Looking At The Top 7 NBA Prospects

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The 2014 NBA Draft is on June 26th and it’s time to look at the well known NBA prospects. On that date a new era will take place as it will also be the first Draft in over 30 years without David Stern as Adam Silver will take his place. Interestingly enough Stern’s first draft featured some of the greatest players in league history with Hakeem Olajuwon, Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley and John Stockton. All four of those players have been inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame while 3 of the 4 were named at various points NBA MVP’s. The parallels are obvious between this years’ draft and the 1984 draft since it is currently being hyped up as one of the best All-Time with high prospects. Truth be told but the 2014 Draft could be in discussion with the class of 1984, 1987, 1996 & 2003 with its multitude top prospects. Silver’s first draft could be as monumental as Sterns first.

Whenever the discussion of best draft class comes up it has to be about Star power and not role players. The 2014 NBA Draft has the expectation to deliver an abundance of star power with the incoming college and International players. If any of the prospects this year went pro last year they would’ve been a unanimous #1 pick & unlike the #1 pick of the 2013 draft, this years 1st pick will most definitely become a All-Star and maybe even a superstar.

This year’s draft is filled with big names like Canada sensation Andrew Wiggins, Kansas surprise Joel Embiid, Australia’s hot commodity Dante Exum, scorer Jabari Parker, big man Julius Randle, strong guard Marcus Smart & athletic Aaron Gordon. All of this year’s prospects are auditioning for an NBA team this season with their respective collegiate teams and are making a strong impression showcasing their jaw dripping skill sets.

Andrew Wiggins, Kansas, Freshman, 6’8”, SF:



Andrew Wiggins is a Canadian basketball player that was being talked about during the 2013 NBA Draft. Wiggins was taking the USA by storm with his impressive skills being seen on YouTube. He was most notably named the Naismith Prep Player of the Year, Mr. Basketball USA & became the first Canadian to win Gatorade National Player of the Year. As it was time to pick a college the sensation was mulling picking between Florida State University, University of Kansas, University of Kentucky and the University of North Carolina. On May 14th, 2013 Andrew decided he would commit to the Kansas Jayhawks.

Entering college Wiggins was becoming the consensus #1 pick before he even played a game. With his skills the phenom was being compared to NBA great LeBron James as both were the most highly touted and hyped up High School basketball players within the past few decades. What some people fail to realize is that LeBron and Andrew play the game of basketball differently, with different personalities and work ethic. James was NBA-ready coming out and Wiggins is not the next “Chosen One.” Wiggins was also compared to Oklahoma City forward Kevin Durant who boldly predicted Wiggins’ future by saying “He’s raw right now, but he could be a Hall of Famer. An All-Star for sure.” Wiggins wasn’t a fan of the comparisons to James and Durant and thought they were unfair

“I’ve got a long way to go before I can be compared to LeBron and Durant, Those are the best players in the world right now and I’m still in college. So I think it’s really unfair to compare me to someone of that caliber. Hopefully one day I can be compared to them, but I think I still have a long way to go before I can be.”

Despite being compared to the best in the league, Wiggins does have the potential and genes to dominate the NBA since his mother is a former Olympic sprinter and his father is a former NBA player. Wiggins’ father, Mitchell Wiggins, played college basketball at Truett-McConnell College, Clemson University and Florida State. He was drafted by the Indiana Pacers in 1983 with the 23rd pick. His career in the NBA spanned from 1983-1987 and 1989-1992. In 1986 Mitchell was suspended by the NBA for 2.5 years due to testing positive for cocaine usage. His basketball career professionally would last 20 seasons from 1983-2003 which included stops in the NBA, Europe and China.

Andrew Wiggins has an incredible 7’0″ wingspan which gives him great potential to become a defensive pest which he desires and a primary defender along with his quickness. Offensively he has the most potential with his NBA 2K athleticism and great finishing ability but will need to bulk up, become more aggressive and start running up the court consistently as his coach once said according to him “Coach would get on me for not being aggressive or not running the floor hard every possession.” Overall he needs to improve his shooting ability since most of his scoring is done with his athletic ability.

