Redrafting the 2006 NBA Draft

I am pretty sure that then-NBA commissioner David Stern traded his mother at some point during this draft. It really was like one big game of “Let’s make a Deal.” 19 trades that happened anytime before this draft ended up affecting this draft. On draft night alone, there were 14 trades (6 of which were with lottery picks). Just look at how things may have been with no redraft but with no trades. Lamarcus Aldridge a Bull? Rudy Gay a Rocket? Rajon Rondo a Sun?

And at the forefront of those trades were the Portland Trail Blazers. Going strictly by odds, they should have landed the top choice in this draft. They didn’t and instead scrambled to make the best deals they could. Had the draft choices stayed their course, Portland would have ended up with an overrated (again, often referred to as busy) Italian named Andrea Bargnani. Instead, they had to make some other moves and ended up with organizational foundation Lamarcus Aldridge and longtime team leader Brandon Roy. Not too shabby for a team who felt like the world was against them weeks earlier when the ping pong balls fell Toronto’s way for the first time in franchise history.

No Portland didn’t get their Jordan this time. But they also didn’t up with another Sam Bowie.

Pick 1: Toronto Raptors

Who they took: Andrea Bargnani

Who they should have took: Rudy Gay (8^th pick)

Why: Joining Andrew Bogut from a year earlier, Bargnani was not so much a bust as he is often described, just not a sure fire player or a top pick. That is why I would instead choose to take Rudy Gay if I was Toronto today. And that isn’t to say there aren’t several other valid options for this pick. But Gay brings acumen for getting to the basket and a shooting IQ that combined is unrivaled in this draft class. Toronto was looking for a killer to replace what they had lost with McGrady and Vince Carter in recent years and Gay knew how to do that from the word go. The team won the Atlantic Division following this draft, but not because of their pick. Needless to say that Gay’s 10.8 ppg as a rookie (and career best 20.1 ppg as a 2^nd year player) would have netted the Raptors more of a punch with Chris Bosh than Andrea did.

Pick 2: Chicago Bulls

Who they took: Lamarcus Aldridge (traded to Blazers)

Who they should have took: Lamarcus Aldridge (and kept the pick)

Why: The Chicago Bulls post player carousel had made a full rotation the team had ran out of options outside an aging Ben Wallace, a past his prime PJ Brown and a never very good Andres Nocioni. They decided (via trade) that Tyrus Thomas would be the answer. He wasn’t. Aldridge had a NBA ready body and the Bulls let the Blazers steal him right out from under them. His rookie year numbers of 9 ppg and 5 rpg are the lowest of his career and he’s never averaged fewer than 17.8 or 7.5 again. He is one of the most talented, athletic and high motor forwards in the game today and has been a huge centerpiece for a Blazers team currently experiencing somewhat of a revival. If the Bulls could have kept him long term like Portland did, he’d currently be teamed up inside with Joakim Noah. Imagine that.

Pick 3: Charlotte Bobcats

Who they took: Adam Morrison

Who they should have took: Rajon Rondo (21^st pick)

Why: Charlotte had a lot of self destructive behavior in their early days. Adam Morrison was the worst of it. Morrison was the 2000’s version of that highly hyped, white, strong college athlete that just never stood a chance until the pros. Jimmer Fredette is today’s version. Instead, they could have had a small kid from Kentucky who has turned into one of the league’s most prolific playmakers. For any knocks (size, temperament) anyone has on Rondo, he’s got a play to shut you up. He’s twice led the league in assists and also led it in steals as a 4-time All-Star and former All-NBA performer. Easily a top five point guard in the league today, scoring Rondo to help build your franchise around would have been a major coup for a Bobcats team that used Morrison’s ability as their 4^th best player (what does that say about their other players?!?) to a 33-49 record.

