2013 NBA Draft Recap: Top 5 Biggest Winners

2013 NBA Draft Recap: Top 5 Biggest Winners: The 2013 NBA Draft is in the books, and while the draft class has been much maligned throughout the entire process, the lack of a true hierarchy of prospects did make for a very exciting night with plenty of trades and surprises along the way. Despite the drama of this year’s draft, the one thing that remained constant was that some teams came out ahead while other took a step back. Granted, determining the ultimate winners of the 2013 NBA Draft could take a few years given all the long-term projects among the best prospects, but that doesn’t mean certain teams didn’t set themselves up for serious in the coming season and down the road. With that in mind, here is a look at the biggest winners from the 2013 NBA Draft.

1.      Washington Wizards

The Wizards kicked off their draft by filling their big need at small forward with the most-complete player in the draft in Otto Porter Jr. Porter’s versatile offensive game will fit well alongside Washington’s potent backcourt, and he is a long-skilled defender that will start and contribute immediately. Washington followed by adding explosive scorer Glen Rice Jr. via a draft-night trade. In what was considered a weak draft class, the Wizards managed to upgrade the young core of their team with Porter and added a useful role player in Rice. It’s tough to ask for much for given the situation.

2.      Philadelphia 76ers

While Philadelphia did give up its best player in point guard Jrue Holiday, the 76ers weren’t going anywhere with him and suddenly have hope for the future. The 76ers ended up with two freakishly athletic prospects in center Nerlens Noel and point guard Michael Carter-Williams, and down the road, they could have an elite defensive presence and a dynamic distributor. By the way, Philadelphia also nabbed New Orleans’ first-round pick in next year’s much-anticipated draft, which should give them team a pair of lottery picks. The cherry on top of a successful night was second-round pick-up of Arsalan Kazemi, who should be able to come off the bench and provide energy, muscle and rebounding.

3.      Brooklyn Nets

In terms of their actual draft picks, the Nets added a fairly athletic big man in Mason Plumlee, and he should be able to defend and rebound in the NBA immediately. That being said, Brooklyn’s splash on draft night came when they traded for Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett in a deal that sent three future first-round picks and a bunch of role players to Boston. While the move certainly creates a limited window of opportunity, a starting lineup of Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Brook Lopez, Garnett and Pierce gives the Nets a puncher’s chance of winning an NBA title. The same couldn’t be said prior to draft night.

4.      Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavaliers were shopping the No. 1 overall pick in an attempt to surround star point guard Kyrie Irving with some established offensive firepower. While they didn’t pull off a trade, they did opt for the most-polished, versatile scorer in the draft by selecting Anthony Bennett with the top pick. The UNLV product has a soft touch on his jump shot and range that stretches beyond the arc, and he score facing opponents or with his back to the basket. In a draft full of question marks, Bennett’s offensive abilities are legit, and he will provide a massive upgrade to Cleveland’s frontcourt scoring. The Cavaliers followed by adding sharpshooter Sergey Karasev, and although the defense still needs work, Irving now has enough weapons to work with to take Cleveland back to the postseason.

5.      Phoenix Suns

Phoenix is in serious rebuilding mode, and they came away from the draft with three players that could either start or at least contribute heavy minutes down the road. The Suns used the No. 5 pick on center Alex Len, and although he has plenty of room to grow, he has the skill set to become the best all-around big man in this class. Phoenix followed by grabbing Archie Goodwin in a trade, and while the guard was a huge disappointment at Kentucky, he does possess elite-level athleticism that the Suns desperately need on the wing. The second-round grab of Alex Oriakhi was a solid move, as well. Oriakhi won’t be a star, but he is an excellent rebounder and will do the dirty work on both ends of the court.

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