LeBron James to opt out of deal with Miami Heat
June 24, 2014Cavs still split on No. 1 pick per ESPN
June 24, 2014| Also See: Point Guards, Shooting Guards|
The small forward position in the NBA is star-studded with the likes of LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Kevin Durant. The 2014 NBA Draft will only serve to add to this loaded position.
There are two franchise players who could change the direction of a NBA team in addition to many other who will make an instant impact for whomever selects them. The group has a good variety of players with different skills. There are players who are defensively orientated, slashing scorers, and dangerous shooters. My number one player (Andrew Wiggins) and number two player (Jabari Parker) in the entire draft are part of this loaded position. Let’s take a look at my top five small forwards in the 2014 NBA Draft.
1. Andrew Wiggins, Kansas
Kansas’s Andrew Wiggins is my top-ranked player in the 2014 NBA Draft. He is one of the most athletic players in the draft and boasts huge upside. He has great size for a small forward at 6-feet-8-inches and a 7-foot wingspan. He uses his athleticism to get to the basket with ease. He has a quick first step, which allows him to beat his defender and get to the basket. He is a solid shooter from the perimeter and has NBA range from three. Last season at Kansas, he shot 44.8% from the field and 34.1% from three. Wiggins has good form and a quick release, which enables him to improve and be a very good shooter in the NBA. He is deadly in transition because of speed and athleticism to beat the defense up court. His biggest skill at this point in his career is his defense. He has great agility and lateral quickness, which give him the ability to stay in front of quick players. He also has length and size to defend bigger players. He has the potential to be a shutdown defender in the NBA. Wiggins is a player who could change the fate of a franchise if he can get to his full potential.
Wiggins has a couple flaws he must improve in order to reach his potential. His offensive game is not fully developed. He is inconsistent on his shooting and settles too often for the jump shot rather then penetrating to the basket. He also is too passive sometimes resulting in him deferring to his teammates and disappearing for a stretch of the game. He needs to be more assertive and maintain a “killer-instinct”. Wiggins must also get stronger and fill out more in order to finish better through contact. But, his flaws are all fixable and so he can improve these skills. He is a smart player and works very hard. SI.com’s Jeremy Woo says, “Wiggins, who is set to be a top three pick, could become an elite two-way player with the right development.”
2. Jabari Parker, Duke
Duke’s Jabari Parker is considered by most experts as one of the three best players in the 2014 NBA Draft. He has elite scoring ability because of his versatility to score in many different ways. Last season at Duke he shot 47.3% from the field and 35.8% from three. He is a good shooter form the perimeter and in the mid-range. He has ability to get to the basket because of his good ball handling skills. Parker has the ability to pull up and shoot a mid-range shot and also a step back jumper. He also can score very well in transition because of good ball handling and decent athleticism. His post skills are very advanced for a small forward and so he could definitely slip down to the power forward position at times. Parker is extremely good at finishing in the paint because of his strength and length and has the athleticism required to go up and dunk through contact. He is a plus rebounder who can be dangerous on the offensive boards.
He is very good at getting his teammates involved and passing the ball. He is a very smart player, who knows how to play and get in the best position. Parker has a “killer-instinct” and high competitiveness.
Parker biggest question is his defense. He is a good athlete, but he does not have a lot of lateral quickness as seen in players like Wiggins. He has trouble staying in front of faster players and gives up drives to the basket. He has excellent length with a wingspan of 7-feet which could be able to make up for his lack of quickness with his length. He did not show a lot of effort on the defensive side of the ball in college and was out position many times. If he put more emphasis on his defense, he could be a serviceable defender, but he will be selected for his offense. ESPN’s Chad Ford says, “Blessed with a well-rounded game that allows him to score from anywhere on the floor and a high basketball IQ that helps him pick his spots, Parker projects as one of the few players in this draft who could possibly step into the NBA right away and score 20 points per game.”
3. Doug McDermott, Creighton
Creighton’s Doug McDermott is considered one of the best shooters in the 2014 NBA Draft. Last season at Creighton, he scored 26.7 points a game with averages of 52.6% from the field and 44.9 % from three. He can shoot off the dribble, in spot ups, in the post, and off of curls. He is one of the more versatile scorers in the draft because he can score in post, mid-range, outside, and on penetration to the basket. He has deep range on the perimeter and he has almost perfect form on his shot. McDermott has good post moves like a jump hook and a face-up fadeaway. He is an intelligent player, who does not turn the ball over a lot (1.8 TO/game) and does not take too many bad shots. He is a solid rebounder because of good positioning. He will work hard and put everything out there on the court.
McDermott’s biggest flaw is his athleticism and ability to play defense. He is not an overly big player at 6-feet-8-inches and wingspan of just 6-feet-9-inches. He is an average athlete with limited jumping ability and quickness. This will hurt him in getting to the basket and rebounding on offense. He could have a hard time getting past defenders to the basket. He also will struggle rebounding against the athletic competition in the NBA. Although McDermott is a solid team defender, he will struggle defending one-on-one because of his lack of lateral quickness and length. But, he will be drafted because of versatility on offense and his ability to score the basketball. SI.com’s Peter Bukowski says, “He’s not a premier NBA scorer but could be a second option or the leader of an NBA team’s second unit. Run the offense through him while the starters sit, and if you’re down late, he’s certainly a potential crunch time scorer and shooter.”
4. Rodney Hood, Duke
Duke’s Rodney Hood is a very good shooter with excellent height for the position. He is 6-feet-9-inches and a good athlete. His best skill is his shooting from perimeter and mid-range. Last season at Duke, averaging 16.1 points a game with averages of 46.4% from the field and 42% from the field. He can shoot from spot up and off the dribble. He is also a very good teammate and unselfish. He is a good passer, who can make plays for his teammates. Because of his height, he can see over the defense and has good court vision. He is also very good with the ball and does not make many turnovers. He only averaged 1.5 turnovers a game last season for Duke.
Hood is not very strong and so he struggles finishing and rebounding. He has ability to get to the basket with a good first step, but he struggles finishing through contact. He needs to add strength in order to become a better finisher. He is also not a strong rebounder because of his strength and lack of length. He also needs to improve his defense. He has good lateral quickness to be able to stay in front of his opponent. But, he lacks toughness, strength, and willingness to play defense consistently. His length hurts him on defense in guarding against bigger players, too. Hood has potential to be a good defender. Hood is a dangerous shooter, who can open the floor for other players. CBSSports.com’s Matt Moore says, “Hood’s defensive upside is dramatically overlooked due to Duke’s systemic issues last year. The wingspan isn’t great, but most of his issues were mental, not physical. And while that’s often harder to fix than anything, sometimes, guys just “get it” at the next level. And offensively, he’s an immediate starter-worthy guy.”
5. Kyle Anderson, UCLA
UCLA’s Kyle Anderson is one of the most interesting players in the 2014 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-9-inch small forward is one of the best skilled big men in the draft. He has great court vision, passing ability, and ball handling, which give him the ability to be a point-forward. He was the point guard for UCLA last season, averaging 6.5 assists a game. He made his team go on offense and made plays for his teammates. ESPN’s Jay Bilas says, “Anderson played a point forward for Steve Alford in Westwood, and he delivered the ball to scorers while still looking to score. Anderson can see over defenders at 6-9, and he has a great feel for the game.” Anderson is also a good rebounder because of his great length (7-foot-3-inch wingspan). He improved as a shooter last season, averaging 48% from the field and 48.3% from three. He can shoot in spot up and off the dribble situations. His shot is hard to block because of his high release. He is a true stat sheet stuffer, averaging 14.6 points a game, 6.5 rebounds a game, and 8.8 rebounds a game.
Anderson’s biggest flaw is lack of athleticism. He is an average athlete with not much quickness and strength. His lack of athleticism hurts him in his defensive ability and his ability to get to the basket. He struggles staying in front of his opponent on defense and gets beat to the basket. He has length, which can might let him guard bigger player like power forwards, but he must add strength in order to do that. He will be hampered on offense because of his lack of quickness to go past his defender. Through, his size helps him get past some defenders because of his long strides. He needs to add more strength to his build in order to be able to defend a player adequately. But, he is a player with unique abilities, who can give a team a weapon on offense.
—
(Photo by: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports)
14 Comments
Kyle Anderson is a younger, svelte Boris Diaw. For all the good and bad reasons. It will be very interesting to see which team takes him as I would think there is a crazy wild difference of opinion on him based on the system each team runs (yes, having a passing forward sit on the elbow in the Princeton system would be fantastic).