Pick 4: Portland Trail Blazers

Who they took: Tyrus Thomas (traded to Bulls)

Who they should have took: Brandon Roy (6^th pick and kept the pick)

Why: In reality, they ended up getting Roy in a couple picks via trade, but with no trade here to land Aldridge, you take the next best playmaker (if not all around player). Before his degenerative knee situation took full effect, Roy was the one that looked like he could lead the Blazers back into contention. He immediately went for broke, averaging 16.8 ppg as a rookie and peaked in his third year with 22.6 ppg. He only had four good years in the league, but they were very good and if you are Portland, you still build on that foundation. Had his knees not gone so, so bad and he was still in the league today performing at the level he was capable of, he easily tops this list.

Pick 5: Atlanta Hawks

Who they took: Shelden Williams

Who they should have took: Paul Millsap (47^th pick)

Why: 46 times, someone passed on future all-star Paul Millsap. That was a hurter when he has that All-Star year just this last season. What’s worse is that he was still a 2^nd team rookie performer right after they all passed. He has always been nimble on his feet and it’s shocking that teams didn’t take a chance on him earlier. He played in all 82 games three of his first four years in the league and has made steady progress every year. Atlanta, still desperate for one more piece inside, really could have used that growth earlier, though they are happy they have Millsap now during his All-Star year and those that are still to come.

Pick 6: Minnesota Timberwolves

Who they took: Brandon Roy (traded to Blazers)

Who they should have took: Kyle Lowry (24^th pick and kept the pick)

Why: Lowry is probably not one you take for the initial appeal but rather for what he blossoms into. And considering the Timberwolves (still reeling from years without a pick due to the Joe Smith debacle) traded away one of the best players in this draft, you have to keep the pick here and hope Lowry pans out long term while still in Minnesota where you can pair him with Kevin Garnett briefly and later with Kevin Love. His numbers have grown every year and he has been an outstanding leader for Toronto. So if Minnesota could wait (which they may as well have by ending up with Randy Foye), then Lowry would have been a gem.

Pick 7: Boston Celtics

Who they took: Randy Foye (traded to Timberwolves)

Who they should have took: Randy Foye (and kept the pick)

Why: Knock Foye with one pick and take him in the next. Yup. Boston should have taken Foye to sweeten the Kevin Garnett deal the following year. He ends up a T-Wolve anyway that way. It would have allowed Boston to keep another young piece, preferably Ryan Gomes or Gerald Green while giving up Foye.

Pick 8: Houston Rockets

Who they took: Rudy Gay (traded to Memphis)

Who they should have took: J.J. Redick (11^th pick and traded to Memphis)

Why: It is not as good of a move as Rudy Gay and Houston made a mistake by trading him specifically. But with Gay off the board, I think you take Redick and actually still trade the pick to Memphis. If you are Houston, you still get Shane Battier, a player you covet and if you are Memphis, you another piece to be a true shooter until he develops. He fills Battier’s shoes adequately and opens up Mike Miller to be a scoring point.

Pick 9: Golden State Warriors

Who they took: Patrick O’Bryant

Who they should have took: Andrea Bargnani (1^st pick)

Why: I reiterate Bargnani is not a bust. He never scored less than 10 ppg in a season; he just simply didn’t become Dirk 2.0 as the Raptors wanted. He is still a solid pick at 9, more so than most people are with the ninth pick and clearly better than O’Bryant, who washed out quicker than you can say his name. His shooting hasn’t been exceptional, but he scored 21.4 ppg midway through his current career stretch and would have filled some of the scoring needed in Golden State while having the chance to be a bigger part of the rebounding game than the Raptors ever needed him to be.

Pick 10: Seattle Supersonics

Who they took: Mouhamed Sene

Who they should have took: Ronnie Brewer (14^th pick)

Why: Brewer has bounced around a lot after spending his first 4 years in Utah mostly because of his significant tumble in production. This is a pick Seattle makes for immediate relief in the time leading to and of early Kevin Durant. Brewer helped the Jazz to three straight playoff appearances in his first three years, the hallmark of which being his 2^nd and 3^rd years where he averaged 12 and 13.7 ppg while starting all 156 games of the regular season and 17 playoff games that he played in. After he left Utah, not so much and I don’t expect him to be in the league next year after averaging 0.9, 0.3 and 0.0 ppg in the last three years over 38 total games. But if Seattle could get 4 years out of him like Utah did, it is a good deal.

