NBA's Great Expectations: Power Ranking the Last 15 Top No. 1 Draft Picks
It's January. That means college basketball is kicking into high gear as conference games get underway and we get to see who are the men among boys.
At the same time, the midseason is approaching in the NBA, and it is becoming more clear who will be among the cellar-dwellers with a shot at getting the No.1 overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.
As those topics start coming to mind, here is a list ranking the No.1 picks of the last 15 NBA drafts. The rankings were determined by several different factors including how long they've been in the league, awards and honors, playoff appearances and if they've lived up to the expectations of a top draft pick.
There is one factor that separates the top-ranked player from all the rest. If you can figure out what it is, you already know who No. 1 is. That being said, on with the list!
Incomplete: John Wall
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Selected by: Washington Wizards in 2010
From: Kentucky
Honors: Incomplete
Wall is a blossoming point guard who has already been bit by the boo-boo bug that has come to haunt many top picks lately. However he has recently started playing more as he continues to get better.
He was selected by a tormented Wizards team that had to endure more than its fair share of controversy last season. With Gilbert Arenas gone, he now has the opportunity (and pressure) to bring this team back to life and into the playoffs.
It's a tall order and some player-tweaking probably needs to be done before that is possible, but Wall has the skill set and talent to do it if he can get healthy and receive some help from his fellow teammates.
Incomplete: Blake Griffin
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Selected by: Los Angeles Clippers in 2009*
From: Oklahoma
Honors: Incomplete
If Griffin had played last year, he would probably be higher on the list. Despite being the second top pick in three years to not be able to play his first season, he has wowed NBA fans with his massive dunks and consistent double-doubles.
People almost want to watch the Clippers again! That says a lot.
Even though his talent hasn't translated to many wins yet, he is so far the runaway favorite for Rookie of the Year. It wouldn't be surprising to see the Clippers back in the playoffs as soon as next year if they continue to show improvement under Griffin's guide.
*Due to injury he never played in the 2009-2010 season.
No. 13: Kwame Brown
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Selected by: Washington Wizards in 2001
From: Glynn Academy HS (GA)
Honors: None
Honestly, I forgot he was a No. 1 pick. He has faded pretty far into obscurity as an average player on average teams and has gained a reputation as an underacheiver.
He has yet to find a home, having played for five different teams in 10 seasons after stirring up endless controversy with the Wizards. He's also had his fair share of legal problems.
With no honors to fall back on and just 6.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 0.6 blocks to his name, I'd say he's one sorry center. Maybe he should have considered honoring that letter of intent to Florida and gotten some experience under his belt.
No. 12: Michael Olowokandi
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Selected by: Los Angeles Clippers in 1998
From: Nigeria
Honors: All-Rookie Second Team
The Kandiman came in with high expectations but ended up with a relatively short nine-year career on three different teams. Much of that career was marred by injury and inconsistent play.
In only 500 career games, he averaged a measly 8.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.39 blocks. Those are pretty sorry stats for a seven-footer who was picked first overall for being a double-double machine in college.
No. 11: Greg Oden
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Selected by: Portland Trail Blazers in 2007*
From: Ohio State
Honors: none
Thanks to a couple of injury-prone knees, Oden may never be able to live up to expectation. He missed the entire '07-'08 season and now the entire '10-'11 season due to microfracture surgery on both knees.
In the meantime, he has played a total of only 82 games over four seasons (61 in '08-'09 and 21 in '09-'10). The last time he played was Dec. 5, 2009. The longest stretch he played for was Nov. 12, 2008 to Feb. 13, 2009: about three months.
When he has played, he's shown promise with a career average of 9.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. While the only thing working in Oden's favor is his age, he's still young with a potentially bright future if he can ever get and remain healthy.
*Due to injury he never played in the 2007-2008 season.
No. 10: Andrea Bargnani
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Selected by: Toronto Raptors in 2006
From: Italy
Honors: All-Rookie First Team
Bargnani is a fan favorite in Toronto due to his dedication to hustle and hard work. He has not exactly lived up to the expectation of a top pick, although he has drawn comparisons to fellow European Dirk Nowitzki due to his perimeter shooting, mobility and ball handling skills.
