2014 NBA Mock Lottery

With the NBA season winding down and the NCAA Tournament the hottest topic in sports, fans of the pro game have naturally begun to shift an eye towards the 2014 NBA Draft. A class considered one of the best in recent years is just wrapping up the college season, and with the lottery now less than two months away (it’s on Mar. 20) excitement is starting to build especially amongst fans of the teams who are long out of the playoffs.

Guys like Jabari Parker, Joel Embiid, and Andrew Wiggins have tantalized fans all season long with their promising performances on the college level, and while some claim to be “unsure” about their draft status, the appeal of all those pro dollars will undoubtedly be too much for these talented freshmen to resist.

Given that these guys have now had some postseason games to show off their talents, we decided to take a look at how the draft would shake out if the lottery went exactly according to team record (which we realize it probably won’t). With the order determined by the team’s record on March 24, we are Matching the Best Draft Fits for the NBA's Tanking Teams.

College: Syracuse University
2013-14 Stats: 32 G, 12.1 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 1.4 APG

The run-and-gun Phoenix Suns have been one of the league's great surprises, and their backcourt of both the present and future seems set with Eric Bledsoe and Goran Dragic. They could use another wing, though, and given their stability and strong coaching staff they are a great landing spot for Jerami Grant. The son of Harvey Grant and nephew of Horace Grant has a massive 7'2" wingspan and phenomenal athletic ability, which already makes him an NBA-ready defender.

While he lacks some offensive polish, he did shoot a very respectable .496 from the field this year. Grant might be a bit of a project, but if he can hone his shooting stroke then he stands to be a steal in the middle of the first round.

College: UCLA
2013-14 Stats: 35 G, 14.7 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 6.5 APG

The mediocre Minnesota Timberwolves need to find a way to keep Kevin Love around, and one way would be to give him a point guard who can actually score. Kyle Anderson has burst onto the scene late this season and is now seen as a legitimate lottery pick, and he would fit the Timberwolves' needs quite well. Minnesota's frontcourt is well set with Love and Nikola Pekovic, but the 6'9" Anderson would give them a monster in the backcourt who has the kind skill-set to play either alongside Ricky Rubio or start in his place.

If Anderson proves he's for real, Rubio would also become an intriguing trade piece as an impending free agent following next season. It's worth noting, though, that this pick could go to Phoenix if it falls outside the top 13, which is unlikely but nevertheless possible.

College: North Carolina State University
2013-14 Stats: 35 G, 24.9 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 1.1 APG

The Orlando Magic will have two lottery choices this year thanks to the Dwight Howard trade, and they'll receive the later selection between the Knicks' and Nuggets' picks. Right now, it looks like that will be Denver, and the Magic would be wise to use this slot to grab T.J. Warren (who has already declared for the draft). Warren was the ACC Player of the Year and showed he could score in bunches, and is considered more of a throwback-style player given his proclivity for using the midrange game to supply his offense.

While there are legitimate questions as to how that style will translate on the NBA level, Warren's offensive promise should be more than enough reason for Orlando to add him to their young nucleus.

College: Creighton University
2013-14 Stats: 35 G, 26.7 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 1.6 APG

Thanks to some shrewd general managing from Philadelphia's Sam Hinkie, this pick will be the 76ers' unless the ping pong ball gods somehow smile upon the Pelicans and slot them into the top five. Assuming it's Philly's choice, Doug McDermott would be a great fit for them even though they'll likely already have taken a small forward with their first choice. Dougie McBuckets can shoot better than almost anybody on the planet, and that "heat check" element will make him extraordinarily valuable even if he has to come off the bench.

He's got the size (6'8") to play the power forward spot in a small ball lineup as well, much like his closest NBA doppelganger Ryan Anderson.

College: Michigan State University
2013-14 Stats: 33 G, 16.9 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 2.7 APG

Thanks, Knicks! The Denver Nuggets will get to pick in New York's slot thanks to the Carmelo Anthony trade, and they'll be looking for some depth around the perimeter to help provide them with another reliable offensive option. Gary Harris is the obvious choice here, given that he has been a steady scorer for the Spartans during both his seasons there and this year has dramatically improved his shot selection. He's had some health issues this year and lacks great size (he's 6'4"), but his ability to help right away could compel Denver to take him as they look to climb back into next season's playoff picture.

College: Indiana University
2013-14 Stats: 30 G, 11.3 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 0.6 APG

Nobody really understands what the Cleveland Cavaliers are doing with their player moves, and that probably includes the Cleveland Cavaliers. They're likely going to lose Luol Deng and Spencer Hawes, both of whom they just acquired this year, and on top of that they aren't going to make the playoffs. They need to start rebuilding their frontcourt after a series of disastrous draft moves, and Noah Vonleh is a great place to start. The freshman has the type of wingspan (7'4") that makes Jay Bilas swoon, and his superb all-around offensive game means that the Cavs could actually get some reliable offense from a forward for the first time since LeBron left.

With Vonleh's range, they could even go small ball and play him together with last year's No. 1 overall pick Anthony Bennett, whose rookie season has been an abomination. But maybe a full offseason of workouts and conditioning can benefit him.

College: Duke University
2013-14 Stats: 35 G, 16.1 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 2.1 APG

We offer this with the caveat that the Detroit Pistons will only be using the pick if it falls inside the top eight. If it is nine or later, it goes to the Charlotte Bobcats thanks to the otherwise-forgotten Ben Gordon-Corey Maggette trade from the summer of 2012. But, if Detroit does use this pick, they'll need to address their dearth of outside shooting (they currently shoot just .318 on threes, 29th of the 30 NBA teams). Rodney Hood would be an ideal fit for them, then.

