At least our boy is one of the only few that smiled.. I never understood the "I TOO COOL TO SMILE, BUT I'M GOING TO SIT HERE AND HOLD MY NUTS" thing..
I like that guys attitude. The more i see of him and the more and more I read about the guy he reminds me of Sam I am his rookie year. I really hope JVG gives him some playing time. I know he doesn't like using young players but still.... he's got some juevos and some serious serious hops. I don't know if he's the distributing type but he's definitely a guy that can bring the ball up and pass to Tmac or take it in on his own. I think his young legs and feel good smiling attitude could really be a pick me upper energizer off the bench.
I agree. These guys should be smiling all the time since most of them have or will become millionaires.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2005/index Last 10 drafts: Grades How about some do-overs?: 1995 | '96 | '97 | '98 | '99 2000 | '01 | '02 | '03 | '04 ---That's insider stuff write there. Thanks for your help. I'd like to see what they say. Mubeen
--bumpin up the thread, can someone please post those draft do overs up there, i'd really like to see them; especially the Jason Collier one
1995 Golden State Joe Smith Kevin Garnett The most obvious no-brainer on this whole list, even more than LeBron James. Garnett is the only superstar from a draft with several good players and few great ones, but he lasted until the fifth pick because teams were wary of drafting a player straight out of high school. Thanks to him, that fear has vanished. L.A. Clippers Antonio McDyess Rasheed Wallace Yes, the attitude in Portland was a problem. But even while 'Sheed was setting technical foul records and going out of his way not to post up smaller players, he was playing great D, scoring in the high teens and shooting a good percentage from the field. It's amazing that Wallace can rank this high while not coming close to using all his potential at the offensive end. Philadelphia Jerry Stackhouse Antonio McDyess This was probably the best draft for power forwards in the past 20 years, and yet the Warriors got Joe Smith at No. 1. Go figure. McDyess had a higher peak than Wallace, but it's tough to rank him ahead when he a) missed nearly three years with injuries and b) is currently Wallace's backup. Washington Rasheed Wallace Michael Finley Finley vs. McDyess is a tough call because Finley has been much more durable and has two All-Star trips to Dice's one. But two things weigh in McDyess' favor: His monster 1998-99 season (when the All-Star Game was cancelled by the lockout) and the fact that, right now, McDyess is again the better player. Minnesota Kevin Garnett Jerry Stackhouse An outstanding scorer in his prime, Stackhouse's 29.8 per game average in 2000-01 is easily the best of any player from this draft. However, he has little defensive value, he's had a series of leg injuries and he's a career 41 percent shooter. Vancouver (Memphis) Bryant Reeves Damon Stoudamire It's kind of shocking to see players like Garnett, Wallace and McDyess and then realize that Mighty Mouse was the Rookie of the Year from this class, believe it or not, and the man he beat out wasn't even from this draft (Arvydas Sabonis, who came in second, was drafted nine years earlier). Toronto Damon Stoudamire Brent Barry He's got a dunk title and a championship ring but amazingly has never won the 3-point contest. Actually, his shot deserted him for a couple seasons in mid-career, which is why he didn't become a full-time starter until he was 30. Portland Shawn Respert Joe Smith He was one of the least productive No. 1 overall picks in history, but he still turned out to be a decent player. Smith's problem was that he was too lean to bang effectively against the meatier power forwards in the NBA, and it appears scouts overestimated his athleticism. New Jersey Ed O'Bannon Theo Ratliff An amazing shot-blocker who led the league three times, Ratliff somehow was All-Defense only twice – and had to settle for second team each time. He'd rate higher if he did more offensively and on the boards, but his career averages of 8.3 points and 6.3 rebounds make him a one-trick pony. Miami Kurt Thomas Kurt Thomas The newest member of the Suns – assuming the Phoenix-New York trade goes through – missed two of his first three seasons with ankle injuries after leading the nation in scoring and rebounding in college. As a result, he didn't become a starter until his seventh season. Milwaukee Gary Trent Corliss Williamson One of the first in a series of solid drafts by Sacramento in the mid-'90s, Williamson was the pawn the Kings eventually used to trade for Doug Christie. Big Nasty has been an effective scorer at either forward spot, earning the Sixth Man Award in Detroit in 2002. Dallas Cherokee Parks Bob Sura Sura has had the misfortune of playing his best for horrible teams. He had a great year off the bench for a horrible Golden State team in 2001-02 and then came from nowhere to energize a moribund Hawks club in 2003-04. Sacramento Corliss Williamson Alan Henderson Henderson won the league's Most Improved Player award in 1997-98 but couldn't shake the injury bug in subsequent seasons. The injuries started right after he signed a huge contract, which is one of many reasons the Hawks declined rapidly in the late '90s.
