The Cleveland Cavaliers selected Andrew Wiggins with the first pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, adding an NBA-ready scorer to a team that could use it.
2014 NBA Draft Results: Cleveland selects Andrew Wiggins with 1st pick
The one-and-done player out of Kansas is headed to the Cavs.
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NBA Draft
Long considered the top high school prospect in his class, the Ontario native joined Bill Self’s squad for a single season and averaged 17.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game in 2013-14. His season had its highs such as a 41-point, four-block, five-steal effort on March 8 against West Virginia, as well as lows, which included a four-point, 1-for-6 shooting performance in Kansas’ Round of 32 loss to Stanford.
Wiggins’ passiveness was both a product of his environment as well as his team-first attitude playing within Self’s offense. While there were some games where he faded into the background for stretches, Wiggins still had more than enough consistency to keep his stock high.
Along with college teammate Joel Embiid, the 6’8, 215-pound Wiggins arguably has the most upside in the draft. He has exceptional athleticism and length that make his defensive potential great, and he has the well-rounded tools to succeed offensively. He shot 45 percent from the field and 34 percent from three-point range, but did show his aggressiveness by getting to the foul stripe 6.5 times in the 33 minutes per game he averaged.
This looked like a battle between Jabari Parker and Joel Embiid, with the former's NBA readiness going up against the latter's injury history. Instead, Cleveland fills its small forward spot with a player who will likely replace free-agent-to-be Luol Deng. Wiggins also becomes the team's first small forward to appease a fan base that lost LeBron James to Miami -- not including Deng and his half-season stint with the Cavs, of course.
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