Which Draft Class Is The Best All-Time?
Today I will be finding the best draft class of all-time.
The NBA Draft is where the best college players come into the NBA. Until 2006, some high school players went straight into the NBA. Many draft classes are tough to judge right away. Some players start their careers off strong but fall off. Others start off slow but work their way up. Throughout time we have been able to grade some of the best draft classes. Some have 2-3 all-time greats. Some have solid All-Stars throughout. Today I will be finding the greatest draft class in NBA History.
Candidates:
2003 NBA Draft – Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Carmelo Anthony
1996 NBA Draft – Kobe Bryant, Ray Allen, Steve Nash, Allen Iverson
1984 NBA Draft – Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley
This was a very tough decision, but I decided to go with… the 1996 NBA Draft. Now let’s see why the 1996 NBA Draft is the greatest of all time.
Top Tier Talent
We are going to start with the best players from this draft. This draft features some of the most iconic players to ever play the game. With the #1 overall pick, the Philadelphia 76ers selected Georgetown guard Allen Iverson.
Iverson went on to average 26.7 points and 6.2 assists while shooting 42.5% from the field and 31.3% from 3. Iverson was a 1x MVP, 11x All-Star, 3x All-NBA First Team Selection, and the Rookie of the Year. Iverson was the best PG in the NBA for a while and became one of the most iconic figures in sports with his tough-guy attitude. He is considered as one of the best players during the NBA 2000s.
Ray Allen was selected 5th overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves but went to the Milwaukee Bucks after a trade. Allen went on to be one of the greatest shooters in NBA history and leads the NBA in 3-pointers made. Allen averaged 18.9 points over his career while shooting 45.2% from the field and 40.0% from 3. Allen was a 2x NBA champion and a 10x NBA All-Star. Allen is remembered as one of the greatest shooters ever and is credited with one of the greatest clutch moments in Finals history with his Game 6 shot against the San Antonio Spurs in the 2013 NBA Finals.
The next top-tier talent was Kobe Bryant at pick 13. Kobe was straight out of high school and selected by the Hornets, but traded to the Lakers. Bryant became one of the greatest SG’s of all time. Bryant was a 5x NBA Champion, a 1x MVP, and an 18x All-Star. Bryant is one of the most iconic players in NBA history, with moments like his 81 point game in 2006 to his 60-point farewell. Mamba forever.
Steve Nash was selected 15th overall by the Phoenix Suns. While Nash did not start his career off hot, he worked his way up. Many people remember Nash for his days with the Phoenix Suns in the 7 seconds or less offense run by Mike D’Antoni. Nash averaged 14.3 points and 8.5 assists while shooting 49.0% from the field and 42.8% from 3. While the stats are not eye-popping, don’t get fooled. Nash was one of the best passers in NBA history and was also a crafty scorer and a great shooter. Nash was a 2x MVP in 2005 and 2006 and was an 8x All-Star.
Those 4 players round out the top-tier talent from this draft. All of these guys are legends in their own aspects, and they are adored by fans across the world.
Middle Tier Talent
Next, we have the Middle Tier Talent. These are the guys who were All-Stars a few times and might have been the best player on their teams. But they were solid players and not great ones. We will start with Marcus Camby.
Camby was selected with the #2 overall pick by the Toronto Raptors. Camby averaged 9.5 rebounds and 9.8 rebounds with 2.4 blocks. He shot 46.6% from the field. While these are not eye-popping, Camby was a solid starting center for most of his career. He was a solid defensive guy and could give you a double-double on most nights. He was the Defensive Player of the Year in 2007 and led the league in blocks 4 times.
Shareef Abdur-Rahim was selected 3rd overall by the Vancouver Grizzlies. The forward from California went on to have a career in which he averaged 18.1 points and 7.5 rebounds while shooting 47.2% from the field. Rahim was a 1x All-Star and was on the All-Rookie Team in 1997.
Stephon Marbury was selected 4th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks but was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Over his career, Marbury averaged 19.3 points and 7.6 assists. Marbury was a 2x All-Star and was a 2x member of the All-NBA Third Team.
Peja Stojakovic was another sharpshooter that was selected in this draft. Stojakovic was selected 14th overall by the Sacramento Kings. Over his career, Stojakovic averaged 17.0 points and shot 45.0% from the field and 40.1% from 3. Stojakovic was an NBA champion, a 3x All-Star, and he won the 3-point contest 2 times. He was a key part of the early 2000’s Sacramento Kings that were contenders in the Western Conference.
Other great players from this draft include:
Jermaine O’Neal: 13.2 points and 7.2 rebounds while shooting 46.7% from the field. 6x NBA All-Star
Derek Fisher: 8.3 points while shooting 40% from the field and 37.4% from 3. 5x NBA Champion.
The 1996 Draft was filled with great talents, from legends and Hall of Famers to solid All-Star guys. The 1996 NBA Draft is one of the greatest of all-time.
What do you think? Is the 1996 NBA Draft the best all time? If not, which draft class is the best? Leave all of your comments down below.
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