The 2013 NBA Draft was one huge disaster. The teams at the top all flopped on their selections, and it gave the draft class a bad reputation. But as we look back on the 2013 class, there are some big names available.
There are very good players in this draft—All-Stars and a couple of All-NBA talents, oh and a MVP and generational talent who is already a Hall of Famer at just 25 years old.
1. Cleveland Cavaliers Select Giannis Antetokounmpo
The original selection made by the Cavaliers was Anthony Bennett, the biggest bust the league has ever seen. Bennett played just one season with the Cavs, averaging 4.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, and shot just 35% from the field.
This time around we are going to save the Cavaliers from a generational mistake and have them select Giannis Antetokounmpo. To be fair, nobody saw Antetokounmpo becoming the player he is today. He was a raw skinny kid out of Greece that nobody saw play. The Bucks took a flyer on him with the 15th pick and it paid off.
In this hypothetical redraft, there is no doubt that Antetokounmpo is the first selection. The Greek Freak already has a league MVP under his belt, and is likely going to win another this season. Not to mention he is also the favorite to win Defensive Player of The Year as well. It gets scary when you consider he’s 25 years old, averaging 29.6 points, 13.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks and still getting better. The league better hope he doesn’t develop a consistent jump shot.
Had the Cavs drafted Antetokounmpo, he would have joined Kyrie Irving as building blocks, before Lebron James returned the year after with Kevin Love. Talk about changing the outcome of history.
2. Orlando Magic Select Rudy Gobert
The Orlando Magic were one of the few teams in the lottery that made a good selection. Originally they selected Victor Oladipo here with the 2nd pick. Oladipo has proven to be a very good talent that can win you games.
However the clear selection here is the 7 footer from France, Rudy Gobert. Gobert has been one of the most intimidating and productive interior defenders of the last decade. He is a two-time Defensive Player of the Year, three-time All-Defensive first-teamer and two-time All-NBA honoree. He has been the anchor of the Utah defense which constantly ranks atop the league.
Gobert leads the 2013 class in total blocks and rebounds by significant margins, and outside of Antetokounmpo, owns the most awards.
As for the fit with Orlando, they needed Gobert. The Magic have struggled to find that paint protector since Howard left. Gobert would have been the perfect replacement
3. Washington Wizards Select Steven Adams
The Washington Wizards originally selected Otto Porter with the 3rd pick and I can’t kill it, but it wasn’t a W either. Porter fit nicely alongside John Wall and Bradley Beal, but there are better talents on the board, who would also fit alongside the duo. Guys like C.J McCollum and Victor Oladipo are still on the board but I’m going in another direction.
This was a tough decision to pass on McCollum and Oladipo for Steven Adams but I feel like it is the best fit. Adams is a very good player, but is he top 3 pick good? Normally I would say no, but when you combine a weak draft class, plus team need, he goes 3rd.
With Wall and Beal doing the scoring and playmaking, Adams can thrive at doing what he does best, rebounding and scoring off the pick and roll. Just see how Adams played with Westbrook, that is the blueprint for success for an Adams-Wall-Beal trio.
Adams would prove to be a defensive anchor for a team that has struggled on that side of the ball for years now.
4. Charlotte Bobcats Select CJ McCollum
The Bobcats originally selected Cody Zeller with this pick, so you see the reason for fixing their mistake. With Kemba Walker already in place, there are two options to pair him with: CJ McCollum or Victor Oladipo.
Because we know McCollum can thrive next to an offensive minded point guard and he’s been more consistent, he lands here at the 4th spot. McCollum would play the same role next to Walker as he does with Damian Lillard. Creating his own shot, scoring off screens, and occasionally creating for others, McCollum would be a well needed second option for a weak offensive team.
5. Phoenix Suns Select Victor Oladipo
There is a case to be made that Victor Oladipo is the second most talented player in this draft. His athleticism, play making, defensive ability and scoring are all plus. He has had a higher single season peak than McCollum and Adams, but his consistency has wavered from time to time.
But his single season peak in 2017-18 was phenomenal. He posted 23.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists while leading the league in steals, and earning an All-Defensive first team, and an All-NBA third-team nod.
The Suns at the time were lost. It was the years between Steve Nash and Devin Booker, where the best player was Goran Dragic. The fan base needed a talent they could get excited about and Oladipo fits that need.
6. New Orleans Hornets Select Robert Covington
Remember I stated that this draft class lacked depth, well we have officially hit peak role player selections at just the 6th pick.
That isn’t a shot at Robert Covington because he is a hell of a 3 and D player that works in any system, but when selecting 6th overall, you are hoping for an all star level player. Nonetheless, Covington has carved out a nice NBA career thus far and I expect he would be just fine in New Orleans.
At the time the Hornets, now Pelicans, had young talent like Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday but were not ready to compete yet. Covington would fit the defensive mindset of defense, and would grow into a needed 3 and D player that New Orleans had been seeking and overpaying for years.
7. Sacramento Kings Select Otto Porter
Otto Porter had a very good start to his career in Washington, which can be seen with the massive pay day he got. Since then he hasn’t lived up to expectations. But his salary shouldn’t be a reason to overlook the good he can provide.
Porter is similar to Covington in the fact that he can shoot the deep ball, and defend the wing. Porter is a career 40.4 percent three-point shooter, a key ability to have in the game today.
The main flaw in Porter’s game is his durability. He played 37 games as a rookie, 56 in 2018-19 and only 14 this season. Persistent hip issues and this year’s foot injury don’t bode well for his long-term durability.
When he’s healthy, he’s far and away the best wing left on the board, something the Kings needed at the time.
8. Detroit Pistons Select Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Ironically enough this is the exact move the Pistons made on draft night 2013. While things didn’t turn out as planned, KCP was good enough to not be labeled a bust, but never good enough to break the ceiling of a role player.
The Pistons were in desperate need for a wing defender and shooter. KCP does both well, as he ranks third in the class in made threes and steals.
His durability is also a strong part of his game, playing 80 or more games three times and never finishing any of his seven full seasons with more than eight missed games. And that includes him balling out with a house arrest monitor on his ankle.
9. Minnesota Timberwolves Select Dennis Schroder
The Timberwolves originally took guard Trey Burke with this selection and safe to say that was a fail. This time around we get them that guard they were looking for, drafting them Dennis Schroder.
Schroder has the fourth-highest career scoring total and leads all 2013 picks in assists. He has proved he can be a combo guard, shifting on and off ball when needed. His ability to either star or come off the bench has been proven as well. His defense holds him back from being higher on the list but he is a solid pick here at 9, considering the rest of the class.
10. Portland Trail Blazers Select Tim Hardaway Jr.
Honestly without his insanely productive 2019-2020 campaign, Tim Hardaway Jr. is likely somewhere in the teens. He has transformed from an inefficient volume shooter to a respectable wing defender who can still get buckets efficiently. His efficient play alongside Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis showed that he can be relied on in the right system.
Is his career year a fluke or can it be sustained? Not sure yet but his massive development from last season to now can not be overlooked. With not much talent remaining, it is worth taking the chance on Hardaway to round out the top 10.