The sensation is also learning each level of competition grows harder “It isn’t what I thought it was going to be, It’s a lot harder than I expected.”

Jabari Parker, Duke, Freshman, 6’8”, SF:

Jabari Parker is a well skilled, versatile and matured young man. Parker played his High School basketball at Simeon Career Academy in Chicago where former NBA MVP Derrick Rose attended. Throughout Parker’s High School career he had earned numerous awards such as the Gatorade Player of the Year, USA Basketball’s Male Athlete of the Year, National Player of the Year and National Sophomore, Junior & Senior Player of the Year. The best High School player in America considered committing to Duke, Stanford, Michigan State, Florida and BYU. On December 20th, 2012 Jabari Parker had decided to become a Duke Blue Devil.

Unlike Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker wasn’t as hyped up coming out of High School and only was really only hyped up when he was going against Wiggins in the “Champions Classic.” Parker has gained many NBA comparisons to former All-Stars Paul Pierce, Grant Hill, Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant. Durant has called Parker “The Real Deal.” Ironically enough, Parker attended the Kevin Durant skills academy in 2013. Duke legend, former All-Star and current NBA analyst Grant Hill also compared Parker to Anthony with a little Durant,

“I think he’s having that Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant-type impact on the game. His versatility is through the roof. He can play multiple positions, guard multiple positions, handle the ball, post up, shoot from long range. Then there’s the intellect. And the beauty of his game is his personality. He’s 100% bought in, he’s emotionally invested and that’s the sign of a champion. He has an incredible feel for the game and it’s something that’s hard to quantify.”



UCLA coach Steve Alford also chimed with the Anthony comparisons saying:



“There’s a lot of ‘Melo in him as far as guy that can stretch you to the 3-point line. He can drive the basketball. He creates space off the dribble to get jump shots. He can take you to the post, so I just think he’s a very, very talented, gifted player. And you don’t see a lot who are this polished 10, 11 games into their freshman year.” But Parker is more satisfied with the comparison to Melo saying “It’s a good comparison, He mastered the fundamentals. He’s always good at his craft. He works on it and that’s a person I’ve been looking up to, so yeah, that’s good compliment.”

Some might or might not know this but Jabari Parker’s father Sonny Parker was the 17th pick of the 1976 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors with his career lasting six seasons and also that Parker as a non-NBA player has trained with one of the most famous athletic trainers in Tim Grover who has worked with the likes of Michael Jordan and Dwyane Wade. Parker has a natural feel for the game of basketball and has displayed a very high IQ for someone his age. He has tremendous size, strength, athleticism and quickness. Interestingly enough the young player has a solid jumpshot, good ball handling and passing skills making his potential sky high. The Blue Devil can score at will and is one of the most NBA-ready players in this years draft and it shouldn’t be a surprise if he goes #1. Lastly the forward has a high tendency to use his pull-up jumper and is very lethal taking his opponent off the dribble, also he’s great with hesitation moves, fakes and crossovers to confuse his defender. He doesn’t have many weaknesses. He is currently having one of the best college basketball seasons for a freshmen in recent memory.

Parker once drafted will be great for the NBA on the court and especially of the court as he shows a tremendous work ethic as he works outs with his brother most of the time instead of being like other High school teens and playing pick-up games. Parker is unlike most highly touted NBA prospects because he is the definition of a student athlete with a 3.7 GPA and is faithful to his Mormon faith as he often carries the Book of Mormon. He also feels a responsibility to be looked up to by the youth and has been noticed by the mayor as he said “Jabari has earned the right to be a role model for kids in Chicago. His character and seriousness of purpose are exceptional.” Parker was also president of student representatives for the local school council and a youth basketball instructor. With that being said he also did volunteer work for Operation PUSH, The Salvation Army and the New Beginnings Church.

