Since people are keeping track of our race to the bottom to get the most lottery balls, it's worth checking back to see how important drafting high is. Obviously it's important in drafts where there's a franchise player (or two) - Shaq, Duncan, LeBron, et. al. But this year isn't one of those years. So how important is having a high pick? One way to judge is to go back and "re-do" recent drafts - that is, put them in the order the players have actually panned out. Of course this becomes more guesswork in recent drafts, because you don't get the long view (wasn't Damon ROY in the draft that had Garnett in it?), but what the hell, here goes (and please feel free to do your rankings)
2000 Draft, as it should have been (actual draft position in parentheses):
1. (43) Milwaukee Michael Redd Ohio State (Seriously!)
2. (1) New Jersey Kenyon Martin Cincinnati (score one for John Nash)
3. (8) Cleveland Jamal Crawford Michigan (at least, the way he's been playing lately)
4. (5) Orlando Mike Miller Florida
5. (19) Charlotte Jamaal Magloire Kentucky
6. (21) Toronto Morris Peterson Michigan State (Apparently now known as "Mr. Raptor")
7. (9) Houston Joel Przybilla Minnesota
All right, I'm already reaching! Man! What a sucky draft! And note that only 2 are still with the team that drafted them.
Others of "note", in no particular order of talent (just the order they were picked):
2. Vancouver Stromile Swift LSU
3. LA Clippers Darius Miles E. Stl Louis HS
7. Chicago Chris Mihm Texas
16. Sacramento Hidayet Turkoglu Efes Pilson (Turkey)
17. Seattle Desmond Mason Oklahoma State
18. LA Clippers Quentin Richardson DePaul
20. Philadelphia Speedy Claxton Hofstra
23. Utah DeShawn Stevenson Washington Union (HS)
25. Phoenix Iakovos Tsakalidis AEK (Greece) (He's just started to come alive)
27. Indiana Primoz Brezec Olympija Ljublijana (Slovenia)
29. LA Lakers Mark Madsen Stanford
And of course:
28. Portland Erick Barkley St. John's
Sheesh! If this year is like that, then who really cares where we pick?
2001:
1. (31) Golden State Gilbert Arenas Arizona (2 drafts in a row where the best player was drafted in the second round!)
2. (3) Atlanta Paul Gasol Spain (traded, lest we forget, for dear old SAR)
3. (28) San Antonio Tony Parker France (love that - college teams "France" "Spain")
4. (10) Boston Joe Johnson Arkansas
5. (5) Golden State Jason Richardson Michigan St.
6. (13) New Jersey Richard Jefferson Arizona
7. (19) Portland Zach Randolph Michigan St. (Yay for us!)
8. (4) Chicago Eddy Curry Thornwood HS
9. (2) Chicago Tyson Chandler Dominques HS (Clippers' best day ever!)
10. (14) Golden State Troy Murphy Notre Dame
11. (38) Detroit Mehmet Okur Turkey
12. (6) Vancouver Shane Battier Duke
13. (25) Sacramento Gerald Wallace Alabama
Others of note, in order of draft:
8. Cleveland DeSagna Diop Oak Hill Academy
12. Seattle Vladimir Radmanovic Yugoslavia
18. New Jersey Jason Collins Stanford
20. Orlando Brendan Haywood N. Carolina
26. Philadelphia Samuel Dalembert Seton Hall
27. Vancouver Jamaal Tinsley Iowa St.
40. Seattle Earl Watson UCLA
42. Washington Bobby Simmons DePaul
And, of course:
50. Portland Ruben Boumtje Boumtje Georgetown
Helped to get Rasheed drummed out of town by being such a tempting target.
Overall, some useful players, but only 3 or 4 bona fide stars, and no "super" stars. Of the top picks, only Pau Gasol and Jason Richardson really deserved it.
2002:
1. (9) Phoenix Amare Stoudemire Cypress Creek HS (Although, who knows? Maybe injuries will do for him as they did for #2 pick Jay Williams)
2. (1) Houston Yao Ming China (Arguably now #1 given recent stats)
3. (23) Detroit Tayshaun Prince Kentucky
4. (35) Cleveland Carlos Boozer Duke (Another good second rounder)
5. (24) New Jersey Nenad Krstic Yugoslavia (Quietly becoming one of the best centers around)
6. (4) Memphis Drew Gooden Kansas (Still don't like him, but not much better below)
7. (10) Miami Caron Butler Connecticut
8. (7) Denver Maybyner Hilario Brazil (Will he ever pan out?
9. (8) Clippers Chris Wilcox Maryland (Could vault higher, but I can't quite believe he got that much better between LA and Seattle)
The rest (including some furrners who haven't arrived yet):
3. Golden State Mike Dunleavy Jr. Duke
11. Washington Jared Jeffries Indiana
14. Indiana Frederick Jones Oregon
17. Washington Juan Dixon Maryland
21. Portland Qyntel Woods NE Mississippi JC (Blazers insist they heard "He competes
like a pit bull." In fact,
with.)
26. Philadelphia John Salmons Miami Fla
34. Milwaukee Dan Gadzuric UCLA
37. Atlanta David Andersen Australia
40. Washington Juan Navarro Spain
41. Orlando Mario Kasun Croatia
42. Milwaukee Ronald Murray Shaw
50. Boston Darius Songaila Wake Forest
53. Miami Rasual Butler La Salle
56. San Antonio Luis Scola Argentina
And of course, for barfo:
43. Portland Jason Jennings Arkansas St.
Of the top picks (where we'll be picking) only Yao Ming deserved to be there. Yikes.
