Looking Back and Re-drafting the 2010 NBA Draft

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When it comes to the NBA Draft, every pick is critical from the first down to the very last. Every team hopes to find players that can come in and help their franchise. In honor of tonight’s 2015 NBA Draft I’ve decided to throw it back and re-draft the 2010 NBA Draft. The 2010 draft class had a lot of potential NBA superstars like John Wall, Paul George, and DeMarcus Cousins to name a few. What you’ll see below are the exact picks that happened in the first round and the players’ career statistics as of April 13th, 2015 (the last day of this past regular season). After you’ll see the teams re-pick, an explanation of how their current pick has turned out, and why they should have went with someone different.

There were a couple of factors I put into this. I made the re-picks based on team needs from the 2010 offseason. Another is that the draft night trades that happened WILL NOT be taken into effect, so for example the 18th overall pick was originally Oklahoma City’s but traded to Los Angeles on draft night, so in this re-draft the pick will ONLY be for the Thunder.  

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1. Washington Wizards: John Wall (PG, Kentucky)

  • Career Stats: 17.6 points, 8.7 assists and 1.6 steals in 345 games. All with the Wizards
  • Re-pick: John Wall (originally selected 1st)
  • John Wall was a fantastic player out of the University of Kentucky. His athletic ability to drive into the lane and cut off passing lanes has made him into one of the top point guards in the league. It seemed like a struggle early in his career with injuries but I think that the Wizards are satisfied with Wall and he will be something special for years to come.

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2. Philadelphia 76ers: Evan Turner (SG/SF, Ohio State)

  • Career Stats: 10.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 388 games with the 76ers, Pacers & Celtics.
  • Re-pick: DeMarcus Cousins (originally selected 5th)
  • Much like Wall, Turner had a great career at the college level. He struggled his first two years in the league but improved steadily in his third year. By year four he was having a strong start but struggled again and was traded to Indiana. In this re-draft we look at DeMarcus Cousins, who I think would have worked well with the likes of Andre Igoudala, Jrue Holiday, Thaddeus Young and Lou Williams at the time. If they had selected Cousins, they would have had a better player to build around and maybe not be in a serious overhaul as they are now.

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3. Brooklyn Nets: Derrick Favors (PF, Georgia Tech)

  • Career Stats: 10.9 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 367 games with the Nets & Jazz.
  • Re-pick: Paul George (originally selected 10th)
  • Favors was a raw prospect and looked to be the future for the New Jersey (now Brooklyn) Nets. He only played 56 games as a Net before being traded to the Utah Jazz for Deron Williams. While he has done nicely in Utah, many wondered what he could have been with the Nets. However in this re-draft, I have them taking Paul George, arguably the best player in this draft class who could have been the guy to build around like he is in Indiana. I wouldn’t say that picking Favors set the franchise back, it was the dealing away of the 19-year-old building block for a veteran point guard that did it.

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4. Minnesota Timberwolves: Wesley Johnson (SG, Syracuse)

  • Career Stats: 8.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 349 with the Timberwolves, Suns & Lakers
  • Re-pick: Avery Bradley (originally selected 19th)
  • At the time, this would have been a shocker to everyone. Think about the backcourt combination of Ricky Rubio and Avery Bradley, it could have been a deadly defensive threat around the perimeter. With Wesley Johnson, he did decently well his rookie season but fell out of the rotation by his second year and was traded to Phoenix, again not getting a lot of playing time. After finishing the last two years in a Lakers uniform Johnson is looking to play for his 4th team heading into his 6th year in the league.

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5. Sacramento Kings: DeMarcus Cousins (C, Kentucky)

  • Career Stats: 18.9 points, 10.6 rebounds, 1.1 blocks and 1.4 steals in 350 all with the Kings.
  • Re-pick: Greg Monroe (originally selected 7th)
  • There were a few rough patches in the beginning with his maturity, but I think DeMarcus has been great for this franchise. While he can be a little underrated at times, he has the ability to drop 20 and 10 a night. The problem is that his teams have not been great, but I think the future will be bright in Sacramento. In this re-draft, since Cousins was originally taken second, we look at another guy who has the same ability in Greg Monroe. 

