Amazing scouting is getting top-notch value after pick #10. The Thunder benefited from some "cant miss" guys. For a counter-example of how this doesn't always work, there is the NHL's Edmonton Oilers. They have had top picks for almost 10 years now with "can't miss" prospects (Gagner, Hall, Nugent-Hopkins, Paajarvi, Eberle, Yakupov) and are still a basement dweller. The 76ers better hope that a Thunder-style strategy works for them. It's rare.
Do the Rockets have the best all-time list of players who they didn't draft??? James Harden Dwight Howard Josh Smith Tracy McGrady Dikembe Mutombo Charles Barkley Clyde Drexler Scottie Pippen Moses Malone
Their scouting/player development is amazing. Durant, Harden, WB and Ibaka are all elite players then you have Reggie Jackson, Andre Roberson (Fantastic defender), Perry Jones (Has been playing very well) and Steven Adams
Dang, ya that's pretty good...although I don't really count Kobe since they got him on Draft day and he's played his whole career in LA
The 2009 draft may become a top 3 draft year of all time. So many star players! 2009 draft: Blake Griffin James Harden Stephen Curry Tyreke Evans Ricky Rubio DeMar DeRozan Brandon Jennings Jrue Holiday Ty Lawson Jeff Teague Darren Collison Taj Gibson DeJuan Blair Patrick Beverley Danny Green
KD WB Harden+Ibaka Consecutive drafts like that will never happen again. Yet, some people will still refer to the "OKC model" as the way to build a team. That mold was broken. Whether it was Presti's call or Clay Bennett forcing his hand, OKC letting Harden go was a monumental mistake they will never live down. If the Rockets win a championship led by Harden, a bust of Presti should be put outside Toyota Center.
It's been a minute since we've had a top 10 pick We had the No. 8 pick in 2006 and the No. 1 pick in 02 (selecting the correct player IMO) Its hard to draft a star when you very rarely have a top 5 pick... (2 top 5 picks in the last 30 years and both were super-star talents) Spurs just struck gold/ tanked with Duncan
Funny? Why is it funny? Spoiler East Top 8 Raptors: Lowry(TRADE); DeRozan(DRAFT; 1-9); Ross(DRAFT; 1-8); Johnson(TRADE); Valanciunas(DRAFT; 1-5) ----- Patterson(TRADE); Williams(TRADE); Vasquez(TRADE); Johnson(FA); Hansbrough(FA) Hawks: Teague(DRAFT; 1-19); Korver(TRADE); Carroll(FA); Millsap(FA); Horford(DRAFT; 1-3) ----- Schröder(DRAFT; 1-17); Sefolosha(TRADE); Scott(DRAFT; 2-43); Antic(FA); Mack(FA) Wizards: Wall(DRAFT; 1-1); Beal(DRAFT; 1-3); Pierce(FA); Nene(TRADE); Gortat(TRADE) ----- Humphries(TRADE); Butler(FA); Porter(DRAFT; 1-3); Seraphin(TRADE); Temple(FA); Miller(TRADE) Bulls: Rose(DRAFT; 1-1); Butler(DRAFT; 1-30); Dunleavy(FA); Gasol(FA); Noah(DRAFT; 1-9) ----- Hinrich(FA/Draft; 1-7); Brooks(FA); Mirotic(TRADE); Snell(DRAFT; 1-20) Cavs: Irving(DRAFT; 1-1); Waiters(DRAFT; 1-4); James(FA/DRAFT; 1-1); Love(TRADE); Varejao(TRADE) ----- Thompson(DRAFT; 1-4); Marion(FA); Miller(FA); Dellavedova(FA); Harris(DRAFT; 2-33) Bucks: Marshall(FA); Knight(TRADE); Antetokounmpo(DRAFT; 1-15); O'Bryant(DRAFT; 2-36); Pachulia(FA) ----- Mayo(FA); Parker(DRAFT; 1-2); Dudley(TRADE); Middleton(TRADE); Bayless(FA); Ilyasova(DRAFT; 2-36); Henson(DRAFT; 1-14) Heat: Chalmers(TRADE); Wade(DRAFT; 1-5); Deng(FA); Williams(FA); Andersen(FA) ----- Bosh(TRADE); Cole(TRADE); Napier(TRADE); Ennis(FA); Haslem(FA); McRoberts(FA); Hamilton(FA); Granger(FA) Nets: Jack(TRADE); Johnson(TRADE); Karasev(TRADE); Garnett(TRADE); Plumlee(DRAFT; 1-22) ----- Williams(TRADE); Bogdanovic(FA); Anderson(FA); Teletovic(FA); Lopez(DRAFT; 1-10) West Top 12 Warriors: Curry(DRAFT; 1-7); Thompson(DRAFT; 1-11); Barnes(DRAFT; 1-7); Green(DRAFT; 2-35); Speights(FA) ----- Iguodala(TRADE); Livingston(FA); Bogut(TRADE); Barbosa(FA); Ezeli(DRAFT; 1-30); Rush(FA); Holiday(FA); Lee(TRADE); Kuzmic(DRAFT; 