2003 NBA Draft=Best since '84, one of the greatest ever

[Hababi]

It's my contention that the 2003 NBA draft will go down as one of the best 5 of all time, and the best since 84.

Look at all who came through it:

Superstars
LeBron James
Carmelo Anthony
Dwayne Wade

Stars:
Chris Bosh
Kirk Hinrich

Solid Contributors:
Chris Kaman
Jarvis Hayes
Nick Collision
Luke Ridnour
Marcus Banks
Aleksander Pavlovich
Leandro Barbosa

Role Players
Jason Kapono
Kyle Korver

Plus guys who are still developing, including Marcjel Lampe, TJ Ford, Mike Sweetny and Darko Milicic, who will be one of the best 5 NBA players within 5 years.

All in all, it was a spectacular draft and much better than most recent years.

[3074326]

It was definitely a good draft. Some extremely talented players came from that draft class.

I think the next couple draft years will be good, there are some very talented collegiate players at the moment, and I think many will be great NBA players.

[Against Miik!]

Carmello isn't even a star. He might be considered a key contributor. It will be remembered as a great draft just because of LeBron.

[Reaganista]

1996.

[Hababi]

Carmello isn't even a star. He might be considered a key contributor. It will be remembered as a great draft just because of LeBron.


That's understating his abilities quite a bit. He's the big reason the Nuggets made the playoffs, and while his game is dimensional, he's definately a star player.

[Illmatic]

It's my contention that the 2003 NBA draft will go down as one of the best 5 of all time, and the best since 84.

Look at all who came through it:

Superstars
LeBron James
Carmelo Anthony
Dwayne Wade

Stars:
Chris Bosh
Kirk Hinrich

Solid Contributors:
Chris Kaman
Jarvis Hayes
Nick Collision
Luke Ridnour
Marcus Banks
Aleksander Pavlovich
Leandro Barbosa

Role Players
Jason Kapono
Kyle Korver

Plus guys who are still developing, including Marcjel Lampe, TJ Ford, Mike Sweetny and Darko Milicic, who will be one of the best 5 NBA players within 5 years.

All in all, it was a spectacular draft and much better than most recent years.

Ford has been forced into retirement (too bad, because I liked him) and I doubt Lampe and Darko will be half as good as the "experts" predicted them to be.

1996

AI, Jermaine O'Neal, Kobe, Nash, and Ray Allen...pretty good year.

[Against Miik!]

That's understating his abilities quite a bit. He's the big reason the Nuggets made the playoffs, and while his game is dimensional, he's definately a star player.

I thought we were talking about this season. Hopefully he's just goin thru the sophomore jinx, but he's been a major disappointment. Thank God the Cavs took LeBron, as if it was even a tough decision, but still.

[simplephotographinthesun]

Ford has been forced into retirement (too bad, because I liked him) and I doubt Lampe and Darko will be half as good as the "experts" predicted them to be.



AI, Jermaine O'Neal, Kobe, Nash, and Ray Allen...pretty good year.

ford retired? i thought he's making progress in rehab for that spine injury

didnt garnett also get drafted in that class also?

[Reaganista]

That was 1995.

[Simple Man]

That year was def. great. It will be hard to top, There are some amazing players in that bunch.

[Hababi]

Ford isn't retired, he's just out for the year:
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/bucks/2005-02-03-ford-update_x.htm

1996 NBA Draft:

Superstars:
Kobe
AI

Stars:
Shareef Abdur Rahim
Stephon Marbury
Ray Allen
Antoine Walker
Peja Stojachavich
Steve Nash
Jermaine O'Neal

Solid Contributors:
Zydrunus Illgaskus
Tony Delk
Jeff McInnis
Derek Fisher
Marcus Camby
Erick Dampier (after 6 years of being a total bust)


Role Players:
Malik Rose
Othella Harrington
Kerry Kittles
Lorenzen Wright
Jerome Williams

Not too bad, there's certainly more stars in that bunch, but more guys from the 2003 draft, namely Darko, Kaman and Banks could move into the star range-Many of those stars didn't become stars for at least 3 years.

96 does match up pretty well though.

[MattSharpIsCool]

I dont know....I'm thinking '96 is looking a little better than '03.

'03 is definitly a great draft....but that is a lot of big name, star players in '96.

[3074326]

Keep in mind that the '96 draft was nine years ago, and the players have had time to develop. I wouldn't be surprised if the '03 draft class turned out just as good.

[MattSharpIsCool]

I know, but just look at that '96 class....I almost crap my pants just reading the list.

I agree that Lebron, Carmelo, Wade, Milikic, and maybe Bosh and Hinrich will be stars in the next few years, some already are.....but that '96 class is about half of the big name stars in the league right now.

[3074326]

Yeah, but those 1996 stars were just as good as the 2003 draft class, just give them time to develop and I think they'll be just as good.

It's hard to compare players who have nine years of experience to players who have two years, at most, of experience.