How do you rank the top 5-10 players coming into the NBA on strictly Hype

[mdonnelly1989]

Based on what I've heard and off the top of my head...

#1. Lebron
#2. Kareem
#3. Wemby
#4. Zion
#5. Oden
#6. Duncan
#7. Shaq
#8. David Robinson
#9. Bird
#10. Rose

I'm sure Rose doesn't belong but couldn't think of any atm

[Cavsfansince84]

If hype and talent are being brought up equally(since hype is obviously easier to get now compared to 20-40 years ago) I think Wilt and Ewing are top 7. Robinson is higher. Zion and Oden are lower imo. Rose isn't on the list and Duncan is lower also. KD is near the list also. He was imo almost neck and neck with Oden to where despite Oden being seen as generational there were people who thought KD should be #1. Elvin Hayes, Walton and Austin Carr deserve some consideration as well I think.

[dreamshake]

I have no idea about Kareem's hype since I wasn't around, but having just heard someone say Wemby will be a disappointment if he has a career like Hakeem, I'd say he's maybe #2 behind LeBron. Wiggins is another guy worth a mention. There was a lot of "best prospect since LeBron" talk about him.

[Cavsfansince84]

I have no idea about Kareem's hype since I wasn't around, but having just heard someone say Wemby will be a disappointment if he has a career like Hakeem, I'd say he's maybe #2 behind LeBron. Wiggins is another guy worth a mention. There was a lot of "best prospect since LeBron" talk about him.

I think one of the things people may not get about the guys who came out in the 90's and earlier is they usually spent 3-4 years in college and so not only had they proven themselves in a way that the one and done or straight from hs kids hadn't but people had usually watched them and seen them in the ncaa's for a few years. So not only does that factor into the hype but also into how good people already knew they were. It's just different levels of expectation imo based on that.

[TheGOATRises007]

Rose definitely wasn't that hyped, because there a lot of debates on him vs Beasley. I know I and other Bulls fans were hellbent on Rose, but I know some who thought Beasley was the better prospect.

[penbeast0]

I will say that Bill Walton almost certainly is top 5 and needs to be on the list.

Ralph Sampson was more hyped than Hakeem, David Robinson, or Patrick Ewing and Ewing was more hyped than the other two. (Hakeem was considered raw and Robinson had the Navy thing hanging over him, both being a little older and facing weaker competition.) He belongs in the 6-10 category at least.

I don't remember Austin Carr being all that hyped, not even compared to other guards like David Thompson. Maybe I remember it wrong. Remember that centers were considered to be more valuable than any other position up until the Jordan years; thus the Larue Martin, Michael Olowokandi type picks.

[eminence]

Going way back Oscar was super hyped. Mikan, duh.

Mikan or Kareem would likely be my #1 pick.

[GSP]

Bron
Kareem
Walton
Sampson
Wemby
Shaq
Ewing
Oden
Skywalker
Timmy

70s on. Tough to really gauge the hype back in 60s and specially 50s

[Cavsfansince84]

I will say that Bill Walton almost certainly is top 5 and needs to be on the list.

Ralph Sampson was more hyped than Hakeem, David Robinson, or Patrick Ewing and Ewing was more hyped than the other two. (Hakeem was considered raw and Robinson had the Navy thing hanging over him, both being a little older and facing weaker competition.) He belongs in the 6-10 category at least.

I don't remember Austin Carr being all that hyped, not even compared to other guards like David Thompson. Maybe I remember it wrong. Remember that centers were considered to be more valuable than any other position up until the Jordan years; thus the Larue Martin, Michael Olowokandi type picks.

Carr I'm not really sure of but I threw his name out there in part because I know about him(he's been Cavs play by play guy for decades) and know that he led ND to a couple ff's and set all sorts of scoring records in both the tourney and college before being a #1 overall pick. I agree though that it being an era of big men he wouldn't get the same hype that a Kareem or Walton would.

[LukaTheGOAT]

Chris Webber maybe deserves a mention somewhere in the top 10.

Kareem maybe should be #1 since he was such a sure thing out of college. I wasn't around then, but some believe Kareem was the best player in the world while he was in college.

