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"the end of the NBA Draft as we know it."

 

What if teams could go back and pluck some of the best players from their respective eras for today’s struggling NBA through the Draft.  If you though Oden v. Durant was a draft debate for the ages, imagine Magic vs. Lebron, Shaq  vs  Chamberlain or K.G. vs. Barkley.  

        The Bucks, Celtics and Grizzlies would have lost out on more than just the potential of Durant and Oden but also the opportunity of lifetime.  Sitting outside the top three, they'd lose their chance to draft 'The Admiral',David Robinson, Shaq Diesel, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, The Big O, Lebron, Magic and even 'His Airness'.

        This draft does not necessarily proclaim who the best player is but instead analyzes which player in NBA history would be most beneficial  for each team in their prime.   That may mean a 22 year old Michael Jordan, a 24 year old Paul Pierce or a 26 year old Kobe Bryant.  Here’s the other caveat, though.  The player that each team selects must have been selected at that exact position in his original draft.  That means Michael Jordan is unavailable to everyone except the Hawks at #3, and Shaq won't be available at #2.

 

1. Magic Johnson
Guard | Michigan State ('79) | 6-9 | 255 lbs. |  VIDEO

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The debate has raged about which positions on the floor are the most valuable.  With the Blazers on the verge of drafting a franchise center, another 7 footer in the post would just be redundant.  Magic Johnson  a revolutionary player, who, at 6-9, was the tallest point guard in league history.  He won the Most Valuable Player Award and the Finals MVP Award three times each. He was a 12-time All-Star and a nine-time member of the All-NBA First Team. He was clutch when he needed to be and unselfish when it was called for.   Also Considered: Shaquille O’Neal, Tim Duncan, David Robinson,  Lew Alcindor , Wilt Chamberlain, Lebron James, Hakeem Olajuwon, Allen Iverson, Yao Ming, Oscar Robertson, Elgin Baylor 2. Bill Russell



Center | San Fransisco ('56) | 6-10 | 220 lbs. |  VIDEO

As the centerpiece of the greatest **** of professional sports, Russell was a dominating presence in the post who redefined the center position.  A five-time MVP and a 12-time All-Star, he averaged 22.5 rebounds per game in his career.  With Ray Allen sustained his All-Star production on the perimeter, the expected arrival of Kevin Durant, Luke Ridnour at the point, the addition of Russell would transform the Supersonics into a juggernaut on offense and defense.  Also Considered: Isiah Thomas,Jason Kidd, Bob McAdoo, Jerry West, Rick Barry, Earl Monroe 3. Michael Jordan
Guard | North Carolina ('84) | 6-6 | 216 lbs. |  VIDEO

I've move With the #3 pick, there would be no other option for Billy Knight                        even if it did overstock their already abundant lineup of guards and forwards.               Jordan's teams in the 90's won with nothing but a scrap of heap in the post. 
Also Considered: Dominique Wilkins , Grant Hill, Carmelo Anthony,
Nate Thurmond

4. Bob Cousy
Guard | Holy Cross ('50) | 6-1 | 175 lbs. |  VIDEO

 New Memphis coach, Marc Iavaroni's plan to resurrect the Grizzlies is to speed up the offense and introduce the up-tempo exhibited by his former team, the Phoenix Suns.  With point guard being one of their weakest positions, The Houdini of the Hardwood who revolutionized the point guard position could guide the Grizzlies in the the same way Steve Nash has done in Phoenix and Magic did in L.A.  During his 11 year NBA career, all with the Celtics, Cousy won more championships(6) than any point guard in NBA history and was ne of only four point guards to win MVP.  Cousy was ahead of his time with his ballhandling and passing skills. The guy who made it all click for the NBA's greatest dynasty ever.  Also Considered: Dave Cowens, Rasheed Wallace, Chris Paul, Chris Bosh, Billy Cunningham

5. Charles Barkley
Forward | Auburn ('84) | 6-6 | 252 lbs. | VIDEO

 

 Kevin Garnett, Scottie Pippen, Ray Allen,
Vince Carter, Dwyane Wade, Walt Frazier, Moncrief, Sidney, Richmond, Mitch 7. Bernard King
Forward | Tennessee ('77) | 6-7 | 205 lbs. |  VIDEO

In an effort to finally relieve Kevin Garnett of some of the pressure on offense Kevin McHale will overcome his jealousy of Garnett and draft one of the best scorers of the 80's in King .  Had his career not been beset by injuries, it is widely  speculated he would have helped bring a title to the New York Knicks.  Richard Hamilton,  Chris Mullin, John Havlicek, Alvin Robertson, Billy Cunningham 8. Sam Jones
Guard | North Carolina Central ('57) | 6-4 | 205 lbs.

