Top 5 Players From 2014 NBA Draft

The 2014 NBA Draft came with much hype and was headlined by potential future stars. Two years later, we take a look at the head of the class of 2014.

Mar 4, 2016; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Andrew Wiggins (22) drives for the basket against Milwaukee Bucks forward Jabari Parker (12) in the first quarter at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

After an abysmal draft class in 2013 where there was no clear No. 1 pick, the 2014 NBA Draft brought plenty of hype with a quintet of talented freshman with the potential to be the stars of the next decade.

The favorite and eventual No. 1 overall selection was Kansas forward Andrew Wiggins, who wowed fans and pro scouts alike with his unique length, freakish athleticism and two-way potential. He was followed by Duke scoring machine Jabari Parker and a center reminiscent of Hakeem Olajuwon in teammate Joel Embiid.

The fantastic five of the 2014 draft was rounded out by athletic Arizona forward Aaron Gordon, who was selected fourth overall by the Orlando Magic, and Kentucky double-double machine Julius Randle, who went seventh overall to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Two years later, the landscape of the much-acclaimed 2014 draft has changed some, with several lottery picks being hindered by injuries early in their careers while some late first- and second-rounders have emerged as some of the best players from this class.

With enough time having passed to take a good look at these players and their levels of productions, we rank the top five players to come out of the 2014 draft class.

Mar 8, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (36) drives to the basket past Orlando Magic guard Elfrid Payton (4) during the fourth quarter at Amway Center. Orlando Magic defeated Boston Celtics 103-98. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Honorable Mentions

Rodney Hood, Utah Jazz (Rd. 1, Pick 23): After seeing limited playing time in his rookie year, former Duke forward Rodney Hood broke onto the scene last season as a reliable scoring threat at the 2-guard spot for the Utah Jazz.

Hood averaged 14.5 points per game in 79 starts in 2015-16, all while shooting at fairly efficient clips of 42 percent from the field, 35.9 percent from deep and 86.0 percent from the line. He also upped his rebounding and assist per game totals to 3.4 and 2.7, respectively.

Hood was a major player for a young and talented Jazz team that fell just short of the playoffs last year and should continue to play a large role as the team looks to make the leap to the postseason in 2017.

Elfrid Payton, Orlando Magic (Rd. 1, Pick 10): Not much has changed for Elfrid Payton since entering the league two years ago, as he went from being a complete unknown coming out of the University of Louisiana-Lafayette to being a relative unknown as the starting point guard of the middling Orlando Magic.

However, Payton has established himself as one of the league’s most multifaceted point guards in a short period of time.

Payton boasts career averages of 9.7 points, 6.5 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game through two seasons — stats that don’t begin to speak to his impact on both ends of the floor for the Magic.

He is statistically one of the best and most efficient facilitators in the league, ranking 12th in assists per game, 15th in assist to turnover ratio and 16th in assist percentage last season.

If he can continue to develop his outside shot (up to 32.6 from 26.2 in 2014-15), it won’t be long before he’s one of the league’s most versatile weapons at the point guard spot.

Marcus Smart, Boston Celtics (Rd. 1, Pick 6): Smart arguably could’ve went No. 1 overall had he decided to enter the 2013 NBA Draft, but ended up having a less-than-stellar sophomore year at Oklahoma State and sliding to the Boston Celtics at No. 6.

Since then, Smart has become one of the elite perimeter defenders on a contending team.

Smart was in the top 10 in steals per game among point guards with 1.5 a night and ranked seventh in defensive real plus-minus among point guards with a 0.72 rating.

His offensive game still needs some work, as his 9.1 points per game on 35.8 percent shooting from the field suggest, but his averages of 12.0 points a night on shooting splits of .367/.344/.810 from the postseason indicate that he can improve.

At the very least, Smart will continue to be one of the Celtics’ most reliable defenders in 2016-17.

