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Ben McLemore quickly emerging as star of 2013 draft class
Sorry, Nerlens Noel: You are No. 1 no more.
After three straight months at the top spot on SI.com's NBA Draft Big Board, the Kentucky center has been knocked off. Team executives are quick to note that it's not a knock on Noel, who is still a strong candidate to go No. 1 to a team with a glaring need for frontcourt help. But McLemore, an NBA ready shooting guard who can score inside and out, and Muhammad, a prolific scorer who oozes superstar potential, are considered more dynamic players.
Keep an eye on some of the international prospects, too. What was once considered a weak foreign draft class has started to get a few team executives talking.
On to to the Big Board ...
Chris Mannix is a senior writer at Sports Illustrated covering the NBA and boxing beats. He joined the SI staff in 2003 following his graduation from Boston College. Mannix is the host of SI's "Open Floor" podcast and serves as a ringside analyst and reporter for DAZN Boxing. He is also a frequent contributor to NBC Sports Boston as an NBA analyst. A nominee for National Sportswriter of the Year in 2022, Mannix has won writing awards from the Boxing Writers Association of America and the Pro Basketball Writers Association, and is a longtime member of both organizations.
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