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6. Golden State Warriors: Epke Udoh (PF/C, Baylor)

  • Career Stats: 4.0 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 270 games with the Warriors, Bucks & Clippers.
  • Re-pick: Derrick Favors (originally selected 3rd)
  • This looked like a good pick at the time. Udoh was brought in to be the defensive anchor. While he does have a career average of 1.3 blocks per game he has never averaged more than 6 points, and was dealt to Milwaukee halfway through his sophomore season. After averaging 0.9 points in 3.9 minutes of action this past season with the Clippers, it looks like the career of Udoh is coming to an end. If they had another shot they could have looked at Derrick Favors, who is a great defender but also can get you offensive rebounds and put-backs, which is something they envisioned with Udoh but that did not pan out.

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7. Detroit Pistons: Greg Monroe (PF/C, Georgetown)

  • Career Stats: 14.3 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals in the 378 games all with the Pistons
  • Re-pick: Gordon Hayward (originally selected 9th)
  • Greg Monroe has really been a nice piece for the Pistons franchise. He is a nightly double-double machine that has quick hands. Since he was taken ahead 2 spots in this situation, the next best option for them is Gordon Hayward, who would not have been a bad second option. In the end, if they can somehow get Monroe to stay long term in the Motor City, I think they’ll be more than happy that they made the right choice here.

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8. Los Angeles Clippers: Al-Farouq Aminu (SF, Wake Forest)

  • Career Stats: 6.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 377 games with the Clippers, Pelicans & Mavericks
  • Re-pick: Eric Bledsoe (originally selected 18th)
  • A near double-double machine at Wake Forest, Al-Farouq Aminu had the tools to be a top two-way player in the league. He did play in 81 games his rookie year but averaged close to 18 minutes scoring 6 points per game. If he was drafted lower this would be a different story, but since he was a top 10 pick he needed to produce more. In hopes of finding a win-now scenario they traded Aminu to the New Orleans for Chris Paul. Paul has made the Clippers relevant in the past couple of seasons while Aminu was a regular starter for the team and is now in a reserve role in Dallas. If they had the chance to rewind, they may have went after Eric Bledsoe with this pick instead of acquiring him in a trade with the Thunder.

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9. Utah Jazz: Gordon Hayward (SG/SF, Butler)

  • Career Stats: 13.5 points, 3.7 rebounds & 3.3 assists in 363 games all with the Jazz.
  • Re-pick: Evan Turner (originally selected 2nd)
  • Hayward did not have a big impact in his rookie year but has improved every year since he’s been in the league. Last season the Jazz signed him to a massive extension which seems that he’ll now be the cornerstone for quite some time. With this re-draft Evan Turner seems like the best option for them as he has a similar playing style as Hayward, but this is one of those situations in which the team made the right choice.

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10. Indiana Pacers: Paul George (SF, Fresno State)

  • Career Stats: 15.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.6 steals in 292 games all with the Pacers
  • Re-pick: Lance Stephenson (originally selected 40th)
  • What a steal for the Indiana Pacers. George is arguably the best player in this draft class and to grab him at this spot is really amazing. PG is an All-Star, All-NBA team and All-NBA defensive team member. For the second time around, there is no way he would have dropped at this point so we look at another player the Pacers selected in the second round, Lance Stephenson, who despite had a not the best of seasons last year, is still one of the better players in this class and if drafted higher and with no PG, he could of been the cornerstone for the team. Regardless, I think Indiana is more than happy with this selection.

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11. New Orleans: Cole Aldrich (C, Kansas) *traded to Oklahoma City

  • Career Stats: 3.1 points and 3.4 rebounds in 196 games wit the Thunder, Kings, Rockets & Knicks.
  • Re-pick: Larry Sanders (originally selected 15th)
  • Once DeMarcus Cousins was selected there was never a clear 2nd best center prospect in this draft class. Cole Aldrich had the size but has never really opened any eyes and is now a journeyman. Since this re-draft does not factor in the draft night trades, this is considered the Hornets pick to keep. They did need a center at the time and I think Larry Sanders is the second best center in this draft class.

