The next wave of talent entered the NBA on Thursday, June 27th via the NBA draft. There was plenty of uncertainty about who would go where, but no one could have predicted how this year’s draft turned out, starting with the 1st pick of the night.
With the number one overall pick, the Cleveland Cavaliers shocked the world and selected Anthony Bennett out of UNLV. Bennett’s selection was by far the big surprise of the draft, as many experts predicted the Cavaliers taking Nerlens Noel out of Kentucky or Alex Len out of Maryland. But neither were the man who Cleveland was looking for, as the Cavs went in another direction completely with the selection of Bennett.
With the second overall pick, the Orlando Magic selected Victor Oladipo out of Indiana. With the third overall pick, the Washington Wizards selected Otto Porter Jr. out of Georgetown. The pickups of Oladipo and Porter were big for the Magic and the Wizards, as these two draftees were considered two of the more NBA ready players out of this year’s class.
The two men that got the most talk about being picked number one, Noel and Len, fell further than anticipated. Alex Len was selected fifth overall by the Phoenix Suns, while Noel fell to sixth overall when he was drafted by the New Orleans Pelicans. Noel will not start his career off in New Orleans, however, because he was soon traded to the Philadelphia 76ers.
For a full recap of the entire draft, visit ESPN.com.
