Inspired by a
great read from Bleacher Report about the best candidates for Rookie of the
Year NOT named Anthony Davis, I started reminiscing about the draft class of a
decade ago.
The Draft
Class of 2002 was seen as one full of promise. It boasted of one of the best
talents to ever come out of the US NCAA ranks – Duke’s Jay Williams. It also
held the promise of one of the most intriguing international prospects ever –
China’s 7’6 giant, Yao Ming. Aside from these guys, several other names were
hyped to be potential stars – Duke’s Mike Dunleavy, Jr., Kansas’s Drew Gooden,
Maryland’s Chris Wilcox, Memphis’s Dajuan Wagner, UConn’s Caron Butler, and
Indiana’s Jared Jeffries. Prep-to-pro prospect Amar’e Stoudemire turned a lot
of heads along with early foreign entrants Nikoloz Tsikitishvili, Nene Hilario,
and Nenad Krstic. Unbeknownst to everyone, however, perhaps the most enduring
and consistent player of this particular rookie set wouldn’t even be picked in
the first round.
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| Jay Williams was taken with the 2nd overall pick in 2002. How did he fare? (image from ABC News) |
Ten years
later, how has this rookie class fared? Who remains, and who’s out? Who
blossomed into stars, and who turned out to be busts?
The Notables:
Yao Ming (1st overall pick by
the Houston Rockets; career averages of 19.0ppg, 9.2rpg, 1.9bpg, and 52.4 FG%)
Yao Ming was
a phenomenon in his own right. His numbers were good, but his effect on the
global game was even more astounding. We’re talking about a guy who practically
opened the doors of the Far East, China in particular, to the NBA in a time
when the league’s reach in that region really only deeply affected the
basketball-mad nation of the Philippines. All of a sudden, NBA preseason games
were being held in China, and Asia got its first ever NBA All-Star. It also
helped that Yao wasn’t exactly a pushover. His numbers speak of the impact he
really did put on any game in which he played. He lasted only eight seasons in
the NBA, and right now there’s really no Asian player of note seeing much
action, but the way he opened up the game of basketball to a whole new
generation can never go unnoticed.
Amar’e Stoudemire (9th overall
pick by the Phoenix Suns; career averages of 21.6ppg, 8.8rpg, 1.4bpg, 53.3 FG%)
In terms of
stats and accomplishments, perhaps nobody in this draft class eclipses Amar’e.
He was declared ROY in 2003, has been named an All-Star six times, and has been
on five different All-NBA Teams. He’s been receiving criticism for his
seemingly one-sided play in New York, but that just goes to show that he
attracts a lot of attention because his talent and production demand it. Ten
years later, it’s still mind-boggling to look back and see that nine other guys
were chosen ahead of Amar’e.
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| Amar'e Stoudemire is arguably the best to come out of the 2002 NBA Draft. (image by Craig Ruttle/AP) |
Caron Butler (10th overall pick by the
Miami Heat; career averages of 16.1ppg, 5.7rpg, 1.6spg, 32.7 3pt%)
From 2005
until around 2010, Butler was considered a borderline superstar. He played in
both the 2007 and 2008 East All-Stars team, but he never really made the leap
into the superstar stratosphere that Amar’e was able to do. Still, Butler is
considered a reliable player. He’s a versatile swingman who can run, shoot, and
defend better than most younger guys. On a Clipper team brimming with
firepower, the pressure won’t be on him to carry the squad, but he’s a vital cog
that LA can’t do without.
Tayshaun Prince (23rd overall
pick by the Detroit Pistons; career averages of 12.7ppg, 4.7rpg, 2.7apg)
Prince is
past his prime, and so, it seems, is Detroit, but he can still conjure up his
beastly self when needed. As good as the three aforementioned guys have been,
they’ve never won an NBA title. Prince has one with Detroit, and he was an
important piece of that inspiring 2004 championship run. Perhaps one of the
most enduring images of the former Kentucky Wildcat is his rundown block of
Reggie Miller in a playoff game. That typified the kind of player Prince was
and still is – someone who never gives up on a play, someone who goes out there
and leaves everything on the floor.
Carlos Boozer (35th overall by
the Cleveland Cavaliers; career averages of 17.0ppg, 9.9rpg, 53.7 FG%)
A lot of
people thought Boozer wouldn’t do well in college simply because he was too
small to be a center and too slow to be a power forward. He didn’t have the
touch to be anything else either. Those are the big reasons he fell all the way
down to the 35th pick. The
former US NCAA champion, however, proved people wrong. He made the Rookie
Second Team of 2003, he became a two-time All-Star, and was named to the
All-NBA Third Team in 2008. Not bad for a 35th pick, eh? And, yes,
he’s still taking names for the Chicago Bulls to this day.