[Cavsfansince84]

Going way back Oscar was super hyped. Mikan, duh.

Mikan or Kareem would likely be my #1 pick.

I do know that Oscar was hyped too but its worth mentioning that being hyped 60 years ago wasn't quite the same as it was 40 years ago much less 20 years ago or today. I think there's definitely levels as college bb became seen more on tv(along with the ncaa tourney), then cable tv/espn with sportscenter followed by the internet and so on. So it went from being seen on tv a few times and maybe being on the cover of SI or sportingnews back in the 50's or 60's to what its become since then and idk if we are trying to account for differences in era here or not.

[giberish]

'80s
1) Sampson
2) Ewing
3) Hakeem
4) Robinson

'90s
1) Shaq
2) Duncan
3) Webber (significant drop-off from top-2)

'00s
1) LeBron
2) Oden
3) unclear. KD, Darko and Melo may be 3-5

'10s + '20s
1) Wemby
2) AD
3) Zion

Honestly I feel like there's less hype then there was 30+ years ago because back in the day guys would be dominating NCAA for several years before entering the league. They'd be already famous as players and not just prospects. Now guys just cameo in the NCAA if at all, and the Euros are almost always either playing at lower levels or not dominating. Even Wemby - the French league isn't considered that strong and his team isn't in Euorleague. (the one guy who did dominate the top of Europe was oddly dismissed by a bunch of people coming into the league)

[migya]

Remember Magic was hyped, especially after beating Bird in the college final.

[Tomtolbert]

If we try to normalize hype for era, or at least just focus on hype within scouting circles at the time and not necessarily the reach of the hype, Kareem would have to be #1. Sampson, Walton, Ewing, Shaq, Chamberlain would be up there too.

It'd be interesting to see whether teams would opt for say, Walton out of UCLA, or LeBron out of high school. I'd probably stick with Walton, but I doubt there would be a consensus.

[penbeast0]

... (the one guy who did dominate the top of Europe was oddly dismissed by a bunch of people coming into the league)

Who are you referring to and do you know what the criticisms of him that make him lower rated are?

[Texas Chuck]

Lebron and Kareem then Shaq then a pretty big drop off to anyone else. Surprised only one AD mention. He was a very hyped prospect. Way more than guys like Webber or Rose.

[HeartBreakKid]

Webber was a very popular college player but he wasn't really a doomsday type of prospect. It wasn't that surprising his career turned out the way that it did (which was quite good still).

I agree, someone like Anthony Davis was seen as a much more sure thing than Webber was. Davis was almost 100% seen as a superstar which is comparatively more rare in the one and done era. #1 draft picks in the one and done era feel more speculative, but Davis was a guarantee which is quite the praise.

[LukaTheGOAT]

... (the one guy who did dominate the top of Europe was oddly dismissed by a bunch of people coming into the league)

Who are you referring to and do you know what the criticisms of him that make him lower rated are?

Think he is referring to Luka. There were questions about his athleticism.

[penbeast0]

... (the one guy who did dominate the top of Europe was oddly dismissed by a bunch of people coming into the league)

Who are you referring to and do you know what the criticisms of him that make him lower rated are?

Think he is referring to Luka. There were questions about his athleticism.

Thanks, going back a few years, the Gasols were very strong in European play (and Pau was drafted 2nd behind Kwame), Arvidas Sabonis, etc. while guys like Juan Carlos Navarro were great there but bombed over here.

[kendogg]

Oden is not that high. Neither is Bird honestly even though he was one of the most impactful rookies of all time if not the most. Rose is definitely not top 10. Duncan is also lower...proabably a touch lower than Ewing.

Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Walton, Magic Johnson, Patrick Ewing, Yao Ming, Ralph Sampson I think are all top 10. A newspaper released an article when Wilt was drafted saying "He was going to destroy the game" that he was that much better than everyone already in the league. Walton and Ewing had legendary college careers and Magic was more hyped than Bird. Yao was incredibly hyped as a 7'5" guy who could shoot and defend. Basically Wemby before Wemby. Sampson had a great college career and also had even more potential due to his size.

David Thompson, Hakeem were also very hyped but not sure they are top 10. Same for guys like AD and Webber. They are top 20 but not top 10.