Despite the success stories of Moses Malone, Kemp, Garnett, Bryant, Maddie, James, and other high school students, a higher level of education is still indispensable for the benefit of the league and the maturity of players. Considering that some players emerged in high school and entered the adult arena to lose themselves and thus become overwhelmed by the burden of stress, the rules for high school students were banned from running after 2005. After the 03 draft, which is known as the Platinum Generation, although it is slightly inferior in terms of expectations, the 2004 draft still has exciting supernovae.
Rohr Dun
As one of the best of them, Luol Deng was selected by the Bulls with the 7th pick in the first round as a defensive tip to occupy the main position step by step. At that time, there was a strong body and a strong sense of rebounding and running without the ball, and many advantages such as Thibodeau's era were most displayed, and the Bulls' offensive and defensive balance at the peak of the team's core Rose becoming the youngest MVP brought unlimited surprises to fans and Rohr Dunn also played an important role. Most games against offensive core players Rohr Dun is a model for the team, and many teams have spent their careers with the Bulls, Cavaliers, Heat, Lakers and other teams to contribute their best years to the Bulls. It was in the Bulls period that Luol Deng won 1 best rookie first team, 2011-12 season best defensive 2 teams and 2 substitutes in 2012 and 2013 who were nominated for all-stars twice, and luol Deng joined the Lakers on a 72 million contract in 2016 but was bought out due to strategic needs in the later stage but still received the salary of the former owner after retiring because of the guarantee contract.
So who were the 6 players who were in front of Luol Dun's succession that year, and what was their situation in their careers.
6. Childris
If you are not a veteran fan, you may not be familiar with the name of this person, in fact, at one time the team hoped to cash in on the talent. Childris, as a swing player who can play small forwards and shooting guards, although the weight of 95 kilograms is not outstanding, it is not inferior to anyone else in terms of the hard standards of the body in many aspects such as running and jumping. In high school, he was selected for the McDonald's All-American First Team with his outstanding ability, and the experience of playing volleyball has further enhanced the coordination of the body. After entering college, Childris became a star player, winning the honors of being a member of the first team in the United States and the player of the year in his division. Athleticism was able to gain the attention of many teams with the top picks in the summer of 2004, with the Hawks successfully selecting the Stanford rising star with the 6th pick. The NBA player who created Stanford's highest pick at the time has not been broken even now.
Childris dunk
Players selected in the high picks will naturally receive the team's efforts and higher expectations, and Childris is no exception. In the rookie season, due to major changes in the team's personnel, new players such as Tyrenlu, Walker, Harrington and other players arrived as the main force, and Childris started in 44 games averaging nearly 30 minutes of game time and 10.1 points, showing a decent and strange shooting action that was often unstable in efficiency. Although the level of performance can not get rid of the fish belly, Childdris has grown, and entering the best rookie 2 team is also a great affirmation of himself. Over the next three seasons, with the solid position of new signing Joe Johnson and the outbreak of Josh Smith, the Eagles' record also improved year after year. In the 2007-08 season, although there were only 37 wins and less than 50% of the win rate, it still had a narrow advantage of one win ahead of the Pacers and embarked on the final train of the playoffs, and Childris also contributed to the strength of bench players as a substitute, but also averaged 11.1 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, and the shooting efficiency was also improved by three-point shooting rate to even 36%.
Childris layup
In the Eagles' fourth year, Childris tasted the playoffs for the first time, facing the Green Army's Big Three Eagles, who won 66 wins in the regular season that season and had the ultimate balance between attack and defense. In the first 2 games, Hawks double stars Joe Johnson and Smith were restricted by the cold feel and swallowed 2 big defeats, and the Hawks who returned home took advantage of the home field to pull the big score to the same running line. After the loss of Tenno Mountain, the Hawks did not retreat, the whole team was ready to start the 5 people to score in double figures, and Childdris, as an important substitute player, also led the team to a comprehensive data of 15 points, 6 boards and 1 steal in 26 minutes and 8 minutes, leading the team to a 3-point narrow victory to drag the series into the seventh. Although it failed to work miracles, the experience and spirit of not giving up in seven playoff games has been widely praised. Unfortunately, this was the only playoff trip in Childris's NBA career, and a decision in the summer of 2008 had a big impact on later in his career.