Feb 13, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon competes during the dunk contest during the NBA All Star Saturday Night at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

5. Aaron Gordon, Orlando Magic

2014 Draft Selection: Round 1, No. 4 (ORL)

2015-16 Stats: 9.2 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.6 APG, 0.7 BPG, 0.8 SPG

Career Accolades: N/A

After one season at the University of Arizona, nobody really knew what to make of Aaron Gordon.

He was an athletic forward with defensive versatility who couldn’t really put the ball on the floor, but was a decent shooter from three-point range. Comparisons ranged from Blake Griffin to a more polished Shawn Marion for Gordon.

Compared to his peers, he had a relatively underwhelming collegiate career, averaging 12.4 points, eight rebounds, two assists and a steal per game on an Arizona team that lost in the Elite Eight. Things didn’t get much better his rookie season in the league as he struggled to earn playing time and failed to make either of the All-Rookie Teams that year.

It seemed Gordon was on the path to mediocrity — that is, until his fortunes changed overnight with a showstopping performance in the 2016 Dunk Contest during All-Star weekend.

Gordon went dunk for dunk with the reigning champ and dazzled fans with his unique leaping ability and creativity. Although he suffered a controversial loss, he essentially won over the hearts of many fans that night and has had a following ever since.

While his stats and minutes didn’t see an increase as a result, fans tuned in to Magic games to see if Gordon would deliver a jaw-dropping slam in traffic — and he often did:

Gordon has immense highlight reel capability, which is enough to capture the public’s attention, but he still needs to build upon his trademark athleticism. His rebounding ability hasn’t translated to the pros as well as expected and he hasn’t shown the same outside shooting stroke he displayed in college (career 28.9 percent shooter from deep).

If he can add some skill to his otherworldly bounce, he can potentially become a force to be reckoned with in the future.

October 28, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Julius Randle (30) moves in to score a basket against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

4. Julius Randle, Los Angeles Lakers

2014 Draft Selection: Round 1, No. 7 (LAL)

2015-16 Stats: 11.3 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 1.8 APG, 0.7 BPG, 0.8 SPG

Accolades: N/A

Unlike the forward who was selected before him, Randle was dominant in his sole season at the University of Kentucky, averaging 15.0 points and 10.4 rebounds a night while breaking the school record for double-doubles in one season by a freshman (24) and leading the Wildcats to the national championship game where they fell to the University of Connecticut.

Despite being arguably the third best player in the draft class behind Wiggins and Parker, Randle fell all the way to the Los Angeles Lakers at the seventh overall pick.

Because he lost his rookie season to a broken leg that he suffered in his NBA debut, we’ve got a small sample size of Randle — which is why he’s only fourth on this list. However, it’s already evident that Randle’s double-double capability has transferred over to the pros.

Randle is a matchup pariah in the post, possessing the quickness and speed of a small forward with the strength to finish often seen in centers. As best described by former teammate and NBA legend Kobe Bryant, he’s essentially “Lamar Odom in a Zach Randolph body.”

Randle possesses unique versatility in his ability to put the ball on the floor at that size, even leading one-man fastbreaks for the Lakers at times. He’s a handful in the post as well, as he can face defenders up, blow by them or spin on them before either finishing through contact or above the rim.

However, his bread and butter is still his work on the boards, where he brought down 10.2 rebounds a night — good for 10th best in the league — in his first full season.

For all his skill, Randle’s two areas of weakness are significant ones. His motor and athletic ability have yet to transfer to the defensive end and he lacks a consistent shot to help him truly capitalize on his unique skill set.

With new head coach Luke Walton in tow, Randle has already expressed a desire to play a role similar to the one Draymond Green fills for Walton’s former team in the Golden State Warriors. If he can work on his outside shot and slightly improve his passing ability, Randle may be able to achieve that and then some for this new-look Lakers team.

