Re-Drafting The Last 20 No. 1 Overall Picks In The NBA Draft
NBA teams have made mistakes drafting with the No. 1 overall pick. This is the re-draft of the last 20 first picks, which includes a superteam for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Credit: Fadeaway World
The NBA Draft is a yearly talent pool filled with the best players from college and overseas. The Draft is where all 30 NBA teams hope to find their next franchise star or complimentary piece that could propel them to an NBA championship. The most coveted of all the picks in the draft is clearly the No. 1 overall pick. This is where an NBA franchise hopes to select the next guy that will help carry their franchise for the next decade and beyond.
The No. 1 overall pick is usually right on the money for the most part throughout NBA history, but there have certainly been instances where it has backfired on the drafting team. Of course, there is the odd season where a team will trade that pick away for someone else to make the selection, but that is neither here nor there. Today, we will re-select the No. 1 overall picks from the previous 20 years and predict how things would have panned out for the team had they selected differently, just as we have done in our re-drafts in the past. There are some controversial selections along the way but it brings out the best parts of an NBA basketball discussion.
This is the re-drafting of the NBA’s past 20 No. 1 overall draft picks.
2003 NBA Draft
No. 1 Overall Pick: LeBron James
Re-Pick: LeBron James
The 2003 NBA Draft class was filled with immense talent at the top of the board, with the likes of Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, and Chris Bosh as members of the class. Above all else was the man selected at No. 1 that season, LeBron James. For the last 20 seasons, LeBron James has put together a resume worthy of consideration for the greatest player to ever play the game. He won the Rookie of the Year award and led the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals in 2007 for the first time.
James is still going strong 20 years later, poised to break Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring record this season. In his 20 years of play, he had led each of the Lakers, Heat, and Cavaliers to NBA championships while claiming 4 Finals MVP awards in 10 trips to the Finals. James has collected 4 MVP awards as well, along with 6 All-Defensive team selections, 18 All-Star appearances, and 18 All-NBA Team selections. The Cavaliers would do themselves no favors in changing the pick from 20 years ago.
2004 NBA Draft
No. 1 Overall Pick: Dwight Howard
Re-Pick: Dwight Howard
Dwight Howard is another early 2000s draft pick that was the right selection by his respective franchise. Taken by the Orlando Magic, Howard went on to become one of the NBA’s best defensive players and must-watch television every night he was on the court. With his rim-rocking and gravity-defying dunks, as well as his ridiculous shot-blocking ability, Howard led the Magic on their best runs since Shaquille O’Neal, and Penny Hardaway took them to the Finals in 1995.
Howard developed quickly in the NBA and, by his 3rd season, was an All-Star for the Orlando Magic. In 2009, he would lead the Magic to the NBA Finals, where they fell to the Lakers in 5 games. Howard would win 3 Defensive Player of the Year awards with the Magic, as well as 8 All-Star appearances, 8 All-NBA Team selections, 5 rebounding titles, 2 blocks titles, and 5 All-Defensive Team selections. As far as the rest of his draft class, Dwight Howard stood and stands out above the rest to this day.
2005 NBA Draft
No. 1 Overall Pick: Andrew Bogut
Re-Pick: Chris Paul
In 2005, the Milwaukee Bucks took Australian big man Andrew Bogut with the first overall pick. Bogut enjoyed 7 seasons in Milwaukee as their starting center who battled freak basketball injuries. Bogut would win the 2011 blocks title with 2.6 BPG as he became an avid interior defender. With Golden State from 2013 thru 2016, Bogut would win an NBA championship and averaged 6.1 PPG, 8.1 RPG, and 1.7 BPG during his time there. Bogut would retire after the 2019 season.
