2013 NBA Draft
Newark, N.J.
By Bob Radl, Staff writer
This year’s draft was considered by many experts and scouts to be a relatively modest draft. Several of the projected top picks such as Nerlens Noel from Kentucky slipped in the draft due to injuries. The pre-draft speculation was rampant about potential trades and draft choices. In the final analysis, several of these players will have strong NBA careers. Time will tell.
1. Anthony Bennett, Forward, Cleveland Cavaliers, He is considered a tweener that can play either forward spot. He is a natural scorer and can hit the trey. Bennett can score off of the dribble and also in the paint. Played one year at UNLV where he was the 2013-13 Mountain West player of the year. Can operate in the post and stretch the floor. He rebounds well on both ends of the floor.
2. Victor Oladipo, Guard, Orlando Magic, Great athlete with a 42 inch vertical. Plays defense, has high energy and rebounds well for his size. 2012-13 Big Ten defensive player of the year. His offensive game was vastly improved this past season.
3. Otto Porter Jr., Forward, Washington Wizards, He is considered a safe pick with upside at the small forward position. Perhaps the most versatile and complete player on both ends of the floor in the draft. He can defend multiple positions. He makes good decisions and is a good passer. He was the Big East player of the year.
4. Cody Zeller, Center, Charlotte Bobcats, Runs the floor well for a man who is 7’0. He has a vertical leap of 38” and plays well in space. Considered one of the most athletic bigs in this year’s draft. May eventually play as a stretch four in the NBA.
5. Alex Len, Center, Phoenix Suns, Has the requisite size to play center in the NBA at 7’1 and 255 pounds with a 7’3 wing span. He runs the floor well for a man of his size and is mobile. Will need to reduce turnovers and improve his free throw shooting. He has good hands and the ability to block shots. Needs to get more physical and play harder.
6. Nerlens Noel, Center, Philadelphia 76ers, Long and athletic with a 7’4 wingspan. He is defensive savant who can rebound, get steals and block shots. Needs to add weight and strength. Scouts love his non-stop motor. Injury issues with two past knee injuries are a concern. His offensive game is raw at best and needs to develop a post game.
7. Ben McLemore, Guard, Sacramento Kings, Fantastic athlete and a great shooter. He is long and quick. May be the most talented player in the draft with a high ceiling. He has the perfect two guard size at 6’5. Big time shooter and scorer. He is an explosive athlete who can play and finish above the rim. Needs to work on creating his shot.
8. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Guard, Detroit Pistons, Good shooter with NBA range who can stretch the defense. Can also pass and defend well. Needs to improve his ball handling skills. He has deep range and has good size at 6’6. He has a quick trigger and good speed when running north to south.
9. Trey Burke, Guard, Utah Jazz, Very good ball handler who can find the open teammate when needed. He is a true leader on the floor and a scoring point guard. Led Michigan to the NCAA championship game this past season. He was the 2012-13 consensus NCAA player of the year. He is an excellent shooter with deep range and plays with a chip on his shoulder.
10. C. J. McCollum, Guard, Portland Trailblazers, Combo guard with a shooter’s mentality. His senior year of college was cut short due to an injury but McCollum was leading the nation in scoring at that time with 25.7 points per game and played only 12 games. He is a versatile scorer who can create his own shot. Good defender with long arms.
11. Michael Carter-Williams, Guard, Philadelphia 76ers, He has a pass first mentality. He ranked in the top five this past season in both assists and steals in the NCAA. He has good length and size at 6’5. Needs to improve his offense, especially his outside shot and a tendency to turn the ball over. He can take the ball to the basket.
12. Steven Adams, Center, Oklahoma City Thunder, Adams is considered a late bloomer with limited experience. He has good size and athleticism for a center at 7’0 and 255 pounds. He is a high energy guy. Adams has an NBA body, can rebound and has decent hands for a center. Needs to improve his free throw shooting.
13. Kelly Olnnyk, Center, Boston Celtics, He has a polished offensive game and can score with his back to the basket or hit a three pointer. He is not a strong defender or a good shot blocker despite being 7’0. He is solid off of the pick and roll. He does not have elite athletic skills.
