5 Potential Busts of 2014 NBA Draft

The 2014 NBA Draft was one of the more loaded drafts in recent memory. There were franchise changing players at the top, with plenty of strong players following right behind. While there are plenty of good players in the draft, there undoubtedly will be some that fall short of expectations. Here are some potential busts from the 2014 NBA Draft.

Aaron Gordon, Forward, Arizona: Gordon is as athletic as they come in this class, but that is about all that he has going for him currently. Like so many of the players who grew up playing AAU basketball, Gordon does not have a true position, being labeled a tweener at small forward and power forward.

Associated Press

Gordon was a top-prospect in this draft, and he falls into the bust category more because of where he was drafted and selected before. It was the first surprise of the draft that he was taken ahead of Julius Randle, Marcus Smart, Dante Exum and Noah Vonleh. When you are selected ahead of players expected to excel at the level those are, you better bring your A game.

Gordon has some ways to go on both ends of the court, and is joining a team he will have every opportunity to showcase himself. The Magic though are currently loaded at the forward positions, so Gordon will have to prove himself worthy of the minutes as he will be facing plenty of competition.

Nik Stauskas, Shooting Guard, Michigan: This pick for bust has less to do with the player, and more to do with the team he was selected by. Stauskas is joining a team that is in flux with its roster, trying to figure out who is in their long term plans and who to move on to. Not to mention the Sacramento Kings first round pick from 2013 is a shooting guard in Ben McLemore.

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Stauskas can score the ball offensively, but he may not have a good chance to do it with the Kings. Getting lost in the shuffle is something Stauskas should be very worried about as players such as Rudy Gay and Travis Outlaw will be playing minutes at the same position as Stauskas in addition to McLemore. The track record the Kings have with first round picks make Stauskas a candidate to be a bust.

Tyler Ennis, Point Guard, Syracuse: Ennis is a bust candidate because he does not fit the mold of where the NBA is heading at the position. He is a smart player, but it is hard to imagine him being able to consistently stick with the super-athletes that are filling up the point guard position now.

Mark Konezny - USA TODAY Sports

He is also not a strong shooter, something teams need from their point guards. Last season at Syracuse Ennis shot only 41 percent from the field and 35 percent from the three point line. Those are numbers he must improve upon at the NBA-level to have any success; NBA teams cannot afford to have a player that offers nothing offensively on the court, especially when your defense is as in question as Ennis’ is.

Ennis also falls onto this list because of how things are looking with the Phoenix Suns. The Suns signed Isaiah Thomas from the Kings in free agency, further pushing Ennis down the depth chart. They already have breakout player Goran Dragic on the team, and are in contract negotiations with Eric Bledsoe to bring him back as well. Ennis could very well be the fourth string point guard heading into the season, firmly placing him on the bench with the bust label.

Josh Huestis, Power Forward, Stanford: It is not Huestis’ fault that he was selected in the first round by the Oklahoma City Thunder, but like all other players he needs to be judged by his draft selection, and he has bust written all over him. Huestis is known more for his rebounding and defense, something that is not always appreciated when it comes to evaluating draft prospects.

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Huestis was also not expected to be in the mix as a first round pick, so expectations are automatically heightened for him. Getting selected to a team like the Thunder gives you time to develop your skills, but there are a slew of players ahead of Huestis currently on the roster, and playing time will be hard to come by. He also has to contend with fellow first round draft pick Mitch McGary

Huestis has a long road ahead of him to crack the rotation and get minutes with the Thunder this season. He is destined for a spot in the D-League this upcoming year.

Bruno Caboclo, Small Forward, Brazil: There is not much known about Caboclo other than he is the Brazilian Kevin Durant. ESPN international scout Fran Fraschilla also said that he was two years away from being two years away, meaning Caboclo is nowhere near ready to contribute to the Toronto Raptors.

Dave Abel/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency

Caboclo it has been said will be a part of the NBA roster, but it is hard to imagine him giving much positive to the Raptors. He is an extremely raw basketball player, and could be stapled to the Raptors bench for many seasons to come. Like Huestis, it is not Caboclo’s fault that he was selected where he was, but he will be judged with where he was selected.

The Raptors would have been better off getting another wing such as Rodney Hood, Jordan Adams or P.J. Hairston, all three of which were selected after Caboclo.

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Prospect Examination: Aaron Gordon

Aaron Gordon entered this past college season as one of the best prospects in college basketball and eventual NBA player. The Arizona freshmen wasn't followed with a keen eye like the other freshmen around the country; Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker, Joel Embiid etc. The high-flyer has "OMG" athletic ability and just watching him you might have to check and make sure nobody is playing NBA 2K. But despite his "video-game" talents, he is a certain lock to go in the lottery but exactly where he might end up is as questionable as the sexuality of Donald Sterling's mistress V. Stiviano.

Some believe Gordon is a future star and some believe he's a role player well either way someway somehow he will be a intricate part to a young NBA team. Coming into his lone season at Arizona under Head Coach Sean Miller, he played the Small Forward position but didn't excel as a wing player as many pundits thought. Gordon is another "tweener" in the league which something not to brag about, but with the right team he'll be alright. Just looking at his season averages, you can tell that Gordon struggled with his shot and isn't the most reliable person at the charity strike. But what well translate to the NBA is his rebounding ability but his offense will need to be retooled.

