1) ClevelandAndrewWiggins:TheprimaryknockonWigginshasbeenhispassiveplay

andsketchyhandlebutIbelievebothareoverblown.Wigginshasallthenecessarytoolstobea
dominantwingintheNBAbehindhisfirststep,length,speedandjawdroppingathleticism,he
justhasntfiguredouthowtoconsistentlyusethem.WithWigginsdevelopinghandleyoudlove
toseehimendupinPhiladelphiaunderBrettBrownsleagueleadingpaceasitwouldallow
WigginstoexcelintransitionandlessentheburdenofahalfcourtoffensewhilstWiggins
enhanceshisskills.DefensivelyWigginshasalreadyplayedmoredefenceintheprosthan
JamesHardenandprojectsoffthechartsasawingdefender,inthatregardhesreadytogo
rightnow.
NBAComparison:PaulGeorge

2) MilwaukeeJabariParker:Thisclassswinnerofthesafestpickontheboardaward,
andheisifthedefenceyourefacingishorrific(27.1pointspergameon58.7%shootingv
Bottom100defences)althoughanythingbutifitsremotelycompetent(22.5pointspergameon
41.1%shootingvTop100defences).Despitehavingasimilarstatureandmidrangegame
JabariisalongwayofftheCarmeloAnthonycomparisonbutiftheworstcasescenariotradeoff
isatubbyJeffGreenasopposedtoGregOdeninEmbiidpickingParkerisariskyoutake.
OutsideofJabariscleardefensiveflawshisnextstepshouldberefininghisgametoget
teammatesmoreinvolvedasopposedtobeingtheballstoppingchuckerwesawatDukewho
wassurroundedbythreeeliteshooterswhoherarelydeferredto.
NBAComparison:GrantHill

3) PhiladelphiaJoelEmbiid:Thanksalot,Joel.Youvepracticallythrowneverymockdraft
intocompleteandutterdisarraywithalltheinjuryconcerns.IamnotaDoctorsotryingto
accuratelyforecastEmbiidsfuturehealthwouldbeonparwithpredictingwhatMettaWorld
Peaceiscurrentlythinking.WhatwedoknowisEmbiidplayed647minutesatKansasand
injuredhisfoot,kneeandbackwhichunfortunatelyarethreekeyinstrumentsrequiredtoplay
basketball.WhatEmbiidneedsmost(outsideofinjuryimmunity)isrepsonthecourt,hesalate
bloomerwhorightnowisall(super)potential.ThekickerforPhillyistheyalreadyhaveNerlens
NoelontherostersotheyvebeenherebeforeanditwouldtakeaPortlandlevelbigmancurse
toseeneitherEmbiidnorNoelpanout.Ifbothbecomestarsyoutradetheinferiorcommodity.
NBAComparison:JermaineONeal

4) OrlandoDanteExum:TheInternationalmanofmysteryisunfortunatelyjustasbiga
mysterydownunderbutthatsallgoingtochangeshortly.Exumisadoitallcomboguardwitha
floorgeneralnousandtoolstoproduceoneitherendatbothguardspots.Thebenefitofbeingso
offthegridasahypedprospectisoutsideoftheobviousissueswithperimetershootingand
slenderframeanyknockonExumliterallygoesunproven.ThemajorityofthefootageonExum
stemsfromhisshowingattheFibaunder19scompetitionwhereanelitehoopsIQandhigh
characterstoodoutastwotransitionalqualitiesthatarevirtuallyguaranteed.Theprimary
negativeswithExumaremostobviouswhenhedoesnthavetheballinhishandsashetendsto
standinconcreteanticipatingtherock,whilsthislackofstrengthwillseehisinabilitytofight
throughscreensmagnifiedearlyattheprolevel.Exumis18yearsofagesoitsgoingtotake
timebuthisrarecombinationofsizeandskillsetwillmakeitworththewait.
NBAComparison:JrueHoliday

