Comparing drafts 2012-2014 to 2015

[Celtics4ever]

Second round he has been amazing, the first round, he has had some good ones and some stinkers.

[colincb]

I think the top 15 of this draft is as strong of any draft in the past 10 years and considerably stronger than last years draft. For the Celtics I think it will be harder to trade up than most think. If they can dangle Sullinger to move up it may be an option but those who think they can move up to 7 or 8 by dangling 16 and 28 (even possibly another pick)... It will not happen..

Summer 2014 and you're saying the same thing about the rookie class that year. 3 of top 7 rookies in 2014-15 were injured. Little early to judge last year or the others.

Anyway, put a couple of comparison charts from Basketball-reference.com together showing Smart's rookie year against the names from 2012 and 2013 classes. Left off Davis as he was, coming out and has proven to be, a franchise player. Otherwise, Smart who was the top rookie going into and coming out of 2014's draft on advanced stats like Box +/- and VORP stacks up as superior on such stats to most of the names you put forth in their rookie years. Advanced stats aren't perfect, but they put a player in better perspective as a two-way player who's not just jacking up shots on a bad team and not playing much D or incapable of doing so.

http://bkref.com/tiny/4LKnJ
http://bkref.com/tiny/gUDjw

As for 2015? Decent draft, much better than 2013 going in. Worst than 2014 .

Top two tiers were 12-13 deep last year (Payton and McDermott). 8-9 (Booker and one of the Euros) this year so far but maybe 10 if Myles Turner rises when he works out. Stanley Johnson and Kaminsky seem to head the next group that runs 10-17 (Turner, Johnson, Payne, Kaminsky, Lyles, Portis, Dekker, Oubre) then Looney, Grant, Hunter, Harrell, Jones, RHJ, and Anderson takes you to top 24 names showing up in every mock's first round. Thereafter draft upsiders and foreigners.

[Csfan1984]

Having a moment in the NBA doesn't qualify as a success in the NBA. Those second rounders were mediocre. None were good enough to help on a consistent basis. If you can't be counted on then you are not a good draft pick. DA's second round wasn't good especially when he picked high in the round a few times. DA is overall a C+ drafter.

[tarheelsxxiii]

Can we please place Delly in this category, Csfan? Dude is awful, got badly exposed tonight, and received way more credit than he deserved. Feel strongly that it was in GS's favor that he thought far more of himself than his competence would suggest, honestly. He helped GS in every way, tonight. Let him and Shump fire at all cylinders and collect the monies.

[Csfan1984]

Can we please place Delly in this category, Csfan? Dude is awful, got badly exposed tonight, and received way more credit than he deserved. Feel strongly that it was in GS's favor that he thought far more of himself than his competence would suggest, honestly. He helped GS in every way, tonight. Let him and Shump fire at all cylinders and collect the monies.

Lol agreed Delly got a bunch of credit for games 2 and 3 D but Curry's toughest possessions were against Shump. Delly  can not be counted on and unless he hacks will get lite up every time down the floor. Delly's D is = ITs. Both should be strictly off the bench players.

[mmmmm]

You should look up Jusuf Nurkic.  He wasn't stashed.  He had a fairly promising rookie season for the Nuggets.

If you aren't impressed, you should go all the way back to the 2011 season:

15:  Kawhi Leonard
16:  Nikola Vucevic
17:  Iman Shumpert
19:  Tobias Harris
20:  Donatas Motiejunas
22:  Kenneth Faried
23:  Nikola Mirotic
24:  Reggie Jackson
29:  Cory Joseph
30:  Jimmy Butler
38:  Chandler Parsons

I haven't read the whole thread, so maybe someone else has already chimed in with this, but:

60:  Isaiah Thomas

Isaiah ranks 6th in that class in accrued Win Shares.  If you re-did that draft, he probably goes a little higher than 60th ...

[tarheelsxxiii]

Can we please place Delly in this category, Csfan? Dude is awful, got badly exposed tonight, and received way more credit than he deserved. Feel strongly that it was in GS's favor that he thought far more of himself than his competence would suggest, honestly. He helped GS in every way, tonight. Let him and Shump fire at all cylinders and collect the monies.

Lol agreed Delly got a bunch of credit for games 2 and 3 D but Curry's toughest possessions were against Shump. Delly  can not be counted on and unless he hacks will get lite up every time down the floor. Delly's D is = ITs. Both should be strictly off the bench players.

Thank you. Jesus. You've improved my life by 2.5-3 years.

[Celtics18]

You should look up Jusuf Nurkic.  He wasn't stashed.  He had a fairly promising rookie season for the Nuggets.

If you aren't impressed, you should go all the way back to the 2011 season:

15:  Kawhi Leonard
16:  Nikola Vucevic
17:  Iman Shumpert
19:  Tobias Harris
20:  Donatas Motiejunas
22:  Kenneth Faried
23:  Nikola Mirotic
24:  Reggie Jackson
29:  Cory Joseph
30:  Jimmy Butler
38:  Chandler Parsons
60:  Isaiah Thomas

I haven't read the whole thread, so maybe someone else has already chimed in with this, but:

60:  Isaiah Thomas

Isaiah ranks 6th in that class in accrued Win Shares.  If you re-did that draft, he probably goes a little higher than 60th ...

Thanks, and TP