Rant NBA Roundtable (12/24): Was 2014 Draft Class Overhyped?

By Court Zierk @courtzierk on December 24, 2014

The 2014 NBA Draft class was one of the most talked about, revered and hyped in recent memory. Many comparisons were drawn to the 1996 draft class, which stands as one of the greatest of all time. As hyped as it was, however, was the attention and publicity this draft class received due? Or was it another case of wishful thinking on behalf of NBA fans?

To answer those questions and more are NBA writers Court Zierk (@courtzierk), Anthony Irwin (@AnthonyIrwinNBA) and Dan Schultz (@DSchultz89).

Court: I can’t remember the last time so little was being talked about a draft class with so many expectations. Put plain and simply, was the 2014 NBA Draft class overhyped?

Anthony: It’s always risky to gauge things on hype. We wanted this class to rival 2003. The league needed an infusion of young talent to level out conference dynamic. At the end of the day, though, it would’ve been nearly impossible to live up to that hype. This class will provide some very solid players; sure, there’s probably no bonafide superstar, but we didn’t think that about Kawhi Leonard until the past couple of seasons. To answer the question, yes, but that says more about the hype machine than anything else.

Dan: Honestly, I think it is too soon to tell. Two of the top three picks are now out with season-ending injuries, and top pick Andrew Wiggins is in an always confusing situation with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Aaron Gordon, Marcus Smart, Doug McDermott and Noah Vonleh have also dealt with injuries. I think you have to give any class a couple of years before you can call it “overhyped” or not. I do not think it will be as good as the 2003 draft class, but give these kids time.

Court: I agree with a lot of that, but I think this class will end up being the most overhyped in recent memory. This seems a bit unfair because this is the most injury-plagued draft class I can recall. Of the first 12 picks, six of them will either be missing the entire season or have missed a significant portion. The talk entering the draft was that it was a once-in-a-lifetime type of draft in terms of talent, and there hasn’t yet emerged a clear-cut superstar. Will there be one to emerge from this class?

Dan: I actually think Wiggins has potential to be a star. I see Jabari Parker as a very good pro, but maybe not a superstar. Joel Embiid, before he went down with an injury, was projected to be the top pick in the draft, and we still have not seen him play. I think it is too soon to tell; we just have to be patient and let it unfold during over the next couple of seasons.

Court: It’s always hard to tell this early, but my gut tells me there will be — it just may not be who you think. I think Parker and Wiggins will have solid careers, but I don’t see perennial All-Star written all over them. The wild card of course is Embiid. He has all the upside to become the best player to come out of this draft, but only time will tell with him. I actually really like the potential of Dante Exum too, and I could see him being a dominant star within a few years. He just needs time to develop.

Anthony: It depends on how you define “superstar.” Before Parker went down, he showed legitimate signs of potential stardom. Wiggins is the first rookie in Timberwolves history to record a 20-point, 10-rebound stat line — yes, not even Kevin Garnett can boast a night like that from his first season. There is no Durant, LeBron James or Anthony Davis, yet, but I do think we’ll see multiple guys reach that next tier.

Court: So, who do you think was the biggest reach in the top 10?

Dan: Nik Stauskas. I guess the Sacramento Kings did not learn their lesson after drafting Jimmer Fredette a few years ago. Stauskas is definitely a little better than Fredette, but the Kings should have gotten a true point guard for the future, and Elfrid Payton would have been an excellent backup who could have learned a lot from Darren Collison.

Anthony: Totally agree. Poor Stauskas looked like the game was moving too fast for him on Sunday night, and that was against the lowly Los Angeles Lakers. That being said, Vonleh has played in a total of three games so far. He gets my vote.

Court: Yup, I agree with the Stauskas pick. With Payton still on the board, I don’t know how you pass that up. But then again, I don’t understand any of what the Kings do. Okay, so we agree on the biggest mistake, but who was the best value pick in the draft?

Dan: I have to go with K.J. McDaniels, although I still believe McDermott and Zach LaVine will turn into very good players based on where they were selected.

Anthony: I’m coming in from left field on this one, and am calling it a tie with Embiid and Dario Saric. Because they won’t play this season, their lack of production could lead to yet another top-three selection. That gives the Philadelphia 76ers incredible flexibility come draft day.

Court: For me, it’s McDaniels hands-down. He is doing his best to make a case for Rookie of the Year honors as the 32nd pick. His defense is already dominant. If he can develop his offensive game, I see him with a Shawn Marion type of career.

Court: Switching up the topic a bit here — with the Rajon Rondo trade going down this week and plenty of additional trade speculation to come, what additional trades would you like to see happen before the deadline?

Dan: It will be interesting to see if the Oklahoma City Thunder can get help for Durant and Russell Westbrook. We saw how thin their depth was when both guys went down with injuries. If they had a back-to-the-basket post threat, they would be virtually unstoppable. Maybe they could work out a deal to get David Lee and convince him to come off the bench? I also believe the Houston Rockets need a backup C. James Harden has been amazing so far, but they risk wearing him out if he keeps it up.

Court: Since I’m a frustrated Denver Nuggets fan, I’d like to see their core group undergo a serious overhaul with nobody being off-limits. I think Wilson Chandler could be the missing link on a championship-caliber team like the Thunder, and they would be willing to part with core talent to land him. One scenario is Chandler and J.J. Hickson going to OKC for Jeremy Lamb, Andre Roberson and Kendrick Perkins.

This makes sense for both sides, giving the Thunder a scoring wing player who can play solid perimeter D and a decent reserve big man. The Nuggets get some young talent they can potentially develop. Perkins’ $9.6 million would be off the books this season.

Anthony: If we’re talking frustration, the Lakers might give me a heart attack. Can they trade Byron Scott for a future 57th-round pick? In all seriousness, I can’t see Jeremy Lin and Jordan Hill remaining on this team past the trade deadline. Both are expiring contracts that could help a contender. The Lakers won’t need a player in return, so if they could get an expiring contract and a future first for either, or both, that would be ideal?

The Portland Trail Blazers could target Hill as another useful big for Joel Freeland, Dorell Wright and a future first. The trade couldn’t occur until January 9, but makes a lot of sense.