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2014 NBA Draft: Grading each team’s draft

By Brad Rowland

Jun 26, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; A general view as basketball fans walk past a sculpture before the 2014 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 26, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; A general view as basketball fans walk past a sculpture before the 2014 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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Feb 4, 2014; Waco, TX, USA; Kansas Jayhawks center Joel Embiid (21) warms up before the game against the Baylor Bears at the Ferrell Center. The Jayhawks defeated the Bears 69-52. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 4, 2014; Waco, TX, USA; Kansas Jayhawks center Joel Embiid (21) warms up before the game against the Baylor Bears at the Ferrell Center. The Jayhawks defeated the Bears 69-52. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

Philadelphia 76ers

The Sixers had the most picks in the draft, and as a result, there is a lot to aim at here. In the first round, Philadelphia paired big man Joel Embiid with the rights to Croatian forward Dario Saric, and that was a bold strategy. Embiid is arguably the best prospect in the entire draft, but with assertions that he will be out of action for months with a foot injury, the Sixers are taking a calculated risk while balancing their lack of desire to “win now”. In Saric, Philadelphia is padding that lack of urgency again, as he will not be coming to the NBA for at least two seasons after signing a lucrative deal with his European club.

What does it all mean? Well, the Sixers are swinging for the fences, and if all goes well, Embiid and Saric will be a potent duo for years to come. Many believe that the duo represents two of the top five talents in the draft, and because Philly had a multitude of second rounders, the selections make a bit more sense.

Speaking of second rounders, I loved where Sam Hinkie went. K.J. McDaniels was one of my favorite picks of the draft, as the Clemson forward slipped all the way out of the first round, and they are getting a top-20 player here. Later, Philadelphia snatched another falling prospect in Jerami Grant, and while I am not a fan of his game, the upside versus where he was selected (39th overall) makes him a worthwhile gamble. Lastly, the Sixers tabbed former Tennessee swingman Jordan McRae with their final selection, and he’s a shooter that they desperately needed.

Grade: A

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