The Hawks had previously offered Childris a multi-year contract for 33 million but was rejected in favor of Olympiacos, a European giant with a higher after-tax salary. At the time, the 25-year-old Childris was at the peak of his career but chose to break into Europe for money, which was also one of the few precedents that could not be doubted, although he won the cup championship with the team in terms of honor and a number of personal honorary titles, but the decline in his status was forced to return to employment two years later. In the Suns' 2 years, Childris was also positioned as a familiar substitute player, but with the continuous shrinking of playing time and the long-term loss of NBA competitive status, the overall shooting percentage has plummeted. He faded out of the NBA after being cut by the Pelicans in 2013 and spent his final year in the BIG3 League. Looking back at the decline of wandering Europe in the best years to returning to the NBA, if you could resist the temptation of money and choose to stay behind, it would have had a different ending.
5. Devon Harris
As a 6'3-inch double-powered defender, Harris became famous at a young age and led the team to maintain a total victory in high school and personally won the title of mr. basketball in his hometown. Harris, who entered college, continued his hometown hero performance, averaging 12.7 points per game in the 2002-03 season and was shortlisted for the best team in his division. In the following year, Harris went up the ladder with 19.5 points and 4.4 assists to become the best player in his division, good at breaking through and having an extremely prominent ability to compete on the pitch with and without the ball, which made many teams with high picks look good. The Lone Ranger decided to bet on Harris with the 5th pick from the Wizards trade, and Harris's new career began.
Harris carried the ball to the basket
Due to Terry's arrival in the rookie season, Devin Harris had to play more games on the bench. Harris averaged 5.7 points in 76 games in his rookie season and had a lot of positive offensive and defensive performances in limited game time, averaging 8.8 minutes in 9 playoff games that season to reach the second round with the team. In the second year, Harris's playing time increased to nearly 7 minutes, averaging nearly 10 points per game in the playoffs with the team in the finals, in 23 games in most of the games as a starter and entrusted with heavy responsibilities Although he returned with the championship, he saw the upper limit of the future, and in the following 1 and a half seasons Harris gradually became the team's main force and could stabilize in double digits in the average time of more than 30 minutes per game, but the team was completed by the Warriors in the first round in the strong year. Although in the summer of 2007, he signed a multi-year contract with the team for 48.4 million, after playing 39 games in the new season, he had to endure the trade of valuable players in the team due to the helper he found for the core Nowitzki to fight for the title. Harris was sent to the Nets in a trade involving Kidd to start a new career.
Harris reached his peak with the Nets
During his more than three years at the Nets, Harris became the most important starting point guard, averaging 21.3 points and 6.9 assists in 36.1 minutes per game in 2008-09 and thus entering the All-Star for the first time as an Eastern Conference benchman. That season, Harris had a record-breaking career-high 47 points in a single game, while also facing his old club Lone Ranger also had 41 points, and there was a magic stroke of the last 0.1 second to hit the super long-range whistle three-pointer, and some regrets were that although the personal level performance was eye-catching, it could not change the team to become a playoff spectator. The following season, with Carter's departure, the Nets' combat power continued to be damaged, and the new people's excessive running-in time did not achieve the expected effect of the worst record of 16 consecutive losses. Harris, who was still able to contribute nearly 17 points and seven assists per game, struggled to save the team from fire and ended the nightmare season with 12-70 league worsts after changing managers for three terms.
Devon Harris accompanied the Lone Ranger to the China Tournament
Harris' form was also affected by the recurrence of injuries, coupled with the team's attempt to attract Delon Williams, who was at odds with the Jazz, to increase competitiveness in the future relocation of Brooklyn in a three-way deal in late February 2011. Harris was traded to the Jazz as a main chip and then briefly spent a year with the Hawks after playing for the team for more than a season. In the last days of his career, the Lone Ranger and Harris re-established the frontier, and although they could only become a substitute player after entering the palace 2 times, they still dedicated their strength to the limited competitive time. After six months with the Nuggets, he returned to the Lone Rangers again in the 2018-19 season, playing in 68 games and averaging 6.3 points in 15.8 minutes per game, although he has lost his peak sharp pace as he has grown older, but the season has not lacked highlights. Having scored 20 points, 4 assists and 2 blocks of 5-of-6 three-pointers in a game, all of which helped the team win hugely, and became a free agent at the end of the season.
Although Harris's peak was the Nets' 2008-09 season, Harris and the Lone Ranger were inextricably linked throughout his career. Dallas selected Harris and started early in his career after slipping through the mid-to-late period and then again and spent the rest of his career, although in semi-retirement in the final years, but did not prevent a long career. 15 years, 10,597 points, 2,151 rebounds, and 3,869 assists, if it weren't for the short period caused by injuries, Harris might have brought more good memories.
