Assuming that both Oden and Durant go pro, the top two dreams in the draft will have can't miss opportunities. With as amazing a year as Durant had, it seems very likely that Oden will get picked before him.
I haven't exactly followed the NBA over the past couple of years, but have their been 2 players with this much talent in the same draft recently? Lebron and Carmelo were probably close, but I think both Durant and Oden are better than Anthony coming out of college. Thoughts?
that same draft also brough us dwyane wade and chris bosh
don't forget Darko Milicic coming in strong in the #2 pick in that draft
1984
Hakeem Olajuwon
...
Michael Jordan
Sam Perkins
Charles Barkley
Alvin Robertson
John Stockton
These young kids still have lots to prove. Talent doesn't win championships...we found that out last night.
I'd say the best drafts ever have been:
1984
1996 (Kobe, Iverson, Nash, Stoudemire, Jermaine O'Neal, Marbury)
2003 (still lots to prove: Lebron, Carmello, Wade)
4 of the best players EVER in 1984 in Hakeem, Jordan, Barkley, Stockton. 1996 may prove even better with Kobe, Nash and Iverson.
How did Damon Stoudimare somehow make that list? Just wondering (unless you only include his first couple years in Toronto)...
1992 was pretty solid, too, especially in their early years - Shaq, Alonzo, Laettner, Jim Jackson and LaPhonso Ellis was a heck of a top 5 at the time...shame that 4 out of the 5 succumbed to either injury or rapid decline of skills.
Runningart2004 wrote:
1984
Hakeem Olajuwon
...
Michael Jordan
Sam Perkins
Charles Barkley
Alvin Robertson
...the Portland Trailblazers select .... SAM BOWIE...
None. The NBA sucks.
malmo wrote:
Runningart2004 wrote:1984
Hakeem Olajuwon
...
Michael Jordan
Sam Perkins
Charles Barkley
Alvin Robertson
...the Portland Trailblazers select .... SAM BOWIE...
And we will always be thankful.
1979 - Magic, Bird
96 also had allen, walker, camby, ilgauskas, and abdur-rahim
99 was solid too with marion, miller, brand, davis, odom, artest, maggette, terry, hamiliton, kirilenko
malmo wrote:
Runningart2004 wrote:1984
Hakeem Olajuwon
...
Michael Jordan
Sam Perkins
Charles Barkley
Alvin Robertson
...the Portland Trailblazers select .... SAM BOWIE...
Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Runningart2004 wrote:
I'd say the best drafts ever have been:
1996 (Kobe, Iverson, Nash, Stoudemire, Jermaine O'Neal, Marbury)
Questionable Inclusion wrote:
How did Damon Stoudimare somehow make that list? Just wondering...
1992 was pretty solid, too, especially in their early years - Shaq, Alonzo, Laettner...
How did Christian Laettner somehow make that list? Just wondering...
done it wrote:
None. The NBA sucks.
Ha ha. I couldn't agree with you more. I actually like these two young players, though.
I'm not talking about which drafts turned out to be good in retrospect. My point is that the top 2 teams in the draft this year absolutely cannot miss with their picks. Tim Duncan and Lebron were about the only two recent players that I can remember like that.
Runningart- obviously everyone remembers the 1984 draft. However, 23 years ago does not qualify as a 'recent' draft. You were like 2 years old then anyway- don't act like some oldschool guy.
In terms of the Lebron, melo, and wade draft- none of those 3 were the proven quantities that Durant and Oden are heading into the draft. Carmelo was the closest, given his championship year in college. Wade was a very good college player, but I don't think you'll find anyone who expected him to reach the level that he has, and certainly not as fast as he has. Lebron was much hyped, but I'm sure there were still plenty of skeptics who wanted to see him play against real competition.
Oden and Durant were absolute monsters this year. It will be interesting to see how quickly they develop in the NBA.
Oden and Durant will go down as top 50 players...Jeff Green, B. Wright, Horford, Conley, N. Young...will all be very good pros
ekfkafjkf wrote:
Oden and Durant will go down as top 50 players...Jeff Green, B. Wright, Horford, Conley, N. Young...will all be very good pros
If 2 of the above turn out to be "very good pros" they'll be lucky.
Top 50? Stay away from the meth son.
First off, if you were to include Damon Stoudemire on a list of successful players from a certain draft, you would put him on 95-96, not 96-97, but it doesn't really matter because he sucks anyway. Secondly, I think the 96-97 class could give any other class before-or after a run for its money as the best class ever. Kobe and Nash will be all time greats assuming they end their careers well, and AI, J-O'Neal, Rahim, Antoine Walker, Ray Allen, Marbury, Camby, Derek Fisher, and Peja (If you want to include him) are all on their way to having solid NBA careers.
Everyone in Ohio knew how good Lebron was coming out of high school.
Don't forget he was invited to practice with Jordan the summer after his junior year in high school. Coach Lucas of the cavs was fined for having Lebron work out with the team also.
While the average fan may not have known how good Lebron was compared to the other NBA players, everybody in the NBA already knew. The biggest party ever in Cleveland occurred when that little draft ball came up for them.
Lebron packed the Schott in Columbus and the Q in Cleveland to see him play. His regular league games were played in a sold out Akron Zips arena. When he played in the Roundball Classic in New Jersey, he was far better than Luol Deng and Charley Villenueva who were high scool teammates. They are both in the NBA after one and two years in college.
Oden can have the same impact as Lebron and Duncan had when they came in the league. If Boston gets him and Szcerbiak and Pierce are healthy, that could vault them to 48-50 wins.
While Durant had a fantastic college year, he will make a little less impact in the teams record but can put up very good numbers.
This years draft will be very deep since many players who weren't allowed to go out last year will go out this year along with those others who would have already gone out.
Daquan Cook of Ohio State and a teammate for years on AAU teams with Oden and Conley will go pro. After Oden came back from his injury, Cook's playing time was cut drastically and his production really suffered. He was clearly the best player on the court when he was getting substantial playing time. I doubt he was very happy sitting on the bench during the championship game when his teammates were clanking up 2 of their first 20 three pointers.