February 13, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins guard/forward
Kyle Anderson(5) celebrates with forward
Travis Wear(24) and guard
Jordan Adams(3) after being fouled by the Colorado Buffaloes during the second half at Pauley Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
The NBA Draft is this Thursday and more than likely, three Bruins will be chosen in the first round. Jordan Adams, Kyle Anderson and Zach LaVine all declared for the draft after a successful 2013-14 UCLA basketball season that saw an out-right Pac-12 Tournament Championship, the Bruin’s first Sweet Sixteen since the 2007-08 season (the Bruins went to the Final Four that year) and several All-Pac-12 accolades, all while doing it in head coach Steve Alford‘s first year.
Adams, Anderson and LaVine are all very talented and have the skills that could play an important role with a team that potentially selects them. Several websites and talking heads alike all seem certain that these Bruins will not only be selected, but are sure they will be drafted in the first round.
Here is just a small sample of where some of the more well known sports outlets have these three former Bruins landing:
| NBA Mock Draft | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Adams | Kyle Anderson | Zach LaVine | |
| CBS Draft Machine | N/A | 19th, Chicago | 22nd, Memphis |
| Draft Express | 23rd, Utah | 25th, Houston | 15th, Atlanta |
| Chad Ford of ESPN | 29th, Oklahoma City | 30th, San Antonio | 15th, Atlanta |
| NBADraft.net | 27th, Phoenix | 17th Boston | 9th, Charlotte |
| Ed Isaacson of Rotoworld | 28th, LA Clippers | 21st, Oklahoma City | 26th, Miami |
| Yahoo! Sports | 24th, Charlotte | 17th, Boston | 18th, Phoenix |
Aside from the CBS Draft Machine, the majority of mock drafts have all three getting picked in the first round. No such luck for a lottery pick (except for NBADraft.net’s guess with LaVine) but still, being selected to play in the NBA is a dream these guys have had for a long time and to have the optimism from “experts” that this could be a reality is plenty reassuring.
More from UCLA Bruins Basketball
- UCLA Basketball: The case for the No. 1 2023 Recruiting Class
- UCLA Bruins News: Going to play in Spain, preseason honors and more
- College Basketball: Top Five 2023 Recruiting class rankings
- UCLA Basketball and Football: Westwood is the place to be for recruits
- UCLA Basketball: The Bruins arguably has the No. 1 2023 Recruiting Class
At this point, it depends on the needs of the teams in the Association. Adams is a fantastic scorer, so who will best benefit from a developing sharp-shooter? Anderson is a 6’9″ point guard that also lead the Bruins in rebounds (why he is not higher on some boards is unclear) but is also projected to be a late first round pick, which means there might be an opportunity for some of the better NBA teams to select him. LaVine is incredibly athletic but also needs time to develop, so what team is willing to invest in him? Aside from the unknown of who will be available for their selection, these ideas and more are being pondered by executives in every professional basketball organization. Better them than us.
So far it looks good for this trio and no matter where they go, they will all undoubtedly be great gets for some lucky team. Good luck, Bruins!
P.S. Good luck to Travis Wear And David Wear as well.
P.P.S. Enjoy…