Philadelphia Allen Iverson Kobe Bryant In one of the great draft moves in history, the Lakers traded Vlade Divac to Charlotte for Bryant, who the Hornets had just selected with the No. 13 pick. Normally one would say L.A. overpaid by giving up Divac for a mid-first-rounder, but not in this case. Meanwhile, the Sixers passed up the chance to keep Kobe in his hometown. Toronto Marcus Camby Allen Iverson Beats out Bryant in MVPs, scoring titles and jersey sales but lags well behind in the things that win games. Iverson's 41.8 percent shooting can't match Kobe's 45.2 percent, and Kobe's advantage in True Shooting Percentage is even greater. Vancouver (Memphis) Shareef Abdur-Rahim Ray Allen The Bucks traded Stephon Marbury to get the "lesser" player in Allen, but I doubt they're upset about the trade. He's been a reliable All-Star-caliber performer but amazingly was only the third-best shooting guard in his class. Milwaukee Stephon Marbury Jermaine O'Neal O'Neal's best seasons are slightly better than Allen's, but he's had far fewer of them because he was stuck on the pine in Portland for so long. Still, it's rare for the best big man in a draft class to be selected with the 17th overall pick, so kudos to the Blazers for that. Minnesota Ray Allen Stephon Marbury Players No. 5 through 9 on this list may surprise you, because they run counter to how the players are perceived today. In general, it's best to understand the rankings not by asking "Who is better right now?" but rather "Who has been better to have since 1996?" For instance, Steve Nash was undeniably better than Marbury last season. But for the first five years of his career, Nash was a secondary player while Marbury was a star. So would you rather draft Marbury and get 18 and 8 right away or take Nash and wait six years for him to become an All-Star? Marbury outrated Nash in his first five seasons, and in four of them the difference was enormous. His career PER still comfortably tops Nash, and he's been more durable, too. Boston Antoine Walker Shareef Abdur-Rahim This may surprise you even more than the Marbury rating, but Abdur-Rahim produced immediately (18.7 ppg as a rookie), stayed at a high level (career averages of 19.8 ppg and 8.1 rpg) and, until last year, never got hurt. As a result, he has a higher career PER than all but the top three players on the 1996 list and ranks fourth from his class in minutes played. 'Reef takes a lot of unfair abuse for not making the playoffs, but he wasn't the one choosing his teammates. L.A. Clippers Lorenzen Wright Steve Nash His past three seasons are better than anything that Marbury and Abdur-Rahim have done, but his overall contribution still falls short compared to theirs. If I were Minnesota and had today's salary cap rules on my side (so that Marbury couldn't have forced his way out so easily), I still would have preferred the immediate juice from Marbury to the long lag time with Nash. New Jersey Kerry Kittles Peja Stojakovic From 1996 to 2001, a few smart teams realized they could draft international players in the first round and get huge talents at discount prices. Stojakovic, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Dirk Nowitzki, Andrei Kirilenko, Manu Ginobili, Primoz Brezec, Hedo Turkoglu, Marko Jaric, Pau Gasol and Vladimir Radmanovic were all obtained this way, but the trend suddenly careened off the tracks with the selection of Nikoloz Tskitishvili in 2002. Dallas Samaki Walker Ben Wallace Big Ben went undrafted, but that was clearly an oversight. The three-time defensive player of the year could arguably rank higher – and probably would but for his miserable offensive output. Nonetheless, it's safe to say Dallas would have preferred Wallace at No. 9 to its actual pick – Samaki Walker. Indiana Erick Dampier Zydrunas Ilgauskas Yet another All-Star-caliber player from the 1996 draft and the third star big man to be snubbed in the lottery. Ilgauskas went 20th overall to the Cavs in '96 and he wasn't even their favorite pick – Cleveland had taken Vitaly Potapenko at No. 12. Golden State Todd Fuller Antoine Walker It's unusual for a three-time All-Star to only be the 11th-best player from a draft class. But then again, it's rare for a single draft to produce 11 All-Stars, and Walker is pretty clearly the worst of the 11. Cleveland Vitaly Potapenko Marcus Camby On a per-minute basis, Walker can't light a candle to Camby. Unfortunately, Camby's availability has been an issue. Since the Raptors selected him with the second overall pick, Cotton Camby has barely played half as many minutes as Walker thanks to a stunning variety of injuries. Charlotte (New Orleans) Kobe Bryant Kerry Kittles The eighth overall pick, Kittles would have justified that selection in almost any other draft. He beat out several other quality players – including Erick Dampier, Malik Rose, Jerome Williams and Derek Fisher – to grab the final lottery spot in this exercise.
