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Tag Archives: Jabari Parker
RODA RATINGS 2.0 – 2014 NBA DRAFT PROSPECTS TOP 20
There has been some movement in the “Roda Ratings” 2014 NBA Draft Prospects Top 20 based on talking with individuals who have watched personal workouts, Intel gained via sources and on the internet, along with some film study and the latest rumors.
For now I have flip-flopped the number #1 and #2 picks moving Joel Embiid to the top spot over Andrew Wiggins.
From sources I’ve talked to it’s going to be very hard for the Cavs to pass on the 7-foot athletic center with enormous potential if his back checks out 100 percent. David Griffin and the Cavaliers will have their own personal workout with Embiid soon so they can poke and prod him, X-ray him, MRI him, CT Scan him and whatever other medical tests they feel they need to do to make sure his back injury is healed and it doesn’t look like it will be a chronic injury. If he checks out, Joel Embiid would indeed fit what the Cavs are looking for, a defensive presence, with great foot work that allows him to score inside and a little bit outside. He would also make them tougher as he has a little nasty in him and because of his presence in the low post on offense, he would help spread the floor. If he becomes half the player he’s being compared to in Hakeem Olajuwon, then the Cavaliers would be thrilled with a selection like that.
I still love the athletic freak, Andrew Wiggins. He’s my favorite player in this draft. He reminds me of a taller version of the old all-around, do everything Milwaukee Bucks shooting guard Sidney Moncrief. If the Cavs feel Wiggins would be the better fit because of other moves they may be making in free agency and with possible trades, I’d be thrilled with that selection as well. But in the last fifteen years, eleven NBA champions have had an impactful 7-footer on their squad, and when a talented “BIG” comes along and you have the chance to get him, you take him.
One other note, should the Cavs decided to go with the center in Embiid with the first overall pick, if I’m David Griifin I would then try and move back into the first round and get Kentucky shooting guard/small forward James Young a 6’7, 215 pound lefty. I have him rated higher than most people, but I think he would be another perfect fit for this Cavs team as they try and put the pieces of a winning puzzle together. Young can score it, penetrate it, shoot it and defend it with his 7-foot wing span and 36 inch vertical. I love his game and I’d love it even more if he ended up wearing the “Wine and Gold”!
Also moving in to my Top 20 for the first time is UCLA point guard Zack LaVine and Michigan St. power forward Adreian Payne. Both recently had workouts that answered some questions about what GM’s might have been worried about on the floor or physically. LaVine is really shooting up a lot of draft boards after showing off his 41 inch vert and 6’8 wing span. I’ve heard comparisons to Jamal Crawford and Russell Westbrook.
So without further ado, here are my latest “RODA RATINGS” –
2014 NBA DRAFT PROSPECTS TOP 20
(5-29-14 – Subject To Change)
1 Joel Embiid C 7’1 – 255 – FR – Kansas
2 Andrew Wiggins SF 6’8 – 200 – FR – Kansas
3 Jabari Parker SF 6’8 – 241 – FR – Duke
4 Noah Vonleh PF 6’10 – 240 – FR – Indiana
5 Julius Randle PF 6’9 – 225 – FR – Kentucky
6 Aaron Gordon PF 6’8 – 210 – FR – Arizona
7 Dante Exum SG 6’6 – 188 – 18 years old – Australia
8 Marcus Smart PG 6’4 – 225 – SPH – Oklahoma St.
9 James Young SG/SF 6’7 – 215 – FR – Kentucky
10 Dario Saric SF 6’10 – 223 – 19 years old – Croatia
11 Doug McDermott PF 6’10 – 210 – SR – Creighton
12 Gary Harris SG 6’5 – 210- SPH – Michigan St.
13 Zach LaVine PG/SG 6’6 – 180 – FR – UCLA
14 Rodney Hood SG 6’8 – 180 – SPH – Duke
15 Tyler Enis PG 6’2 – 180 – FR – Syracuse
16 Nik Stauskas SG 6’6 – 200 – SPH – Michigan
17 Adreian Payne PF 6’10 –240 – SRR – Michigan St.
18 P.J. Hairston SG 6’5 – 220 – SPH – North Carolina
19 T.J. Warren SF/SG 6‘8 – 230 – SPH – North Carolina St.
T-20 Cleanthony Early PF 6’8 – 220 – SR – Wichita St.