Pick 11: Orlando Magic

Who they took: J.J. Redick

Who they should have took: Shannon Brown (25^th pick)

Why: Orlando brings Brown in to be a clutch shooter, plain and simple. It’s the same role they initially brought Redick in for, so this is not a bad move, though not exactly lateral either. Brown does almost everything in an “OK” way and that is alright for what service he would have provided in Orlando and ultimately did provide with the Lakers.

Pick 12: New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets

Who they took: Hilton Armstrong

Who they should have took: JJ Barea (undrafted)

Why: Did you even know that JJ Barea was on the Mavericks roster before their championship run in 2010-2011? No. He slid under the radar and was a valuable commodity without anyone really knowing it. He averaged 7.8 ppg for two years in Dallas, missing just 7 total games before people started paying attention. He would have been a motor guy to backup Chris Paul with the Hornets and one that could have helped where the Hornets lacked (depth).

Pick 13: Philadelphia 76ers

Who they took: Thabo Sefolosha (traded to Bulls)

Who they should have took: Thabo Sefolosha (and kept the pick)

Why: Sefolosha is a minute man. Give me 20-25 minutes a night, shoot the ball at a pretty respectable clip and get hustle points (loose balls, pass deflections, etc.). And Philly needed someone like him in the worst way. Iguodala had no interest in hustling, Kyle Korver could only do so much, Allen Iverson fell asleep while he was still there. Thabo would get you Kevin Ollie numbers, but would still put in more work and effort than anyone on this club.

Pick 14: Utah Jazz

Who they took: Ronnie Brewer

Who they should have took: Jordan Farmar (26^th pick)

Why: A suitable backup for Derek Fisher, which is what Brewer was. Farmar was never the player that he was at UCLA, but he still shot the ball well and gave Kobe and Smush Parker some breaks with the Lakers. He could have done so with a bigger chance to make an impact in Utah.

Pick 15: New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets

Who they took: Cedric Simmons

Who they should have took: Leon Powe (49^th pick)

Why: Powe was an enforcer every year he was in the league. His career wasn’t long but he was one of the critical elements on a deep Celtics team in just his second year that won the NBA title. And again, the Hornets needed depth, depth and more depth.

Redrafting the 1998 NBA Draft

Give me your Sam Bowie and your Greg Oden and I will laugh at your definition of bust. Meet Michael Olowokandi. He had a mediocre horror film inspired nickname (The Kandi Man), but that was about the only thing inspired about him or his career. The Clippers, the perennial draft choke artists, took a gamble. And they bust. As usual. This time, just bigger. Look at a draft with five All-Stars and with two or three Hall of Famers and they took a guy who scored a career with 12.3 points per game while shooting a near career low from the field.

The thought of that draft pick, with Vince Carter and Dirk Nowitski (both TRADED on draft night) and Paul Pierce just sitting there, it makes me cringe. It is another vibrant note of what the Clippers might have been had they drafted well. A franchise could have been stabilized with Nowitski or Pierce at the helm.

It was also a weird year for trades, with the 4^th, 5^th, 6^th and 9^th picks swapped. It was like teams knew what they wanted, but really didn’t.

And then there was Orlando. While the draft helped turn around the Mavericks, Kings and Raptors and set into motion a return plan for Boston, it was Orlando who could have potentially struck gold. Instead, they turned their three top-15 picks into Michael Doleac, Keon Clark and Matt Harpring. Tragic. Just tragic. They managed to be a 3-seed in the playoffs after a lockout shortened 1998-99 season, but when Penny Hardaway’s support system as these three, there is not question why Allen Iverson took them to the wood shed in the playoff’s opening round.