2-52) Blazers: Lillard(DRAFT; 1-6); Matthews(FA); Batum(TRADE); Aldridge(TRADE); Freeland(DRAFT; 1-30) ----- Lopez(TRADE); Blake(FA); Kaman(FA); Crabbe(TRADE); McCollum(DRAFT; 1-10); Robinson(TRADE); Barton(DRAFT; 2-40); Wright(FA); Leonard(DRAFT; 1-11) Rockets: Beverley(FA); Harden(TRADE); Ariza(FA); Smith(FA); Howard(FA) ----- Terry(TRADE); Papanikolaou(TRADE); Canaan(DRAFT; 2-34); Dorsey(FA); Johnson(DRAFT; 2-42); Jones(DRAFT; 1-18); Brewer(TRADE); Shved(TRADE) Grizzlies: Conley(DRAFT; 1-4); Lee(TRADE); Allen(FA); Randolph(TRADE); Gasol(TRADE) ----- Udrih(FA); Carter(FA); Leuer(TRADE); Prince(TRADE); Pondexter(TRADE); Koufos(TRADE) Mavs: Rondo(TRADE); Ellis(FA); Parsons(FA); Nowitzki(TRADE); Chandler(TRADE) ----- Harris(FA); Barea(FA); Aminu(FA); Jefferson(FA); Smith(TRADE); Villanueva(FA) Clippers: Paul(TRADE); Redick(TRADE); Barnes(FA); Griffin(DRAFT; 1-1); Jordan(DRAFT; 2-35) ----- Crawford(FA); Farmar(FA); Hawes(FA); Davis(FA); Turkoglu(FA); Bullock(DRAFT; 1-25) Spurs: Parker(DRAFT; 1-28); Green(FA); Anderson(DRAFT; 1-30); Duncan(DRAFT; 1-1); Splitter(DRAFT; 1-28) ----- Diaw(FA); Joseph(DRAFT; 1-29); Leonard(TRADE); Ginobili(DRAFT; 2-57); Belinelli(FA); Baynes(FA); Bonner(TRADE); Daye(TRADE); Ayres(FA) Suns: Bledsoe(TRADE); Dragic(FA); Tucker(FA); 'Keef Morris(DRAFT; 1-13); Len(DRAFT; 1-5) ----- 'Cus Morris(TRADE); Green(TRADE); Plumlee(TRADE); Thomas(TRADE) Pelicans: Holiday(TRADE); Evans(TRADE); Babbitt(FA); Davis(DRAFT; 1-1); Asik(TRADE) ----- Anderson(TRADE); Rivers(DRAFT; 1-10); Gordon(TRADE); Cunningham(FA); Salmons(FA); Ajinca(FA); Fredette(FA); Withey(TRADE) Thunder: Westbrook(DRAFT; 1-4); Roberson(TRADE); Jones(DRAFT; 1-28); Ibaka(DRAFT; 1-24); Adams(DRAFT; 1-12) ----- Durant(DRAFT; 1-2); Jackson(DRAFT; 1-24); Morrow(FA); Perkins(TRADE); Lamb(TRADE); Collison(DRAFT; 1-12); Thomas(FA) Kings: Collison(FA); McLemore(DRAFT; 1-7); Gay(TRADE); Thompson(DRAFT; 1-12); Cousins(DRAFT; 1-5) ----- Landry(FA); Sessions(FA); Casspi(FA/Draft; 1-23); Stauskas(DRAFT; 1-8); Evans(TRADE); Williams(TRADE); McCallum(DRAFT; 2-36) Nuggets: Lawson(TRADE); Afflalo(TRADE); Chandler(TRADE); Faried(DRAFT; 1-22); Mozgov(TRADE) ----- Gallinari(TRADE); Arthur(TRADE); Hickson(FA); Robinson(FA); Gee(FA); Nurkic(TRADE); Foye(TRADE); Harris(TRADE); McGee(TRADE) Notice all the top five-top ten picks? I'd sure hope those franchises have superstars! Not as if the Rockets have had multiple top 5(or even top 10) picks and have blown them. The last top 10 pick the Rockets had? 2006 - Rudy Gay (who was traded 14 days later). Before that? 2002 - Yao Ming, first overall. Then 2000, 9th overall they took Joel Przybilla, who they traded on draft night. Then go all the way to 1983 and 1984: Sampson, McCray and Hakeem.
Memphis Grizzlies had two of the biggest mistakes in draft history and somehow they weren't catastrophic decisions. #1 - Drafting Thabeet over Harden #2 - Trading Kevin Love on draft day away for OJ Mayo Grizz came awfully close to having a core of Gasol, Conley, Love & Harden.
A combination, but there is quite a bit of luck. Presti has proven to be a pretty good drafter more so than trading/FA GM BUT: Presti first of all had 3 top 5 picks (that helps a lot unless you are Cleveland). 2007: IIRC, Presti offered the #2 pick and Rashard for the #1 pick (Oden), but luckily got turned down and Durant fell in his lap. 2008: Presti had a choice between Westbrook or Love, either one would have made Presti look like genius 2009: Credit here, Harden was one of many choices here. The biggest blunder of this year's draft was Minny passing on Curry, EVERYONE was sure they would take him instead took Flynn. KAHN! Their later picks like Ibaka and Jackson were fantastic picks, but they look a lot better/had a good chance to develop and learn being in a situation with 2 top 10 talents.
