RealGM

Lets just do the last 10

1. AD
2. Zion
3. Wiggins
4. Ayton
5. Simmons
6. Kyrie
7. Cade
8. Fultz
9. Edwards
10. Bennett.

In what world is Edwards below Fultz? I have Cade ranked below Edwards but above Fultz.

Big J wrote:In what world is Edwards below Fultz? I have Cade ranked below Edwards but above Fultz.

That was a really good draft. You're thinking of fultz after the draft.

Going into it he was a stud. Lonzo was a stud. Tatum. Fox.


Last year was a week draft

1. Kyrie
2. Zion
3. AD
4. Fultz
5. Simmons
6. Edwards
7. Ayton
8. Cade
9. Wiggins
10. Bennett

I am assuming you mean how I looked at them at the time as draft prospects. I didn't actually have all of them at 1 on my board.

1.Zion
2.AD
3.Ayton
4.Kyrie
5.Cade
6.Simmons
7.Wiggins
8.Edwards
9.Fultz
10.Bennett

I added Green in there because I have him much higher as a prospect.

1. AD
2. Green
3. Zion
4. Simmons
5. Kyrie
6. Ayton
7. Wiggins
8. Fultz
9. Edwards
10. Cade
11. Bennett

1. Zion - Tier 1
2. AD - Tier 1
3. Ayton - Tier 1.5 tied with Luka, Bagley was tier 1.
4t. Kyrie - Tier 2, both Kyrie and Cade are higher-end tier 2.
4t. Cade - Tier 2
6. Simmons - Tier 2.5
7. Fultz - Tier 3
8t. Wiggins - Tier 3.5, Embiid was Tier 1 for me with * for injury.
8t. Edwards - Tier 3.5, Melo was #1, Toppin was #2, Ant was #3.
10. Bennett -. So many was in front of him, I had Oladipo at #1

<Luka>
1. Kyrie
2. Zion
3. KAT
4. Simmons
5. Cade
6. AD
7. Wiggins
<Suggs>
<Green>
8. Fultz
<Ball>
9. Edwards
10.Ayton
<Mobley>
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
etc.
11. Bennett

I think something like this if I was looking at pre-draft. Bennett I think I had 8th that year, I had Luka far ahead of Ayton, Edwards I had behind Ball and neck and neck w/Okoro, Fultz I was not as high on as other people, but still liked...Wiggins I was high on, but I saw some red flags, too. AD I thought was going to have major issues with scoring - very wrong there. Kyrie I was absurdly high on, he has been great, but I was probably too high on him, to be honest.

Don't see how Kyrie could possibly be lower than 3. Other than Luka, he's the only guy in recent memory who basically looked ready to run an NBA offense at age 18.

I mean it depends on what we are ranking.

Media hype
Strictly as a prospect
How they’ve played out

If it’s how they were viewed as prospects going into the draft. 1-3 is pretty easy

AD
Zion
Kyrie

They were true consensus #1 picks. All 3 were viewed as can’t miss guys (AD and axion on another level).

Guys like Wiggins and Simmons had a ton of media hype behind them. But actual basketball guys weren’t nearly as high on them (still high but not Media high).

I personally believe Mobley should be the #1 pick, but he won't because everyone believes the NBA to be a perimeter player's league now. The thing is Mobley has so many gifts that in a pro setting with pro talent around him, he could really be a revelation. Just my opinion.

I love how OP asked a direct question that was pretty easy to follow along and STILL somehow folks just throw in whatever they want just cause

on-topic though

1. Zion
2. Brow
3. Kyrie
4. Ben
5. Cade
6. Ayton
7. Antman
8. Kelle
9. Wiggins
10. Bennett

I’d say Cade is around Simmons/Ayton level so middle high. Though his accomplishments is a fair length better imo.

Below that is Fultz/Edwards

Then Wiggins

And Benett yeah let’s not talk about that one lol.

Clear top 3 is AD/Zion/Irving. Irving got massive praise before even College.

Since the OP basically said it's based off pre draft hype:

Tier S
1. AD
-In a tier of his own for me personally, he was the #1 ranked recruit and considered a generational talent coming into his freshman year, had one of the greatest freshman seasons in NCAA history, was the #1 ranked draft prospect all year, and basically no one even considered the possibility that he could bust. I honestly don't think a single person thought there was much of a chance AD would end up anything other than what he became.