Also Considered: Tom Chambers, Robert Parish, Detlef Shremph, Jack Sikma, Rex Chapman  9. Tracy McGrady
Guard/Forward | Mount Zion HS ('97) | 6-8 | 223 lbs. |  VIDEO

As a two time scoring champ, McGrady's scoring prowess and acrobatic aerial moves have drawn him comparisons to the likes of Jordan and George Gervin.  The coupling of McGrady with the Bulls would be a perfect combination seeing how he nearly became a Bull 10 years ago when Jerry Krause was on the verge of trading up to draft McGrady were it not for Jordan's reservations about the skinny high school guard.  Though the additin of Stoudemire would shre up the Bulls' lack of inside scoring, McGrady, just like Kobe, is a clutch scorer, a transcendent player with the talent to become the Bulls go to guy and fill Jordan shoes. 
Also Considered: Amare Stoudemire, Dirk Nowitzki, Shawn Marion 10. Willis Reed
Forward/Center | Grambling St. ('64) | 6-10 | 240 lbs. |  VIDEO

With a team relying so heavily on perimeter players Bibby and Kevin Martin, plus the defensive ferocity of Ron Artest, Willis Reed would provide the sputtering Kings with the dominating presence in the post that they need.  Though more recognized for his inspiring performance in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals, Reed was a two time NBA champion, a league MVP and All-Star Game MVP with the Knicks.  Also Considered:  Caron Butler, Joe Johnson, Paul Pierce 11. Reggie Miller
Guard | USC ('87) | 6-6 | 195 lbs. |  VIDEO

Also Considered: Jamaal Wilkes, Kiki Vandeweghe

12. Julius Erving
Guard/Forward | Massachusetts ('72) | 6-7 | 210 lbs. | VIDEO
What better way for the 76ers to move forward from the Iverson era than by bringing back a piece of Sixers past?  In his five ABA seasons, Erving won three scoring titles, three MVP awards and two league championships with the Nets.  After the ABA's disbandment  Erving joined the Sixers who held his draft rights where he became an All-Star each season, was the league MVP in 1981, was a five team member of the All-NBA 1st Team and led the Philadelphia 76ers to the city's most recent championship.  His 30,000 points scored in his combined ABA and NBA career ranks only behind Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Karl Malone and Michael Jordan. 13. Kobe Bryant
Guard | Lower Merion HS ('96) | 6-6 | 220 lbs. |  VIDEO

Though the partnering of Chris Paul and and Karl Malone would conjure up images of Stockton and Malone, Kobe Bryant is a transcendent player who trumps conventional thinking.  With The Hornets' drafted Kobe in the '96 draft until they sent him to the Lakers in exchange for the 'Godfather of the Flop, Vlade Divac.  Imagine the possibilities of a team which features Chris Paul, Bobby Jackson, rebounding champ, Tyson Chandler and Kobe Bryant. 14Clyde Drexler
   Guard | Houston ('83) | 6-7 | 222 lbs. |  VIDEO 15. Steve Nash
 Guard | Santa Clara ('96) | 6-3 | 195 lbs. |  VIDEO

With Chauncey Billups now a free agent, Nash would be the consumate point guard for a team desperately lacking offensive production.  With Flip Saunders'  emphasis on offense, the addition of the two time MVP could allow the Pistons to let Billups walk, and vault the Pistons back into overwhelming Eastern Conference title favorites. 16. John Stockton
  Guard| Gonzaga ('83) | 6-1 | 175 lbs. |  VIDEO

Also Considered: Ron Artest 17. Jermaine O'Neal
F/C | Tau Ceramica (Spain) | 6-11 | 232 lbs. |  VIDEO

