Updated 10:02 PM EDT, Mon, Mar 18, 2024

Smart, Gordon, Embiid, and Wiggins: The 2014 NBA Draft Hits and Misses

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The NBA Draft is always intriguing because ultimately drafting new players is a gamble. Teams can hope, but it's a toss-up as to whether a player becomes the next superstar -- a'la Michael Jordan -- or a franchise-buster like Greg Oden.

The latest draft to give us much perspective on the subject was the 2007 NBA Draft, in which Greg Oden was ranked at No. 1 and Kevin Durant at No. 2.

In the seven years since, Durant has gone on to win three straight scoring titles and has also won MVP, while Oden has yet to play an entire season.

That got us thinking. In the coming years, which players are we likely to look back on with pride, and who will make us cringe? Here are our hits and misses for the NBA draft.

A Swing and a HIT

The Cleveland Cavaliers selected Andrew Wiggins with the No. 1 pick in Thursday's draft. There is little doubt that Wiggins' size and athletic ability should allow for a great NBA career.

Not to mention that the Cavaliers, as a team, are always pretty terrible, so Wiggins should see a good amount of playing time. Ultimately, that will help him, and hopefully the Cavs, develop at a quicker pace.

And, of course, a Swing and a MISS

The Philadelphia 76'ers selected an injured Joel Embiid with the No. 3 pick in the draft.

Embiid seems to be the biggest question mark out of any player in the draft. In only four-years of playing basketball, Embiid has injured his back, knee and foot, all typical injures for players who tower above the seven-foot range.

Although critics contend that Embiid had to be drafted in the 'top three' based on his talent, Embiid will be a miss in our book because of his body.

No matter how talented a player is, an injury prone body will frustrate all parties involved. Take Derrick Rose for example; former MVP, bad knees and two straight seasons missed.

Another HIT

The Boston Celtics picked up point guard Marcus Smart with No. 6 draft pick.

Unlike many of the top ten drafted players, Smart comes into the NBA with more than one year of NCAA experience. For more naturally talented players like Kobe or King James, the NCAA wasn't important for gaining experience. However, those guys are the exceptions to the rule.

Maturity plays an immense factor when moving from the college level to a multi-million dollar contract on the professional level. Smart's extra maturity and experience will do wonders in comparison to the more immature one-hit wonders who left the NCAA.

Another MISS

The Orlando Magic selected Aaron Gordon with the No.4 in the NBA Draft. Aside from moving up six draft spots from where he was originally slated to fall, Gordon is a terrible jump shooter.

His athletic build and driving ability is what got him drafted. If Gordon is going to have a decent career, he has to improve his shooting game, in addition to bulking up. aA 220-pound PF is going to get knocked around when stacking up against the NBA average PF size, which runs about 240-260 pounds.       

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