National Basketball Association

Top 5 Players From 2013 NBA Draft

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The 2013 NBA Draft was a rather forgettable one, with no clear top pick and no identifiable star caliber prospects. Here’s a look at who rose to the top of the class three years later.

Apr 1, 2016; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) drives for the basket as Orlando Magic guard Victor Oladipo (5) defends during the first quarter at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

The 2013 NBA Draft will go down as one of the most confusing, topsy-turvy, and overall worst drafts in league history.

With the player assumed to be the consensus top pick in Kentucky center Nerlens Noel going down to a torn ACL in his only collegiate season, multiple options came into consideration for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Some believed they would still take Noel, while others projected that they would either select athletic Indiana guard Victor Oladipo or versatile UNLV forward Anthony Bennett with the No. 1 selection.

Unfortunately for the Cavs, they went with the latter — who ended up being a total bust, averaging 4.2 points a game in 12 minutes of action while not getting one start. He was traded the next season to the Minnesota Timberwolves as a part of the Kevin Love deal and has struggled to stay afloat in the NBA ever since, becoming the first No. 1 overall pick ever to play a game in the D-League last season with the Toronto Raptors’ Raptors 905 affiliate.

The rest of the 2013 draft class is one big mess, with several lottery picks having floundered or failed to become anything other than decent role players. Some mid-to-late first round picks, however, have blossomed into budding stars and solid starters.

With three years having passed for one of the more mediocre draft classes in recent memory, here’s a look at who managed to make a name for themselves from the Class of 2013.

Feb 26, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Nerlens Noel (4) rebounds against the Washington Wizards during the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Honorable Mention

Steven Adams, Oklahoma City Thunder (Rd. 1, No. 12): An unknown going into the 2013 NBA Draft, Steven Adams has carved out a reputation as a rim protector, bruiser and competitor at the center position in three short years.

Adams had his best year for the Thunder last season as their full-time starting center, averaging 8.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 80 starts during the regular season.

However, he emerged as a serious contributor on the offensive end in the 2016 playoffs, posting a near double-double with 10.1 points and 9.5 rebounds a night in 18 contests to help his team go all the way to Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals.

With Kevin Durant gone, Adams may become a secondary scoring option for the Thunder as he is already a favorite target of star point guard Russell Westbrook in the pick and roll. If that is the case, the New Zealander should build upon his stellar performance in the playoffs and blossom into a dominant center on both ends of the floor.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Detroit Pistons (Rd. 1, No. 8): Georgia’s not known for being a basketball school outside of producing future Hall of Famer in Dominique Wilkins, but they turned out a pretty good one in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

KCP has developed into a solid two-way player under Stan Van Gundy’s guidance in the Motor City and helped the Detroit Pistons end their playoff drought last season, averaging 14.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.4 steals in his second season as a starter. In his third season, he posted a career-high in field goal percentage (42.0 percent) despite averaging a career-worst 30.9 three-point percentage. His steals per game were the seventh highest among 2-guards last season.

After getting off to a rough start, Pope is slowly but surely carving out a niche on a Pistons team on the rise.

Nerlens Noel, Philadelphia 76ers (Rd. 1, No. 6): Lost in the frontcourt-crowding debacle that was Sam Hinkie’s “Process” has been the solid play and development of Nerlens Noel.

After missing out on his rookie season while recovering from a torn ACL, Noel put together a solid season in 2015-16, averaging 11.1 points, 8.1 boards, 1.8 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.5 blocks a night — albeit for a 10-win team in the Philadelphia 76ers.

Noel is developing a unique versatility at the power forward spot on top of being the Sixers’ best defender by far. Unfortunately, that may not protect him from being the odd man out in a frontcourt that now includes him, Joel Embiid, Jahlil Okafor, Ben Simmons and Dario Saric.

Whether he remains in Philadelphia or finds a new home, Noel will continue to develop as a multifaceted big in the NBA.

Mar 10, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Atlanta Hawks point guard Dennis Schroder (17) during their game against the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre. The Raptors beat the Hawks 104-96. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

5. Dennis Schroder, Atlanta Hawks

2013 Draft Selection: Round 1, No. 17 (ATL)

2015-16 Stats: 11.0 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 4.4 APG, 0.9 SPG

Accolades: N/A

Not many people thought much of the Atlanta Hawks‘ selection of German point guard Dennis Schroder at No. 17 in the 2013 NBA Draft. His passing and defensive abilities had drawn him some comparisons to Rajon Rondo, but he was a very raw prospect, seeing limited minutes in his rookie season and spending a portion of it in the D-League with the Bakersfield Jam.

Since then, Schroder has risen through the ranks in Atlanta and played valuable minutes as the team’s sixth man over the better part of the last two seasons.

Schroder was arguably the team’s best facilitator last season, ranking 10th in the league with a 36.1 assist percentage and ninth with 10.3 assists per 48 minutes. However, like Rondo, his craftiness and basketball IQ allow him to be a serious factor in all facets of the offense when he wants to be, as evidenced by this fantastic performance against the Milwaukee Bucks:

He was arguably more crucial to the team’s success than starting point guard Jeff Teague, having a win shares percentage of 3.70 to Teague’s 3.53, which is why it was easy for Mike Budenholzer and company to move on from Teague.

Now that he’s finally getting a chance to run the show for the Hawks, Schroder’s pass-first style of play should only enhance an offense predicated on ball movement and floor spacing. Look for Schroder to only continue to improve and make his mark as one of the best players to come out of the 2013 draft class next season.

