The Future Is Bright In Milwaukee

It’s crazy how quickly fortunes can change for an NBA franchise on draft night. A team can go from being a laughing stock of the league to suddenly being a team that warrants respect and fear from their opponents. Such is the case with the Milwaukee Bucks, who have greatly changed the face and image of their franchise upon drafting Duke star Jabari Parker, who many think has the potential to be a championship caliber centerpiece. In addition to Jabari, the Bucks also have Giannis Antetokounmpo, a 6’11 220 lb small forward from Greece who is known as “The Greek Freak”.

Many think that if the 2013 draft were done over again, Giannis would have gone #1 overall in the draft after seeing how quickly he matured and developed over the course of the season. He was thought to be really talented, but still very raw and in need of a lot of development. But as it turned out, he was much more NBA ready than people thought, which was great news for the Bucks as they were heading into another losing season in which they might land a potential superstar like Jabari Parker in the draft.

Now that they have both Giannis and Jabari, the future in Milwaukee is sky high, and teams in the Eastern Conference have to view them as a team capable of doing serious damage in the near future. If Jabari Parker and Giannis Antetokounmpo both reach their full potential, they could form a scary duo like Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook in Oklahoma City. I’m not saying they will be as good as that duo, but what I am saying is that the potential to be that good or nearly that good is definitely there. If this potential is reached, the Bucks will have a team that is capable of competing for the NBA championship.

The key thing for the Bucks’ front office to do at this point is to be patient with both of these guys and start thinking about what complementary pieces these guys need to succeed. Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant didn’t become a championship caliber duo over night and the Thunder still are looking for the right complementary pieces to put around them to get over the hump. The Bucks realistically are looking at probably a 5 year process to become a championship threat and probably a 6-9 year process to morph from a threat into a viable contender. It all depends on several factors such as future free agency periods, future drafts, and the ability for their other quality assets like Brandon Knight, O.J. Mayo, and Larry Sanders to fit in with the team. 

But regardless of those factors, the fact that the Bucks have Jabari Parker and Giannis Antetokounmpo makes them a potential contender by default and now it’s just a matter of time before the two of them flower into the stars that they have inside of them. There will be growing pains, frustration, and moments of doubt, but if the Bucks stay the course and continue to have patience and faith in these two guys, the Bucks should see their dream of forming a championship caliber team in the East realized. 

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord 

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Prospect Examination: Jabari Parker

"Jabari could not have been better," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "He is the epitome of what you would want a basketball player to be -- outstanding every day on the practice court and in the classroom and a very humble young man. He had a fantastic freshman year and is so deserving of the opportunity to play in the NBA and follow his dream."

He was so good that his High School (Simeon) uplifted their "No freshmen on varsity" rule just for him, not even Derrick Rose had that uplifted but Jabari Parker did and having a rule like that uplifted for a freshmen means he's a very good basketball player. Parker has been talked about since his high school senior year and was thought of to be the leader of the "Year of the Freshmen" in college basketball and for the most part he certainly was having one of the best freshmen seasons in recent memory. Despite his surprising early exit in the NCAA Tournament by Mercer he is a virtual lock in the Top-3 of this years draft.

Unlike other college athletes, Parker actually took his time to think about declaring for the NBA Draft. After Duke was upset by Mercer in the round of 32, Parker would go on to call his college career "incomplete" which appeared to indicate that he was leaning towards returning for his sophomore year and team up with another Chicago product, childhood friend, former AAU teammate and 2015 NBA Draft prospect Jahlil Okafor ( cousin of Emeka Okafor ). Parker is the 5th Blue Devil to be one-and-done joining Corey Maggette, Luol Deng, Kyrie Irving and Austin Rivers.

"If I feel like there are things I could improve on or things I left, like during the season, then I will probably come back," Parker said. "A deciding factor is where I'm going to grow the most, whether it's in the NBA or even in college, the learning experiences that I need as far as [growing as] a basketball player."