T-20 Jusuf Nurkic C 6’11 – 280 – 19 years old – Bosnia
T-20 Kyle Anderson SG/SF 6‘9 – 233 – SPH – UCLA
A CASE FOR WHY THE CAVS SHOULD DRAFT JOEL EMBIID
As David Griffin and the Cavaliers continue their search for a head coach and who they’re going to select first overall in the June 26th NBA Draft should they keep the pick, let’s focus today on just the draft and one of the candidates who’s being discussed for that top pick – center Joel Embiid.
In talking with numerous people throughout the Association, it’s apparent to me that if there were no injury concerns about Joel Embiid’s back he would be the clear-cut choice to go number #1 overall. But there are concerns, and thus the debate continues for the Cavs. After having your doctors look at Embiid, if you like what you see medically do you take him and don’t worry about it anymore? If there’s even a bit of a concern with Embiid physically, do you shift your focus to either Andrew Wiggins or Jabari Parker? Or do you go in a completely different direction and look to trade that first overall pick?
photo courtesy of USA Today
Here’s my case for drafting Joel Embiid if, and that’s a big “IF”, he is cleared medically by the Cavs teams doctors:
He’s a legit center at 7’0 – 255 pounds with a 7’5 wingspan.
Cavs G.M. David Griffin talked about finding the right fit. Well Embiid fits! The Cavs are looking to get bigger, tougher, become a better shooting team and they want to spread the floor. Embiid does all of that for you right away. He has a nice soft touch for a big man who has only played the game for 4 years. He’s already a 68% free throw shooter.
He has the most upside or potential in this draft!
He will be a rim protector. An eraser to make up for all of the other players defensive shortcomings like Larry Nance was for the Cavs in the late 80’s and early 90’s. He’s a shot blocker, a shot changer and he plays with a little nastiness in his game which the Cavs need in a big way.
He’s a very good athlete who runs the floor well and has outstanding footwork. He can drop step and spin move on you with ease already. Plus he’s got a face up and back to the basket game that’s only going to get better. Plus he’s a hard worker and wants to improve.
The comparisons I’ve read with Embiid are with Hakeem Olajuwon and Tim Duncan. To me, I see more of Olajuwon than Duncan because of his defense and footwork.
Let’s compare Embiid’s numbers his freshman year at Kansas with those of Olajuwon and Duncan in their freshman years. Remember Olajuwon ended up playing three years of college ball and Duncan four years. Embiid is heading to the NBA after just one year of NCAA action for the Kansas Jayhawks.
Embiid – 11.2ppg – 8.1rpg -2.6blks – 62%FG – 68%FT – 20%(3FG)
Olajuwon – 8.3ppg – 6.2rpg – 2.5blks – 61%FG – 56%FT – (No three point line)
Duncan – 9.8ppg – 9.6rpg – 3.8blks – 54%FG – 74%FT – (1 for 1 in 3-pt shots)
Is Embiid the perfect player? No he is not. Nobody in this draft is. Embiid has to get stronger. He’s inexperienced as far as actual games played and he has the injury issues that need to be put under the microscope. His handle needs to get better as he turns it over in the post a bit, but that can change with more playing time. However he brings an emerging offensive game along with an above average defensive game to the table already and his potential is through the roof. He’s already a two-way player who’s only going to get better.
Check out a recent work out here courtesy of ESPN.com’s Chad Ford and Rodger Bohn –
@chadforinsider – Here’s a nice video compilation of Joel Embiid’s workout on Fri via @rodgerbohn. http://youtu.be/Gp7PX7hYUFQ
Here’s one more thing to keep in mind about Embiid and big men. We hear how the NBA game is changing to more of wingman’s game and based on the last two NBA Championships won by LeBron James and the Heat you could make that argument. But consider these facts, of the last 15 NBA Championships that have been won, 11 featured impactful, if not dominate 7’0 foot centers as one of the core pieces of the team – (Shaq and Duncan 4 titles each, Pau Gasol/Andrew Bynum 2 titles and Kevin Garnett 1) – To me that sample size proves more than what’s happened in just the last two years.
