By JOE KOTOCH
With the NBA combine and draft lottery officially wrapped up, we can now update our Mock Draft to officially represent the 2013 NBA draft.
Cleveland won the lottery for the second time in three years and is primed to expedite its rebuilding effort with the first, 19th, 30th, and 33rd picks in the draft to go with tons of cap space and plenty of assets to pull off a big deal, including possibly trading center Anderson Varejao.
While in Chicago this past week, there was a lot of buzz on prospects such as Steven Adams, Reggie Bullock, Allen Crabbe, Cody Zeller and Rudy Gobert, among others. With the draft still over a month away, nothing is set in stone.
Players will continue to hone their skills as well as prepare for workouts and interviews with front offices in the hope of boosting – or in some cases, salvaging – their draft stock.
Every year, there is buzz from the combine that certain players received promises from teams in order to shut down their workouts. This year was no exception as both Dennis Schroeder and Giannis Adetokunbo were both reportedly promised by teams with first-round picks.
Other buzz from Chicago included reports that Portland will consider trading up or trading out for veteran help – preferably at center – as GM Neil Olshey tries to push the Blazers into the playoffs next season.
Minnesota, under new GM Flip Saunders, is said to be open to dealing its picks to add more help around Kevin Love.
So without further ado, here is Mock 3.0.
1. Cleveland Cavaliers – Nerlens Noel, C, Kentucky (6’10, 10.5 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 4.4 bpg)
With Mike Brown returning to Cleveland, there will be a renewed emphasis on defense. Brown would love an elite defender in the middle to improve Cleveland, which was woeful on defense last season.
From talking to sources in Cleveland, Noel and Otto Porter are the top two players on the board and both would fill a huge void for the Cavs. Noel looks to be the guy despite his torn ACL and some weight concerns. When healthy, Noel is still the best player in this draft and a game-changer on the defensive end. He should pair with Kyrie Irving to give Cleveland a dynamic duo.
Offensively, Noel needs work as he primarily scores on dunks and putbacks. But if he can make a Tristan Thompson-like progression on the offensive end, then this could be a home run.
For the Cavs, they get a perfect sidekick for Irving and Dion Waiters. Watch the Cavs closely as they have the ammunition to pull off a large deal or acquire an additional lottery pick on draft night if they prefer.
2. Orlando Magic – Ben McLemore, SG, Kansas (6’5, 15.9 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 42% 3pt)
Under first-year GM Rob Hennigan, the Magic have madetremendous strides in acquiring assets and prospects to expedite the rebuilding effort. When Marcus Smart decided to return to school, it sent the Magic back to the drawing board on their primary target. While Nikola Vucevic and Tobias Harris have shown they can play in the NBA, the Magic desperately perimeter scoring. The Magic have various needs and many holes to fill, but the most pressing issue is scoring, specifically from the arc. The Bobcats were 26th in scoring and 27th in 3-point shooting, two areas where McLemore can help right away. Click here for the full Mock Draft.
