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The 2013-14 NCAA Basketball season has ended. Somehow Kevin Ollie's UConn Huskies have defeated the half-dozen-or-so Kentucky Wildcats on our board. A hearty congratulations to the former Sixer, bringing glory upon his house. But we've more important business to attend to -- the NBA Draft Lottery is now the only thing separating us from selecting one of these divine Andrew Wigginses below. If the month of May was a human being, I would have no qualms murdering it in cold blood to get to June quicker.
On that note, here's our Sixers-twinged second edition of the LB Big Board from the eleven of us (Sean once again chose not to do it because he's an ignorant hack) -- a number of guys have moved around a bit since the last version. Wayne Selden has decided to stay in school, Jerami Grant didn't get the votes, and Zach LaVine didn't get any votes at all.
Only receiving one vote apiece were: Grant, Spencer Dinwiddie, Tyler Ennis, T.J. Warren, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, K.J. McDaniels, and Markel Brown. To the Top 20!
20. Jusuf "Juice" Nurkic - C, Bosnia, 19 years old
AVG: 18.545, Ballots (2/11), Last: N/A
Derek Bodner (ranked him #12): "A big, strong post scorer with good touch on a hook shot, a nice drop step, and the size and bulk to dislodge a defender. Not likely to be a good fit with Noel, as he doesn't have much of a jump shot and he's not quick enough to defend the perimeter. While his skill set is so scarce in the NBA that it will draw interest, I can't him being a fit for what Sam Hinkie and Brett Brown want to do."
19. Willie Cauley-Stein - C, Kentucky, 20 years old
AVG: 18.545, Ballots (2/11), Last: #13
Dave Rueter (ranked him #12): "Banged up in the Tournament, but has the length and shot-blocking capabilities to ignite the fast break." Dave also can't turn down a hyphenate.
2014 NBA Draft
2014 NBA Draft
18. James Young - G/F, Kentucky, 18 years old
AVG: 18.363, Ballots (2/11), Last: #17
Mike Levin (ranked him #10): "I look at James Young and I see beams of light and sound coming straight for me. It's Ludicrous Speed in basketball form. He's probably not as fast or athletic as I've made him out to be in my mind, but that's why you don't stare right into the sun. And he damn cute, like piggyback cute."
17. Mario Hezonja - G/F, Croatia, 19 years old
AVG: 18.091, Ballots (3/11), Last: #19
Justin F. (ranked him #11): "He has great size and athleticism and excels in transition, but concerning is this weakness from DraftExpress: 'Goes too many possessions where he dribbles the ball incessantly and then settles for a contested pull-up jumper.' WELP."
16. Clint Capela - PF/C, Switzerland, 19 years old
AVG: 17.091, Ballots (3/11), Last: N/A
Derek Bodner (ranked him #9): "He lacks any semblance of a jump shot, making him a very questionable fit with Noel, and doesn't have the strength to defend post scorers. Still, it would likely be a couple of years before he'd be playing major minutes, and he has so much athletic and defensive potential that he may be seen as a good high reward pick gamble."
15. Montrezl Harrell - PF/C, Louisville, 20 years old
AVG: 17.0, Ballots (5/11), Last: N/A
Michael Baumann (ranked him #10): "In the late lottery, I'd love to get someone with Harrell's length and leaping ability. He is a motherfucker on the boards and his dunking ability is more entertaining than anything the Sixers have on their roster right now."
14. Adreian Payne - PF/C, Michigan State, 22 years old
AVG: 15.909, Ballots (6/11), Last: #18
Tanner Steidel (ranked him #11): "Age is only a number. A full head of hair is only something he and Dave Rueter contemplate over brunch (I think I'm feeling the French toast, Adreian. So about Propecia...). He can stroke it from distance at a good clip and has size/athleticism to defend down low. His skillset is something I could see flourish in a Brett Brown system."
13. Nik Stauskas - SG, Michigan, 20 years old
AVG: 15.818, Ballots (7/11), Last: #20
MUST READ
MUST READ
Roy Burton (ranked him #13): "6'6 shooting guards with a pure stroke (44.1% from 3 over the past two years) are rare in today's NBA -- even Mitch McGary would advise Stauskas to skip out on his final two years. He may not be a definite lottery pick, but the Big Ten Player of the Year will be a solid pro for years to come."
12. Rodney Hood - SG/SF, Duke, 21 years old
AVG: 13.273, Ballots (9/11), Last: #9
Jake Fischer (ranked him #11): "He's a 6-8 shooting guard who scored 16 ppg on 42% shooting from three and 80.7% from the line. MCW needs shooters to pass to, Hood can do that while also adding Sam Hinkie's preferred length to help defend the perimeter."
11. Dario Saric - PF, Croatia, 20 years old
AVG: 11.909, Ballots (10/11), Last: #11
Brandon Gowton (ranked him #9): "Saric is the top international prospect in this year's draft. He's only 19 years old, has great size, and can score at a more efficient rate than he could last year. But he may not come out."
10. Gary Harris - SG, Michigan State, 19 years old
AVG: 11.636, Ballots (11/11), Last: #10
Mike Levin (ranked him #8): "Gary Harris is my uncle. He's my dad's younger brother who got married on vacation in Laos to a Laotian who didn't speak English. She still doesn't. He looks the same as he did 30 years ago. And he can still stick it. I'd be over the moon putting Uncle Gary Laos next to MCW and Wiggins for the next decade, when he'll turn 50 and grow a second mustache."
9. Doug McDermott - PF, Creighton, 22 years old
AVG: 10.727, Ballots (10/11), Last: #12
Jake Pavorsky (ranked him #8): "He is the most effective offensive player in this draft. He can beat you in the post, he can knock down a three off a ball screen, and he can take you off the dribble. That's not even half of what he's good at; McDermott is an offensive magician, and you have no clue what the hell his next trick will be."
8. Marcus Smart - G, Oklahoma State, 20 years old
AVG: 8.182, Ballots (11/11), Last: #8
Derek Bodner (ranked him #7): "I'm more bullish on Smart than most. His strength, willingness to initiate contact, body control, ability to finish through contact will make him a tough matchup. I love those traits in a point guard. But the jumpshooting combination of him and MCW would place too much faith and responsibility in the Sixers squad of shot doctors. But well, Hinkie gonna Hinkie. So he probably should be on your radar."
Wiggins
Wiggins
7. Aaron Gordon - PF, Arizona, 18 years old
AVG: 6.636, Ballots (11/11), Last: #6
Justin F. (ranked him #6): "Despite his offensive limitations, he projects as a tremendous defender. In other words, he'll fit right in."
6. Noah Vonleh - PF/C, Indiana, 18 years old
AVG: 6.364, Ballots (11/11), Last: #7
Rich Hofmann (ranked him #5): "He'll be compared to Randle a lot during the draft process. Here's the case for Vonleh: Bigger and longer defensively, a similarly tenacious rebounder, and showed more potential to stretch the floor in college."
5. Julius Randle - PF, Kentucky, 19 years old
AVG: 5.091, Ballots (11/11), Last: #5
Dave Rueter (ranked him #4): "Does his strong performance in the NCAA Tournament warrant a bump or two on the Big Board? Randle has been a match-up nightmare for opposing teams in March."
4. Dante Exum - SG, Australia, 18 years old
AVG: 3.909, Ballots (11/11), Last: #4
Michael Baumann (ranked him #3): "My ranking Exum this high is more about my fear that Jabari Parker will become Adam Morrison than it is about any particular love for Exum. I do like Randle, Gordon and Vonleh, but if the Sixers wind up with the No. 3 or No. 4 pick and Randle's what they get, I'm probably going to give up on the NBA. It's a top-2 pick or bust for me."
3. Jabari Parker - SF/PF, Duke, 18 years old
AVG: 2.727, Ballots (11/11), Last: #2
Jake Fischer (ranked him #2): "Jabari was my top choice for the Sixers back when he was lights out from deep (18-20 in his first 5 games from three) in the first month of the season and before his defensive deficiencies became glaring. What he does have over Wiggins, though, is the potential to be a dangerous small-ball 4 alongside Nerlens Noel."
2. Joel Embiid - C, Kansas, 19 years old
AVG: 2.545, Ballots (11/11), Last: #3
Rich Hofmann (ranked him #2): "It's all about the back. Well, that's not quite all, but it's definitely the biggest question mark. He has two-way game-changing ability that nobody else potentially in this draft possesses. At what point do his health concerns and the presence of Nerlens no longer become enough of a deterrent? We say second."
1. Andrew Wiggins - SF, Kansas, 18 years old
AVG: 1.00000000000, Ballots (11/11), Last: #1
Brandon Gowton (consensus #1): "Elite athleticism. High potential. Canadian goodness. Unanimous number one. He's the top prospect that everyone needs but not everyone deserves. Except us."
And here's the fresh individual big boards from everybody. I'm just begging somebody to ask me about Dinwiddie. Please don't provoke Tanner about Markel.
Levin | Pavorsky | Hofmann | Bodner | Steidel | Rueter | Burton | Gowton | Baumann | Justin F. | Fischer |
Wiggins | Wiggins | Wiggins | Wiggins | Wiggins | Wiggins | Wiggins | Wiggins | Wiggins | Wiggins | Wiggins |
Parker | Embiid | Embiid | Embiid | Parker | Parker | Parker | Embiid | Embiid | Embiid | Parker |
Exum | Parker | Parker | Exum | Embiid | Embiid | Embiid | Parker | Exum | Parker | Embiid |
Embiid | Exum | Exum | Parker | Exum | Randle | Randle | Exum | Parker | Exum | Exum |
Vonleh | Randle | Vonleh | Vonleh | Randle | Exum | Exum | Randle | Randle | Randle | Randle |
Randle | Vonleh | Randle | Randle | Vonleh | Gordon | Gordon | Vonleh | Gordon | Gordon | Gordon |
Gordon | Gordon | Gordon | Smart | Gordon | Vonleh | Smart | Gordon | Smart | Vonleh | Vonleh |
Harris | McDermott | Smart | Gordon | McDermott | Smart | Vonleh | Smart | Vonleh | Smart | Smart |
Payne | Smart | Capela | Capela | Smart | Saric | McDermott | Saric | Saric | Saric | Harris |
J. Young | Hood | McDermott | McDermott | Saric | Capela | Hood | McDermott | Harrell | McDermott | McDermott |
Smart | Harris | Hood | Hood | Payne | McDermott | Harris | Harris | Hood | Hezonja | Hood |
Stauskas | Saric | Harris | Nurkic | J. Young | WCS | Saric | Nurkic | McDermott | WCS | Stauskas |
Hezonja | Payne | Saric | Harris | Harris | Harris | Stauskas | Harrell | Harris | Hood | Saric |
Dinwiddie (Colorado) | Stauskas | Payne | Harrell | Hood | Stauskas | Warren (NC State) | Payne | Stauskas | Harris | Payne |
Hood | Hollis-Jefferson (Arizona) | Stauskas | Saric |
Markel (Oklahoma State) |
McDaniels (Clemson) | Harrell | Grant (Syracuse) | Hezonja | Ennis (Syracuse) | Harrell |
We'll get the LB Community Big Board started in early June, and have our final edition compiled with the LB consensus right before Draft night. I can not physically wait. But I must. I must.
How'd we do? Scream loudly at no one in particular in the comments.