The Last 20 No. 1 Overall NBA Draft Picks

The NBA Draft is one of the official signals that the 2023 offseason is ready to go into overdrive. On Thursday Night, college standouts and international players from all over the world got their first look into the life of an NBA player as their names were called and their dreams came true. Victor Wembanyama was the number one overall pick by the San Antonio Spurs, just as has been projected since it was announced they won the lottery last month. As we anxiously await Wembanyama’s NBA debut, we thought it was time to look at the last 20 No. 1 overall draft picks and see how their careers have panned out so far.

Being the first overall pick in the draft is by no means a sure path to the Basketball Hall of Fame or to becoming an NBA champion. It does mean that a franchise is looking to you to help lead them into the future. It is a ton of pressure on a kid coming out of college or from overseas, but most are up to the challenge.

The list of first overall picks since 2004 includes MVPs, future Hall of Famers, and NBA champions. It will also include some notable busts and players that probably weren’t too worthy of being designated with such an honor. You will be able to decipher which ones are which as we travel back over the last 20 NBA Drafts.

These are the last 20 No. 1 overall NBA Draft selections.

2004 NBA Draft – Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic)

Rookie Stats: 12.0 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 0.9 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.7 BPG

Career Stats: 15.7 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.8 BPG

We kick things off with one of the most dominant figures in the NBA over the last 20 seasons, Dwight Howard. Selected straight out of high school, Howard had a decent rookie season that saw him average a double-double with over 1.5 BPG. He would finish third behind Emeka Okafor and Sixth Man of the Year Ben Gordon for the Rookie of the Year award.

Howard would be an All-Star by his third season in 2007, averaging over 17.0 PPG and 12.0 RPG. By 2009, Howard was the best big man in basketball and would win three consecutive Defensive Player of the Year awards from 2009 thru 2011. From 2008 thru 2013 with the Magic and Lakers, Howard would take home two blocks titles and five of six rebounding titles.

In 2009, Howard would lead the Orlando Magic to the NBA Finals, where they fell to Kobe Bryant and the Lakers in five games. Howard would get another chance to win an NBA championship in 2020 with the Lakers alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. This time, with Howard as a reserve off the bench, he was finally able to call himself an NBA champion when all was said and done.

Overall, Howard earned eight All-Star selections, eight All-NBA Team selections, and five All-Defensive Team selections in his career from 2005 thru 2022. He is currently playing professional basketball overseas in Taiwan with the hopes of getting one more shot in the NBA down the road.

2005 NBA Draft – Andrew Bogut (Milwaukee Bucks)

Rookie Stats: 9.4 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 2.3 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.8 BPG

Career Stats: 9.6 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 2.2 APG, 0.6 SPG, 1.5 BPG

In 2005, the Milwaukee Bucks held the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft and decided to select Australian big man Andrew Bogut. Having played his college basketball at Utah, Bogut was highly coveted in the draft for his skills as a rebounder and defender in a time of elite play in the paint around the NBA.

Bogut would spend the first seven seasons of his career with Milwaukee, where he averaged 12.7 PPG, 9.3 RPG, and 1.6 BPG. In 2010 with the team, he earned the only All-NBA Team selection of his career, averaging 15.9 PPG, 10.2 RPG, and 2.5 BPG. He would take home a blocks title the following season as well with 2.6 BPG.

In 2012, Bogut would be traded to the Golden State Warriors, which would be one of the best destinations of his career. In 2013, he earned an All-Defensive Team selection for the only time in his career. In 2015, Bogut would help the Warriors capture their first NBA championship since 1975 as their starting center averaging 8.1 RPG and 1.8 BPG in the playoffs. Despite never being named an All-Star, Bogut became an NBA champion and icon for his home country of Australia.

2006 NBA Draft – Andrea Bargnani (Toronto Raptors)

Rookie Stats: 11.6 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 0.8 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.8 BPG

Career Stats: 14.3 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 1.2 APG, 0.4 SPG, 0.9 BPG

The 2006 NBA Draft brought about one of the most curious first-overall picks in NBA Draft history. Coming out of Italy, Bargnani was said to be a decent basketball prospect, but nobody could have thought the Toronto Raptors were going to take him with the first pick. Well, they did, and here we are 17 years later, talking about it as one of the worst draft picks ever.

Bargnani would be decent over his first seven seasons with the Raptors but far from first overall pick worthy. He averaged 15.2 PPG on 43.7% shooting overall during those seven years, peaking at 21.4 PPG in 2010-11. Then, the injury bug hit hard and fast.