So if Joel Embiid’s back is indeed 100% healthy and there are no red flags about his health, it’s going to be very hard for Cavaliers General Manager David Griffin to pass on such a talented 7-footer who is only going to get bigger, stronger and better.
THE 2014 NBA DRAFT LOTTERY HAD AN OLYMPIC FEEL TO IT
When you participate in the Olympic Games, to medal is something special. If you win, or finish first, you go home with the gold. If you happen to be the runner-up, your silver medal helps ease the pain a little. Even if you end up third, it still means you’re one of three best in the entire world and wearing that bronze medal allows you to hold you head high.
The 2014 NBA Draft Lottery was somewhat like the Olympics. Fourteen participants had a chance, some better than others, to finish first, second or third and walk away with a prize. But instead of medals of a different color and worth, the top three teams would be rewarded with the opportunity of drafting a potential franchise changing player. Possibly Joel Embiid, or Andrew Wiggins or maybe Jabari Parker. Which one is truly the gold? That is up for debate right now, but one thing that is not, if you finished first, second or third on Tuesday night, you were walking away a big winner and down the road maybe the biggest winner.
So congratulations, for the third time in the last four years to the NBA’s Draft Lottery gold medal winner, the Cleveland Cavaliers. Facing their greatest odds in the lottery, G.M. David Griffin and his team defied those odds, a mere 1.7 percent chance of finishing first, and with the ping pong balls bouncing the right way again, the Cavs for the second straight year made it to the apex of the NBA Draft Lottery. They would have been happy with the silver or the bronze considering their odds, but finishing first is always better.
This year’s top honor for one of the worst teams in the Association has people conjuring up memories of the 2003 draft that produced LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Three of those four have won multiple NBA championships. Granted James and Bosh had to join Wade to do so, but a championship is still a championship and Cleveland fans would take one any way they could get one.
Therefor supporters of the “Wine and Gold” are hoping that one of the top three players in this draft, be it Wiggins, Embiid or Parker could ultimately lead the Cavaliers to a victory in the last game played during an NBA season, instead of winning an off-season lottery. Should that happen, which would mean finishing first when it really mattered, the city of Cleveland would be celebrating the ultimate gold medal, the Larry O’Brien trophy and their first NBA Championship!
TALKING NBA DRAFT WITH RYAN BLAKE- SENIOR DIRECTOR OF NBA SCOUTING
As the Cavs get ready for yet another lottery pick, I figured why not get the 411 on some potential picks for David Griffin and the Cavaliers, that’s why I called the Senior Director of Scouting for the NBA Ryan Blake. You’ll be soaking wet with knowledge on these kids after you listen to this Podcast.
RODA RATINGS – 2014 NBA DRAFT PROSPECTS TOP 20
RODA RATINGS TOP 20 – as of 5-15-14
1 Andrew Wiggins SF 6’8 – 200 – FR – Kansas
2 Joel Embiid C 7’0 – 250 – FR – Kansas
3 Jabari Parker SF 6’8 – 241 – FR – Duke
4 Julius Randle PF 6’9 – 225 – FR – Kentucky
5 Noah Vonleh PF 6’10 – 240 – FR – Indiana
6 Aaron Gordon PF 6’8 – 210 – FR – Arizona
7 Dante Exum SG 6’6 – 188 – 18 years old – Australia
8 Marcus Smart PG 6’4 – 225 – SPH – Oklahoma St.
9 James Young SG/SF 6’6 – 215 – FR – Kentucky
10 Dario Saric SF 6’10 – 223 – 19 years old – Croatia
11 Tyler Enis PG 6’2 – 180 – FR – Syracuse
12 Rodney Hood SG 6’8 – 180 – SPH – Duke
13 Doug McDermott PF 6’10 – 210 – SR – Creighton
14 Cleanthony Early PF 6’8 – 220 – SR – Wichita St.
15 Gary Harris SG 6’5 – 210- SPH – Michigan St.
16 Nik Stauskas SG 6’6 – 200 – SPH – Michigan
17 Jusuf Nurkic C 6’11 – 280 – 19 years old – Bosnia
18 P.J. Hairston SG 6’5 – 220 – SPH – North Carolina
19 T.J. Warren SF/SG 6‘8 – 230 – SPH – North Carolina St.
20 Kyle Anderson SF 6’9 – 233- SPH – UCLA