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| Carlos Boozer -- one of the biggest steals in NBA Draft history. (image by Gary Dineen/Getty Images) |
The Forgettables:
Jay Williams (2nd overall pick
by Chicago; career averages of 9.5ppg, 4.7apg, 2.6rpg, 32.2 3pt%)
Jay Williams
was supposed to be THE BIG CATCH of the 2002 class. People laughed at Houston
for grabbing Yao, but, a year after, people were shaking their heads at what
happened to Jay. The former Duke superstar didn’t exactly play stellar ball for
the Bulls in his rookie year (he was inconsistent, and he split time with Jamal
Crawford in the backcourt), but the incident that really sunk him was his
motorcycle accident in June of ’03. That injured him beyond repair and incurred
for him a contract violation. Both were hits from which he would never recover.
He might have been one of the greats, but now he’s, sadly, one of the sob
stories of the NBA.
Nikoloz Tsikitishvili (5th
overall pick by the Denver Nuggets; career averages of 2.9ppg, 1.8rpg, 30.4
FG%)
Google “NBA
Draft Busts” and Nikoloz “Skita” Tsikitishvili’s name is bound to come up
99.99% of the time. Perhaps the only time it won’t come up is if you specify
your search to before the Y2K virus scared the bejeezus out of everybody. In
2002, everyone was drunk with the idea of landing the “next Dirk Nowitzki.” NBA
managers and owners wanted the next big European white guy who could shoot. In
the 2002 class, Georgian native Tsikitishvili was a hyped-up character
alongside the likes of Slovenia’s Bostjan Nachbar, Serbia’s Nenad Krstic,
Croatia’s Mario Kasun, and, gulp, Dutch/Slavic Dan Gadzuric. Needless to say,
the Nuggets chose Skita because some scout somewhere told them he could dunk
after spinning to the baseline while also having the capability to shoot from
20 feet out. As it turned out, Skita could hardly even collar a rebound. Where
is he right now? Who even cares?
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| Spell Nikoloz Tsikitishvili? B - U - S - T. (image by Doug Pensinger/Getty) |
Dajuan Wagner (6th overall pick
by the Cleveland Cavaliers; career averages of 9.4ppg, 1.9apg, 1.4rpg, 32.1
3pt%)
Before the
2002 Draft, Wagner was being compared to Allen Iverson. That comparison has now
been hidden deep in the annals of “No, that NEVER happened.” One cannot really
blame Cleveland for tabbing the 2001 Naismith Prep Player of the Year with the
6th overall pick, and one most certainly cannot blame Wagner for his
own debilitating struggles with his colon, but, still, one cannot help but cringe
at what happened to this kid. He had flashes of Iverson all right, but flashes
weren’t enough to carry him past just 47 games in his rookie season. He played
a total of only 103 games in four NBA seasons.
Right now, there are a host of promising rookies helping their teams out. Davis, of course, is at the top of the list with Portland’s Damian Lillard close behind. The likes of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Bradley Beal have also been contributing. The question, of course, is who will contribute the most and who will last the longest?
Game Recaps
(courtesy of the Sports Network):
Atlanta 104, LA Clippers 93
Jeff Teague
and Zaza Pachulia each recorded double-doubles as the surging Atlanta Hawks
posted their fifth consecutive win with a 104-93 triumph over the slumping Los
Angeles Clippers at Philips Arena. Both players finished with 19 points, with
Pachulia adding 12 rebounds and Teague notching 11 assists to help the Hawks
earn their longest win streak since a 5-gamer from Jan. 2-12, 2011. Three
others scored in double figures for the Hawks, who shot a solid 50.7 percent
and never trailed since the initial stages of the second quarter. Lou Williams
netted 18 points off the bench, while Josh Smith had 17 and Al Horford
contributed 10 to go along with eight rebounds. The Clippers were dealt a third
straight defeat following a stretch of six straight wins that included an 89-76
home decision over the Hawks on Nov. 11, despite a 22-point, 11-rebound,
7-assist effort from Blake Griffin and 19 points out of Chris Paul.
Oklahoma City 116,
Philadelphia 109 (OT)
Kevin Durant
poured in a season-best 37 points and Russell Westbrook added 30, and the
Oklahoma City Thunder used sharp long-range shooting in overtime to beat the
Philadelphia 76ers, 116-109, at Wells Fargo Center. Durant, Westbrook, Thabo
Sefolosha, and Kevin Martin each connected from beyond the arc in the extra
session, as the Thunder bounced back from a 108-100 loss at Boston the previous
night. Serge Ibaka registered 18 points and nine rebounds, and Nick Collison
contributed 14 for Oklahoma City, which missed its final seven shots of
regulation but managed to win for the ninth time in 11 games. The Thunder beat
the Sixers for a seventh straight time. Thaddeus Young had 29 points and a
career-high 15 rebounds for the Sixers, who lost their second in a row. Evan
Turner ended with 26 points and Jrue Holiday dished out 13 assists.
