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Since LeBron, who would go #2, 3, 4 in a draft of all the prospects since 2003. Of course, Wemby would go 1st, no doubt about it. Based on the hype at the draft-no hindsight allowed. Guys like Luka and Embiid might make sense, but it was clear that they weren't consensus #1 types at the draft.
Please vote for 3

I got AD, Zion and Oden, w/ KD and Wiggins close behind.

I got AD, Oden and others (Luka).

It was clear from the beginning that Luka was special. No player ever had his resumée at his age - on the highest level outside of the NBA (Euroleague, Eurobasket). It took a huge amount of anti-Euro bias along with sheer stupidty to have him fall to #3.

I went Zion, AD, and Oden.

If we are talking about prospects (so no hindsight allowed), AD and Oden are probably locks. No. 3 is between Zion and Flagg for me, but I'm going with Zion. One could also make a case for KD, although he was a bit overshadowed by being in the same draft as Oden.

-Luke- wrote:If we are talking about prospects (so no hindsight allowed), AD and Oden are probably locks. No. 3 is between Zion and Flagg for me, but I'm going with Zion. One could also make a case for KD, although he was a bit overshadowed by being in the same draft as Oden.

I would take Zion first here. To me, he is lock first, then I voted AD and Oden. KD would probably be 4th, then Luka, cause hos ceiling was a concern after all.

If Flagg and KD in the same draft, I imagine people woyld take KD first. Flagg is strong number one pick, but not that strong.

I just can't have Luka in the poll, going #3. KD/Oden was a HUGE debate for the whole season-both were seen as HoF prospects (one of my few "hits"-I argued from the start that KD was the #1 guy in that draft, by far).

Luka was a great prospect, but him going #3 (in what was seen as a good draft) is too much to list him with the other prospects.

Nothing for Simmons? He was really highly regarded coming out

pipfan wrote:Nothing for Simmons? He was really highly regarded coming out

A generational talent according to ESPN.

Personally I'd have AD, Luka and Flagg as the tier below LeBron and Wemby. (a healthy Oden would be between the two tiers) Though obviously the draft consensus was much lower on Luka (a lot of people assuming that he peaked at 18 and had no upside).

AD and Flagg were the next tier by general consensus. The third spot would be between Oden, Zion, KAT and KD. Oden's health concerns nocked him down some but he was still quite high. Zion also had significant (if lessor than Oden) health concerns. KAT and KD were the best healthy options (people forget that KAT was seen as combination of a strong interior defender and top scorer coming into the league). I'd also say that Rose was above some of the players listed.

Simmons already had shooting concerns dropping him to more of an average #1 pick.

Wiggins was a very weak #1 pick. Had a lot of HS hype but only got drafted #! by default in a weak class. Embiid had passed him but had major health issues. Nobody believed Jabari Parker could play defense. The was no other plausible options for top picks (Dante Exum moved up pretty high based on uncertainty compared to the more known and limited options).

Zion
Edit: Doncic
Oden
AD/KD

djw wrote:I got AD, Oden and others (Luka).

It was clear from the beginning that Luka was special. No player ever had his resumée at his age - on the highest level outside of the NBA (Euroleague, Eurobasket). It took a huge amount of anti-Euro bias along with sheer stupidty to have him fall to #3.

That's true. What Doncic accomplished so young was special. I'm actually moving him to 2nd.

At the time of the draft, Ben Simmons was being compared to LBJ. He had the talent to be just as dominant and was full of potential. Such a shame.

clippertown wrote:At the time of the draft, Ben Simmons was being compared to LBJ. He had the talent to be just as dominant and was full of potential. Such a shame.

This is what I was thinking. What's the criteria for this exercise? Are we basing is on pre NBA production/hype? Or is this - "What we know now" type of thing?

Pre NBA
1. Zion
2. Simmons
3. AD/Oden

With hindsight
1. KD
2. AD
3. Howard

With that said, I wasn't on the board during the Howard era to know how much hype he had pre-draft, but it had to have been a lot to go #1 outta high school.

Based on hype going into the draft it would have probably been Oden and Zion followed by either KD or Flagg.

Oden and Zion were just on a tier of their own, not counting Wemby, as prospects since LBJ in terms of hype.

pipfan wrote:Guys like Luka and Embiid might make sense, but it was clear that they weren't consensus #1 types at the draft.

I mean I sure thought Luka should have been...no hindsight needed there.

Based on hype at the time of the draft without hindsight I remember it as:

1. Oden
2. AD

3. Zion

For the top 3.

John Wall was very hyped coming out of Kentucky

LeBronSpaghetti wrote:John Wall was very hyped coming out of Kentucky

Sure. Consensus first overall pick, but he wasn’t a more hyped prospect than:

Oden
Zion
KD
AD

Flagg would probably go fifth behind all of them.

I didn't understand why people weren't as hyped about Durant as they should have been. Even Given people thought Oden was Bill Russell Jr or something, just on hype....I thought KD was phenomenal in college and had him as an ATG type talent but it seemed like he didn't get that type of consideration.

Anyway for me it's clearly KD, AD, and Howard. All superior talents compared to the other guys. I don't see how you could seriously draft Flagg over AD for instance, cmon.

dhsilv2 wrote:

pipfan wrote:Guys like Luka and Embiid might make sense, but it was clear that they weren't consensus #1 types at the draft.

I mean I sure thought Luka should have been...no hindsight needed there.

Luka was clear #1 talent for sure...my conspiracy theory is the league wanted him in Dallas.