"I love the whole attitude of ‘staying in college,’ because I want to take advantage of it. Getting a free education is big time in my family." Parker said. "Everything in my city is negative, [The media] try to bring it down so much with the violence and I’m an African-American male in my community…going to college and that’s big time. I want to represent them in the best form, the best manner just to keep them close to my heart so they can see that there’s a young [guy] out on the South Side doing big things."

Despite being the afterthought to Kansas forward Andrew Wiggins, many thought Wiggins had more potential than Parker mainly because of his athletic ability.  The athletic ability of a player should never be the judging point as to how good a player could be because if that was the case then Kevin Love would've never gotten drafted back in '08. Parker may not have dunk contest athletic ability but he is athletic — more like Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony athletic.

Regardless of how you look at it, Parker is to Durant as Wiggins is to LeBron. What I mean when I say that is in all rankings and mock drafts, Parker was ranked No. 2 to Wiggins and in the NBA Durant usually finishes second behind LeBron and it even got to a point where Durant publicly said he hated being known as No. 2 because it's been like that his whole entire life.

Parker excelled tremendously this season at Duke and was very impressive with his high IQ and desire to score along with rebounding at a high rate and despite his low assists totals, he isn't a selfish player as his seasonal stats may fool the naked eye. Parker is a very burly young man with great speed and can get to the rim at will and could finish with a emphatic dunk or a contact layup along with averaging about six free-throws per night .  

Year	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
13-14	19.1	8.7	1.2	1.1	1.2	0.473	0.358	0.748

Year	PER	USG	TS%	ORtg	DRtg	WS	TRB
13-14	28.1	32.7	0.558	115.0	99.3	5.5	17.1

Just looking at Parker's advanced stats you could tell that he was just dominant this season without a unprecedented 28.1 Player Efficiency Rating (PER) and a ridiculously high 32.7 Usage Rate (USG)  which shows that he was very active this past season along with sky high  115 Offensive Rating (ORtg) and 99.3 Defensive Rating (DRtg).

Parker has shot better than most forward/guards that have entered the draft in past years. He isn't the best shooter but once he gets hot it's a forgone conclusion and in the NBA his shot will become scary good and evolve just like Anthony's and Durant's. Parker is smart enough to realize that if his shot is having a night off then he should just drive to the rim consistently and being the threat he is, he is likely to be fouled. For a guy 6-8 it's very intriguing to see someone of that size with impressive passing skills and ball-handling skills which makes him a bigger threat on offense as a scorer or play maker.  With his 7'0" wingspan Parker can disrupt passing lanes which helps makeup for his lack of defensive skills.

Parker this season struggled against bigger and longer opponents than him and will struggle against a few Small forwards but as his career matures that won't be much of a problem. The 19-year old also doesn't have great lateral quickness on the defensive end which allowed other forwards to go around him to either make a play or score which led Coach K to bench him sometimes in the closing minutes of a game. He also sometimes becomes unaware of what's going on defense and needs to improve his post defense. There are better players in those categories than Parker but none of them have as great as work ethic as him to improve.

There have been players in the past that have been hyped up but couldn't execute on the court, Parker is not one of those players as he has exceeded expectations. Parker is the most NBA-Ready player in this years draft and Andrew Wiggins (Kansas), Joel Embiid (Kansas), Aaron Gordon (Arizona), Julius Randle (Kentucky) and Marcus Smart (Oklahoma St.). Parker is 6'8" 241-pounds which is similar to some current NBA players as in Paul Pierce, Luol Deng and Carmelo Anthony. To me Parker is the best player in this years draft and is a definite future All-Star and is at the top of all his peers in the draft.

This season Parker has been bombarded with multiple comparisons from Luol Deng to Carmelo Anthony to Kevin Durant to Paul Pierce.

"I think he’s having that Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant-type impact on the game," Grant Hill said. "His versatility is through the roof. He can play multiple positions, guard multiple positions, handle the ball, post up, shoot from long range. Then there’s the intellect. And the beauty of his game is his personality. He’s 100% bought in, he’s emotionally invested and that’s the sign of a champion. He has an incredible feel for the game and it’s something that’s hard to quantify."

"There’s a lot of Melo in him as far as guy that can stretch you to the 3-point line," UCLA coach Steve Alford said. "He can drive the basketball. He creates space off the dribble to get jump shots. He can take you to the post, so I just think he’s a very, very talented, gifted player. And you don’t see a lot who are this polished 10, 11 games into their freshman year." But Parker is more satisfied with the comparison to Melo saying It’s a good comparison, He mastered the fundamentals. He’s always good at his craft. He works on it and that’s a person I’ve been looking up to, so yeah, that’s good compliment."

With so many NBA comparisons going on with future NBA prospects, Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant points to technology as most of the youngsters in today's game having skills before their time.

"You can basically go to [search] your favorite player and watch film," Durant said. "You can go on YouTube and type in 'LeBron James' and watch every move he does, break it down and work on it. It's simple. When I was coming up you had to figure it out. I'm seeing [young] guys shooting fade-away and Euro-step floaters. Where are they getting this stuff? They're just watching these guys thoroughly [on video] and breaking it down. Some of these kids have access to going to my camp, or LeBron's camp or D-Wade's [Dwyane Wade's camp], getting 1-on-1 instruction. It's amazing. The game is growing."

In today's day-and-age we are so used to seeing athletes declare for the draft or college in fancy ways if it's via press conference, national TV or at a location where something special happened; Jabari Parker is different as he declared for the draft in a well written letter to Sports Illustrated — Who else does that?

"Ultimately, I boiled my decision down to two simple questions," Parker wrote. "Which environment -- college or the NBA -- offers me the best opportunity to grow as a basketball player? Which environment -- college or the NBA -- offers me the best opportunity to grow and develop off the court? The answer to both questions is undeniably the NBA."

"There is something else. My father, Sonny, played in the NBA," Parker wrote. "I know firsthand that the career span of a pro basketball player is finite. The lucky ones play until their mid-30s. With that perspective, I shrink my professional career with each year that I remain in college. It's ironic, but true."

Parker is showing great admiration and appreciation for joining the NBA and is already promising to give it his for whichever team drafts him in June.

"I realize how much of a privilege and an honor it is to join the ranks of the NBA,” Parker wrote.“I will do everything in my power to help deliver championships to the franchise that drafts me. At the same time, I recognize the obligation to represent the league in an admirable way off the court."

I don't get very fascinated with players on and off the court but I am with Jabari Parker as he is what the NBA needs as Parker is becoming a true man before his years and has gained my support and possibly others more than any other college and possibly pro athlete and with something people admire — respect. Parker plans on returning to school to finish what he just started as he is already thinking of life after basketball and he isn't even 20 yet. He had a 3.7 GPA in high school and is a honor student at Duke; despite not completing his Mormon mission, he remained faithful to his religion as he constantly carries the Book of Mormon and does much charity work in his community.

"My days as a Duke student are not [over]. I intend to graduate from Duke while I'm in the NBA," Parker wrote. "I was an honor student when I arrived at Duke, and I'd like to graduate as one. I know some people will say this is unrealistic. Others will say, why bother? The fact is that I have many interests beyond basketball. I'd like to write a children's book. I am interested in various business aspects of the entertainment industry. And I'd like to work with corporate America in one way or another. A college degree from Duke will help with each of these aspirations."

"I want to follow in my father's footsteps as a role model to youth," Parker wrote. "especially those kids who need the most help. My dad created the Sonny Parker Youth Foundation, which has helped countless boys -- including me -- develop into manhood and stay out of trouble."

Jabari Parker clearly has his head straight and is a great example of what a African-American athlete should aspire to become because most of them just don't cut it as role models. 

Some will put on a smile and say some stuff to the youth for the camera trying to boost their image and the next day end up in jail or have a negative report written up about them. Parker and LeBron James are the two role models in the NBA that personify that term. Once drafted, Parker will bring true maturity to the locker room along with a All-Star caliber skill-set which will make him on the better NBA players from now in 10 years and just like Laker legend guard Kobe Bryant, I see "Great Potential" in him.

