The NBA: 2013 Draft Thoughts

A Canadian, Anthony Bennett was the first overall pick of the 2013 NBA Draft.
(Image from: Getty Images) 

The 2013 NBA Draft was full of surprises and uncertainty. There was no consensus #1 pick entering the night of the draft. The most probable first pick (Nerlens Noel) dropped all the way down to the sixth spot while the first pick went to a Canadian which was a first in the history of the NBA Draft. The 2013 draft was also the last draft which Commissioner David Stern would preside. The biggest news of the night belonged to the Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics who agreed on a massive trade. Anyway, back to the draft. Here are some thoughts on the lottery picks (top 14).

1. Anthony Bennett - PF - Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavs stunned a lot of people when they selected Bennett who became the first Canadian chosen as the overall #1 pick. Bennett starred at UNLV where he was quite good but a shoulder injury prevented him from performing during team workouts. Bennett joins a young frontcourt (Tyler Zeller & Tristan Thompson) and backcourt (Kyrie Irving & Dion Waiters) who can all grow together and mature as a team. Bennett is a solid rebounder and can shoot a little from the perimeter. If he loses more weight, Bennett might be able to play some minutes as a SF. His addition to their team could mean that Anderson Varejao will be on his way out very soon.

2. Victor Oladipo - SG - Orlando Magic
Orlando was rumored to be using Arron Afflalo as trade bait. The drafting of Victor Oladipo might make that rumor into a reality. Oladipo is listed as a SG but he is a bit undersized in the NBA. The Magic might try to play him as a PG (Jameer Nelson could be traded too) but Oladipo struggled creating for his teammates in college. He needs to work on his ballhandling skills and passing ability. On the other hand, he is an amazing athlete who has excellent hops and can attack the paint. Defensively, he can probably guard both backcourt positions.

3. Otto Porter - SF - Washington Wizards
Porter is a product of the Georgetown Hoyas. He gets to stay at home in Washington, DC while playing in familiar surroundings at the Verizon Center. Ideally, these things would give Porter an advantage over his fellow rookies when it comes to adjusting to professional ball. Right now, Porter is projected to be the Wizards' starting SF on opening night. Porter can rebound, defend and shoot. He has three-point range and can even put the ball on the floor. Porter needs to add more weight and muscle to be able to battle with the likes of Pierce, Melo and LBJ.

4. Cody Zeller - C/PF - Charlotte Bobcats
Cody will be the third Zeller brother to play in the NBA. Like his two older brothers, Cody is around 6'11" to 7 feet tall. He can play both center and PF spots. His main competition for minutes on the Bobcats will be Josh McRobets, Byron Mullens or the very raw Bismack Biyombo. Zeller has a more polished offensive game compared to Biyombo while he has the defensive advantage over Mullens and McRoberts. It's a safe bet that Zeller will be starting with Biyombo once next season begins.

5. Alex Len - C/PF - Phoenix Suns
Len is recovering from an injury which prevented him from participating in team workouts. Going to the Suns is good for his recovery (best training staff in NBA) but his minutes could be limited due to the Suns' influx of big men. Their primary center, Marcin Gortat is also recovering from an injury while Channing Frye who missed a season due to heart problems could be back this season. Len is a solid defensive player who can block shots and rebound. He also needs to develop his finishing moves around the rim. He needs to bulk up (225 lbs only) to be able to guard NBA-type centers.

6. Nerlens Noel - C/PF - New Orleans Pelicans
Maybe his ACL injury scared teams which dropped Noel to 6th spot. Noel was supposed to play with Anthony Davis until the Pelicans decided to trade him to the Sixers for Jrue Holiday. This transaction might mean that Andrew Bynum wont be back in Philly while Noel will be their franchise center of the future. Noel is a superb athlete who can block shots consistently and be a great rebounder. He has the tools of becoming an elite defender and rim protector. Offensively, he is very raw but has a lot of potential. He currently lacks post moves and he is an awful FT shooter.

7. Ben McLemore - SG - Sacramento Kings
McLemore joins a team with an abundance of guards and volume shooters (Jimmer, Evans, Thomas, Thornton, Salmons). He is getting early comparisons to a young Ray Allen who has unlimited range. McLemore is a good shooter with three-point range and he can put the ball on the floor occasionally. His addition to the Kings could mean that either Evans (a former ROY) or Salmons could be on the trading block this summer. McLemore can take over games offensively and he was a decent defender in college.

8. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope - SG - Detroit Pistons
KCP might be the starting SG of the Pistons for next season. He will be joined by a young core (Knight, Monroe and Drummond) which is very similar to what the Cavaliers have. The Pistons have a couple of veterans (Stuckey and Calderon) who can help KCP develop and grow into a solid NBA player. He is a decent shooter who can also attack the paint.

9. Trey Burke - PG - Minnesota Timberwolves
The College Player of the Year dropped to the 9th spot because of his lack in size (6'1"). He was then traded to the Jazz for Shabazz Muhammad. He will probably start or play huge minutes for Utah next season. Burke is a smart and capable PG with decent ballhandling skills. He can also shoot a little bit. As a PG in the NBA, Burke lacks the speed and quickness to guard the likes of Rondo, Paul and Wall. His height also gives him a big disadvantage over bigger guards.

10. C.J. McCollum - PG - Portland Trailblazers
McCollum played 4 years of college ball in a small school and is a perfect fit for the Blazers. He will primarily serve as the backup PG for Damian Lillard who also played 4 years in college. McCollum is an excellent shooter which allows the Blazers to also play him as a combo guard together with Lillard. The Blazers hope that he has recovered well from his injury.

11. Michael Carter-Williams - PG/SG - Philadelphia 76ers
The Sixers traded Jrue Holiday away to make room for Carter-Willaims on their roster. MCW is a big PG who can do everything on the floor (pass, rebound and defend). The Sixers will pair him with Nerlens Noel and Evan Turner as the young core of their franchise. MCW is a sub par perimeter shooter so he needs a lot of improvement during the summer. Early comparisons to Penny Hardaway make sense for now.

12. Steven Adams - C - Oklahoma City Thunder
Adams is a very raw and unpolished center but his selection is good for the Thunder. They can develop and grow him as their starting center of the future. The Thunder will probably amnesty or trade Kendrick Perkins in the offseason. Adams is limited offensively and is an average defender. His size makes him ready to play immediately in the NBA.

13. Kelly Olnyk - PF - Boston Celtics
The 2nd Canadian picked in the lottery will find himself playing extended minutes with the Celtics after they traded Garnett and Pierce to the Nets. Olnyk can shoot from the perimeter but he is not consistent enough for teams to respect his jumper. Offensively, he can develop more post moves and shoot over defenders similar to LaMarcus Aldridge. Defensively, he needs to move his feet quicker on pick and rolls plus he needs to learn when to help on defensive rotations.

14. Shabazz Muhammad - SG/SF - Utah Jazz
Shabazz will play for the T'wolves where he has the potential of playing big minutes with Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio. He can play both SG and SF spots which helps his versatility plus he can make the occasional three to keep defenders honest. His addition to the T'wolves could mean that either Chase Budinger or Derrick Williams will play less minutes for next season. Look for the T'wolves to try and unload one of them during the summer.