NBA Draft Rumors 2014: Cleveland Cavaliers expected to select Andrew Wiggins
Former Kansas Jayhawks center Joel Embiid, his college teammate, forward Andrew Wiggins or former Duke Blue Devils’ forward Jabari Parker?
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That’s the decision facing the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have the top overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.
Lately, it has looked like the Cavaliers were leaning towards selecting Embiid.
However, according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com, the Cavaliers’ most likely selection is Wiggins.
"On the night of the draft lottery, a Cavs source told me that while Parker had been at the top of their board all year and that they are in love with Embiid’s potential and long-term fit, he felt that at the end of the day Wiggins would be the Cavs’ guy. Wiggins offers the Cavs both the upside of Embiid plus some of the NBA readiness of Parker. While Parker might be better offensively right now, Wiggins’ defensive abilities are NBA-ready, and if the Cavs are going to make the jump to the playoffs next season, the improvement will primarily have to come on the defensive end. “I think he has the most star potential of anyone in the draft,” one veteran NBA scout told me on Friday, “and I think he goes and helps a team right away. He’ll get on the floor for significant minutes right away because he can defend multiple positions. And when his offense catches up to his defense, I just don’t see any way that this kid can fail. How do you pass on that if you are Cleveland? It’s really the best of both worlds.”"
Wiggins averaged 17.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks per game last season.