The much-anticipated NBA lottery has just taken place, and once again calls about its authenticity are out in full force as the Cleveland Cavaliers (1.7% chance of winning the lottery) ended up with the 1^st pick. The beloved hometown Sixers get stuck with the third pick after throwing the entire 2013-2014 NBA season for the Andrew Wiggins sweepstakes. Still, all hope is not lost as the Sixers should end up with a very good player at both the third and ten slot because this draft is very deep. If your favorite team is not the Sixers, then keep reading, because The Banner is about to go through each pick of the first round!

1. Cavaliers- Joel Embiid (C): Recent reports cite the Kansas big man as being number one on The Cavs big board. He is long, athletic, and tall, with a relatively good feel for the game, considering his lack of basketball experience. His ceiling is Hakeem Olajuwon and his floor could be around the level of Hasheem Thabeet. His nagging back issues concern many teams but obviously not the Cavaliers.

2. Bucks- Andrew Wiggins (SF): Andrew Wiggins has the most potential out of anybody in the draft with freakish athleticism and highlight-reel dunks. The Bucks are terrible at almost every position so it is likely they go with the best player on the board with this pick. Wiggins will also electrify a depleting Bucks fan base more than anybody on the board.

3. Sixers- Jabari Parker (SF): This leaves the Sixers with the arguably most talented prospect, and clearly the most NBA ready. He possesses an NBA level offensive attack with the ability to score from inside and outside. His defense is questionable but NBA offensive juggernauts are not exactly known for their defense anyway (e.g. Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, etc). He also showed great character and leadership in his one season and had the best production out of any of the top three picks in college.

4. Magic- Dante Exum (PG/SG): Despite playing against weak competition in Australia, the PG/SG made himself into a top five pick when he dominated the FIBA U19 games with averages of 18 points and three assists. Jameer Nelson is a solid point guard, but one that they would be more than happy with coming off the bench. Exum is a great athlete to go along with Victor Oladipo, making them one of the most athletic and lengthy backcourts in the league. Pair that with an emerging force down low with Nikolai Vucevic and the Magic become a team to watch out for in the NBA.

5. Jazz- Noah Vonleh (PF): At Indiana, he established himself as one of the more skilled power forwards in the nation’s best conference, the Big Ten. He showed great strength and shot-blocking ability along with the ability to stretch the floor with an underrated three point shot (48.5%). He possesses more upside than Julius Randle because of his athleticism and ability to stretch the floor despite Randle’s being a more polished player at this point. The Jazz are in no rush to win right away and can take a little risk picking Vonleh over Randle.

6. Celtics- Julius Randle (PF): The best power forward at this point in the draft, it is an easy pick for Boston. Kelly Olynyk and Jared Sullinger had a nice years but he is not the answer at power forward. Getting a dominant force like Randle down low will be crucial for their rebuilding because players with Randles’s strength and tenacity down low are becoming a rarity these days. At this point he is also the best player on the board and it would be smart for the Celtics not to reach on someone with this pick.

7. Lakers- Dario Saric (SF/PF): Considered to be one of the most talented players in this draft, Saric has the skill and talent level to be a dominant player in this league. The only thing holding his draft position back is the fear he may stay in Europe and the fact he plays lesser competition. He is considered to be a point-forward and few players in the league have the ability to be that. Pau Gasol is aging and the Lakers have a great pass-first point guard in Kendall Marchall to get Saric the ball anywhere on the court. It would be a big reach but he is a far more skilled player than Aaron Gordon, the other possibility with this pick.

8. Kings-Marcus Smart (PG/SG): What prompts the Kings to take Smart is his ability to slide into the 2. He can also share the point guard duties with explosive scorer Isaiah Thomas. Smart lacks the ability to score efficiently from the outside but he is great at penetrating the lane and can find shooters like Thomas and McLemore. They can also bring Mclemore off the bench to provide a scoring punch with Smart able to play the point and shooting guard positions.

9. Hornets-Aaron Gordon (PF): The Manziel-like fall of Aaron Gordon finally stops with this pick. Charlotte finds great value with this pick if he indeed falls to nine. He is the second best athlete in the draft behind Andrew Wiggins and can affect the game in more than one way. Still, he is very raw and lacks an NBA level offensive game. This is a project of sorts but he will see valuable minutes as either a lockdown defender or an energy guy off the Bench. The Hornets can take time to develop his perimeter game so he can lose his “tweener” label, which will cause him to slide.