He's a true small forward (unlike Josh Smith) who has excellent range from deep (also unlike Josh Smith), connecting on 42 percent of his threes this season. Basically, the only trait he shares with Smith is that they both happen to be lefties.

College: Oklahoma State University
2013-14 Stats: 31 G, 18.0 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 4.8 APG

The Marcus Smart experience has been a rollercoaster of emotions: he's gone from potential top five pick last year, to being perceived as highly "mature" by returning to school rather than entering the 2013 Draft, to pariah for his shoving match with a fan, and now to just plain mystery. There's no denying his talent, though, and his tremendous size for the point guard spot makes him a great fit for the Sacramento Kings.

Together with Isaiah Thomas and Ben McLemore, he'd help solidify a promising young backcourt that would have ample raw talent and would allow the Kings to focus their efforts on finding suitable frontcourt partners for DeMarcus Cousins.

College: University of Kentucky
2013-14 Stats: 36 G, 15.1 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 1.4 APG

The Los Angeles Lakers are going to have a lot of empty roster space to fill, given that as of today the only players they have under contract for next season are Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, and Robert Sacre. Assuming they don't bring back Pau Gasol, there's going to be a massive hole in the frontcourt, and Julius Randle would be a perfect candidate to fill that slot. Randle has been really impressive with Kentucky this year, posting 22 double-doubles (and counting) and already possessing an NBA-ready body.

His skill around the hoop would make him an effective post player from his first moments on the floor, and a Randle-Nash pick-and-roll pairing could be surprisingly effective.

College: University of Arizona
2013-14 Stats: 36 G, 12.4 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 2.0 APG

With incredible speed and athleticism, Aaron Gordon has already elicited numerous comparisons to Blake Griffin. His ability to play above the rim is a perfect fit for the Boston Celtics, who beyond Jeff Green lack a player who can take it strong to the hoop. There's definitely interest on the Celtics' part, who are reportedly "fans of" Gordon and like the way he plays on both ends. Given the Celtics' floor-bound frontcourt of Jared Sullinger, Kris Humphries (who may not even be back next year), and Kelly Olynyk, Gordon would be a perfect complementary player.

He lacks any sort of shooting touch, but given his youth (he'll be 19 on draft day) there's plenty of time for that to develop.

College: University of Kansas
2013-14 Stats: 28 G, 11.2 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 1.4 APG

It's hard to fathom someone as talented as Joel Embiid could slip to No. 4, but given his back problems at the end of the season it would not be all that shocking to see teams hesitate a bit with this extremely raw player. Despite the drawbacks, Embiid nevertheless tantalized scouts all season with his freakish 7'5" wingspan and his Olajuwon-esque moves in the post, and there's simply no way the Utah Jazz would let him get past them. Utah has depth in the frontcourt with Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter, but there's no way they could ignore someone with Embiid's talent or size.

When you've got a chance to grab a future multiple-time All-Star, you figure out a way to make it work regardless of the personnel you already have.

College: International (Australia)
2013-14 Stats: 2013 Nike Hoop Summit--22 minutes, 16 points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals, one block

The Orlando Magic are an interesting case. They have a very young team and have lost a ton of games this season, but the future doesn't actually look too bad. They've got young talent in the frontcourt and one of the league's top young guards in rookie Victor Oladipo; now all they need is someone for Oladipo to run with. Dante Exum is a perfect fit here, a huge (6'6") point guard reminiscent in size and explosiveness to another Magic great: Penny Hardaway.

The big caveat with Exum is his lack of experience against top players, but his upside and fit makes him too intriguing a pick for the Magic to pass up.

College: Duke University
2013-14 Stats: 35 G, 19.1 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 1.2 APG

After shipping pretty much all their decent players apart from Thaddeus Young out of town, the Philadelphia 76ers could use all the help they can get. Their biggest issue right now is finding a go-to option on offense, and Jabari Parker would certainly fill that need from day one. Parker's offensive game is the most polished of all the current prospects, and he has already elicited numerous comparisons to another outstanding scorer: Carmelo Anthony.

Having failed to score in double digits just twice all season this year, Parker is the safest pick of the top-tier prospects in the draft, and given his already mature game is the early frontrunner for 2014-15 Rookie of the Year.

College: University of Kansas
2013-14 Stats: 35 G, 17.1 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 1.5 APG

Despite the superb tanking effort put forth by Philadelphia, the Milwaukee Bucks still currently hold the pole position for the No. 1 pick. While they could use help at just about any position, Andrew Wiggins makes the most sense for them given his ability to put the ball in the hoop. The Bucks actually have a relatively serviceable backcourt; Brandon Knight is just 22 years old, O.J. Mayo is not nearly as bad as he has looked this year, and Giannis Antetokounmpo (AKA the Greek Freak) is probably the best prospect on the team. This is a group that desperately needs an infusion of scoring (Knight and Ramon Sessions are their top two offensive players), and Wiggins represents their best chance at finding someone who can reliably put the ball in the basket while also being a strong defender.

The much-hyped Canadian finished the season strong, scoring 41, 30, 22, and 19 points in four consecutive games before a poor performance in their NCAA Tournament loss to Stanford.