6. Joel Embiid: I like Embiid, but I'm not nearly as high on him as most draft experts. I also think there's a chance Julius Randle sneaks in that three spot when it's all said and done (by new commissioner Adam Silver this year for the first time). Embiid, however, is the draft's only true center. By definition, that puts him ahead of safer and more talented players.

7. Kyrie Irving: Though Irving would become worthy of a number one pick, he wasn't considered a knockout number one like any of the six players before him. Cleveland thought they were getting a solid, dependable point guard for the future. Instead, they get a spectacularly talented (more than anyone realized) but not exactly the team-oriented, dependable man they thought. Hurting Irving's status as an alpha number one pick was that he missed a good portion of his freshman season at Duke. He also wasn't believed to be in the same league athletically as previous number one guards Wall and Rose. We knew he'd be good, but Irving definitely exceeded expectations.

8. Demarcus Cousins: Cousins was selected after Evan Turner, Derrick Favors, and Wesley Johnson in the 2010 draft, but not because people doubted his abilities. They worried about his weight and his attitude. The former has been an issue at times, but it hasn't stopped him from out-producing everyone from the '10 draft besides Wall and Paul George.

9. Julius Randle: There's a good chance Randle becomes the second best professional out of Wiggins, Embiid, and Parker and that he'll one day be seen as the forgotten man of the '14 draft. Though not quite as big as Cousins, he's more athletic, has a better jump shot, and has a better work ethic. If I'm picking fourth in this year's draft, I'm still feeling good.

10. Evan Turner: He's in the tenth spot because I'm running out of guys (FYI: 2013 number one Anthony Bennet won't be in the top 15 and maybe not even the top 30) and he was considered mostly a sure thing coming out of Ohio State. But he wasn't quite athletic enough and it took him years to become even a serviceable NBA player. I feel bad for whichever NBA team has to pick tenth in this hypothetical draft.

11. Tyreke Evans: Considered something of an athletic freak coming out of Memphis, Evans went behind Hasheem Thabeet and James Harden in the Blake Griffin draft because he wasn't 7-foot-2 and wasn't as polished as Harden. In terms of potential, few would have been surprised if he emerged as the best of the three. For a season, it looked like he would. But then he regressed and Harden suddenly became one of the league's most intriguing players (his footwork from outside the three-point line and then on his finish is the most clever I've ever seen.)

12. Hasheem Thabeet: You didn't really know what Thabeet was going to become in the NBA, but you thought he'd at least be productive. Given his size, he seemed like a safe pick at number three. Today, he barely plays, while a slew of picks behind him (Curry, Harden, Rubio, and more) are thriving.

13. Nerlens Noel: There's something amazingly raw about Noel, maybe because he's one of the skinniest potential number one picks that have come around in a long time. Because of his college career ending injury, he dropped to number five (and didn't player this year). A precedent of successful Kentucky big men before him (Davis, Cousins) helps his case and builds his hype.

14. James Harden: I'll admit I wasn't high on Harden before the '09 draft and was retroactively upset that the Thunder didn't snap up Stephen Curry with the third pick following their respective first years in the league. But Harden must have impressed scouts in workouts to be taken over Curry, Evans, Ricky Rubio, and, well, even Jonny Flynn. Today, he and Curry are about as valuable to their teams.

Outside the lottery

15. Rick Rubio 16. Dante Exum 17. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist 18. Derrick Favors 19. Victor Oladipo 20. Bradley Beal 21. Derrick Williams 22. Stephen Curry 23. Enes Kanter 24. Jonny Flynn 25. Wesley Johnson 26. Kyle Anderson 27. Ben McLemore 28. Andre Drummond 29. Jonas Valanciunas 30. Anthony Bennet

For Part One...