Fansided

Redoing the first round of the 2014 NBA Draft

By John Buhler

Apr 9, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Nikola Jokic (15) reacts during the first half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 9, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Nikola Jokic (15) reacts during the first half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports /
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We’ve had a few years to see many of these NBA players. If we re-drafted the 2014 NBA Draft, here is what the first round should look like.

The 2017 NBA Draft won’t be until June 22, but the 2017 NBA Draft Lottery is right around the corner on May 22. For the 14 NBA franchises that probably didn’t make the NBA Playoffs (lucky you, Boston Celtics), the lottery will be full of intrigue. This looks to be a loaded NBA Draft, especially at the point guard position.

A few years have passed since the 2014 NBA Draft, another loaded class. In the three years since that draft, we’ve seen teams benefit tremendously from their first-round selections, while others have stagnated or actually gotten worse because of them.

If we could go magically back in time and take a mulligan, here is a look at what the first round of the 2014 NBA Draft should have looked like. In this exercise, we will not assume trades and try to stay consistent with the position that ultimately went to said team. So let’s go!

Feb 12, 2017; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Andrew Wiggins (22) dribbles in the first quarter against the Chicago Bulls at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 12, 2017; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Andrew Wiggins (22) dribbles in the first quarter against the Chicago Bulls at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports /
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Andrew Wiggins

Small Forward, Kansas Jayhawks

We can’t make any assumptions here. At the time of the 2014 NBA Draft, we had only feelings that former Miami Heat small forward LeBron James might be coming home to Northeast Ohio. The Cleveland Cavaliers lucked into the No. 1 overall pick that June despite having only the ninth-best odds for that top selection.

They opted to take one-and-done small forward Andrew Wiggins out of Kansas. That was the right pick, as he was used in a deal to pry power forward Kevin Love from the Minnesota Timberwolves. Since we can’t assume James was done taking his talents to South Beach in summer 2014, Wiggins would have remained a Cavalier in this re-draft.

Wiggins has averaged 20.4 points per game on 45 percent shooting in his first three seasons in the NBA with Minnesota. He just turned 22 and looks to be a potential All-Star in the Western Conference in the next few years. Wiggins is the second-best player on an up-and-coming Timberwolves team behind center Karl-Anthony Towns. The future looks very bright for Wiggins and the Timberwolves organization.

Had The Letter not been published on Sports Illustrated, maybe Wiggins and Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving would have Cleveland as a playoff-caliber team under head coach David Blatt. We might not be seeing a championship caliber team in Cleveland, but there is no reason that the Blatt/Irving/Wiggins Cavaliers couldn’t be challenging the Toronto Raptors or Washington Wizards right now.

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