Post by the original michael on Jun 9, 2020 16:10:05 GMT -8
Ranking the Draft Prospects from 2001-2003
I thought it'd be a fun idea to break down the top #20 prospects combined from the 2001, 2002, and 2003 draft.
Let's take a look...
**remember that guys who had a chance to be camped and run through Training Camp will be a bit higher obviously **
1. LeBron James, 2003, Projected 1st overall
Spencer said it himself. This guy will instantly be the league's best player right away and that should last an FBB decade. LeBron James seems to have no real weaknesses right now and would be the clear cut #1 pick in this draft, and any draft for that matter.
2. Yao Ming, 2002, 1st overall
I went back and forth between Wade, Dimitris, and Yao here, but went with Yao Ming due to the lack of quality bigs in this league. You'll see some big men on this list a little higher due to the watered down group of bigs in this league. Yao Ming has ruined Stevie B 's tank and has the team hovering around .500 BY HIMSELF. He needs to limit his turnovers and improve his blocking, but that will come with another training camp and some RCs/ACs.
3. Dwayne Wade, 2003, Projected 2nd overall
Wade is going to be good. Rumor has it, he can play point guard as well, which will make him even MORE valuable. Dwayne Wade is an excellent consolation prize for a team that misses out on LeBron James in the 2003 lottery. Wade easily will come into the league and become the team's face of the franchise and #1 scorer, and should pop off 20PPG easily.
4. Dimitris Diamantidis, 2002, 4th overall
Lot's of GMs were pounding the table for this guy throughout last season, including kobe . In hindsight, he should have been the 2nd pick behind Yao, but Amare went #2 due to name recognition. Taking DD over Amare would have been BALLSY, but would have paid high dividends early. He's already averaging 32PPG on good percentages...as a rookie. I don't think I've ever seen that before. Go Niners and the Houston Rockets have themselves a franchise player in DD.
5. Carmelo Anthony, 2003, Projected 3rd overall
The first of two D+ defenders on this list is Carmeloooooo Anthony. Carmelo will come into the league as an elite scoring option right away. His defense, well, that will need work. The scouts say he can even rebound at a high rate from the SF position, which is a big bonus. Again, whichever team misses out on LBJ or Wade should be very happy with Carmelo Anthony.
6. Gilbert Arenas, 2001, 2nd overall
Back to back D+ defenders at draft time! Arenas slipped to #2 at the draft and I'm not sure how the hell that happened. He was clearly the best scoring guard in the draft and hints were made that he could steal the rock, despite the D+ defense. Fast forward a bit and Agent 0 is now at C- defense (2.1SPG) and is now a member of the New York Knicks. Let's see how long that lasts with the way Skillz trades.
7. Tony Parker, 2001, 6th overall
In a league where quality point guards are scarce, the Dallas Mavericks saw Parker fall into their lap in the 2001 draft at the 6th pick. Fast forward to today, Parker is now a member of GAME 's squad and looks very very good. He's a low turnover, high percentage point guard, which is just what you want. Diego and the Raptors have themselves a nice French guard.
8. Chris Bosh, 2003, Projected 4th overall
Went back and forth between Bosh or Amare, but went with Bosh....because of the unkown. This time it helps him out, since Amare has struggled a bit blocking the basketball. Bosh is consolation prize #3 of the 2003 NBA draft and he should come into the league and be an instant quality big who can score, rebound, and defend. I'm most curious to see how Bosh develops as I've seen him be an elite FBB player or a total bum in certain leagues.
9. Amare Stoudemire, 2002, 2nd overall
The former #2 pick in the 2002 draft finds himself all the way at #9. Amare was drafted by the Sacramento Kings with the ORL pick from the Kobe deal. Today, however, he was dealt to the Chicago Bulls and Play in exchange for Marcus Camby. This was a clear win now move by the Kings, but it may come back to bite them in the ass in the future. Amare needs to improve his rebounding, strength, and shot blocking if he wants to be considered an elite talent. This next training camp is huge for him.
