NBA Draft 2019: Best draft picks from No. 1-30 since 2000
By Joey Loose
4. Chris Paul (2005)
After great success with Wake Forest, Paul was taken early by the New Orleans Hornets back in 2005. Fourteen years later, he remains one of the game’s most talented point guards. He has led the league in both assists and steals multiple times and has been part of nine All-Star games. He’s shined for the Hornets, Clippers, and now the Rockets, scoring more than 15 ppg in every season of his career. The former Rookie of the Year quickly became a star guard and has shown no signs of slowing job on a talented Rockets squad.
Paul is by far the most productive and talented player drafted in 2005. Players like Raymond Felton, Martell Webster and Ike Diogu were available, but the Hornets picked a guard who would star at the highest level of the game. There have been several stars taken with the 4th pick, but it’s hard to argue with Paul’s consistency and level of play, though Russell Westbrook is right up there.
Honorable mentions: Russell Westbrook (SEA – 2008), Mike Conley (MEM – 2007), Chris Bosh (TOR – 2003)
3. James Harden (2009)
It’s really hard to argue with the production that Harden has put forth in his career. The Arizona State guard was drafted by the Thunder and won Sixth Man of the Year in 2012. He would move onto the Rockets and become a superstar, winning an MVP and making seven straight All-Star games. He’s led the NBA in scoring the last two seasons including more than 36 ppg this past year. He hasn’t yet led the Rockets to postseason success, but that could be right on the horizon.
The Thunder took superstars with top picks in three straight drafts and their selection of Harden was their third impressive pick. Sure, Steph Curry was available but at least they didn’t draft Jonny Flynn. Top picks like Harden don’t always turn into superstars, though his meteoric rise with the Rockets has solidified him as the best 3rd pick we’ve seen in the last twenty seasons.