Best fits: Cleveland Cavaliers, Utah Jazz, Philadelphia 76ers

NBA Comparisons: Carmelo Anthony, Paul Pierce and Kevin Durant

Twitter: @NBAFLASHNEWS

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Prospect Examiantion: Rodney Hood

"I wish we had him for more than one year, because the growth that he’s had in this year is terrific, and it’s because he wants to be coached and he takes responsibility,” Duke coach MikeKrzyzewski said. “Anybody’s who’s willing to take responsibility for his or her actions usually does better, and that’s what Rodney does."

You'd think playing for one of the best college basketball programs under a Hall of Fame coach who doesn't age would be good enough to get a player noticed by scouts, but that wasn't the case for Rodney Hood, after missing the 2012-2013 after transferring from Mississippi State to Duke; Hood burst onto the scene during the '13-14 season and was the Robin to Jabari Parker's Batman as both became a 1-2 punch under Mike Krzyzewski. Earlier in the season Hood was thought of as a a potential lottery pick but now it's unclear if he still is but what is clear is that he will be drafted in the 1st-round.

Hood entered this season as one of the best shooters in the nation along with a good ability to drive to the rim and finish with contact which made makes him one of the better offensive players in this years draft. But defensively not to much as he is a one dimensional offensive minded player and defense to him is as foreign as LeBron James missing a dunk.

Year	PPG	RPG	APG	FG%	3P%	FT%	MPG
11-12	10.3	4.8	2.0	44.3%	36.4%	65.9%	32.8
12-13	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
13-14	16.1	3.9	2.1	46.4%	42.0%	80.7%	32.9

The mandatory year Hood had to miss after transferring from Mississippi State to Duke to become a redshirt sophomore did wonders for him as a basketball player as all his stats increased with the same playing time with the exception of his rebounding. In a much tougher conference than the Southeastern Conference (SEC) which is the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Hood came out guns blazing and carried his consistent play until the last game of the season against Mercer. What catches my attention is Hood's increase in points and shooting percentage as his PPG increased by 5.8 and his free-throw shooting skyrocketed by 14.8% which shows that his game can improve.

Advanced look at Rodney Hood's improvement

Year	PER	TS%	eFG%	USG%	DRtg	ORtg
11-12	15.5	53.5%	52.4%	16.8%	105.6	114.5
13-14	20.1	59.0%	55.0%	23.8%	107.0	122.5

Stats don't lie, especially advanced stats and it showcases Hood's bigger opportunity in Durham as he took a chance and showcased his talents showing his skill set to the average viewer, fans and people in NBA front offices as he increased in most advanced stats categories from his freshmen season at Mississippi State.

Hood won't be the No. 1 pick and the jury is still out if he will even be a lottery pick, he has been overshadowed by freshmen phenom forward and teammate Jabari Parker who is a guaranteed Top-3 pick and franchise changing player. Playing with Parker has benefited Hood because when scouts are watching a Duke game and their focus is mainly on Parker, they begin to notice Hood who hasn't gotten the credit he deserved due to the media driven hype of Parker. Teaming up with Parker has led more scouts to look at Hood and having more nationally televised games to help create a fan base; another thing that has benefited Hood with the team-up is that he is now acclimated to playing with a superstar type player in the sidekick role.  

Add Hood to the list of stretch forwards in the NBA as he also shares a few characteristics that have attracted scouts to Parker — versatile enough to play the SG and possibly the PF in small lineups when shooting is needed, 6'8" wingspan which is nothing special as it matches his height, similar athleticism which isn't the same but is similar, can create his own shot off the dribble, decent post-game when going against a small defender and is a consistent 3-point shooter as more teams in the NBA are taking shots from there. Duke teams are traditionally good and Hood held his own this season as he was leader in the ACC in many categories —3rd in 3PM and 6th in FGM.

As I said earlier, Hood is a offensive minded player which means he has a abundance of flaws in his game, especially on the offensive end. Hood would become a easy scouting prospect for most teams as he rarely goes right which is a huge problem for a athletic wing player going pro because once teams catch onto that then he will be a easy stop; the NBA is filled with elite defenders and teams will force him to go right and put him in a position that he isn't comfortable with. As a offensive player he isn't much of passer as he averages about two assists per game which is similar to Creighton senior Doug McDermott, both are offensive players but don't have a reputation of making plays for others. Hood will need to become a shot creator and have better shot selection.