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12. Memphis Grizzles: Xavier Henry (SG, Kansas)

  • Career Stats: 5.7 points & 1.9 rebounds in 185 games with the Grizzlies, Pelicans & Lakers
  • Re-pick: Ed Davis (originally selected 13th)
  • Henry was highly praised coming out of Kansas but has struggled with injuries while in the NBA. He lasted only one season in Memphis before being traded to the New Orleans Hornets. He did show signs of life in his fourth NBA season with the Lakers, but was again injured. From the looks of it now it seems like Henry’s once promised career is going to end sooner than expected. Ed Davis has made a nice career for himself and has even had history with the Grizzlies. 

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13. Toronto Raptors: Ed Davis (PF, North Carolina)

  • Career Stats: 7.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 354 games with the Raptors, Grizzlies and Lakers.
  • Re-pick: Patrick Patterson (originally selected 14th)
  • Ed Davis did not do anything spectacular with the Raptors but always gave it his all on both ends of the floor, whether it was grabbing rebounds, offensive put-backs or even blocking shots. After three years up north he was traded to Memphis and is now looking for a big contract this offseason. With this re-draft Patterson is one spot up and selected by his current team.

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14. Houston Rockets: Patrick Patterson (PF, Kentucky)

  • Career Stats: 8.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 333 games with the Rockets, Kings & Raptors.
  • Re-pick: Greivis Vasquez (originally selected 28th)
  • Patterson’s first two years were decent, but by his third year he proved that he could be nice starting stretch four. However in the middle of his third year he was dealt to the Sacramento Kings and is now in a reserve role with the Toronto Raptors. Since Patterson was taken a pick above in this re-draft, we look at point guard Greivis Vasquez, who is a great-pass first point guard.

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15. Milwaukee Bucks: Larry Sanders (C, VCU)

  • Carrer Stats: 6.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 233 games all with the Bucks.
  • Re-pick: Hassan Whiteside (originally selected 33rd)
  • Say what you want about Larry Sanders, but he had great potential and it did start to show in the middle of his career, which caused the Bucks to sign him to a massive contract extension. That is unfortunately when things spiraled down. He was suspended multiple times for substance abuse and shocked people by leaving the NBA. While he has said that he may come back, it leaves you wondering how Sanders could have been with the current Bucks squad. Even though Hassan Whiteside played well at Marshall I think he would have went nicely with the Bucks, especially at this point with the team getting collectively better.

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16. Minnesota Timberwolves: Luke Babbitt (SF, Nevada) *traded to Portland

  • Career Stats: 4.2 points & 2.1 rebounds in 216 games with the Trail Blazers and Pelicans.
  • Re-pick: Al-Farqou Aminu (originally selected 8th)
  • Babbitt had a decent college career playing in the WAC conference. He was looked at as an all-around player but is now only reliable for his 3-point shot. After having three mediocre seasons, he played overseas and came back to the states. He’s currently on the Pelicans and back to the same role he had with the Trail Blazers. With this re-draft, it is the Timberwolves’ selection and Al-Farqou Aminu would be a perfect fit with Rubio on the defensive end, giving them that wing defender that they have been lacking.

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17. Chicago Bulls: Kevin Seraphin (PF/C, France) *traded to Washington

  • Career Stats: 6.4 points and 3.7 rebounds in 326 games all with the Wizards
  • Re-pick: Jordan Crawford (originally selected 27th)
  • Seraphin was a freak athlete from France. Traded to Washington on draft night, he has made a nice career so far as a backup in both the 4 and 5 spot. Since it is Chicago’s pick, we look at Jordan Crawford, who I think could play nicely alongside Derrick Rose with his ability to score at any given moment.

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18. Oklahoma City Thunder: Eric Bledsoe (PG, Kentucky) *traded to Los Angeles

  • Career Stats: 10.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.3 steals in 321 games with the Clippers and Suns.
  • Re-pick: Quincy Pondexter (originally selected 26th)
  • Despite being a backup in college, Bledsoe was a high prospect because of his athletic ability. Some might say that he is the second best point guard in this draft class, and I agree. After a couple of backup seasons in LA he excelled in Phoenix and looks to be the future for that franchise. Since he was taken earlier and its OKC’s pick, we look at Quincy Pondexter, who is a reliable role player for every team he has played for in his career.

