So I'm over at nbadraft.net browsing through the profiles of this year's class, and besides Embiid, most of their NBA comparisons left a lot to be desired. If I just looked at their NBA comparisons of the top players, I definitely wouldn't say "wow this looks like one of the best drafts ever!" Not that I think nbadraft.net has ever been that accurate in that regard, nor would I ever seriously judge talent based on a questionable comparison, but it's something I like to look at nonetheless. Got me thinking how they've done historically, and I thought ya?ll might like to see the results too.
Focused on top 10 players + Celtics + other notable players. Pre-2006 info was hard to come by so a lot missing there.
Now on to the results:
2014
(top 10 based on nbadraft.net's current mock)
1, Embiid: Tim Duncan/Akeem Olajuwon
2, Wiggins: Vince Carter/Rudy Gay
3, Parker: Carmelo Anthony
4, Exum: Penny Hardaway
5, Randle: David Lee/Billy Owens
6, Vonleh: Wayman Tisdale/Jamal Mashburn
7, Smart: Dwyane Wade
8, McDermott: Wally Szczerbiak/Tracy Murray
9, Gordon: Kenneth Faried
10, Harris: OJ Mayo
2013
1, Anthony Bennett: Rodney Rogers/Jason Maxiell
2, Victor Oladipo: Tony Allen
3, Otto Porter: Tayshaun Prince
4, Cody Zeller: LaMarcus Aldridge
5, Alex Len: Jonas Valanciunas/Zydrunas Ilgauskas
6. Nerlens Noel: Larry Sanders/Dikembe Mutombo
7, Ben McLemore: Ray Allen
8, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: Kerry Kittles
9, Trey Burke: Kemba Walker/Kyle Lowry
10, C.J. McCollum: Stephen Curry/Juan Dixon
11, Michael Carter-Williams: Marcus Williams (AZ)/Jerryl Sasser
13, Kelly Olynyk: Spencer Hawes/Fabricio Oberto
24, Tim Hardawa, Jr: Wesley Person/Arron Afflalo
2012
1, Anthony Davis: Kevin Garnett/Marcus Camby
2, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist: Gerald Wallace/Andre Iguodala
3, Bradley Beal: Eric Gordon/Marcus Thornton
4, Dion Waiters: Dominique Jones/Ben Gordon
5, Thomas Robinson: Derrick Williams/Patrick Patterson
6, Damian Lillard: Jay Williams/Jerryd Bayless
7, Harrison Barnes: Glen Rice
8, Terrence Ross: Eddie Jones
9, Andre Drummond: Amar'e Stoudemire/DeAndre Jordan
10, Austin Rivers: OJ Mayo
21, Jared Sullinger: Carlos Boozer/Ike Diogu
22, Fab Melo: Dan Gadzuric/Brendan Haywood
51, Kris Joseph: Desmond Mason
2011
1, Kyrie Irving: Mike Conley/Chris Paul
2, Derrick Williams: David West/Michael Beasley
3, Enes Kanter: Al Horford
4, Tristan Thompson: Charles Smith
5, Jonas Valanciunas: Spencer Hawes/Primoz Brezic
6, Jan Vesel?: Mike Dunleavy/Andrei Kirilenko
7, Bismack Biyombo: Ian Mahinmi/ Adonal Foyle
8, Brandon Knight: Jason Terry/Jrue Holiday
9, Kemba Walker: Tim Hardaway/Bobby Jackson
10, Jimmer Fredette: Mark Price/Eddie House
11, Klay Thompson: Marco Belinelli
15, Kawhi Leonard: Luc Richard Mbah a Moute/ Gerald Wallace
22, Kenneth Faried: Louis Amundson
25, Marshon Brooks: Jordan Crawford/Josh Howard
27, JaJuan Johnson: Maceo Baston/Hakim Warrick
38, Chandler Parsons: Luke Walton
60, Isaiah Thomas: Jerome Randle
2010
1, John Wall: Derrick Rose/Russell Westbrook
2, Evan Turner: Brandon Roy
3, Derrick Favors: Al Horford
4, Wesley Johnson: Eddie Johnson/Shawn Marion
5, DeMarcus Cousins: Eddy Curry/Benoit Benjamin
6, Ekpe Udoh: Jerome Moiso/Chris Gatling
7, Greg Monroe: Lamar Odom (less athletic)
8, Al-Farouq Aminu: Marvin Williams/Thaddeus Young
9, Gordon Hayward: Luke Jackson/Mike Dunleavy Jr.
