NBA: Re-Drafting The Top 10 Picks Of The 2006 NBA Draft
Dec 12, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward LaMarcus Aldridge (12) makes a move against Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap (4) in the first quarter of their game at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
10 years later, we look back at the 2006 NBA Draft by re-selecting the top 10 draft picks from that year
Ten years ago, the 2006 NBA Draft took place. If you remember correctly, Andrea Bargnani went first overall (to the Toronto Raptors), Adam Morrison went third (to the Charlotte Bobcats) and Tyrus Thomas went fourth (to the Portland Trail Blazers, then was traded to the Chicago Bulls on draft night).
I think it’s safe to say that some teams would like to be able to take back their picks and draft again. Especially looking back 10 years. I mean, who wouldn’t like a do-over, if you got a sneak peak at what your life would be like 10 years from now?
Many of us would try to change the course of action for the better, especially if we know we made a mistake.
So, on the 10-year anniversary, let us re-draft the class of 2006 and countdown who the Top 10 would’ve been with hindsight in mind.
Jan 22, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Utah Jazz forward Trey Lyles (41) defends Brooklyn Nets center Andrea Bargnani (9) during the fourth quarter at Barclays Center. Utah Jazz won 108-86. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
Andrea Bargnani
Original Pick, Mouhamed Sene
Andrea Bargnani may have been an NBA draft bust at pick No. 1 but, even in hindsight, he is still deserving of a top 10 pick.
For a big man, however, Bargnani was never an excellent rebounder or even an average defender. His best asset was his scoring ability, something that actually allowed him to score 21.4 points per game in the 2010-11 season.
Bargnani never lived up to lofty expectations but you can sure bet that the Seattle Supersonics (now Oklahoma City Thunder) would rather have had Bargnani on board over their original pick, Mouhamed Sene, who played a total of 46 NBA games for the Sonics/Thunder.
I’m sure most won’t even remember that name.
May 8, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) drives past Atlanta Hawks forward Thabo Sefolosha (25) during the second half in game four of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena. The Cavaliers defeated the Hawks 100-99. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Thabo Sefolosha
Original Pick, Patrick O'Bryant
Sefolosha’s numbers don’t jump off the page by any stretch of the matter. In fact, just looking at his numbers, you would think it to be unfathomable for him to make the top 10 in the NBA re-draft.
However, Sefolosha’s true value can’t be estimated from his statistics. In 2009-10, Sefolosha made the All-Defensive Second Team and two seasons later, he was the starting shooting guard on a Thunder team that reached the NBA Finals.
Unlike Bargnani, Sefolosha is also still in the NBA, currently playing for the Atlanta Hawks. One thing’s for sure, the Warriors would rather have selected Thabo over Patrick O’Bryant, who played a total of only 40 NBA games for Golden State.
Dec 26, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard J.J. Barea (5) dribbles past Chicago Bulls guard Aaron Brooks (0) during the second half against the Chicago Bulls at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
J.J. Barea
Original Pick, Rudy Gay
In this re-draft, Houston (or rather Memphis) misses out on Rudy Gay as he climbs the draft board. However, their consolation isn’t half bad. Like Sefolosha, Barea’s numbers are mind numbing but he has shown his worth in other areas. B
area played in all 21 playoff games for the 2011 NBA champion Dallas Mavericks, averaging 8.9 points a game in only 18.6 minutes a night to help the Mavs to their first title.
Losing Rudy Gay hurts, but Houston (or Memphis if the pick was still traded) can rest easy knowing that they are not going to get a draft bust at pick 8.
7
Brandon Roy
Original Pick, Randy Foye
It’s not fair how injuries can devastate one’s career. An NBA Rookie of the Year award, three consecutive All-Star appearances and two consecutive All-NBA nods were what Brandon Roy was able to achieve before his troublesome knees gave in and he had to end his career prematurely.
Roy would’ve not only been a favourite to go No. 1 in this 2006 re-draft had he stayed healthy, he would’ve also had the chance to be a perenial all-star and one of the NBA’s best scorers.
Unfortunately, injuries are a part of sports and Roy couldn’t escape them. Even with his injuries in mind, for Roy to still come in at No. 7 is a tribute to how great of a player he was and how amazing he could’ve been if his knees didn’t let him down.
Oct 12, 2014; Portland, OR, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard J.J. Redick (4) dribbles around Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum (3) at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports
J.J. Redick
Original Pick, Brandon Roy
In recent years, J.J. Redick has molded himself into one of the best shooters of this generation. As all eyes are on the magnificence of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, Redick has been building his own legacy as a long range sniper.
In the 2015-16 season, Redick made 2.7 three pointers a game at an incredible clip of 47.5 percent, something that helped him average 16.3 points a game.