10. Sixers-Gary Harris (SG): At Michigan State, Harris was able to show the ability to score and defend while still being highly touted as a team player. He is a fantastic athlete that can get to the rim and score from the outside. He led a very talented team in scoring with 16.7 points per game. The Sixers also need a shooting guard and Harris is the most complete shooting guard in the draft.

11. Nuggets-James Young: (SG): Overshadowed this season by fellow one and done Julius Randle, Young quietly had a very nice year in his lone season at Kentucky. He also sits nicely into their offense with his solid three point shot and above average athleticism (as shown by his dunk in the NCAA finals). The main reason I see the Nuggets going with James Young with this pick is his defense, which is better than that of Nik Stauskas.

12. Magic-Doug McDermott (PF): Doug McDermott actually has a chance at becoming the best player from this draft when it is all said and done. Coming off a year where he lead the nation in scoring and won the Naismith, it is clear he proved himself to be a lottery pick. The Magic also have a need at the power forward slot and Dougie McBuckets should fill it nicely. He has the ability to stretch the floor and has sneaky athleticism (36 inch vertical). If he were three years younger he would be a clear top five pick.

13. Timberwolves- Nik Stauskas (SG): The Big Ten POY and first team All-American surprised many people with his improvement from his freshman to his sophomore year. Not even on the NBA radar coming into this year, Stauskas proved himself to be one of the top shooting guards in this year’s draft. This is a great value pick for the Timberwolves and they should start stockpiling all the talent they can get because Kevin Love’s days in Minnesota are numbered.

14. Suns-Jusuf Nurkic (C): Known as a bruising force down low, the Bosnian Center has emerged as one of the top centers in this year’s draft. The Suns lack a dominant center in Miles Plumlee and could use a bigger and more aggressive center down low. He may need more time to develop but the Suns are a talented team and can afford to send him down to the Developmental League if he needs more time to develop.

15. Hawks– Rodney Hood (SF): Hood took more of the Robin role to Jabari Parker’s Batman but he is still a solid player himself. He is a tall, smooth athlete with a great three-point stroke and has a place on most NBA teams. Just like his fellow Duke teammate, defense was not a priority but he was a captain on the team and showed outstanding character. A little time in the weight room and improvement on defense could make him into an All-Star. He is still a player that could contribute as a role player for a long time in the league and could be remembered as a great value pick for the Hawks at number 15.

16. Bulls-Adreian Payne (PF): Similar to Doug McDermott’s scenario, if he were three years younger he would also be a top five pick. Unfortunately for his draft stock, he took until his senior year to reach his full potential. Still, he is the most complete power forward in the draft, shooting 50.3% from the field and 42.3% from three. Carlos Boozer is in the back end of his career and he is taking up 13.7 million dollars in cap space. The Bulls should be looking for a younger and cheaper option at power forward if they hope to sign Carmelo Anthony next off-season.

17. Celtics- TJ Warren (SG): One of the most underrated players in the nation all year long, the ACC Player of the year was finally made a household name after carrying NC State into the NCAA tournament after being on the wrong side of the bubble for most of the year. He was third in the nation in scoring while facing the nation’s most elite competition and constantly having yo fight through the fact he was the only offensive threat on NC State. He also shot an incredible percentage of 62.2% from the field while demanding all this attention from his opponents. The Celtics need all the help they can get for their offense and back court and Warren would be a logical selection at this point in the draft.

18. Suns-Cleanthony Early (SF/PF): Another solid front-court player to add to the depth, Cleanthony Early has the ability to affect the game in every way possible. He shoots a solid 47.5% from three and has the athleticism to get to the rim from the small forward position. Although he is currently a little too small for power forward, it is not out of the question. Another plus is that he fits in defensively after being well coached by a defensive-minded Gregg Marshall.

19. Bulls– Tyler Ennis (PG): The Syracuse product showed unbelievable maturity as a freshman. The bulls need a true backup point guard that can run the offense when Derrick Rose returns and Ennis is the perfect fit. He was very steady in his lone year in Syracuse and was at one point considered a lottery pick. A couple of bad games late in the season along with the emergence of other prospects caused his stock to drop but his fall should stop before pick 20.

20. Raptors- Clint Capela (PF/C): A native of Switzerland, his game is very unpolished and his Eurocup stats (9.7ppg, 6.7 rpg) are not very impressive. Still, the Raptors lack a legitimate starting power forward. The right development and possibly some time in the Developmental League could turn him into a solid role player.