Pick 1: Los Angeles Clippers

Who they took: Michael Olowokandi

Who they should have took: Dirk Nowitski (9^th pick)

Why: This was a class it was hard to choose who should be the first pick, but Nowitski gets the nod. He was looked at as raw, but long enough to play either forward spots, or even center, once his body reached his potential. He did so quickly in Dallas (good job Milwaukee, trading him is almost like Charlotte trading Kobe). By far the best German born NBA player ever, maybe the best German basketball player ever and easily one of the best jump shooting 7-footers ever. He would have been a homerun for the Clippers instead of the debilitating strike out they went with instead.

Pick 2: Vancouver Grizzlies

Who they took: Mike Bibby

Who they should have took: Paul Pierce (10^th pick)

Why: After his ex-Kansas teammate bombed in the draft the year before, there was probably some concern about Pierce. After all, Kansas was producing quality college players who were mediocre at best pros (see ‘Blue Devils, Duke’ for more reference on that). Pierce broke that mold. At a time where one player, one identity was what Memphis yearned for, Pierce could have been that like he became for the Celtics. Especially after a move to Memphis, Pierce could have been a Grizzlies lifer, forever altering their franchise and sadly the Celtics too, just not in a good way. And while Bibby was a good pick for Vancouver, they didn’t get his best years while Pierce would have proved to be the most valuable piece in franchise history and their first Hall of Famer.

Pick 3: Denver Nuggets

Who they took: Raef LaFrentz

Who they should have took: Vince Carter (5^th pick)

Why: Even though he has fattened with age, Carter still is a terrific player as seen by his highlight reel buzzer beater in this year’s playoffs. But take that away and in 1998 you still have an explosive get-to-the-basket scorer who could glide through the air with ease. The next ‘Next Jordan’ was probably the closest thing to the original because of how he soared and the awe in which people were in when the man shortly dubbed ‘Air Canada’ took flight. NBA dunk contest win with some of the best dunks ever? Check. Leaping OVER a defender for Team USA to dunk? Check. And turning around the Raptors franchise? Check. They could have used any one of those rubs in Denver, where the Nuggets were continuing a pace of downright pathetic.

Pick 4: Toronto Raptors

Who they took: Antwan Jamison (traded to Warriors)

Who they should have took: Mike Bibby (2^nd pick)

Why: Bibby put up a hectic pace on the court, really picking up where he left off at Arizona and was a catalyst in the early years for the other Canadian club. Unlike most guys, especially of this era, I think that Bibby was right coming out after his sophomore year as the NBA was better development for his game than college would have been. While Carter, the eventual Raptor from this draft, was the perfect pick up, he realistically possibly wouldn’t be available here so Bibby would have been a pretty great pickup to team with Tracy McGrady in a drive and dish team.

Pick 5: Golden State Warriors

Who they took: Vince Carter (traded to Raptors)

Who they should have took: Antwan Jamison (4^th pick)

Why: They got him anyway. So it was the right pick all along. He was supposed to be Carter’s equal in the ever expanding line of freak UNC athletes (see ‘Stackhouse, Jerry’) and he never panned out in that manner but was still helpful every single place he landed from 1998 through this past season. He mustered together All-Star seasons in Dallas and Washington after he built up a reputation as a dangerous scorer in Golden State where he twice scored 51 points in a game. The Warriors made the right choice here, though I would like to re-free agency for them so they could try to hold onto the career 18.5 ppg scorer into his All-Star years.

Pick 6: Dallas Mavericks

Who they took: Robert Traylor (traded to Milwaukee)

Who they should have took: Brad Miller (undrafted)

Why: Dallas clearly needed to go big and they made the wrong choice to do that with before trading the same night for the way right choice. But with Nowitski off the board and Robert Traylor being a laughable choice today, Miller would have a perfect fit. The reality is, he wasn’t going to turn around the franchise like Nowitski did, but he was a guy who steadily improved each and every year, culminating with back-to-back All-Star appearances (yes, as an undrafted player) for two different teams. He only averaged 6.3 ppg and 3.1 rpg as a rookie (though still an undrafted one) in Charlotte, but never put up lower numbers except for in his final season once his body was pretty well done over his career low 15 games in 2011-2012.

Pick 7: Sacramento Kings

Who they took: Jason Williams

Who they should have took: Rashard Lewis (32^nd pick)

Why: In a draft with a lot of talent, it’s hard to drop down the draft for back-to-back picks but Lewis earned his spot higher in the draft with how quickly he exploded. He wasn’t ready to come straight out of high school in 1998, but unlike most that are not ready early, he quickly figured it out, going from scoring 2.4 ppg and putting down 1.3 rpg as a rookie to 14.8 and 6.9 numbers in his third year. All-Star appearances and 22.4 ppg in his final year in Seattle netted him a big paycheck from Orlando and while he was never as valuable again, he still is a critical role player in the league. Considering is longevity wanting to stay in Seattle, he probably would have long hauled it in Sacramento to and became a great additional inside threat with Vlade Divac and Chris Webber as they were starting their big run.

Pick 8: Philadelphia 76ers

Who they took: Larry Hughes

Who they should have took: Ricky Davis (21^st pick)

Why: Ricky Davis and Allen Iverson would have either been the biggest clash of teammates in NBA history or been nasty together. Like late-80’s Detroit kind of nasty. The pick of the best player right here would be Jason Williams, but with a flashy, tough as nails point guard (Iverson) already in the fold, it wouldn’t make much sense. Davis ultimately proved too selfish for the league, but showed signs of actual brilliance before LeBron James stole his thunder in Cleveland. The year before James entered the league, Davis scored 20.6 ppg to lead the Cavaliers. And while all he led them to was the first pick in the draft, he showed he could play. Sadly, he now knew he could score in bunches, so giving up his touches to LeBron was not in his personal game plan. He never played the same again. However, if he could have found that rhythm without being “the guy,” like in Philly, he may have never lost his scoring swagger.

Pick 9: Milwaukee Bucks

Who they took: Dirk Nowitski (traded to Dallas)

Who they should have took: Jason Williams (7^th pick)

Why: The Milwaukee Bucks don’t even want to think about this draft. Not even a little bit, not even at all. This was Charlotte Hornets bad. They actually drafted Nowitski (who admittedly, isn’t Kobe) and traded him for ROBERT “TRACTOR” TRAYLOR (who still isn’t Vlade Divac good). Never pick a guy named after a semi. Always pick a guy who is nicknamed White Chocolate. Williams helped turn around the Kings, though he had more help. Milwaukee needed some flare and he had that by the buckets full.

Pick 10: Boston Celtics

Who they took: Paul Pierce

Who they should have took: Al Harrington (25^th pick)

Why: The Celtics are like the Mavericks. Thank god there really is no such thing as going back in time and re-drafting. With the exception of Larry Bird, no pick in the history of their franchise has been as important as this one was for Boston (could that change this year?). And Al Harrington would have been downright disappointing in comparison, but not all together disappointing. Like a lot of the later drafted high school kids, his adjustment time was too long (in comparison to Pierce), but he still developed into a dynamic player for a while. He was long and physical and the Celtics were just throwing up draft picks at this point. Harrington wouldn’t stick like Pierce did, but he still would have provided a solid option for an ailing team. The downside? Without Pierce, no matter who this pick was, they may still be ailing (as opposed to ailing again).

Pick 11: Detroit Pistons

Who they took: Bonzi Wells

Who they should have took: Cuttino Mobley (41^st pick)

Why: Mobley is one of those guys that you know his name, but you don’t give him much second thought unless you are a Cuttino Mobley or Rhode Island fan. Detroit was seeing an end to the somewhat disappointing (and injury filled) Grant Hill era and was trying to make things click with a bevy of veterans to add some spice to whatever Grant could provide that particular year. Adding Mobley may have not paid initial dividends, but had he stayed in Detroit as long as he did in Houston (where he was drafted and still averaged almost 10 ppg as a rookie), then he would have been highly valuable in the thick of the Pistons’ championship run. He put up a career best 21.7 ppg and 1.5 spg in 2002 and then still put up 15.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.2 apg and 1.3 spg in the Pistons championship season, which would have made them even more unbeatable as another option.

Pick 12: Orlando Magic

Who they took: Michael Doleac

Who they should have took: Larry Hughes (8^th pick)

Why: Orlando needed a lot and although the pickings are slimmer at this point, they sure aren’t Doleac-Clark-Harpring slim. Hughes was a hot shot freshman coming from Saint Louis, with a game very reminiscent of Penny Hardaway himself. It would have been like a younger, still a little raw version of Penny working side by side with him in Orlando, which could have been pretty fun to watch.

Pick 13: Orlando Magic

Who they took: Keon Clark

Who they should have took: Bonzi Wells (11^th pick)

Why: Not a lot of career Muncie, Indiana guys finding success in the NBA, but Wells surely did. He would have played a lot as a rookie in Orlando (not sure why he didn’t in Portland, where he was traded to before he ever played a game) and therefore jumped up his scoring average quicker than he was allowed to do in 7 games as a rookie. In between his first and last years in Portland, he never played less than 66 games, never shot worse than 44 percent from the field and like Mobley was consistent in chipping in scoring, defense and rebounding.

Pick 14: Houston Rockets

Who they took: Michael Dickerson

Who they should have took: Raef Lafrentz (3^rd pick)

Why: He wasn’t really a bust per say, but Lafrentz also wasn’t third pick material (Denver may have passed on Pierce, Nowitski, Carter, Jamison, Williams, etc.). Houston would have been a place for him to develop inside without pressure where Denver expected him to just take over after his success with Pierce at Kansas. And while he finished his college career only behind Kansas legend Danny Manning in scoring and rebounding, he sure wasn’t Danny Manning in the pros. With Clyde Drexler’s retirement and before the Yao Ming era began, Lafrentz could have helped make the Houston interior solid as he never averaged under 12 points or 7 rebounds in his first four seasons, all in Denver.

Pick 15: Orlando Magic

Who they took: Matt Harpring

Who they should have took: Sarunas Jasikevicius (undrafted)

Why: First of all, Orlando needed everything. Second of all, Jasikevicius was before his time. Before the basketball world required gun slinger point guards, Jasikevicius was doing it. His style never really fit at Maryland as a Lithuanian import and thus pro teams didn’t latch on to him. By the time an NBA team did (the Indiana Pacers in 2005), it was too late. And although he was still efficient, he had lost a step and couldn’t keep up with the new age, young gun slinger guards in the league. But had someone taken a chance on him at all in 1998, he himself could have been someone that revolutionized the league from a flashy point guard perspective, much how Jason Williams, of the same draft class, helped do. His leadership and ability have made him one of the best Lithuanian born players ever and a shot in Orlando would have been a perfect setting for him to get the chance before it was too late.

Redrafting the 1996 NBA Draft

One of the best drafts, if not the best of the 90's, with four Hall of Famers and six more guys who were very good for what they did in their careers as quality NBA players. It was also a showcase for 12 of the biggest draft blunders ever. Those 12? The first 12 picks before the Charlotte Hornets drafted this kid named Kobe. But I guess you can count them as blunder #13 since they shipped him to Los Angeles for Vlade Divac.

After a share of forward and center heavy drafts, this was the guard draft that a lot of teams had been salivating for and when you look at the names selected, you can see why.

Pick 1: Philadelphia 76ers

Who they took: Allen Iverson

Who they should have took: Kobe Bryant (13th pick)

Why: Why? Do I even need to fill this out? Like Garnett the year prior, nobody really knew how to feel out a kid coming straight from high school yet. And while Garnett became a great, Kobe became a top 10 player in the history of the league and arguably the best overall since Michael Jordan. Iverson turned Philly's fortunes around but Kobe would have won them a title or two (or three or four). He was the best player in this draft because he was (in my humble opinion) the best player drafted in the 1990's or 2000's.

Pick 2: Toronto Raptors

Who they took: Marcus Camby

Who they should have took: Steve Nash (15th pick)

Why: He was a quiet unassuming ex-soccer player when he came into the league in 1996, but Steve Nash became an assassin on a basketball court, one of the all-time great point guards. Unfortunately, because of their pick of Damon Stoudamire the previous year, the Raptors were one of the few teams in this draft not interested in the guard pool, even in their second season. Camby wasn't a bad pick at the time for anyone, especially the Raptors needs. But looking back, you send Stoudamire packing at take one of our generation's great playmakers.

Pick 3: Vancouver Grizzlies

Who they took: Shareef Abdur-Rahim

Who they should have took: Allen Iverson (1st pick)

Why: He ended up there years and years later, but imagine an early Grizzlies with AI, where they wouldn't have had to (incorrectly) leaned so much on Bryant Reeves. Iverson was such a strong presence on the court throughout his career and while I doubt he would have been happy staying in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada for long, I am willing to bet he would have led them to success to some degree before bolting after his rookie contract.

Pick 4: Milwaukee Bucks

Who they took: Stephon Marbury (traded to Timberwolves)

Who they should have took: Ray Allen (5th pick)

Why: While the Allen/Marbury pair was such a toss up from the beginning (hence being swapped eventually anyway), Allen ended up being the better NBA player mostly because of his willingness to play the game. When things were ending for him credibly in Milwaukee, he accepted his move to Seattle. When it was time to move on, he did again to Boston and again to Miami. Marbury however was never the player he could be because he wanted to do things the Stephon Marbury way. Allen reached his potential and was great for Milwaukee during his years there. I don't see any reason why they would want to change that.

Pick 5: Minnesota Timberwolves

Who they took: Ray Allen (traded to Bucks)

Who they should have took: Stephon Marbury (4th pick)

Why: In retrospect, I am sure they would rather just keep Allen. But it doesn't work that way. Marbury was a hell of a basketball player and even seeing how things shook out for him, you try to redo the hatred filled Marbury/Kevin Garnett relationship if you can. And even for all of his personality flaws, Marbury was still productive in all of the places he ended up (except for that late run in Boston) and still is productive on a lower level in China today. He was the third best option in 1996 and went fourth. With Kobe, Nash and Allen becoming Hall of Fame players, he dropped down in this group, but still stands as a tremendous player.

Pick 6: Boston Celtics

Who they took: Antoine Walker

Who they should have took: Jermaine O'Neal (17th pick)

Why: Another high school kid in 1996 and it is funny to think now that teams in the middle of the first round and late in the lottery were trying to decide between he and Kobe, not that Jermaine wasn't more than efficient. One of 10 All-Stars in this class, O'Neal was on the verge of being a long term upper echelon player when he was averaging over 20 points per game in Indiana before a basketbrawl kind of sent him backwards in performance and expectations. A combo of he and future Celtic Paul Pierce would have given Boston a great scoring duo to get them back towards the top quicker, even if Walker was helpful in his own right in doing just that.

Pick 7: Los Angeles Clippers

Who they took: Lorenzen Wright

Who they should have took: Peja Stojakovic (14th pick)

Why: Passing on KG and Kobe in back to back years? Well at least they weren't the only ones. Peja was almost as unknown of a commodity as the high school kids, but became such a clutch scorer and the Clippers needed anything at this point. But again, the European imports were just becoming popular like the high schoolers and it was just so hard to gage what their success would be. His 13,000 points and 40.1 percent from three-point range for his career indicate that this was also a golden era for European prospects coming in to the league.

Pick 8: New Jersey Nets

Who they took: Kerry Kittles

Who they should have took: Marcus Camby (2nd pick)

Why: Camby could have benefited from another year in college, but at this point he was looked at as a guy with an NBA ready body. He wasn’t quite NBA ready, but that didn’t stop him from a productive career spanning across the league. Sure his production has slipped, he never averaged more points per game than he did his rookie year and although still playing, he doesn’t do much. But at this stage, with the Ed O’Bannon experiment clearly failing, Camby would be a good solid piece for the Nets to work with. And his 14 points per game in his rookie year would have helped them a lot.

Pick 9: Dallas Mavericks

Who they took: Samaki Walker

Who they should have took: Zydrunas Ilgauskas (20th pick)

Why: When the Cavaliers ultimately decided to take a pair of Europeans. Ilgauskas was not the one expected to be productive. Years later he was an All-Star and had his jersey retired by the Cavaliers. As I said in the 1995 blog, the Mavericks were a team searching for an inside presence at this point. And while Walker had style...of some sort...Ilgauskas became the type of player that Dallas tried and failed with when taking Cherokee Parks and Samaki Walker.

Pick 10: Indiana Pacers

Who they took: Erick Dampier

Who they should have took: Derek Fisher (24th pick)

Why: Name a player in recent memory that has been reliable on and off the court than Derek Fisher. This kid from Arkansas-Little Rock didn’t turn many heads in 1996, but he did so almost every year afterwards. He has won five NBA title and has been crucial in them all. Though mostly a Laker during two separate runs, Fisher was helpful with every team he has been with, including currently in Oklahoma City. One day he will make a great coach because Fisher knows the ins and outs, in every way, of this game. He was pretty unknown and dropped to the Lakers (who combining the Fisher pick and getting Kobe, won this draft), but there is no way he slides out of the top 10 if this draft is today.

Pick 11: Golden State Warriors

Who they took: Todd Fuller

Who they should have took: Erick Dampier (10th pick)

Why: Dampier ended up having his best season in Golden State anyway, so why not go early. Another one of those career strong role players, Dampier shined in Golden State in the post, which they clearly wanted (though taking the way wrong guy for the second year in a row). He kept a respectable pace and was helpful in the Mavericks world title run in 2010. Take a break for a second and remember that the Magic could have had this pick had they not traded it back to Golden State and take Kobe Bryant to team with Shaq. Oops.

Pick 12: Cleveland Cavaliers

Who they took: Vitaly Potapenko

Who they should have took: Antoine Walker (6th pick)

Why: Walker’s decline was haunting. And that is one of the things we remember the very most about him. We remember this aging, fattening man in decline who went bankrupt and tried everything he could to get back to the league through the D-League. That Antoine Walker may not be worth a first round pick. But while in Boston early, he was a heck of a scorer. Six of his first 9 seasons were spent as a 20+ point per game scorer and he was a guy who was reliable right away. He knew how to get to the basket and be a bully once he was down there.

Pick 13: Charlotte Hornets

Who they took: Kobe Bryant (traded to Lakers)

Who they should have took: Shareef Abdur-Rahim (2nd pick)

Why: Do the Hornets win because the draft isn’t today? No. They lose. They lose a lot. They are the ultimate losers. The Charlotte Bobcats laugh at them. As bad as it is for the 12 other teams to have passed on Kobe Bryant (in retrospect), how much worse is it to have had him and then given him away. Kobe Bryant. Its like drafting Jordan or LeBron or Dwayne Wade and then just giving them up for Robin Lopez. Abdur-Rahim is a way better choice than Vlade Divac.

Pick 14: Sacramento Kings

Who they took: Peja Stojakovic

Who they should have took: Lorenzen Wright (7th pick)

Why: Wright floundered before finding his spot in Atlanta and getting shipped to Memphis where he led off with a 12 ppg and 9 rpg season, legitimizing his spot in the mid-echelon of post players. And then he declined, almost every year. Sacramento needed a strong strictly guard and at this point, there isn’t much talent that way left. So you take the best prospect and that was Wright and is Wright, you just hope you have him before the decline or can at least prevent it.

Pick 15: Phoenix Suns

Who they took: Steve Nash

Who they should have took: Kerry Kittles (8th pick)

Why: The face of the starving generation of the Nets, Kittles would still be a good pickup for a team because he had a worth ethic almost unrivaled in this draft class at the time when the class was picked.