At 6-8, 215-pounds; Hood has a small body that needs more muscle if he wants to stand a chance against other small forwards then gaining muscle is a must because that position is become one of the more complex and more important positions in the NBA especially since analytically, small forwards which can shoot the ball have more valuable. His slight frame could be one of the reasons why he doesn't drive much and also why he isn't that great of a rebounder.

Like any other college basketball they is heading to the NBA, his weakness is on the defensive end of the court. Hood lacks intensity to play defense and is often take advantage of on that end by other players with a bigger physique then him. His short wingspan could be a reason as to why he only averaged less than one steal per game (0.6) for his college career and also less than one block (0.4) along with a 2.1 defensive win share (DWS) compared to his 5.8 offensive win share (OWS). Chances are, Hood won't become a defensive player and has the potential to be less than average on that end depending on where he lands; if he lands in Chicago then he'll become a defensive player under Tom Thibadeau but if he's in Phoenix under Jeff Hornacek then chances are something like that won't happen. The 21-year old has decent lateral quickness but will need to become a stronger player mentally as his hustle, determination and toughness should be higher.  

In a league with a high demand of shooters it can be expected that Hood will be selected in the 1st round and in my estimation between the 16th and 24th pick and possibly higher if he excels in the draft combine and private workouts. I believe he has somewhat peaked as a player and weaknesses might not change but being a a offensive player he will be role player in the league and could possibly see some playing time in the D-league during the first few seasons of his career.

NBA Comparisons: Trevor Ariza, Wayne Ellington, Travis Outlaw and Martell Webster

Best Fits: San Antonio Spurs, Charlotte Bobcats, Houston Rockets & Phoenix Suns

Twitter: @NBAFLASHNEWS

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The Jazz have the assets to trade up for Jabari Parker

The Utah Jazz currently possess the #5, #23, and #35 pick in next week's draft and while they are happy to have a top 5 pick in this loaded draft, they will almost certainly not get the player they most want in the draft if they end up picking 5th. The player they covet is Jabari Parker, a freshman sensation out of Duke who plays the small forward position but handles the ball like he is a point guard and scores like he is a shooting guard. Parker is the most offensively polished player in this draft and probably the most NBA ready. It is no surprise that the Jazz want him based on his basketball skills alone. The fact that he is an active member of the Utah-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints suddenly makes him even more valuable to Utah because of how he would energize the fan base. It's obvious he is a perfect fit in Utah, but the question is can the Jazz get him? Upon looking at who the Jazz have under contract, they do have some options to trade up to get him. I will explore some of those options and also try to find the most likely scenario in which they draft him.

First off, if the Jazz are going to trade up to get Jabari Parker, that means the #5 pick and #23 pick in the draft will be packaged in a deal with one or two players. Which players might they be? Gordon Hayward immediately comes to mind because he is an impending restricted free agent and he plays the same position as Jabari Parker. Getting rid of Hayward and adding Parker would be an immediate upgrade for the Jazz at the small forward position. However, the Jazz will need more to entice either the Bucks (#2) or Cavaliers (#1) to give up their pick. That's where Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter come in. If the Jazz want to trade up to grab Jabari Parker, either Enes Kanter or Derrick Favors will have to go. According to InsideHoops.com, the Jazz see Derrick Favors as more of a center, which could pave the way for them to trade Enes Kanter. Either way, the Jazz will need to trade either Kanter or Favors, the #5 pick, #23 pick, and likely Gordon Hayward to pull off a trade for the #1 or #2 pick. The question now is what situation is most likely to result in the Jazz getting Jabari Parker?

The most straight up situation is to make a deal with Cleveland for the #1 pick and send them the #5 pick, the #23 pick,  Enes Kanter, and Gordon Hayward. Would Cleveland take the Jazz up on this offer? The revelations about Joel Embiid's fractured foot make things interesting.  Enes Kanter is a really talented young center who has proven he can play well in the NBA and Gordon Hayward is still a promising young small forward. Getting those two players plus the #5 and #23 pick could be pretty tempting for the Cavaliers. Especially if they want a quality big man and feel worried about Joel Embiid's back and foot.

