The 2013 NBA draft got a bad rap coming out of the gate, albeit one that was somewhat deserved.
Anthony Bennett, the No. 1 pick, struggled mightily in his debut with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Nerlens Noel didn't even suit up for the Philadelphia 76ers on account of a torn ACL he suffered as a freshman at Kentucky. The Rookie of the Year race came down to three shaky point guards on bad teams, two of whom missed significant time due to injury.
All of that (and more) colored what proved to be an unflattering picture of last season's first-years.
But, to paraphrase the late, great Al McGuire, the best thing about rookies is that they become sophomores. This year's group is no different, with most of the notable names from last year's crop making sizable strides toward the dependable pros they're likely to become.
Of course, not everyone has taken a second-year step. Some have pretty much held steady since Year 1. A few have slipped.
For the most part, though, the Class of 2013 is on the up-and-up. Let's take a moment to check in with some of the top prospects and gauge whether they've gotten better, gotten worse or held steady ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by Josh Martin
Stock Up, Stock Down for the Maligned 2013 NBA Draft Class
December 16th, 2014 by Josh Martin Leave a reply »
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