Post by bloop on Jul 13, 2015 18:01:07 GMT
aar brought the league's attention to this draft recently and for good reason. This draft was absolutely loaded and produced some memorable talent in the NBADSL. I’m going to write about who I believe were the top 10 players in this draft and compare where they were drafted to where their careers took them.
1. Kareem Abdul Jabbar
I don’t think anyone questioned this pick in 2029, and I don’t think anyone can really question it now. While this draft produced a ton of superstars and stars, KAJ was still the safest bet then and arguably the most consistent player since the draft. KAJ has been a top rebounder and shot blocker since entering the league. He’s led a team to the promised land after the one they call Hambergler traded him for Paul Pressey. This trade looked odd then and looks even worse now. The only knock on KAJ is his career 44% FG%. That minor flaw aside, KAJ was the appropriate #1 pick then and would still be the #1 pick now.
Career: PPG- 19.8 RPG- 13.4 APG- 4.1 SPG-.9 BPG-3.2
Then- #1
Now-#1
2. Stanley Johnson
Looking back now, Stanley looks like the easy pick at #2, but at the time I don’t think this was so. His notes raised some questions about his game, and there were safer picks on the board like Isiah Thomas or one of the bigs. However, the Nets knew they wanted Johnson and his production has been ridiculous since he entered the league. I asked in the SB recently who the best SF in this league has been, and I foolishly did not include Stanley. He’s a truly unique player who may just be entering his prime. He’s easily the best rebounding SF not named Dennis Rodman, and fills the stat sheet like few others. The Nets traded Stanley early on in his career, and it’s fair to wonder if they regret that at all. I think I would have.
Career: PPG- 22.0 RPG- 8.9 APG- 2.8 SPG-1.4 BPG-0.2
Then- #2
Now- #2
3. Zhou Qi
Zhou was a risky pick at 5. International players are hard to predict in this league, and there was also the opportunity to let Zhou develop more in China for 2 seasons. Luckily, the Jazz took him and he was allowed to develop for 2 season in China. Zhou has become a true force in this league and a truly unique player. He is what everyone expected Kevin Love to be years ago. He’s a prototype stretch 4 who also holds his own on the defensive end. While big men usually take awhile to develop, Zhou hit the ground running after his 2 year stint in China. Zhou should have went earlier in the draft, unless one of the prior teams were about to get CY’d. Zhou could have been left in China for 2 seasons while the teams continue to tank and build a solid young core. It was hard to decide between Larry Nance or Zhou for the 3th spot, but I think Zhou has had the more consistent career and is the more versatile player.
Career: PPG- 23.4 RPG- 11.0 APG- 2.0 SPG-1.0 BPG-2.4
Then- #5
Now- #3
4. Larry Nance
The Lakers took what seemed to be the safe pick in Larry Nance. His notes had him as the big least likely to bust. While Nance was seemingly bust prone, it did take him awhile to develop. He didn’t break 15 ppg until his 4th season. While lauded for his defense, Nance has only averaged 2 bpg once in his career. These minor flaws aside, Nance surpassed even his most ardent supporters predictions. Nance turned himself into a MVP type of player later in his career and was an integral part of 3 Bulls Championship teams. Nance’s stats will not tell the full story because he had to share the frontcourt with NBADSL Legend David Robinson for 9 seasons. Once Nance was traded, however, his true production came out. He averaged 30.9 ppg and 13.2 blocks while leading the Pistons to a superb record and deep playoff run. With Nance, the league will always wonder what he could’ve done during those 9 years with the Bulls if Drob wasn’t around.
Career: PPG- 18.8 RPG- 11.2 APG- 1.7 SPG-1.0 BPG-1.6
Then- #4
Now- #4
5. Isiah Thomas
At the time, the 6ers had to be salivating at IT falling to them. Many believed he would go #2 overall, and to have him fall to #3 must have seemed like a godsend. IT seemed like the next big PG to enter the league after big men had recently taken the league by storm. IT’s career arc would not be so predictable though. IT has been on 6 teams in his career, and it’s mostly because of how long it took him to reach his potential. He looked like a bust early on his career, only averaging above 15 ppg twice in his first 6 seasons, and even having one year where he averaged only 5.4 apg. IT eventually found his place in the league and turned into one of the elite PGs. He has a Finals MVP to back his resume and is a daily double double threat, while also supplying elite defense. With all this said however, I don’t think I would have taken IT as the 3rd overall player in this draft. He took too long to hit his potential, and while that is expected for most rookies, in a draft like this there are just too many other options who came out and produced early on.