Milwaukee to me is the most likely team to be willing to make a deal with the Jazz. They are the most desperate team picking in the top 3 and they need a lot of help. Getting Gordon Hayward, Enes Kanter, the #5 pick, and the #23 pick in exchange for the #2 pick might sound like a good deal to them. Maybe they get a front court of Noah Vonleh and Enes Kanter out of it and then they trade Larry Sanders for another piece. All of a sudden, boom! They have themselves a really nice core of guys to work with. Of course, if they think Jabari Parker is a franchise changing player who they can build around for years to come, then they are much less likely to be willing to make a deal like this. But if they have any reservations about Parker or if they really think Utah's offer makes them a lot better overall, then they might make a deal with the Jazz. It all depends on what Milwaukee thinks of Parker, but I think odds are decent for the Jazz that the Bucks would make this move.

As for the 76ers, they play a strange role in all of this. Let's say they want to trade for the #1 pick to get Andrew Wiggins. What does that mean for Utah? Well, what if the 76ers, Jazz, Bucks, and Cavaliers orchestrate a weird 4-way trade? E.g. The Jazz get the #1 pick from the Cavaliers; the Cavaliers get the #5 pick, Gordon Hayward, and Enes Kanter from the Jazz; the 76ers get the #2 pick from the Bucks,  and the Bucks get Thaddeus Young and the #3 pick from the 76ers plus the #23 pick from the Jazz. The Jazz get Jabari Parker with the #1 pick, the 76ers get Andrew Wiggins with the #2 pick, the Bucks get Joel Embiid with the #3 pick, Thaddeus Young, and another talented player with the #23 pick,  and the Cavaliers get Enes Kanter, Gordon Hayward, and the #5 pick. With the #5 pick, the Cavaliers could either draft Marcus Smart/Dante Exum, which makes Kyrie Irving expendable at the point guard position or they draft Noah Vonleh/Julius Randle to give Irving a quality pick and roll mate to go alongside Kanter.  The Cavaliers could walk out with three really quality pieces to work with that either keep Kyrie Irving happy or make his departure not such a big deal. I'm not sure Joel Embiid gets Kyrie Irving to stay in Cleveland and to be honest, I don't think Wiggins or Parker do, either.

This crazy four-team trade idea comes off as insane but it is possible. Especially since all teams involved benefit.  The Jazz get the guy they want in Parker and the 76ers get the guy they want in Andrew Wiggins. Plus, I've heard that the Bucks like Joel Embiid so they may end up getting the guy who they want most in this draft. Now I will say that the revelation about Joel Embiid's stress fracture in his right foot does complicate things. But I think it's possible that this four way trade still goes down, but we simply substitute Joel Embiid's name with either Marcus Smart or Dante Exum who are both the  top point guards in this draft.

As I have demonstrated, Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter, Gordon Hayward, and maybe even Alec Burks and Trey Burke are legit guys who the Jazz can use as trade chips to move up to grab Jabari Parker. I am confident that the Utah Jazz front office is scheming a way to make these trade chips work so as to get what they want.

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord 

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Re-making The Cleveland Cavaliers From a Fan's Perspective

The city of Cleveland hasn't enjoyed a championship parade in any of the four major four sports since 1974. Back in 2003 the Cleveland Cavaliers hit the jackpot when they drafted hometown kid LeBron James, who was dubbed the "Chose One" and "King James" coming out of high school. James was the "Chosen One" in Cleveland, but his coronation as "King James" didn't come until he took his talents to South Beach in the summer of 2010......the rest is history. Right now the only buzz in Cleveland is the Browns' Quarterback Johnny Manziel, who hasn't even laced up a pair of cleats yet in a regulation game.

Since James departed from the franchise, the Cavaliers were in rebuilding mode. After going a dismal 19-63 during the 2010-2011 season, and having a dubious NBA record for futility with a 26-game losing streak, the franchise was desperate. After having a 19.9% chance of winning the lottery, Cleveland rocked by winning the No. 1 pick. They went on on to draft Duke Point Guard Kyrie Irving, giving him the keys to their car.

