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Top 5 Players From 2014 NBA Draft

By Carter Johnson

Mar 4, 2016; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Andrew Wiggins (22) drives for the basket against Milwaukee Bucks forward Jabari Parker (12) in the first quarter at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 4, 2016; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Andrew Wiggins (22) drives for the basket against Milwaukee Bucks forward Jabari Parker (12) in the first quarter at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 8, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (36) drives to the basket past Orlando Magic guard Elfrid Payton (4) during the fourth quarter at Amway Center. Orlando Magic defeated Boston Celtics 103-98. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 8, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (36) drives to the basket past Orlando Magic guard Elfrid Payton (4) during the fourth quarter at Amway Center. Orlando Magic defeated Boston Celtics 103-98. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /

Honorable Mentions

Rodney Hood, Utah Jazz (Rd. 1, Pick 23): After seeing limited playing time in his rookie year, former Duke forward Rodney Hood broke onto the scene last season as a reliable scoring threat at the 2-guard spot for the Utah Jazz.

Hood averaged 14.5 points per game in 79 starts in 2015-16, all while shooting at fairly efficient clips of 42 percent from the field, 35.9 percent from deep and 86.0 percent from the line. He also upped his rebounding and assist per game totals to 3.4 and 2.7, respectively.

Hood was a major player for a young and talented Jazz team that fell just short of the playoffs last year and should continue to play a large role as the team looks to make the leap to the postseason in 2017.

Elfrid Payton, Orlando Magic (Rd. 1, Pick 10): Not much has changed for Elfrid Payton since entering the league two years ago, as he went from being a complete unknown coming out of the University of Louisiana-Lafayette to being a relative unknown as the starting point guard of the middling Orlando Magic.

However, Payton has established himself as one of the league’s most multifaceted point guards in a short period of time.

Payton boasts career averages of 9.7 points, 6.5 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game through two seasons — stats that don’t begin to speak to his impact on both ends of the floor for the Magic.

He is statistically one of the best and most efficient facilitators in the league, ranking 12th in assists per game, 15th in assist to turnover ratio and 16th in assist percentage last season.

If he can continue to develop his outside shot (up to 32.6 from 26.2 in 2014-15), it won’t be long before he’s one of the league’s most versatile weapons at the point guard spot.

Marcus Smart, Boston Celtics (Rd. 1, Pick 6): Smart arguably could’ve went No. 1 overall had he decided to enter the 2013 NBA Draft, but ended up having a less-than-stellar sophomore year at Oklahoma State and sliding to the Boston Celtics at No. 6.

Since then, Smart has become one of the elite perimeter defenders on a contending team.

Smart was in the top 10 in steals per game among point guards with 1.5 a night and ranked seventh in defensive real plus-minus among point guards with a 0.72 rating.

His offensive game still needs some work, as his 9.1 points per game on 35.8 percent shooting from the field suggest, but his averages of 12.0 points a night on shooting splits of .367/.344/.810 from the postseason indicate that he can improve.

At the very least, Smart will continue to be one of the Celtics’ most reliable defenders in 2016-17.

Next: No. 5