LaVine Needs to Grow Up

It’s been recently announced that the Minnesota Timberwolves have decided to sign the one of the rookies they selected in the 2014 NBA Draft, Zach LaVine.

 

Congratulations to the young man.

But part of me feels a certain sadness. I'm not a T-Wolves supporter, I admire a few of their players, but I couldn't be called a fan. I do feel sympathy, however, for fans of the franchise. In LaVine, they have signed a player with plenty of potential. He has an incredible vertical leap and has a nice jump shot that can make up for other guards (such as Ricky Rubio) that have less consistent shots. He could be a real prospect for the team.

Despite all of this, people are already calling him a bust from a draft class that was stacked with talent. Why? Because when we found out he was going to Minnesota, his initial reaction was to slam his head on the table. When he raised his head to face the music, he could clearly be seen to say “F**k me”. I mean, seriously? You’ve just been selected to play in the top league in the world and you’re not happy with it? And it’s not like the Timberwolves are a bad franchise to play for either. Yes, they are more than likely going to lose Kevin Love, but they still have good young talent in the form of Rubio and Chase Budinger. They may have missed out on the playoffs this year, but they still had a record of 40-42, which would’ve been enough to get them into the post-season if they were in the Eastern Conference. This is a team that could go places, and instead of thinking of the potential that’s there, LaVine instead chooses to act disrespectfully towards his new club.

Compare this attitude to that of Isaiah Austin. You may remember him as the center from Baylor University, who was told a few days before the draft that he couldn't play professional basketball. This was due to him being diagnosed with Marfan syndrome, a severe condition that affects a person’s cells and body tissue. When he was ceremonially drafted on behalf of the NBA, tears were flowing from everyone, including Austin himself. He was humbled to even be allowed on the stage of the Barclays Centre to shake Commissioner Adam Silver’s hand, never mind to play in the NBA.

Just to clarify, this isn't a smear campaign against LaVine. I wish him all the best in his career, and I think he could make a big impact on a struggling T-Wolves team (if he can keep his temper under control).

I just wish that people would realise what they have

Thoughts on the NBA Draft

So the other day I posted a non-biased, fact based piece on the 2014 NBA Draft. In this article, I will be posting some of my views on the draft, particularly some of the selections made by the teams.

Their fate has already been sealed - No matter how different their games are, no matter how far their careers drift apart, Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker will be compared for the rest of their career due to them being in the same draft class. In my opinion, Wiggins will be more popular with fans due to his flashy dunks, but I can see Parker becoming a very underrated player. Only time can tell whether the Cleveland Cavaliers made the right pick.

76ers select injury-ridden big man... Again - In the 2013 draft, the Philadelphia 76ers selected Nerlens Noel, a promising centre who had to miss a season due to injury problems. In the 2014 draft, the Philadelphia 76ers selected Joel Embiid, a promising centre who has to miss a season due to injury problems. Am I the only one getting deja vu? The 76ers seems intent on taking risks in drafts, and whether they will be worth it or not is yet to be seen. However, even if they do get Embiid and Noel healthy at the same time, what will they do with them? They will have 2 centers, with only one spot on the team. Either way, one player will be upset at his minutes.

What was wrong with Exum? -  The question most Orlando Magic fans will be asking about their team's selection after this year's draft. Given the 4th pick, the stage was set for them to select Dante Exum, a highly praised guard from Australia. Also, with Arron Afflalo leaving the club in a trade a few days before the draft, Exum seemed like the perfect substitute. But instead, they selected Aaron Gordon, a power forward from Arizona. No disrespect to Gordon, he seems like a solid prospect, but it looked like Exum would be better suited to the Magic.

