While the 2014 NBA Draft was considered a game changer for the franchise that landed the first overall pick to select Andrew Wiggins, there was also some strong depth in the opening round that allowed teams selecting between 10-20 a chance to get a potential key contributor for years to come. Some teams opted to take players that might help in the next couple of years while others looked at long-term projects that they would have to develop over several years in order for them to be ready to play at the NBA level. Here is the next part in our 2014 rookie recap as we focus on the players selected between 20-16.
20. Bruno Caboclo, Toronto Raptors
The Raptors turned several heads when they selected the “Brazilian Kevin Durant” at No. 20 overall in a move that experts loved for the long-term future of the franchise. Caboclo only appeared in eight games for Toronto in his first year but with some freakish athletic skills, he certainly has the potential to become a star in the NBA – at least that’s how it looks if you go by the measurables. Caboclo has the size, athleticism and work ethic to develop in to something special and the focus for the Raptors will be on developing his basketball IQ, putting muscle on his frame and improving his shooting technique. There is hope that he can one day become the organization’s franchise player but he’s still not NBA ready.
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19. Gary Harris Jr., Chicago Bulls
Harris was the second piece moved to the Nuggets in the trade for Doug McDermott but unlike Jusurf Nurkic, it will take some time for the former Michigan State man to make the transition to the NBA. Harris appeared in 55 games for Denver where he averaged 3.4 points and 1.2 rebounds in 13.1 minutes per game. While he still has a long way to go, the raw skill set and physical tools are there for him to eventually become the Nuggets starting point guard over the next couple of seasons.
18. Tyler Ennis, Phoenix Suns
Ennis was always a peculiar pick for Phoenix as they were loaded at the point guard position already with Eric Bledsoe, Goran Dragic and Isaih Thomas. Then the Suns dealt the latter two before the trade deadline, which made everyone think that Ennis was finally getting a shot…until it was later reported that the Suns had acquired Brandon Knight and dealt Ennis away. So Ennis was basically a wasted pick for the Suns as they never needed him nor had a chance to play him before shipping him away. He ended up playing in only 33 games between Phoenix and Milwaukee, and the jury is very much still out on him.
17. James Young, Boston Celtics
Boston used one of the picks it acquired in the trade that sent Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry to the Brooklyn Nets to select Young at No. 17 overall. They intend to bring him along slowly as they showed in his rookie year. Young played in just 31 games for the Celtics, averaging just over 10 minutes per game. However, there is still plenty of reason to believe he can be a capable starter in this league. It’s important to remember that Young is still just 19 years old and the former Kentucky star has all of the physical tools and the skill set to become a solid pro.
16. Jusuf Nurkic, Chicago Bulls
The Bulls missed out on the opportunity to move up in the 2014 NBA Draft and select Doug McDermott out of Creighton but they put their contingency plan to good use as they selected Nurkic at No. 16 as well as Gary Harris at No. 19 and then packaged them both in a trade with the Denver Nuggets to land McDermott. The Nuggets wouldn’t have taken McDermott at No. 11 if they didn’t like them but based on what Nurkic and Harris did in their rookie seasons, they have to be happy with what they got out of the deal.
Nurkic showed tremendous progression throughout his rookie year as he played in 62 games for Denver averaging 6.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 17.8 minutes per game off the bench. The Nuggets thought so highly of him that they quickly moved JaVale McGee to clear playing time for him. He came on strong as the season went on and if he can minimize the fouls, he can be one of the better centers in the NBA in the coming years.
