Just out of curiosity, I looked back at #15 picks over the years and couldn't have been more disappointed, or perhaps horrified. Look at this. 1992 - Anthony Peeler 1993 - Doug Edwards 1994 - Eric Piatkowski 1995 - Brent Barry 1996 - Steve Nash 1997 - Kelvin Cato 1998 - Matt Harpring 1999 - Frederic Weis 2000 - Jason Collier 2001 - Steven Hunter This hardly resembles a list of mid first rounders. I don't think anyone could correctly identify it as that. This looks more like a list of the posterboys of suck. Yeah, Barry and Nash are abberations, but I don't think either of them are really that spectacular, either. #15 is the melting pot of the white man and crappy center. Hopefully, someone in the Rockets organization will take notice and give the pick to the Grizz. Otherwise, be on your toes for, "with the 15th selection in the 2002 NBA Draft, the Houston Rockets select Chris Marcus, center, Western Kentucky....." I cringe with fear.
With the exception of Edwards and Weis, every single player on that list is on an NBA roster and most (sans Collier and Hunter, for now) are playing key roles on their teams. Out of the lottery, it is hard to draft a superstar with any pick. Nash and Barry are pretty darn good players for that spot, but realistically - what you see there is what you should expect for the 15th pick in any draft: a very good, key role player off of the bench/possibly in the starting 5. Every team needs those players.
Now THAT is funny! Fifteen is just a number though. And since we all know that better, more successful players have gone deeper than 15 in the draft, picking fifteen just opens up your options more than picking later does. Of course it gets harder to find someone who is destined to succeed on the NBA level, but i'd much rather pick 15 than anything below it, especially in this year's draft. Also, while many may disagree, I think nash is bad ass. He definitely disappeared in the sactown series this year, but I think he had an amazing year, and is the prototype scoring point guard.
I've actually looked back at some of the best players picked after 15 and two that stand out the most were high schoolers, Rashard Lewis and Jermaine O'Neal. It's doubtful, but if the Rockets roll the dice and pick Amare Stoudemire, there's a good chance he'll fall in the abberation category. Relatively all high schoolers picked in the first round have had success or moderate success except for that Leon Smith guy, but even he is starting to come around.
So Leon Smith, he who tried to kill himself and is now stuck in the NBDL or some other minor league and lucky to make it to the Hawks, is now better than all of the 15th pick players you labeled as scrubs? Makes no sense. And let's not forget the many, many high schoolers who have no panned out, both after the 15th pick and in the 2nd round - Smith, Korleone Young, Ousmane Cissy, that Key guy who didn't get drafted last year - the list goes on. Typically a high schooler who goes late has less of a chance to succeed.
mfclark-you're obviously very troubled, i have no clue what you're arguing or trying to prove Now, to basketball: Leon Smith is only 21!! If he had gone to 4 years of college, he wouldn't be drafted until next year. I would much rather take a chance on Smith than almost any of those 15's. The guy is still younger than a lot of guys getting drafted this year and if he had taken the college route, would hypothetically have been a top pick in this draft. I would not at all be surprised if Smith turns out a solid career in the NBA.
And Korleone Young was only 21 or so when he crashed out of the NBA. Young age means absolutely nothing. I'm trying to prove that your argument on Smith versus all of those suppsoedly horrible 15th picks has no merit. And I'd say so far it's a pretty good one.
