This year is considered one of the best draft years in recent years, so which year is the best quality of rookies. This article analyzes the last 25 years of drafting and selects the top three.
This ranking is largely based on honors, all-stars, and best teams received by the players involved, as these are often necessary conditions for inductance into the Hall of Fame. For more recent years, it may be less predictable for the time being, as it usually takes years for most players to jump to all-Star or best team level.
In addition, some respectable players who have not received relevant honors will also be considered as appropriate, and often they also have the ability to push the team into the championship battle.
3rd place: 2011
The rookies of the class of 2011 are very deep and luxurious from the top pick to the last pick. Kyrie Irving is a talent pick and has one of the most memorable shots in NBA Finals history. The 60th pick to this rookie is Isaiah Thomas, a guard who has been named to the All-Star and NBA All-NBA Teams, but his peak was short-lived due to injury.
Cowhi Leonard is the most underrated player in this draft, and although he was only selected with the 15th pick, he won two FMVPs at two different clubs. Selected with the 11th pick, Klay Thompson has won multiple championships and is one of the smoothest pitchers in league history. Kemba Walker was plagued by injuries early in his career, but he was a team member for nearly a decade and grew into a team player.
Jimmy Butler, the last player in this draft to be named to the NBA's All-NBA Team, has been well received at every stage of his career. Leading the team to the finals in the park is his highest achievement to date and proves his ability to lead the team to the top. Nikola Vucevic is the only player in this class to have been named an All-Star but not to the NBA's All-NBA Team, but he's still a special player.
In addition, Tristan Thompson, Reggie Jackson, Morris Brothers, Jonas Valanciunas, Tobias Harris, and Bojan Pogdanovic also made the rookie lineup more full. At least three players in this rookie are the core players of the championship.
2nd place: 2003
The gap between the top two drafts is very small. The 2003 and 1996 drafts were both featured in 10 All-Star players, putting them well ahead of other drafts. The strength of the Class of 2003 draft was that they had what they thought was the greatest player of all time. However, what really determines the number of rankings is the number of players who have been named to the NBA's Best Team — 4 to 7 times.
Having LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh in the top five picks is a legend. This has led some to believe that the 2003 draft was the best draft ever, not just the best in 25 years. Chris Carman was selected with the sixth pick and, although he was significantly behind the previous few, was still selected as an All-Star. Other players who have also been selected as All-Stars are David West (18th pick), Josh Howard (29th pick), Mo Williams (47th pick) and Kyle Korver (51st pick).
The draft was also filled with role players like Kirk Sinrich, TJ Ford, Duntai Jones, Burris Dior, Zaza Pachulia and so on. Nick Collison's jersey was retired by the Oklahoma Thunder. Kendrick Perkins won the title at the boston Celtics early in his career and later became a respected veteran leader. James Jones has reached the NBA Finals for eight consecutive years in his playing career and was just named NBA General Manager of the Year last season. This draft is very good, but it is still slightly inferior to the 1996 draft.
1st place: 1996
The best explanation for why the 1996 draft is at the top of the list is that it has probably the most influential player in history; or because it has the player who is the most loved by a generation; or because it has the first two-time MVP player who started an offensive team and completely changed the league.
Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson and Steve Nash are the three best players to enter the league this time. Although only Kobe Bryant has won a championship, Nash and Iverson have won everything on the pitch, just to bring a championship for their team. The three of them have won a total of four MVPs, 37 All-Stars and 29 NBA All-NBA Teams. Nash has won five assists; Iverson has won four points and three steals; and Kobe Bryant has won two points.
And that's just the beginning of this list. Ray Allen is also one of the players of this year and is one of the best pitchers of all time, and has won the championship twice. Stephen Marbury has been named an All-Star twice, named to the NBA All-NBA Team twice, and achieved legendary status in the CBA. Jermaine O'Neal and Peja Stojakovic have also been named to the NBA's All-NBA Team. Sharif Abdul Raheem, Antoine Walker and Zajonas Ilgoskas are some of the other rookies who have been selected as All-Stars.
This year's player lineup is luxurious even if it is not selected as an All-Star. Marcus Camby won the Block King four times and won the Defensive Player of the Year 2007. Derek Fisher has won the championship five times. This squad is very rich and is the best in the last 25 years.