1997 Lottery Picks San Antonio Tim Duncan Tim Duncan Safe to say that if the Spurs could do it all over again, they'd pick the three-time Finals MVP again and not think twice about it. Philadelphia Keith Van Horn Tracy McGrady Isiah Thomas has taken a lot of heat for some of his other moves, but this one was brilliant. As GM of the Raptors, Isiah made McGrady the ninth overall pick – behind guys like Tony Battie and Adonal Foyle – and T-Mac turned into one of the game's premier scorers. Boston Chauncey Billups Chauncey Billups The Celtics were wise to take Billups with the third overall pick but didn't have the patience to see it through. Billups would later join the Pistons and become the most anonymous Finals MVP in league history. Vancouver (Memphis) Antonio Daniels Keith Van Horn This draft starts nosediving after the top three players. Van Horn is easily No. 4, even though he never quite lived up to his billing coming out of Utah, because he's the only other player from this draft who could score in the 20s. Denver Tony Battie Derek Anderson Knee injuries have basically destroyed his career, but he averaged double figures in his first seven seasons and played solid D to boot. Boston Ron Mercer Bobby Jackson Jackson's career got off to a slow start in Minnesota, but he's become one of the league's best sixth men in Sacramento. Amazingly, he's never won the Sixth Man Award. New Jersey Tim Thomas Brevin Knight The Cavs rebuilt their team in this draft by taking Anderson 13th and Knight 16th. While Knight has bounced around in recent years, he's had an extremely effective career for a 5-10 guard with no jump shot. Golden State Adonal Foyle Danny Fortson And now we really start scraping the barrel. Fortson averaged a double-double twice and might be the best rebounder of the past decade, but his other contributions have been minimal. Toronto Tracy McGrady Antonio Daniels The Grizzlies took Daniels with the No. 4 overall pick and quickly regretted it: A year later he was traded to San Antonio. His career seemed stalled but blossomed when he went to Seattle two years ago. Milwaukee Danny Fortson Stephen Jackson A second-round pick of the Suns, Jackson played in just about every godforsaken town in North America before eventually sticking with the Spurs three years ago. If he has a couple more seasons like the last two, he should move up a few spots. Sacramento Tariq Abdul-Wahad Tim Thomas Traded twice for Van Horn but hasn't been nearly as good a player. He's managed to score double figures in all but one season, but that 4.0 career rebound average is embarrassing for a 6-10 forward. Indiana Austin Croshere Kelvin Cato The Mavs drafted Cato at No. 15 and immediately traded him to Portland for Chris Anstey. Oops. After Duncan, Cato is the best defender from this draft class. Cleveland Derek Anderson Austin Croshere Croshere has done nothing terribly exceptional in his career, but nobody rated below him has either, and somebody has to be No. 13 on this list. Though he's never been a starter, Croshere did have a huge year off the bench for the Pacers' 2000 finalists.
