Preface
With Griffin's official retirement, the 2009 rookie is still playing in the league with one less player, and he was also the high-profile champion back then, but later due to injuries, his competitive state began to decline early. Now 15 years later, there are only 3 players left in the top 10 picks of the year who are still playing, and even some players were eliminated not long after entering the league, so they are obviously not worthy of their picks, so let's rearrange the top 10 picks through the achievements of the rookies in this year, and see who is a parallel product and who can counterattack!
10. Brandon Jennings
The original 10th pick in the first round
He averaged 14.1 points, 3 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game in his career
Jennings, who had an amazing performance after his debut, also attracted a lot of attention in the league at the time, and he became the focus of his rookie season with a 55-point performance in his rookie season. Jennings at his peak also averaged 19.1 points and 5.5 assists per game in the league, but some fans knew Jennings because he said that he would use six games to eliminate the Heat's Big Three, but unfortunately his peak was too short-lived, he fell off a cliff since he was 26 years old, and he was 28 years old when he finally left the NBA.
9. Rubio
The 5th pick in the original first round
He averaged 10.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game in his career
Rubio was already popular on the international stage before he entered the draft that year, but after he was drafted in 2009, he didn't officially land in the NBA until 2011. And here Rubio is obviously not used to the style of play and intensity of the game, although his passing is amazing, but his personal offensive ability is very poor, and the offensive efficiency has not reached 40% all year round.
However, Rubio's ball-handler type of player is still more popular in the league, so he has also received a big contract, but unfortunately due to injuries, his defense is not good. This season, Rubio also officially announced his retirement from the NBA, choosing to return to Europe to join the Barcelona men's basketball team, which is also the team he once played.
8. Teague
The 19th pick in the original first round
He averaged 12.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.1 steals per game in his career
Teague's career luck is also relatively good, although he can't be compared to other stars, but at his peak, he was also selected as an All-Star, in the 2014-2015 season he averaged 15.9 points, 2.5 rebounds and 7 assists per game, and with the blessing of the team's No. 1 record in the East, he was also selected as an All-Star. However, at that time, the East was completely dominated by the team led by James, and the Hawks lost to them in 2015, and since then Teague has not been as good as a year, and finally left the NBA at the age of 32.
7. Mills
The 25th pick in the original second round
He averaged 8.9 points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game in his career
After Mills entered the league, he also played for several seasons before gradually having stable playing time, even in the Spurs, he could only be DNP at the beginning, but fortunately, he slowly gained a place in the team with his own efforts, and he also won the championship with the Spurs in 2014. However, when Mills was really at his peak, the Spurs began to gradually decline, and later in order to continue to win the championship, Mills played for the Nets and the Hawks successively, and he can only play the role of a veteran in the Heat at the age of 35 this season.
6. Green
The 16th pick in the original second round
He averaged 8.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1 steal per game in his career
As a second-round pick, Green spent his rookie season in the Cavaliers when he first entered the league, and he barely played much that year, and only after joining the Spurs did Green slowly gain a foothold in the league. In the 2014 Finals for the Spurs, Green helped the team win the championship with his excellent shooting and defense, and he was an indispensable player in the team's championship process whether it was the Raptors or the Lakers, and his career resume has proven that he is a great 3-and-D.
5. Holiday
The 17th pick in the original first round
Career averages: 16.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game
When he was first selected as an All-Star in his fourth season with the 76ers, Holiday had high expectations for him, but as he got older, his ceiling was basically fixed. Later, when the Pelicans and Thick Eyebrows cooperated, Holiday never helped the team reach the division finals, and then with the departure of Thick Eyebrows, Holiday was also traded to the Bucks.
And it was with the Bucks that Holiday showed his quality as a top-level championship puzzle, helping the team a lot on both offensive and defensive ends, and finally winning the championship in 2021. Now that Holiday has been traded to the Celtics, they are also one of the favorites to win the league this season, and if Holiday can defend against Butler or Maxey, Murray and others in the playoffs, the Celtics will have a much better chance of winning the championship.
4. Griffin
The original first round 1st pick
Career averages: 19 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists
Griffin was drafted as the top pick, but he missed the entire 2009-2010 season due to injury. After officially landing in the NBA, Griffin also showed great talent and strength, and he was selected to the best second team in the second season of his career. However, although the Clippers had Griffin, Paul, and Jordan Jr. at the time, they just couldn't break through the Western Conference semifinals, and in the end, this big three lineup ended in a hurry.
After being traded to the Pistons, Griffin fought hard for the team until the injury worsened, and in the end his form plummeted, and he has never returned to his peak since 2019. Later, for the championship, Griffin joined the Nets and the Celtics successively, but in the end he failed to do so, and now he has officially announced his retirement.
3. DeRozan
The 9th pick in the original first round
Career averages: 21.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1 steal
The most important reason why DeRozan ranks ahead of Holiday and Griffin is the length of his career, and now at the age of 34, he is still active in the league and can still play at an All-Star level. DeRozan is averaging 24 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game this season, and it was he who struggled to support the team to barely make the play-offs when LaVine was reimbursed for the season.
In this 15-year career, DeRozan has also been selected to the All-Star team and All-Star, compared to Griffin and Holiday , he also has an advantage in leading the team record, he once led the Raptors to the first place in the East, and also reached the Eastern Conference Finals, compared to Griffin has not touched the floor of the division finals in his entire career, and Holiday can only be regarded as a top puzzle piece, he can't lead the team as a big man.
2. Harden
The original third pick in the first round
Career averages: 24.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 7.1 assists and 1.5 steals per game
After Harden was drafted by the Thunder, although he played as the sixth man on the team, he was the third star on the team in terms of personal strength and tactical position. And Harden did not disappoint the Thunder, he also won the best sixth man in 2012, but because he lost the Finals that year, the Thunder did not want to keep him, and finally the Rockets traded for Harden, which became one of the most wrong decisions of the Thunder in the 21st century.
In the Rockets, Harden became one of the best players in the league, and at his peak he was no worse than Durant and Westbrook, and he successfully won the MVP in 2017, and he averaged more than 30 points per game in three consecutive seasons, including 36.1 points per game in 2018-2019. Looking at the strength of his peak, Harden will not be much worse than Curry, but unfortunately his playoff record is average, and he has not won the championship until now.
1. Curry
The 7th pick in the original first round
Career averages: 26.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.5 steals per game
When Curry participated in the draft, many voices from the outside world questioned him, and some people even directly said that his body could not match the intensity of the NBA at all, and he would be eliminated after playing for a long time. But after Curry entered the league, not only could he compete with other players, but he slowly became a player who changed the way the league played. After being voted MVP in 2015 and 2016, Curry has clearly become the best player in the class of 2009, and by that time he had already become one of the faces of the league.
In addition to various honors such as MVP and scoring champion, Curry's biggest achievement must have helped the Warriors revival, and the results of 4 championships in 8 years also made the Warriors officially recognized as a dynasty team. So whether it is in terms of personal achievements or team records, Curry is undoubtedly the greatest player of this rookie.