NBA Draft: Can the 2008 Class Become One of the Best of All-Time?

The NBA has been around for a long time. The same applies to the draft process, as we see young players develop into stars. The annual NBA Draft happens to be one of the my favorite moments of the year, as I sit on the edge of my seat, hoping that the Portland Trail Blazers or my hometown team the Memphis Grizzlies, have a good outing.

The 2012 NBA Draft is set to become one of the deepest drafts of all-time with players such as North Carolina's Harrison Barnes, Kentucky's Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kansas' Thomas Robinson, Connecticut's Andre Drummond and Jeremy Lamb, Ohio State's Jared Sullinger, among others.

Needless to say, on paper, it should be a quality draft.

However, there are also the classes that could be considered "duds". For instance, there's the 2000 NBA Draft, when we saw players like Marcus Fizer, Darius Miles, Chris Mihm, Jerome Moiso, Courtney Alexander, Mateen Cleaves and DerMarr Johnson all get selected within the first fifteen picks. The draft is considered to be one of the worst drafts in NBA history, as three players have been selected to the All-Star Game (Kenyon Martin, Jamaal Magloire and Michael Redd).

And of course, there are those famed drafts, such as the 1984 draft, in which we saw future Hall of Famers Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, John Stockton and Charles Barkley blossom into the players we know them to be today.

There's also the 1996 draft, which is thought to be one of the three best classes of all-time. Players like Kobe Bryant, Ray Allen, Allen Iverson, Steve Nash, Marcus Camby, Stephon Marbury, Jermaine O'Neal and Peja Stojakovic had their names called that day. Ben Wallace, a catalyst for the Pistons' championship team earlier this decade, went undrafted and has had a serviceable career. Key role players such as Antoine Walker, Derek Fisher, Lorenzen Wright and Shareef Abdur-Rahim were also part of that famed draft.

Additionally, I wouldn't be able to write this without mentioning the 2003 draft, which may go down as the best of all-time. LeBron James, the biggest can't-miss prospect since Jordan, was selected with the first pick by his hometown Cavaliers. And it didn't stop there.

After the selection of Darko Milicic with the second pick, the preceding four players have been selected to at least one All-Star Game: Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Chris Kaman.

David West (18th), Josh Howard (29th) and Mo Williams (47th) have also been selected to at least one All-Star Game as well. The rest of the first-round saw key role players such as Kirk Hinrich, T.J. Ford, Mickael Pietrus, Nick Collison, Dahntay Jones, Boris Diaw, Kendrick Perkins and Leandro Barbosa have their names called too. Jose Calderon, one of the best pass-first point guards in the league, did not get selected, but has gone on to have a solid career in Toronto.

Now, the topic of this article is the ranking of the unheralded 2008 draft class.

The players chosen in that draft are entering their fourth seasons,  and it looks like there will be a myriad of players that will go on to have solid NBA careers.

Somehow, the Chicago Bulls were able to win the lottery and earn the first-overall selection in the draft. They used that pick on Memphis point guard Derrick Rose. Some of y'all may have heard of him.

Rose has blossomed into one of the best players in the NBA winning the Most Valuable Player Award last season, as he accumulated averages of 25 points, 7.7 assists, 4.1 rebounds and one steal per game. The former one-and-done almost led his team to the Finals last season, but came up short after losing to the Miami Heat in the Conference Finals.

Rose has already racked up a multitude of accolades in a shade over three seasons. He collected the most prestigious award last season, along with the Rookie of the Year Award in 2009. He is a three-time All-Star and was a member of the All-NBA First Team last season.

Not to mention, at the season's conclusion, Rose became just the third player in NBA history to record 2,000 points and 600 assists in a single season, joining a group that only consists of only Jordan and  James.

His game has flourished since arriving in the NBA and his stats have seemingly increased as his career has gone on. There is no doubt that Rose will be around for a long time and he could very well collect more awards as his career moves forward.

The next two selections saw the Heat select Michael Beasley and the Timberwolves select O.J. Mayo.. Mayo would be dealt on draft night to the Grizzlies in exchange for the draft rights to the fifth selection.

After two decent seasons in Miami, the Heat ultimately decided to deal Beasley to Minnesota for cash considerations, a 2011 second-round pick (Bojan Bogdanovic) and a 2014 second-round selection. The Kansas State product had the best season of his career last year averaging 19.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. However, rumors have been swirling that Beasley could get dealt at the trade deadline, but we'll see what happens.

O.J. Mayo, one of the most highly-touted prospects of the last decade, has spent his entire career with the Memphis Grizzlies. It may not have been what people expected, but he has arguably one of the best players for Memphis over the last couple of years.

Used primarily as a spark off the bench, Mayo's numbers dipped drastically last season when it was announced that Tony Allen would be the starting shooting guard. After averaging 18.5 and 17.5 points per game his first two years, Mayo averaged just 11.3 points last season while starting just seventeen games.

He has not started a single game this season, but there is no doubt that he is a great sixth man. Whether he's on the Grizzlies or not after the trade deadline passes, Mayo will go on to have a solid NBA career.

During draft night, there were quite a few people that were puzzled (including myself) when the Seattle Sonics (now Oklahoma City Thunder) took UCLA guard Russell Westbrook with the fourth selection.

Looking at it now, it was a great decision. Westbrook has gone on to form a lethal combo with Kevin Durant in Oklahoma City, they currently own the league's best record. The Westbrook-Durant duo has helped the Thunder make the playoffs the last two seasons including a Conference Finals trip last season.

Although Westbrook's game has somewhat been mocked since he arrived in the NBA, he is undoubtedly one of the best point guards in the game. He's an electric scorer, as evident by his 23.5 points per game this season. The ex-Bruin also averaged 21.9 points and 8.2 assists per game last year as well.

A two-time All-Star, Westbrook will likely take home many more accolades as his career goes on. At the rate he's going, the point guard could become the best in the entire NBA. As stated above, Westbrook is an electric scorer, even though his shooting may not be up to his par. He's also a great passer, although he's averaging a near career-low 5.5 assists per game this season. Westbrook is also one of the best rebounding point guards in the NBA. He has accumulated six triple-doubles over his career, including a 14-10-14 performance against the Grizzlies in the playoffs last season.

Is he Hall of Fame worthy? We'll see what happens. Is he one of the best players in the NBA? Oh yeah.

The fifth selection of the 2008 draft saw the Memphis Grizzlies select Westbrook's former teammate, Kevin Love. The one-and-done player was almost instantly dealt to Minnesota in exchange for the draft rights to USC's O.J. Mayo.

Most people, including myself, did not think that Love would become a great player. I thought that he'd become a serviceable power forward and would maybe have career averages of 12-14 points and 7-8 rebounds per game. I definitely did not envision what was correct.

After a lackluster rookie campaign, Love played in a total of 60 games, starting 22 of them. Although he primarily came off the bench, the former Bruin averaged 14 points and 11 rebounds per game.

The following season was a coming out party of sorts for Love, as he completely dominated his match-ups. It felt as though he became one of the best rebounding forwards in the league over night. Love would finish the season averaging 20.2 points and 15.2 rebounds per game earning the NBA's Most Improved Player Award along the way.

In a game against the Knicks on Nov. 12, Love became the 19th player in NBA history to record 30 points and 30 rebounds in a single game. Love's 31 rebounds set a franchise record for that category and was the most in an NBA game since Charles Barkley grabbed up 33 rebounds in 1996.

Love's season was marked by his 53 straight double-doubles. The total is the most since the NBA-ABA merger in 1976 and was just two shy of tying Elvin Hayes' streak during the 1973-74 season.

His 15.2 rebounds per game led the entire NBA. Yes, he even had better rebounding numbers than Dwight Howard. Over the last couple of seasons Love has become one of the best power forwards in the NBA, and it looks like he will continue down that path of becoming one of the NBA's all-time greats.

As of right now, Love is playing a career-high 40 minutes per game and is currently averaging a career- high 25 points and 14 rebounds per game. He's also a two-time All-Star and will likely be elected to the annual game many more times.

The following five selections may not have developed into All-Stars yet, but four of the five have shown great potential since having their names called on draft night. Danilo Gallinari, the sixth selection, was originally selected by the Knicks, but was dealt last season to the Nuggets as part of the Carmelo Anthony debacle.

The Italian is currently averaging career highs across the board with 17 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. He has been a key factor in keeping the Nuggets in the playoff race.

Eric Gordon, the seventh-overall selection by the Clippers, has become a key contributor even though his health has been a concern. Regardless, he's a great player and will likely receive All-Star considerations if he can stay on the court.

Prior to the season's start, the Clippers dealt Eric Gordon, along with other players, to the Hornets in exchange for Chris Paul, perhaps the best point guard in the NBA. He has played in just two games for New Orleans this season, however. There is still a lot of time left in his career and I'm sure he'll be able to take care of his injury issues and become a great player at the professional level.

With the eighth selection, the Bucks chose West Virginia's Joe Alexander and we all know how that turned out. So I'm not going to delve into that.

The ninth and tenth selections, D.J. Augustin and Brook Lopez, have shown to be quality role players with their respective teams. If both can stay healthy, they should go on to have serviceable NBA careers.

The next two selections, Jerryd Bayless and Jason Thompson, have not made their marks yet but if given the opportunity, I believe that both could flourish at the league's highest level. They have copious amounts of potential and it's all about putting it to use.

Brandon Rush, the 13th selection, was chosen by the Blazers, only to be dealt to Indiana on draft night. He was dealt to Golden State prior to the start of this season and has become one of the best shooters in the NBA. His 52.4 percent shooting from beyond the arc is currently leading the league in that category.

The following three selections, Anthony Randolph, Robin Lopez and Marreese Speights, have not lived up to the hype, but they have shown to be decent players. Randolph, who is already on his third team, is one of the most athletic players I've ever seen, but he really hasn't been given the opportunity to settle in and make his mark.

I firmly believe that he will become a great player if he's given the chance.

Speights was dealt to the Grizzlies earlier this season and has proved to be a quality asset for the team with Zach Randolph injured. He may not ever be a full-fledged starter, but he should develop into a quality sixth man.

The 17th overall selection, Roy Hibbert, has developed into quite the player since arriving from Georgetown. I never thought he'd become a great player, but apparently I was wrong.

Hibbert is currently averaging career highs in points (13.8) and rebounds (9.6) for the Pacers, who have been one of the biggest surprises this season. For his efforts, Hibbert was selected to the Eastern Conference All-Star team for the first time in his young career. He will become a formidable big man if he continues down that path.

JaVale McGee was taken directly behind Hibbert by the Washington Wizards. One of the most prolific dunkers in the NBA, McGee has turned into a constant double-double threat every time he steps on the court. With his seven-foot build, McGee has also become one of the best shot-blockers in the league.

He is currently averaging career highs in points (11.9), rebounds (8.8) and blocks (2.7). Although they haven't played well, the Wizards have a young nucleus that consists of John Wall, Jordan Crawford, Nick Young and Andray Blatche. The Wizards are definitely on the right track and it is up to McGee to lead the team.

Ryan Anderson, the 21st overall selection by New Jersey, is one of the best surprises of the NBA season thus far. He's been a key contributor for the Magic and has helped relieve pressure off of Dwight Howard, the NBA's three-time Defensive Player of the Year.

The California product is currently leading the NBA in three-point field goals and is averaging career highs in points (16.1), rebounds (7.3), assists (.9), field-goal percentage (44.1) and three-point percentage (43.4). At this rate, Anderson should be the team's starting power forward for a while.

Perhaps the biggest steal of the draft, the then-Seattle Sonics selected Serge Ibaka with the 24th overall selection.

After a year of seldom playing time, Ibaka was given the opportunity to contribute at the start of last season. He didn't disappoint, as the defensive-minded forward averaged 9.9 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game.

This season, Ibaka has been even better, as he is currently leading the NBA in blocks by a wide margin. His 109 blocks (3.2 per game) is 21 higher than the next player (Javale McGee).

With his remarkable ability to block and alter shots, Ibaka has been able to record a triple-double this season against the Nuggets, as he tallied 14 points, 15 rebounds and 11 blocks. There is no doubt that Ibaka will have a solid NBA career, especially when he's on a team that already has Kevin Durant, James Harden and Russell Westbrook.

The rest of the first-round saw other key role players such as J.J. Hickson (19th, Cleveland), Courtney Lee (22nd, Orlando), Nicolas Batum (25th, Houston), George Hill (26th, San Antonio) and Darrell Arthur (27th, New Orleans) have their names called.

A few teams also struck gold in the second-round, as we watched players such as Nikola Pekovic (31st, Minnesota), Mario Chalmers (34th, Miami), DeAndre Jordan (35th, Los Angeles Clippers), Omer Asik (36th, Portland), Luc Richard Mbah A Moute (37th, Milwaukee), Sonny Weems (39th, Chicago), Goran Dragic (45th, San Antonio) and Bill Walker (47th, Washington) get taken in the later part of the draft.

The point I'm trying to make here is that.. The 2008 Draft was spectacular. These players are just in their fourth year in the NBA and a good amount of them have already made great strides to having solid NBA careers.

We've seen players such as Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love and Roy Hibbert develop into All-Stars. Additionally, there have been players such as Eric Gordon, Brook Lopez, Michael Beasley, Serge Ibaka, Danilo Gallinari and Javale McGee blossom into potential All-Stars in the future.

The 2008 NBA Draft was insanely deep with many quality prospects roaming the hardwood.

There may not be a Michael Jordan or a Kobe Bryant or a LeBron James, but it still gives that appeal of star power. Rose already one the MVP Award and Westbrook and Love could win one some time down the road.

The players selected four years ago have everything you want out of a draft class—scoring, rebounding, assists, blocks, three-pointers and more. This is undoubtedly one of the most talented drafts of all-time and definitely the best class since the famed 2003 draft that I mentioned earlier.

It's has busts though, such as Alexander, Alexis Ajinca, J.R. Giddens, and D.J. White.

I guarantee that when we look at this draft ten years down the road, we will be ranking this as one of the top five draft classes of all-time. Mark my words.