Ethan Teo – The Stanford Daily https://stanforddaily.com Breaking news from the Farm since 1892 Tue, 12 Jul 2016 05:11:40 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://stanforddaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/cropped-DailyIcon-CardinalRed.png?w=32 Ethan Teo – The Stanford Daily https://stanforddaily.com 32 32 204779320 Undergrad antibiotic treatment startup receives grant https://stanforddaily.com/2016/07/12/undergrad-antibiotic-treatment-startup-receives-grant/ https://stanforddaily.com/2016/07/12/undergrad-antibiotic-treatment-startup-receives-grant/#respond Tue, 12 Jul 2016 08:00:45 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1116352 Four undergraduate students looking to develop antibiotic treatments to multidrug-resistant bacteria recently received a $10,000 grant from Stanford’s Chemistry, Engineering & Medicine for Human Health (ChEM-H) department for their biotechnology startup.

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(LINDA CICERO/Stanford News)
(LINDA CICERO/Stanford News)

Four undergraduate students looking to develop antibiotic treatments to multidrug-resistant bacteria recently received a $10,000 grant from Stanford’s chemistry, engineering & medicine for human health (ChEM-H) department for their biotechnology startup.

The students involved in the startup, Christian Choe ’17, Maria Filsinger Interrante ’17, Zach Rosenthal ’17 and Catherynn Vuong ’16, met through a ChEM-H entrepreneurship research program led by chemistry and chemical engineering professor Chaitan Khosla. Khosla introduced the program during CHEM 181: “Biochemistry I,” which all four students were taking at the start of the academic year. The program, which was new as of the last academic year, seeks to continue offering mentorship and resources to students interested in biotechnological entrepreneurship.

“We thought it would be interesting to help students see the context of what they learn in a real world setting,” Khosla said.

The students were eager to take advantage of the unique opportunity to understand biotechnology in an entrepreneurial setting.

“At Stanford, there’s certainly a startup culture,” Rosenthal said. “But when it comes to the biosciences, it seems like that was lacking. I love the entrepreneurial attitude at Stanford, and I certainly have a passion for the sciences and have some experience with lab work, so it just seemed like a great opportunity.”

With an increase in antibiotic use, variations and mutations in bacteria have evolved to become resistant to those antibiotics already available. Researchers recently encountered the first individual to carry the bacteria impervious to colistin, the so-called “last resort” antibiotic.

“The reason why I was interested in antibiotics was that it was a big unmet medical need,” Choe said. “Big pharmaceutical companies aren’t really interested in pursuing the development of antibiotics because it’s not as profitable and also because bacteria is developing relatively quickly.”

The team has been putting together a plan to study Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii, both of which are bacteria with strong resistance to antibiotics.

Starting out with more low-risk bacteria, the team is testing their antibiotic against E. coli this summer. If proved successful, the group will be testing resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii with their antibiotic proteins.

“I would say we’re in preliminary testing,” Interrante said. “We have the proteins that we want to work with, and we’re starting to see how they work. We haven’t demonstrated our final result yet; we want to, and we’re definitely making progress towards that.”

Although the team has a lot of work left to do, they are optimistic about the future, especially given the qualities that each individual brings to the table.

“I think that every one of us provides something that we are ungodly good at,” Rosenthal said. “We each make unique contributions to the team. All four of us aren’t the same, and that’s good because it provides some intellectual diversity.”

 

Contact Ethan Teo at ethanteo99 ‘at’ gmail.com and Nicole Chen at 19nicolec ‘at’ students.harker.org.

 

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Alumni launch $5 million fund to support black entrepreneurship in tech https://stanforddaily.com/2016/06/30/alumni-launch-5-million-fund-to-support-black-entrepreneurship-in-tech/ https://stanforddaily.com/2016/06/30/alumni-launch-5-million-fund-to-support-black-entrepreneurship-in-tech/#respond Fri, 01 Jul 2016 05:20:06 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1116233 Seven black alumni announced the creation of the $5 million Black Angel Technology Investment Fund (BATIF), which aims to combat the lack of diverse leadership in Silicon Valley’s tech industry. BATIF will support startups with at least one black co-founder who either attends or has graduated from Stanford.

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(ETHAN TEO/The Stanford Daily)
(ETHAN TEO/The Stanford Daily)

Seven black alumni announced the creation of the $5 million Black Angel Technology Investment Fund (BATIF), which aims to combat the lack of diverse leadership in Silicon Valley’s tech industry. BATIF will support startups with at least one black co-founder who either attends or has graduated from Stanford.

BATIF funds this specific group of people in order to encourage workspaces in which diversity can thrive. By many measures, diversity in tech remains elusive; one investigationfound that among leaders in tech companies based in the Silicon Valley, only 1.5 percent were black. Hispanics and Asians were not far ahead with 4.5 percent and 11.5 percent, respectively, while 82.5 percent of leadership positions were held by whites.

“The reason why … we’re also taking more of an aggressive approach around providing the resources around the people we decide to fund, is that this problem is big,” said Myisha Patterson-Gatson ’03, one of BATIF’s founders.

BATIF’s conceptualization began in the summer of 2015 at a Stanford Black Alumni Association summit in Atlanta. Managing partners Obi Ugwonali ’94, Marc Mitchell ’99 and Kwame Anku ’94 participated in a panel discussion about black involvement in Silicon Valley technology that made them realize this involvement was too small.

“We actually went up to the stage and announced, ‘look, we’re going to be starting a technology fund, is anybody interested?’” Ugwonali said. “Immediately, over 80 people responded and said yes. At that point, we realized that there was an interest in this kind of fund.”

The three panel participants teamed up with four other black Stanford alums — Gatson, Ronald Berry ’94, Dana Weeks Ugwonali ’94 and Ayanna Wooten-Days ’99 — to immediately begin establishing the fund, spurred by the belief that lack of diversity limits innovation.

“We tend to work with people that we know, that we’re comfortable with and that we’ve seen results from,” Ugwonali said. “We want to prove that [that model] may also be missing a lot of other technological juggernauts by only looking at technological problems from the perspective of a few groups of people.”

In an attempt to improve the success rate of startups led by black entrepreneurs, the BATIF founders will draw on their personal experiences to offer mentorship to companies they intend to fund.

The support and positive feedback that BATIF has received from its start has made its leaders confident of their project.

Two other investment funds with a similar intent to increase diversity, Groundwork and 500 Startups, launched the same week as BATIF. Anku believes that this is no coincidence.

“It was really powerful, that literally three funds dedicated specifically to black tech entrepreneurs were all announced this week,” Anku said. “I think it also signals a movement, and a shift. There’s been a lot of talk and frustration about the lack of diversity in the Silicon Valley.”

BATIF intends to collaborate rather than compete with these funds.