Looming down the draft board is our selection for the new No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft, Chris Paul. Over the last 18 seasons, Paul has put together a career worthy of the Top 5-10 point guard of all-time talks. In his younger days, Paul was one of the best two-way point guards in basketball and, in his older seasons, has proved to be a leader and mentor. Wherever he has gone, he wins, and that is the most important thing of all. Paul has been selected to 12 All-Star teams, 11 All-NBA Teams, and 9 All-Defensive Teams. He is a 5-time assists champ, and a 6-time steals champ as well.
2006 NBA Draft
No. 1 Overall Pick: Andrea Bargnani
Re-Pick: LaMarcus Aldridge
In the 2006 NBA Draft, the Toronto Raptors made a peculiar choice with their first pick selecting Andrea Bargnani out of Italy. Bargnani was consistent and a decent scorer but didn’t quite live up to the hype of a No. 1 overall pick. He would stay with the Raptors for 7 seasons, peaking at 21.4 PPG and 5.2 RPG in 2011. He then played 2 more seasons with the Knicks and one with the Nets before leaving for the Spanish Pro League for the 2016-17 season. Overall, Bargnani played 10 seasons in the NBA and averaged 14.3 PPG and 4.6 RPG.
The man that should have gone No. 1 in the 2006 NBA Draft was selected one pick later by the Portland Trail Blazers. LaMarcus Aldridge would go on to become one of the game’s best power forwards who looked like he could lead a team deep into the playoffs. In Portland, Aldridge made 4 All-Star Teams and went to the playoffs 5 times. Along with 3 All-NBA Teams. After being traded to the Spurs, Aldridge would make 3 more All-Star appearances and 1 more All-NBA Team. He averaged 19.1 PPG, 8.1 RPG, and 1.1 BPG for his career, which came to an end during the 2022 season.
2007 NBA Draft
No. 1 Overall Pick: Greg Oden
Re-Pick: Kevin Durant
The Trail Blazers lucked out the following season, earning the No. 1 overall pick, which they used on top prospect Greg Oden. Unfortunately for them, Oden would miss his entire rookie season with a knee injury which would foreshadow the entirety of Oden’s short career. Oden would play 61 games in his second year and just 21 games in his 3rd year for the Trail Blazers, with lingering knee issues becoming a major problem. He missed the entirety of the next 3 seasons before attempting a comeback in 2014 with the Heat. He played just 23 games for them in the regular season and 3 in the playoffs before retiring for good at the season’s end.
The man that should have gone to Portland and formed an elite duo with Ladridge is Kevin Durant. Over the past 16 years, Durant has evolved into one of the greatest scorers in NBA history, using his tall and long frame combined with elite guard skills to embarrass defenders. Durant has won an MVP award, 4 scoring titles, 2 championships, and 2 Finals MVP awards throughout his career with the Thunder, Warriors, and Nets. In 2022-23, Durant is still elite averaging 29.6 PPG on 56.4% shooting from the field through 36 games.
2008 NBA Draft
No. 1 Overall Pick: Derrick Rose
Re-Pick: Russell Westbrook
Make no mistake about it, Derrick Rose was the right selection for the Chicago Bulls with the first pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. Rose was electric on the court with blazing speed and incredible athleticism that took the league by storm from the get-go. Rose was named the 2009 Rookie of the Year and, in his 3rd season, became the youngest MVP in the history of the league. After another stellar season in 2012, Rose suffered a knee injury in the playoffs that would change the trajectory of his career forever. Still active, Rose is not nearly the player he once was but battled back from a dark place in his life to continue to live out his dream.
The better pick, considering how things turned out, would have been another explosive point guard by the name of Russell Westbrook. In his 3rd season, Westbrook would become an All-Star for the Thunder, which would be his first of 9 career All-Star selections. In 2017, he became the MVP by becoming the first player since Oscar Robertson to average a triple-double for the entire season. Westbrook would accomplish this feat 3 more times in his career after that, on his way to becoming one of the best point guards ever.
