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Teams drafting in the NBA lottery typically have more than one need. The toughest part of the evaluation process is deciding whether to fill a specific need or go with the best available player.
It's a pickle that general managers find themselves in all the time.
Let's address what each team needs specifically and see who might be available to fit.
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Long-term upside is another way of talking about a prospect's ceiling.
A ceiling is the best-possible player a prospect can become. But it usually takes a while to get there, which is why we call it long-term upside.
Though these players have the highest ceilings and upsides, it doesn't make them the six best prospects. Victor Oladipo is likely to get selected before Alex Len, though if they both reach their ceilings, Alex Len will end up the better player.
These are the guys who could end up being the top players from this draft if they all reach their NBA ceilings.
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The grumbles have turned to applause.
When the Indiana Pacers paid Roy Hibbert a max contract valued at $58 million over four years this past offseason, it was labeled one of the worst contracts in basketball.
But like the stock of Tiger Woods, public opinion has quickly changed to favorable. Thanks to the playoffs showcase of his defensive gifts, paired with his improving offensive game, Hibbert is quickly proving his value.
Last July, the Pacers matched the competing contract offer by the Portland Trail Blazers to hang on to their 7’2” restricted free-agent center. Criticism of the deal was understandable, as the former 17th overall pick was turning 26 and he had never averaged averaged more than 12.8 points or 8.8 rebounds, both highs in his 2011-12 season.
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With the lottery set and the combine complete, we're starting to see some pieces from the NBA draft puzzle fall into place.
Most of the top-ranked guys have maintained their status as top-ranked guys. It's tough to disappoint coaches during simple little drills and running around some cones.
The needle will really start to move once head-to-head workouts get underway, and these top-ranked guys start facing each other.
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Kevin Durant may have fallen short after the injury of Russell Westbrook, so how will he return in 2013-14?
Kevin Durant’s season of missed opportunity supports multiple truths that we already knew:
1. Even the most elite of superstars can’t do it alone in today’s NBA.
2. Scoring will never be valued ahead of winning.
3. Durant is still the second-best superstar.
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Frank Vogel blew it.
The Indiana Pacers coach allowed LeBron James an open lane for a last-second layup when he kept his rim-protector, Roy Hibbert, on the bench in the final seconds of a 103-102 Game 1 overtime loss to the Miami Heat.
What could have been a monumental victory for the Pacers to begin the Eastern Conference Finals turned into a dreadful coach's decision that will be heavily scrutinized.
The Pacers led by one with 2.2 seconds left in OT as the ball was inbounded from half court to James, who pivoted quickly on an overplaying Paul George and attacked an unguarded rim for the game-winner.
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How many mulligans can Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks take before Dirk Nowitzki has fizzled as a championship-caliber franchise player?
We might find out this summer.
According to ESPN's Chad Ford, the Mavs are shopping the No. 13 pick in the 2013 NBA draft in an attempt to clear cap space for signing one of the league's marquee free agents:
Attempting to pry either Dwight Howard from the Los Angeles Lakers or Chris Paul from the Los Angeles Clippers will be a chore enough in its own right—even more so when factoring in Dallas' spotty history in free agency.
The Mavs failed to lure Deron Williams back to his hometown last summer, perhaps in part because Cuban was off filming an episode of Shark Tank in LA, according to Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com.
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Though they'll take their time, the Cleveland Cavaliers are essentially on the clock with Nerlens Noel being the likeliest of targets.
It's really one of the more intriguing draft pickles we're ever going to see.
The Cavs will weigh the pros and cons of selecting a player who just recently suffered a torn ACL. You'd think the pros should outweigh the cons by a lot when it comes to a No. 1 overall favorite. But not this year. Not with Nerlens Noel, who will be hoping the scale on Chris Grant's desk tilts slightly in his favor.
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USA TODAY Sports
It was 10 years ago today that the Cleveland Cavaliers secured the No. 1 pick in the 2003 NBA draft lottery. The Cavs went on to spend that selection on an 18-year-old, Ohio-born phenom by the name of LeBron James, who, as you probably know, has gone on to fashion for himself quite the pro career.
The Cavs find themselves in a strangely similar position as the 2013 draft approaches. They own the top choice (for the second time in three years, no less) and may be able to use it to land LeBron again, albeit indirectly.
At least, that's what Twitter's reaction to Cleveland's lottery luck would have you believe.
There were plenty of parody accounts crowing about LeBron wanting to leave the Miami Heat for the cold, dingy climes of Cuyahoga County. Even Grantland's Mark Titus, known for his tongue-in-cheek basketball analysis, offered his two cents on the subject:
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Don't weep for the Memphis Grizzlies. They may be down two games to none against the San Antonio Spurs in the 2013 Western Conference Finals but that should hardly preclude them from making this series a competitive one.
After all, the Grizzlies dug themselves an 0-2 hole in the first round, only to roar back with four straight wins over the crumbling Los Angeles Clippers. Memphis also squandered Game 1 of its tilt with the Oklahoma City Thunder, only to put together yet another four-game streak to close that one out.
There's also the not-so-small matter of the Spurs trying to exercise the lingering demons from last year's Conference Finals. Remember they went up 2-0 on the Thunder, only to squander that prime positioning over the next four games. History, then, hasn't abandoned Memphis by any stretch.
But if the Grizzlies are going to keep history on their side, they'll need to at least consider a handful of adjustments prior to Game 3 at the FedEx Forum.