The Jason Kidd led New Jersey Nets' attained their greatest success when they had the high flying All-Star Kenyon Martin at power forward.  Since left, although the Nets have acquired Vince Carter, their front court has hindered the overall team success. Also Considered: Shawn Kemp,
Calvin Murphy 18. Joe Dumars
Guard | McNeese State ('85) | 6-3 | 195 lbs. |  VIDEO 19. Nate Archibald
  Guard| Texas El-Paso (UTEP) ('70) | 6-1 | 160 lbs. |  VIDEO The Lakers need more players who can make shots, and Archibald fills that bill.  His 18.8 points per games combined with his 7.4 assists per game were impressive over the 6-time NBA All-Star's career, however, in the prime of his career, Archibald regularly spat out bursts of 25, 30 pints per game.   Unlike MLB's  powerhouses, the Yanks and Red Sox, I don't have knowledge of a Celtic ever becoming a Laker or vice versa s "Tiny would be the first.  Along with Kobe and K.G., Tiny would have to find a way to co-exist with the high scoring duo but especially Kobe.  Tiny was the only player ever to lead the league in scoring and assists in the same season (34 and 11.4, 1972-73).Without Garnett, Zach Randolph would slide into this spot but I'm just operating under the assumption. 20. Gus "the Wizard" Johnson
Guard | Southern California (Sr.) | 6-2 | 175 lbs. 21. Michael Finley
Guard | Wisconsin ('95) | 6-7 | 225 lbs. | 22. Reggie Lewis Guard/Forward |Northeastern University ('87) | 6-7 | 215 lbs. He averaged 20.8 points per game in each of his last two seasons with the Celtics, and finished with a career average of 17.6 points per contest. He is the only player in Celtics history to have 100 rebounds, 100 assists, 100 steals and 100 blocked shots in a season - 1991-92 (394 rebounds, 185 assists, 125 steals and 105 blocks). 23. Alex English Guard/Forward | South Carloina ('76) | 6-7 | 190 lbs. | 
English dominated during the 1980s. During his 10 full seasons in Denver he played in eight straight All-Star Games, won a scoring title, averaged more than 23 points nine years in a row and became the first player ever to string together eight straight 2,000-point seasons. 24. Arvydas Sabonis
Center | Lithuania ('86) |7-3 | 290 lbs. |  VIDEO Sabonis was once recognized as the best big man in the world and that before his recurring knee injuries injuries he was one of the top 10 centers of all time. While Shaq is renowned for his incomparable strength, Sabonis was equally skilled with his passing.  At 7 ft 3, 290 pounds he was as revolutionary to the center position as Bob Cousy was to point guards. In his prime he was a point guard in the post, who could run the floor like Ralph Sampson, dunk and shoot the three.  Drafted at #24, by the Blazers in 1986, Sabonis was unable to play professionally in the NBA because of the ongoing Cold War crisis.  Though the NBA was robed of his incredible talent during the ten years he spent playing overseas he accumulated a bevy of Euroleague champinships, MVP's and a near cult following that still exists today.  I couldn't even imagine what the Suns would be capable of if they ever got their hands on a 7-3 big man who could pass like Nash.  If you are still a doubter of Sabonis' skills, talent and how he would have performed had he not blown out his achilles tendons, look at his 1997-98 season, where at age 33 and with heavily-operated and medicated legs, he averaged 16 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 1.1 blocks in only 32 minutes a game.   Then think of an athletic, 80lbs lighter, 23 year old Sabonis in the NBA and tell me he wouldn't have been successful. 25. Gerald Wallace
Forward | Alabama ('01) | 6-7 | 215 lbs. |  VIDEO