4. Livingston
Livingston's early life was not smooth, and he gradually cultivated his basketball achievements with the encouragement of his family. As a 2.01-meter tall, emaciated Livingston achieved his early glory in high school career and became a basketball player in his home state and many top honors such as the National Best Team, the first impression livingston left on the court was that the field had a wide field of vision, belonged to the typical team players, and the speed was good at steals, and the only difference was that there was no three-point threat. Although invited by many universities, Livingston ran for the future out of high school in 2004 out of a desire for a professional arena and a change in his relatively affluent life.
Livingston played for 9 teams in 14 years
The Clippers eventually got the all-around fighter with the 4th pick, and Livingston was the first point guard in the NBA to enter the league as a high school student at the time. At that time, when the center was still the king, there was a well-rounded defender who naturally valued and cultivated it, and Livingston played 30 games in 27.1 minutes in the first year of his career, delivering 7.4 points and 5 assists, including 11 assists in 2 games. The addition of veterans Cassell and Mobley in the guard position in the second year of his career quickly revived the stars of Brand and Margateti, and Livingston as a substitute also continued to create his own milestones having 12 assists in the game to set a new assist high, while scoring and rebounding also played the best performance in the league. The Clippers entered the playoffs that season with a record of 6th, taking a 2-1 lead in the first three games against the Nuggets. The crucial game 4 team played a small climax of 32:24 in the 2nd quarter as a second-year livingston showed his great demeanor 4 shots in the whole quarter 8 points, 2 rebounds and 4 assists were not only the 2nd scoring point but also revitalized the team's offensive lead team to win the match point on the road, returning to home Livingston to continue to highlight the 29 minutes 8 points, 5 boards and 14 assists with the team to enter the second round. Unfortunately, in 7 games against the running bomb team Suns, although the tenacious 3-degree big score fell behind and tied, but finally regrettably stopped, even so Livingston's first playoff game still left a lot of good moments.
Livingston dunked inside the penalty area
Just when the career prospects are bright, the injury will not take care of this talent. In 2006-07 , a seriously deformed left knee during a quick-break layup , and Livingston , who started most of the season , was playing his best season only to suffer a near-career injury. Livingston then entered a long recovery period, starting to respawn in the Heat after a 1-year wait. Due to the long-term neglect of the battle line and the decline in status, it was obviously abandoned, and then it was difficult to return to the peak of many teams. The Nets signed at the end of the year with 8.3 points and 3.2 assists in an environment where they got most starts and averaged 26 minutes per game, and the team entered the semifinals in the playoffs and was eliminated by the Heat for the second time in the playoffs, 9.7 points and 51.2% shooting, suggesting that the haze of getting out of the serious injury seems to take just one opportunity.
Livingston won 3 championships during the Warriors period
Livingston signed with the rising Warriors that offseason that year, and the three-year, $16 million contract looked like it was worth the money in hindsight. During the Warriors' 5-year, 3-crown dynasty, Curry, Thompson, and Green are the absolute core of the indomitable, and there are also many veterans who play a key role on the bench. Among them, Iguodala and Livingston, who have the ability to start but are willing to make any sacrifice on the bench, can also change the game, although in the final season due to the decline in form and the impact of injuries failed to achieve 3 crowns, but the love and respect brought to the fans were not affected at all.
As a defender who once played shoulder to shoulder magic Johnson, although Livingston's career did not really reach the expected heights, it was an inspirational experience to be able to win 3 championship rings in the final year after a serious injury and become a member of the Dynasty team. Livingston is currently serving as the Warriors executive director after retiring from the military and hoping that everything will go well in another life and continue to create his own legend in a new position.
3. Ben Gordon
As a country that does not regard basketball as the first sport, it is not easy for a player to enter the top basketball hall, and Ben Gordon is one of the best. In the early years, Gordon moved to the United States with his family and received formal basketball initiation, and his outstanding performance in high school not only led the team to win the state league championship, but also became the object of competition between various universities. After some choice, Ben Gordon came to the University of Connecticut to prepare for his future dream of landing in the NBA. As the team's signature Gordon successfully completed the potential release in the 2004 NCAA finals to contribute 21 points to become one of the champions, after the success of Gordon in the 2004 NBA draft and was selected by the Bulls with the 3rd overall pick.