Career: PPG- 16.2 RPG- 3.5 APG- 8.1 SPG-2.2 BPG-0.2
Then- #3
Now- #5
6. Mark Aguirre
This was where redoing the draft got difficult. There was a major drop off after the first 5 players taken in the draft in 2029, and the same can be said now. Mark Aguirre may be a controversial pick here, but it ultimately came down to him, Tripucka, and Albert King. I went with Aguirre for a couple of reasons. The major knock on Aguirre was his defense, but compared to the other 3, it’s not that much worse. He averaged 1.1 spg in his career and his ridiculous size for his position (6’7 245) definitely helped him play above his usual C defense. Aguirre is also the only one with a champuionship out of the 3. Aguirre was able to put up 20+ ppg on a title contending team without even being an option. He’s proven that he can score and rebound with the best of tehm at his position, regardless if his team is a contender or tanking. Aguirre is one of those rare players who plays above his ratings. It’s remarkable he fell so far in 2029.
Career: PPG- 20.4 RPG- 7.1 APG- 2.5 SPG-1.1 BPG-0.3
Then- #23
Now- #6
7. Kelly Tripucka
I went with Tripucka over Albert King here because of Tripucka’s scoring. Tripucka is a career 22 ppg scorer and even had one year where he dropped 30.1 ppg. His turnovers are his one major flaw, but it’s easy to accept them when Kelly is scoring at such a high rate and as efficiently as he does. He’s been on his share of competing and tanking teams, and has remained to stay relatively consistent.
Then- #13
Now- #7
Career: PPG- 21.9 RPG- 5.0 APG- 3.2 SPG-1.3 BPG-0.1
8. Albert King
Albert King had the slowest start out of himself, Aguirre, and Tripucka. He seemed like a solid SG, nothing else. After improving each year during his first 5 years in the league, King struggled mightily in his 6th and 7th season. It wasn’t until the Bucks came under new management that King’s potential was reached. King was a key player for the recent perennial contending Bucks. He had two seasons of elite numbers averaging 24 ppg, 7 rpg, and 3 apg. King did not have the consistent career that Tripucka and Aguirre did, but when he came into his own, he was a sight to behold. King was also easily the best defender out of the 3, but the early portion of his career prevented him from truly being considered at #6 or #7. He’s still searching for that elusive ring, but with his new home with the Clippers it’s fair to wonder when he will get it, not if.
Career: PPG- 15.7 RPG- 5.8 APG- 2.4 SPG-1.2 BPG-0.2
Then- #10
Now-#8
9. Jelani Hewitt
Hewitt came out of the draft with great promise. With his stipulation (you randomly lost one player on your team), it seemed like he was a true risk/reward type of player. Sadly, Hewitt became nothing more than a stat stuffer, which his stipulation alluded to looking back. Hewitt had some awesome scoring years, but that is about all that can be said about his game. He never took a team to that next step, and he struggled with TOs for a long time, even having 2 seasons with 5.0 and 5.5. With the stipulation and lack of a winning pedigree, it was easy to drop Hewitt behind King, Aguirre, and Kelly. Hewitt scored the most at the PG position, but that’s also where his flaws were most exposed (Low assists and high TOs). Hewitt was a polarizing figure before he came into the league and he lived up to this reputation during his NBADSL career.