Julius Randle, Kentucky, Freshman, 6’9”, PF:

Randle has the size, strength and the aggressiveness making him one of the best 2014 NBA Draft prospects. Coming out of High School, Randle was ranked in the Top 5 in the class of 2013. Unlike the other top prospects, Randle doesn’t have any eye popping High School achievements besides leading his team to a state title, winning the Under Armour Elite 24 Dunk Contest in August of 2012, attending the Amare Stoudemire Skills Academy (2011) and LeBron James Skills Academy (2011 & 2012) and was selected to participate in the 2013 McDonald’s All-American game and the 2013 Jordan Brand Classic. Randle considering committing to Kentucky, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, N.C. State and Florida. On March 20th, 2013 Julius Randle decided he would commit to the University of Kentucky.

Randle wasn’t looked at aggressively like Jabari Parker and Andrew Wiggins but was considered and known as a top prospect and one of the best big men entering college. Randle has been hit with many NBA comparisons including Zach Randolph, Larry Johnson, Jamal Mashburn, Chris Webber and Shawn Kemp. Randle did comment on the comparison to Kemp saying:



“With that comes responsibility and expectation. That’s a lot of hard work that needs to be put in, too.” But the young player isn’t focused on comparisons but is in becoming his own player “I’ve never tried to play like anybody or modeled my game after anybody, I’ve watched a lot of people take a lot of things from past players. A person I watch a lot is LeBron as far as he has size, strength, speed and all that stuff.”

When drafted Randle will be a undersized NBA big, but he is easily the best PF in college basketball as he is NBA-Ready and is a constant double-double machine this season as a freshmen. He has high-energy when on the court, Randle is constantly in “Beast Mode” as his only goal on the court is to dominate his opponent. The Kentucky Wildcat is very good at finishing at the rim, along with a face-up and back-to-basket game but usually faces-up and is also great at rebounding. Also is a break-starter along with decent handles with his quickness to the basket. Him and Chris Webber do have something in common and it’s there angry demeanor on the court showing ruthless aggression. His weaknesses are his mid-range and 3-points along with his 6’11” wingspan, which is shorter than many NBA bigs. Randles short wingspan could be a struggle for him in the league as most noticeably Kevin Love, Blake Griffin and Thaddeus Young have wingspans like that and those players are multidimensional if it’s with their athleticism, 3-point shooting or guard like skills. Julius also needs to down his turnovers per game. Ex-Wildcat Kenny Walker believes Randle could become a star

“He’s got the body and he knows how to use it. Sometimes with guys, you might question their attitude or their work ethic. Just like Kidd-Gilchrist, he’s got a great work ethic. He’s very coachable, he’s not somebody who will lose his temper. He enjoys playing the game. I think he’s going to be playing with some guys around him that understand that ‘this guy is a scorer.’ When he posts up on the ball, he’s posting up hard. He’s open, so you have no other choice but to pass him the ball. That’s the kind of physical presence I think that he is” along with saying “At 6’9″, 6’10″, extremely long arms, does everything well. He’s a good leaper, a good shot blocker. Probably he most underrated thing about him is his passing ability. He sees the floor extremely well. His arms are going to remind you of Anthony Davis, Pervis Ellison, Sam Perkins back in the day. I think he’s going to be in the mold of that player. I think he’s going to surprise a lot of people.”

Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State, Sophomore, 6’4”, PG/SG:

Smart is now the first non-freshmen mentioned in this article. Smart is a very big guard being 6’4″ and weighing 220 pounds using his combo guard skills to dominate his competition. Smart didn’t win any eye popping awards in High School but did win 2-state championships, McDonald’s All-American and being named Texas Mr. Basketball. Coming out of High School Smart was ranked as the best guard in the nation. Smart considered signing with Texas University, University of North Carolina, Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma. On September 9th, 2011 Smart committed to Oklahoma State University and became a Cowboy.

