First of all, what a horrible draft going in. Very little hype surrounding these players, outside of a few. A few surprises did emerge from this class though.
#5 - Michael Redd: The main building block of Darth's initial rebuild of the Sonics. Redd came in a little hot, but ended up being a slightly above average wing in the league. Nothing to write home about. Then again, he did play for the 42-led Cavs... *collar pull*
#4 - Jamaal Magloire: Big Cat came in looking like the best pure center in the draft, but his potentials didn't scream top 5 pre-draft. However, after a few seasons in the league (being traded to the Pacers from the Bucks, mind you), Magloire's rebounding and defensive potentials leaped out of the building. He became one of the premiere defensive and rebounding bigs in the league (even if he sucked on offense).
#3 - DerMarr Johnson: Here's a guy who came in very green (literally, his potential was green). He had 3 Bs in his shooting categories. But somehow he got #Blessed by TC gods, making him into one of the better 2-way forwards in the league. Not a #1 or #2 on a team, but a great #3.
#2 - Mike Miller: This guy came in a stud, and stayed a stud. Shooter, rebounder. Lacked a little on the defensive end, but man, this guy was a sharpshooter, and efficient as hell at it.
#1 - Stephen Jackson: The crown purple jewel of the draft. He wasn't purple coming in, but he started getting his TC bumps (I believe) in his 2nd and 3rd seasons, quickly evelating him to superstar status. Offense, defense, you name it and he did it. He managed to escape the Bulls by his 2nd contract in fair and equal trade, and was eventually shipped out to the Jazz, where all other superstars go to die.
Honorable Mention: Raja Bell - 2-way guard that didn't have all the athleticism in the world, but was skilled enough to make his presence felt. Played most of his early years on the Heat until being jettisoned to the Blazers. Became a journeyman for many teams after that.
Biggest Bust: Jamal Crawford - Sorry Xist... you got shafted here man. Crawford looked so good coming out; As on offense, Bs on defense. But then TC reared it's ugly head. Y/B player to y/y in 2 TCs. He bumped up to g/g for a bit with the Spurs, only because he had some growth in his athleticism; skill wise he still is/was garbage. If only we had TC insurance then like we have now...
Class of 2001
What a difference a year makes. This draft was quite the doozy, and had a lot of big names coming out. It actually is pretty tough to narrow and rank 1-5. Lots of great, franchise-changing players.
#5 - Richard Jefferson: Again, rankings are tough to do for this draft. So much good talent where numbers 3 through 7 could go any which way. Jefferson hand athleticism out the wazoo, and some elite scoring ability. Over the years his defense improved to above average. This guy could easily be the best scoring option on your team.
#4 - Tony Parker: Don't let his color ratings fool you. Parker did come in rated a lot better and took a hit in TC... but this is one of those times that colors don't tell everything. Athletic AF, Parker can scoreeeeeeeeeeeee. He also (contrary to popular belief) could act as a floor general and do a good job at facilitating the offense. He wasn't an elite defender, but he got the job done.
#3 - Shane Battier: Fappier (a nickname he so fondly goes by) took his game to a whole nother level in his first season. He came out of TC stroooooooooong. He got to that level and stayed there. Elite defender meets sharp-shooting 3pt sniper. He could easily play 3 positions, and became a match-up nightmare.
#2 - Zach Randolph: This dude was raw as hell coming in, but his potentials made it worth the wait. He was an instant leader for the Hornets, who begrudgingly moved him in last offseason. He does it all, and that's all you need to know. People still calling the Artest for Z-Bo trade a trape should be ashamed of themselves.
#1 - Tyson Chandler: Attack of the Titans. Another player with all the athleticism and potentials in the world. He was just so raw coming in. Patience is a virtue, and his GM(s) that waited for him to grow weren't disappointed. NOLa and Balls have both reaped the fruits of his growth. He's by far the best overall player to come out of this draft. No questions; no debate.
Honorable Mention: Pau Gasol. Victim of volume of players being larger than 5. Pau was a premier big in the league for years, still is. He took his hits in rebounding and defense during TC, like Parker, but he took his lumps harder than Parker did, IMO. Still a great player, but sadly couldn't make my Top 5.
Biggest Bust: Troy Murphy. He came into the draft with y/b colors, A 3PS and JPS, Bs in Rebounding and Defensive fields. He dropped to y/y after 2 or 3 TCs, but (like Jamal Crawford) got back to g/g when his strength got a TC raise. I can speak to this bust specifically because I traded pick #6 (Tyson Chandler) for #8 (Troy Murphy), #15 (Brendan Haywood), #16 (Chris Andersen). All three had y/b or y/g potentials in the draft. Womp womp, talk about one of my worst trades. Troy Murphy dying in TC and being a bust is what makes it so.
More to come later!