Individually, Irving had a good rookie campaign, going on to win the 2012 NBA Rookie of the Year award. He accomplished this even though his team failed to make the postseason with a 21-45 record in the lockout condensed season. With the No. 4 pick in 2012, Cleveland decided to bring in Syracuse Shooting Guard Dion Waiters to be  Irving's sidekick.

The 2012-2013 campaign was nothing special with Cleveland, as they struggled creating an identity, as their young core went through the growing pains of the NBA, suffering a multitude of losses with wins far and few between. Cleveland ended another dreaded season with a 24-58 record and had a 15.6% to win the No. 1 pick in the 2013 draft. Unfortunately for Cleveland, it was labeled one of the worst drafts in recent NBA history.

*Just with their luck,* Cleveland would go on to win the lottery, and surprise the world by selecting UNLV Canadian freshmen forward Anthony Bennett.  Experts and fans alike shared the same sentiment of shock and awe when Bennett's name was announced. ESPN's Bill Simmons had a classic reaction to the selection, as he exclaimed loudly and was as confused as the viewer.  

Right off the bat, Bennett going No. 1 wasn't a fan friendly pick and his 2013-2014 rookie year did nothing to change people's thoughts. Bennett's inept play was quite moronic at times. His career wasn't off of to a sexy start as most No. 1 picks were in the past. It took Bennett five games to score his first basket as a NBA player and admitted he never previously struggled like that in his basketball life. Bennett's play was so anemic that there was talk of him becoming the first No. 1 pick to be sent to the D-league. The thought was that he would regain his confidence and start to play like a No. 1 pick to a certain degree. 

"It's something I'd think about, for sure," Bennett said on possibly going to the D-league. "It's not a bad thing, especially going down there, hopefully playing a lot, going out there, building my confidence."

"It's a learning process, and all I can do is just work hard, you know?'' Bennett said. "I'm just patient. I missed the whole summer due to the surgery, so I'm kind of behind in everything, trying to catch up on everything. Like I said before, the only thing I can really do is work hard. It doesn't show much in the games, but in practice I've been going hard. My conditioning is a lot better. I lost weight and everything. So it's coming along slowly."

Bennett would go on to average an underwhelming 4.2 points and 3.0 rebounds in his rookie season.   Bennett's struggles were just one of the reasons the Cavaliers had a tumultuous 2013-2014 season, as Irving and Waiters were involved in rampant trade rumors, and GM Chris Grant was fired.

Many of these problems could have been avoided had Cleveland went a different direction in the 2013 draft, selecting Victor Oladipo instead of Bennett. Drafting Oladipo would've made the most sense, as he is further along in his development, and has been compared to Avery Bradley, but with a higher ceiling. Oladipo isn't a ball dominant guard and is more of a slasher and off-ball player, the type of sidekick that would mesh well with Irving's needs.

With drafting Oladipo, the Cavaliers would have gotten a special player, not only with how he plays but how he carries himself. Oladipo is a very conscientious man with his work ethic that would be contagious to his peers. The Cavaliers needed someone like Oladipo in the locker room as he is youthful but has the maturity level not many 22-year olds carry with them.

Also, Waiters would have been able to slide into the sixth man role, a situation he succeeded in at Syracuse. Scoring is his first, second and more often times than not, his third option. He is a capable distributor when he wants to be, but the Cavaliers already have a ball dominating guard in Irving in the starting lineup, so moving Waiters to the second unit would help everyone involved. In the NBA, if you are a potent scorer with not much else to offer, then you are  better suited to come off the bench with a scoring mentality, ala Jamal Crawford, J.R. Smith, Jordan Crawford, Nick Young and Nate Robinson.  

In May of 2014, the Cavaliers become hypocrites by firing Mike Brown one season after calling it a mistake when they originally gave him the pink slip in 2010. In just four short years, Brown has been fired three times (Cleveland twice and Los Angeles Lakers in 2012).