Ben Gordon clasped his hands
Gordon was at the peak of his rookie season, and although he was a substitute for Sinrich, he averaged 15.1 points in 24.4 minutes per game, with 40.5% of the three-point shooting rate averaging 1.6 per game. The balance of attack and defense has allowed the Bulls to jump from last season's 2nd to 4th in the East, and Gordon's time to decide the outcome of the game in the final quarter always affects the situation and the explosion of the rookie year is undoubtedly the representative of the best 6th and best rookie 1 team. Although the first round of the playoffs was reversed, Gogo averaged 14.5 points on the field and was a stable second-placed scorer, and it seems that the future will be unstoppable. In the following four years, Gordon continued to perform steadily, averaging 20.7 points, 3.4 assists in 76 starts in the 2008-09 season, shooting and out-of-the-box three-point shooting and out-of-the-box three-point shooting, and playing 24.3 points in the playoffs and the 1st Green Army of the East that year. After the end of the season due to differences with management in terms of salary contracts and other aspects, coupled with the cultivation value of rookie Rose, the Bulls are open to any inquiries from free agent Ben Gordon.
Ben Gordon became the first player to enter the league for the best sixth man in his first year
Ben Gordon joined the Pistons for 5 years and 58 million, and although he met the personal needs of high salaries, the results were not good. In the Pistons' three years, although he averaged only 12.5 points in 26.9 minutes per game as a substitute, both individually and as a team were terrible, although he could still play 45 points in a single game, he was gradually reduced to a marginal person due to the decline in competitive status and his own positioning. The situation still did not improve after the trade to Charlotte, and in the second year, he was reimbursed for injury season early and abandoned by the team late in the season and faded out of the league after 2015 in a semi-retired state.
Gordon left the Bulls in a rapid decline in form
The fall of Ben Gordon, who once scored 48 points in a single game and the key to the final quarter, is infinitely emotional, and after leaving the Bulls, he has been sliding rapidly until his career has completely entered the late stage. The offensive means are comprehensive and the projection at key moments is highly certain, but the flaws are also obvious The height of the early 1.9 meters has a significant disadvantage in the speed and height of the defensive end, and its arm span is not good enough to become an important weak link for the opponent's targeted attack. Although the total score of 11,084 points in the 11 years of his career has added a little sadness compared to the decline in the later years of his career.
2. Okafor
Center Emeka Okafor, a 6'10- center who led the team to good results in his early years of high school and whose personal potential has received attention from many universities, after some weighing, the University of Connecticut became Okafor's final answer. In his freshman season, Okafor became the best defender under the basket to break the original block record, and his excellent rebounding protection became the first freshman to rebound more than 300+. In his second year, Okafor sat firmly in the team's starting center and averaged 15 points, 11.2 rebounds per game and nearly five blocks, and made a breakthrough with the team in his junior season under the condition of stable personal performance. In the NCAA, all the way to the finals, Okafor shined in the final with a super double-double of 24 points and 15 rebounds to win the crown.
Okafor was named Rookie of the 2004–05 Season
As a center, he has an extremely strong body, at least in the adult basketball world, and at the same time, he can help in defense. The positive attitude of the game has attracted a lot of praise for Okafor, but Howard's talent is too dazzling enough to hide the three years of college to create brilliant interior star Charlotte still chose Okafor as the team's future hope. Okafor played a terrifying 47 double-doubles in his first year, during which time he had a double-double in more than 10 consecutive games and set a new scoring record score of 30 points in one game. Okafor averaged 15.1 points and 10.9 rebounds per game at the end of the season, outperforming Howard and college teammate Ben Gordon in the best rookie selection. In the second year of his career, due to the weight gain, the ankle was heavily loaded, and injuries were inevitable in the game, and the recurrence of injuries after 26 games had to be announced to end the season early. As timely weight losses made Okafor more agile on the court and the chances of injury decreased, the individual strength of averaging 33.6 minutes, 13.8 points, and 10.7 rebounds per game in the next three seasons failed to lead the team further and always had a very long distance from the playoffs.
Okafor low back singles
In the summer of 2009, Okafor came to New Orleans in a trade to join Paul and David West, averaging 10.4 points and 9 rebounds per game in 82 games, although shooting percentage and personal efficiency have declined. The early season reimbursement of the core paul of the organization after 45 games has left the team without a key master of control and offensive and defensive brains, and unfortunately passed the playoffs in advance. In the second year, Okafor averaged 10.3 points, 9.5 rebounds per game, shooting 57.3% In the seventh year of his career, he finally tasted the taste of the playoffs for the first time, averaging 31.3 minutes and 7.3 points and 5.5 rebounds in 6 games, which can only be regarded as a decent face to the Lakers' interior height and Kobe's star role New Orleans as a whole is still slightly inferior. With the departure of Paul and David West, New Orleans was left leaderless, and Okafor only played 27 games due to a knee injury, which was severely damaged, leaving New Orleans to finish the season at the bottom of the West. After being traded to the Wizards, he did not stay healthy, and the injury caused Okafor to play in the Asian League in many places in his later career.