Career: PPG- 22.4 RPG- 5.2 APG- 3.4 SPG-2.1 BPG-0.2
Then- #8
Now- #9
10. Buck Williams
This was the toughest pick in the redraft. I was torn between Sykes, Williams, and Chambers. I settled on Buck Williams because he had 8 solid seasons of double double or near double double numbers. Williams is a clearly flawed player. He shoots a low % and doesn’t get enough blocks as a big, but he is a great rebounding big and a solid scorer in the right situation. This was clearly a 9 person draft, but at 10 you could still get a solid big who could contribute right away.
Career: PPG- 11.2 RPG- 8.4 APG- 1.0 SPG-0.6 BPG-0.4
Then- #12
Now- #10
This draft was surprisingly deep in terms of star talent. If you had a pick 1-9 you were pretty satisfied with the player that you landed. We all went nuts over the recent draft that had KG, Kobe, and TMac. It will be hard for that draft class to compete with this one. KAJ, Stanley, Zhou, Nance, and Isiah are all bonafide superstars who have turned teams into instant contenders. Who knows when we will see another draft with this much star power.
For a review of where the other players in that draft went, here’s the list
1. Pacer: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
2. Nets: Stanley Johnson
3. 76ers: Isiah Thomas
4. Lakers: Larry Nance
5. Jazz: Zhou Qi
6. Spurs: Tom Chambers
7. Wizards: Orlando Wooldridge
8. Warriors (via Suns): Jelani Hewitt
9. Pacers from Rockets: Jean Marc Christ Koumadje
10. Nuggets: Albert King
11. Grizzlies: Cedi Osman
12. Hornets: Buck Williams
13. Hornets: Kelly Tripucka
14. Suns: Egemen Guven
15. Supersonics: Christian Wood
16. Blazers: Shannon Scott
17. Pacers (via Hornets): Tyler Ulis
18. Grizzlies: Rolando blackman
19. Knicks - Keifer Sykes
20. Heat - Al Wood
21. Hornets (Via Pacers): Danny Ainge
22. Cavs: Kevin Pangos
23. 76ers (via Wolves): Mark Aguirre
24. Hawks : Frank Johnson
25. Rockets (from Raptors): Herb Williams
26. Raptors (via Kings): Alton Lister.
27. Mavs(From Raptors): Luwane Pipkins
28. Wolves: (via rockets) (from Grizz ): Guillermo Hernangomez
29. Bucks (from Magic): Mike Watkins
1. Kareem Abdul Jabbar
I don’t think anyone questioned this pick in 2029, and I don’t think anyone can really question it now. While this draft produced a ton of superstars and stars, KAJ was still the safest bet then and arguably the most consistent player since the draft. KAJ has been a top rebounder and shot blocker since entering the league. He’s led a team to the promised land after the one they call Hambergler traded him for Paul Pressey. This trade looked odd then and looks even worse now. The only knock on KAJ is his career 44% FG%. That minor flaw aside, KAJ was the appropriate #1 pick then and would still be the #1 pick now.
Career: PPG- 19.8 RPG- 13.4 APG- 4.1 SPG-.9 BPG-3.2
Then- #1
Now-#1
2. Stanley Johnson
Looking back now, Stanley looks like the easy pick at #2, but at the time I don’t think this was so. His notes raised some questions about his game, and there were safer picks on the board like Isiah Thomas or one of the bigs. However, the Nets knew they wanted Johnson and his production has been ridiculous since he entered the league. I asked in the SB recently who the best SF in this league has been, and I foolishly did not include Stanley. He’s a truly unique player who may just be entering his prime. He’s easily the best rebounding SF not named Dennis Rodman, and fills the stat sheet like few others. The Nets traded Stanley early on in his career, and it’s fair to wonder if they regret that at all. I think I would have.
Career: PPG- 22.0 RPG- 8.9 APG- 2.8 SPG-1.4 BPG-0.2
Then- #2
Now- #2
3. Zhou Qi
Zhou was a risky pick at 5. International players are hard to predict in this league, and there was also the opportunity to let Zhou develop more in China for 2 seasons. Luckily, the Jazz took him and he was allowed to develop for 2 season in China. Zhou has become a true force in this league and a truly unique player. He is what everyone expected Kevin Love to be years ago. He’s a prototype stretch 4 who also holds his own on the defensive end. While big men usually take awhile to develop, Zhou hit the ground running after his 2 year stint in China. Zhou should have went earlier in the draft, unless one of the prior teams were about to get CY’d. Zhou could have been left in China for 2 seasons while the teams continue to tank and build a solid young core. It was hard to decide between Larry Nance or Zhou for the 3th spot, but I think Zhou has had the more consistent career and is the more versatile player.