After playing just 35 games in 2012-13 with Toronto, Bargnani was traded to the Knicks for Marcus Camby, Steve Novak, and Quentin Richardson. It is considered one of the worst trades over the last 20 years, with Bargnani playing just 71 games in two seasons with the Knicks and averaging just 13.9 PPG when he was healthy. Bargnani would give it one more season with the Nets in 2015-16, playing just 46 games in what would be his final season in the NBA.

2007 NBA Draft – Greg Oden (Portland Trail Blazers)

Rookie Stats: 8.9 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 0.5 APG, 0.4 SPG, 1.1 BPG

Career Stats: 8.0 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 0.5 APG, 0.4 SPG, 1.2 BPG

When I spoke earlier about there being a few draft busts sprinkled in over the last 20 years at the first overall pick, I had the name Greg Oden specifically in mind. Oden was made the first overall pick by the Portland Trail Blazers despite knee issues and foot issues that reared their ugly heads in college at Ohio State.

Oden would miss the entire first season of his career due to a knee injury. In his second season, Oden would play a total of 61 games, with 39 of them being starts while he got acclimated to the NBA and Portland monitored his health. In 2009-10, Oden would be limited to just 21 games before being shut down due to knee injuries that would cost him the next three years of his career.

In 2013-14, Oden attempted a comeback with the Miami Heat but could play just 23 games during the regular season and three games in the playoffs. Oden would call it a career at the age of 26 years old after the conclusion of the 2014 NBA Finals.

2008 NBA Draft – Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls)

Rookie Stats: 16.8 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 6.3 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.2 BPG

Career Stats: 17.7 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 5.3 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.3 BPG

Looking back on the 2008 NBA Draft, Derrick Rose was the correct selection, even with all of the unfortunate circumstances that followed. He was the clear best player in the draft that season and arguably the most NBA-ready of any prospect available in that year’s draft.

Rose would cruise to the Rookie of the Year award, receiving over 100 more first-place votes than the runner-up, O.J. Mayo. Rose would become an All-Star the following season in 2009-10 and followed that up in 2010-11 by becoming the youngest MVP in NBA history. Rose was just 22 years old when he averaged 25.0 PPG and 7.0 APG to lead the Bulls to 62 wins and the first seed in the Eastern Conference.

After another All-Star season in 2012, Rose’s career would take a turn for the worse. In the first round of the NBA playoffs against the 76ers, Rose was still in the game late in a blowout win of the 76ers. As he made his famous jump step and cut to the basket, he crumpled to the floor in pain, grabbing his knee as he fell. He would never be the same.

The injury would cost him the entire 2012-13 season as well as the Bulls desperately awaited his return to the court. Just 10 games into his return in 2013-14, Rose would tear his meniscus on the opposite knee of his first injury, setting the stage for a long road to recovery and an extensive list of ailments that would plague him for a long time. Rose is still a serviceable backup in the league today with the New York Knicks but has not played more than 50 games in a season since 2018-19.

2009 NBA Draft – Blake Griffin (Los Angeles Clippers)

Rookie Stats: 22.5 PPG, 12.1 RPG, 3.8 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.5 BPG

Career Stats: 19.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 4.0 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.5 BPG

When the Clippers received the first overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, they were elated to use that pick on the reigning Colle Player of the Year, Blake Griffin. Although he would miss his entire first season with a knee injury, the Clippers were confident in their selection and as it would turn out, they had every right to be.

Griffin would prove to be an athletic phenom from the first time he stepped on the court in the NBA with Los Angeles, setting up one of the most exciting times in franchise history. Over the next five seasons, Griffin would be named to the All-Star and All-NBA Teams numerous times while putting his athletic abilities on display every night for the world to see. The Clippers would make the playoffs six times but never advance past the second round despite the presence of Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan as well.

In 2017-18, Griffin would shockingly be traded to the Detroit Pistons, signaling the end of the Lob City era in L.A. Griffin would be an All-Star and All-NBA Team player once again in 2019, averaging 24.5 PPG, 7.5 RPG, and 5.4 APG in 75 games with the Clippers. Since that time, he has had short stints with the Nets and Celtics as he seemingly tries to chase down the NBA championship that has eluded him for the last 15 seasons.