Cleveland now has a vacant head coaching position and many coaches are being linked to their somewhat lucrative position, in which they have many options. Cleveland could hire a former head coach, current assistant coach on another team, or just give someone a opportunity.  Former Warriors coach and current ESPN analyst Mark Jackson is a strong candidate. The reason why Jackson has culminated as the best option for Cleveland is because he's a players coach, someone who can get the most out of young players.

Back in the Bay Area, Jackson took a team which was fun to watch but addicted to losing weren't winners at the NBA level, and turned them into one of the most exciting teams with a winning attitude at "Roaracle," the popular nickname for their home court, Oracle Arena. In three seasons, Jackson compiled a 121-109 record (.526) and led Golden State to the second-round of the postseason for the first time since 1991. In the process, they compiled their first 50-win season since 1993-1994. Jackson developed Stephen Curry into an All-Star point guard, something he should have a penchant for after playing the position from 1987-2004. He is the coach Irving needs to take the next step in his development into becoming a floor general and finding the balance between scoring and passing, something he struggled with at times throughout his career thus far.

"Being in our particular position, he'd obviously help a guy like Kyrie [Irving] being as he played the position," Cavs guard Jarrett Jack said about his former coach. "The type of person he is and the attitude he has, he demands certain things -- respect, discipline, togetherness. Those are three things that he definitely incorporates. That's the thing you can't measure in wins and losses."  

One can agree with Jack's sentiment because Jackson preaches to his players as somewhat of a father figure; he is beloved by anybody who crosses his path. Jackson isn't the most stringent person and that's something most players appreciate, but at the same time he isn't a pushover, letting his presence be felt when needed. The Cavaliers need a coach like Jackson to bring a winning attitude back to Quicken Loans Arena, the "Q". With him being a former player, he would gain more respect from players.

On May 20, 2014 the Cleveland Cavaliers become the second team with a 1.7% chance to win the lottery.  This is the third time in four years that the Cavaliers have won the lottery, and unlike the Anthony Bennett pick, they can't mess up this time around with the unprecedented amount of hype this years draft class has received from basketball pundits.

The three top prospects in this years draft are Andrew Wiggins (Kansas), Joel Embiid (Kansas) and Jabari Parker (Duke). You can't go wrong with any of the trio, but all have their flaws going into the draft. Selecting Wiggins is a toss up because watching him play, it seems as if he lives off his athletic ability, a pure talent with no skill. His basketball instincts are up for debate, but for the Cavaliers to be safe their top two choices should be Embiid and Parker.

Embiid has been linked to Cleveland since they won the lottery, but medical reports about his back have made them skeptical about him, even though there are conflicting reports about it. The thing with Embiid is that he's only been playing basketball since 2010. He has a massive amount of potential to blossom into a dominant big-man which is something the NBA is deviating from. Having Embiid would be advantage because not every team has a traditional center, most teams are playing forwards at the five. Embiid, if healthy, would dominate the league and with the look to develop into an Andrew Bynum-type of player when he was a All-Star with the Lakers. 

Even with that said, the Cavaliers would be best off having Adam Silver announce, "With the first pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers select Jabari Parker from Duke University." Parker in wine and gold is the best fit because of his scoring and shooting ability, rebounding, athleticism, work ethic and maturity. Parker is an All-Around player and has equal or possibly more potential than Embiid. 

The NBA is entering a golden age of Small Forwards, and to win a championship it's becoming more crucial to have a wing player that can defend and shoot. Parker has all the intangibles and a high IQ, giving the Cavaliers their first real shot to fill the void at the 3-spot since James left a few years ago.

The Cavaliers need to do their homework to make the most of this pick. In all reality, you cannot go wrong with either Parker or Embiid, as either would go well with Irving and Waiters and hopefully a rejuvenated Bennett. In a perfect world Irving and Waiters would already be combined with Oladipo with Parker being added this year and Jackson manning the sidelines. But this is the Cavaliers we are talking about, so they have to make due with what they have and hope it is enough to convince Irving to stay in town past his rookie contract and have some talent come and join him in Cleveland.

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