“It strengthens us to be connected to other funds that are doing this work,” Gatson said. “We can grow a broader network of folks in the technology and innovation economy that are committed to solving this problem.”

Contact Ethan Teo at ethanteo99 ‘at’ gmail.com and Kathleen Cui at kathleencui9 ‘at’ gmail.com.

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Stanford commit Ledecky shines at World Championships https://stanforddaily.com/2015/08/12/stanford-commit-ledecky-shines-at-world-championships/ https://stanforddaily.com/2015/08/12/stanford-commit-ledecky-shines-at-world-championships/#respond Thu, 13 Aug 2015 06:11:45 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1102831 Stanford commit Katie Ledecky won five gold medals for Team USA at the 2015 World Championships held in Kazan, Russia. Ledecky also became the first person to win the 200-, 400-, 800- and 1500-meter freestyle events. In just seven days of competition, the 18-year-old from Bethesda, Maryland also broke world records in two events — […]

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Stanford commit Katie Ledecky won five gold medals for Team USA at the 2015 World Championships held in Kazan, Russia. Ledecky also became the first person to win the 200-, 400-, 800- and 1500-meter freestyle events.

In just seven days of competition, the 18-year-old from Bethesda, Maryland also broke world records in two events — the 800- and 1500-meter freestyle.

In addition, after swimming a 15:27.71 in the prelims and 15:25.48 in the finals, Ledecky now holds the top five times in the history of the 1500-meter event.

Her 8:07.39 in the 800-meter race also broke her own world-best mark, while her time in the 400-meter free set a record for the World Championships.

While Ledecky has always been known for her prowess in long-distance swimming, her recent achievements have shown off her versatility. In addition to her world records, Ledecky won gold in the 200- and 400-meter freestyle as well as the 4×200-meter freestyle relay, in which she swam the quickest leg — and the anchor — for Team USA.

Her successes in the long-distance events may have been expected, but Ledecky was the clear underdog in her other three races, most notably the 200-meter freestyle.

Joining Ledecky in that event’s final were fellow USA swimmer Missy Franklin and Italian swimmer Federica Pelligrini, both of whom were frontrunners for gold.

After getting off to a relatively slow start, Ledecky charged ahead in the final 100 meters of the race to beat Pelligrini by 0.16 seconds, with a time of 1:55.16 to get first place.

The feat was quite ridiculous — it was the equivalent of having a marathon runner beat Usain Bolt in a 200-meter sprint. And better yet, her total margin of victory in her four individual events was nearly 30 seconds.

Her performance in Kazan solidified Ledecky’s presence as a force to be reckoned with for the next decade. The scariest part of it is that Ledecky is only 18 and will likely be better in the years to come.

Ledecky decided to defer her enrollment to Stanford until 2016 so she can train for the Rio Olympics next summer. It’s safe to say that she will be an invaluable asset for the United States in the Olympics and eventually for Stanford’s squad, which finished third in the nation last season.

Contact Ethan Teo at ethanteo99 ‘at’ gmail.com.

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Teo: The truth behind bandwagon fans https://stanforddaily.com/2015/07/30/teo-the-truth-behind-bandwagon-fans/ https://stanforddaily.com/2015/07/30/teo-the-truth-behind-bandwagon-fans/#respond Thu, 30 Jul 2015 19:41:58 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1102565 As another LeBron James jersey flashes before our eyes, our minds naturally scream “bandwagon fan” — a title used to describe fans who only support a team during its successes, and not in times of failure. With today’s increased commercialization of professional sports leagues such as the NFL, NBA, MLB and others, it is fairly easy […]

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As another LeBron James jersey flashes before our eyes, our minds naturally scream “bandwagon fan” — a title used to describe fans who only support a team during its successes, and not in times of failure. With today’s increased commercialization of professional sports leagues such as the NFL, NBA, MLB and others, it is fairly easy to follow the popularity trends of certain teams and players. Bandwagon fans often receive heavy criticism for not being true fans and for only jumping onto the bandwagon to fit in with what is popular in the sports world. However, most don’t realize the importance of bandwagon fans to franchises and the sports community in general.

While any successful team needs talented athletes on the roster to win, an enormous facet of creating a championship franchise involves fans. Home field advantage is really only an advantage when ticket sales are high, and that can only happen if a team’s fanbase is large. Furthermore, the effect of the bandwagon is exponential — a larger bandwagon attracts even more fans, which shows that bandwagon fans can really only have a positive impact on a team’s fanbase and support.

Even if the presence of a fake fan is frustrating, let’s face it — the majority of us were once bandwagon fans as well. It is rare for one to start following a team that is doing poorly since there is simply little incentive to cheer for a team that is unsuccessful. Moreover, it’s unlikely for one to suddenly start following a team that is not talked about much in the media. Fans become fans because they have a reason to, and I would argue that rooting for a team because they are good is more than acceptable. It is only after years of following a team that may have initially sparked interest via the bandwagon that a true fan is born.

Most importantly, athletes themselves had to start somewhere before becoming who they are. It is ridiculous to think that Kobe Bryant became an NBA superstar without first being exposed to the NBA at an earlier age. Most athletes were likely bandwagon fans themselves — it introduces athletes to the sport and allows them to develop their passion for it over time. As crazy as it sounds, criticizing athletes for being bandwagon fans at an early age has the possibility of discouraging them from pursuing their dreams of turning pro.

Perhaps it is ironic that many of us have jumped onto the bandwagon of condemning so-called “bandwagon fans.” Such hypocrisy examines how true of a fan those critics really are. True fans welcome other fans, even if they are bandwagoners, and think about the actual implications of a larger fan base before making unnecessary criticisms.

Contact Ethan Teo at ethanteo99 ‘at’ gmail.com.

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Teo: What we learned from the Copa América final https://stanforddaily.com/2015/07/06/teo-what-we-learned-from-the-copa-america-final/ https://stanforddaily.com/2015/07/06/teo-what-we-learned-from-the-copa-america-final/#comments Tue, 07 Jul 2015 02:00:25 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1102299 Chile emerged victorious in a grueling battle of attrition against Argentina in the Copa América final on July 4. After being deadlocked at 0-0 for 120 minutes, Chile outscored Argentina 4-1 in the penalty shootout. The aggressive match included a whopping total of 49 fouls and seven yellow cards between the two teams. Lionel Messi […]

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Chile emerged victorious in a grueling battle of attrition against Argentina in the Copa América final on July 4. After being deadlocked at 0-0 for 120 minutes, Chile outscored Argentina 4-1 in the penalty shootout. The aggressive match included a whopping total of 49 fouls and seven yellow cards between the two teams.

Lionel Messi was the sole Argentinian to score a penalty in the shootout, while Matias Fernandez, Arturo Vidal, Charles Aranguiz and Alexis Sanchez scored consecutive penalties for Chile. The win came as a slight surprise, considering that so far this year, Argentina has scored eight penalties and only let in four, as opposed to Chile’s 0-2 record in penalties.