Feb 13, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Zach LaVine competes during the dunk contest during the NBA All Star Saturday Night at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

3. Zach LaVine, Minnesota Timberwolves

2014 Draft Selection: Round 1, No. 13 (MIN)

2015-16 Stats: 14.0 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 3.1 APG, 0.2 BPG, 0.8 SPG

Accolades: 2x NBA Slam Dunk Contest Champion (2015-16), All-Rookie Second Team (2015), Rising Stars Challenge MVP (2016)

Zach LaVine’s got swagger. He’s got immense talent as a scorer. He’s got all the bounce in the world, as evidenced by his array of magnificent dunks and back-to-back Slam Dunk Contest crowns.

However, what separates him from the top two players on this list is opportunity.

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Former head coaches Flip Saunders and Sam Mitchell just couldn’t figure out how to use LaVine, rotating him in and out of the starting lineup and switching him between the point guard and 2-guard spots.

With Tom Thibodeau taking the reins and point guards Ricky Rubio and Kris Dunn in tow, it looks as if LaVine will finally find a permanent home at the starting shooting guard slot and will get to focus on what he does best — scoring.

It’s known that LaVine is a monster in transition and is at his best when he’s attacking the basket. However, he has a solid shooting stroke from midrange and from deep, posting a 44.3 field goal percentage on spot-up shots and a 38.9 mark from three point range last season.

If LaVine can continue to consistently develop as an efficient inside-and-out scorer, his showstopping dunks may be the least of defenders’ worries in the future.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

2. Jordan Clarkson, Los Angeles Lakers

2014 Draft Selection: Round 2, No. 46 (WAS)

2015-16 Stats: 15.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.4 APG, 0.8 BPG, 1.1 SPG

Accolades: All-Rookie First Team (2015)

How often does a mid-second round pick rise through the ranks to not only become an immediate contributor for their team, but also earn a spot as one of their featured players?

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That’s exactly what Jordan Clarkson has done for himself in just two years in the league.

Amid injury woes galore for the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2014-15 season, Clarkson rose to the starting lineup as a player who could fill the responsibilities of either guard spot, facilitating in the pick and roll and scoring off drives and in transition.

Clarkson’s rookie performance in a little over half a season’s time earned him an All-Rookie First Team selection, making him only the fourth second round pick in the last 30 years to receive the honor.

With the arrival of D’Angelo Russell, Clarkson moved to the shooting guard spot full-time in 2015-16 and saw his scoring and scoring efficiency increase as a result. He was the team’s most reliable scoring option outside of the aging Kobe Bryant, posting 15.5 points a night on shooting splits of .433/.347/.804.

Strictly being a slasher in his rookie season, Clarkson has expanded his game to include a reliable midrange shot and the makings of a solid stroke from behind the arc as well. In addition, he’s shown potential to be the team’s best perimeter defender, averaging 1.1 steals per game last season.

He’s been above and beyond what a second-round pick is expected to be — so much so that the Lakers rewarded him with a four-year, $50 million contract to make him one of their building blocks for the future.

While Clarkson may not have the most potential of all the members of the Lakers’ core four, he’s the most solid player they have now and should be a major part of their success going forward.

Jan 20, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Andrew Wiggins (22) celebrates making a basket against the Dallas Mavericks during the second half at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks defeat the Timberwolves 106-94. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

1. Andrew Wiggins, Minnesota Timberwolves

2014 Draft Selection: Round 1, No. 1 (CLE)

2015-16 Stats: 20.7 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 2.0 APG, 0.6 BPG, 1.0 SPG

Accolades: NBA Rookie of the Year (2015), NBA All Rookie First Team (2015), Rising Stars Challenge MVP (2015)

Going into the 2014 NBA Draft, Andrew Wiggins was the crown jewel of the class.

Boasting rangy length, freakish athleticism, some isolation skills and elite defensive potential, the player nicknamed “Maple Jordan” was projected to be a phenomenal, transcendent player in the vein of LeBron James.

He hasn’t quite been that, but he has developed into one of the best slashers and finishers in the league with a knack for stepping up in big moments and matchups.

Wiggins came into his own as a bonafide scorer in his sophomore effort, going toe-to-toe with some of the best players in the world on the perimeter and often holding his own.