2010 NBA Draft – John Wall (Washington Wizards)

Rookie Stats: 16.4 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 8.3 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.5 BPG

Career Stats: 18.7 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 8.9 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.7 BPG

As one of the fastest players in NBA history at his peak, John Wall was always the right selection for the Wizards to make with the number one selection in 2010. Wall became one of the premier two-way point guards in the game after a stellar rookie season with Washington that saw him finish runner-up to Blake Griffin for Rookie of the Year.

Over the next nine seasons with Washington, Wall would average 19.3 PPG, 9.3 APG, and 1.7 SPG while making one All-NBA Team and One All-Defensive Team with five straight All-Star selections from 2014 thru 2018. He led the Wizards to the playoffs four times during that span, advancing to the second round twice.

In December 2020, Wall would be traded from the Wizards to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Russell Westbrook and draft picks. This is where his career would go off the rails a bit. Coming off an Achilles and heel injury, Wall would play just 40 games in 2021 for Houston but still averaged over 20.5 PPG and 6.9 APG. Unfortunately, the solid play would not last long as he voluntarily missed the entire 2021-22 season, trying to force a trade from the abysmal situation unfolding in Houston.

Since his holdout, Wall has played just 34 games which came with the Clippers this past season. He averaged 11.4 PPG in those contests but looked far from the speedy and reliable point guard he once was.

2011 NBA Draft – Kyrie Irving (Cleveland Cavaliers)

Rookie Stats: 18.5 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 5.4 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.4 BPG

Career Stats: 23.4 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 5.7 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.4 BPG

One of the most offensively gifted players to come through the NBA Draft over the last 20 years is Kyrie Irving. He was selected first overall by the Cavaliers in 2011 and thrown into a situation similar to LeBron James back in 2003-04, tasked with saving a reeling franchise.

Kyrie would first claim the Rookie of the Year award in 2011-12, averaging 18.5 PPG, 5.4 APG, and 1.1 SPG. Irving would quickly become an All-Star by his second year in the NBA and, in 2014, won the All-Star Game MVP with an incredible performance. In 2014-15, Irving would be joined by former Cavalier LeBron James as the duo set out to deliver Cleveland their first championship in franchise history.

James and Irving would lead the Cavaliers to three straight NBA Finals from 2015 to 2017, but none was more special than in 2016. After falling down 3-1 in the Finals to the 73-9 Warriors, Irving and James led the greatest comeback and upset in NBA history. Kyrie would have multiple great performances to aid in the comeback, which included a dagger three-pointer in Game 7 to seal the NBA championship.

After a loss in the 2017 Finals, Kyrie decided he would like to step away from LeBron’s shadow. Kyrie spent multiple seasons with the Celtics, Nets, and Mavericks, but injuries and other off-the-court issues always seemed to derail his hopes for an NBA championship. As he enters free agency in 2023, Kyrie is supposedly seeking a max deal with the Dallas Mavericks as the favorite to re-sign him. As his decision draws closer, it will be interesting to see where he ends up heading into his age 31 season.

2012 NBA Draft – Anthony Davis (New Orleans Pelicans)

Rookie Stats: 13.5 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 1.0 APG, 1.2 SPG, 1.8 BPG

Career Stats: 24.0 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 2.4 APG, 1.3 SPG, 2.3 BPG

The 2012 NBA Draft brings us to one of the most dynamic big men in the game today. Anthony Davis was the clear-cut choice to go first overall to New Orleans in the 2012 NBA Draft after a stellar career at the University of Kentucky. He would lose out on Rookie of the Year honors to Damian Lillard but still prove to show why he was the first selection over the next decade.

With New Orleans, Davis would play seven seasons and averaged 23.7 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 1.4 SPG, and 2.4 BPG as one of the best two-way players in the game. He earned six straight All-Star selections from 2014 thru 2019 with New Orleans and won three different blocks titles as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYXEwI6ZmW0

In 2020, Davis was traded to the Lakers to team up with LeBron James as they chased an NBA championship together. In their first season as teammates, Davis and James would deliver that NBA championship at the conclusion of the NBA Bubble in Orlando, Florida. Davis would average 27.7 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 1.2 SPG, and 1.4 BPG in 21 playoff games to help them capture the championship.

Since the NBA title in 2020, things have been up and down for Davis as he has battled injuries for most of the last three years. When healthy, Davis has shown that he is still one of the best two-way players in the NBA and a top 10 overall player fairly easily. Now, the only goal should be to stay on the court for over 60 games so the Lakers can reach their full potential.

2013 NBA Draft – Anthony Bennett (Cleveland Cavaliers)

Rookie Stats: 4.2 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 0.3 APG, 0.4 SPG, 0.2 BPG

Career Stats: 4.4 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 0.5 APG, 0.4 SPG, 0.2 BPG

The 2013 NBA Draft presents us with the worst No. 1 overall pick of the last 20 seasons and one of the biggest college-to-NBA busts in NBA history. Anthony Bennett was selected first overall in 2013 by the Cleveland Cavaliers, who realized the mistake they had made almost immediately. Bennett would last just one season in Cleveland before being traded in the deal that sent Andrew Wiggins and Bennett to Minnesota for Kevin Love.

Bennett would play a total of four seasons with four different teams before leaving the NBA at age 23. Bennett never played more than 57 games in a season at any stop he made in his career and played just 42 games over the entirety of his final two seasons. For his career, Bennett’s 4.4 PPG and 3.1 RPG are some of the worst production ever from a number-one pick, making this summarization of his skills as short as his career in basketball was.

2014 NBA Draft – Andrew Wiggins (Cleveland Cavaliers)

Rookie Stats: 16.9 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.6 BPG

Career Stats: 19.1 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.7 SPG

Andrew Wiggins is another curious case as a first overall pick to the Cavaliers in 2014. The excitement of Wiggins’ arrival in Cleveland was short-lived as LeBron James made his return to the team and paired with Kyrie Irving. Instead of taking a chance with Wiggins playing alongside their star duo, the Cavaliers made the decision to trade him before he ever played a game in the NBA in exchange for Kevin Love.

With Minnesota, Wiggins would capture the 2015 Rookie of the Year award averaging over 16.5 PPG on 43.7% shooting. He followed that up with four different 20.0 PPG seasons with the Timberwolves despite never making an All-Star or All-NBA Team. In 2020, Wiggins would be traded to the Warriors, where he would have an exciting next three seasons.

In 2022, Wiggins would have the best season of his career as he was named an All-Star starter for the first time averaging 17.2 PPG and 4.5 RPG. In the NBA playoffs, it would be Wiggins’ two-way play that helped lead Golden State to their fourth NBA championship since 2015, as he defended the likes of Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown on their way to the championship. This prompted the Warriors to ink Wiggins through 2025-26 with a player option for 2026-27.

2015 NBA Draft – Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota Timberwolves)

Rookie Stats: 18.3 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 2.0 APG, 0.7 SPG, 1.7 BPG

Career Stats: 23.0 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 3.2 APG, 0.8 SPG, 1.3 BPG

For the second season in a row, the Timberwolves ended up with a number one pick and the NBA’s Rookie of the Year. Towns burst onto the scene showing his versatile offensive skill set, and the defensive abilities said to be enough to build around him in Minnesota for the long term. As we have seen since then, it has been a difficult task to follow through with.

This isn’t to say Towns has been bad. He is a three-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA Team selection, and has become one of the best shooting big men perhaps ever. At times, Towns has been criticized for his lack of aggression and toughness on the court as a center playing like a small forward at times.

This summer, Towns has made some bold claims as a “player who changed the game” and said his Timberwolves winning a play-in game was “more special” than the Nuggets winning the 2023 NBA championship. As much as I love the confidence, Towns has to make things work with Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert on the court in order for us to take anything he says seriously. An NBA championship can change the minds of many people about him. It just remains to be seen if he has what it takes to be the leader his team needs him to be in order to get them there.

2016 NBA Draft – Ben Simmons (Philadelphia 76ers)

Rookie Stats: 15.8 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 8.2 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.9 BPG

Career Stats: 14.7 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 7.5 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.7 BPG

If it were up to the NBA fans who are overly enamored with scoring, Ben Simmons would be considered one of the worst draft picks over the last 20 seasons. However, it was clear from the beginning of his career that he was never going to be on the fans’ good side.

After missing an entire season due to a foot injury, Simmons went on a Rookie of the Year campaign with the 76ers that saw him emerge as an elite defender and playmaker. However, NBA fans were up in arms due to the fact that he had already been in the NBA for a year and thought Donovan Mitchell deserved it because he was a true rookie. Didn’t we just go over this with Blake Griffin? Fans like to pick and choose what offends them these days.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtuM2MMZFQI

After that debacle, Simmons became an even more elite defender and playmaker, finishing near the top in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2021 with Philadelphia while being named an All-Star three times from 2019 thru 2021. In the playoffs, however, it seemed as if the entire City of Philadelphia, and the NBA community, turned on Simmons as the Sixers fell yet again in the second round to the Hawks.

What followed was months of drama, with Simmons unwilling to play for Philly and with the team unwilling to trade him. This led to him sitting out the entire 2022 season citing mental health and back issues. Simmons was traded to the Nets for James Harden in 2022 but would not make an appearance for them that season. In 2022-23, he played just 42 games averaging 6.9 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and 6.1 APG for Brooklyn, missing chunks of time due to the same back issues from the season before.

2017 NBA Draft – Markelle Fultz (Philadelphia 76ers)

Rookie Stats: 7.1 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 3.8 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.3 BPG

Career Stats: 11.8 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.3 BPG

When Markelle Fultz was first selected as the number one pick by the Sixers in 2017, it was seen as a decent selection despite the amount of talent that fell after him. Now, it seems like a major mistake by the Sixers, who were trying to sell their fans on what they called “The Process” centered around Joel Embiid.

Fultz’s first two seasons in Philadelphia were awful, with zero to little improvement on one of the worst jump shots in the NBA and just 33 games in two years from Fultz. In his two seasons with the 76ers, he averaged just 7.7 PPG, 3.4 RPG, and 3.4 APG in 33 games played. In the 2019 season, he would be traded to the Orlando Magic, where he remains to this day.

With the Magic, Fultz seems to have found a home. Since making his debut for Orlando in 2019-20, Fultz has been a steady double-digit scorer dishing out over 5.0 APG every season. In 2022-23, he had the best season of his career as he started 60 games and averaged 14.0 PPG, 5.7 APG, and 1.5 SPG. Fultz may be a part of the big picture in Orlando as they try to build a contender with the myriad of young talent they have acquired, but it remains to be seen how he will continue to fit in alongside Jalen Suggs and Cole Anthony over the long term.

2018 NBA Draft – Deandre Ayton (Phoenix Suns)

Rookie Stats: 16.3 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 1.8 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.9 BPG

Career Stats: 16.7 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 1.6 APG, 0.7 SPG, 1.0 BPG

When the Phoenix Suns made Deandre Ayton their first selection in 2018, it was seen as the correct choice as the big man addressed the Suns’ need for a big man immediately. Hindsight is always 20/20, as both Trae Young and Luka Doncic have now emerged as the best two players from the 2018 NBA Draft by a mile.

Ayton has been good, though. He is a walking double-double that displays soft touch on the ball around the rim and from the mid-range but gets a little complacent on defense and when fighting for rebounds. His lack of improvement has been troubling, as has his effort at times and rifts with the only organization he has ever known.

Despite the concerns, Ayton was a big reason that the Suns were able to advance to the 2021 NBA Finals. He averaged over 15.5 PPG and 11.5 RPG on that playoff run which ended with a loss to the Bucks in the Finals but gave Phoenix some hope for the future. Now, Ayton has been at the center of trade rumors as the 2023 offseason gets underway, but Phoenix will not let him go easily after trading for Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant over the last six months.

2019 NBA Draft – Zion Williamson (New Orleans Pelicans)

Rookie Stats: 22.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 2.1 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.4 BPG

Career Stats: 25.8 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 3.6 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.6 BPG

Aside from LeBron James and Victor Wembanyama, Zion Williamson has been one of the most hyped-up NBA Draft prospects ever. This was a correct assumption considering the level of talent and athletic ability he possessed as a young man coming out of high school and college. The only issue is we have rarely seen it on display over the last four years.

Williamson has been struggling with injuries, weight gain, and other off-the-court issues, as we have learned this year since he joined New Orleans in 2019-20. He played just 24 games in his rookie season before going down with a foot injury that cost him the rest of it. In 2021, we got a full dose of Zion for 61 games, and he became an All-Star averaging 27.0 PPG on over 61.0% shooting. Again, an injury would derail his season and playoff hopes.

The injury at the end of the 2021 season would cost him all of 2022, as he also looked as if he was out of shape during this time. In 2022-23, Zion returned to the floor for 29 games, and New Orleans was rolling. They were in first place in the West behind Zion’s 26.0 PPG and another All-Star season. Once again, the injury bug derailed his course.

Now, Zion and the Pelicans are at a crossroads as his injury history, the shape he’s in, and his off-the-court drama with multiple women have taken center stage. The best bet moving forward for him would be a change in scenery and, hopefully, a rejuvenated career for someone who is clearly bursting with talent and can be a difference-maker for any squad he is a part of.

