2005 NBA Draft Revisited

2005 NBA Draft Revisited
A LayupDrill.com Exclusive
Looking back, leading up to the 2005 NBA Draft, most expected it to be one of the deepest drafts of this decade. Three seasons into their careers, many have not disappointed. LayupDrill.com takes a look back at this star-studded draft, and asks you to play general manager. If you had the 3rd pick in the draft, who would you have taken, Deron Williams or Chris Paul?

The Original Top 10 Picks Read more

1998 NBA Draft Revisited

1998 NBA Draft Revisited
A LayupDrill.com Exclusive

It was the first draft after the Bulls Dynasty wrapped up their second three-peat. It was the draft that preceded the start of the Kobe/Shaq era. Yet this draft did produce some very interesting picks. LayupDrill.com takes a look back at what the players drafted have done, and re-organize the draft based on their success to date. Read more

2008 NBA Draft Winners

The 2008 NBA Draft is in the books, and while it is much too early to come down with a verdict
on the players or the teams who chose the players, there are some early winners and losers.
LayupDrill.com predicts the 5 biggest winners of this years draft.

1. Minnesota - Though some will question trading the draft rights of OJ Mayo for Kevin Love, the deal works wonders for the Wolves present and future. Wolves GM Kevin Mchale was able to shed the bloated contracts of Marko Jaric, Greg Buckner, and Antoine Walker in return for one of
the best shooters in the league in Mike Miller, servicable forwards Jason Collins and Brian Cardinal, and Love.

Adding Love to a team that has some great young talent in Al Jefferson, Randy Foye, Ryan Gomes, and Corey Brewer shows the rebuilding effort is in full effect. Fans of the wolves should be happy at this deal, and be patient. They are what the Blazers were 2 seasons ago. Now if they somehow can win the lottery next year, they will be a playoff contender in a few seasons.

2. Chicago - Yeah the Bulls had the first pick, and though they were loaded in the backcourt prior
to selecting Derrick Rose, you have to take the best available talent. Rose, a native of Chicago, will not only give the fans something to believe in for the underachieving Bulls, but also will make Loul Deng, Tyrus Thomas, and Joakim Noah better. Chicago will let Chris Duhon go, and possibly look to move Ben Gordon as well, but things are looking up in the Windy City.

3. Los Angeles - No, not the Lakers, but the Clippers. LA’s other team made a splash in the free agent market by landing Baron Davis, and picked up Eric Gordon and big man DeAndre Jordan in the draft. The last piece of the off season puzzle for the 23 win Clippers will be if they can resign their cornerstone of the franchise Elton Brand. If they can, LA may have 2 playoff teams playing in the Staples Center next season.

4. Miami - Pat Riley may not have openly been the biggest Michael Beasley fan before the draft, but LayupDrill.com expects Beasley will have the biggest immediate impact of any top 10 draft pick next season. Adding Mario Chalmers sures up their bench and was a steal in the 2nd round. With Wade coming back off an injury plagued season, watch out for Miami to make some seriouos noise in the East.

5. Portland - The Blazers also went the way of Minnesota in unloading bloated contracts in return for future picks. The Blazers started by trading the rights to Brandon Rush, along with Jarrett Jack and Josh McRoberts for Jerryd Bayless, the flashy guard from Arizona with amazing potential. The Brandon Roy/Jerryd Bayless backcourt will be an all star duo for years to come.