At the end of the day, Chile deserved the win for their relentless attack all match long — they took 18 shots on goal as opposed to Argentina’s eight shots. Furthermore, they were able to dictate the tempo and kept possession of the ball 57 percent of the time.

The loss marked yet another failure for Messi and Argentina, as many expected them to be crowned champions. Of the last four Copa América finals, Argentina has lost three of them.

However, many critics overlook the root problems of Argentina’s failures and default to making Messi the scapegoat. Messi played incredibly well throughout the tournament and consistently created chances for him and his teammates to score, but in the Chile game, they were never able to capitalize. One notable play was the 92nd-minute opportunity that Messi set up for Gonzalo Higuain, who shot the ball wide into the side netting.

Instead, the main problem with Argentina’s squad is its team chemistry. Messi, Javier Mascherano, Angel Di Maria, Sergio Aguero and pretty much the entire roster are incredibly talented players individually. However, Argentina’s mentality has been “let Messi do his thing and hopefully he will score”. What sets Chile apart from Argentina is their ability to work as a unit, and that is the sole reason why Chile was more deserving of the win.

One last reason why Copa was unfortunate for Argentina — Messi’s family was attacked by Chilean fans in a tragic incident right before halftime of the match. This probably foreshadows an intense rivalry between the two teams for the next few years while both continue to be elite teams.

Speaking of elite, winning the Copa América puts Chile right into that category. Prior to this year, Chile has never been considered as a legitimate World Cup contender. Of the past 10 FIFA World Cups, Chile has only qualified for four of them, and their furthest run has been to the Round of 16.

Currently 19th on the FIFA rankings, Chile’s improved roster and chemistry will likely taking them soaring high up among the top 10 in the near future. If they keep up their improvement, Chile should be able to make it deep into the elimination rounds of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. On the other hand, while Argentina certainly possesses the talent to bring them back to the finals and look to avenge their runner-up finish in 2014, the team has many questions to answer regarding the utilization and blend of that talent.

Contact Ethan Teo at ethanteo99 ‘at’ gmail.com.

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Teo: Fearless play from key individuals helps USWNT advance to finals https://stanforddaily.com/2015/07/03/teo-fearless-play-from-key-individuals-helps-uswnt-advance-to-finals/ https://stanforddaily.com/2015/07/03/teo-fearless-play-from-key-individuals-helps-uswnt-advance-to-finals/#respond Fri, 03 Jul 2015 16:52:26 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1102260 The United States Women’s National Soccer team’s 2-0 victory over Germany in the Women’s World Cup on June 30 brought the USWNT to the finals of the tournament. Midfielder Carli Lloyd scored a penalty in the 69th minute of the match, while Stanford alum Kelley O’Hara ‘09 extended their lead to 2-0 with a volley […]

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The United States Women’s National Soccer team’s 2-0 victory over Germany in the Women’s World Cup on June 30 brought the USWNT to the finals of the tournament. Midfielder Carli Lloyd scored a penalty in the 69th minute of the match, while Stanford alum Kelley O’Hara ‘09 extended their lead to 2-0 with a volley in the 84th minute. The win marks the USWNT’s fourth World Cup finals appearance. On July 5, the United States will face Japan in the final.

The United States started the match off with a bang by playing some of the most confident and clean soccer that they have played all tournament. Although the scoreboard at halftime does not support it, the United States’ ability to create scoring opportunities and control the pace and possession all throughout the first half foreshadowed a win for the USWNT.

In the semifinal match of the Women's World Cup, Stanford alum Kelley O'Hara '09 scored the second of two goals by the USWNT. The final result was a 2-0 shutout win over Germany, highlighted by some bold lineup changes and some even bolder play from the likes of O'Hara and Carli Lloyd. (HECTOR GARCIA-MOLINA/Stanford Athletics)
In the semifinal match of the Women’s World Cup, Stanford alum Kelley O’Hara ’09 scored the second of two goals by the USWNT. The final result was a 2-0 shutout win over Germany, highlighted by some bold lineup changes and some even bolder play from the likes of O’Hara and Carli Lloyd. (HECTOR GARCIA-MOLINA/Stanford Athletics)

Germany faced seven shots in the first half alone — a significant amount considering they only had nine shots to defend in the first five games of the tournament. Furthermore, the United States had five corner kicks and four free kicks in the first 45 minutes as well. In particular, it was the USWNT’s speed and aggression that allowed them to dominate the match.

Germany had opportunities as well but was not able to capitalize on them. The United States’ Julie Johnston fouled Alexandra Popp in the 59th minute, and Popp was awarded a penalty. However, Popp’s shot was wide left, devastating Germany players and fans.

Some argue that the referee made several bad calls in favor of the United States. For example, Johnston’s foul that led to a penalty arguably should have been a red card, but Johnston was only given a yellow. Johnston’s defense later in the game was pivotal in maintaining the United States’ lead and dominance. Furthermore, replay cameras show that Lloyd’s penalty should not have even happened, as the foul in the 69th minute actually occurred outside of the penalty box. Regardless, refereeing mistakes are inevitable in every match, and the United States proved to be the stronger team in almost every aspect.

The real hero of the match was O’Hara, who was only subbed onto the field in the 75th minute but scored within nine minutes of match play. Although the goal was O’Hara’s first of the tournament, her persistence has been critical to the USWNT’s morale and spirit.

In the quarterfinal face off against China, O’Hara developed a deep bruise on the bridge of her nose due to an accidental headbutt from a Chinese player, causing blood to stream down her face. Despite the injury, hard-nosed (pun intended) O’Hara insisted on playing on until the referee finally demanded for her to seek treatment.

“Kelley had blood on her face and she absolutely refused to have the training staff come on because she wanted to keep playing,” said teammate Becky Sauerbrunn in an interview with USA Today.

The USWNT has been playing excellent soccer throughout the tournament, and is still undefeated. The major concern with them is head coach Jill Ellis’s tendencies to put players into positions that they usually don’t play. After playing the team in a 4-4-2 formation for the entire tournament, Ellis decided to place stronger emphasis on the team’s midfield game by taking veteran Abby Wambach out of the starting lineup and placing Lloyd (who scored the team’s first goal) at attacking midfield in a 4-2-3-1 formation. The lineup change was beneficial and was what allowed the United States to control the pace of the match against a usually midfield-heavy German team.

Ellis is unlikely to change the lineup for the final, as it seemed to work effectively in the Germany game. Keeping the 4-2-3-1 formation will hopefully allow the United States to once again control the game with a stronger midfield and put pressure on the Japan defense. If the USWNT can play with this same level of tenacity in the final, the team should be able to avenge its loss to the very same team in the 2011 World Cup final and emerge victorious.

Contact Ethan Teo at ethanteo99 ‘at’ gmail.com.

