Is 2013 the worst NBA Draft class ever?

[No coincidences]

I honestly don't see anyone who will be a major contributor in the league someday, and don't even see many role players. I feel sorry for any franchise with a Lottery pick. Talk about a waste of time.

[OhMyEli]

I disagree. While this draft may not be top heavy I think teams that go deep in the playoffs can pick up quality players. It is pretty deep. I mean the Spurs could get McDermott at 28 or whatever and he would fit that system perfectly and probably play for about a decade. With this many guards coming out there are bound to have some stick.

[Speedy88]

Agreed. This years draft is complete trash. Only guys I really like is Anthony Bennett and Marcus Smart. However if you go back and look at the 2011 draft, outside of Kyrie, Kawhi Leonard and Faried, entire draft class was a bust. But yeah, this could be one of the worst draft classes ever.

[YouHave2outs]

It's pretty hard to know what sleepers will be NBA contributors with people like Monta Ellis, Manu Ginobili, Michael Redd, Gilbert Arenas and others being drafted in the 2nd round. But if you just look at the main propects, or top 10-20 picks.

1971
1. Austin Carr
2. Sidney Wicks
3. Elmore Smith
4. Ken Durrett
5. George Trapp
6. Fred Brown
7. Cliff Meely
8. Darnell Hillman
9. Stan Love
10. Clarence Glover


1973 was awful as well:
1. Doug Collins
2. Jim Brewer
3. Ernie DiGregorio
4. Mike Green
5. Kermit Washington
6. Ed Ratleff
7. Ron Behagen
8. Mike Bantom
9. Dwight Jones
10. John Brown

More recently 2000 is somewhat heinous:
1. Kenyon Martin
2. Stromile Swift
3. Darius Miles
4. Marcus Fizer
5. Mike Miller
6. DerMarr Johnson
7. Chris Mihm
8. Jamal Crawford
9. Joel Przybilla
10. Keyon Dooling

[Frisco]

Feel like I hear this every year.

[ChiLLx]

2000 NBA draft. Look it up. Busts everywhere.

[Vinnie Paz]

Who the hell is projected #1??

[wizcodlifa]

No love for Victor Oladipo? i see him being a star in the league

[EASports]

If Kentucky doesnt have a good year, then there must have been a bad year for high school prospects.

This years incoming class, with Wiggins being the best, is suppossed to be a monster class. And guess who is getting half of the great players.. Kentucky.

[Catchn_Picks]

McGary may become a very useful power forward...big boy. Burke may become a useful point guard if he goes.

[OhMyEli]

Feel like I hear this every year.

This thread is also posted by a guy that gets surprised when two NBA teams score 12 points in the last 2 minutes of a half.

[EASports]

Feel like I hear this every year.

Well You dont. Next years class is supposed to be loaded.

[OhMyEli]

Well You dont. Next years class is supposed to be loaded.

And who is in it you f**king Illuminati?

[No coincidences]

Agreed. This years draft is complete trash. Only guys I really like is Anthony Bennett and Marcus Smart. However if you go back and look at the 2011 draft, outside of Kyrie, Kawhi Leonard and Faried, entire draft class was a bust. But yeah, this could be one of the worst draft classes ever.

I like all three of those players, though. I don't see a Leonard or a Faried in this class, let alone a Kyrie.

[No coincidences]

This thread is also posted by a guy that gets surprised when two NBA teams score 12 points in the last 2 minutes of a half.

You couldn't give me one good name. Your "example" was McDermott at potentially 28.

Good point on '00, guys. At least someone had a decent rebuttal.

[No coincidences]

McGary may become a very useful power forward...big boy. Burke may become a useful point guard if he goes.

Is McGary going pro for sure? I sort of like Burke, though I'm not sure if he's big enough to be a 1 (or quick enough). Also doesn't play that much D. He's a really, really poor man's Chris Paul.

[Ralphie1412]

The number 1 pick is between McElmore who was 0 for whatever in his final game after a very standard season or Noel Nerlins who blew out his ACL and didnt play half the season.

Pathetic draft.

I would without a doubt trade a first round pick for some proven nba players.

All the teams that need help and get the first few picks arent being helped.

[k13]

Just as bad as last year.

All it takes is one or two of these players to wind up on a mediocre team, take 16-20 shots a game, shoot 42% and he'll be called a "star".

[t-wizzle]

Will there be a "Paul George" that emerges? If there is I think it could be Poythress from Kentucky.

[The Kraken]

2007 draft was terrible and it included Kevin Durant

[k13]

Not sure why anyone drafts Kentucky players, they never do anything in the NBA.

Not since Dan Issel.

[agharah1]

2011 also had Chandler Parsons, Nicola Vucevic, Tobias Harris, and Norris Cole. They're not tearing it up but they get meaningful minutes.

The problem with this draft is other than Bennett, Smart, and maybe McElmore there just aren't a lot of guys with an NBA frame. Maybe throw in Glenn Robinson III if he goes.

[Speedy88]

I think Bennett, Oladipo and Smart will all have successful NBA careers. All of them have NBA bodies, and should make a pretty instant impact once they enter the NBA. If Smart can work on his jump-shot, he could be really good. I'd be much higher on Burke if he was a couple inches taller. Just hard to imagine him guarding the great PG's like Westbrook and Paul at his size.

Not really sure what to make of the three white big guys (Len, Zeller and Olynyk). Len has a ton of skill and has an NBA frame, I think he is worth the gamble if a team needs a big man. Personally, I think Zeller and Olynyk will be busts. I wouldn't touch Porter or MCW, those guys have the word BUST written all over them.

[EASports]

And who is in it you f**king Illuminati?

