The Ringer is rolling out a series of podcasts on every draft from 1996 on. Here’s the ‘96 one, the ‘97 one and the ‘98 one. The idea has been to redraft the lottery with the benefit of hindsight. For example, the ‘98 redraft would have a top five of something like:
Dirk (who went ninth)
Paul Pierce (who went 10th)
Vince Carter (who went fifth)
Rashard Lewis (who went 32nd)
Mike Bibby (who went second)
Before The Ringer does its podcast on the 2000 draft, let us be the first to proclaim it the worst draft in NBA history. The actual top 10:
Kenyon Martin, to New Jersey
Stromile Swift, to Vancouver (soon-to-be Memphis)
Darius Miles, to the Clippers
Marcus Fizer, to Chicago
Mike Miller, to Orlando
DerMarr Johnson, to Atlanta
Chris Mihm, to Chicago
Jamal Crawford, to Cleveland
Joel Przybilla, to Houston
Keyon Dooling, to Atlanta
Those 10 players produced:
One All-Star, Kenyon Martin, who made one ASG in a diluted East.
Four players who played less than 500 NBA games.
Zero starters on a title team (Mike Miller was a bench player on two Miami title teams).
In all, the draft produced three forgettable All-Stars: Martin, Michael Redd and Jamaal Magloire, who each made one a piece in a dreadful era for the Eastern Conference. For how remarkably little three All-Star Games for an entire draft class is, look at this graph:
Other notable to semi-notable players:Hedo Türkoğlu, Mike Miller -- his class’s Rookie of the Year -- Jamal Crawford, Eddie House, Morris Peterson, Quentin Richardson and Mark Madsen, who would not have made this list had he not further embarrassed all white peoplewith his dancing during the 2002 Lakers parade.
A redraft of the top 10 might look something like...
Kenyon Martin
Hedo Türkoğlu
Mike Miller
Michael Redd
Jamal Crawford
Jamaal Magloire
Morris Peterson ??
Eddie House ??
Quentin Richardson ??
Desmond Mason ???
Let's take this to your inbox. Sign up below.