Tag Archives: Zach LaVine

KENNY RODA 2014 NBA MOCK DRAFT 3.0 – (updated 6-26-14)

Posted: Jun 26, 2014 by . Filed under Blog Posts, Feature Articles | 32 Comments

1st ROUND

1 Cleveland – JABARI PAKER – Small Forward – Duke – 6’9 – 241                                                                                                            

Joel Embiid was the pick in my first mock draft, then he needed foot surgery.  Andrew Wiggins was my choice in Mock Draft 2.0. Now, if the Cavs  decide to keep the pick and not trade it, as there is some intel out there that they could make a deal. But if they don’t, and  after going back and listening to G.M. David Griffin’s comments from May 13th as well as with the hiring of David Blatt as head coach and LeBron James opting out early to be a free agent, I have changed my mind again and went with Parker as the Cavs pick. I personally have always wanted and still want Wiggins. However with LBJ as a free agent, Griff as an offensive G.M., the Cavs may feel the need to win right away and Parker gives you that best chance because his body is far more developed than Wiggins at this point and he’s more polished and potent offensively right now than Wiggins. He has an extremely high basketball IQ and Parker is also more of a catch and shoot guy than Wiggins, and with two ball-dominate guards in Kyrie and Dion, Parker looks to be the better fit. So by the slimmest of margins, and even though I think Wiggins has more upside in a few years, I’ll say the Cavs take Parker. The good thing here is, with either player, the Cavs are going to be a better team and fill a major need. Not bad for a team who before the lottery was scheduled to pick 9th!

2  Milwaukee – ANDREW WIGGINS – Small Forward – Kansas – 6’8 – 200

3  Philadelphia – DANTE EXUM – Point Guard – Australia – 6’6 – 195

4  Orlando – NOAH VONLEH – Power Forward – Indiana – 6’10 – 245

5  Utah – AARON GORDON – Power Forward – Arizona – 6’9 – 225

6  Boston – JOEL EMBIID – Center – Kansas – 7’1 – 260

7  LA Lakers – JULIUS RANDLE – Power Forward – Kentucky – 6’9 -240

8  Sacramento – MARCUS SMART – Point Guard – Oklahoma St. – 6’4 – 220

9  Charlotte – DOUG McDERMOTT – Small Forward – Creighton – 6’8 – 220

10 Philadelphia – NIK STAUSKAS – Shooting Guard – Michigan – 6’6 – 205

11 Denver – JAMES YOUNG – Shooting Guard – Kentucky – 6’6 – 215

12 Orlando – ELFRID PAYTON – Point Guard – Louisiana Lafayette – 6’4 – 185

13 Minnesota – GARY HARRIS – Shooting Guard – Michigan St. – 6’4 – 210

14 Phoenix – RODNEY HOOD – Small Forward – Duke – 6’8 – 210

15 Atlanta – ZACH LaVINE – Shooting Guard – UCLA – 6’5 – 181

16 Chicago – SHABAZZ NAPIER – Point Guard – U-CONN – 6’1 – 175

17 Boston – P.J. HAIRSTON – Shooting Guard – UNC/ NBA D-League – 6’4 – 228

18 Phoenix – DARIO SARIC – Small Forward – Croatia – 6’10 -235

19 Chicago – CLEANTHONY EARLY – Power Forward – Wichita St. – 6’7 – 210

20 Toronto – ADREIAN PAYNE – Power Forward – Michigan St. – 6’10 – 240

21 Oklahoma City – KYLE ANDERSON – Small Forward – UCLA – 6’9 – 230

22 Memphis – T.J. WARREN – Small Forward – North Carolina St. – 6’8 – 220

23 Utah – TYLER ENNIS – Point Guard – Syracuse – 6’2 – 181

24 Charlotte – GLEN ROBINSON III – Small Forward – Michigan – 6’7 – 212

25 Houston –  CLINT CAPELA – Power Forward – Switzerland – 6’10 – 210

26 Miami –   JORDAN CLARKSON – Point Guard – Missouri – 6’5  – 186

27 Phoenix –  K.J. McDANIELS – Small Forward – Clemson – 6’6 – 200

28 LA Clippers – JERAMI GRANT – Small Forward – Syracuse – 6’8 – 215

29 Oklahoma City –  JARNELL STOKES – Power Forward – Tennessee – 6’8 – 260

30 San Antonio – JUSUF NURKIC – Center – Bosnia – 6’11 – 280

 

2nd ROUND

33 Cleveland – WALTER TAVAREZ – Center  – Spain – 7’3 – 265

After taking Parker with the first pick to provide offense from day one, the Cavs need to add defense to David Blatt’s team. So they take a 22-year old true center who is all about defense at this point in his career from what I’ve read and seen on youtube. He’ll give the Cavaliers a low post defender who will protect the rim and rebound. He’s very raw offensively, but the Cavs won’t care and need some depth at center with Anderson Varejao in the final year of his contract. Also in play here could be Russian center Artem Klimenko.  A  7’1 – 228 center with a 7’4 wing span and a 9’4 standing reach. I’ve got to believe that David Blatt knows of him and may have some say in taking Klimenko.

RODA RATINGS 2.0 – 2014 NBA DRAFT PROSPECTS TOP 20

Posted: May 29, 2014 by . Filed under Blog Posts, Feature Articles | 34 Comments

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

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