Jan 27, 2016; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Tyler Hansbrough (50) defends against Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) during the first half at Vivint Smart Home Arena. The Jazz won 102-73. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

4. Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz

2013 Draft Selection: Round 1, No. 27 (DEN)

2015-16 Stats: 9.1 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 1.5 APG, 2.2 BPG

Accolades: N/A

Coming to the league out of France in 2013, Rudy Gobert slipped to the bottom of the first round before being nabbed by the Utah Jazz with the 27th pick as a part of a trade with the Denver Nuggets.

Three years later, the Frenchman has developed into one of the league’s most talented young bigs under the radar.

Gobert is a monstrous rebounder and rim protector, with his 11 rebounds a night tying him for sixth in the league and his 2.2 blocks a game ranking third behind notorious shot-stuffers Hassan Whiteside and DeAndre Jordan.

Gobert also finished in the top 40 leaguewide in double-doubles, posting 20 on the season.

Gobert rose from the bottom of Utah’s rotation after the team hired Quin Snyder as its head coach before the the start of the 2014-15 season. He’s now the defensive anchor on a Jazz squad that’s developed into a playoff-caliber team unbeknownst to the casual NBA fan outside of Salt Lake City.

This team is ready to make the leap back to the postseason in 2017, and Gobert will be an essential part of that effort.

Dec 26, 2014; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic guard Victor Oladipo (5) reacts after he dunked over Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (not pictured) during the second half at Amway Center. Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Orlando Magic 98-89. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

3. Victor Oladipo, Oklahoma City Thunder

2013 Draft Selection: Round 1, No. 2 (ORL)

2015-16 Stats: 16.0 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 3.9 APG, 1.6 SPG

Accolades: All-Rookie First Team (2014)

Victor Oladipo entered the 2013 NBA Draft as arguably the best player in the class, coming off of a junior year at Indiana where he averaged 13.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.2 steals a game while leading the Hoosiers to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament.

Vic went second to the Orlando Magic and had a rather productive rookie season there with a stat line of 13.8 points, 4.1 boards, 4.1 assists and 1.6 steals a night. He expanded upon that with a breakout year in his sophomore campaign, posting a career-high 17.9 points and 1.7 steals a game with 4.2 boards and 4.1 assists a night.

Unfortunately, his tenure with the Magic soured after Scott Skiles took the reins prior to last season.

Oladipo was demoted to the sixth man role and struggled to have the same impact, averaging 12.1 points per game on subpar shooting percentages of .392/.271/.814. This caused him to have a lackluster season in his third year, which led to him being dealt to the Oklahoma City Thunder for a veteran contributor in Serge Ibaka.

While no one wants to go from being a franchise player to being traded just three years later, the trade may turn out to be a blessing in disguise for Oladipo.

Oladipo now pairs with explosive floor general Russell Westbrook to form one of the most athletic backcourts in recent memory and will undoubtedly benefit from the attention he commands from defenses. He’ll likely serve as a secondary scoring option and facilitator when Westbrook heads to the bench for some rest.

Both players are also fantastic perimeter defenders and will undoubtedly give opponents headaches on that end as well.

Oladipo will be given all the playing time and responsibility he can handle in Oklahoma City and can be expected to have a resurgent year in Loud City.

Mar 26, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum (3) shows his muscles after making the winning basket over the Philadelphia 76ers at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports

2. C.J. McCollum, Portland Trail Blazers

2013 Draft Selection: Round 1, No. 10 (POR)

2015-16 Stats: 20.8 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 4.3 APG, 1.2 SPG

Accolades: NBA Most Improved Player (2016)

Am I the only one who didn’t even remember that C.J. McCollum was a lottery pick in 2013?

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It’s not that he wasn’t good enough; he had a stellar career at mid-major Lehigh University, leading the school to an upset over the mighty Duke Blue Devils in the 2012 NCAA Tournament and putting up 23.9 points per game on a ridiculous 51.3 percentage from deep while becoming his conference’s all-time leading scorer.

But for all those accomplishments, McCollum struggled to overcome the mid-major stigma in his first few years in the league.

On a competitive Portland Trail Blazers squad, McCollum saw minimal minutes in his first two seasons, averaging 6.1 points in 14.1 minutes per game to start his career. He was struggling to carve out a role in a loaded rotation.

And then, everything changed overnight.

The Blazers lost four of their five starters during the summer of 2015 and McCollum went from a benchwarmer to a starter in the backcourt alongside All-Star point guard Damian Lillard.

In order for the Blazers to compete in 2015-16, McCollum among others would have to exceed expectations. The third year guard answered the bell, doing that and then some.

McCollum raised his scoring average by a whopping 14 points a night and was one of the league’s most efficient scorers, posting shooting splits of .448/.417/.827. He paired with Lillard to form the deadliest backcourt outside of the Bay Area and lead a Blazers team that was completely written off to the playoffs, where they upset the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round before bowing out to the Warriors in six games.

McCollum’s dramatic leap from fringe role player to star guard caught the attention of fans and critics everywhere and earned him a runaway victory in the league’s Most Improved Player award race. Fortunately, this effort came in a contract year for the young guard and the organization rewarded him with a four-year, $106 million extension to keep their elite backcourt together for the long haul.

Now McCollum faces All-Star level expectations and the pressure to build upon the remarkable season he had last year — a goal that he’s more than capable of achieving.

Apr 1, 2016; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) during the game against the Orlando Magic at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Milwaukee won 113-110. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

1. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

2013 Draft Selection: Round 1, No. 15 (MIL)

2015-16 Stats: 16.9 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 4.3 APG, 1.4 BPG, 1.2 SPG

Accolades: N/A

As you’ve probably gathered by now, the 2013 NBA Draft class is filled with players who entered the draft as unknowns and quickly made a name for themselves through their play. Nobody in this class has done that better than Giannis Antetokounmpo.