Chad Ford on the 2014 NBA Class, Scouts say 2013 Class sucks

Insider article on the 2014 class featuring insight from scouts.



We are one month into the college basketball season, and if you are a NBA draftnik like us, you might be losing hope. With no clear No. 1 prospect at the top of the draft, the inevitable "what's happened to all the talent in college hoops?" debates have begun.

However, if you pause for just a minute and look forward a year, the news gets much brighter. On Friday, Chicago prep star Jabari Parker announced his decision to go to Duke with a lot of fanfare. Parker got a 30-minute special on ESPNU, and he's neither 1 nor 2 on our 2014 Big Board.

Next year's draft class is shaping up to be pretty spectacular thanks to a stellar incoming freshman class.

So before we go back to the dreariness that is the draft class of 2013, I thought it would be wise to remind our draftniks and NBA GMs alike that it gets better. Next year, there are four incoming freshmen who NBA scouts feel could be franchise-changers.

After speaking with numerous NBA scouts and some of our own high school recruiting gurus, here's a sneak preview at the top four players on our 2014 Big Board. These guys should dominate the first five spots in the 2014 NBA draft.

1. Andrew Wiggins, G/F, Undecided

The buzz surrounding Wiggins started during the 2012 Nike Hoop Summit when the 16-year-old was the standout among players two classes ahead of him. Since then, Wiggins has solidified his place as the consensus No. 1 pick in the 2014 NBA draft. He dominated summer ball to the point that many NBA scouts believe he's a once-a-decade type of prospect. If he were in the 2013 NBA draft, he would be, hands down, the No. 1 pick.


What makes Wiggins so special? He's an uber athletic wing who can score from anywhere on the floor. He glides in transition, attacks the basket and finishes with flair, and can shoot the ball with deep range. He has a high basketball IQ and is super aggressive. In other words, he's almost a perfect prototype of an NBA wing. NBA guys not prone to hyperbole have compared him to a young Tracy McGrady with a better motor.

He's reportedly narrowed his choices down to Florida State, North Carolina and Kentucky. Of the three, Florida State is a bit of an odd choice. Both parents went to school there, but Leonard Hamilton's slow-down, grind-it-out offense doesn't exactly showcase NBA talent. Nevertheless, I don't think it will matter. Barring some sort of major injury, Wiggins is the clear favorite to be the No. 1 pick in 2014 and a potential franchise-changing player.

2. Andrew Harrison, PG, Kentucky

NBA scouts love big point guards -- especially ones who are truly point guards. Add to the mix that he's playing for John Calipari (who coached both Derrick Rose and John Wall to the No. 1 pick), and you can understand that if anyone challenges Wiggins for the No. 1 pick, it might be Harrison.

Harrison is also an elite athlete, a fierce competitor and a natural leader. His ability to finish through contact at the rim is special. He's tough, physical and always is attacking the basket. His jump shot is also very solid for a player his age. You hear a lot of comps to Jason Kidd and Deron Williams when scouts talk about him.

3. Jabari Parker, SF, Duke

The hype surrounding Parker has leveled off a bit the past year. Why? Wiggins' rise explains some of the waning attention. There's also a bit of Parker fatigue among NBA scouts. Parker has been on the NBA radar since he was a freshman. At a certain point, scouts just start picking players apart. Finally, a foot injury has kept him at less than 100 percent since this summer.

However, I have feeling more and more scouts will start getting back on the bandwagon after a year at Duke. Simply put, Parker's just a special basketball player. He can score from anywhere, he can handle, rebound, shoot, drive, post up. He has a pheonomenal basketball IQ. He has a great work ethic. He's a high character player. You name it. If he was an elite athlete, he'd be the No. 1 pick in the draft. As it stands, he's still likely to go in the top five in 2014.

4. Julius Randle, PF, Undecided

Randle is the last of the four elite prospects from this class and is the only one of the group with the size to play in the front court. He's a very unique player who can bang down low or step out on the perimeter and pick you apart with his jump shot.

Some NBA scouts think he's the second-best prospect in the draft behind Wiggins, while others have him ranked at the bottom of the top four. For the scouts who love him, they see a little Chris Webber in him. For those that think he spends too much time shooting jumpers and is a tweener, you hear some Terrence Jones comps.

Randle fractured his right foot in late November and will be out until late February. Randle is considering Kentucky, Florida, Kansas and North Carolina State.

Other potential one-and-dones: James Young, G/F, Kentucky; Noah Vonieh, F, Indiana; Aaron Gordon, PF, Undecided; Aaron Harrison, SG, Kentucky

[YouHave2outs]

I like all three of those players, though. I don't see a Leonard or a Faried in this class, let alone a Kyrie.

Dude no one gives a fk if you see a Faried. You're a fkng idiot with this comment. I can't even tell if you're seriously entertaining your own thought as a legitimate comment.

Faried was drafted 22nd in this:
1. Kyrie Irving
2. Derrick Williams
3. Ernes Kanter
4. Tristan Thompson
5. Jonas Valanciunas
6. Jan Vesely
7. Bismack Biyombo
8. Brandon Knight
9. Kemba Walker
10. Jimmer Fredette
11. Klay Thompson
12. Alec Burks
13. Markieff Morris
14. Marcus Morris
15. Kawhi Leonard
16. Nikola Vucevic
17. Iman Shumpert
18. Chris Singleton
19. Tobias Harris
20. Donatas Motiejunas
21. Nolan Smith

If you really think any comment you make about not seeing a Leonard/Faried in the draft rings true, you need therapy. You have absolutely no clue about this draft AT ALL, aside from there are no sure superstars. Please stop this travesty.