Ghosts of the NBA Draft's past

Around this time every year, every "expert" and various websites come out with their mock drafts. Message boards get crazy with people begging their team to pick this guy or that guy. But the simple fact of the matter is, the NBA Draft is an inexact science that GMs mess up year after year.

Sam Smith tried his hand at how the last 10 NBA Drafts should have gone, but I don't exactly agree with everything he says, so I will take my turn at showing you how the last 10 drafts did go, and how they should have gone.

2008

What did happen:
1. Derrick Rose
2. Michael Beasley
3. O.J. Mayo
4. Russell Westbrook
5. Kevin Love
6. Danilo Gallinari
7. Eric Gordon
8. Joe Alexander
9. D. J. Augustine
10. Brook Lopez

What should have happened:
1. Derrick Rose (#1, Memphis)
2. O.J. Mayo (#3 Minnesota, traded to Memphis)
3. Michael Beasley (#2 Miami)
4. Brook Lopez (#10 New Jersey)
5. Russell Westbrook (#4 Oklahoma City)
6. Mario Chalmers (#34 Minnesota, traded to Miami
7. Eric Gordon (#7 Clippers)
8. Courtney Lee (#22 Orlando)
9. Kevin Love (#5 Memphis, traded to Minnesota)
10. D.J. Augustine (#9, Charlotte

2007

What did happen:
1. Greg Oden
2. Kevin Durant
3. Al Horford
4. Mike Conley, Jr.
5. Jeff Green
6. Yi Jianlian
7. Corey Brewer
8. Brendan Wright
9. Joakim Noah
10. Spencer Hawes

What should have happened:
1. Kevin Durant (#2 Seattle)
2. Al Horford (#3 Atlanta)
3. Rudy Fernandez (#24 Phoenix)
4. Greg Oden (#1 Portland)
5. Jeff Green (#5 Boston, traded to Seattle)
6. Glen Davis (#35 Seattle, traded to Boston)
7. Spencer Hawes (#10 Sacramento)
8. Joakim Noah (#9 Chicago)
9. Marc Gasol (#48 Lakers)
10. Ramon Sessions (#56 Milwaukee)

2006

What did happen:
1. Andrea Bargnani
2. LaMarcus Aldridge
3. Adam Morrison
4. Tyrus Thomas
5. Shelden Williams
6. Brandon Roy
7. Randy Foye
8. Rudy Gay
9. Patrick O'Bryant
10. Mouhamed Sene

What should have happened:
1. Brandon Roy (#6 Minnesota, traded to Portland)
2. Rudy Gay (#8 Houston, traded to Memphis)
3. Rajon Rondo (#21 Phoenix, traded to Boston)
4. LaMarcus Aldridge (#2 Chicago, traded to Portland)
5. Paul Millsap (#47 Utah)
6. Jordan Farmar (#26 Lakers)
7. Shannon Brown (#25 Cleveland)
8. Randy Foye (#7 Boston, traded to Minnestoa via Portland)
9. Andrea Bargnani (#1 Toronto)
10. J.J. Redick (#11 Orlando)

2005

What did happen:
1. Andrew Bogut
2. Marvin Williams
3. Deron Williams
4. Chris Paul
5. Raymond Felton
6. Martell Webster
7. Charlie Villanueva
8. Channing Frye
9. Ike Diogu
10. Andrew Bynum

What should have happened:
1. Chris Paul (#4 New Orleans)
2. Deron Williams (#3 Utah)
3. Danny Granger (#17 Indiana)
4. Charlie Villanueva (#7 Toronto)
5. Andrew Bynum (#10 Lakers)
6. Monta Ellis (#40 Golden State)
7. Andrew Bogut (#1 Milwaukee)
8. David Lee (#30 New York)
9. Linas Kleiza (#27 Portland, traded to Denver)
10. Nate Robinson (#21 Phoenix, traded to New York)

2004

What did happen:
1. Dwight Howard
2. Emeka Okafor
3. Ben Gordon
4. Shaun Livingston
5. Devin Harris
6. Josh Childress
7. Luol Deng
8. Rajael Araujo
9. Andre Iguodala
10. Luke Jackson

What should have happened:
1. Dwight Howard (#1 Orlando)
2. Al Jefferson (#15 Boston)
3. Devin Harris (#5 Washington, traded to Dallas)
4. Jameer Nelson (#20 Denver, traded to Orlando)
5. Emeka Okafor (#2 Charlotte)
6. Andre Iguodala (#9 Philadelphia)
7. Trevor Ariza (#43 New York)
8. Kevin Martin (#26 Sacramento)
9. Josh Smith (#17 Atlanta)
10. J.R. Smith (#18 New Orleans)

2003

What did happen:
1. LeBron James
2. Darko Milicic
3. Carmelo Anthony
4. Chris Bosh
5. Dwyane Wade
6. Chris Kamen
7. Kirk Hinrich
8. T.J. Ford
9. Mike Sweetney
10. Jarvis Hayes

