Re-Drafting the 2014 NBA Draft

SG. UCLA. Zach LaVine. 11. player. 73. <p><strong>Original pick: Doug McDermott (traded to Chicago)</strong></p> <p>I was already wrong about Zach LaVine and I might <em>still</em> be wrong.</p> <p>LaVine has already surpassed every expectation I had about his game as he emerged from UCLA, as I was in the camp that he would flame out with haste as an all-upside, no-polish pick. In year two in Minnesota, LaVine was already a positive NBA player, and at the age of 21, there is plenty of room for additional growth.</p> <p>The super-athletic shooting guard is best known for being the NBA’s reigning slam dunk champion, but LaVine has been much more than that offensively. In 2015-2016, he converted 38.9% of his three-point attempts on real volume (more than 300 attempts) and that allowed LaVine to post a 54.8% true shooting. Because he (finally) moved away from masquerading as a point guard, LaVine was able to begin maximizing his shooting ability, and that is his ultimate destiny.</p> <p>Defensively, things have been a challenge for LaVine, as he hasn’t been able to marry his physical gifts to actually stopping anyone. There is still time for growth given his age, but even if LaVine maxes out as a third guard that simply “gets buckets”, he will be good enough to justify a lottery placement.</p>