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Teo: Five takeaways from the 2015 NBA Draft https://stanforddaily.com/2015/06/29/teo-five-takeaways-from-the-2015-nba-draft/ https://stanforddaily.com/2015/06/29/teo-five-takeaways-from-the-2015-nba-draft/#respond Tue, 30 Jun 2015 03:32:27 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1102219 The 2015 National Basketball Association (NBA) Draft featured a great deal of variety in size and skillset, as well as a great deal of talent. Defensive stud Karl Anthony-Towns from Kentucky, who, as expected, took first in the draft, 8th-pick athletic wing Stanley Johnson from Arizona and 13th-pick 3-point phenom Devin Booker were just a […]

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The 2015 National Basketball Association (NBA) Draft featured a great deal of variety in size and skillset, as well as a great deal of talent. Defensive stud Karl Anthony-Towns from Kentucky, who, as expected, took first in the draft, 8th-pick athletic wing Stanley Johnson from Arizona and 13th-pick 3-point phenom Devin Booker were just a few of the many players poised to make impacts in the NBA as soon as the next coming year. Out of this diverse pool, below are five of the top takeaways from this year’s NBA Draft.

1. The NBA is becoming more international

Speaking of diversity, this year’s draft pool presented athletes from all over the world. Kristaps Porzingis, Mario Hezonja, Willy Hernangomez, Marcus Eriksson and Nikola Radicevic are all players who just came from the ACB League — the Spanish basketball league. Furthermore, Satnam Singh, who was drafted with the 52nd pick to the Dallas Mavericks, is the first Indian-born player to be drafted to the NBA. Just three months ago, 7-foot-5 Sim Bhullar was the first player of Indian descent to ever play in the NBA, so Singh just adds to the growing international community and Indian pride within the NBA. The NBA’s international growth is not a new phenomenon, but rather a gradual process that has developed over the past few decades. A concept originally initiated to showcase exhibition games starting in 1978, NBA Global Games have become more frequent — teams are now playing regular season games in Europe, South America and Asia. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has noted that global growth is a major goal of the NBA. In fact, there has even been speculation of European basketball teams joining the NBA. Crazy, right? But at this rate, anything is possible.

Stanford graduate Anthony Brown was selected in the second round by the Los Angeles Lakers, one of many selections in an NBA Draft filled with surprises. Brown, D'Angelo Russell and Larry Nance, Jr. constitute the incoming class for a Lakers team looking to rebuild after a 21-61 finish last season. (BOB DREBIN/stanfordphoto.com)
Stanford graduate Anthony Brown (right) was selected in the second round by the Los Angeles Lakers, one of many selections in an NBA Draft filled with surprises. Brown, D’Angelo Russell and Larry Nance, Jr. constitute the incoming class for a Lakers team looking to rebuild after a 21-61 finish last season. (BOB DREBIN/stanfordphoto.com)

2. The Los Angeles Lakers have a lot of faith in D’Angelo Russell

With Duke superstar Jahlil Okafor still on the board, most teams in the Lakers’ position would have drafted him in a heartbeat. Okafor, a 6-foot-11 center with a 7-foot-5 wingspan, has incredible post scoring ability similar to that of Al Jefferson on the Charlotte Hornets. He put up 17.3 points per game with a field goal percentage of 66 percent — tremendous numbers that illustrate his low post production. A player of such size and prowess is difficult to find, so the Lakers’ gamble on Ohio State point guard D’Angelo Russell with the No. 2 pick surprised many. Despite his impressive statistics in college — 19.3 points per game and 41 percent on 3-point field goal percentage — Russell is not nearly as NBA-ready as Okafor and many other lottery-pick players. The Lakers see Russell as a player with Kobe-esque superstar potential. However, for Russell to reach his loaded ceiling, he has to greatly improve his athleticism, which is subpar at the moment, and also become more comfortable with the NBA 3-point range. This pick is a huge risk for the tanking Lakers, so hopefully Russell is able to live up to his expectations.

3. The Draft Lottery reform has to happen

The Minnesota Timberwolves, as  expected, had the first pick in the draft after a horrendous 16-66 season. For rebuilding teams such as the Timberwolves, Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks, the past season has been painful for each team’s respective fans. It has been painful not only because those teams do not have strong rosters, but largely because they do not put their efforts into winning games. Instead, they choose to load the team with rosters full of prospects. While this may lead to exciting futures, the process of tanking often disappoints fans. Last October, the NBA board attempted to pass a lottery reform that called for a less dramatic distribution of lottery pick chances in order to discourage tanking. If it passes, teams will no longer use tanking as a strategy to rebuild, and instead must become more reliant on coaching and scouting staff to develop a franchise. While there was a 17-to-13 vote in favor of the reform, 23 votes were required for the legislation to pass. The NBA has talked about revisiting the reform in the future, and in order to prevent further disappointment among fans, the reform is worth another shot.

4. The Golden State Warriors get a steal

The Warriors haven’t made a regrettable move in quite some time. The defending champions chose UCLA power forward Kevon Looney with the 30th pick of the draft. In most mock drafts, Looney was predicted to be a late-teen draft pick, but unexpectedly, many teams passed on him. He fell right to the Warriors, and should be a perfect fit for the team. Looney’s versatility allows him to adapt to any rotation that the Warriors want to play, whether it is small-ball or a lineup featuring bigs. His only major concern is his strength in the post, but the Warriors have plenty of time and room to develop Looney as a player without damaging their own playoff hopes. In a few years, assuming Looney develops into a consistent player, the Warriors will continue to a be threat to the entire association, given their ability to adapt to any playing style.

5. Mock drafts and analysts aren’t accurate

Nearly every single mock draft predicted Okafor as the second pick, but Russell ended up being selected second. Potential top-five draft pick Justise Winslow slipped to the 10th pick of the draft, while Willie Cauley-Stein being drafted sixth was a complete surprise. Furthermore, the majority of analysts predicted blockbuster trades in numerous scenarios, but none of these ever occurred. Demarcus Cousins was rumored to be traded to the Los Angeles Lakers on draft night, and many believed that the Knicks would trade their fourth pick for a number of lower picks. There was a lot of talk around the Boston Celtics trading assets for the third pick of the draft to find a serious prospect, but instead, they were left with undersized guard Terry Rozier to add to their already undersized backcourt. At the end of the day, a lot of politics, to which analysts simply do not have access, go into each team’s decision-making on draft day. From now on, don’t count on the mock drafts to accurately predict draft picks, whether it’s for the NBA, NFL or any other league.

Contact Ethan Teo at ethanteo99 ‘at’ gmail.com.