Career: PPG- 23.4 RPG- 11.0 APG- 2.0 SPG-1.0 BPG-2.4
Then- #5
Now- #3
4. Larry Nance
The Lakers took what seemed to be the safe pick in Larry Nance. His notes had him as the big least likely to bust. While Nance was seemingly bust prone, it did take him awhile to develop. He didn’t break 15 ppg until his 4th season. While lauded for his defense, Nance has only averaged 2 bpg once in his career. These minor flaws aside, Nance surpassed even his most ardent supporters predictions. Nance turned himself into a MVP type of player later in his career and was an integral part of 3 Bulls Championship teams. Nance’s stats will not tell the full story because he had to share the frontcourt with NBADSL Legend David Robinson for 9 seasons. Once Nance was traded, however, his true production came out. He averaged 30.9 ppg and 13.2 blocks while leading the Pistons to a superb record and deep playoff run. With Nance, the league will always wonder what he could’ve done during those 9 years with the Bulls if Drob wasn’t around.
Career: PPG- 18.8 RPG- 11.2 APG- 1.7 SPG-1.0 BPG-1.6
Then- #4
Now- #4
5. Isiah Thomas
At the time, the 6ers had to be salivating at IT falling to them. Many believed he would go #2 overall, and to have him fall to #3 must have seemed like a godsend. IT seemed like the next big PG to enter the league after big men had recently taken the league by storm. IT’s career arc would not be so predictable though. IT has been on 6 teams in his career, and it’s mostly because of how long it took him to reach his potential. He looked like a bust early on his career, only averaging above 15 ppg twice in his first 6 seasons, and even having one year where he averaged only 5.4 apg. IT eventually found his place in the league and turned into one of the elite PGs. He has a Finals MVP to back his resume and is a daily double double threat, while also supplying elite defense. With all this said however, I don’t think I would have taken IT as the 3rd overall player in this draft. He took too long to hit his potential, and while that is expected for most rookies, in a draft like this there are just too many other options who came out and produced early on.
Career: PPG- 16.2 RPG- 3.5 APG- 8.1 SPG-2.2 BPG-0.2
Then- #3
Now- #5
6. Mark Aguirre
This was where redoing the draft got difficult. There was a major drop off after the first 5 players taken in the draft in 2029, and the same can be said now. Mark Aguirre may be a controversial pick here, but it ultimately came down to him, Tripucka, and Albert King. I went with Aguirre for a couple of reasons. The major knock on Aguirre was his defense, but compared to the other 3, it’s not that much worse. He averaged 1.1 spg in his career and his ridiculous size for his position (6’7 245) definitely helped him play above his usual C defense. Aguirre is also the only one with a champuionship out of the 3. Aguirre was able to put up 20+ ppg on a title contending team without even being an option. He’s proven that he can score and rebound with the best of tehm at his position, regardless if his team is a contender or tanking. Aguirre is one of those rare players who plays above his ratings. It’s remarkable he fell so far in 2029.
Career: PPG- 20.4 RPG- 7.1 APG- 2.5 SPG-1.1 BPG-0.3
Then- #23
Now- #6
7. Kelly Tripucka
I went with Tripucka over Albert King here because of Tripucka’s scoring. Tripucka is a career 22 ppg scorer and even had one year where he dropped 30.1 ppg. His turnovers are his one major flaw, but it’s easy to accept them when Kelly is scoring at such a high rate and as efficiently as he does. He’s been on his share of competing and tanking teams, and has remained to stay relatively consistent.
