Re-drafting the 2014 NBA Draft: Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic

Re-drafting the 2014 NBA Draft — 3. Zach LaVine

Zach LaVine has emerged as one of three perennial All-Stars from the 2014 draft. At the time, LaVine’s draft stock was rooted in his springboard athleticism. It took him a few years to put the pieces together, but he has since complemented his preternatural bounce with the skill and basketball I.Q. necessary to lead the charge for a playoff team.

Defense is LaVine’s greatest flaw — he has never been very good on that end. That limits his ceiling as a No. 1 option, but his efficient, high-volume shooting generally makes up for it. He can bury teams behind the 3-point line, or slice the defense to pieces with sharp drives to the rim (where he often finishes in very entertaining fashion).

The Sixers go from All-NBA to All-Star here, which is a mild bummer, but LaVine has substantially outperformed pre-draft expectations. He was always a magnetic athlete, but now, his skill set has caught up. He’s one of the best off-guards in the game.