In 34 games, Gordon averaged:

Year	PPG	RPG	APG	BPG	SPG	FG%	FT%	3P%
13-14	12.4	8.0	2.0	1.0	0.9	0.495	0.422	0.356

Gordon is a 6'8, 210-pound 18-year-old. Earlier I stated that he is a "tweener", and being that isn't the best thing in the NBA. A few examples of "tweeners" in the association are Anthony Bennett, Derrick Williams and Thomas Robinson. All three players were top-5 picks in their respective drafts, but haven't quite panned out as expected. Bennett being drafted No. 1 in 2013 surprised everyone and Williams being drafted No. 2 in 2011 was expected after he dominated college but his struggle at his new job wasn't predicted. Robinson was selected No. 5 and was thought of as the next big thing with his motor but it hasn't quite quite panned out but he is having the best career of everyone else. The potential is there for Gordon to struggle in the league as he has no true position.

NBA scouts have been quite critical of Gordon as he has had a quite grotesque season for a potential lottery pick.

"I think Aaron Gordon would greatly benefit from another year," one scout said. "He has to improve to play the 3 and small-ball 4 at the next level. I think as a true 4 in the NBA, he will be a fringe starter at best."

When the teammate of Gordon, Brandon Ashley, suffered a injury one NBA scout thought that was a opportunity that Gordon needed.

"He's stuck between positions and I think we're going to have to embrace the fact that ideally, he's a four in our league," one scout said. "Now that Brandon Ashley likely is out the season, he'll move to his natural position and I think that will help his stock. Once he gets stronger, I think he'll be fine there. He's so quick, plays the game the right way and plays so hard, he's going to be really good. But you have to understand what he is and what he isn't."

When Gordon played for Team USA at the FIBA U19 World Championships, Team USA coach and current Florida Gators coach, Billy Donovan compared Gordon to his former player, current Chicago Bulls center and reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year - Joakim Noah.

"I don't mean to say he's the same kind of player, but in terms of coaching him, he reminds me in a lot of ways of Joakim Noah," Donovan said. "He's got that energy and that kind of passion."

"A lot of guys are really talented and athletic," Donovan said. "What makes him so different is his effort, his energy. … There are things he's got to get better on – he doesn't necessarily have this great scoring skill, in terms of a low-post game yet or he's not this great 3-point shooter."

"I think he's got such an incredible ceiling because the things I'm talking about," Donovan said."He can get better at those things. What you can't teach, and I think is so important, is an incredible motor. He really has an incredible motor."

The offensive game for Gordon will take a few years to develop as his NBA career progresses. According to Matt Moore of CBSSports.com, Gordon ranked in the 12th percentile in jumpshots, 13th in putbacks and 15th in post-ups. The young-man has a 6'11.5" wingspan an above average vertical and should be able to execute more on putbacks. His post-ups and shooting will obviously have to be something he works on in his downtime to become a threat. Gordon though, is a threat when he enters the painted area as he could finish with authority or simply lay it in. He has great control in the air also but his real weakness to his game is his free-throw shooting.

"What he does, he does a little bit of everything,” Miller said. “And he can really handle the ball. He’s an unselfish passer, he’s great in transition. He can rebound at both ends. From a defensive perspective, it’s like he’s an upperclassman. He can guard a variety of players. And he takes that part of his game seriously. ... I’m almost describing an older player and yet Aaron just turned 18 years old."

Gordon though, is great at defense as he was No. 2 in the PAC-12 in Defensive Win shares at 3.0 and with his footwork along with his wingspan well almost certainly come with him to the NBA.

Everybody in the NBA loves defensive players, and his coach Sean Miller noticed his capability on that end.

"I’ve never had such a young player be so locked in and capable on the defensive end," Miller said. "While it’s hard to argue that an NBA should draft a lockdown defender so high in such a loaded draft, the thought is Gordon’s offensive skillset has only scratched the surface. He guards multiple players each game. In Aaron’s case, he plays the low post, against a post player, and then he turns around and guards perimeter players. I can say that I don’t think any that I’ve coached have been successful as a freshman doing that."

"What's so unique about Aaron Gordon's defense? Miller thinks it comes in the versatility that allows the freshman forward to handle big men and perimeter players alike. 'I can say that I don't think anyone that I've coached have been successful as a freshman doing that,' Miller said."

If you follow college basketball, then might've heard Gordon get unneeded and far fetched comparisons to Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin. Gordon is nowhere close to the talent level of Griffin and his coach Sean Miller came to his defense on the comparisons.

"I think it’s unfair to put that on Aaron,” said Sean Miller. “I don’t know if he’s as much of a post player as Blake Griffin is. Aaron might not even be as big physically as Blake Griffin. ... But he does some other things that are much different. He’s much more fluid away from the basket entering his freshman year, I think if you would make that comparison at equal time, than Blake Griffin [was]. The one thing they share is athleticism in and around the basket or in transition."

Aaron Gordon is a very high-risk player of this years crop of players. The kid isn't offensive talented to be a 3-man and isn't big enough to play 4-spot. He is still a teenager and should add muscle to his brittle frame or else he will be lunch meat to his opposition and become a liability to his team. Gordon has so many flaws that I question as to why he wouldn't stay another year at Arizona because right now in my opinion he is a D-league player and won't be around the league for a long term and I'm just making that assumption based off of his season at AU. Put it like this, I think Gordon is a bust.

NBA Comparisons: Shawn Marion, Kenneth Faried, Derrick Williams

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