Redick may have never been a superstar but he has always been a fantastic shooter and key role player on great teams. In fact, Redick has never missed the postseason throughout his entire career.
Mar 27, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Rudy Gay (8) dunks the ball against the Dallas Mavericks in the third quarter at Sleep Train Arena. The Kings won 133-111. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY.
Rudy Gay
Original Pick, Shelden Williams
He’s never been an NBA All-Star but boy, can Rudy Gay put the ball in the basket. Gay has never averaged single digits in points and has never scored less than 17 points a game, excluding his rookie season.
It’s important to note that Gay can often be inefficient but his scoring prowess has led to many exciting game winning plays for his teams over the years.
However inefficient, you can count on the Hawks picking Gay over Shelden Williams if they had a second chance. Williams averaged only 4.3 points per game in his two-season tenure in Atlanta.
For comparison, Gay averaged 20.1 points a game in his second season in the NBA.
Apr 26, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap (4) and guard Dennis Schroder (17) react against the Boston Celtics in the third quarter in game five of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena. The Hawks defeated the Celtics 110-83. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Paul Millsap
Original Pick, Tyrus Thomas
Paul Millsap has come a long way since being selected by the Utah Jazz with the 47th pick in the 2006 NBA Draft. Millsap played above expectations for a mid-second round pick, even earning All-Rookie Second Team honors, but only once he joined the Atlanta Hawks for the 2013-14 season did he become the player he is now.
The past three seasons have seen Millsap be invited to three NBA All-Star games and join the All-Defensive Second Team in 2016. He was also a crucial part of the Atlanta Hawks 60-win season in 2014-15.
Millsap’s game has shown only to get better over time and he has shown no signs of regression yet, even at age 31. With so many aspects to his game, there was no doubt that Millsap would crack the top 5 in the re-draft.
May 3, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (7) takes a shot against Miami Heat in game one of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Kyle Lowry
Original Pick, Adam Morrison
Not unlike Millsap, it took a change of scenery and a full-time starting opportunity for Lowry to realise his full potential. Lowry has enjoyed his three best seasons in the NBA in his past four campaigns with the Toronto Raptors.
He was an All-Star in 2015 and 2016 and was also an All-NBA Third Team member and Olympic Gold Medalist for Team USA in 2016. After struggling to find his footing in Memphis and then Houston, Lowry has been able to maximise his abilities playing alongside DeMar DeRozan in the North.
Although Bobcats/Hornets fans potentially would’ve waited a while for Lowry to blossom in Charlotte, I’m pretty sure they would take that over Adam Morrison any day of the week.
Dec 5, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Rajon Rondo (9) splits the Houston Rockets defense for a layup in the second half at Toyota Center. Rockets won 120-111. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports
Rajon Rondo
Original Pick, LaMarcus Aldridge
He may have fallen off in recent years and that may have cost him the No. 1 spot in this re-draft but Rondo’s resume speaks for itself – an NBA championship, four All-Star games, a All-NBA nod, four All-Defensive selections, three assists titles and one steals title.
If not for his recent decline, Rondo would be a surefire bet to be declared the best player from this draft class. Apart from one assists title in Sacramento in 2015-16, all of Rondo’s achievements were accumulated in Boston, where he also had much postseason success.
In 2008, he won the championship. In 2009, he nearly averaged a triple double (16.9/9.8/9.7) over fourteen playoff games and in 2012, he averaged 17.3 points and 11.9 assists, both postseason career-highs.
However, ever since leaving Beantown, Rondo just hasn’t been the same. He is still a starting point guard but he has shown no sign of returning to his days of all-stardom.
Mar 25, 2016; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs power forward LaMarcus Aldridge (12) celebrates with teammates after scoring against the Memphis Grizzlies during the second half at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
LaMarcus Aldridge
Original Pick, Andrea Bargnani
LaMarcus Aldridge originally went second overall in the 2006 NBA Draft, behind only Andrea Bargnani. It is now more than clear that Aldridge should’ve been the one taken first overall.
With five All-Star appearances and four All-NBA (one Second, three Third) nods, Aldridge has built quite the impressive resume over the past ten seasons. He has more All-Star appearances and more All-NBA selections than anyone else in this draft class and averaged more than 21 points for five consecutive seasons before signing with the San Antonio Spurs in the hopes of winning his first NBA championship.
Whilst his scoring average dipped ever so slightly, he made up for it by posting career-highs in field goal percentage (51.3%) and free throw percentage (85.8%).
Aldridge has been one of the most complete power forwards the NBA has seen over the past decade so it is impossible to deny him No. 1 in this re-draft of the 2006 draft class.
P.S. You’re welcome, Toronto.
Agree? Disagree? Leave your opinions in the comments section below
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