Its been 3 yrs since the 1998 Draft during which the Rockets had three first round selections as they do this season. I figured now would be a good time to re-rank the players from that draft after three full seasons. Here's my take on a re-ranking. I am basing it on what they have done so far in the NBA, not what they were billed to do or what some hold out for them to be ie on players like Hughes and Olowokandi. 1. Vince Carter 2. Dirk Nowitzki 3. Antawn Jamison 4. Paul Pierce 5. Cuttino Mobley 6. Rashard Lewis 7. Mike Bibby 8. Raef LaFrentz 9. Bonzi Wells 10. Larry Hughes 11. Michael Dickerson 12. Jason Williams 13. Michael Olowokandi 14. Ruben Patterson ------------------ Check out the Best Source for Draft Info Draftsource.net [This message has been edited by MManal (edited June 21, 2001).]
2 in the top 11 out of 4 is not bad...even though it could have been 3 *cough* ------------------ Feeling claustrophobic, like the walls are closing in. Blood stains on my hands, and I don't know where I've been. I'm in trouble for the things I haven't got to yet. I'm chomping at the bit, and my palms are getting wet. Sweating Bullets Runnin', Ravin', Endin', Out.
Great List Manal!! I think I would put Bibby ahead of Lewis, and maybe (just maybe) ahead of Cat as well. I'd say Cuttino and Bibby have been about equal, imo. ------------------ CC.net's most courteous driver Oh yeah, and I'm looking for a job right now, so hire me please
Yeah, I think you gave Bibby a bad rap. He should be at least 5th. Also, I'm not sure why LaFrentz is so high. Other than that, a good list. You should do 29 picks though. And what about 1997? ------------------ RealGM Gafford Art Artisan Cakes
Here's how they pan out IMO. 1. Dirk Nowitzki - I just think he has the best all around game of his class. 2. Antwan Jamison - He has a complete game. Rebounds, scores, plays defense. If he just wasn't so selfish with the rock. 3. Vince Carter - Great scorer avg defender below avg rebounder for a forward. One of the 3 or 4 hardest players to guard one on one in the NBA. I think he is more comparable to Dominique Wilkens than MJ. 4. Paul Peirce - Great all around player. Exellent scorer, above avg defender and an avg rebounder. I think he is actually a more complete player than Vince. 5.Cuttino Mobely 6. Bonzi Wells - High percentage scorer .533 from the floor. above avg rebounder for a guard and an exellent defender. 7. Mike Bibby 8. Rashard Lewis 9. Raef LaFrentz 10. Michael Dickerson 11. Ruben Paterson 12 Lary Hughes - lots of potential but very overrated at this point in his career. 13. Michael Olowokandi Jason Williams is not worthy of being mentioned...IMO. ------------------
I'd put Dickerson above Hughes, and Pierce above Jamison. Dickerson plays under control, and doesn't seem to have a bad attitude. Hughes does, and I'm going to consider him a bust until he learns to play a more refined game... oh, and actually shoot for a decent %. Pierce was the best player on a team that almost made the playoffs. Jamison, well... his team has sucked, royally. I think that after all is said and done, Pierce and Nowitski will actually be remembered as the best players from this draft. And yes, that counts Vince Carter. *cough*overrated*cough*cough* ------------------ Lacking inspiration at the moment...
1) Vince Carter 2) Paul Pierce 3) Dirk Nowitzki 4) Antawn Jamison 5) Mike Bibby 6) Cuttino Mobley 7) Bonzi Wells 8) Raef LaFrentz 9) Rashard Lewis 10) Michael Dickerson 11) Ruben Patterson 12) Larry Hughes 13) Michael Olowakandi I also agree with haven in the respect that I'd rather have Pierce or Nowitzki on my team than Carter. Pierce, while possessing very similar offensive skills (with less hops), is a MUCH better defensive player than Carter. Nowitzki just creates SO many mismatches on the floor. I think Dirk and KG are the hardest players in the league to match up with from a "which position should guard them" standpoint. I think that Bibby is drastically underrated because he plays in Vancouver (not for long). Hopefully with the team moving or him getting traded, Bibby will be able to showcase his skills better. He's ten times the point guard that Jason "I'm-not-good-enough-to-play-in-the-fourth-quarter" Williams will ever be. I've been saying that since their rookie seasons when Williams got all the hype. The fact of the matter is that Williams' rookie season just so happened to be the Kings' first year with both Webber and Divac, who were the real reasons why the Kings ascended to the rank of playoff team. I honestly think there is a big dropoff after the top five mentioned above. While Mobley is a talented player, he is in a situation where he can take a large number of shots (often too many). Mobley, Wells, LaFrentz, Lewis, and Dickerson are all solid players that can make large contributions to a team's success. Patterson is up there more for his defense and tenacity than for his citizenship skills. Hughes doesn't get any respect until he learns that this is the NBA and not a streetball game. Kandi-man still has a ways to go, but his size and wingspan still make him a commodity. ------------------
Or it could be that he plays for such a ****ty team. If Bibby is such a good point guard, and Abdur-Rahim is such a star, and Dickerson is a pretty good two - How come Vancouver is so bad? I don't care how bad the front office is, all of this talent should at least be able to stumble to more than 20-win season after 20-win season. Perhaps we overrate the talent in Vancouver. I would take Mobley over Bibby w/o a doubt. ------------------ "I always thought it was something that went around my house" - World B. Free on Defence
What makes Vancouver so bad? Bad coaching. Plus, the talent on Vancouver still isn't as good as on the playoff teams. I mean, look at New Jersey. They had Marbury, Van Horn, AND Kenyon Martin; and they didn't do squat either. Face it, some teams DO have the talent, but they just can't win. I like Mobley, but I do think that Bibby would add more to a ballclub (NOT the Rockets) than Mobley would. ------------------
Bimathug: Yes, but puedflor and I are on a crusade about this. Coaching isn't going to cap your win total at 20 per year. Look at the players on that team that are considered potential all-stars: SAR, Bibby, Dickerson. Yet they suck, perenially. Isn't it just possible that htese guys are wracking up big numbers because there's nobody else to do it? I call it the Clipper-effect . I think being a "winner" is overrated. However, when there are supposedly all of these underrated, underexposed players on a team that never wins... well, either someone's getting bribed, or the talent isn't all it's cracked up to be. ------------------ Lacking inspiration at the moment...