5) UtahNoahVonleh:OnmywatchVonlehisasriskyasaprospectcomesandImnot
surewhathedoesthatissoelite.Vonlehisntarimprotector,doesntfinishthroughcontact,has
barsofbutterforfingersanddoesntrecognisehisteammatesfinishingwith18assistsand64
turnoversin794minutes,thekidisSashimiraw.TodaysprototypeNBAbigisallaboutan
interiordefensivepresencewithoutsiderangeontheoffensiveendandVonlehhitasmall
samplesizeofthreepointattempts(16of33)whichnaturallyhasexecutiveswetting
themselves.DespitebeingatotalninnyabovetherimVonlehcrappedalloversomestagnant
chairsandmeasuringtapeatthecombine,andwithhisgiantfryingpanhandshasnaturally
solidifiedhimselfasacantmissprospect.Apartfromnotturning19untilAugusttheresnota
wholelottolovehereforafewyearsattheveryleast(ifever)butquickletslabelhimthenext
ChrisBoshorLeMarcusAldridgeanyway.
NBAComparison:TajGibson

6) BostonAaronGordon:KnowingDannyAingeanythingcouldhappenherebutwhatwe
doknowiswhateveritisitwillbegreat,itwillshockusallandwewillbeleftwonderinghowwe
didntseeitcoming.DannyAingedoesnotbustondraftday.IfEmbiidisofftheboardchances
arethispickistraded.AsforGordonhesjustasmysteriousasfarasprospectsgoandhas
seducedmanyaGMwiththosesexydraftbuzzwordslikehighceiling,tremendousupside
potential,wingspanandblahblahblah.Gordonisperfectastheguywhoyoucanreeloffawhole
bunchofnothingthatsoundsawesomeandstillgetawaywithit.Hesanathleticjumpingjack
whoskieshighbutatthesametimeyoudbeadeadmanifhehadtohitafreethrowtospare
yourlife.OffensivelyiswherethingsgetprettybleakasGordonwillneverconsistentlyspacethe
floorintodaysthreeballheavyNBAandhemakesDeAndreJordanlooklikeReggieMilleratthe
freethrowline(42%).DefensivelyGordonwasarguablythebestdefenderonatopfivedefence
despitebeingtheyoungestmemberonthesquad.HesalateralflashandkilledJabariParker
whentheyfaceduponeonone,theresnoissuehere.
NBAComparison:KennethFaried

7) LakersJuliusRandle:ThebigwinnerinthisyearsNCAATournamentwasJulius
Randle.DuringtheseasonRandlelookedlikewalkingdownthepathofabeinganoverratedbig
withTRexarmsuntilKentuckywentonahugerunbehindRandleandflippedthatcutanddry
narrativeonitshead.WhenitcomestoRandletherestwothingsthatstandout,histeam
defencesucksandhisblockandstealratesprojectasDavidLeedaydreamingscary.Thisis
whyitssadthePistonshadtorelinquishtheirdraftpositionbecauseJoeDumarswouldpay
CharlieVillenuevaanother$50millionjusttomakeJuliushispick.Thereseverychancethe
defensivefocusisneverironedintoRandlesmakeupbut75%oftodaysNBAisinthesame
boatsohellprobablybefine.WhatRandledoeswellisbullyhiswaytotoughbasketsonthelow
blockandreboundthebasketball.
NBAComparison:EltonBrand

8) SacramentoMarcusSmart:Smarthasgreatphysicaltools,isstrongandgritty,and
hasashortfusetemperthatflipflopsbetweenrawpassionandBoogieCousinspsychotic.A
gymratbyallaccountsSmartisgoingtobeoneofthestrongestguardsintheleaguewhichwill
aidwithdefendingeitherbackcourtposition.Hepossessesastealratethroughtheroofwhich
theanalyticalworldpreachesasagreatindicatorforprosuccessbuttheotherendoftheflooris
whereitgetsuglyasSmartsjumperisplentybusted(29.3%fromdeep)soheriskslevellingout
asaTonyAllenclone.TeamsalsoquestionSmartsabilitytorunanoffenseashedidntplay
pointguarduntilarrivingatcollege.IfyouoverlookSmartgettingsuspended3gamesforshoving
afanandhisCP3likefetishforaflopattheveryleastyouredraftingapossessedcompetitor
whowillslaptheQueenofEnglandifitmeansgettingaW.
NBAComparison:RodneyStuckey