Entering college as a freshmen Smart was a man among boys in college basketball and has gained many NBA comparisons like his counterparts and the comparisons for Mr. Smart are Dwyane Wade, Jason Kidd, James Harden, Tyreke Evans and Derrick Rose. Like Evans, Smart is big, quick, great finisher and doesn’t have a true position, the difference between the two is that Smart is better competitor and focuses more on defense. Smart has noticed the comparisons and Kidd and Wade staying

“It’s been Jason Kidd, Dwyane Wade those two players, With my size, my ability to pass the ball and my IQ of the game, a lot of people mention that.” The young man is satisfied with the comparisons adding on by saying “I just feel honored even to be mentioned in the same category as those type of players” and said “Jason Kidd is one of the greatest point guards who ever played the game.” OSU Head Coach Travis Ford acknowledged the comparison and said “Body-wise, how they approach the game, I’d say that’s a pretty good comparison,They both play with a reckless abandon. Jason Kidd, especially early in his career, how physical he was as a point guard. In those aspects, they’re very similar.”

Marcus was the top NBA prospect in 2013 and would’ve most likely been the #1 pick in the NBA Draft that year but on April 16th he surprised everyone by announcing he won’t declare for the NBA and would return to OSU for his sophomore season and has shown dramatic improvement from his freshmen year. Grizzlies guard Mike Conley commended Smart on returning to OSU



“You commend the guy, That’s hard to do. That’s hard to do when you’re a top talent and you’re the guy. He’s a very talented guy, he wouldn’t be here if he wasn’t, but for him to go back to college, it says a lot about his character and a lot about his love for the game.”

Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday thinks Smart should’ve went pro by saying, “He shoulda came out, if we’re gonna be honest, That boy’s good.”

Blazers guard Damian Lillard also chimed in saying, “I always say that I needed four years to become an NBA player, Some guys only need one year and then the NBA wants them. (Marcus) was probably a guy that was ready. I watched him a few times and I thought he was ready.”

Smart hasn’t been talked about much this season due to this years stacked freshmen and the one who is hyped the most, Andrew Wiggins. Smart had his own opinion on Wiggins saying, “They are saying he is the best college player there is and he has not even played a game yet, Of course that hypes me up. It is all talk. He still has to put his shorts on one leg at a time like I do. It is all potential. I am not saying he can’t do it. But he has not done it yet.” And desperately wanted to guard the Kansas freshmen “I am not going to back down from any challenge. Like I said, you are going to have to prove to me. I am a fighter; I will keep fighting and will never give up.”



Smart also adds on saying, “I wouldn’t say he is overrated, I would just say there is a lot of pressure on him right now. He is under a microscope from the world that is bigger than anybody would think, bigger than he knows. Whatever he does will be magnified times a million, just because of the hype. Whatever he says, does, however he acts.”

The OSU guard also took a shot at Wiggins saying, “I want to earn it, I don’t want anything given to me, It has not been [given] at all. I want to work for what I have. If feel if you work for what you have instead of it being just given to you, people respect you a lot more because you understand what it takes, you’ve been there and done it. No one can just say it was easy because you took it. You didn’t just get it. You took it. So all the power and credit to him. Congratulations for the Sports Illustrated, all the hype, congratulations to him. But that’s definitely a lot of pressure on him.” Smart also says he’s use to being second stating “I am used to coming in second and then all of the sudden finishing in first because nobody expected me to do it, Kind of like David and Goliath, you know. I’m not the giant. But the bigger they are, the harder they fall.”



Smart has the basic intangibles,strength and toughness any GM would to have on their team. Smart has gained more upper body muscle and when attacking the rim he will body the opposing defender. On the defensive end his presence will be felt as he is a lockdown on-ball defender and is also a good rebounder at the guard position. Many of his strengths could be his defense, competitiveness, rebounding, pull-up jumper, athleticism and getting to the hoop. His weaknesses could by his 3-point shot, willing passer but not the best, shot selection and he ball handling.