1998 Lottery Picks L.A. Clippers Michael Olowokandi Dirk Nowitzki I think it's safe to say the Bucks would undo the Dirk-for-Tractor Traylor trade if they had to do it all over again. With five straight all-NBA selections, Nowitzki edges out Vince Carter and Paul Pierce despite giving the Mavs nothing as a rookie. Vancouver (Memphis) Mike Bibby Vince Carter The most talented player from this draft, but he hasn't been the best due to intermittent bouts of lethargy. Golden State foolishly swapped him to Toronto for Antawn Jamison on draft day, but that trade looked like a steal compared to the scraps the Raptors got when they sent Carter to New Jersey. Denver Raef LaFrentz Paul Pierce Pierce and Carter were extremely close in the battle for No. 2, but Pierce never approached the high-water marks that Carter achieved in 2000 or 2005. Still, The Truth didn't turn out bad for a No. 10 overall pick. Toronto Antawn Jamison Brad Miller Just to show you that scouts don't always know what they're doing, Michael Olowokandi was the consensus choice as the No. 1 overall pick in 1998, while Miller went undrafted. Now Miller is a vital cog in one of the league's best offensive teams, while the Kandi Man has been exposed as a fraud. Golden State Vince Carter Antawn Jamison A consistently outstanding scorer and consistently awful defender, Jamison gets the edge on Rashard Lewis with the No. 5 pick because he delivered results immediately (19.6 ppg in his second season) and almost never misses a game. Dallas Robert Traylor Rashard Lewis The Sonics got a steal when they took the 6-10 forward out of high school in the second round. Lewis had his first 20-point season in 2004-05 and made his first All-Star team. Sacramento Jason Williams Mike Bibby The second overall pick by Vancouver, Bibby hasn't quite lived up to that billing but has turned into one of the game's better point guards. Could go down as one of the best ever never to play in an All-Star Game. Philadelphia Larry Hughes Larry Hughes Hughes was a tough player to rank. His 2004-05 season (22.0 ppg, 6.3 rpg, league lead in steals) crushes anything Bibby or Lewis have done, but his other seasons haven't been nearly as impressive. We'll make Hughes do it again before moving him up. Milwaukee Dirk Nowitzki Raef LaFrentz Forced to play out of position at center for much of his career, LaFrentz nonetheless has been a solid scorer and shot-blocker. However, the Nuggets have to regret taking him at No. 3 ahead of Carter, Pierce and Nowitzki. Boston Paul Pierce Cuttino Mobley The Rockets grabbed Mobley with the 41st overall pick, right between Korleone Young and Miles Simon. He's turned into a career 17.1 ppg scorer and one of the game's better 3-point shooters. Detroit Bonzi Wells Ruben Patterson Docked him points for the attitude, but he still shows up as the clear choice at No. 11. Patterson's career numbers would be much better if he hadn't been stuck behind Rashard Lewis in Seattle and Scottie Pippen in Portland, but even so he's a 51 percent career shooter who averages in double figures. Orlando Michael Doleac Bonzi Wells Another player whose surly attitude hurt his ranking, Wells was the No. 11 pick by Detroit but was immediately traded to Portland. A devastating low-post player before his knee blew out, he hasn't been the same since. Orlando Keon Clark Ricky Davis Can we just call this the attitude draft? In addition to Carter, Patterson, Wells and Davis, this draft also featured bad apples like Jason Williams, Rafer Alston, Keon Clark and Jerome James. At least Davis has cleaned up his act a bit in Boston.
1999 Lottery Picks Chicago Elton Brand Elton Brand Choosing between Brand and Kirilenko for the top spot is extremely tough, but Kirilenko stayed in Russia for two years while Brand was giving the Bulls a double-double right away, so he's the pick. Vancouver (Memphis) Steve Francis Andrei Kirilenko The No. 24 pick to Utah was one of the best selections in recent draft history. He's only made one All-Star team but is a legendary stat-sheet stuffer who twice had a "5x5" (five or more points, assists, rebounds, steals and blocks) in 2003-04. Charlotte (New Orleans) Baron Davis Shawn Marion The GMs didn't screw this draft up. Of the first 10 picks in the 1999 draft, nine turned into good players and the 10th (Jonathan Bender) probably would have too if not for knee problems. Marion, at No. 9, was even better than most. L.A. Clippers Lamar Odom Manu Ginobili Stolen by the Spurs with the second-to-last pick in the draft, Ginobili has helped San Antonio to two titles in his three NBA seasons. Putting him ahead of the next four point guards was a tough call but his peak has been higher than the others' and he's the best defender of the bunch. Toronto Jonathan Bender Steve Francis The second overall pick shared Rookie of the Year honors with Brand but has been a slight disappointment since. He's made three All-Star teams, but has never fully grasped running the point. Minnesota Wally Szczerbiak Andre Miller He led the league in assists at Cleveland and then turned into more of a scoring point guard with the Nuggets. Let's just forget that year with the Clippers ever happened. Washington Richard Hamilton Baron Davis Davis was another tough player to rank. When healthy, he's been better than Francis or Miller, but he's been injured so regularly that the other two still have provided more value. Cleveland Andre Miller Jason Terry Like Francis, he's a scoring guard who hasn't developed as much as a passer, although Terry is less likely to dribble out the shot clock. However, his defensive shortcomings hurt his ranking. Phoenix Shawn Marion Lamar Odom Would rank higher if he hadn't been injured so much with the Clippers, and if parts of his career hadn't gone up in smoke, thanks to his mar1juana suspensions. Atlanta Jason Terry Corey Maggette One could argue that Maggette should rank ahead of Odom because he's had back-to-back 20-point seasons, but it's hard to rate Maggette higher when a) he was Odom's backup and b) he plays absolutely no defense. Cleveland Trajan Langdon Richard Hamilton Rip's 17.2 per game career scoring average is impressive, but it's the only category where he delivers. In a draft this strong, that relegates him to No. 11 despite his key role on a championship team. Toronto Aleksandar Radojevic Ron Artest Artest is extremely difficult to rank, because in his best season, 2003-04, he was vastly superior to all but the top three players. The two things that hurt him are: a) his other seasons weren't nearly as impressive, and b) he is, shall we say, unreliable. If Artest comes back and puts together two more seasons like 2003-04, he'll move way up the list. Seattle Corey Maggette Wally Szczerbiak Szczerbiak is the last consistent scorer from this draft – after him there's a dropoff to the Kenny Thomases and Jeff Fosters of the world. Wally World's one All-Star selection was a joke, but 50 percent career shooting from a guard is nothing to sneeze at.