Wallace is a poor man's Shawn Marion with a better shooting stroke and even though he has been in the league six years he is only 24 years old.  In the earlier stage of his career he was buried on the deep bench of the Sacramento Kings and for the latter stages he's been the leader of an inexperienced Bobcats team.  However, he is now a free agent and the team which signs him, could make the steal of the summer. 26. Kevin Martin
  Guard| Western Carolina ('05) | 6-7 | 185 lbs. 27. Dennis Rodman Forward | Southeastern Oklahoma ('87)| 6-7 | 228 lbs. |  VIDEO Dennis Rodman returns to Detroit where his career began.  After losing Ben Wallace, the Pistons need a player on the defensive end to replace Wallace's tenacity on the boards and on the defensive end.  He may have been vilified and lionized at the same time for his wild antics and and reckless lifestyle, however, 6-6 power forward will always be remembered as a 5 time NBA champion, two time Defensive Player of the Year and quite possibly as the top rebounder of the 90's. 28. Leandro Barbosa
Guard | Brazil ('03) | 6-3 | 188 lbs. |  VIDEO Free agent Jacque Vaughn may not return as Tony Parker's backup, and the Spurs aren't thrilled with Beno Udrih.  They already have Tony Parker, who was drafted at 28 in 2001, so Barbosa is the obvious choice for a team whose roster contains a myriad of aging guards. 29. Dennis Johnson
Guard | Pepperdine University ('76)| 6-4 | 200 lbs.|  VIDEO D.J. Johnson who left his indelible mark as one of the best defensive guards of the 80's would provide the offensively potent Suns with another great perimeter defender besides Marion and Raja Bell.  Though he is more known for his valuable contributions to two championships with the Celtics, Johnson was also named the Most Valuable Player of the 1979 NBA Finals during his tenure with the Seattle Supersonics.  Also Considered: Josh Howard 30. Spencer Haywood
Forward/Center | Detroit ('71)| 6-9 | 225 lbs. <!--|</span> <img src="http://i.a.cnn.net/si/football/2007/draft/tracker/images/video_icon.gif"> <span class="video"><A href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/specials/draft/2007/video/?c=Mock+Draft&p=88730">VIDEO</A></span>-->


          
 
             &lt;If history serves them well, the Boston Celtics should hold on to that 5th overall pick, because there's a certain positive karmic energy that seems to follow that pick, historically, especially in deep drafts ('84, '96, '98, '03, etc. )such as the one we have this year.  Perhaps the Celtic magic is sill alive, they just don't realize it yet.  Imagine the irony if after all of the moaning from Boston fans whichever player is selected with the 5th pick eventually has a better career than Durant or Oden.
            Meanwhile, the #9 pick in the last 10 years, the #9 spot seems to be the pick for guys who haven't played (American?)college basketball.

            The #26 pick has NEVER produced an NBA All-Star.  It's the only 1st round selection which historically cannot claim an All-Star.  So it's either due for one or the Houston Rockets shouldn't expect much out of (Insert name June 28). 

Spurs Draft Redundancy
            The Spurs seem to hold all the cards when it comes to the 28th pick, which they have this year.  The 3 previous times, they've held this pick in the past 6 years, they've chosen a young foreign prospect.  Tony Parker from France in 2001,  Leandro Barbosa out of Brazil in 2003, and another 18 year old Frenchman Ian Mahinimi who has been compared to Emeka Okafor back in 2005.  Notice the two year intervals?  They've als seemed to corner the Argentinian market in the 2nd round  with Manu Ginobili, (57th) and Luis Scola (55th) who is garnering a lot of interest from teams but after

