Nerlens Noel & Michael Carter-Williams Represent Positives For 76ers In 2013

Expectations aren't to high for the Philadelphia 76ers this season but that’s a good thing for their 2 new young pieces in Nerlens Noel and Michael Carter-Williams. In a year that will be looked at as a throw away year in Philly will be a time for Carter-Williams and Noel to gain valuable experience and learn to play at the NBA level. Both are 1 and and done players and are coming into the league solid in some areas but still need to polish up on a lot of other things.

Nerlens Noel played just over 20 games at Kentucky before tearing his ACL. In that span of time he collected 106 blocks and was threatening to break Anthony Davis school record of 186 set the year before him. Noel due to injury slipped from going 1^st in the draft all the way down to 6^th and was drafted by the Pelicans. Not to long after being drafted he was later traded to the Sixers for all-star point guard Jrue Holiday. On a very thin Sixers roster Noel will get playing time and brings the uncanny ability to block shots and be a rim protector. At the NBA level guys are a lot bigger,stronger and faster so it will be interesting to see how Noel performs in his 1^st year. “I'm going to make them pay” said a confident Nerlens Noel about the 5 teams who passed on him because of his injury. We will have to wait till about December to see if he holds true to his word as he continues to recover from his ACL injury.

The Sixers traded Jrue Holiday because they because it was time to rebuild and they believe in the talent of Michael Carter-Williams. At 6'6 Carter-Williams already has an advantage over most guards in the size department and posses the ability to do a lot of things well such as rebounding where he averaged 4.9 rebounds per game last season at Syracuse. Carter-Williams in terms of skill set has a lot of things to like such as his ability to post up pretty much any point guard he wants. Another things is his ability to switch on pick and rolls onto bigger players. If he keeps the right attitude MCW could be a solid help defender he has all the tools. His biggest weakness is his ability to shoot the basketball efficiently last season in college he shot 39% form the the field and 29% behind the 3 point line. Once he get a reliable Jump shot the sky is the limit for this guy.

So the Sixers will be bottom feeders this year in the association but thats not a bad thing. Getting these guys minutes without the pressure or expectation of winning this year is a good thing. The 76ers will lose a lot of games but being horrible this year my land them Andrew Wiggins or Jabari Parker then before you know it you have a nice young solid foundation of good young players.

Kyrie Irving And Cavs Are Building A Team In Cleveland

The NBA draft lottery is all about luck some teams have and some teams don't. The Cleveland Cavaliers franchise seems to have it they landed Lebron James with the #1 pick in 2003 and the same with Kyrie Irving in 2011. This year they won the lottery again for the 1^st overall pick and will likely take Kentucky defensive standout Nerlens Noel to add to the young core players of the Cavs. With a franchise player in Irving and young guns like Dion Waiters, Alonzo Gee, Tristian Thompson and Tyler Zeller things seem to be moving in the right direction in Cleveland. Check out my video below speaking on the current direction the Cavaliers are heading in.

Best fits in 2013 NBA Draft

The NBA Draft is about 1 month away, The lottery is this tuesday and teams are interviewing Draft Prospects and from there will evaluate who they feel fits their team best. Well that’s what this post is about I'm putting my GM hat on today and I'm going to give you guys who I feel fits best from this draft class with certain teams.

Nerlens Noel: Orlando Magic

While I feel like he would be a great fit for the Bobcats, Noel would probably fit in better with the Magic. The reason I say this because He is freakishly athletic and has uncanny timing when it comes to blocking shots. If you look at the few teams left in the playoffs such as the Pacers and Grizzlies they have very solid front courts and makes up the backbone and foundation of their teams. If the Magic Decide to take Noel they will have a front court tandem of Nikola Vucevic and Nerlens Noel which will pose many problems for teams on the defensive side of the ball both are incredibly lengthy and will change many shots at the rim. Vucevic has shown the ability to rebound the basketball averaging 12 rebounds a game this year as well as posting a few 20 rebounds a game. The Magic ranked just outside the top 10 in rebounding this year and we all know how important rebounding is in the NBA, If Noel is the pick for the Magic then they should shoot up into the top 10 easily. Draft Noel and you have a solid foundation in Orlando.

Ben Mclemore: Charlotte Bobcats

The Bobcats have a lot of needs to be addressed this season and as we know the NBA is a guard oriented league in this day in age. Charlotte has a great Point Guard in Kemba Walker but don't have that guy that’s going to elevate him at the 2 spot. Ben Mclemore if chosen by Charlotte would make the Bobcats Backcourt the strongest part of its team. I feel like his game would compliments Kemba Walkers very well with his perimeter shooting and athleticism plus the upside for him is pretty high considering he is still in his teens. The Kansas freshman will make an immediate impact for Charlotte spreading the floor for guys Like Kemba and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and make their lives a whole lot easier. I talked about foundation for the Magic well the foundation will be built as well if there is a Kemba Walker/Ben Mclemore backcourt.

Anthony Bennett: Detroit Pistons

The Pistons already have solid front court with Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond but the the team lacks anybody who is multi dimensional the kind of guy you can use in many different Lineup combos. There really isn't anybody who gives them that kind of flexibility. Look at The roster and you will see there is no long term answer at Small forward, Look at the draft and you will see that Anthony Bennett who is a tweener can help the Pistons in a variety of ways. In only 1 season at UNLV Bennett proved to excel in many facets of the game averaging 16 Points per game, 8 rebounds, 1 steal shooting 53% from the field as well as 37% from the perimeter. He has a vast skill set and some upside, he has shown the ability to handle the basketball and continues to develop in so many areas of the Game I feel like the Pistons cant go wrong with this pick. If you have never seen Bennett play but want to know which NBA player scouts compare him to It's Larry Johnson, just some food for thought.

Shabazz Muhammed: Washington Wizards

The Wizards were one very Injured team last year John Wall and Nene both missed substantial time but when Healthy the Wizards proved they could play with anybody beating the likes of the Heat and Thunder. The Wizards have out together a nice team with additions of guys like Nene, Okafor, Beal but still don't have a definite scorer at the small forward position. Shabazz Muhammed out of UCLA would be the perfect fit for the Wizards he would provide instant offense for a team that 22^nd in scoring. Then You look at what you have if you draft Shabazz you have young Nucleus of John Wall, Bradley Beal and Shabazz Muhammed. That’s something to be excited about if your a fan of the Wizards.

Tim Hardaway Jr.:Minnesota Timberwolves

Kevin Love has begun to express already with two years left on his contract that the Timberwolves need to show him that there is a plan in place to win or else he will leave. This team has legit no shooting guard so If you want to show love your serious draft Tim Hardaway Jr. The Timberwolves roster for all intensive purposes is a collection of stiffs no athletes on the roster what so ever. This team needs athletes so if available drafting Hardaway is a must.

The draft is very thin this year but if these players land in these destinations then they should be fine.