2007 NBA Draft...the best ever?

[Cornerthree]

Well you know non of the '96 draft greatest have retired yet...

[Mads]

Well you know non of the '96 draft greatest have retired yet...

Yep, it's basically useless to compare newer classes to the older, as their careers aren't finished, even more so with 2003 than with 1996. For all we know, LeBron could suffer a career-ending injury in practice tomorrow or go on to become the greatest player of all time.

[Jugs]

The 2007 draft class hasn't even occured and it's going to possess a bunch of overhyped dicks.

[---]

Greg Oden and Kevin Durant could really explode into some of the best players in the league

[Its_asdf]

I think we should let the 07 end and the actual draft occur first before we go on to say that this draft is the best draft ever.

A little early for this prediction, don't you think? Just a little.

[ElSeano]

Only ones im interested in are Bill Walker (Oj's team mate not sure if i got the name right) and Oden (purely off the mcdonalds all star appearance) but no 2007 isnt going to be one of the best ever i dont think, but bear in mind there is still a whole year for anyone in that draft to improve. Personally im looking forward to OJ Mayo the year after but there won't be a draft on the scale of 84,96,03 for a long time i think.

p.s: who WAS todd fuller? and i had no idea o'neal was taken that low, but then he was a high school pick too so the same reasoning applied to kobe works.

[Dro]

The 2007 draft could be the best draft for BIG MEN in a long time. Greg Oden, Brendan Wright, Joakim Noah, Josh McRoberts, Tiago Splitter, and others. Then there's also the 6'10 SF Kevin Durant, Thaddeus Young, and Bill Walker. Best of all time? Probably not. Solid? Most definitely.

And the Suns have ATL's (!) and Cleveland's first rounders (as well as their own). ATL's pick is top 3 protected.

My dream: The ATL pick ends up being #4. The Knicks end up with the #1. Phoenix trades ATL, Cleveland, and their own pick for the #1. Greg Oden and Amare Stoudemire form the next Robinson-Duncan duo, except a lot more exciting.

Hey, I can always dream.

[sdude]

1996 Draft = Best. Ever.
...
25. Martin Muursepp
...

[nets4life]

My dream: The ATL pick ends up being #4. The Knicks end up with the #1. Phoenix trades ATL, Cleveland, and their own pick for the #1. Greg Oden and Amare Stoudemire form the next Robinson-Duncan duo, except a lot more exciting.

Hey, I can always dream.

A dream is as far as that will get. Cleveland's pick will be around 20th-25th + the predicted #4 pick from ATL (prob turn out to be Young, Wright, Lawson) for NYK Greg Oden? yer right. Oden will be better than Ewing was to them, they wont give him up easy, then again Isiah is their GM. Anyways the future in Phoenix is already bright enough without Oden

[Amphatoast]

Thats a knicks fan worst nightmare... why?
Bulls can swap picks with the knicks next year.

[maes]

Yeah, as said above both NY's 1st & 2nd round picks are the Bulls' this year (unsles NY really turns around & does better than the Bulls).

That would make that pick more tradeable, as the Bulls probably don't want to get any younger. I could see Paxson taking a proven veteran for the pick.

[ElSeano]

The Knicks are more screwed than I thought possible

[Matt]

That would make that pick more tradeable, as the Bulls probably don't want to get any younger. I could see Paxson taking a proven veteran for the pick.

especially since they've just picked up Ben Wallace, they really have to push for a championship whilst he's still productive.

[3th]

25. Martin Muursepp and a estonian in the list

[R.J.]

But a center like the caliber of Oden is right now doesn't come around very often. Heck, the last athletic center to come into the draft has been Eddy Curry, but Oden is smarter, more polished, better conditioned, and has a better body frame among other things. The Bulls would be foolish to let go of a chance to get him, because the only true centers I see that are better than Oden are probably Shaquille O'Neal, Yao Ming, and Ben Wallace.

[---]

^^

And Oden will probably end up being better than the last 2

[J@3]

Oden won't be better than Yao, if Yao can maintain the form he had in the 2nd half of last season there's no way he can be touched. Averaging like 23/12 is just crazy for a C in this day and age.

[---]

il stick to it and say Oden will be better, he just has so many tools to his game and is very athletic, and once Tmac is back ul see Yao's numbers go down to something more like 18-20pts and 10-11 rbs

[J@3]

How many times have you seen Oden play?

[j.23]

OHHH YEAH!

[beau_boy04]

Oden won't be better than Yao, if Yao can maintain the form he had in the 2nd half of last season there's no way he can be touched. Averaging like 23/12 is just crazy for a C in this day and age.

23/12 is crazy for a C ? damn that happened to those glorious 30/10 C we used to have back in the days.

Oden will be better than Yao even in his first season.

Thanks.

[J@3]

Averaging like 23/12 is just crazy for a C in this day and age.

Did you run out of 6 year old threads to revive or something?

[Matt]

Jae's right. 23/12 arent crazy numbers, but how many C's have averaged that recently? Tim Duncan & KG, both PF's are probably the only two.

Lets not overhype Oden. He hasn't done anything yet. People have been dick-riding him for an eternity now.

[Matthew]

Lol, comming from the guy who defended darko's selection at number 2 for how many years?

But this thread is interesting.. i can see the logic behind it. There were high schoolers that probably would have been in the lottery this year but weren't eligable, so by that line of thinking the 2007 draft will be strong.

Thats not proven by any means though, but hypothetically it could happen.

[---]

How many times have you seen Oden play?

well because i live in NZ, obviously i have extremely limited chances to see him pla, and yes, ive only seen him play once - in an all star game which is not the best way to gauge a persons talent level. But, i have read extensively about Odens game, and watched alot of footage of his highlights and such. I know your gonna fire back at me with something like "You cant say Oden will be better than Yao if you havnt seen him play" but actually i can. Oden is extremely athletic, has very long arms and is deceptively strong despite his frame. he has the potential to raise his shot blocking ability to levels that Yao can only dream about (but shouldnt be) and will no doubt be a big time rebounder during his career in the NBA. I doubt he will make a big splash when he enters the league, even if he is starting. but just wait till around his 3rd year and he should emerge as one of the best big men in the league. Another guy who could end up being one of the top players in the league by his 4th or 5th year is Kevin Durant. He can shoot the 3, hes extremely athletic, has good ball handling for a guy 6'10 and that gives him the ability to get his own shot, which almost all the superstars have now days. Right now he is weak and doesnt play great defence, but he has plenty of time to work on that. I dont think there are any 6'10 small forwards in the league who have his sort of *potential* ability (dont say rashard lewis)