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Teo: Examining how the Indiana Pacers will move on without Paul George https://stanforddaily.com/2014/08/13/teo-examining-how-the-indiana-pacers-will-move-on-without-paul-george/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/08/13/teo-examining-how-the-indiana-pacers-will-move-on-without-paul-george/#comments Wed, 13 Aug 2014 16:00:46 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1087450 During a scrimmage with the U.S. Men’s National Basketball Team in preparation for the FIBA World Cup, star player Paul George tailgated James Harden for an attempted chase-down block, but instead hit the backboard stanchion. In the process, he suffered a gruesome compound fracture of his tibia and fibula. George successfully underwent leg surgery, but […]

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During a scrimmage with the U.S. Men’s National Basketball Team in preparation for the FIBA World Cup, star player Paul George tailgated James Harden for an attempted chase-down block, but instead hit the backboard stanchion. In the process, he suffered a gruesome compound fracture of his tibia and fibula. George successfully underwent leg surgery, but will still need another 12 to 18 months before playing in the NBA again.

George’s injury has been compared to Kevin Ware’s injury in the Louisville vs. Duke Elite Eight game in the 2013 NCAA Tournament. Although this is a devastating injury for George, Ware had, from his personal experience, some advice for George. “The sooner [George] can get his confidence up and put his leg down, the better he’ll be,” Ware said. “It’s all about his mind over matter, and Paul George is one of the strongest people, so I truly think he can get through this.”

The injury will undoubtedly make it more difficult for George to continue to develop into a superstar and a future MVP. However, we can also look to Derrick Rose’s case for precedent. Although it may take a few extra years of hard work, it is definitely possible for George to regain all of his abilities.

Rose has struggled through three seasons of setbacks and knee injuries; however, he is now finally re-establishing himself as a truly elite player, as his performance with the U.S. National Team has been outstanding. Like Rose, George’s tremendous work ethic is reason to believe that he will make a full recovery. Furthermore, George is still very young, and at the age of 24, still has plenty of time to recover from this misfortune.

***

Although the Pacers were the top-seeded team in the East last year, Indiana will definitely struggle this season without George and Lance Stephenson. George will be missed on both ends of the court, and even with major improvements to the roster, it will be difficult for the Pacers to replicate the success they have had over the past two seasons.

Stephenson also surprisingly led the Pacers in rebounding last season, and his energetic presence on the boards will be missed. Finally, George and Stephenson were the only players that could create their own shots off the dribble last year, so the Pacers will need to find someone to fill that void in order to be a competitive team this year. Without the two of them, the starting five will likely consist of George Hill, Rodney Stuckey, C.J. Miles, David West and Roy Hibbert.

Indiana will now have to depend on West as its primary scorer. This should not be too tall of a task for West, as he has already averaged 14 points per game playing alongside George. West’s 49 percent field goal percentage from last season will likely drop this season since he will be taking more shots, but his points per game, as well as his player efficiency rating, should go up. The Pacers must hope that West rebounds as consistently as he did last season, especially with leading rebounder Stephenson gone.

Hibbert’s defense will also be key to Indiana’s success next season, so if Hibbert can find his form from the first half of last season, the Pacers may still have a fighting chance at making the playoffs. Apart from Hibbert as a rim protector, the Pacers will lack the defensive presence that they usually have with George on the perimeter.

Miles played 19 minutes a game last season, but his burden will increase as he takes over George’s spot at the 3. Miles is 6-foot-6 and is a natural shooting guard, so he will definitely struggle to defend some of the bigger and more aggressive forwards in the NBA. However, Miles has started to establish himself as an elite 3-point shooter, with a 39-percent mark from downtown last season. As such, Miles should contribute significantly on offense on the George-less Pacers.

Meanwhile, Stuckey will be another option for inside scoring. However, Pacers coach Frank Vogel may have Stuckey focus on serving as a facilitator for West in the paint and Miles on the perimeter. In any case, Stuckey’s assists figure to increase from his measly 2.1 assists per game last year.

Even with Stuckey contributing as a playmaker, Hill will not be able to create enough shots for his teammates. In turn, if none of the other Pacers players are great at creating for themselves, it may be difficult for Indiana to pick up wins. As such, the Pacers may need to consider finding a playmaking point guard on the trade market to fill this large void.

The loss of George and Stephenson makes the bench situation interesting as well. Veteran Luis Scola, although primarily a power forward for last year’s Pacers, should be seeing more time at the center behind Hibbert. C.J. Watson will also play a lot of shooting guard alongside Hill, probably as the sixth man of the team. Chris Copeland will get a chance to take more 3-pointers and notch some points off the bench; Copeland shot 42 percent from behind the arc last season.

The Pacers are clearly not the same team that they were a year ago, and will likely struggle to even make the playoffs in a more competitive Eastern Conference. On the other hand, we all wish George a speedy and successful recovery. The sooner he gets back — and he will be back — the sooner the Pacers can get back on track to competing for a championship.

Contact Ethan Teo at ethanteo99 ‘at’ gmail.com.

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Despite Stanford’s example, NCAA loses O’Bannon case in U.S. District Court https://stanforddaily.com/2014/08/08/despite-stanfords-example-ncaa-loses-obannon-case-in-district-court/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/08/08/despite-stanfords-example-ncaa-loses-obannon-case-in-district-court/#respond Sat, 09 Aug 2014 05:24:41 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1087261 On Aug. 8, U.S. District Court judge Claudia Wilken '71 ruled that the NCAA was in violation of antitrust law for its use of student-athletes' names, images and likenesses in the landmark O'Bannon vs. NCAA case. Though Wilken's decision must be upheld in higher courts, it stands as the first nail in the coffin of the current NCAA system — one that has seen Stanford thrive as a model athletic program.

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On Aug. 8, U.S. District Court judge Claudia Wilken ’71 ruled that the NCAA was in violation of antitrust law for its use of student-athletes’ names, images and likenesses in the landmark O’Bannon vs. NCAA case. Her ruling allows student-athletes in revenue sports to receive money beyond just the cost of attending college once they have graduated, though the NCAA will be able to set a cap on these payouts at a minimum of $5,000 a year.
Stanford athletic director Bernard Muir (above) testified as an NCAA witness in the O'Bannon trial. (NORBERT VON DER GROEBEN/isiphoto.com)
Stanford athletic director Bernard Muir (above) testified as an NCAA witness in the O’Bannon trial. (NORBERT VON DER GROEBEN/isiphoto.com)

The Cardinal’s successes under the current model of college athletics are so pronounced that the NCAA called on Stanford athletic director Bernard Muir as a witness in the case on June 18 and 24. Though Wilken’s decision must be upheld in higher courts, it stands as the first nail in the coffin of the current NCAA system — one that has seen Stanford thrive as a model athletic program.

***
The lawsuit was initiated by former NCAA athlete and NBA player Ed O’Bannon, who sued the organizing body of collegiate athletics in an attempt to win the right for former players to profit off their own names, images and likenesses. Though the amateur model is deeply ingrained in college athletics, the billions of dollars in revenue that the NCAA collects each year — with hundreds of millions being invested in coaching staffs across the country alone — are provoking new challenges to the longstanding system.