2003:
1. (1) Cleveland LeBron James
2. (5) Miami Dwyane Wade
3. (4) Toronto Chris Bosh
4. (3) Denver Carmelo Anthony
5. (29) Dallas Josh Howard
6. (7) Chicago Kirk Hinrich
7. (6) Clippers Chris Kaman
8. (18) New Orleans David West
9. (21) Atlanta Boris Diaw
10. (14) Seattle Luke Ridnour
11. (8) Milwaukee T.J. Ford
12. (12) Seattle Nick Collison
13. (28) San Antonio Leandrinho Barbosa
Now you're talking! Much more sensible drafting. And a LOT of decent players, along with 4 possible superstars, all taken in the top 5. But of course, this is one of the all-time great drafts, along with 1984. *Sigh* - will we ever see its like again?
Leftovers:
2. Detroit Darko Milicic
9. New York Michael Sweetney
10. Wachington Jarvis Hayes
11. Golden State Mickael Pietrus
13. Memphis Marcus Banks
20. Boston Dahntay Jones
22. New Jersey Zoran Planinic
23. Portland Travis Outlaw (not TOO terrible - except we could've had Howard, or even Barbosa)
24. Lakers Brian Cook
25. Detroit Carlos Delfino
27. Memphis Kendrick Perkins
32. Lakers Luke Walton
38. Washington Steve Blake (yay!)
41. Seattle Willie Green
42. Orlando Zaur Pachulia
43. Milwaukee Keith Bogans
45. Chicago Matt Bonner (The Red Rocket!)
47. Utah Maurice Williams
49. Indiana James Jones
51. New Jersey Kyle Korver
And, of course:
54. Portland Nedzad Sinanovic
2004:
1. Orlando Dwight Howard
2. Charlotte Emeka Okafor
3. Chicago Ben Gordon
4. Clippers Shaun Livingston
Pretty much right on, if you think that Livingston is going to live up to Bill Simmons' hype.
5. (9) Philadelphia Andre Iguodala
6. (5) Dallas Devin Harris
7. (7) Chicago Luol Deng (He WILL bring home the World Championship for Great Britain!)
8. (17) Atlanta Josh Smith
9. (26) Sacramento Kevin Martin
10. (12) Seattle Robert Swift (Starting to show why Danny Ainge lusted after him)
11. (38) Chicago Chris Duhon (Chicago was much better last year when he played more)
12. (20) Denver Jameer Nelson (Really looking good lately)
13. (6) Atlanta Josh Childress (Still love the 'fro)
The rest of the first round are mostly okay, except for the following who look bust-esque:
8. Toronto Rafael Araujo
10. Cleveland Luke Jackson
11. Golden State Andris Biedrins
21. Utah Pavel Podkolzine (Didn't Chad Ford think he should go #1?)
Then:
13. Portland Sebastian Telfair
14. Utah Kris Humphries
15. Boston Al Jefferson
16. Utah Kirk Snyder
18. New Orleans J.R. Smith
19. Miami Dorell Wright
22. New Jersey Viktor Khryapa
23. Portland Sergei Monia
24. Boston Delonte West
25. Boston Tony Allen
27. Lakers Sasha Vujacic
28. San Antonio Beno Udrih
29. Indiana David Harrison
The second round was
really patchy:
30. Orlando Anderson Varejao
31. Chicago Jackson Vroman
37. Atlanta Royal Ivey
43. New York Trevor Ariza
45. Charlotte Bernard Robinson
47. Miami Pape Sow ("I am KING of the D-League!")
And of course:
46. Portland Ha Seung Hin
Which brings us to:
2005:
1. (4) New Orleans Chris Paul
2. (8) New York Channing Frye (unless he's injury-prone)
3. (7) Toronto Charlie Vlllanueva (unless he really is a headcase)
4. (1) Milwaukee Andrew Bogut (the only guy I wanted, looks very average)
5. (5) Charlotte Raymond Felton (have you seen the numbers he's been putting up?)
6. (3) Utah Deron Williams (looking better recently, especially when he plays Chris Paul)
7. (17) Indiana Danny Granger (I think he'll be really good)
8. (9) Golden State Ike Diogu
9 (14). Minnesota Rashad McCants (breakout games now the season's over)
The rest are a mixed bag:
25. Seattle Johan Petro
32. Clippers Daniel Ewing
30. New York David Lee
2. Atlanta Marvin Williams
24. Houston Luther Head
31. Atlanta Salim Stoudamire
50. Boston Ryan Gomes
6. Portland Martell Webster
The remaining possibly useful players:
10. Lakers Andrew Bynum
12. Clipper Yaroslav Korolev
13. Charlotte Sean May
15. New Jersey Antoine Wright
16. Toronto Joey Graham
18. Boston Gerald Green
19. Memphis Hakim Warrick
20. Denver Julius Hodge
23. Sacramento Francisco Garcia
37. Lakers Ronny Turiaf
39. Lakers Von Wafer
40. Golden State Monta Ellis
44. Orlando Martynas Andruiskevicius (Didn't Chad Ford think he should go #1?)
45. Philadelphia Louis WIlliams
53. Boston Orien Greene
Either draft evaluators have gotten a lot better since 2002, or it's just that it's too soon really to tell, but the past 3 drafts have looked a good deal better for people with high picks.
Well, I've wasted FAR too much time on this...