Tier 1
2. Wiggins
-His hype equaled AD's in terms of being considered a generational talent, the #1 ranked recruit and being ranked as the #1 draft prospect all year, but he didn't dominate the NCAA as much as most thought he would coming out of high school. Because he still had a great season, most people including myself didn't put that much stock into his underwhelming freshman seasons (for the standards of someone considered a generational talent).
3. Zion
-The only differences between Zion's and AD's pre draft hype is that Zion was not the #1 ranked recruit and he didn't have the team success AD did.

Tier 2
4. KAT
-He is supposed to be on this list in place of Kyrie. OP's list was last 11 years skipping 2015. KAT wasn't the #1 ranked recruit but took a lot of people by surprise putting up one of the most dominant freshman seasons in NCAA history. After that there was no question that he was #1.

Tier 3
5. Cade
6. Simmons
-Cade and Simmons pre draft hype are in the same tier with the only minor difference being that Cade does not have questions around his shooting, while there were massive questions around Simmons' shooting but most believed those issues would be fixed.

Tier 4
7. Kyrie
-Was not the consensus #1 ranked draft prospect but there was still a lot of hype around him and a large contingent who were confident in what Kyrie would do in the NBA, and felt he deserved to be ranked #1.
8. Fultz
-By the time the NCAA season ended in his draft year Fultz was seen as the consensus #1 ranked draft prospect, but it was kind of considered a weak draft at the top.
9. Edwards
-Was not the consensus #1 ranked draft prospect, but it wasn't a surprise selection that he was taken #1. Last year's top 3 order was pretty unclear pre draft and was also considered weak at the top other than some diehard LaMelo fans.

Tier 5
10. Ayton
11. Bennett
-Both players were not ranked or expected to be taken 1st overall in their draft years. Luka was pretty much the consensus #1 ranked prospect in 2018 but I guess the Ayton hometown connection was always there, even though most still expected the Suns to go with the obvious Luka pick. 2013 was very wide open after Nerlens Noel's injury issues but even still Bennett was a shocker. I personally ended up on the Ben McLemore train that year lol.

just based on what OP is asking.

1. AD (thought he'd be top 5-10 all-time potentially)
2. Simmons (thought he'd be combo of Magic and Lebron but at 6'10" and potential top 15 player ever)
3. Zion
4. Cade (I'd take Green over him though)
5. Ayton (I liked MPJ who I viewed as KD lite)
6. Edwards (way higher on him than most other people. 6'5" Lebron. Yep, literally typed this)
7. Wiggins (was expecting McGrady type career)
8. Kyrie
9. Fultz (I liked Tatum and never understood the Fultz hype)
10. Bennett (I liked Otto Porter Jr)

Duke4life831 wrote:I mean it depends on what we are ranking.

Media hype
Strictly as a prospect
How they’ve played out

If it’s how they were viewed as prospects going into the draft. 1-3 is pretty easy

AD
Zion
Kyrie

They were true consensus #1 picks. All 3 were viewed as can’t miss guys (AD and axion on another level).

Guys like Wiggins and Simmons had a ton of media hype behind them. But actual basketball guys weren’t nearly as high on them (still high but not Media high).

simply not true. Simmons in particular was thought to be generational. Period. A 6'10" Magic Johnson who could play defense. Only AD was thought of more highly as a prospect. I think how his career has gone has clouded people's judgements. Wiggins was also highly thought of. Media was saying he was the next Lebron and even critics saw him as potentially an elite two-way player with tantalizing athleticism, size, length and skill that hadn't been seen since Lebron. He had his detractors who didn't like his lack of aggression to take over games but almost universally people were excited about his potential. Lots of revisionist history going around.

Jerry Lucas wrote:Since the OP basically said it's based off pre draft hype:

Tier S
1. AD
-In a tier of his own for me personally, he was the #1 ranked recruit and considered a generational talent coming into his freshman year, had one of the greatest freshman seasons in NCAA history, was the #1 ranked draft prospect all year, and basically no one even considered the possibility that he could bust. I honestly don't think a single person thought there was much of a chance AD would end up anything other than what he became.

Tier 1
2. Wiggins
-His hype equaled AD's in terms of being considered a generational talent, the #1 ranked recruit and being ranked as the #1 draft prospect all year, but he didn't dominate the NCAA as much as most thought he would coming out of high school. Because he still had a great season, most people including myself didn't put that much stock into his underwhelming freshman seasons (for the standards of someone considered a generational talent).
3. Zion
-The only differences between Zion's and AD's pre draft hype is that Zion was not the #1 ranked recruit and he didn't have the team success AD did.