2020 NBA Draft – Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves)

Rookie Stats: 19.3 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.5 BPG

Career Stats: 21.8 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.6 BPG

In his young NBA career thus far, Anthony Edwards has already made quite an impression on both his peers and NBA fans everywhere. Edwards showed out during his rookie season, displaying superhuman-like athletic ability. Unfortunately, he lost out on Rookie of the Year honors to LaMelo Ball but has been the best player in the draft ever since.

In just three short seasons, Edwards has developed into one of the elite shooting guards in the NBA. He has improved across the board every season he has been with the team. In 2022-23, Edwards was selected as an All-Star for the first time averaging 24.6 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 4.6 APG, and 1.6 SPG.

He would also help the Timberwolves reach the playoffs for the second season in a row. Despite the loss to the eventual NBA champion Denver Nuggets in the first round, Edwards let it be known that he was indeed the future of the franchise. He averaged 31.6 PPG on 48.2% shooting in the five-game series showing that no lights will be too bright for him as his career continues into the 2020s.

2021 NBA Draft – Cade Cunningham (Detroit Pistons)

Rookie Stats: 17.4 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 5.6 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.7 BPG

Career Stats: 17.8 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 5.6 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.7 BPG

I wish there were more to say about Cade Cunningham’s short career in the NBA so far, but there isn’t much. After missing 18 games to start his rookie season, Cunningham made it clear he was worthy of the first overall pick. As a scorer, playmaker, and defender, Cunningham was the best player on the court for a struggling Pistons team looking ahead in the hope of a brighter future around their young star.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuUoZ2yMVRg

The 2022-23 season would be a large setback in that quest. After just 12 games, Cunningham suffered a season-ending shin injury that required surgery. Unfortunately for fans and the Pistons, we got just 12 games of Cunningham averaging 19.9 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 6.0 APG before he went down. Here’s to hoping things look up for him and the City of Detroit in 2023-24.

2022 NBA Draft – Paolo Banchero (Orlando Magic)

Rookie Stats: 20.0 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 3.7 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.5 BPG

Career Stats: 20.0 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 3.7 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.5 BPG

The most recent Rookie of the Year in the NBA was also the first overall pick to the Orlando Magic in the 2022 NBA Draft. Paolo Banchero looked decisively like the best NBA-ready prospect in 2022 as he filled up the stat sheet for an up-and-coming Orlando Magic team filled with young talent.

Even as a forward, Banchero showed off his handles, three-level scoring, playmaking, and shot creation which were the best on display from this year’s rookie class. Banchero shot 42.7% from the field this season and just under 30.0% from three on 4.0 attempts. The Magic would finish 34-48 on the season, but the NBA fans, media, and community as a whole took notice of Banchero’s contributions to the team.

With just one year of NBA experience under his belt, Banchero has a lot of his career ahead of him at the pro level. Could he be the main guy on an Orlando championship team and break the 30-plus-year championship drought?

2023 NBA Draft – Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs)

Rookie Stats: N/A

Career Stats: N/A

For the third time since 1987, the San Antonio Spurs had the first overall pick in the NBA Draft. The first time they had the selection in 1987, they selected David Robinson, a future MVP and two-time NBA champion who helped turn around the Spurs franchise in the 1990s. The next time they would have the first pick would be in 1997 when they selected Tim Duncan, who would go on to win five NBA championships with the Spurs and is the unanimous GOAT power forward in NBA history.

Now, after 26 years, the Spurs have the first overall pick again and have found yet another generational talent has fallen into their laps. Wembanyama is the most hyped NBA draft prospect since LeBron James, and for two seasons we have heard about the young kid from France ready to send shockwaves throughout the NBA. Now, it is his time.

Overseas, Wembanyama has shown his full arsenal of skills, with people all over the world calling him a unicorn, the likes of which we have never seen. Other than his frame, which he will grow into and fill out, there are no flaws in the 7’2’’ 237 lb big man’s game. He can shoot from the outside, score from all three levels, handle the ball like a guard, and has decent court vision. Defensively, he displays the athleticism and instincts to be one of the very best in the game right away.

Victor Wembanyama is the future of the NBA and has the potential to be the Spurs’ next great draft pick. Before we anoint him the next GOAT, however, let’s see what the kid’s got and just enjoy the ride. 

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