1) Cleveland (from LA Clippers)—Kyrie Irving, Duke PG
Well, at least Cleveland won something this year. Last summer Cavs owner Dan Gilbert should have said, “I personally guarantee The Cleveland Cavaliers will win the Draft Lottery before the self-titled former ‘King’ wins one.” Everyone would have taken him a little more seriously. The Cavs will cash in their winning lotto ticket and claim Duke’s Kyrie Irving. Ironically, they won the top spot—with the hopes of replacing LeBron—in what appears to be a historically bad draft class. This could be as bad as 2000, which produced a whopping three all-stars. Irving only played 11 games at Duke, so the jury is still out. If he reaches his ceiling, he’ll be a homeless man’s Chris Paul. Cleveland, get ready to “witness” an adequate starting point guard!
2) Minnesota—Derrick Williams, Arizona SF
From the people who brought you Ricky Rubio…Minnesota general manager David Kahn half-joked that the lottery was rigged for a “good storyline.” If the fix was in, the result is pretty damn funny. The former sportswriter turned bumbling GM gets to draft another tweener. Williams, who had an impressive NCAA tournament, thinks he has star potential. Given his actual size and the size of his mouth, he’ll fit in great with Michael Beasley and Anthony Randolph. Poor Kevin Love.
3) Utah (from New Jersey)—Brandon Knight, Kentucky PG
The Jazz traded Deron Williams and replaced him with the competent Devin Harris. Knight, who went to Pine Crest School (Ft. Lauderdale shout out) before starring at Kentucky, will become the heir apparent at point guard. He certainly needs to work on his jumper, but he’s a good athlete and has a knack for hitting big shots. Hopefully, Jerry Sloan will be watching from his tractor.
Legendary Jazz PF Karl Malone. NRA member. 2006 Father of the Year. Can anyone live up to the Mailman's draft night legacy?
4) Cleveland—Enes Kanter, Kentucky C
A second consecutive Wildcat comes off the board. John Calipari keeps turning his tricks. Kanter, who was ruled ineligible and never suited up for Kentucky, is a mystery. I’ve heard he’s got some game, but it is all hearsay at this point. Thankfully, we’ll get to watch him post up a chair in the next month. If he makes chair look bad, he’ll likely be too tempting for the Cavs to pass up. For what it’s worth, I think that Kanter could turn out to be a fringe all-star at some point.
5) Toronto—Jonas Valanciaus, Lithuania PF
Admittedly, I don’t know crap about the international players that are eligible for the draft. I never do. It seems fitting that a team that already has a Calderon, a Bargnani and a Barbosa would take a Valanciaus. My extensive research (watching a few clips on YouTube) leads me to believe he will be a less-smelly version of Pau Gasol with less low post moves.
6) Washington—Kawhi Leonard, San Diego St. SF
This may be a little high for Leonard, but this is where I’d like to see him go. Now that the Wizards are slowly embracing their Bullets heritage, they need to bring the ‘70s back. Wes Unseld and Elvin Hayes aren’t walking through that door, but Leonard would bring some all-around skill to D.C.
7) Sacramento—Kemba Walker, Connecticut PG
I watched the Kings in person this year and they have issues. DeMarcus Cousins ran the point more than a handful of times. Tyreke Evans, who was coming off of an injury, clearly looked like a 2-guard. Sacramento needs a floor general and Walker could be a good fit. I have high hopes for Kemba’s draft night performance, though. I think he comes out with the wildest suit and gives the best interview.
Something tells me that Kemba might try to give Jalen Rose a run for his money.
8) Detroit—Jan Vesely, Czech Republic PF
The Pistons take a 6’11’’ athlete that plays in Serbia. Can anyone say Darko?
9) Charlotte—Marcus Morris, Kansas PF
I could totally see MJ taking Jimmer at this point, but that would be no fun. Morris would give the Bobcats a little muscle and versatility in the high post. Marcus is the better pro prospect than his twin brother Markieff. The main question: Can the Morris twins best the Lopez twins on the comedy scale? I’m betting they can’t.
10) Milwaukee—Klay Thompson, Washington St. SG
The Bucks were the worst shooting team in the league this year. With Thompson they would be adding one of the draft’s shooters. Thompson is the son of 1978 No. 1 pick Mychal Thompson.
11) Golden State—Tristan Thompson, Texas PF
The Warriors fired former Hoosier Keith Smart and are still looking for his replacement. The man who lands the job could surely use some defensive help. Thompson is a freak athlete who can block shots. His impressive freshman season gets him into the lottery.
12) Utah—Jimmer Fredette, BYU G
If Jimmer is still on the board and the Jazz don’t take him, the good people of Salt Lake City will riot. They may even start boozing. If Jimmer becomes successful rotation player, he instantly becomes a Mormon god/fan favorite. He will be the kind of Utah celebrity who gets nine wives. While he won’t be able to score like he did in college, I’m totally on board for Jimmer time in SLC.
13) Phoenix—Bismack Biyombo, Congo PF
Bismack Biyombo is a really cool name. I wish I could say more but the guy is a mystery. Nobody knows whether he’s actually 18. There are reports that he might actually be closer to 25. Biyombo could become an explosive shot blocker and an Amare replacement for a team that could use some frontcourt help. Or, with the reported age discrepancy, he may be trying to retire in sunny Phoenix.
14) Houston—Chris Singleton, Florida State SF
The Rockets like to stockpile young assets. The intriguing thing about Singleton is that he actually has a championship level skill. If his foot his healthy, he is a lockdown perimeter defender. For a team that may be looking to replace Shane Battier, Singleton could provide similar defensive tenacity.
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