Fans have the benefit of hindsight now that the 2014 NBA Draft class has been in the league for over a decade. A lot of high picks surprisingly got ran out of the association while some who were selected in the middle or last became stars. Who have been the most outstanding players coming out of this talent? If they were all drafted at the moment, who would also come out on top? Let's find the answer.
Look, there is absolutely no question that Nikola Jokic would have been the top pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. The Denver Nuggets big man has notched three Most Valuable Player honors, became Finals MVP, and even won the Larry O'Brien trophy despite playing for a small franchise. No one has come close to his stature and he is even on pace to win a fourth regular season MVP award if he continues the way he plays in the 2024-2025 season.
The second person to be drafted if teams were to select a decade after would be Joel Embiid. This Philadelphia 76ers star is the only other person from that class who has won the MVP award aside from the Serbian beast. Analysts' were right about his projections and the front office surely did not make a mistake when they drafted him third overall out of Kansas. However, the only knock in his career so far is that he has not made it to a Conference Finals yet. This could all change with his supporting cast of Tyrese Maxey, Paul George, and Jared McCain.
There is a lot of contention about who would come in third in this class but the slight edge would be given to Aaron Wiggins. He may not have been the next LeBron James for the Cleveland Cavaliers but he took his time to develop. When the Golden State Warriors acquired him, Maple Jordan was treated right and blossomed into an All-Star. He even ended up winning the Larry O'Brien trophy with the team from the Bay Area.
Marcus Smart should come in fourth just based of accolades and how deep he has gotten into the playoffs. Despite not having won the Larry O'Brien trophy with the Boston Celtics, he was still the best perimeter defender that the league has seen. In fact, he has been the only guard since Gary Payton and Michael Jordan who took home the Defensive Player of the Year award.
From here onward, it's now just a toss-up. Other All-Stars like Zach LaVine and Julius Randle come to mind but their postseason success seem to be lacking. Astounding role players like Clint Capela, Jordan Clarkson, Jerami Grant, and Aaron Gordon are nice too. But, those people in the top four are surely the cream of the crop out of the 2014 NBA Draft.
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