2000 Lottery Picks New Jersey Kenyon Martin Michael Redd Somehow I doubt that when the Bucks chose Redd at No. 43, they thought they were getting the best player in the draft. It might surprise some to see him ahead of K-Mart, but Redd has had a higher PER than Martin in each of the past four seasons, and in two of the four years it wasn't even close. Vancouver (Memphis) Stromile Swift Kenyon Martin For a No. 1 overall pick, Martin's production has been a slight disappointment. But compared to the other dead wood in this draft – easily the worst group in the past decade – it appears the Nets still made a good pick. L.A. Clippers Darius Miles Jamaal Magloire Only three players from this class made an All-Star team – Magloire, Martin and Redd – and each has only made it once. Magloire has only had two full seasons as a starter, but he still ends up as the No. 3 pick in this desultory group. Chicago Marcus Fizer Stromile Swift An effective scorer and rebounder, Swift has been trapped behind Pau Gasol in Memphis but might get a chance to shine now that he's a free agent. Time's-a-wasting for Swift – he's spent five years as a reserve when he could have started for several other teams. Orlando Mike Miller Primoz Brezec Brezec has been a starter for only one year, but that was as much due to the Pacers' deep frontcourt as his own skills. He blossomed last season once the Bobcats liberated him in the expansion draft, and should be a quality center for years. Atlanta DerMarr Johnson Darius Miles Arguably the most talented player from the class of 2000, Miles has done remarkably little with his ability thus far. However, Miles outranks Miller and Richardson because he's still young enough to have a breakout year. Chicago Chris Mihm Mike Miller Miller won Rookie of the Year in 2000-01 mainly because they had to give it to somebody, and he wasn't quite as awful as the competition. He's averaged double figures in all five pro seasons, but done little to suggest stardom is around the corner. Cleveland Jamal Crawford Quentin Richardson Richardson was an excellent pick by the Clippers at No. 18, but Brandy's beau has battled injuries and inconsistency since a promising rookie season. However, he was a vital cog in the Suns' 62-win season this year and plays more defense than some of the other posers on this list. Houston Joel Przybilla Jamal Crawford Like several other players from this draft, Crawford is using about one-eighth of his talent but is already making the big bucks. His consecutive seasons averaging 17 points per game would be more meaningful if he didn't have the worst shot selection in basketball. Orlando Keyon Dooling Desmond Mason Interestingly, each of the six players picked between No. 16 and No. 21 in this draft (Hedo Turkoglu, Mason, Richardson, Magloire, Speedy Claxton and Morris Peterson) were better than everyone drafted between No. 9 and No. 15. That maybe the worst seven-player run of first-rounders in draft history: Joel Przybilla, Keyon Dooling, Jerome Moiso, Etan Thomas, Courtney Alexander, Mateen Cleaves and Jason Collier. No wonder this draft stank. Boston Jerome Moiso Brian Cardinal A second-round steal by the Pistons at No. 44, Detroit gave Cardinal away before they knew what they had. He ended up in Golden State and had one of the better out-of-nowhere seasons the league has witnessed in 2003-04, earning a big payday from Memphis. Dallas Etan Thomas Speedy Claxton He's been an excellent point guard for the 50 games each season in which he's healthy, but Speedy only has 5,460 career minutes to show for his five NBA seasons because he's been on the shelf more often than a library book. Orlando Courtney Alexander Mo Peterson Mo Pete is among the best defenders from this class but hasn't panned out at the offensive end. He beat out Etan Thomas and Hedo Turkoglu for the final lottery spot on this list, and you can rest assured that this was the only year in which a player of such low caliber cracked the top 13.