10, Paul George: Scottie Pippen
15, Larry Sanders: Theo Ratliff
18, Eric Bledsoe: Keyon Dooling/Marcus Banks
19, Avery Bradley: Monta Ellis
27, Jordan Crawford: Terry Teagle/Bob Sura
40, Lance Stephenson: Aaron McKie/Ron Artest
2009
1, Blake Griffin: Karl Malone/Antonio McDyess
2, Hasheem Thabeet: Dikembe Mutombo
3, James Harden: Manu Ginobili/Brandon Roy
4, Tyreke Evans: Jamal Crawford/Larry Hughes
5, Ricky Rubio: Jose Calderon/Steve Nash
6, Jonny Flynn: Damon Stoudamire
7, Stephen Curry: Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf
8, Jordan Hill: Chris Bosh
9, DeMar DeRozan: Vince Carter
10, Brandon Jennings: Kenny Anderson
11, Terrence Williams: JR Rider/Corey Maggette
19, Jrue Holiday: Flip Murray/Delonte West
26, Taj Gibson: Vin Baker
58, Lester Hudson: Flip Murray
2008
1, Derrick Rose: Dwyane Wade/Jason Kidd
2, Michael Beasley: Carmelo Anthony
3, O. J. Mayo: Ben Gordon
4, Russell Westbrook: Rajon Rondo/Monta Ellis
5, Kevin Love: Wes Unseld
6, Danilo Gallinari: Detlef Schrempf
7, Eric Gordon: Mitch Richmond
8, Joe Alexander: Shawn Marion/Tom Gugliotta
9, D. J. Augustin: Jameer Nelson/Travis Best
10, Brook Lopez: Brad Daugherty
11, Jeryd Bayless: Gilbert Arenas/Jay Williams
17, Roy Hibbert: Joel Przybilla
18, JaVale McGee: Andrew Bynum/Patrick O?Bryant
21, Ryan Anderson: Austin Croshere
22, Courtney Lee: Bobby Phills
24, Serge Ibaka: Shawn Kemp
34, Mario Chalmers: Keyon Dooling
35, DeAndre Jordan: Dwight Howard
45, Goran Dragic: Tony Parker (bigger & less quick)
47, Bill Walker: Ruben Patterson
2007
1, Greg Oden: David Robinson/Bill Russell
2, Kevin Durant: Dirk Nowitzki/Tracy McGrady
3, Al Horford: Horace Grant/Carlos Boozer
4, Mike Conley, Jr.: TJ Ford
5, Jeff Green: Lamar Odom
6, Yi Jianlian: Pau Gasol
7, Corey Brewer: Stacey Augmon
8, Brandan Wright: Chris Bosh/Shareef Abdur-Rahim
9, Joakim Noah: Tyson Chandler (higher basketball IQ)
10, Spencer Hawes: Brad Miller
17, Sean Williams: Theo Ratliff
32, Gabe Pruitt: Devin Harris
35, Glen Davis: Rodney Rogers
48, Marc Gasol: Todd MacCulloch
2006
1, Andrea Bargnani: Dirk Nowizki
2, LaMarcus Aldridge: Channing Frye
3, Adam Morrison: Larry Bird
4, Tyrus Thomas: Shawn Marion
5, Shelden Williams: Emeka Okafor
6, Brandon Roy: Jalen Rose
7, Randy Foye: Chauncey Billups
8, Rudy Gay: Scottie Pippen
9, Patrick O'Bryant: Brad Daugherty
10, Mouhamed Sene: Dikembe Mutombo
11, JJ Redick: Drazen Petrovic
21, Rajon Rondo: Mookie Blaylock
24, Kyle Lowry: Tim Hardaway
47, Paul Millsap: Malik Rose
49, Leon Powe: Malik Rose
50, Ryan Hollins: Chris Andersen
2005
1, Andrew Bogut: Vlade Divac
3, Deron Williams: Andre Miller
4, Chris Paul: Isiah Thomas
2004
3, Ben Gordon: Joe Dumars
7, Luol Deng: Grant Hill
9, Andre Iguodala: Richard Jefferson
2003
1, LeBron James: Magic Johnson
2001
1, Kwame Brown: Kevin Garnett
2, Tyson Chandler: Rasheed Wallace
3, Pau Gasol: Toni Kukoc
4, Eddy Curry: Shaquille O'Neal
5, Jason Richardson: Vince Carter
6, Shane Battier: Bobby Jones
7, Eddie Griffin: Tim Duncan
9, Rodney White: Glenn Robinson
10, Joe Johnson: Penny Hardaway
11, Kedrick Brown: Jerome Kersey
13, Richard Jefferson: Tim Thomas
18, Jason Collins: Marc Jackson
19, Zach Randolph: Elton Brand
21, Joseph Forte: Hersey Hawkins
25, Gerald Wallace: Dominique Wilkins
2000
1, Kenyon Martin : Rasheed Wallace
2, Stromile Swift: Shawn Kemp
3, Darius Miles: Tracy McGrady
4, Marcus Fizer: Charles Barkley
5, Mike Miller: Lamar Odom
6, DerMarr Johnson: Scottie Pippen
7, Chris Mihm: Brad Daugherty
8, Jamal Crawford: Ron Harper
9, Joel Przybilla: Luc Longley
10, Keyon Dooling: Steve Francis
11, Jerome Moiso: Kevin Garnett