On the other hand, the NCAA has argued that a major goal of college athletic programs is to integrate student-athletes into the rest of the student community, which is why, according to the NCAA, athletes should receive the same treatment as non-athletes. In addition, the body has argued that compensating student-athletes would result in the financial collapse of the collegiate athletic model; “there would be no more national championships,” according to NCAA president Mark Emmert, if athletes become paid employees.

Finally, the NCAA would point to the realities of collegiate athletes trying to make it to the professional ranks; while many student-athletes dream of playing their sport professionally, only about one percent of college athletes go on to play professional sports. Of this one percent, a good number of athletes will struggle with job security as professionals, while others may suffer from either chronic or career-ending injuries. As such, in the eyes of the NCAA’s leaders, the educational value that athletes can derive from their time in college validates the current college athletic system.

***

As the winner of the prestigious Directors Cup for the 20th year in a row, Stanford has been a model athletic program for Division I schools across the country. However, Stanford is even more well known for being one of the best universities in America.

“When you really look at it, it kind of makes sense that these people have natural (athletic) ability but are Stanford caliber,” explained Stanford head football coach David Shaw in a recent CBSSports.com article. “They’re highly motivated people.”

Muir said in the same article that Stanford student-athletes have been “going through the same rigors as general students.”

The fact that Muir was called on as an NCAA witness in the O’Bannon trial is indicative of Stanford’s status as a role model under the current system.

“When you look back at it, maybe we can be that shining light to a certain degree for the NCAA,” Shaw told CBSSports.com. “You can have high expectations, you can find student-athletes who play great football and basketball and still graduate on time. Those are things people say it can’t happen at other places, but we say, ‘yes we can.'”

If other universities are going to follow in Stanford’s footsteps, they are going to have to emphasize the “student” in “student-athlete.” The NCAA has long held that education should be the first priority in college athletics, even for athletes that plan on playing professional sports. This does not mean that schools should not focus on fielding competitive teams; rather, it simply means that athletes should be held to the same academic standard as non-athletes.

“The balance we’re trying to get with our student-athletes hopefully symbolizes to a broader audience that it can be done in both realms — and done well,” Muir told CBSSports.com.

As Stanford’s accomplishments on the athletic field and in the classroom indicate, it is not impossible to be successful in both athletics and academics, because Stanford students have done just that.

However, even as the “golden child” in the NCAA community, Stanford still has its flaws. For example, Muir’s testimony at the O’Bannon trial revealed that an action photo of Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan was being sold on the school’s website for $120. To the case’s plaintiffs, that’s just another example of how student-athletes are exploited for their names, images and likenesses.

***

The legal issues surrounding the O’Bannon case go beyond the simple debate over compensation for athletes in college sports. In particular, the O’Bannon suit was also about whether the NCAA, due to its large national influence, constitutes a monopoly.

Along those lines, the case also considered whether NCAA rules on non-payment to athletes are an unlawful restraint on trade. O’Bannon’s representation argued that NCAA rules effectively prevent college athletes from controlling the commercial rights to their names, images and likeness, which they argued violate the antitrust provisions of the Sherman Act.

On the other side, the NCAA had precedent in its favor. In a 1984 case between the NCAA and the University of Oklahoma, the Supreme Court held that athletes must not be paid and must be required to attend class. There is no overruling Supreme Court precedent, at least until the O’Bannon case reaches the Supreme Court itself. Although precedent is a strong argument for now, if this case reaches the Supreme Court, it will not hold the same power as it did in the District Court.

***

So, what’s next? For starters, the case is far from over. Despite this week’s outcome in District Court, the NCAA will likely file a stay or injunction pending appeal, which would send the case to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals for a couple of years. Given the high stakes involved, it is entirely conceivable that the NCAA will look to the Supreme Court to resolve the matter once and for all.

During this long process, the NCAA will take the opportunity to further gauge the strength of its legal case, and where needed, make incremental adjustments to both hedge the outcome, and improve its standing in the court of public opinion. As such, this decision at the District Court level is only the beginning of what will be an incredibly long and expensive battle between Ed O’Bannon and the NCAA.

Contact Ethan Teo at ethanteo99 ‘at’ gmail.com.

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Teo: An issue with tanking? https://stanforddaily.com/2014/08/04/teo-an-issue-with-tanking/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/08/04/teo-an-issue-with-tanking/#comments Mon, 04 Aug 2014 16:00:38 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1087285 The strategy of “tanking” ― to purposely do poorly for a year in order to receive a high draft pick ― is found everywhere in professional sports. One could call it cheating, a dirty trick and unethical, but it certainly works. A recent example would be the Philadelphia 76ers, who have been among the worst […]

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The strategy of “tanking” ― to purposely do poorly for a year in order to receive a high draft pick ― is found everywhere in professional sports. One could call it cheating, a dirty trick and unethical, but it certainly works.

A recent example would be the Philadelphia 76ers, who have been among the worst teams in the NBA for the past two years. However, through tanking, the Sixers have gained young players with tremendous potential, such as Nerlens Noel, Michael Carter-Williams and Joel Embiid. With such talent, the Sixers are looking to be a real threat in the association in a few years.

Tanking happens outside the NBA too, as it occurs pretty much in any association with a draft. That would include the NFL, NHL and MLB, among others.

The NBA is trying to shoot down this unhealthy trend of tanking, so it is looking to reform the draft lottery system. Here is what the proposal entails:

“The league’s proposal gives at least the four worst teams the same chance at winning the no. 1 pick: approximately an identical 11 percent shot for each club. The odds decline slowly from there, with the team in the next spot holding a 10 percent chance. The lottery team with the best record will have a 2 percent chance of leaping to the no. 1 pick, up from the the minuscule 0.5 percent chance it has under the current system.

The proposal also calls for the drawing of the first six picks via the ping-pong ball lottery, sources say. The current lottery system actually involves the drawing of only the top three selections. The rest of the lottery goes in order of record, from worst to best, after the top-three drawing is over.”

The Sixers, however, are not satisfied with this proposal, as they are still looking to tank for at least another year in order to stockpile as much young talent as possible. They have a good reason to be upset with the NBA’s proposed changes; the 76ers built a multi-year plan based around the current rules of tanking, so changing the draft function would destroy their plan and put them at an unfair disadvantage. The best deterrence would be to still implement the reform as soon as possible, but perhaps the NBA should let teams like the Sixers have a few more years to settle in comfortably before making the change.

Is tanking really a problem in the NBA, though? Tanking works, and the collapses associated with tanking mirror results in any other sort of business in the real world, as franchises will rise and fall constantly. It is what makes the NBA exciting. Imagine if every single team in the NBA had an equal level of talent. There would be no upsets, no underdogs and no hero stories for fans to reminisce about.

