Is Andrew Wiggins still the top pick in the 2014 NBA draft?
Wiggins certainly was good Tuesday night, when the Windy City was rocking for the State Farm Champions Classic. But so were Jabari Parker and Julius Randle, who may have closed the gap on Wiggins.
The event pitted Kentucky vs. Michigan State and Duke vs. Kansas – traditional powers from major conferences meeting on the hardwood in an early season measuring stick. But while many fans were entertained by the games and teams, the underlying story was the 2014 NBA draft as Wiggins, Parker and Randle – the top three players on my Big Board – were on the court.
Every NBA team had multiple scouts and executives in attendance including Sam Presti, Danny Ainge and Kevin Pritchard, among others. Even a who’s who of super agents and basketball insiders were in attendance, including Rob Pelinka, Rich Paul and Worldwide Wes.
Look no further than the loaded rosters of all four teams to understand why this event generated such attention. Kentucky alone might have seven future first-round picks on its current roster while Kansas could have three top-10 picks.
Make no mistake: All three prospects can stake a claim to being the first overall pick. With the draft more than seven months away, things are hardly settled. But here are some observations and intelliegence I gathered.
Mid-October is not synonymous with the NBA draft. Basketball fans are usually starting to notice the NBA preseason and getting ready for the start of college ball.
