Chicago Bulls: 5 biggest second round draft misses since 2014
Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. 2014, pick No. 41. Nikola Jokic. 73. Center. 4. player
Every team in the NBA has to be kicking itself at this point with the way the Denver Nuggets played in the playoffs so far. The Nuggets are guided by the efforts of the 2014 NBA Draft second round steal big man Nikola Jokic and former Kentucky Wildcats guard Jamal Murray during this elusive playoff run.
Denver is taking care of business thus far against the Portland Trail Blazers. If not for the 2014 NBA Draft, you’d have to say that the Nuggets wouldn’t be where the team sits at the moment. The Nuggets currently own a one-game series lead over the Trail Blazers heading back to Portland, OR, for Game Seven.
However, once again this pick qualifies as a bit of cheating as it pertains to the Chicago Bulls since Jokic was already off the board whenever it would’ve held a second round pick. The Bulls actual second round pick in the 2014 NBA Draft was used on the former New Mexico Lobos big man Cameron Bairstow at No. 49.
But no matter what happened with the Bulls actual pick in the 2014 NBA Draft in the second round, you can’t go without mentioning the steal that the Nuggets go with Jokic. As a bona fide star now, Jokic posted one of the NBA’s best player efficiency ratings this season above 26.0. He’s also helping the Nuggets through this spirited playoff run through the Western Conference.