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19. Boston Celtics: Avery Bradley (SG, Texas)

  • Career Stats: 10.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 0.9 steals in 282 games all with the Celtics.
  • Re-pick: Landry Fields (originally selected 39th)
  • From @AlecWalt. Coming out of Texas, Avery Bradley was one of the best defenders in this draft class. He was a tough role player and that is exactly the role he has played throughout his career in Boston. Bradley was brought onto a team with Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen. Now that they are gone, he has taken a leadership role on the rebuilding Celtics. The Celtics were lucky to find Bradley towards the end of the draft. Landry Fields is a solid backup guard that would’ve been a nice backup to Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. He had a terrible season last year in Toronto and isn’t close to a franchise player. The fact that Bradley would go #4 in this re-draft means the Celtics would have been winners of the 2010 Draft.

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20. San Antonio Spurs: James Anderson (SG, Oklahoma State)

  • Career Stats: 6.3 points and 2.4 rebounds in 196 games with the Spurs, Rockets & 76ers.
  • Re-pick: Epke Udoh (originally selected 6th) 
  • I remember the Spurs drafting Anderson and multiple commentators stated that this was a steal for the team and could develop nicely for the Spurs. After three years of struggling with the team, he was let go and signed by the Rockets, but only played 5 games for them. In the 2013-14 season he was signed by the 76ers and actually improved in all of his stats, including his shooting percentage, as a regular starter for the team, but was again waived and has recently been playing overseas. Epke Udoh at this point would have been a good pick for them as he could have been a decent role in different defensive situations.

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21. Oklahoma City Thunder: Craig Brackins (PF, Iowa State) *traded to New Orleans

  • Career Stats: 1.8 points and 1.1 rebounds 17 games all with the 76ers.
  • Re-pick: Cole Aldrich (originally selected 11th)
  • Brackins was on three different teams before the season ever started, which is something you don’t really see for a guy who did not put on an NBA uniform yet. He was never able to find a spot on the 76ers and has been out of the league for quite a while. This pick was originally Oklahoma City’s on draft night so Cole Aldrich would be the pick for them. Even though he did not perform as well as he should have as the #11 pick, the pressure would be a lot less if he was grabbed in the later part of the round.

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22. Portland Trail Blazers: Elliot Williams (SG, Memphis)

  • Career Stats: 5.4 points and 1.6 rebounds in 91 games with the Trail Blazers and 76ers.
  • Re-pick: Wesley Johnson (originally selected 4th) 
  • After being out for his rookie season, Elliot Williams made some noise in his sophomore year but was then hurt again in his third year. This is just another classic player who could never stay healthy, but I do not think this is the last we will see of Williams. He most recently won the NBA D-League Finals and was named MVP, so some team I think will give him another shot to play in the NBA. With Wesley Johnson still on the board, the team looks for him to be a reliable role player.

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23. Minnesota Timberwolves: Trevor Booker (PF, Clemson) *traded to Washington

  • Career Stats: 6.6 points and 5.1 rebounds in 314 games with the Wizards and Jazz.
  • Re-pick: Dexter Pittman (originally selected 32nd)
  • Booker is the definition of a role player and is quite good at it. After a couple of years in Washington he signed a contract with Utah in the exact same role. Since the Timberwolves have their 3rd selection in this re-draft, they look at Texas center Dexter Pittman, who could have been a good backup center for them.

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24. Atlanta Hawks: Damion James (SF, Texas) *traded to New Jersey

  • Career Stats: 3.8 points and 3.4 rebounds in 39 games with the Nets & Spurs
  • Re-pick: Jeremy Lin (originally undrafted)
  • Damion James has had a hard time finding a team and when he was on a team, it was hard for him to find playing time. For this re-draft Jeremy Lin would not go undrafted as the Hawks would have had a nice role player in Lin, and maybe the whole Linsanity in New York would have never happened. I admit, I was on the Linsanity bandwagon.