14. Shabazz Muhammad, Forward, Minnesota Timberwolves, May be the most tantalizing talent in this years draft. He has the raw tools to average 20 points per night and has an NBA ready body at 6’6 and 225 pounds. He needs to improve moving to his right and also work on his dribble. He must improve his defense and is very competitive.
15. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Forward, Milwaukee Bucks, He was the youngest player in the draft and one of the mystery players in the draft. Antetokounmpo was dubbed the “Greek Freak” when he became a YouTube sensation. He can handle the ball well at 6’9 but played against very limited opposition in Greece. He has a great deal of talent with a great deal of upside. He is a project at this time.
16. Lucas Nogueira, Center, Atlanta Hawks, He runs the floor well at 7’0, rebounds and blocks shots but needs to add strength and weight. He needs a year or two of developmental time before he will be NBA ready.
17. Dennis Schroeder, Guard, Atlanta Hawks, Played well at the Nike Hoop Summit this spring. He has improved his shot over the last year. He is considered a good defender at 6’2 and has a long wing span for a guard. Schroder plays well in transition.
18. Shane Larkin, Guard, Dallas Mavericks, Larkin tested as the best athlete at this year’s combine with a 44 inch vertical leap. He is excellent off of pick and rolls. His lack of height at 5’11 could be a problem but plays aggressively.
19. Sergey Karasev, Guard, Cleveland Cavaliers, He has good length at 6’8. He is a very good shooter and has a high basketball IQ. Karasev could play both shooting guard and small forward for the Cavaliers but must get stronger. Lacks great athleticism.
20. Tony Snell, Forward, Chicago Bulls, Stands 6’7 with a long wing span. He has a nice release and has a good pull up jumper. The Bulls like his size and length to add scoring punch off of the bench.
21. Gorgui Dieng, Center, Minnesota Timberwolves, He is productive rebounder and a shot blocker for his height at 6’10. He passes well from the high post. He needs to improve his low post game. Dieng averaged 2.5 blocks and over nine boards last season for the national champs. He sets good screens and is a decent passer for a big man.
22. Miles Plumlee, Center, Brooklyn Nets, He is considered mobile and athletic for a big man. Plumlee tested bigger and more athletic at the NBA combine which helped his stock. Needs to get stronger and add weight.
23. Solomon Hill, Forward, Indiana Pacers, Hill stands 6’7 and about 225 pounds. The concern is whether he has the size to guard power forwards in the NBA or enough lateral quickness to play on the wing. He is competitive and has a nice outside shot.
24. Tim Hardaway Jr., New York Knicks, Hardaway will help the Knicks get younger. He improved his all-around game last season at Michigan. He will need to improve his three point shot and shot selection in general.
25. Reggie Bullock, Forward, LA Clippers, At 6’7, Bullock is an excellent shooter and defender on the wing. He will need to work on creating his own shot in the NBA and learn to score off of the dribble.
26. Andre Robertson, Forward, Oklahoma City Thunder, The Thunder moved up three slots to grab Robertson. He plays solid defense and is a good rebounder for his size. His offensive game needs work.
27. Rudy Gobert, Center, Denver Nuggets, Gobert stands 7’2 and weighs only about 235 pounds. He will to add weight and strength to play in the NBA. He has soft hands for a big man and can finish at the rim.
28. Livio Jean-Charles, Forward, San Antonio Spurs, Jean Charles runs the floor for his size at 6’7 and can defend multiple positions. he has some upside but will most likely play overseas another year or two.
29. Archie Goodwin, Guard, Phoenix Suns, Goodwin has very good athleticism for a 6’5 shooting guard to go along with nice length. He will need to work on his shot mechanics and shot selection.
30. Nemanja Nedovic, Guard, Golden State Warriors, The point guard from Serbia has good size at 6’4 and 200 pounds. He has the ability to get to the rim. The warriors plan to buy out his European contract and have him play in the NBA next season.