The NBA Draft 2014 is fast approaching and teams are working overtime to make sure they make the right choice. The draft is by no means an exact science with so many factors coming into play. One of the elements that scouts look out for is athleticism.

While we are no longer impressed by spectacular dunks the way we were a decade ago, athleticism is still one way to make the NBA. It's not about showmanship, it's survival at the highest level.

This year's draft class has shown superb athleticism at the top level. An Instagram photo of top draft prospect Andrew Wiggins displaying his vertical leap went viral. But while it was impressive, it is not at all unique.

The Los Angeles Lakers who hold the 7^th overall pick could not get a workout appointment with Andrew Wiggins since he is sure to be gone when the Lakers take their turn. But LA had as great of a show (maybe even better) with hometown UCLA point guard Zach Lavine.

He even recorded a 48-inch vertical leap. 

From SI.com's mock draft, here's the observation on Lavine:

"No player has more athletic potential in the 2014 draft than LaVine. Can he harness it? That remains to be seen. LaVine was the definition of streaky last year, shooting at a blistering clip in the first month of the season before tailing off badly at the end of it. LaVine is determined to become a point guard, though several interested teams see him as a two. It's similar to how some teams felt about another uber-athletic UCLA guard: Russell Westbrook."

Zach Lavine was not too noticed in college and did not even enter mock drafts until late last year. But draft picks are not based on college stats and there is no exact way to pinpoint what the scouts are looking for. Grantland illustrated this dilemma:

"You didn't notice because LaVine isn't anywhere close to the best basketball player available in this year's draft. He is, however, one of the top two or three athletes and he can both handle and shoot the ball. Plus, he was listed at 6-foot-3 coming out of high school last year, yet he was measured at 6-6 a few weeks ago at the NBA combine and he's still adding muscle. Add all of that up and you've got a player whose name won't be mentioned on draft night without the words 'potential' or 'upside.'"

Lavine getting picked 7^th is a stretch but not impossible. He plays point guard at 6-6 with mad athleticism. He will definitely be in the NBA next season. In the meantime watch his workout video and notice how his head is at the level of the basket when he dunks: