2004 NBA Draft Revisited

2004 NBA Draft Revisited
A LayupDrill.com Exclusive

Fresh off one of the greatest NBA Draft classes in league history (2003), the 2004 NBA draft had a mixed bag of promising underclassmen, high school phenoms, and international flavor.

Many teams were looking to hit a home run with their lottery pick, and some did (Charlotte, Orlando), while other swung and missed bad (Clippers, Sonics, Cavs).

Looking back, there was an enormous amount of talent taken outside of the lottery, and the draft even saw some quality pro talent well into the second round.

LayupDrill.com takes a look back at this draft nearly five years later, and ranks the players taken in the lottery as if the draft were done today.

The Original Top 10
1. Dwight Howard - Magic
2. Emeka Okafor - Bobcats
3. Ben Gordon - Bulls
4. Shaun Livingston - Clippers
5. Devin Harris - Wizards(then traded to Mavs)
6. Josh Childress - Hawks
7. Loul Deng - Suns(then traded to Bulls)
8. Rafael Araujo - Raptors
9. Andre Iguodala - Sixers
10. Luke Jackson - Cavs

Our Take: Nearly five years later, there are quite a few teams that would request a do-over if they could. Orlando made the right decision by selecting Dwight Howard over Emeka Okafor, though Okafor has turned out to be a respectable pro in Charlotte.

Ben Gordon is a flat out scorer, even if he and Bulls management may not have always been on the best of terms. The Wizards would die to have Devin Harris in D.C right about now, and I am sure Loul Deng would be a younger, faster Duke upgrade in Phoenix to Grant Hill.

11-20:

11. Andris Biedrins - Warriors
12. Robert Swift - Sonics
13. Sebastian Telfair - Blazers
14. Kris Humphries - Jazz
15. Al Jefferson - Celtics
16. Kirk Snyder - Jazz
17. Josh Smith - Hawks
18. J.R. Smith - Hornets
19. Dorrell Wright - Heat
20. Jameer Nelson - Nuggets(then traded to Magic)

Our Take: The two Smiths, Jefferson, and Nelson stand out in this next group. Andis Biedrins is a quality pro as well.

What happened to Robert Swift? How about the Kirk Snyder experiment in Utah? There are some general managers and franchises who use the draft to find pieces that can fit into an existing system, while others look towards the draft to find the foundation, and bring in veterans around that player. Both can be successful as long as you stick to your plan.

21-30:
21. Pavel Podkolzin - Jazz
22. Viktor Khryapa - Nets
23. Sergei Monia - Blazers
24. Delonte West - Celtics
25. Tony Allen - Celtics
26. Kevin Martin - Kings
27. Sasa Vujacic - Lakers
28. Beno Udrih - Spurs
29. David Harrison - Pacers

Our Take: Kevin Martin was an absolute steal at 26, and though Sacramento has had some lean years lately, he is the only player on their roster I would not want to part with. Good role players that look better on great teams were chosen in the late first round, such as Tony Allen, Delonte West, and Sasa Vujacic.

The second round of the 2004 NBA Draft also produced solid role players, such as Trevor Ariza, Anderson Varejao, and Chris Duhon. None of which are the go-to guy in the clutch, but all are contributing nicely to their respective current teams.