2009 NBA Draft
No. 1 Overall Pick: Blake Griffin
Re-Pick: Stephen Curry
The 2009 NBA Draft is another class that featured great amounts of talent toward the top of its class. With the first pick, the Clippers took Blake Griffin, who had just come off an amazing senior season at Oklahoma. He was the pinnacle of what athleticism should be, posterizing some of the game’s best bigs every night. He led the Clippers to great heights as a franchise and won the hearts of fans everywhere with his highlight-reel career. In his career, Griffin has earned 6 All-Starselections and 5 All-NBA Team selections in 13 seasons played with the Clippers, Pistons, Nets, and now Celtics in 2022-23.
No one, and I mean no one, could have foreseen what Stephen Curry was about to do to the game of basketball. After a few lackluster seasons with the Warriors, Curry emerged as a 3-point shooting god who was winning scoring titles and leading his team to championships on all-time great efficiency and incredible volume. He won 2 MVP awards in 2015 and 2016, including the first and only unanimous MVP ever. He has won 4 NBA titles with 1 Finals MVP award as well as shattered the NBA’s 3-pointers made in a career record. Without a shadow of a doubt, Curry is the only pick for our re-draft.
2010 NBA Draft
No. 1 Overall Pick: John Wall
Re-Pick: Paul George
The 2010 NBA Draft was a great draft for NBA talent as it was filled with future stars and solid role players. John Walla was selected by the Wizards with the first pick as a speedy and highly-skilled point guard out of Kentucky. Wall fit in immediately with the Wizards and, by 2013-14, was named an All-Star for the first time. He went to 5 straight All-Star games overall with the Wizards. In 9 seasons with the team, Wall averaged 19.0 PPG, 9.2 APG, and 1.7 SPG. He suffered an Acchiled tear in 2018-19 that took his entire 2020 season away as well. Wall is currently with the Clippers, where he is averaging 11.5 PPG and 5.2 APG off the bench.
The No. 1 pick to the Wizards should have been the man that went 10th in that same draft, Paul George. Over the last 13 seasons, George has peaked as one of the Top 2 two-way players in the NBA during his time with the Pacers, Thunder, and Clippers. George is a =n elite defender and talented shot-creator who dazzles audiences with his ability to lose defenders for exciting baskets. In 2022-23 with the Clippers, George is averaging 24.4 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 5.3 APG, and 1.3 SPG.
2011 NBA Draft
No. 1 Overall Pick: Kyrie Irving
Re-Pick: Kawhi Leonard
The 2011 NBA Draft re-selection is a tough one depending on what you value on the court. Kyrie Irving was the correct choice at the time for the Cavaliers, as he became one of the most skilled players in NBA history. In 2016, Irving helped the Cavaliers win their first NBA title, hitting the game-winning shot in Game 7 over Stephen Curry to cement a 31 comeback in the series. He is a 7-time All-Star and 3-time All-NBA Team selection who, with the Nets in 2022-23, is averaging 26.2 PPG, 5.1 RPG, and 4.5 APG with one of the best teams in basketball.
However, Kawhi Leonard is also one of the best players in basketball, or at least he has been previously. Leonard is a former 2-time Defensive Player of the Year with the Spurs who won a Finals MVP with the team in 2014. In 2019, Leonard moved on to the Toronto Raptors, where in just 1 season, he led the team to their first NBA title and took home his 2nd Finals MVP award. Over the last few seasons with the Clippers, Leonard has battled mightily with injuries, including a knee injury that derailed the 2021 Clippers’ championship hope. In 2022-23, Kawhi is averaging 17.3 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 3.9 APG, and 0.9 SPG in 16 games played.
2012 NBA Draft
No. 1 Overall Pick: Anthony Davis
Re-Pick: Anthony Davis
The 2012 NBA Draft class produced 6 different All-Stars so far in the NBA and 2 Top 75 Team members selected by the NBA. Anthony Davis was selected as the No. 1 pick by the Pelicans, who thought they had their man in Davis coming off a historic season at Kentucky. Davis delivered night in and night out as a serious force on both sides of the ball. He became an All-Star at 20 years old with New Orleans, making 6 straight trips to the mid-season exhibition with New Orleans.