Oklahoma City Thunder Star Kevin Durant has noticed Smart saying, “Marcus can play in the league right now.”

Cavs guard Kyrie Irving has also noticed Smart saying, “Marcus is ready to play all of the time, He’s a great player that can play with us at this level.”

Smart was also one of two non-NBA players to attend the Team USA mini-camp and said, “It’s going to make me an even better player, Being able to learn from these key guys, Kyrie Irving, John Wall, Paul George, they’ve been playing for awhile and they know what it takes. To learn from these guys is a huge experience for me and it’s going to really help my game. And I know that if I can play with these guys, there is nothing in college basketball that can stop me. And there are no limitations to what I can do.”

He will also be a great man for the league according to his coach saying, “Everyone knows Marcus is a great player, but he’s an even better person, I love being around him.” Once drafted Smart will make an impact.”

Joel Embiid, Kansas, Freshmen, 6’10”, C:



Embiid is a talented center with lots of potential. Embiid was one of the best centers coming out of High School, the big man is originally from Yaoundé, Cameroon which is located in Middle Africa. Embiid was originally a volleyball and soccer player but at the age of 16 his path in life changed when he attended Luc Richard Mbah a Moute’s basketball camp in Cameroon. Attending that camp was the best thing Emiid could do for his life, he would eventually move to Gainesville, Florida and attended The Rock High School. In his one year of playing High School basketball, Embiid led his school to their first ever state championship and was selected to play in the Jordan Brand Classic along with attending Adidas Nations in 2013. For college Embiid received offers from Texas, Florida and Kansas. On November 13th, 2012 decided he was committing to Kansas and become a Jayhawk along with joining Andrew Wiggins.

Joel Embiid was thought of to be as a raw talent with a lot potential but midway through the college season he was developed faster than most have imagined and could be a #1 pick, his volleyball skills have helped him become one of the best shot blockers in the NCAA. Embiid has been compared to Hakeem Olajuwon by Head Coach Bill Self and comparison would be Andrew Bynum. With being compared to NBA players from the past and present, Embiid is surprisingly did consider staying in college for another knowing what the greats have achieved with an extra year or more



“I was curious because I want to be great, I want to be the best at my position one day, I’m trying to learn everything and what other people did. All of the great big men went to college at least two or three years. I think it’s a big factor. I don’t know if it will always work, but I think it’s the best choice.”

He is also not sure how he would adjust to the lifestyle “I think it would be too overwhelming for me right now. I’m not sure I’m ready.” Embiid and Jabari Parker are the top two prospects that are considering in college for another season.

Whenever Embiid is drafted he will make an impact in the league. Embiid is a player as to why Greg Oden was drafted over Kevin Durant and why Sam Bowie was drafted over Michael Jordan, because of the huge potential and what makes him different is that he has no major injury history. A player like Embiid could be more valuable with his potential and even more valuable with his athleticism in the dying Center position.

Embiid has a very high ceiling since he was introduced to the sport about three years ago. With his volleyball skills it translates to the hardwood floor along with his 7’5″ wingspan helps block shots. With limited jumping ability he uses what he has to his advantage and his offensive game is always improving. His weaknesses would include his aggression, offensive game and strength. But overall he has much potential and is heavily compared to Olajuwon.

Aaron Gordon, Arizona, Freshman, 6’9”, SF/PF:

Gordon is one of the best defenders in couple in college basketball along with his athleticism making him one of the best seniors in 2013. Gordon attended Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, California and a a very successful career winning two state championships, USA Basketball Male athlete of the year, FIBA Under-19 World Championship MVP, McDonald’s All-American MVP, Jordan Brand All-American, 2x California Mr. Basketball, attesting the LeBron James skills academy in 2011 and more. Gordon was the first Californian junior to win “California Mr. Basketball” since Jason Kidd in 1991 and Tyson Chandler in 2000. For college he considered Oregon, Kentucky, Arizona and Washington. On April 2nd, 2013 Aaron Gordon became an Arizona Wildcat.