2001 Lottery Picks Washington Kwame Brown Pau Gasol Considering how things have turned out, it seems almost silly that Gasol (traded to the Grizzlies for Atlanta's Shareef Abdur-Rahim) wasn't the No. 1 pick, but folks (Wizards exec Michael Jordan among them) were still a bit leery of international players in 2001. Gasol's numbers will look even better if Mike Fratello plays him more than 32 minutes a game next year – he'd average 20 and 10 if he played 40 minutes a night. L.A. Clippers Tyson Chandler Gilbert Arenas Holding the No. 1 pick in 2001, Washington ended up with one of the best players from the draft. Unfortunately, it wasn't its first overall pick, Kwame Brown, but rather Golden State's second-round pick, Arenas. Arenas also is the only player from this draft to make an All-Star team thus far – meaning the first-rounders are completely shut out. Atlanta Pau Gasol Zach Randolph Portland grabbed Randolph at No. 19, and despite his occasional difficulties with teammates and law enforcement, it's hard to argue with the results. Z-Bo is a career 52.6 percent shooter, and averaged 20 and 10 in 2003-04 to win the Most Improved Player award. Chicago Eddy Curry Tony Parker Two of the four best players from this draft were point guards taken with the 28th and 31st picks. Parker's playoff troubles in 2005 make us forget that he took yet another step forward in the regular season. At 23, his youth gave him the nod over Richardson and Jefferson for the No. 4 pick. Golden State Jason Richardson Jason Richardson Four years later, our exercise shows the Warriors still end up with J-Rich. The two-time dunk champ could move up the list because he's made steady improvement in each of his four seasons, but right now Randolph has much better numbers and Parker has two rings. Memphis Shane Battier Richard Jefferson In one of Rod Thorn's best moves as Nets president, he traded the No. 7 pick (Eddie Griffin) to Houston for the No. 13, 18, and 23 picks, which he used to grab Jefferson, Jason Collins and Brandon Armstrong. Jefferson has turned into a star, while Griffin's personal problems have disrupted his career. New Jersey Eddie Griffin Tyson Chandler The second overall pick has developed slowly at the offensive end, but defensively he's turned into a game-changing force and should only get better with age. But if the Bulls could do it over again they might have preferred Arenas – especially after how the playoffs turned out. Cleveland DeSagana Diop Eddy Curry Curry continues to follow flashes of greatness with inexplicable bouts of lethargy, and is getting near the age where his "potential" will matter less than his "actual." If the draft were redone today, Curry's heart problems would likely scare off a few teams. Detroit Rodney White Mehmet Okur Joe Dumars tabbed Okur with the No. 38 overall pick and Memo became the best bench player on a world championship team. He might rate better if he had come over to the United States sooner, as his PER ranks fourth in his class. But he's never been able to start, as both Larry Brown and Jerry Sloan have taken note of his lethargic defense. Boston Joe Johnson Samuel Dalembert Dalembert only has played 4,161 career minutes because of his frequent injuries, but his shot-blocking and rebounding skills still will earn him plenty of money this summer. One presumes those same GMs would happily use a draft pick on him, too. Boston Kedrick Brown Joe Johnson He's been an important player for one of the league's best teams, yet Johnson isn't quite as good as most people imagine. Phoenix's fast pace and Johnson's heavy minute totals combined to pad his scoring numbers considerably the past two seasons, yet the averages (16.7 and 17.1) still weren't that great for an off guard. Seattle Vladimir Radmanovic Troy Murphy Murphy looked like a bust after his rookie year but averaged a double-double two of the past three seasons. The 6-foot-10 southpaw is one of the best jump-shooting big men in basketball and is still improving. Houston Richard Jefferson Shane Battier The consummate role player, Battier wasn't worth the No. 6 pick Memphis used, but his combination of defense, smarts and 3-point shooting still make him a valuable contributor. He beat out Brendan Haywood, Jamaal Tinsley, Eddie Griffin, Kwame Brown, Bobby Simmons, Earl Watson and Vladimir Radmanovic for the final lottery spot on this list.
