NBA Drafts: Who's Really No. 1?

The Number One of all Number Ones….

Ranking the No. 1 picks overall of the past dozen years…

With another NBA Draft on the books, I like to take time to sit back and reminisce on
the drafts of the previous few years, and see who wound up living to their potential, and who a bust. LayupDrill.com is proud to reveal our Top 10 Number 1 picks of the past dozen years.

***EDIT***Though the image says 1990-2008, the actual rankings is the top overall number 1 draft picks of the last dozen years(1996-2008). The nearly 200 emails/comments screamed for Shaq to be included. I appreciate everyone catching that for us.

10. Andrea Bargnani: Toronto Raptors, 2006

Bargnani has become a solid shooter and outside threat. He still needs to develop more consistency. He still hasn't worked his way into the starting rotation for the Raptors being beaten out by Jamario Moon. He also needs to work on being a better rebounder at 6'10 getting only averaging 4 rebounds per game isn't that great. Once he becomes moe solid he should be similar to Peja Stojakovic.

9. Greg Oden: Portland Trail Blazers, 2007

Oden has come into the league has one of the most talked about prospects in recent memory. He's only played one game since he was drafted, in the preseason he showed what he is capable of defensively. He still needs to work on his offensive game, but he should be a decent NBA center if he can find away to stay on the court.

8. Derrick Rose: Chicago Bulls, 2008
A shock to some by putting a player who has not played a game yet in our top 10 No. 1s. Rose has the potential, and we stress potential, to be that good. Chicago has a point guard for the next decade.

7. Kenyon Martin: New Jersey Nets, 2000

Solid NBA player. If it hadn't been for injuries he would have definitely been one of the better number 1 picks. As of now he isn't as explosive as he once was and he has settled in his role has a role player with the Denver Nuggets.

Has career averages of 14.5 points per game and 7.3 rebounds per game and has a solid career field goal percentage of 48 percent. He was on the New Jersey Nets team along with Jason Kidd that lead them to the NBA finals where they lost to the Spurs.  

 
6. Yao Ming: Houston Rockets, 2002
The first six seasons of Yao Ming's career has been a mix of good and bad. The positive is that every year Yao's game has improved, and he has grown to become one of the best big men in the league. Yao has not played an entire 82 game season since 2003-04, and injuries have not allowed the Rockets to achieve their potential.

His career numbers (19 points, nine rebounds) are solid, though his three playoff performances have been less than stellar. The six time all star has alot of upside, and with a solid supporting cast, expect to see Yao possibly go higher on this list in years to come.

5. Elton Brand: Chicago Bulls, 1999
The most coveted free agent of the 2008 off season is a career 20-10 guy. Brand spent only two seasons with the team that drafted him, before being shipped out to the LA Clippers, and becoming the cornerstone to the franchise.

Brand’s sole playoff appearance came in 2005-06, where he was arguably the best player on the court in every series he played in, averaging 25.4 points and 10 boards a game. The two time all star has the best yet to come in his career.

4. Dwight Howard: Orlando Magic, 2004
Another Orlando Magic number one pick, another big man. But Dwight Howard is not just another big man. His exceptional talent was quickly put on display for Magic fans since day one, and the durable 6′11" Howard has yet to miss a regular season game for his career due to injury.

The numbers are impressive (16 pts, 12 boards) and two consecutive all star and playoff performances show him continuing to improve. Howard must gain that killer instinct, and gain the ability to take over a game at will, much like a young Shaq did once upon a time for the Magic to achieve the championship heights they would like to see.

3. Allen Iverson: Philadelphia 76ers, 1996
This is where this list became very difficult to rank. The top four on this list are four of the fifty greatest players in NBA history, and they are split up into two sets of four. Iverson’s numbers are undeniable(career 27.7 pts, 6.3 assists).

He singlehandedly took the Sixers to the Finals in 2000-01, and unfortunately has not seen that type of success since. The nine time all star, two time all star game MVP, 2000-01 regular season MVP, and 1996-97 rookie of the year has only one thing missing from his resume, and that's a NBA title. Whether he winds up getting it in Denver remains to be seen. But like many players, time is not on his side.

2. Lebron James: Cleveland Cavaliers, 2003
Hard to believe it's been five full seasons in the NBA for King James. But after five full seasons, the resume he has put together is among the all time greats. A career 27.3 pts, seven boards, 6.6 assists make him virtually unstoppable on the court.

Those numbers stay consistent in his three playoff appearances as well, including one finals appearance. The five time all star enters his sixth season with one goal, to win a NBA title. Just making the finals won’t be enough for the 23 year old.

1. Tim Duncan: San Antonio Spurs, 1997
The Big Fundamental. In a time where style almost always is set over substance, Tim Duncan is a throwback. 21 points, 12 rebounds, two blocks for the last 10 years, every single night. Four titles in 10 years all for the same franchise.

Duncan will be 32 entering this season, and shows no signs of slowing down. He is the reason the Spurs year in and year out are a serious title contender, regardless of who else is wearing that uniform. The three time finals MVP, two time regular season MVP, and constant ALL NBA and ALL Defensive team member is the best big man in the game today, and the best No. 1 overall selection of the last 15 years.