Hindsight is 20/20...which player from the NBA drafts 1998-2003 would you want now?

Off subject, but can you imagine if the Rockets hadn't traded the 3 picks on 2001 and used them to get Richard Jefferson, Zach Randolf and Tony Parker?

 

wow a thread about old drafts and after 20 nobody has mentioned Rashard Lewis

my list is like the one of dreday. although i think i want Brand instead of francis,I like franics But i love Brand

 

If you want to be in the lottery forever, go with these busts:

2003 NBA draft
2. Detroit Darko Milicic

2002 NBA Draft
2. Jay Williams Duke Chicago

2001 NBA Draft
7. Eddie Griffin Seton Hall New Jersey

2000 NBA Draft
4. Marcus Fizer Iowa State Chicago

1999 NBA Draft
11. Trajan Langdon Duke Cleveland

1998 NBA Draft
13. Keon Clark Nevada-Las Vegas Orlando

 

I wouldn't consider him a bust.

 

I think you're getting ahead of yourself. Nobody has yet criticized management in this thread for the choices they did make. It's just a little dreamcasting.

Now, over these same years, here's the ROY's (off the top of my head):

2003: Lebron James
2002: Amare Stoudemire
2001: Pau Gasol
2000: Mike Miller
1999: Elton Brand and Steve Francis
1998: Vince Carter

 

I guess I'm the only person who wouldn't think twice about picking Brand again given the hindsight. I think he's just too rare a commodity, a big man who creates his own shot, scores efficiently, rebounds well, and is consistent year after year. A team can fairly easily find a Francis-like PG in FA like with a Andre Miller or Gilbert Arenas. However, when was the last time someone like Brand switched teams in FA?

It is also worth noting that the Clippers thought so highly of Brand that they gave him the max extension, yet let Lamar Odom and Andre Miller(and countless previous high draft picks) leave via FA.

 

Did you not watch the Minny game. Even after all those problems and a year off. Griffin still blows nachbar away. Griffins still got skills, just had some problems with his head that he seems to have worked out. Nachbar just doesnt have any skills at all.

 

Yep. Guts and skills.

 

and its worked out great for them.

 

If, as the thread title states, we're looking at hindsight, then we have to pick the players based on where our draft position was.

Also, since the McGrady trade is now hindsight, I'd have to acquire the same players that were involved in that trade as well. Of course, I'm making an assumption that Weisbrod would've made the same trade if we had better talent available. Not likely.

Anyway, with hindsight, here's the choices I would've made.

1998: Michael Dickerson/Al Harrington/Nazr Mohammed

C: Dream/Mohammed/Roberts(IL)
PF: Barkley/Othella/Harrington/"Pig" Miller(IL)
SF: Pippen/Mack/Bullard/E. Johnson(IL)
SG: Dickerson/Mobley
PG: Price/Maloney

1999: Andrei Kirilenko

C: Dream/Mohammed/Cato/"Two Sandwiches" Hamilton (cut)
PF: Barkley/Carlos Rogers/A. Harrington/"Pig" Miller/T-Mass
SF: AK47/Walt Williams/Bullard
SG: Mobley/Shandon Anderson
PG: Francis/Moochie

2000: Jamaal Magloire/Najera (2nd round pick)

C: Dream/Mohammed/Magloire/Cato
PF: Taylor/"Los"/Al Harrington/Magloire
SF: AK47/Walt Williams/Bullard/Najera
SG: Mobley/Shandon Anderson
PG: Francis/Moochie

2001: Richard Jefferson/Zach Randolph/Jamaal Tinsley

C: Magloire/Mohammed/Cato
PF: Randolph/Harrington/Mohammed/Willis(IL)
SF: AK47/Walt Williams/Najera
SG: Mobley/Jefferson/Torres
PG: Francis/Tinsley/Moochie(IL)

2002: Jeri Welsch/Kareem Rush--No way we get the #1 overall pick

C: Magloire/Mohammed/Cato
PF: Randolph/Harrington/Mohammed
SF: AK47/Jefferson/Welsch/Najera
SG: Jefferson/Mobley/Welsch/Rush
PG: Francis/Tinsley/Maddox

2003: No Pick

2004: Jameer Nelson/Pavel Podkolzin--By not trading a #1 pick for Terrence Morris & not resigning Shandon, to trade for Rice & subsequently trading Rice & our #1 pick away, we would've had the #17 & #21 picks in the "2004 Draft".

C: Magloire/Mohammed/Cato/Podkolzin
PF: Randolph/Harrington/Mohammed
SF: AK47/Jefferson/Welsch/Najera
SG: Jefferson/Mobley/Welsch/Rush
PG: Francis/Tinsley/Nelson

Now, along comes the McGrady trade. Instead of Francis/Mobley/Cato for McGrady/Howard/Gaines/Lue, it might have been something like Francis/Jefferson/Mohammed or Cato for McGrady/Howard/Lue.

That would've made our team for this season look like this:

C: Magloire/Cato or Mohammed/Mutombo/Podkolzin
PF: Randolph/Harrington/Howard
SF: AK47/McGrady/Welsch/Najera
SG: McGrady/Mobley/Welsch/Rush
PG: Tinsley/Nelson/Lue

WOW!!!

There you have it, my back in time fantasy team. How's that for a talented & very deep team? If you could go back into time & make all these changes, would you? Even, if it meant you would not get Yao? I like Yao, but I'd have to do that in a heart beat.

By the way, Rush or Najera would have to be traded or released to get us down to 15 players (12 roster/3 IL).

 

2003 NBA Draft

1. LeBron James
5. Miami Dwyane Wade


2002 NBA Draft

1. Yao Ming

Second round selections
Boozer

2001 NBA Draft

13. Richard Jefferson Arizona Houston

19. Zach Randolph Michigan State Portland


2000 NBA Draft

None.

1999 NBA Draft

1. Elton Brand Duke Chicago

2. Steve Francis Maryland Vancouver

24. Andrei Kirilenko CSKA Moscow (Russia) Utah


1998 NBA Draft

2. Mike Bibby Arizona Vancouver

9. Dirk Nowitzki DJK Wurzberg (Germany) Milwaukee