Life is about to change for a selective group of basketball players. With the NBA Draft less than 24 hours away, about 60 players await that inevitable moment of hearing their name called. A moment dreamt by many, but lived by few.
Over the past 25 years, draft classes have had great All-Star talent and the resulting lottery picks have left so many in sheer amazement. Most notable star players were not top draft picks and found themselves being taken in the later rounds. This left suspecting NBA teams scrambling because their order of selecting players sometimes did not work in their favor. For instance, in the 1984 Draft, Michael Jordan was drafted 3rd overall. Fans always wondered the following: What if Michael Jordan was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers? What would have become of that team? We can only imagine.
Andrea Bargnani
In the 2006 NBA Draft, the Toronto Raptors selected Andrea Bargnani with their first pick. Coming from Italy, Toronto was hoping to score big when they drafted him. However, Bargnani only ended up playing for two teams, made All-Rookie First Team, and had an average career at best. There were no championships, yet he was in his prime years. Other notable players during that draft were four-time NBA All-Star Lamarcus Aldridge, Rudy Gay, and Kyle Lowry
Michael Olawokandi
Michael Olawokandi was the first pick in the 1998 NBA Draft. Born in Nigeria with a college education from the U.S., Olawokandi was considered the best player, but Averaged only 8.3 ppg. His career was riddled with injuries and was unreliable on the court. Had the Los Angeles Clippers known what they were in for, they undoubtedly would have gone a different route. Notable players in this draft were Vince Carter, Dirk Nowitzki, Paul Pierce, and Rashard Lewis.
Anthony Bennett
In the 2013 NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers selected Anthony Bennett as their no. 1 pick. Although this draft was considered thin in the talent pool by many, certain players fared well nonetheless. Bennett, coming from an unstable home environment, is on his second team (Minnestoa Timberwolves) and uncertain of his NBA future. He may need a fresh start to clear his mind and readjust himself. Notable players in this draft were Steven Adams, Kelly Olynyk, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Mason Plumlee.
Kwame Brown
An honor and a great achievement, Kwame Brown was NBA's very first no. 1 pick drafted directly out of high school. Although he stayed in the league for quite some time, he ultimately fell short of expectations. Brown career average was 6.6 ppg with 5.5 rebounds. Most of his career was spent in Washington until 2005--where he played with the Los Angeles Lakers. Other notable players that folllowed Brown were Tyson Chandler, Pau Gasol, Joe Johnson, Zach Randolph, and Tony Parker. Had one of these latter players been selected as the top pick, what would have been the outcome? We will never know.
Greg Oden
Greg Oden was the no. 1 pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. An Ohio State freshman, Oden was expected to be the NBA's next premiere big man. However, Oden would not go on to dominate on the NBA floor as he did in his NCAA college days. Between the 2008-2010 to 2013-2014 seasons with the Miami Heat and Portland Trail Blazers respectively, Oden only played a total of 105 games. Clearly, when Portland chose Oden, they missed out on other great talents such as Kevin Durant, Al Horford, Mike Conley Jr. and Marc Gasol.
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