As the player who was second only to Howard in the pick that year, although Okafor's deterrent power under the basket was enough, he lacked the ability to attack more in the attack, mainly based on the completion of the assists of his teammates, and the 58.6% free throw shooting rate of his career in a highly competitive environment was too inefficient. It is regrettable that his career as a member of the 2004 Rookie of the Year and the All-1 Team did not meet expectations.
1. Howard
Howard snapped
As a 2.08m center Howard was introduced to basketball at the age of 9 and quickly showed his love for the sport and had all the basic conditions: he was strong enough, tall and fast, and he was no worse than a point guard in dribbling, and Howard was originally a point guard. In high school, as his height grew straight to 6 feet 9, he gradually moved forward, and in his sophomore and junior years of high school, Howard not only led the team to win the state championship individually but also handed over a perfect report card. In the last year of high school, Howard averaged 25 points, 18 rebounds and 8 blocks per game, although the impact of the region due to the strength and other influences is particularly outstanding, but it still makes many scouts interested, Howard also won a number of honorary titles such as Mr. Georgia Basketball with his dominant performance in high school. After learning that he had the strength to become a rookie with the best market in the NBA's first round, Howard decided to run as a high school player.
Howard basket under cover
The Magic, which desperately needed a reserve of centers, got the title tag as desired, and although Okafor's college league honing was very sophisticated in the comparison between Howard and Okafor, Howard's potential and room for improvement attracted the Magic to choose to gamble on children under the age of 19. Howard's 8 years at the Magic also proved that the team's bet was worthwhile: 6 all-stars, 4 rebounding kings, 2 block kings, best defensive player 3 consecutive zhuang, 1 best rookie 1 team, 4 best defensive 1 team and many other honors flocked to the scene, averaging points and rebounds in double figures for 8 consecutive seasons. In the 2008-09 season, a group of players with great characteristics in the outside line and Howard Town's basket successfully achieved a breakthrough in the playoffs, and in the East Finals, they beat James-led Cavaliers in 6 games to make the much-anticipated Finals between James and Kobe Bryant come to naught. Although the Finals lost to the Lakers with the strength and experience of the lineup in 5 games, the prospects of Howard, who were at the peak at the time, were still infinitely beautiful.
Howard during the Lakers period
Because of the conflict with management and the pursuit of championships, Howard left Los Angeles in the summer of 2012, and leaving the Magic was an important turning point in Howard's career. Whether it was in the Lakers or later in the Rockets, there was a great difference of opinion with teammates about the distribution of ball rights and tactical status, resulting in a relationship between kobe bryant and Harden, the boss of their respective teams, and harden. After leaving the Rockets in 2016, he changed five different teams to become homeless in five consecutive years, and although he was able to play a 2-double after the change in the league's style, the real sense of stadium existence became extremely limited. In the 2019-20 season, Howard returned to the Lakers as a substitute and worked hard in his attitude and game mentality, and won the championship with the team that had been absent for a long time. Howard returned to the Lakers for the third time this season, and although he was a 36-year-old veteran with extremely limited game time, he still played his remaining heat to help the team. Howard's 14 points and 14 rebounds on 6-of-12 of 21 minutes against the Kings made a key contribution to the team's victory, and Howard, a Lakers team with many veterans and more running time, is eager to continue to compete for the championship in the final year of his career.
Looking back at the 2004 draft that year, it can be said that many players have left their place in the league, Iguodala, who was the 9th overall pick, won the championship 3 times as a small AI in the Warriors' career peak and was elected FMVP once, JR Smith with the 18th pick also won 1 championship with the Cavaliers and Lakers, and Tony Allen, who was 25th pick, was also selected for the best defensive team many times and dominated the league with the peak green army early in his career. Ariza, who finished with the 44th pick in the second round, was the Lakers' champion in the 2008-09 season and is still active in the league. In addition, El Jefferson, Kevin Martin, Jamal Nelson, Vallejo, Chalmers and the King of Europe Spanolis are all from the draft that year, so readers and friends what they think of the 2004 draft Welcome to leave a comment in the comment area to discuss.