scorer and defender. Struggled as his offensive game has not quite adapted to the NBA yet.

2014
Rookie Game Starter
All-Rookie 2nd Team

Estell Hand
New Orleans 49-33
22 Years Old
Drafted #6

Season
Games (Started): 82 (23)
Points: 7.6
Assists: 0.9
Rebounds: 3.4
Steals: 0.9
Blocks: 0.4
Turnovers: 1.5
Minutes: 19.9
Field Goal: 39.8%
3 Point: 39.8%
Free Throw: 79.8%

Postseason
Games (Started): 14 (0)
Points: 6.5
Assists: 0.9
Rebounds: 3.2
Steals: 0.5
Blocks: 0.1
Turnovers: 1.5
Minutes: 17.9

Hand played well of the bench for the Pelicans but doesn’t appear to have star potential.

2014
Rookie Game Reserve

Kitwana Butler
New Orleans 49-33
21 Years Old
Drafted #9

Season
Games (Started): 79 (59)
Points: 11.3
Assists: 1.7
Rebounds: 4.3
Steals: 1.4
Blocks: 0.7
Turnovers: 1.7
Minutes: 29.3
Field Goal: 46.3%
3 Point: 40.2%
Free Throw: 75.8%

Postseason
Games (Started): 14 (14)
Points: 16.0
Assists: 1.8
Rebounds: 5.8
Steals: 1.2
Blocks: 0.9
Turnovers: 2.4
Minutes: 33.1

Butler usurped Hand for the starting spot early in the season and never looked back. Another of the premier perimeter defenders to appear from this draft class.

2014
Rookie Game Reserve
All-Rookie 1st Team

[SkylineXC]

Power Forwards:

Luke Scott
Toronto 26-56
23 Years Old
Drafted #3

Games (Started): 82 (81)
Points: 15.1
Assists: 1.3
Rebounds: 9.3
Steals: 0.6
Blocks: 0.0
Turnovers: 2.0
Minutes: 35.8
Field Goal: 43.3%
Free Throw: 58.6%

Scott is a dynamite offensive player and rebounder but is one of the worst passers and defenders in the league. One of the oldest and most polished players from the draft.

2014
Rookie Game Starter
All-Rookie 1st Team

Jason Dawson
Memphis 32-50
23 Years Old
Drafted #10

Games (Started): 78 (75)
Points: 11.6
Assists: 1.4
Rebounds: 5.0
Steals: 0.4
Blocks: 1.0
Turnovers: 2.2
Minutes: 29.1
Field Goal: 40.6%
3 Point: 35.7%
Free Throw: 69.8%

Dawson is a solid big but I’m not sold on him as he has minimal upside, struggles to rebound at an average rate, and shot poor for a big. Should be a solid player though.

2014
Rookie Game Reserve
All-Rookie 2nd Team

Reggie Dixon
Portland Trailblazers
20 Years Old
Drafted #14

Dixon is a decent player but was relegated to the d-league for the whole season. He averaged 11 points and 8 rebounds in the D-league and has a fair bit of potential to fill out.

[SkylineXC]

Centers:

Victor Flint
Phoenix 43-39
21 Years Old
Drafted #1

Season
Games (Started): 82 (82)
Points: 14.0
Assists: 1.1
Rebounds: 8.5
Steals: 0.5
Blocks: 1.6
Turnovers: 1.8
Minutes: 31.7
Field Goal: 48.2%
Free Throw: 70.4%

Postseason
Games (Started): 7 (7)
Points: 9.9
Assists: 0.7
Rebounds: 7.9
Steals: 0.1
Blocks: 1.1
Turnovers: 1.7
Minutes: 33.9

Flint has a phenomenal rookie season. He is already an elite defender and could possibly become the best defensive big man in the NBA eventually. Also a strong offensive player with good rebounding instincts.

2014
NBA Rookie of the Year
All-Rookie 1st Team
Rookie Game Starter

Matt Mason
Portland 54-28
23 Years Old
Drafted #8

Season
Games (Started): 74 (16)
Points: 8.1
Assists: 1.0
Rebounds: 4.6
Steals: 0.2
Blocks: 0.8
Turnovers: 1.4
Minutes: 21.7
Field Goal: 53.5%
Free Throw: 53.4%

Postseason
Games (Started): 10 (0)
Points: 6.1
Assists: 1.1
Rebounds: 3.8
Steals: 0.3
Blocks: 0.3
Turnovers: 0.7
Minutes: 19.3

Mason is a solid center who excels at getting to the line, hitting his free throws is another story though. Averages almost 4 free throw attempts in just 21 minutes a game.

2014
Rookie Game Reserve

Brian Springer
Chicago Bulls
19 Years Old
Drafted #12

Played in just 6 games in the NBA. Came off the bench in the D_League, averaging 18 minutes a game. Springer was one of the youngest players in the draft and has shown signs of massive potential if he’s will to develop it.

Derek Ward
Washington 33-49
22 Years Old
Drafted #15

Games (Started): 82 (1)
Points: 8.7
Assists: 0.7
Rebounds: 3.9
Steals: 0.5
Blocks: 0.7
Turnovers: 2.0
Minutes: 18.0
Field Goal: 55.9%
Free Throw: 74.0%

Ward is a good all-around big, but nothing special besides his imposing 7-4 stature.

2014
All-Rookie 2nd Team

Some other stats from this rookie class:
Average Minutes for Top 15: 27.4 *Only includes the 14 that played*

9 out of 15 started the majority of the season


In the future I thinks its possible that Victor Flint, Luke Scott and, Saipele Bergig all become perennial All-Stars.
I also think that Bobby Moore and Brian Springer also have the potential to become dominant players.

[JMD]

It would be very funny if a Big South player got drafted in the 1st round in real life.