- John Wall
- Derrick Favors
- DeMarcus Cousins
- Evan Turner
- Al-Farouq Aminu
- Wesley Johnson
- Greg Monroe
- Hassan Whiteside
- Ed Davis
- Ekpe Udoh
- James Anderson
- Xavier Henry
- Donatas Motiejunas
- Cole Aldrich
- Avery Bradley
- Stanley Robinson
First, I generally subscribe to the best-player-available theory. However, I group the players into tiers, and then select within a tier based on fit/need. Basketball, probably more than any other, is a sport where fit and chemistry has nearly as much to do with a player's success as talent. So with that, here is the breakdown.
Tier 1
John Wall
Tier 2
2. Derrick Favors
3. DeMarcus Cousins
4. Evan Turner - Roy but not as good of shooter
Derrick Favors could immediately solidify our front line. I see him starting along side Hawes. He would compensate for Hawes short comings on the defensive end, and Hawes could compensate for him on the offensive end. Landry and JT off the bench is quality depth. I think Cousins would have to play center in the NBA. I'm not sure he's quick enough to guard PFs. He could immediately be our starting center, but I think Favors upgrades our PF spot more than Cousins upgrades our C. Every review I read about Turner says "He reminds me of Roy, but he doesn't do 'X' as well." I can't help but think, if Roy didn't do 'X' that well, he wouldn't be that great. What makes him great is that he is really good at everything.
Tier 3
5. Al-Farouq Aminu
6. Wesley Johnson
From what I have read so far, Al-Farouq Aminu is possibly the best athlete in the draft. He is a committed defender and rebounder. He has a ton of unrealized potential, but it will most likely be a couple years before the team could benefit from that. Wesley Johnson has a nice shot, and a solid offensive game. He has good numbers in steals and blocks, but I worry about his defense as a whole since he is used to playing the Syracuse zone. He would be a good fit if he can play SG in the NBA. Everyone seems to have him listed as a SF though.
Tier 4
7. Greg Monroe
8. Hassan Whiteside
This is kind of an odd tier. If you were going to rank how their careers could be on a scale from 1-10, most people would probably say Monroe will fall in the 6-to-8 range, and Whiteside would probably be a 9 or a 2. I would take Monroe over Whiteside, but I couldn't let Hassan's potential slide much further.
Tier 5
9. Ed Davis
10. Ekpe Udoh
More potential, but not as much as Whiteside.
Tier 6
11. James Anderson
12. Xavier Henry
Good players, great shooters.
Tier 7
13. Donatas Motiejunas
14. Cole Aldrich
15. Avery Bradley
16. Stanley Robinson
Other players that I think will have decent NBA careers.


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