Even if tanking were a problem, this proposed reform could just create even bigger problems. A smaller gap between the lottery chances of the worst and the 10th worst team would allow luck to play a huge role in the success of teams. It is already happening under the current system. Look at the Cleveland Cavaliers ― they received the first pick for two consecutive years, despite long odds to earn the No. 1 pick in either season. The NBA’s proposed lottery plan could exacerbate this phenomenon by increasing the role that luck plays in deciding the draft order. That is the makings of an unfair association.

Though frustrating at times, tanking is part of the formula that makes professional sports so exciting. Instead of thinking of it as a dirty trick, one can see tanking as a shrewd strategy. In turn, if alternative proposals could seemingly produce their own problems as well, why bother changing the system? There probably will never be a perfect system for these associations to work with, so maybe tanking is not a horrible phenomenon after all.

Contact Ethan Teo at ethanteo99 ‘at’ gmail.com.

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Teo: Analyzing the immediate and long-term future of the Cleveland Cavaliers https://stanforddaily.com/2014/07/23/teo-analyzing-the-immediate-and-long-term-future-of-the-cleveland-cavaliers/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/07/23/teo-analyzing-the-immediate-and-long-term-future-of-the-cleveland-cavaliers/#respond Wed, 23 Jul 2014 16:00:58 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1086892 In case you have been living under a rock, The Daily is here to inform you that LeBron James has once again signed with his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers. After having reached the NBA Finals for the past four years with the Miami Heat, LeBron’s emotions helped him reach his decision; as he wrote […]

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In case you have been living under a rock, The Daily is here to inform you that LeBron James has once again signed with his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers. After having reached the NBA Finals for the past four years with the Miami Heat, LeBron’s emotions helped him reach his decision; as he wrote in his Sports Illustrated essay, “My relationship with Northeast Ohio is bigger than basketball. I didn’t realize that four years ago. I do now.”

Even though he is leaving the team where he won his first two NBA Championships, LeBron may still be able to win more rings, namely because the Cavaliers are already a legitimate title contender for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, Kyrie Irving and LBJ are already a perfect duo. Irving has the ability to consistently draw double teams and dish the ball out to teammates like LeBron, who finished third last season in 3-point catch-and-shoot field goal percentage with a 48.8-percent mark. With LeBron on the court, there will also inherently be less pressure on Irving’s shoulders. The two should also be an effective pick-and-roll tandem that will get a lot of buckets in the paint.

Selecting Andrew Wiggins as the first pick of the 2014 NBA Draft was also a smart move for the Cavs. Cleveland has an incredibly young and talented roster with tremendous potential, and Wiggins could be a key contributor if he is not included in a blockbuster Kevin Love deal. If Wiggins starts at shooting guard, he and Irving could form one of the most dangerous backcourts in the NBA. Wiggins’ defense is also solid, and he could possibly already be one of the best defenders on the team. Finally, not only is Wiggins a prospect with a ton of potential, he will also be very affordable on his rookie contract.

As such, I would keep Wiggins, even if that precluded the Cavaliers from getting Love. Trading for Love would require the Cavs to trade Wiggins and multiple other players, along with future draft picks. In addition, acquiring Love would be a desperate reach for an immediate NBA Championship, but keeping Wiggins would provide a greater long-term benefit for the Cavs. Lastly, the Cavs would inevitably have to sign Love to a massive long-term contract if they bring him to Cleveland, which would hurt their salary cap situation.

On top of Wiggins, the addition of Mike Miller only adds to Cleveland’s depth in the backcourt. Although he may not be able to put up the same sort of numbers that he could in his prime, the veteran 3-point specialist should be able to spark some quick offense off the bench. When he is playing alongside both LeBron and Kyrie Irving, Miller should be able to match his 3-point field goal percentage of 45.9 percent from last season.

With the signing of Wiggins, Miller and James, what will happen to Dion Waiters? He tweeted that he “wouldn’t accept the role of coming off the bench” next season, but the reality is that he probably will have to assume a “sixth man” role if he stays in Cleveland. Waiters also does not have an incredibly burdensome contract and he performed well last year, averaging 16 points, three rebounds and three assists per game. However, in order to derive the most from Wiggins’ bundle of potential, the Cavaliers should start him over Waiters. Waiters should see himself coming on for Wiggins at shooting guard and playing perhaps around 25 minutes a game – a decrease from his first two seasons.

Keeping both Wiggins and Waiters while choosing not to trade for Love would also leave some available cap space to add some depth, particularly in the frontcourt. The Cavs may want to add some youth to support veterans Anderson Varejao and Brendan Haywood at center.

After all these trades and acquisitions, where do all of the players line up on the depth chart? The chart below is an estimation of the Cavs’ depth chart:

Point Guard

Shooting Guard Small Forward

Power Forward

Center

Kyrie Irving

Andrew Wiggins LeBron James Tristan Thompson Anderson Varejao
Matthew Dellavedova

Dion Waiters

Mike Miller

Anthony Bennett Brendan Haywood

Joe Harris

Carrick Felix

Dwight Powell

Even without Kevin Love on the roster, Cleveland has a decent shot at winning a championship next year, and this possibility will only increase as the Cavs’ young squad gains more experience. For this upcoming season, the Cavs are likely to end up in the top two in the Eastern Conference, along with the Indiana Pacers. However, the Cavs may not get very far in the playoffs due to the relative lack of playoff experience across most of the roster. However, after a few years as a consistent playoff team, Cleveland will become a dominant team that has the ability to reach the NBA Finals year in and year out.

In the end, the Cleveland Cavaliers have a bright future ahead of them, with LeBron leading the way and a group of young potential superstars following in his footsteps.

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Teo: Analyzing the futures of Josh Huestis and Dwight Powell in the NBA https://stanforddaily.com/2014/07/15/teo-analyzing-the-futures-of-josh-huestis-and-dwight-powell-in-the-nba/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/07/15/teo-analyzing-the-futures-of-josh-huestis-and-dwight-powell-in-the-nba/#respond Wed, 16 Jul 2014 02:45:28 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1086789 Being drafted into the NBA is every basketball player’s dream. Long hours and hard work are what help players achieve that goal. Former Stanford student-athletes Josh Huestis and Dwight Powell have shown that dedication and the determination to follow their passions can turn a dream into a reality. Josh Huestis: 29th pick to the Oklahoma […]

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Being drafted into the NBA is every basketball player’s dream. Long hours and hard work are what help players achieve that goal. Former Stanford student-athletes Josh Huestis and Dwight Powell have shown that dedication and the determination to follow their passions can turn a dream into a reality.