Then- #13
Now- #7
Career: PPG- 21.9 RPG- 5.0 APG- 3.2 SPG-1.3 BPG-0.1
8. Albert King
Albert King had the slowest start out of himself, Aguirre, and Tripucka. He seemed like a solid SG, nothing else. After improving each year during his first 5 years in the league, King struggled mightily in his 6th and 7th season. It wasn’t until the Bucks came under new management that King’s potential was reached. King was a key player for the recent perennial contending Bucks. He had two seasons of elite numbers averaging 24 ppg, 7 rpg, and 3 apg. King did not have the consistent career that Tripucka and Aguirre did, but when he came into his own, he was a sight to behold. King was also easily the best defender out of the 3, but the early portion of his career prevented him from truly being considered at #6 or #7. He’s still searching for that elusive ring, but with his new home with the Clippers it’s fair to wonder when he will get it, not if.
Career: PPG- 15.7 RPG- 5.8 APG- 2.4 SPG-1.2 BPG-0.2
Then- #10
Now-#8
9. Jelani Hewitt
Hewitt came out of the draft with great promise. With his stipulation (you randomly lost one player on your team), it seemed like he was a true risk/reward type of player. Sadly, Hewitt became nothing more than a stat stuffer, which his stipulation alluded to looking back. Hewitt had some awesome scoring years, but that is about all that can be said about his game. He never took a team to that next step, and he struggled with TOs for a long time, even having 2 seasons with 5.0 and 5.5. With the stipulation and lack of a winning pedigree, it was easy to drop Hewitt behind King, Aguirre, and Kelly. Hewitt scored the most at the PG position, but that’s also where his flaws were most exposed (Low assists and high TOs). Hewitt was a polarizing figure before he came into the league and he lived up to this reputation during his NBADSL career.
Career: PPG- 22.4 RPG- 5.2 APG- 3.4 SPG-2.1 BPG-0.2
Then- #8
Now- #9
10. Buck Williams
This was the toughest pick in the redraft. I was torn between Sykes, Williams, and Chambers. I settled on Buck Williams because he had 8 solid seasons of double double or near double double numbers. Williams is a clearly flawed player. He shoots a low % and doesn’t get enough blocks as a big, but he is a great rebounding big and a solid scorer in the right situation. This was clearly a 9 person draft, but at 10 you could still get a solid big who could contribute right away.
Career: PPG- 11.2 RPG- 8.4 APG- 1.0 SPG-0.6 BPG-0.4
Then- #12
Now- #10
This draft was surprisingly deep in terms of star talent. If you had a pick 1-9 you were pretty satisfied with the player that you landed. We all went nuts over the recent draft that had KG, Kobe, and TMac. It will be hard for that draft class to compete with this one. KAJ, Stanley, Zhou, Nance, and Isiah are all bonafide superstars who have turned teams into instant contenders. Who knows when we will see another draft with this much star power.
For a review of where the other players in that draft went, here’s the list
1. Pacer: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
2. Nets: Stanley Johnson
3. 76ers: Isiah Thomas
4. Lakers: Larry Nance
5. Jazz: Zhou Qi
6. Spurs: Tom Chambers
7. Wizards: Orlando Wooldridge
8. Warriors (via Suns): Jelani Hewitt
9. Pacers from Rockets: Jean Marc Christ Koumadje
10. Nuggets: Albert King
11. Grizzlies: Cedi Osman
12. Hornets: Buck Williams
13. Hornets: Kelly Tripucka
14. Suns: Egemen Guven
15. Supersonics: Christian Wood
16. Blazers: Shannon Scott
17. Pacers (via Hornets): Tyler Ulis
18. Grizzlies: Rolando blackman
19. Knicks - Keifer Sykes
20. Heat - Al Wood
21. Hornets (Via Pacers): Danny Ainge
22. Cavs: Kevin Pangos
23. 76ers (via Wolves): Mark Aguirre
24. Hawks : Frank Johnson
25. Rockets (from Raptors): Herb Williams
26. Raptors (via Kings): Alton Lister.
27. Mavs(From Raptors): Luwane Pipkins
28. Wolves: (via rockets) (from Grizz ): Guillermo Hernangomez
29. Bucks (from Magic): Mike Watkins