recent events it appears he may pull a Fran Vasquez and never suit up in the NBA.  Starting center, Fabricio Oberto is also Argentinian, but was never drafted.  There are no Argentinians in this draft but the closest thing is Spain's Marc Gasol.  Expect him to be drafted by the Spurs or possibly another foreign player from the far end of the globe.(there are no Asians n the roster?)            The influx of French talent is only just beginning.  Next season prepare the hype surrounding the most highly touted French prospect in NBA Draft history in Nicholas Batum.             The most interesting draft frmat I've probably ever heard was t expand the Draft and make this bad boy last for a month. One entire glorious month of NBA roster change. The summer needs this. Under the new draft system, there will be a half-hour show, live every night at 9:00 on ESPN. The Blazers make their pick, and then we've got a whole day to break the thing down, for Greg Oden to do media appearances in his Blazers gear, for the Portland Trailblazers to captivate the attention of the sporting nation. Think about it like this: When a significant player is traded, it's a media event. Chad Ford, for a few hours, becomes the most important person in your life. It's blogged about meticulously, Charlie Rosen writes a column calling both GMs involved jackasses, and Sam Smith tells you why he mentioned 83 other trade rumors, but not that one. It's a big deal. In a trade, the movement of star players is a franchise-altering thing, and it is treated as such. Theoretically, with at least the draft lottery picks, every draft choice made represents at least the hope of a major roster move. So we cram 30 significant roster moves into one night, and then talk about them for a day or two, before turning our attention back to the next Barry Bonds homerun, Cincinnati Bengals homicide, or Curt Schilling blog entry. The NBA gets their one day in the summer sun, and that's it. It doesn't have to be like that. The news of Kevin Durant becoming a Supersonic shouldn't have to share time with the news of Tiago Splitter becoming a New York Knick. There could be an actual "Kevin Durant Day" in Seattle, where he's given the key to the city, Jack Sikma gives him a piggyback ride around Green Lake Park, and he's politely invited to breed with the best and brightest members of the Seattle Storm, to produce a future generation of professional athletes. And then, 21 days later, we get a full 24 hour period to point and laugh at the Knicks for drafting Tiago Splitter, or trading their next three first rounders for Cuttino Mobley. Whether he drafts well or not, come on ... Isiah Thomas deserves his own one-man show for 24 hours at the NBA draft. Every GM does. They're in the media crosshairs, the spotlight directly on them, for 24 full hours. The great picks will be remembered more fondly, the bad ones will be ridiculed more fiercely. This produces built in material every day for SportsCenter, PTI, blogs, everything. Towards the end of the first round, there might be some days where the wait until the 9:00 draft pick isn't so suspenseful, but there are also going to be days when you're thinking all day long about what the Celtics might do at 5. Yi Jianlian, Corey Brewer, Joakim Noah? Just give up, quit, and disband the franchise? A trade, perhaps? The's the other hidden beauty here ... with 24 hours between picks, teams are a lot more likely to be able to hammer out trades. As it is now, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett aren't going to be traded on draft night, but with 30 days to think about things ... yeah, it could happen. This wouldn't be the NBA Draft anymore, it would be the, "The 30-Day Orgy of NBA Roster Upheaval." Now, there are some downsides. But not many. Maybe near the end of the 30 days, people are thinking, "Good God, is the NBA Draft still going on?" But people say that about the playoffs, too, and ... this isn't something that people really mean. I wish the regular season was shorter to increase the competitiveness of the games, but at the end of the day, why on earth would I want there to be less basketball rather than more? The people who complain that the playoffs go too long are people who aren't watching anyway. Screw 'em.

           It's true that number one picks have been busts before but in drafts where the discrepancy between the top 1 or 2 top players is so wide, they've all gone on to have Hall f Fame careers.  With all that said, the Blazers have no option other than to select Greg Oden.  Durant may have unlimited potential but on a nightly basis he'd have to contend with and outperform the likes of Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Tracy McGrady, Paul Pierce, Rashard Lewis, Vince Carter, Josh Smith, Michael Redd, Carmelo Anthony, Dirk Nowitzki in addition to defensive stalwarts Ron Artest and Bruce Bowen.  Even if he can manage to outplay them every now and then, there is nothing about the Portland roster which stands out.  He'd need another great teammate (maybe Webster, Roy or Oden)before the Blazers can become contenders.
            Greg Oden's equals narrow down to only Dwight Howard, Amare Stoudemire, Eddy Curry, Yao Ming sans Dikembe Mutumbo, Alonzo Mourning, Ilgauskas and Shaq who rest on the brink of retirement.        
            Durant is not a point guard or a center which are the two most vital positions on the floor and with no Magic Johnson clone coming out of this draft, Greg Oden has to be the obvious choice.  At long last, the debate Post v. Perimeter should come to an end.

(P.S. the picture with all of the draftees at the top was taken from the 86 Draft which has to be the most ill-fated draft class of all time.  Drugs ruined the careers of Chris Washburn and Roy Tarpley, who was actually having a very productive career.  #1 overall pick, Brad Daugherty was a perennial All-Star until nagging back injuries ended his career at 28.  Ron Harper was robbed of much of his athleticism after a knee injury.  Then, Arvydas Sabonis was not permitted to play in the U.S. due to the political climate in the Soviet Union at the time.  We all know the sad tale of Len Bias but Third-round selection Drazen Petrovic was coming off an all-star caliber fourth season when he was killed in an automobile accident in 1993.  He has since been elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame.