Top Ten NBA Careers In The 2009 Draft

The NBA, unlike any other major sport in America, has drafted based on potential more and more throughout the years. General managers and coaches are learning the hard way that waiting three years for a player to develop doesn’t pay dividends in the revolving door of the NBA sidelines. By the time most of these players reach their potential, the coach that drafted them is out the door, the GM is warming up his new front office desk and they are ready to sign their first big free agent contract with another team. To sum it all up: Potential gets you fired. Wins keep your job.

With that said, on Thursday you will see players who averaged single digits in college drafted ahead of those who had All-American careers with the hope that they will develop into a treasure. If we were running an NBA team, knowing we had to win now, we would undoubtedly draft the sure thing and take advantage of other team’s patience to develop players.

This year’s draft has a fair share of players who are NBA ready and could make an impact immediately. But they will see themselves fall to the late first round, bypassed for someone who has physical promise and youth. We’ve put together the Top Ten Players, Who Will Have The Best Careers, In The 2009 NBA Draft. GMs take notice, don’t let the next Sebastian Telfair cost you your job.

1. Blake Griffin - Not only does Griffin have the most potential but he is also the most NBA ready player in this year’s college crop. He can physically fit in on an NBA front line and once he develops a mid-range jumper to go with his power game, he will be a match-up problem for power forwards across the league.

2. James Harden - The former Arizona State shooting guard reminds people a lot of Paul Pierce. He doesn’t have out-of-this-world athleticism but he gets to any spot on the floor that he wants. It doesn’t sound like anything special but being able to do that enables you to be a go-to player in an NBA offense. He has “20-point scorer” written all of him but might last past the top 5. Oh yeah, he’s got a 6′10″ wingspan, was the strongest SG at the combine and had a 37 inch vertical leap.

3. Tyreke Evans - 6′5″ point guards who are muscular don’t come around too often. And when they do, they are usually able to take advantage of their size advantage and become welcome pieces to an NBA franchise. With a 6′11″ wingspan, Evans has the length that plays up in the NBA. His brothers have been a good support system for him and he comes without an entourage.

4. Hasheem Thabeet - When looking for the worst possible situation he’s been compared to Shawn Bradley. But Bradley never showed an ounce of the timing and athleticism that Thabeet has shown of the defensive end. He doesn’t have a polished offensive game but you’re going to get a game changer on the defensive end at worst. If you watched the NBA playoffs, you realize how important that could be. Not too many teams have an impact defender in the paint. He’ll have the longest wingspan in the league from the day he walks in. Nobody else has a player like him, so teams are going to want him.

5. Ricky Rubio - Best case scenario: Steve Nash. Worst case scenario: Jason Williams. Either way, you have a point guard that will bring flair and leadership ability to the team that drafts him for a decade. He showed a lot of maturity in Beijing this summer but the NBA game is different. Still, European ball handlers have worked out well in the NBA over the past few years.

6. Gerald Henderson - He is an explosive athlete who works hard on the defensive end. If he never becomes the scorer that some teams envision him being, he’ll still be a defensive stopper in the mold of Shane Battier. He has the body and athleticism to defend either guard position or a small forward.

7. Jonny Flynn - 6′ point guards come along all the time. But when you mix that with an explosive 200lb frame and the best vertical leap (40 inch) in the pre-draft combine, you have a point guard that will find a job for years to come in the NBA. He has a blue collar attitude to go with tremendous leadership qualities. What else do you want in a point guard?

8. Chase Budinger - If the super-athletic shooting guard from Arizona came out after his sophomore year he would have been a top ten pick. He played two more years with teammates who weren’t exactly facilitators. Jerryd Bayless last year and Jordan Hill this year became the focal point of the Wildcat offense while Budinger just poured in his points. He can hit the outside shot, has super hops and if widely regarded as an intelligent player. Think Brent Barry with the possibility of being Joe Johnson.

9. Tyler Hansborough - As annoying as it’s going to be to see his face for the next ten years, you can almost guarantee it’s going to happen. He’ll be a Mark Madsen type who sticks around, wins a few championships and does all the dirty work needed on a successful team. Not athletic enough? His vertical leap was an inch less than Blake Griffin but his wingspan was longer. If a team drafts him with the expectations of a double-double machine, they’ll be disappointed.

10. Sam Young - A decade from now we’ll look back on this draft and mention Sam Young as a steal. The Pittsburgh shooting guard is a smart player, dogged defender, good outside shooter and a tremendous slasher. He has length (6′11″ wingspan) and strength (5% body fat) which will play in the NBA. He’ll also be able to go to a good team and become a situational player. The Spurs love these guys. They win championships.