9) CharlotteNikStauskas:ThebeautyofStauskasishehasthefundamentalsofanice
handle,goodcourtvision,andmechanicsonhisjumperalltiedupinaprettylittlebowandready
tocontributerightaway.WhatholdsStauskasbackisalackofspeed,lengthandKevinMartin
levelmakeyoucrydefence.WorkinginStauskasfavourishisworkethicandifhisprogressat
Michiganlastseasonisanythingtogoby(hedidaworldofworkonhisgame)hellhaveno
issueputtinginthenecessaryhardyardstobecomeanadequatedefender.
NBAComparison:BrentBarry

10) PhiladelphiaKyleAnderson:A68pointguardwhohaspowerforwardlengthyetplays
anallaroundgamelikeapuppyfatcoatedLeBronJames.OnceyoumixAnderonstraitsina
blenderwhatyouhaveistheAlienprospectofthisdraftinthatwecannotpinpointwhathisrole
willbeorhowhisskillsetwilltransitiontotheleague.TheBorisDiawcomparisonsarebeing
thrownaround,andgivenAndersonspassingabilityandlackofathleticismtheyrewarrantedas
isselectingAndersoninthelottery.TheSpursunlockedtheblueprintforamoderndayNBA
offenseandasapotentialstretchfourwithelitepassingabilityKyleAndersonticksatonof
boxes.
NBAComparison:BorisDiaw

11) DenverGaryHarris:IfKyleAndersonistheAlienthenGaryHarrisisthegnawingondry
wallblandprospectofthedraft.Harrisisntquickandhismeasurementsrevealedhehassawn
offstumpsforarmswhichbringsaboutquestionmarksregardinghisabilitytodefendwingsat
theprolevel.Harrisislimitedasaplaymaker,andinahalfcourtoffenselookslikeZydrunas
Ilgauskasattackingtheriminslowmotion.ThebesthopeforHarrisisthemodernday3andD
guardwhichhasitsvaluebutyouwantahigherceilingforafringetoptenpick.
NBAComparison:RandyFoye

12) OrlandoDougMcDermott:McBucketsiswhatheis,aonedimensionalscorerwhois
limitedineveryotherfacetofthegame.McDermotthassignificanttransitionredflagsand
althoughhewasproductiveagainsttheBigEastdefensiveplayeroftheyeardropping30and29
pointsonSetonHallitsgoingtobetoughtojustifymajorminutesgivenMcDermottliterallyoffers
nothingelseasaprospectoutsideofscoringashittonofpointsatthecollegiatelevel.Weall
knowthevalueofbigswhocanshootintodaysleagueandMcDermottwillnodoubtprosperas
atenyearprobasedonhisjumperalonebuttherestofhisgameshouldsqueezehimoutof
lotteryrange(itwont).
NBAComparison:JasonKapono

13) MinnesotaRodneyHood:LikeMcDermott,RodneyHoodhasanicejumperanda
decentpassinggamebutunfortunatelyisnothingmorethanacoatrackonthedefensiveend.
EfficiencywiseHoodrankedsecondintheNCAAforpointsfrompullupjumpersbutwasbelow
averageatgettingtotherim.Withawetjumperfromoutside(42%fromthree)Hoodwilllikelybe
productivefromthegetgoasaprobutsomeoneneedstonotonlylightafireunderHood
metaphoricallybutactuallythreatentoliterallylighthimonfireeverytimehisteamisplaying
defencesohechecksin.
NBAComparison:RashardLewis

StealsoftheDraft:SpencerDinwiddie,IsaiahSykes,PJHairston,TJWarren,KJMcDaniels,
JarnellStokes,KendrickPerry,JavonMcCrea,JabariBrown

BustsoftheDraft:JuliusRandle,DougMcDermott,CleanthonyEarly,JamesYoung,Jerami
Grant,JordanAdams,DeAndreDaniels,CJWilcox

YoucanfollowScottonTwitter:@ScottyBarby