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Cleveland Cavaliers Pick Andrew Wiggins First in NBA Draft

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The Cleveland Cavaliers drafted Andrew Wiggins as the first pick in the 2014 NBA draft.

Wiggins, a small forward from Kansas, will play under David Blatt, a new coach for the Cavs. He has 20 years experience in Europe but is a first timer in the NBA. Cleveland fans hope that Wiggins will be joined by LeBron James, whose agent said he was opting out of his contract earlier this week.

Wiggins is known for his prowess on both sides of the court. Opponents shot only 32% against him last year. When asked how he’ll silence his critics, Wiggins said, “I’ve got to believe in myself before anyone else can.”

The Milwaukee Bucks chose Jabari Parker second in the draft. Largely considered the best overall player in his draft class, Parker averaged 19 points and 9 rebounds a game at his one season at Duke. Parker had said earlier this week that he expected to go to Wisconsin, just an hour and a half from his hometown of Chicago.

The Philadelphia 76ers took Joel Embiid from the University of Kansas as the third pick. Many agree he’s the number one overall prospect: he’s seven feet tall, 250 pounds. But he recently had surgery on his right foot, which meant he had to watch the draft from Los Angeles rather than attending at the Barclays Center.

MORE: 6 Things to Know About the NBA Draft

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Write to Eliana Dockterman at eliana.dockterman@time.com