What should have happened:
1. LeBron James (#1 Cleveland)
2. Dwyane Wade (#5 Miami)
3. Carmelo Anthony (#3 Denver)
4. Chris Bosh (#4 Toronto)
5. Josh Howard (#29 Dallas)
6. Leoandro Barbosa (#29 San Antonio, traded to Phoenix)
7. David West (#18 New Orleans)
8. Chris Kaman (#6 Clippers)
9. Mickael Pietrus (#11 Golden State)
10. Kirk Hinrich (#7 Chicago)

2002

What did happen:
1. Yao Ming
2. Jay Williams
3. Mike Dunleavy
4. Drew Gooden
5. Nikoloz Tskitishvili
6. Dejuan Wagner
7. Nene Hilario
8. Chris Wilcox
9. Amare Stoudemire
10. Caron Butler

What should have happened:
1. Yao Ming (#1 Houston)
2. Carlos Boozer (#35 Cleveland)
3. Amare Stoudemire (#9 Phoenix)
4. Tayshaun Prince (#23 Detroit)
5. Caron Butler (#10 Miami)
6. Nene (#7 New York, traded to Denver)
7. John Salmons (#26 San Antonio, traded to Philly)
8. Luis Scola (#56 San Antonio)
9. Drew Gooden (#4 Memphis)
10. Mike Dunleavy (#3 Golden State)

2001

What did happen:
1. Kwame Brown
2. Tyson Chandler
3. Pau Gasol
4. Eddy Curry
5. Jason Richardson
6. Shane Battier
7. Eddie Griffin
8. DeSagana Diop
9. Rodney White
10. Joe Johnson

What should have happened:
1. Tony Parker (#28 San Antonio)
2. Pau Gasol (#3 Atlanta, traded to Memphis)
3. Joe Johnson (#10 Boston)
4. Richard Jefferson (#13 Houston, traded to New Jersey)
5. Gilbert Arenas (#31 Golden State)
6. Shane Battier (#6 Memphis)
7. Mehmet Okur (#38 Detroit)
8. Jason Richardson (#5 Golden State)
9. Tyler Chandler (#2 Clippers, traded to Chicago)
10. Zach Randolph (#19 Portland)

2000

What did happen:
1. Kenyon Martin
2. Stromile Swift
3. Darius Miles
4. Marcus Fizer
5. Mike Miller
6. DerMarr Johnson
7. Chris Mihm
8. Jamal Crawford
9. Joel Przybilla
10. Keyon Dooling

What should have happened:
1. Michael Redd (#43 Milwaukee)
2. Hedo Turkolou (#16 Sacramento)
3. Kenyon Martin (#1 New Jersey)
4. Jamaal Magloire (#19 Charlotte Hornets)
5. Mike Miller (#5 Orlando)
6. Jamal Crawford (#8 Cleveland, traded to Chicago)
7. Chris Mihm (#7 Chicago, traded to Cleveland)
8. Eddie House (#37 Miami)
9. Quintin Richardson (#18 Clippers)
10. Desmond Mason (#17 Seattle)

1999

What did happen:
1. Elton Brand
2. Steve Francis
3. Baron Davis
4. Lamar Odom
5. Jonathan Bender
6. Wally Szczerbiak
7. Rip Hamilton
8. Andre Miller
9. Shawn Marion
10. Jason Terry

What should have happened:
1. Manu Ginobili (#57 San Antonio)
2. Shawn Marion (#9 Phoenix)
3. Elton Brand (#1 Chicago)
4. Rip Hamilton (#7 Washington)
5. Lamar Odom (#4 Clippers)
6. Baron Davis (#3 Charlotte Hornets)
7. Ron Artest (#16 Chicago)
8. Andrei Kirilenko (#24 Utah)
9. Andre Miller (#8 Cleveland)
10. Steve Francis (#2 Vancouver, traded to Houston)

1 comments:

Anonymous said...

What did happen:
1. Elton Brand
2. Steve Francis
3. Baron Davis
4. Lamar Odom
5. Jonathan Bender
6. Wally Szczerbiak
7. Rip Hamilton
8. Andre Miller
9. Shawn Marion
10. Jason Terry

What should have happened:
1. Manu Ginobili (#57 San Antonio)
2. Shawn Marion (#9 Phoenix)
3. Elton Brand (#1 Chicago)
4. Rip Hamilton (#7 Washington)
5. Lamar Odom (#4 Clippers)
6. Baron Davis (#3 Charlotte Hornets)
7. Ron Artest (#16 Chicago)
8. Andrei Kirilenko (#24 Utah)
9. Andre Miller (#8 Cleveland)
10. Steve Francis (#2 Vancouver, traded to Houston)

steve francis over jason terry. you are off your rocker. plus you had ben gordon not in the top ten in that other draft.

just awful