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Joel Embiid was the runaway winner of this round of voting, amassing a dominant 66% of the vote as the number 2 man on the 2014 LB Community NBA Big Board. Embiid didn't put up huge numbers, but his size, strength, and raw talents are tantalizing. If I were more optimistic about his injury, he'd be a potential number 1 guy for me. Alas, because of that, I agree with the community.
Moving on, now, to number 3. Jabari Parker and Dante Exum haven't put up too much of a fight so far. With four new players added to the voting, do they become the favorites?
LB Draft Coverage
LB Draft Coverage
Marcus Smart is a divisive player. Some love his combination of size, athleticism, and competitiveness, and believe those three will overcome the lack of shooting and overaggressive play that he exhibited in two seasons at Oklahoma State. His fit on the Sixers is questionable - he's a lead guard, and we already have one of those who cannot shoot. Two lead guard offenses are becoming more and more popular. But one of them, at least, needs to be a shooter that defenses pay attention to for proper spacing. He definitely is high on my personal big board. On a Sixers-centric one, though? Maybe a bit lower.
The other three additions are compared to each other so often, as they all play roughly the same position. Each brings something different to the proverbial table.
Julius Randle is a strong, physical power forward that's a strong rebounder and receives favorable comparisons to Zach Randolph. But he lacks a more diverse skill set and doesn't shoot all that well. Aaron Gordon is smaller but longer, with a diversified skill set that only lacks a consistent shooting stroke. Is he a wing or a big? Noah Vonleh brings the shooting and length, but hasn't produced as much or been as hyped as the other two. Can he turn potential into reality?
The three above are largely seen as pick-your-poison types, interchangeable based off team and personal preferences. Can any of them, or Marcus Smart, topple our incumbents? Vote below!