2002 Lottery Picks Pick Team Selection Our choice Skinny Houston Yao Ming Amare Stoudemire If you want to know why NBA execs keep picking so many high schoolers, just check out these lists. Stoudemire, LeBron James, Dwight Howard and Kevin Garnett ended up being the best players in their draft class. Rashard Lewis, Jermaine O'Neal, Al Jefferson and Josh Smith all rank very high as well, and none were lottery picks. Stoudemire was a shaky Rookie of the Year choice over Yao in 2002-03, but since then has cemented his status as the 2002 Draft's best player with a 26.0 point per game eruption in '04-05. Chicago Jay Williams Yao Ming The top overall pick has lived up to his billing, more or less, making the All-Star team each season while providing some of the most bizarre interview translations in NBA history. He's taken some unfair criticism for not becoming a top-tier superstar, but the question is whether he's hit his ceiling yet – figuratively, that is, not literally. Golden State Mike Dunleavy Carlos Boozer The 35th overall pick by Cleveland, Boozer turned out quite a bit better than the Cavs' first-round choice (Dajuan Wagner at No. 6). He's shooting 52.6 percent for his brief career while averaging nearly a double-double, which is almost enough to make us forget about that whole bait-and-switch deal he did on Cleveland. Memphis Drew Gooden Tayshaun Prince Prince's statistical output doesn't match Drew Gooden's, but that doesn't take into account his defense … or Gooden's. Prince is one of the best defensive players in basketball, while Gooden often loses interest at that end of the floor. Thus, Prince's D makes him the fourth-best player in this draft – a steal considering Detroit picked him 23rd. Denver Nikoloz Tskitishvili Drew Gooden Gooden has been traded twice and has seemed to annoy every coach he's had. However, he's averaged double figures at every stop while evolving into one of the league's better rebounding forwards. That's enough to make Gooden the No. 5 pick on this list. Cleveland Dajuan Wagner Nene The Nuggets drafted Nene at No. 7 (via the Knicks), which doesn't seem so bad until you realize that means they passed on Amare Stoudemire … twice. Nene is a decent player with unusual quickness for a big man, but he has made almost no progress since his rookie season. New York Nene Nenad Krstic Another excellent pick by Thorn at No. 24, Krstic's first season in New Jersey (10 ppg, 49.3 percent shooting), shows the Vlade Divac disciple has a bright future. But he won't move up the list unless he rebounds more. L.A. Clippers Chris Wilcox Dan Gadzuric Taken with the pick before Boozer, the Bucks got a second-round steal in the skinny center. He's split time with others at the pivot, but his rebounding and blocks numbers (15.1 and 2.4 in 2004-05) per 40 minutes are through the roof. Phoenix Amare Stoudemire Caron Butler Butler had a very promising rookie year in Miami (15.4 ppg, 1.8 steals), and matched it with L.A. last season. But the season between the two was dreadful, and Butler's 41.8 percent career shooting tells us his offensive game still has plenty of holes to patch up. Miami Caron Butler Luis Scola Scola is one of the best players in Europe but should be a San Antonio Spur next season. Taken with the No. 56 pick, he could prove to be as big of a steal as Manu Ginobili was three years earlier. But we won't know until he shows up in the States. Washington Jared Jeffries Mike Dunleavy A number of the high picks in this draft were horrific busts: Tskitishvili at No. 5, Wagner at No. 6, and Marcus Haislip at No.13, for instance. In that light, taking Dunleavy with the third overall pick doesn't seem that egregious an error. On the other hand, the Warriors have been starting him for three years to try to justify the pick and have been getting some very mediocre production for their efforts. L.A. Clippers Melvin Ely Chris Wilcox Wilcox has decent per-40-minute numbers for his career (16.4 pts, 9.0 reb), and he's still only 23. Of course, Amare Stoudemire is the same age, just finished destroying the league this season, and was taken one pick after Wilcox. Hey, that's why they're the Clippers. Milwaukee Marcus Haislip Darius Songaila Songaila is the last player of any quality to come from this draft. After Songaila, it's strictly role players with limited offensive value. Boston took him at No. 50, then traded him to Sacramento a year later, before Songaila had ever played an NBA game. And Rick Pitino wasn't even running the team when it happened.