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25. Memphis Grizzlies: Dominique Jones (SG, USF) *traded to Dallas

  • Career Stats: 3.1 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.3 assist in 80 games all with the Mavericks.
  • Re-pick: Donald Sloan (originally undrafted)
  • Jones was one my favorites coming out of this draft. I was really excited to see what he was able to do at the next level. It did not turn out as planned as he was hit with the injury bug and once he was healthy he was low on the depth chart. Now out of the league for quite some time, it seems that his NBA time is up. One positive is that he did win a championship his rookie year and got a tattoo to celebrate, despite not even playing a single minute in the Mavericks’ 2011 championship run. Donald Sloan had a successful career at Texas A&M but did not hear his named called on draft night. Despite, he has had a nice long career in this league and looks like he will be around a bit longer. Not bad for an undrafted player, right? However in a second go around, he would have heard his name late in the first round, like Memphis who would have complemented well behind Mike Conley as the primary backup.

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26. Oklahoma City Thunder: Quincy Pondexter (SG, Washington) *traded to New Orleans

  • Career Stats: 5.3 points and 2.0 rebounds in 279 games with the Pelicans and Grizzlies.
  • Re-pick: Kevin Seraphin (originally selected 17th)
  • Pondexter has carved out a nice role wherever he’s played. He has the ability to shoot the ball from the 3-point line and defend multiple positions. Despite never really being relied on as starter, whenever his name has been called off the bench he’s been able to perform. Since he was already taken 18th by OKC, Seraphin would be a good fit for them to backup Serge Ibaka.

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27. Brooklyn Nets: Jordan Crawford (SG, Xavier) *traded to Atlanta

  • Career Stats: 12.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 257 games with the Hawks, Wizards, Celtics and Warriors.
  • Re-pick: Jeremy Evans (originally selected 55th)
  • In only a few years under his belt, Crawford has played for 4 different teams and has made an impact on each of those teams, scoring with ease. After the 2013-14 season, Jordan Crawford decided to play overseas for a year to work on his game. Now he’s looking to secure a contract with an NBA team and I don’t think he’ll have a problem with that. This was the Nets’ pick so we look at Jeremy Evans, a late 2nd-rounder who has made a decent career for himself in the league so far and could have also done the same if he was on the Nets with his natural athletic ability to play multiple positions.

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28. Memphis Grizzlies: Grevies Vasquez (PG, Maryland)

  • Career Stats: 9.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 375 games with the Grizzlies, Pelicans, Kings & Raptors.
  • Re-pick: Xavier Henry (originally selected 12th)
  • Vasquez was a fan-favorite during this draft. Despite having a great four-year career at Maryland he dropped all the way to the 28th pick to Memphis. He did not turn heads in Memphis and was traded to New Orleans after one season. During his time there he established himself as a great passing point guard and has carved out a nice role wherever he has played. Since he was taken earlier, the Grizzlies look at their original #12 selection in Xavier Henry, in which if the same thing happened with those injuries it would not be that big of a blow since he would have been picked late in the draft.

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29. Orlando Magic: Daniel Orton (C, Kentucky)

  • Career Stats: 2.8 points and 2.5 rebounds in 51 games with the Magic, Thunder and 76ers.
  • Re-pick: Trevor Booker (originally selected 23rd)
  • Orton was a freshman bench player in college and it was a questionable move for the Magic to select him, let alone enter the draft. He was a raw prospect and the organization felt they could develop him into a nice fill in for Dwight Howard at the time. He injured his foot while being on assignment in the minors causing him to miss his rookie season. After playing only 16 games the next year he was let go and has bounced around from other NBA teams, the D-League and overseas.

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30. Washington Wizards: Lazar Hayward (SF, Marquette) *traded to Minnesota

  • Career Stats: 2.9 points and 1.3 rebounds in 72 games with the Timberwolves and Thunder.
  • Re-pick: Luke Babbitt (originally selected 16th)
  • Lazar Hayward was buried at the back of the bench for Minnesota and was never really a factor on the court. He was traded to the Thunder where he spent one season and has been out of the league for quite some time. For this re-draft we turn to Luke Babbitt who could have been a nice 3-point specialist for the Wizards and would have gotten him at a better value with the last pick in the first round.

How do you think the draft order went? Who won and who lost the 2010 NBA Draft? Let us know @BBallSociety_

@FonzyDeFalco

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