So the Philadelphia 76ers drafted the guy, Evan Turner, whom everyone wanted them to take. Experts say they selected the best player available Rewhen they had the chance and that he is the most “NBA ready” players in the draft. Turner was basically the safe pick at the No. 2 spot. But how safe is the actual pick?
During this decade (2000-09) some of the names that have been called with the No. 2 pick are Kevin Durant, and LaMarcus Aldridge. The potential that both Durant and Aldridge show should be enough to ease your worries about how Turner will turn out. Or should it?
2000 Stromile Swift, Vancouver Grizzlies
Swift has to be considered a bust. If you are selecting with the No. 2 pick in the draft you are expecting to get a future All-Star. Not a guy that averages around 8 points per game and less than 5 rebounds.
2001 Tyson Chandler, L.A. Clippers
Chandler has shown signs at times, but for the most part has not lived up to his hype. I’m not ready to say he’s a bust because he still has a chance to improve his legacy. However if he doesn’t improve his game he will make it a lot easier to say he’s one.
2002 Jay Williams, Chicago Bulls
If Williams never rode that motorcycle I’m sure he would’ve had a solid career. We probably would’ve watched him in a few All-Star games. Unfortunately he did ride that motorcycle and does fall into the bust category.
2003 Darko Milicic, Detroit Pistons
BUST! BUST! BUST! Milicic averages 5.6 points per game for his career and appears to be in every trade that goes down in the NBA. Although it’s not his fault Detroit chose him over Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade, it does magnify how bad he appears to be.
2004 Emeka Okafor, Charlotte Bobcats
Some may say Okafor is a bust but I think he has been serviceable. He probably won’t make an All-Star game and won’t become a franchise player. But the guy does average close to a double-double and has the potential to become a real defensive stopper.
2005 Marvin Williams, Atlanta Hawks
There is very little doubt in my mind that if Atlanta could call a do-over they would select Chris Paul or Deron Williams. However they can’t. They have to live with the choice they made that day. Marvin Williams isn’t a bad player and works well in the system he’s in. However lets be real Paul and Deron Williams are top tier players and Marvin Williams is far from one.
2006 LaMarcus Aldridge, Chicago Bulls
Aldridge is turning into a really good player. He’s 6’10” stalwart shooter within the arc and a solid passer. His defense isn’t terrible but he could stand to improve it along with his rebounding.
2007 Kevin Durant, Seattle SuperSonics
Sky’s the limit for Durant. Durant scored 25 points or more for 29 straight and took Oklahoma City to the playoffs during the 2009-10 season. His reputation as a handworker has allowed him to emerge into one of the top players in the. Durant is special and is the complete opposite of what a bust is.
2008 Michael Beasley, Miami Heat
Beasley is still young in my eyes and I’m not ready to label him a bust. He has all the skills to be a powerhouse in the NBA but the question is does he want to be one? At times it looks like he wants to be a star, however there are too many moments when he appears to be just on the floor. He looks as if he no longer enjoys the game and is just collecting a check. Yes it‚Äôs early in his career but he isn’t getting off to a good start.
2009 Hasheem Thabeet, Memphis Grizzlies
In his rookie year Thabeet didn’t have much time to be a bust or not. However he is leaning heavily towards the bust side since he became the highest player ever drafted to play in the NBDL. That’s saying a lot about what type of player he may become. He looks below average on the offensive end and his defense is nowhere close to the level it was at in college.
With all that being said I still believe Turner is the real deal. The Sixers definitely made the right choice by drafting Turner. However I must be real and admit thatover the last decade the No. 2 pick has been a very suspect pick. For the sake of the fans in Philadelphia lets hope Turner is able to follow in Durant and Aldridge’s footsteps as apposed to Milicic or Thabeet.
Is it a coincidence that most of those guys are forwards and centers? It seems to be harder to draft at those positions than guards especially at the top of the draft. Here’s my take. Whatever Turner turns out to be, a bust or star the Sixers made the right pick. No one can kill them for taking the best player on the board even if he turns out to be a bust. We could get upset if they picked him and there were clearly other guys that we thought they should have taken. In this case, they fulfilled the need they had since AI left…. the SG position and took the 2nd best player according to everyone. Good pick whatever happens.
I beleive that Turner has more NBA ready skills,preparedness and maturity than what Kobe Bryant did in his 2nd/3rd year of being a Pro with the Lakers..
Bryant was very fortunate to play with a very talented team and coach and played with the most
dominiating player in S O’Neal who was in his prime at the time…The one thing that really elevated
Bryant to superstar status is his burning desire to be great and to work hard at his game to improve in all areas.. I think Turner has a similar desire to be not only a good NBA player, but a great NBA player.. He has the physical tools and appears to have the mental make-up too.. Hopefully, he gets off to the right start playing fora good coach in D Collins and gets some support from teammates as they improve as a team, but I really think that in 3 years time E Turner will be one of the top 3-5 players in the NBA as the Bryants,Wade,Anthonys,Pierce,Nowitzke,Arenas,start to get old in the tooth and are replaced by the younger guns like Durants,Rondo’s,Rose,T Evans,Mayo’s,Wall’s of the NBA in future years…