I think guys like Boozer and Flagg were groomed for early NBA careers before they entered college. Most of that top 5 group have been getting NBA advice since high school. And I agree that the top 10 look more solid now than they did a a few decades ago.
Would Cherokee Parks be drafted today? He was the 12th pick in the 1995 draft. And yet the 1995 draft was terrific in the first round. Almost half the first round in 1995 had solid NBA careers and a few all-stars. There were Garnett, Stoudamire, Finley, Stackhouse, McDyess, Rasheed Wallace, Corliss Williamson, Theo Ratliff and about 10 other recognizable names (Brent Barry, Alan Henderson, Gary Trent, "Big Country" Reeves).
And the Mavs picked Cherokee Parks.
I think it's really an impossible thing to predict outside of that top 5-10, but those picks look pretty good historically.
In 1996, all of the top 10 had great careers except one
Iverson, Camby, Shareef Rahim, Marbury, Antoine Walker, Lorenzon Wright, Kerry Kittles, Eric Dampier.
The lone exception that year was a guy name Samaki Walker. Ouch.
Would Cherokee Parks be drafted today? He was the 12th pick in the 1995 draft. And yet the 1995 draft was terrific in the first round. Almost half the first round in 1995 had solid NBA careers and a few all-stars. There were Garnett, Stoudamire, Finley, Stackhouse, McDyess, Rasheed Wallace, Corliss Williamson, Theo Ratliff and about 10 other recognizable names (Brent Barry, Alan Henderson, Gary Trent, "Big Country" Reeves).
And the Mavs picked Cherokee Parks.
I think it's really an impossible thing to predict outside of that top 5-10, but those picks look pretty good historically.
In 1996, all of the top 10 had great careers except one
Iverson, Camby, Shareef Rahim, Marbury, Antoine Walker, Lorenzon Wright, Kerry Kittles, Eric Dampier.
The lone exception that year was a guy name Samaki Walker. Ouch.
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