10. Eddie Griffin, 2001, 20th overall
I'm not a homer, I swear. I love bigs who don't take a ton of shots and can rebound and block well. Eddie Griffin is THAT. At 21 years old, he is in the top 5 in the league in rebounds (12.5 per game) and in the top 8 in blocks (2.8 per game). That's very impressive for any big, yet alone a 2nd year guy drafted in the 20s. Griffin came to Indiana last off-season in a swap that saw Rashard Lewis end up in Orlando. The move has paid off tremendously for the Pacers, as he may be the teams most valuable player (Yes, they do have Vince Carter).
11. Pau Gasol, 2001, 1st overall
I was not a fan of this pick then and I'm not crazy about it now. Gasol should have gone #2 behind Arenas. But here we are, and he's averaging 18PPG 10RPG. Those are good numbers, but the 1.3BPG and 2.1 TOPG scare me a bit. The blocks need to come up and the turnovers need to go down. If that gets corrected, Gasol could find himself much higher on this next list.
12. Tyson Chandler, 2001, 5th overall
Back to back Phoenix Suns front court mates. Tyson was acquired from the Suns last season and Andrew has pumped some ACs and RCs into him, making him look cute as hell with B+ B+ B- big man ratings. Tyson can rebound and score decently, but those blocks need to come up a big. Again, this next training camp will be huge for Mr. Chandler and the Suns.
13. Joe Johnson, 2001, 3rd overall
This man was traded for Kobe Bryant. We'll, with Amare Stoudemire and Antonie Walker. He has sense been dealt the New Jersey Nets and greeme in a deal that saw Ben Wallace head to Sacramento. Now, Joe Johnson should probably be a bit higher on this list, but he's not. Why? I love bigs and value them over B A- wings. Despite all of that, JJ or "Iso Joe" is rolling right now, averaging 26PPG for the Nets. He has a bright future with such a quality GM.
14. Caron Butler, 2002, 6th overall
UCONN STAND UP. Caron Butler looks the part. He can score inside, he can score out and his steal numbers aren't awful. With more camps and some loving by Von , Butler should see himself improve tremendously over the next few seasons. He was a great pick and a nice building block for the re-building New Orleans Hornets.
15. Milos Vujanic, 2002, 11th overall
Another Pacer on this list? Blasphemy! Do you all know the name Milos? Well, ya should. He recently took over at point guard for the Indiana Pacers and is averaging 20.23 PPG and only 2.77 TOPG per 36. Not really THAT impressive right? Well, he is one of the few un-camped guys on this list. Add in +9 in RCs and +15 in ACs and he'll be a very good point guard in this league.
16. Tayshaun Prince, 2002, 5th overall
I like Tayshaun's game. While he'll never ever be a superstar, he'll be a great #3 or #4 piece on a championship roster. He can defense and shoot and fits that prototypical 3 & D mold. JR and the Utah Jazz have themselves a nice piece to start their rebuild after winning the championship in Season 1.
17. Carlos Boozer, 2002, 3rd overall
He's ok. I have to be honest chipper , I'm not a fan. He can score inside and can rebound at a decent rate, but there is a reason why guys like Zach Randolph and Eddy Curry are not on this list. They don't block or defend. Neither does Boozer. Oh wait, I lied...Z-Bo is on this list...
18. Zach Randolph, 2001, 7th overall
He was traded for Alonzo Mourning. He was highly touted, but why? With a SF rule looming, he may be close to useless. But he can rebound and is strong! We'll see how things play out for Zach Randolph.
19. Josh Howard, 2003, 5th or 6th Projected
I'm a fan of Howard. He can score inside, he can score outside...and he is one of the draft's best defenders from the wing. He may never be a superstar, but will have a long BBS career, likely being one of those guys that is traded 10x by guys like Skillz . I see a Posey-like career for Howard. Not too shabby.
20. Kirk Hinrich 2003, 5th or 6th Projected
Right after the core 4 of James, Wade, Bosh, and Carmelo go; Captain Kirk should follow soon after. In a league starving for quality PGs (but will be littered with them in a few seasons), Kirk has to be a top 6 pick in this upcoming draft. He can shoot, defend, and probably has low passing and high handles. He's everything you want in a point guard!