Josh Huestis: 29th pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder

Averaging 11 points, eight rebounds and one assist per game in his senior year, small forward Josh Huestis may not necessarily have the eye-popping statistics that immediately attract franchises. However, Huestis possesses all the characteristics of a glue guy: versatile defense, aggressive rebounding and relentless hustle. Furthermore, his extreme athleticism has helped him become an incredibly intimidating player. His 38.5-inch maximum vertical leap puts him in the top 10 of the entire 2014 draft class in that category. With that kind of athleticism, Huestis was able to lead Stanford in blocks with an average of 1.9 per game.

In addition to his solid physical attributes and hard work, Huestis has evolved as a more consistent shooter throughout his years at Stanford. In his freshman year, Huestis shot an ugly 20 percent from downtown, but by his senior year, he was making nearly 34 percent of his 3-pointers. With this kind of improvement, we can all see Huestis’ tremendous upside in the NBA.

Just like any other player, Huestis also has some weaknesses that may stunt his growth and limit his productivity in the association. His biggest problem is that he struggles to create shots for himself due to his lack of dribble moves and footwork. Even if he is able to play well defensively, he will get limited minutes in short bursts if he is not able to score.

Josh Huestis’ most accurate NBA player comparison is Andre Iguodala. Both are athletic small forwards that have lockdown defensive skills who often work as glue guys for their teams. Both Iguodala and Huestis have limited scoring abilities but have improved their shooting over the years.

Huestis may get limited minutes in his rookie year and struggle statistically. However, as his offensive arsenal continues to expand and he becomes a more confident ball handler, Huestis could emerge as a key player to his team. He may not ever become an All-Star, but will likely help his team win at least one NBA Championship in his career.

Dwight Powell: 45th pick to the Charlotte Hornets (traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers)

Dwight Powell is not your typical power forward. He has exceptional athleticism and IQ for his position that allow him to outplay his opponents. He can score in a variety of ways, but playing face-up is his forte due to his strong motor skills. His jump shot is still inconsistent, but his stroke is smooth and he should be able to improve his consistency in no time.

Powell is also averaging 3.8 assists per 40 minutes, which is incredibly high for a power forward that stands at 6-foot-11. For the most part, he makes smart passes that are not forced, thanks largely to his tremendous basketball IQ.

Even with a below-average wingspan and a skinny frame, Powell is a talented defender. His lateral quickness is key to his ability to guard multiple positions, even as a tall power forward. He is especially good at defending pick and rolls by being able to quickly switch either onto a guard or back into the post.

The main concern regarding Powell is his lack of aggressiveness when crashing the boards or playing in the post. He is an inconsistent rebounder who will struggle to score in the NBA if he does not start attacking the basket with more aggression. Failing to do so would limit his ceiling as a stretch-4 role player who can occasionally knock down jumpers.

Powell’s playing style is similar to that of Pau Gasol, with his quick footwork and smooth jump shot. The only thing that Powell lacks is the set of consistent post moves that Gasol possesses.

With four years of college ball experience under his belt, Powell may be one of the most NBA-ready players looking for his break. He has the quickness and the IQ to make some nice plays for the Cavs this upcoming season. However, he may not fully develop for a few years while he develops a solid post game and a more aggressive playing style.

Contact Ethan Teo at ethanteo99 ‘at’ gmail.com.

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Teo: Analyzing the futures of the Top 5 2014 NBA Draft selections https://stanforddaily.com/2014/07/04/teo-analyzing-the-futures-of-the-top-5-2014-nba-draft-selections/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/07/04/teo-analyzing-the-futures-of-the-top-5-2014-nba-draft-selections/#respond Sat, 05 Jul 2014 02:14:52 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1086674 Most fans of the NBA know that this 2014 draft class is considered to be one of the most talented classes in recent memory. However, in spite of this assessment, not many players may be able to perform up to this standard. Many members of the 2014 draft class have abundant potential, but some could […]

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Most fans of the NBA know that this 2014 draft class is considered to be one of the most talented classes in recent memory. However, in spite of this assessment, not many players may be able to perform up to this standard. Many members of the 2014 draft class have abundant potential, but some could struggle as rookies.

1. Andrew Wiggins: Cleveland Cavaliers

Wiggins has long been considered the best athlete in this draft class. He is among the most athletic and explosive prospects and has excited fans and franchises alike. The Cavs made a smart move by choosing a young small forward to complement their young core of Kyrie Irving, Dion Waiters and Tristan Thompson. Wiggins is still a very raw player and needs to work on polishing his shooting, but should display remarkable improvement and be an All-Star by his third season. This season, he will likely be on the All-NBA Rookie First Team.

2. Jabari Parker: Milwaukee Bucks

Jabari Parker should have an immediate impact on the Bucks as both a scorer and a rebounder. Nevertheless, Milwaukee as a whole still has some work to do in order to become a playoff team. He is the most NBA ready player in this draft class. Parker has a huge offensive arsenal and can score from anywhere — in the post, in transition, midrange and from behind the arc. He will struggle on defense the same way he did in college, but that will not stop him from being the Rookie of the Year. Once his defense improves, we could be seeing him as a consistent All-Star in a couple years.

3. Joel Embiid: Philadelphia 76ers

Embiid may have to sit out this entire upcoming season with his foot injury. Even if he doesn’t, it is unlikely that he will make an immediate impact. The 76ers are in full tanking mode at the moment, but there is no doubt that with a few more years of experience, the Sixers will become a legitimate title contender. Their whole team is still incredibly young, but their core for the future will likely be Michael Carter-Williams, Nerlens Noel and Embiid. If he stays healthy, Embiid will become an All-Star in just a few seasons.

4. Aaron Gordon: Orlando Magic

Aaron Gordon was the biggest surprise of the top five this year. He may be one of the most athletic players from the draft, but he lacks a strong offensive arsenal. He is a very limited scorer and will have problems putting up points during his rookie year. However, he is an attractive prospect because of his defense and his intangibles. He may turn out to be the perfect glue guy for the Magic, or any other team that he plays for. Gordon will make the All-NBA Rookie Second Team this year, but will work his way up toward the other elite prospects from the 2014 draft class.

5. Dante Exum: Utah Jazz

At 6’6, Dante Exum is no ordinary point guard. He has the length, strength and speed that gives him a clear advantage over his fellow guards, allowing him to break down an opposing defense and get to the basket. However, his inconsistent shooting will hold him back this season and cause him to struggle in the NBA. Opponents will recognize this weakness and force tough shots out of Exum. In addition, Exum must bulk up if he wants to get to the basket with ease. Although Exum will likely struggle in his rookie season, he has potential as a future All-Star. Exum and Trey Burke will be an intimidating backcourt in a few years once both player gain more experience. Exum should make the All-NBA Rookie Second Team.

Contact Ethan Teo at ethanteo99 ‘at’ gmail.com.

The post Teo: Analyzing the futures of the Top 5 2014 NBA Draft selections appeared first on The Stanford Daily.

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