2014 NBA Redraft: A tale of two big men and two missed picks

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#28 Pick: Shabazz Napier (Originally: C.J. Wilcox)

I joked earlier about the Napier pick for the Heat, but that was in the context of Miami making a desperation play. That was not an issue with Shabazz Napier though. He has been a solid reserve guard for at least the three seasons and would have provided more value for the Clippers than Wilcox did.

Napier has scored 8.7 points, 9.4 points and 10.3 points per game over the last three seasons, growing as a scorer as he gets increased opportunity. Most importantly, his efficiency has improved as he gets more minutes, showing that he can be reliable and should have a place in this league for years.

The biggest hurdle at this point in the draft — that is noted over the myriad of redrafts that have been going on — is finding someone who is still in the league this late in the draft, let alone contributing at any level.

Napier is steadily improving, which some may have not expected as an undersized guard who was already going to be 23 years old when his rookie season started. Napier has made the most of his opportunity and it’s great to see.

With the twenty-ninth pick in the 2014 NBA Redraft, the Oklahoma City Thunder select…

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