Will Shabazz shine in Miami? - One draft day trade saw point guard Shabazz Napier move from the Charlotte Hornets to the Miami Heat. With plenty of guards already on the roster, this move made sense for Charlotte, and Miami have been chasing after Napier for months, with him reportedly being LeBron James' favourite player in the draft. Critics of Miami have always said that the point guard role needs to be improved, with Mario Chalmers being deemed unfit for the position. Shabazz may apply some pressure onto Chalmers, or even take his place in the team. Or he could be ignored by Erik Spoelstra and pushed to the bench, much like Norris Cole has been.

"With the next pick in the NBA draft, the NBA selects..." - One of the best stories of the night was when Isaiah Austin was cermemonially "drafted" by the NBA. Austin couldn't experience the real draft due to him being diagnosed with Marfan syndrome just a couple of moves before the draft. I've shared the video before on this page, but if you haven't seen it yet, I urge you to watch it, it's incredibly emotional. A classy move from Commissioner Adam Silver, and one that will get him plenty of respect and fans (although that most likely wasn't his aim).

Wiggins Is #1 Pick of 2014

For the second year in a row, a Canadian has been selected as the number one pick in the NBA Draft. In 2013 it was Anthony Bennett who took the top spot, and this year shooting guard Andrew Wiggins had the honour of being number 1.

Even as NBA Commissioner Adam Silver took to the stage in Brooklyn's Barclays Center, there was still discussion as to who would be the first pick. Duke's Jabari Parker and Kansas' Wiggins seemed to be favourites, whilst some pundits still backed Joel Embiid despite his recent injury problems.

After months of speculation, Silver put all rumours to rest. The Cleveland Cavaliers had selected the young man from Toronto, leaving the Milwaukee Bucks with forward Parker. Then, the Philadelphia 76ers took the stage with a big decision to make. Do they take the promising but injured Embiid or take a more conservative pick on a player without the injury concerns. When it came to it, they selected the centre from Duke to join their roster.

Andrew Wiggins became 2014's Number 1 Pick

Then came one of the biggest shocks of the evening. Much praise has been heaped on Melbourne born Dante Exum, with one NBA General Manager (who stayed anonymous) saying he could be the next Kobe Bryant. Despite these recommendations, the Orlando Magic decided to select Aaron Gordon, a power forward from Arizona, a move that didn't seem popular with fans. This allowed the Utah Jazz to take the Australian at number 5, which could be considered to be a steal.

Marcus Smart, the point guard from Oklahoma State was next, being drafted to the Boston Celtics, while Julius Randle went out west to Los Angeles, to join a Lakers franchise in desperate need of a bright new star. Nik Stauskas was the 2nd Canadian to be drafted on the night, joining the Sacramento Kings at number 8 and Noah Vonleh became the first ever pick for the newly named Charlotte Hornets. Unexpectedly rounding out the top 10 was Elfrid Payton who was drafted to the Philadelphia 76ers. However, he was immediately traded to the Orlando Magic. In return, the 76ers received the rights to Dario Saric, who will be playing in Europe for the next couple of years.

Other notable picks included sharpshooter Doug McDermott (number 11 by the Denver Nuggets, later traded to the Chicago Bulls), Canadian point guard Tyler Ennis (number 18 by the Phoenix Suns) and Connecticut point guard Shabazz Napier (number 24 by the Charlotte Hornets, moved to the Miami Heat). For a full list of draftees, see the end of the article.

The feel good story of the night was the one of Isaiah Austin. Formerly a center with Baylor, there were talks of him becoming a first round pick in the 2014 Draft. However, Austin was recently diagnosed with Marfan syndrome, thus ending his dreams of ever playing professionally. Then, between the 15th and 16th picks, Adam Silver called Austin to the stage and picked him as a ceremonial member of the NBA. Austin received a standing ovation from the crowd, and a draft night experience he never thought he would have.

Adam Silver (left) and Isaiah Austin (right) provided one of the most emotional NBA moments of all time

For a full list of draftees, visit - http://www.nba.com/draft/2014/draftboard.html
To watch Isaiah Austin's emotional induction, visit - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuKKhMls0bs