NEW YORK – When the NBA draft lottery ended with the Cleveland Cavaliers owning the No. 1 pick, most observers assumed they would take Kentucky freshman big man Nerlens Noel.
But because Noel is not considered a dominant player or a presumptive top pick, there remains speculation that the Cavs might take Georgetown forward Otto Porter Jr. or Maryland center Alex Len – or consider trading the rights to Noel to Minnesota for Kevin Love. Kansas shooting guard Ben McLemore is also considered by some to be worthy of the top pick.
“When was the last time we left the lottery going, ‘I don’t know who they should pick,’” ESPN analyst Jay Bilas told SheridanHoops.com. “Somebody had mentioned when Andrew Bogut got drafted (in 2005), do you take Bogut or Marvin Williams?
“And you really don’t (know). It’s not a no-brainer. It’s something you really have to think about and say, ‘Wait a minute, What’s the right thing here?’ Noel doesn’t have an offensive game and I don’t know if he’ll get it. … It’s one of those weird years where you’re going to have to find the right fit for you, not necessarily the best overall player.”
While the 2013 NBA draft has been called “historically weak” by one GM, the 2014 draft could be historically strong.
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Photo: USA Today Sports
