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Hayes: NBA draft often produces unexpected gems

THE THRILL of the NBA draft often lies more in the development of the known than of the unknown. That sounds counterintuitive, but think about it. Which players in recent draft history have supplied more unexpected results: The one-and-done talent mutants; or, the stay-in-school plodders who continue to blossom in college?

THE THRILL of the NBA draft often lies more in the development of the known than of the unknown.

That sounds counterintuitive, but think about it. Which players in recent draft history have supplied more unexpected results: The one-and-done talent mutants; or, the stay-in-school plodders who continue to blossom in college?

Was it more fulfilling to watch LeBron exit high school as the top pick of the 2003 draft and enter superstar orbit . . . or to watch Steph Curry go from three-year gunner at Davidson, drafted seventh in 2009, to a two-time MVP?

More to the point: Is it more fun to track 2014 one-and-done Andrew Wiggins, who went No. 1 to Cleveland before being deal to Minnesota . . . or Utah's No. 23 pick Rodney Hood, who was 21 and had played two college seasons?

Every year, the lottery gets all of the attention; it seems that most people sort of tune out after the top five picks.

Every year, gems emerge from the depths. Well, the relative depths; this isn't the baseball draft.

The nature of the NBA and the poor caliber of basketball played by most teams gives virtually every player who makes a roster the chance to find a role, fill it, then grow from there. The best scenarios involve places where players have a chance to be nurtured in a stable environment. That's what happened with Kawhi Leonard in San Antonio and Draymond Green in Golden State. Even in imperfect situations, most times the cream rises to the top.

When the cream has been sitting at the top for a few years in college and is spurned by the NBA brain trust, it's especially satisfying to witness. We're looking at you, Brice Johnson and DeAndre' Bembry. Consider the precedent.

The Nets took Duke senior All-America Mason Plumlee with the 22nd pick in 2013, when Anthony Bennett went No. 1. After four solid years at Michigan State, Green went 35th overall to the Warriors in 2012, after he watched Michael Kidd-Gilchrist go second overall. Green played in the All-Star Game this season.

So did Jimmy Butler, a three-year Marquette man who was the 30th pick in the 2011 draft; along with fellow 2011 sleepers Isaiah Thomas, the 60th and final pick after three years at Washington, and Leonard, taken 15th after starring at San Diego State for two seasons.

Meanwhile, Brandon Knight, taken eighth in 2011, is a 41.6 percent shooter and a turnover just waiting to happen.

This is not to say Cleveland should have taken Plumlee over Bennett, whose enticing talent was on display for a season at UNLV. And it's not certain that Knight and Kidd-Gilchrist won't mature into better players than they are today.

Still, in retrospect, the sleepers' value seems obvious. They generally were fine athletes who steadily improved and showed a tremendous work ethic and strong character - but then, there were plenty of players drafted who met those criteria, too.

This isn't a critique of the teams that passed on them. After all, for some, the teams that drafted them passed on them too; the Kings drafted Tyler Honeycutt 25 picks before they took Thomas.

Rather, this is just an observation that sometimes, the diamonds don't need to be so incredibly rough to be considered precious.

So, who will be this year's Butler, or Leonard, or Green?

The answers seems easier than usual.

The Clippers took Johnson, a 6-11 kangaroo out of North Carolina, with the 25th overall pick. This is particularly interesting in Philadelphia, where the Sixers drafted French track star Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot 24th.

Certainly, TLC could become a fine NBA player, and the Sixers need guards and shooters like the moon needs water. Still, Johnson, a senior, was the best player on a top college team that lost to Villanova in the NCAA title game this season and to Wisconsin, the eventual runner-up in 2015. Yes, the Sixers have three centers, but, God bless Jerami Grant, that's about all they have.

Earlier in the draft, the Atlanta Hawks took Bembry, Saint Joseph's do-everything perimeter player, with the 21st pick. This came after they secured the rights to Taurean Prince at No. 12. Prince, a senior out of Baylor, can shoot. Bembry, an excellent athlete, passer and defender, will improve. That's what he does.

As a freshman in 2014 he was the most talented player on a Hawks team that charged through the Atlantic 10 Tournament and went to the NCAA Tournament, where it lost in overtime. As a junior this year Bembry was the A-10's best player and pushed St. Joe's to the league tournament title.

It took him three years in college, but Bembry is ready for the NBA. He blew away scouts at predraft camps and workouts.

In three more years he could be a star.

Bembry is exactly the kind of player who causes all sorts of anxiety for general managers who invest in "upside" players like Jaylen Brown (third), Jamal Murray (seventh) and Denzel Valentine (14th).

Bembry is the kind of player who makes the NBA draft so entertaining.

@inkstainedretch