His numbers are respectable for a seven-footer with 14.9 points and 4.9 rebounds for his career average. He has helped carry his team to two playoff appearances, although most of that credit tends to go towards former teammate Chris Bosh.
With Bosh gone, Bargnani now carries the burden of keeping his team afloat. It's a tough assignment, but he's still working up to his prime and continues show some promise for the future.
No. 9: Elton Brand
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Selected by: Chicago Bulls in 1999
From: Duke
Honors: co-Rookie of The Year*, two-time All-NBA Second Team, two-time All-Star
Despite being an undersized power forward at 6'8'', Brand has twice led the league in offensive rebounds in a season (348 in 2000, 396 in 2002). He spent a good portion of his career with the LA Clippers, where he lead them to one of their few playoff appearances in 2006.
His numbers are very good for his size, with career averages of 19.1 points, 9.7 rebounds and 1.9 blocks, but he just hasn't been able transfer that production into wins. It doesn't help that his main teams have been the Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers, but more is expected from a top pick.
*Note: He shared the ROY award with Steve Francis.
No. 8: Andrew Bogut
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Selected by: Milwaukee Bucks in 2005
From: Australia
Honors: All-Rookie First Team, one-time All-NBA Third Team
After an award-filled college career at Utah, Bogut helped lead the Bucks to the playoffs his rookie year. His development during his second season was hampered by a nagging foot injury.
He also helped lead the Bucks on a semi-Cinderella run to playoffs in 2010, although he was not able to participate after a tragic injury from a slam dunk resulted in a dislocated elbow, broken hand and sprained wrist.
At 7'3'', Bogut is considered one of the best passing centers in the league with a career average of 2.4 assists to go along with 12.7 points and 9 rebounds. The Bucks have the right pieces to take it to the next level if they can all get healthy.
No. 7: Kenyon Martin
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Selected by: New Jersey Nets in 2000
From: Cincinnati
Honors: All-Rookie First Team, one-time All-Star
Martin had a very promising start to his career, where he immediately showcased his trademark intensity and dedication to defense. He quickly helped lead the Nets to two straight appearences in the Finals in '02 and '03.
After the 2004 season that included his only All-Star appearence, he was traded to the Denver Nuggets where he has remained ever since. Continuous knee injuries and outside problems have somewhat hampered his career, which included only two games in the '06-'07 season.
Despite these issues, he is still one of the better power-forwards in the league with career averages of 13.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks along with eight playoff appearences.
No. 6: Derrick Rose
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Selected by: Chicago Bulls in 2008
From: Memphis
Honors: Rookie of The Year, one-time All-Star
The fact that Rose is this high on the list in only his third season says a lot. He has taken Chicago to the playoffs in the last two seasons.
His continuous improvement provides an outside chance of contending in the Eastern Conference this season.
Rose has quickly become one of the best point guards in the league, evident by his career averages of 19.6 points and 6.5 assists. There's no doubt he will be the face of the Bulls for years to come if he can lead them to the Finals in the near future.
No. 5: Yao Ming
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Selected by: Houston Rockets in 2002
From: China
Honors: All-Rookie First Team, 2x All-NBA Second Team, 3x All-NBA Third Team, 7x All-Star
Yao came to the NBA with expectations higher than his head but has never quite lived up to them due to an injury-plagued career.
After playing in 244 of 246 possible regular season games in his first three seasons, he has only managed to play in 242 out of 410 since then (including the remainder of this season) while missing the entire '09-'10 season.
At a towering height of 7'6'', he was expected to come in the league and score at will against even the best centers. While his career averages of 19 points, nine rebounds, and 1.9 blocks do support that theory, it never translated to much post-season success.
The Rockets have made it to the playoffs five times under his guide, although he did not participate in the 2008 playoffs due to injury. They have only reached the second round once.
He has led the league in All-Star votes several times, even during the years he hasn't played much (if it all), mainly thanks to his large fan base in China.
