An interesting article from 2009 that I found and wanted to share. I'm sure some of you may have read this before but for those who haven't it just takes a look back at the 2006 draft. Feel free to drop a thought or 2 on the particulars contained within:
http://nba.fanhouse.com/2009/06/23/r...006-nba-draft/
Any thoughts?
http://nba.fanhouse.com/2009/06/23/r...006-nba-draft/
It's hard to blame the Toronto Raptors for taking a 7-footer with 3-point range and the ability to play three positions. That's what Andrea Bargnani presented as the No. 1 pick. There was no clear-cut top choice. The 2006 NBA Draft was filled with unproven early entries, a couple of seasoned seniors and raw big men looking for a big payday.
So the Raptors took the player they thought had the best upside. Hey, the NBA Draft is about development these days, right? Nobody in this supposed weak draft was supposed to be an All-Star anyway, right? No one told that to Brandon Roy, who was passed up by five teams and traded by another. Finally, the Portland Trail Blazers, still ringing from a reputation of bad guys, car racers and dog fighters, had a franchise player in their hands, and he was from nearby Seattle.
But who knew? Who knew Roy would turned into a brilliant shooting guard or that Adam Morrison would blow out his knee or that Patrick O'Bryant was a one-game wonder? Despite hundreds of scouts scurrying across the country to evaluate talent, the draft is still a major crap shoot and the 2006 version proved that.
It's not that Bargnani has been a bust, but he's definitely been slow to develop and the Raptors have been slow to improve because of that, costing coach Sam Mitchell his job. So if GM Bryan Colangelo had to do it all over again, of course he would take Roy, who would've teamed with Chris Bosh for a sparkling Canadian combo. Many scouts took Roy's game for granted, especially since he was hidden at the University of Washington. But he is unquestionably the best player of this draft and the Raptors don't pass this time.
So the Raptors took the player they thought had the best upside. Hey, the NBA Draft is about development these days, right? Nobody in this supposed weak draft was supposed to be an All-Star anyway, right? No one told that to Brandon Roy, who was passed up by five teams and traded by another. Finally, the Portland Trail Blazers, still ringing from a reputation of bad guys, car racers and dog fighters, had a franchise player in their hands, and he was from nearby Seattle.
But who knew? Who knew Roy would turned into a brilliant shooting guard or that Adam Morrison would blow out his knee or that Patrick O'Bryant was a one-game wonder? Despite hundreds of scouts scurrying across the country to evaluate talent, the draft is still a major crap shoot and the 2006 version proved that.
It's not that Bargnani has been a bust, but he's definitely been slow to develop and the Raptors have been slow to improve because of that, costing coach Sam Mitchell his job. So if GM Bryan Colangelo had to do it all over again, of course he would take Roy, who would've teamed with Chris Bosh for a sparkling Canadian combo. Many scouts took Roy's game for granted, especially since he was hidden at the University of Washington. But he is unquestionably the best player of this draft and the Raptors don't pass this time.
2006
The way it was:
1) Andrea Bargnani – Toronto
2) LaMarcus Aldridge – Chicago
3) Adam Morrison – Charlotte
4) Tyrus Thomas – Portland
5) Shelden Williams – Atlanta
6) Brandon Roy – Minnesota
7) Randy Foye – Boston
8) Rudy Gay – Houston
9) Patrick O'Bryant – Golden State
10) Mouhamed Sene – Seattle
11) J.J. Redick – Orlando
12) Hilton Armstrong – New Orleans
13) Thabo Sefolosha – Philadelphia
14) Ronnie Brewer – Utah
The way it should have been:
1) Brandon Roy – Toronto
2) LaMarcus Aldridge –Chicago
3) Rudy Gay – Charlotte
4) Rajon Rondo – Portland
5) Ronnie Brewer – Atlanta
6) Tyrus Thomas – Minnesota
7) Randy Foye –Boston
8) Andrea Bargnani– Houston
9) Paul Millsap – Golden State
10) Craig Smith – Seattle
11) Daniel Gibson – Orlando
12) Kyle Lowry– New Orleans
13) J.J. Redick – Philadelphia
14) Leon Powe – Utah
The way it was:
1) Andrea Bargnani – Toronto
2) LaMarcus Aldridge – Chicago
3) Adam Morrison – Charlotte
4) Tyrus Thomas – Portland
5) Shelden Williams – Atlanta
6) Brandon Roy – Minnesota
7) Randy Foye – Boston
8) Rudy Gay – Houston
9) Patrick O'Bryant – Golden State
10) Mouhamed Sene – Seattle
11) J.J. Redick – Orlando
12) Hilton Armstrong – New Orleans
13) Thabo Sefolosha – Philadelphia
14) Ronnie Brewer – Utah
The way it should have been:
1) Brandon Roy – Toronto
2) LaMarcus Aldridge –Chicago
3) Rudy Gay – Charlotte
4) Rajon Rondo – Portland
5) Ronnie Brewer – Atlanta
6) Tyrus Thomas – Minnesota
7) Randy Foye –Boston
8) Andrea Bargnani– Houston
9) Paul Millsap – Golden State
10) Craig Smith – Seattle
11) Daniel Gibson – Orlando
12) Kyle Lowry– New Orleans
13) J.J. Redick – Philadelphia
14) Leon Powe – Utah
Any thoughts?
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