Tier 2
4. KAT
-He is supposed to be on this list in place of Kyrie. OP's list was last 11 years skipping 2015. KAT wasn't the #1 ranked recruit but took a lot of people by surprise putting up one of the most dominant freshman seasons in NCAA history. After that there was no question that he was #1.

Tier 3
5. Cade
6. Simmons
-Cade and Simmons pre draft hype are in the same tier with the only minor difference being that Cade does not have questions around his shooting, while there were massive questions around Simmons' shooting but most believed those issues would be fixed.

Tier 4
7. Kyrie
-Was not the consensus #1 ranked draft prospect but there was still a lot of hype around him and a large contingent who were confident in what Kyrie would do in the NBA, and felt he deserved to be ranked #1.
8. Fultz
-By the time the NCAA season ended in his draft year Fultz was seen as the consensus #1 ranked draft prospect, but it was kind of considered a weak draft at the top.
9. Edwards
-Was not the consensus #1 ranked draft prospect, but it wasn't a surprise selection that he was taken #1. Last year's top 3 order was pretty unclear pre draft and was also considered weak at the top other than some diehard LaMelo fans.

Tier 5
10. Ayton
11. Bennett
-Both players were not ranked or expected to be taken 1st overall in their draft years. Luka was pretty much the consensus #1 ranked prospect in 2018 but I guess the Ayton hometown connection was always there, even though most still expected the Suns to go with the obvious Luka pick. 2013 was very wide open after Nerlens Noel's injury issues but even still Bennett was a shocker. I personally ended up on the Ben McLemore train that year lol.

good catch.

Based on media hype after the college season it’s probably something like:

1. Davis
2. Zion
3. Simmons
4. KAT
5. Ayton
6. Wiggins
7. Cunningham
8. Kyrie
9. Fultz
10. Edwards
11. Bennett

My own personal rankings of their quality as prospects would be something like:

1. Davis
2. Zion
3. KAT
4. Kyrie
5. Simmons
6. Ayton
7. Wiggins
8. Fultz
9. Edwards
10. Cunningham
11. Bennett

After AD, Zion, and Fultz for me. Fultz put up the numbers he did while being like a year and a half younger than the average freshman and got a disproportionate amount of flak for his team sucking considering his on/off net rating was +20 or so; you could have him a little lower, but putting him towards the bottom seems pretty revisionist based on injuries when he was a decent starting PG as a 21-year-old even with no jumper.

The next group would have Towns, Ayton, Simmons, Irving, and Wiggins, and I'd probably have Cade at or near the top of that (probably after Towns) just because of the versatility and the position he plays. Kyrie is an interesting case because he had one of the best rookie seasons a 1-and-done player's ever had, but didn't get a ton better from then and has had injury issues, which is what kept him from being considered a higher tier #1 pick in the first place.

BostonCouchGM wrote:

Duke4life831 wrote:I mean it depends on what we are ranking.

Media hype
Strictly as a prospect
How they’ve played out

If it’s how they were viewed as prospects going into the draft. 1-3 is pretty easy

AD
Zion
Kyrie

They were true consensus #1 picks. All 3 were viewed as can’t miss guys (AD and axion on another level).

Guys like Wiggins and Simmons had a ton of media hype behind them. But actual basketball guys weren’t nearly as high on them (still high but not Media high).

simply not true. Simmons in particular was thought to be generational. Period. A 6'10" Magic Johnson who could play defense. Only AD was thought of more highly as a prospect. I think how his career has gone has clouded people's judgements. Wiggins was also highly thought of. Media was saying he was the next Lebron and even critics saw him as potentially an elite two-way player with tantalizing athleticism, size, length and skill that hadn't been seen since Lebron. He had his detractors who didn't like his lack of aggression to take over games but almost universally people were excited about his potential. Lots of revisionist history going around.

Simmons was viewed as generational by media talking heads. But actual people that do this for a living, they weren’t even sure Simmons was the #1 player in the draft, let alone a generational prospect.

And again I don’t disagree that the media hyped up Wiggins. But again by the time Wiggins was done at KU, the actual people who pay attention were no longer calling Wiggins a generational prospect.