Charlotte 108, Washington
106 (2-OT)
Byron Mullens
scored a season-high 27 and Reggie Williams hit the go-ahead 3-pointer to lead
the Charlotte Bobcats to a 108-106 double-overtime victory over the winless
Washington Wizards on Saturday. Ramon Sessions added 21 points and Ben Gordon
had 19 for the Bobcats (7-5), who have already matched their win total from
last season. Martell Webster dropped 21 points and Nene had 19 points for the
Wizards, who are off to their worst start in franchise history. Washington
(0-11) is the only team in the NBA without a win this season.
Miami 110, Cleveland 108
Ray Allen
drained the go-ahead 3-pointer with 18.2 seconds remaining and the Miami Heat
scored the final nine points to pull out a 110-108 victory over the Cleveland
Cavaliers on Saturday at American Airlines Arena. Allen, who finished with 17
points and five rebounds, scored the game's final seven points. LeBron James
poured in a game-high 30 points to go with six rebounds and five assists
against his former team. Chris Bosh netted 23 points and grabbed seven rebounds
for the Heat, who improved to 6-0 at home this season. Dwyane Wade added 18 and
seven boards in the victory. Jeremy Pargo netted 16 points and handed out seven
assists, while rookie Dion Waiters added 16 for the Cavs, who have lost two
straight since an impressive 92-83 win over Philadelphia on Wednesday. Omri
Casspi drained four 3-pointers en route to 15 points in defeat.
LA Lakers 115, Dallas 89
Antawn
Jamison amassed 19 points and 15 rebounds to pace a balanced scoring attack
that propelled the Los Angeles Lakers to a long-awaited first road win of the
season, a 115-89 dismantling of the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines
Center. In by far their most impressive performance under new head coach Mike
D'Antoni, the Lakers had six players finish with double-figure points and
dominated the glass in halting a two-game losing streak. Kobe Bryant and Metta
World Peace also netted 19 points, with Dwight Howard compiling 15 points and
five steals in the rout. Los Angeles, which improved to 2-2 under D'Antoni's
command and began the season 0-4 on the road, owned a lopsided 61-39 rebounding
advantage, limited the Mavericks to 37 percent shooting and led by as many as
37 points. Vince Carter had 16 points and Jae Crowder posted a career-high 15
in Dallas' sixth defeat in nine games following a 4-1 start to the season.
Chicago 93, Milwaukee 86
Carlos
Boozer dropped in 22 points on 10- of-15 shooting and ripped down 19 rebounds
as the Chicago Bulls topped the Milwaukee Bucks, 93-86, on Saturday at Bradley
Center. Richard Hamilton netted 22 points, including a perfect 10-for-10 from
the free throw line, while Luol Deng chipped in 14 points and eight boards for
the Bulls, who have beaten Milwaukee nine consecutive times. Kirk Hinrich
donated 10 points in the victory. Brandon Jennings scored a game-high 23 points
and handed out seven assists, but left the game with 23.1 seconds left in the
fourth quarter after rolling his left ankle on a drive to the hoop. He remained
on the floor for several minutes and needed help off the court. Monta Ellis
added 17 points and six boards while Beno Udrih contributed 12 points for the
Bucks, who have lost three straight.
Sacramento 108, Utah 97
Tyreke Evans
scored 27 points and the Sacramento Kings beat the Utah Jazz, 108-97, on
Saturday night. Jason Thompson added 16 points and nine rebounds for the Kings,
who bounced back from a 104-102 loss to these Jazz in Utah on Friday. DeMarcus
Cousins tallied 14 points and nine boards. Randy Foye had 17 points to pace the
Jazz, who fell to 2-7 on the road this season. Al Jefferson and Jamaal Tinsley
ended with 14 points apiece.
Golden State 96, Minnesota
85
Klay
Thompson and Stephen Curry combined for 44 points to lead the Golden State
Warriors past the Minnesota Timberwolves, 96-85, on Saturday. Thompson had 24
points and Curry poured in 20 to go along with six assists for the Warriors,
winners in three of their last four. David Lee finished with 17 points, eight
rebounds and four assists and Harrison Barnes notched a double-double with 10
points and 11 boards in the win. Nikola Pekovic scored a team-high 17 points
and Kevin Love had 15 points and 15 rebounds for the T'Wolves, losers in five
straight. Since returning from a broken hand three games ago, Love has averaged
24.3 points and 14 rebounds per game.
Top 10 Plays of the
Night:
Game Highlights:
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