Okay, I have a couple differences in opinion from watching Jabari. First, I often saw him competing really hard on defense. I’m sure you can find instances of him slacking or out of position, but, on the whole, he was usually engaged and trying to stay in the game on that side. Also, his passing can be wretched at times. He was always willing to make the pass, but if he didn’t have a clear path, he would often make ill-advised passes. I think he’s really going to struggle (at least at first) in the NBA here. You definitely hit the main areas he is better than Wiggins (finishing at the rim through contact and his beautiful form shot).
On Wiggins, I don’t know that he ever develops that true killer instinct that all would like him too. But, it’s not an absolutely necessary thing either. Kevin Durant seems to play passively most of the games and defers to teammates often, yet he has figured out how to stay within the system and still put up crazy points too. I don’t think Wiggins has Durant potential, but the style of how to fit him in could be in that mold. I really see Wiggins as a Kawhi or Stephenson type of player that can potentially develop into something more as he matures.
And if we’re going to view Wiggins through the lens of playing for the Cavs, how important is that killer instinct? Kyrie and Dion already don’t have enough basketballs to share at crunch time, do we need to add another to the mix? I’m fine with the idea of Wiggins spotting up or cutting to the hoop.
great point. I’d only add that:
– not confident at all that both Dion and Kyrie (particularly Dion) wil still be a Cav on Thursday night.
– whether he needs the ball in his hands a lot or not, our #1 pick in this draft, whether Parker or Wiggins, better have heart, should want to get the pass or opening for that last shot, should ache for it. If he’s not wired that way I want the other guy.
Sorry, one more: Truly believe Parker and Wiggins will both be great NBA players. If last year either were finishing their freshman year and entering the draft we’d have been ecstatic. For once, this is all good.
The other guy that showed up over weight, out of shape, and generally disinterested for his interview to be a star? Over simplified, yes, but indicative of his mentality – that includes a documented deficiency in defense.
As far as who may still be on the team, you make a fair point, but in the interest of my sanity, I’ll just keep the pieces of this puzzle stationary.
Is Wiggins perfect, no (not yet?). However, of the two he is the one that has shown work ethic and discipline to match with ridiculous athleticism that allows him to defend multiple positions. Has Parker shown he can even cover small forwards? Assuming our personnel, perimeter defense is as big of a need as any.
Did he wet the bed in the tournament? Sure, BUT he sure stepped up his game previously when Embiid went out, and let’s not pretend that Parker led Duke (who wasn’t missing a stud Center) deep into the tournament.
Lots of promise there for both, but Parker worries me on defense. A lot.
Jarrett Jack aches for it. So, you want him to stay?
(could not resist)
Who didn’t wet the bed in the tournament? How many players that will be picked in the lottery made the elite-8? sweet-16?
agree all around. But: a significantly overweight Parker is such a red attitude flag that I want to withhold judgment, since anonymous sourced Silly Season reports are code level deep yellow for accuracy. Makes no sense: by all accounts a hard-working and accountable kid, with enough character to meet the standards of a college coach who holds his players to pretty high standards. Twenty pounds – and this total lack of conditioning wasn’t leaked after his other workouts? I’m just a little skeptical.
nice. Damon Jones, and Manny Harris too.
and who could forget Andy-V shaking off LeBron to take Duncan 1on1 in game3 of the 2007 Finals.
Jabari’s weight issues were rumbling around all season actually. Now, it could be someone grasping onto those previous rumors to validate themselves, but it is ingenious if that is all it is (and I would have expected Jabari’s camp to be screaming about now if it wasn’t true. being labeled overweight in the draft leadup is not an easy label to shake. Just ask Dion Waiters or Anthony Bennett).
Yeah, another fair point. I guess at some point I need to trust something (Cavs roster will remain somewhat static, workout stuff) while trying to trim the opinion (he would rather go to Milwaukee).
I guess for the first time in a few years, I don’t want to draft a guy with a weight problem. Is that so much to ask? I have my own weight problem to deal with.
I don’t want to draft a guy with a weight problem. Is that so much to ask? I have my own weight problem to deal with.
The beauty of this statement needed to be highlighted.