Gordon has gained NBA comparisons to Kenneth Faried and Blake Griffin. Both Faried and Gordon are both good athletic rebounders who are also undersized. An NBA executive commented on the Faried comparison saying, “I’m not sure this is who Gordon wants to be, but this is who he needs to be. He’s a tremendous athlete who brings toughness and energy and could be a terrific rebounder at our level.” Gordon also started comparing himself to Griffin saying “He’s very athletic, he’s got a pretty good motor. I think, I can play point guard and he can’t. He’s an incredible player; he’s the No. 1 pick. I can’t be too mad if people are comparing me to a No. 1 pick. But I can play point guard.” But Gordon’s Arizona Head Coach Sean Miller thought otherwise on the Blake Griffin comparison saying

“I think it’s unfair to put that on Aaron, I don’t know if he’s as much of a post player as Blake Griffin is. Aaron might not even be as big physically as Blake Griffin.But he does some other things that are much different. He’s much more fluid away from the basket entering his freshman year, I think if you would make that comparison at equal time, than Blake Griffin. The one thing they share is athleticism in and around the basket or in transition.”



Another comparison for Gordon could be former Wildcat, Derrick Williams since both are athletic forwards but aren’t sure as to what position they exactly are but most people though will find the Faried comparison to make more sense than the Griffin one.

The Arizona freshmen will most likely become a Small Forward when in the NBA and could possibly be a Point Forward. He has good upper body strength and is a very good athlete. Gordon also has decent handles and a good work ethic. Along with his 6’11” wingspan he has the potential to guard the 1-4 but the kid is a work in progress and could easily be a bust if he declares this year because his game is very limited and is struggling offensively and a little bit defensively in the college game and would be eaten alive in the NBA. His weaknesses include his free-throw shooting, shooting from the field,massing and also taking contact as he has been called “California Soft.” Aaron Gordon has the potential in my eyes to become a Kawhi Leonard or a Shawn Marion. But if he stays another year in college then he could develop into an even better player.

Dante Exum, Australia, 1995, 6’6”, PG/SG:

Exum will be the last player discussed in this article and I would like to thank you for making it this far but back to Exum. Exum is a Australian born basketball player who attended Lake Ginninderra High School Canberra, Australia and could’ve played college basketball during the 2013-2014 season at either Georgetown, LSU, Vanderbilt, Indiana or Southern Methodist but decided not to accept any of their scholarships and decided to attend the Australian Institute of Sport (POST) where former and current NBA players Luc Longley, Andrew Bogut, Patty Mills, and Matthew Dellavedova also attended. The overseas sensation has been part of the 2012 FIBA Under-17 World Championship 2012 FIBA Oceania Championship squad and 2013 FIBA Under-19 World Championship teams. Exum also was part of the Adidas EUROCAMP and Adidas nations.

With his height Exum can play both guard positions along with his explosiveness. The Australian has gained NBA comparisons with Penny Hardaway and Michael Carter-Williams. Exum is a very fast guard along with being a great playmaker with the ball in his hands. He has a great combination of skill and athleticism which helps him get the rim Russell Westbrook like. More strengths for Exum is that he is a good rebounder as a guard, decent defender and ball-handler and 6’9″ wingspan. Personality wise he has been known to have good leadership, good work ethic and unselfish. A few of his weaknesses are strength, shooting, taking contact, turnover prone and another weakness could be him not playing college and going against some of the best prospects.

Few may know this but Dante Exum’s father Cecil Exum attended UNC for four seasons playing with James Worthy and Michael Jordan and was also drafted in 1984 with the 194th pick in the ninth round of the draft. His father mostly played in the NBL which is located in Australia for seven seasons.

Thanks for reading this long article.

— Clevis Murray

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