No. 4: Dwight Howard
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Selected by: Orlando Magic in 2004
From: Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy (GA)
Honors: two-time Defensive Player of The Year, three-time All-NBA First Team, one-time All-NBA Third Team, two-time All-Defensive First Team, one-time All-Def. Second Team, four-time All-Star
The only thing that can slow down (or even stop) this defensive giant is his temper and free throw shooting. Otherwise Howard is a top-notch center who could rank up there with the best if he can get a championship or two in his still young career.
Averages of 17.7 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks for his career definitely support his claim-to-fame as the best defender in the league. Last season he passed Wilt Chamberlain's record to become the first player to lead the league in rebounds five seasons in a row (although it looks like Minnesota's Kevin Love will end that streak this year).
Howard has led his team to the playoffs four straight times with one trip to the Finals in 2009, and they remain contenders every year.
He has wiped away the sour notes Shaq left in Orlando by abandoning them over a decade ago, and he now has the chance to be the face of the franchise if he sticks with them and keeps winning.
No. 3: Allen Iverson
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Selected by: Philidelphia 76ers in 1996
From: Georgetown
Honors: Rookie of the Year, NBA MVP 2001, four-time NBA Scoring Champion, three-time All-NBA First Team, three-time All-NBA Second Team, one-time All-NBA Third Team, 11-time All-Star
Iverson spent the first 10 years of his career with the 76ers, where he earned most of his honors, including a trip to the 2001 Finals.
After his ego got in the way, he spent the rest of his career traveling from team-to-team. His NBA career appears to have ended after his constant refusal to come off the bench led to no offers during the 2010 offseason. He is currently playing in Turkey.
Despite the troublesome ending, Iverson will always be remembered as a great scorer with career averages of 26.7 points (ranked 6th best all-time), 6.2 assists and 2.2 steals per game.
His playoff scoring average of 29.7 points in 71 games ranks second all-time only to Michael Jordan.
No. 2: LeBron James
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Selected by: Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003
From: St. Vincent-St. Mary HS (OH)
Honors: Rookie of the Year, two-time NBA MVP, one-time NBA Scoring Champion, four-time All-NBA First Team, two-time All-NBA Second Team, two-time All-NBA Defensive Team, six-time All-Star
LeBron might be one of the most despised players in all sports right now, but he's certainly one of the most enjoyable to watch.
His talent and skill level is almost unheard of. Still in the prime of his youth, this triple-double machine boasts career averages of 27.9 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists: pretty high numbers for a small forward.
Many thought he would remain with Cleveland, whom he had already lead to the Finals in 2007, but instead he chose to "take his talents to South Beach" to join his All-star friends to chase a championship.
Despite his decision to win-the-easy-way and often poor choice of words, LeBron should go down as one of the best to ever play the game, especially if he wins a championship. However, he has laid quite a burden on himself with a promise to win seven or eight straight in Miami.
No. 1: Tim Duncan
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Selected by: San Antonio Spurs in 1997
From: Wake Forest
Honors: Rookie of the Year, two-time NBA MVP, four-time NBA Champion, three-time Finals MVP, nine-time All-NBA First Team, three-time All-NBA Second Team, one-time All-NBA Third Team, eight-time All-Defensive First Team, five-time All-Def. Second Team, 12-time All-Star
Yep, you guessed it. The one thing that separates Duncan from everyone else on this list is a championship. Four to be exact. What matters even more is the fact that he was the best player in all of them (see his three Finals MVP trophies).
He was unstoppable in his prime that included two MVPs and he had the honor to be taken under the wing of Hall of Famer David Robinson to learn how to win the right way.
His fundamental skills and dedication to things other than scoring, like defense, makes him one of best to ever play the game with career averages of 21.1 points, 11.6 rebounds and 2.3 blocks. He also holds the record for the most blocks in a Finals series with 37 against the NJ Nets in 2003.
His quiet demeanor, non-flashy play and the shear fact that he has played for the Spurs his entire career has often kept him out of the spotlight. However, he is a sure lock for the Hall of Fame and will probably go down as one of, if not the, best power-forwards of all-time.