21. Thunder– Zach LaVine (PG): The only reason he is on the NBA radar is because of some incredible highlight reel dunks early in the season. Seeing him play more throughout the season, it is clear another year at UCLA is needed. He is a marginal defender at best and struggled mightily in the last 18 games, only reaching 10 points or more 4 times. His potential is what has scouts drooling and it is possible he ends up becoming Russell Westbrook with a jump shot. The Thunder are the perfect team for him because they don’t need him to play significant minutes and they can let him develop in the d-league. He is personally one of my least favorite players in the draft but the jury is still out.

22. Grizzlies- PJ Hairston (SG): The end to his collegiate career was tough to watch because North Carolina had high expectations with him in the line-up. If he played his last year at UNC he would be drafted closer to the edge of the lottery. Still, the fact he dominated the d-league is still very impressive and good enough to get him drafted in this spot. Memphis lacks scoring from the shooting guard position and Hairston provides scoring in volume and efficiency (21.8ppg, 45% from the field, 35% from three). Memphis would be the best fit for him for immediate minutes and quality production. This is a sleeper for Rookie of the Year if he in fact ends up in Memphis.

23. Jazz– Shabazz Napier (PG): After leading Uconn to the national championship, Napier finally got the respect he deserves from NBA scouts. He is a proven winner and a team-first guy. He provides young and energetic depth at the point guard position behind Trey Burke and scoring off the bench. The only question mark for Napier is whether he can hold up physically in the NBA with his small frame. Also according to Harriton basketball player Aaron Dickman “Shabazz is my bold prediction for Rookie of the Year.” Other than his size he is a complete player and even led his team in rebounding.

24. Hornets- Kyle Anderson (SF): One of the more fascinating players in the draft, Anderson is an anomaly with his slow, methodical style of play. Unlike his former UCLA teammate Zach LaVine, Kyle Anderson had solid production with 14 ppg, 8 rpg, and 6 apg. Also, with his 6-9 build, he can play anything from point guard to power forward in any offense. Still, he is very un-athletic by NBA standards and may take a while to adjust.

25. Rockets-Jerami Grant (SF): One may think that a team with Chandler Parsons, Dwight Howard, and Terrence Jones will not need any more size to its frontcourt. That person is wrong, because long athletic wings are more of a necessity nowadays with more and more tall big men and quick guards that can spread the floor. Grant also has an incredible wingspan of 7’2” and is a work horse defensively. He has incredible upside and if he can’t contribute this year, the Rockets can ship him to the d-league for valuable experience.

26. Heat-Mitch McGary (PF/C): His NBA worth was determined during the six game stretch in the NCAA tournament his freshman year where he emerged as a possible lottery pick in last year’s draft. He chose to stay in school but a back injury cost him most of the year. He was then forced to declare after testing positive of marijuana at the final four. Still, he is especially useful to the Heat because of his big frame and hard-nosed defensive style of play. They could use him a lot against the Pacers in a seven game series to cover the Indiana big men like David West and Roy Hibbert. Don’t be surprised if he is a non-factor in the regular season but come playoff time he could be very valuable.

27. Suns-Elfrid Payton (PG): At his point, with the Suns filling their front court needs, they can add a point guard to back up Goran Dragic. Payton dominated his competition in the Sun Belt conference with 19 points 6 rebounds and 6 assists per game. Point Guard is not a need but this is a “pick the best player” on the board move.

28. Clippers-KJ McDaniels (SG/SF): Matt Barnes is not the future at the small forward position and if the Clippers can’t find anyone in free agency, McDaniels could be the opening night starter. He carried Clemson on his shoulders the entire season so the poor shooting percentage is mainly due to his bad team. Still, this a great value at this point in the draft and teams drafting this late usually are not relying on their draft picks for significant contribution from day 1.

29. Thunder- Jordan Adams (SG): A prolific scorer in his second season in Westwood (17 ppg), Adams could arguably have the best NBA career out of all the UCLA first round draft picks. He has the athleticism unlike Kyle Anderson and the production and experience that Zach Lavine lacks. The Thunder certainly don’t need him but they could have him fill a role similar to Jeremy Lamb due to either injury or for experience reasons. He probably should have stayed at UCLA to strengthen his draft stock but this is a safe pick for the Thunder.

30: Spurs- Jarnell Stokes (PF/C): The Spurs certainly are not looking for a superstar through the draft and they will not get one with this pick. Tim Duncan is nearing the end of a Hall of Fame career so drafting a possible replacement is important. Stokes is a very good rebounder and a solid scorer. He could potentially steal minutes from Boris Diaw and Tiago Splitter, but that is unlikely in his first year. He will most likely spend his time in the d-league this season.