With the much anticipated 2014 NBA Draft now in the books, let’s take a look back at some of the movers and shakers from Thursday night’s festivities at Barclays Center in Brooklyn – beginning with the team that took the biggest risks.
Sixers swing for the fences
Philadelphia general manager Sam Hinkie ruffled some feathers last season when it appeared the 76ers were not even remotely concerned with winning games, fielding a roster that, outside of Thaddeus Young and Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams, was on par with many D-League teams.
And after waiting a whole season for sixth overall pick Nerlens Noel to recover from a torn ACL, Hinkie took a pair of players in the top 10 – injured center Joel Embiid at No. 3 and forward Dario Saric, who just signed a three-year deal that will keep him in Turkey at least two seasons – who almost certainly won’t play for the Sixers next seasons.
Many have decried the moves Hinkie made, saying Philadelphia needs to begin creating a winning culture. But Hinkie believes in collecting assets, and Embiid has the highest upside in the draft if healthy and Saric has a very high upside upon his arrival to the NBA. In the instant-gratification age, that’s tough for some to accept, but that doesn’t mean it’s the wrong way to go.
Celtics preparing for life after Rondo?
First it was Kendrick Perkins, followed by Ray Allen and then Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Doc Rivers. The exodus of members of the 2008 Celtics title team hasn’t stopped over the last few seasons, and it appears Rajon Rondo could be next.
After the Celtics took Marcus Smart with the sixth pick Thursday night, it seems Rondo’s days in Boston are numbered. Rondo is set to be a free agent after next season, so now is probably the time for Boston general manager Danny Ainge to cash in his chips, and he doesn’t have to get a point guard back in return.
Ainge never has hesitated to make a bold move, and resetting the roster by moving Rondo would certainly qualify as one.
Raptors go way off the board
The prevailing wisdom was the Raptors, in a draft full of Canadian prospects, would love to get their hands on Syracuse point guard – and Toronto native – Tyler Ennis with the 20th overall pick. But when Ennis went off the board two picks earlier, the Raptors instead stunned everyone by taking Bruno Caboclo, a 6-foot-9, 200-pound small forward from Brazil who was the youngest player in the draft. He doesn’t turn 19 until late September.
“I’m not here looking to be popular,” Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri told reporters in Toronto late Thursday night. “I’m trying to look out for the organization long-term. I think, long-term, we will look at Bruno and say at least he has a chance as a young player to develop for this ballclub.”
Ujiri has earned a reputation as an excellent GM during his time in charge of first the Nuggets and now the Raptors. Let’s see how the little known Caboclo – affectionately dubbed the “Brazilian Durant” – will turn out.
Kings double up on 2-guards
Entering the draft, the Kings were thought the team in the top 10 most likely to make a trade. If they did keep the pick, the expectation was they would select a point guard.
So what did general manager Pete D’Alessandro do? Naturally, he selected a shooting guard in Michigan product Nik Stauskas – who happens to play the same position as last year’s No. 7 overall pick, Ben McLemore. The Kings insisted this wasn’t an indictment of McLemore – of whom D’Alessandro is a fan – and the Kings certainly could use more shooting after finishing near the bottom of the league in that department last season.
It will be curious to see how Stauskas and McLemore mesh on the floor next season, and if the result is one of them eventually moving on.
Magic creating an identity
Last year, the Magic took athletic guard Victor Oladipo second overall. This year, they took hyper-athletic forward Aaron Gordon with the fourth pick and secured athletic guard Elfrid Payton, the 10th pick, in a trade.
Does anyone see a trend here?
The Magic can now trot out three terrific defensive options in Payton, Oladipo and Gordon to go along with double-double machine Nikola Vucevic in the middle. Orlando looks like it will be one of the best rebounding teams in the league — all four of those players are above-average rebounders for their positions. Jacque Vaughn has the start of a team identity there.
Bulls begin to fix their offense
Anyone who watched the Bulls last season knows how desperately they needed to add scoring. And, in trading up to acquire Doug McDermott, the Bulls added one of the best scorers in this draft.
McDermott’s issues are at the other end of the floor, but there is no team better equipped to fit him into a defensive system than the Bulls and their terrific coach, Tom Thibodeau. Whether or not the Bulls are successful in signing Carmelo Anthony next month, they will benefit from having McDermott come off the bench to provide instant offense from in the paint and behind the arc.