• Patrick Beverley thinks he’s established himself as a top-10 player from the 2009 Draft
• Beverley was drafted No. 42 in the 2009 NBA Draft
• He’s one of 9 players with an active contract still in the NBA from that Draft class
The 2009 NBA Draft Class was once considered to be a generational one, bringing in various top-tier stars that went on to dominate the 2010s. Stephen Curry, James Harden, Blake Griffin, DeMar DeRozan, and others made their NBA dreams come true with the 2009 Draft.
Patrick Beverley was an unassuming second-round pick, going No. 42 to the Miami Heat. Even though he didn’t play in the NBA until 2011, Beverley believes he’s a top-10 pick from this Draft after the careers of most stars have played out.
“Alright, this is what I want you to do, go down that draft, see how many guys at the draft are still in the NBA…..So if you were now gonna redraft that class, I had to be a Top 10 pick, right?
There were a lot of heavy hitters in this draft that aren’t in the NBA right now, but you may take those players over Beverley regardless. Blake Griffin, for example, is currently without a contract one week before the start of training camp. That doesn’t mean Beverley will be picked ahead of Griffin in a re-draft because of longevity.
Let’s analyze where Beverley would end up if the 2009 Draft was taking place today.
Is Patrick Beverley Getting Drafted In The Top 10 In 2023?
Beverley has made his mark in the NBA through gritty defense and leadership, but looking back at the ’09 Draft Class, it doesn’t look like Beverley has progressed enough to be a lock as a top-10 pick.
Stephen Curry, James Harden, Blake Griffin, and DeMar DeRozan are easily the first four picks in a re-draft. Jrue Holiday, Patty Mills, and Danny Green were leading rotational players on championship squads, so I would reckon they would all be picked ahead of Beverley in a re-draft. Mills actually was drafted later than Beverley, being selected with the 55th pick.
With seven players already ahead of him, there are a few names in contention for picks eight through ten. Jeff Teague made an All-Star appearance but can’t claim to have the same longevity as Beverley. Taj Gibson was a high-level rotation player for basically his entire career and could be taken ahead of Beverley as well. The same can be said for Ricky Rubio, so three of these four players would ultimately round out this list.
In my opinion, I would put Beverley 10th exactly, behind Rubio and Gibson but ahead of Teague.
The 2010 Draft Has Only Two Active Players In The NBA
There are various players in the NBA who are still playing despite being drafted in the 2000s. The nine active players from the 2009 Draft bring the most numbers but also hide a shocking truth. The pool of players that were drafted in 2010 was clearly inferior as only two players have been able to claim an NBA career of 13 seasons.
Paul George and Gordon Hayward are the only players from the 2010 Draft who are still active in the league. This number could increase if John Wall or DeMarcus Cousins find their way on an NBA roster again, but that looks more and more unlikely as the seasons pass. Maybe one of them is a winter signing for a team wracked with injuries, but as of now, only PG13 and Hayward are left standing from that Draft class.
Ish Smith was undrafted in 2010 and was in the league last season, winning a title with the Nuggets, but is currently waiting to find a job after spending his career as a journeyman.
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