In 2020, Davis was traded to the Lakers, where his impact was felt immediately upon arrival. Davis would hello lead the Lakers to the 2020 NBA championship averaging 27.7 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 1.2 SPG, and 1.4 BPG over the course of the playoffs. He has dealt with injury issues over the last 3 seasons, even currently nursing an injury that will keep him out for at least a month. Before the injury, Davis was playing his best basketball since the 2020 title. With all due respect to Damian Lillard, Bradley Beal, and others, Davis remains the right choice atop the draft.
2013 NBA Draft
No. 1 Overall Pick: Anthony Bennett
Re-Pick: Giannis Antetokounmpo
The Cleveland Cavaliers' selection at the top of the 2013 NBA Draft is still the butt of jokes everywhere in NBA circles, even as we eclipsed the decade mark since it took place. Anthony Bennett has the case to be one of the biggest draft busts in NBA history. In his rookie year, Bennett averaged 4.2 PPG and 3.0 RPG in 52 games of action. He would play 3 more seasons for 3 different teams and walk away after the 2017 season with a career average of 4.4 PPG and 3.1 RPG.
On the other hand, Giannis Antetokounmpo was one of the more underrated players in the draft, going 15th to the Milwaukee Bucks. All he has done since his selection has become the best player in the world as it stands in 2022-23. Giannis has won 2 MVP awards, a Defensive Player of the Year and a Finals MVP. He led the Bucks to their first title in 50 years in 2021 and looks poised to compete for his 3rd MVP in 2022-23 as the Bucks are 24-13 through 37 games. Giannis is averaging 32.8 PPG, 11.8 RPG, and 5.2 APG so far this season.
2014 NBA Draft
No. 1 Overall Pick: Andrew Wiggins
Re-Pick: Nikola Jokic
Only 5 NBA All-Stars have come from the 2014 NBA Draft, but they are some of the most elite in the game today. Andrew Wiggins was selected No. 1 overall and traded before even stepping foot on the court for the Cavaliers. Wiggins wasn’t quite No. 1 overall material but, over time, has shown he can contribute to winning basketball. In 2022, Wiggins earned his first All-Star selection, but his bigger accomplishment came later in the season. Wiggins helped the Warriors win the 2022 NBA title with outstanding two-way play against some of the best offensive players in the NBA.
Sitting all the way down in the second round and 41st overall is the best center in basketball today, Nikola Jokic. Over the past 4 seasons is when we have really seen Jokic come into his own as an NBA player. His passing and playmaking as a big man have him already in conversations for the best offensive big men in NBA history. He has won back-to-back MVP awards with the Nuggets and, in 2022-23, is on a mission. He is currently averaging 25.6 PPG, 10.8 RPG, and 9.5 APG, while the Nuggets have the best record in the West at 24-13. All 30 teams would choose Jokic first overall if they could go back and have that choice.
2015 NBA Draft
No. 1 Overall Pick: Karl-Anthony Towns
Re-Pick: Devin Booker
With just 4 All-Stars coming out of the 2015 NBA Draft, this race comes down to the man that was selected No. 1 overall and just one other player. Karl-Anthony Towns was selected with the 1st pick to Minnesota, where he has remained for his entire career so far. During this time, Towns has become a prominent big in the NBA and one who possesses an elite ability to shoot from the outside for s man of his size. Towns is a 3-time All-Star and 2-time All-NBA Team selection in his 8 NBA seasons.
A little down the road, Devin Booker was selected by the Phoenix Suns. Over the last 3 or 4 years, Booker has thrown his name in the ring for the most talented shooting guard in the NBA, going for 70 points as a young man early in his career and helping the Suns reach their first NBA Finals since 1993. Booker earned 3 All-Star selections in his career and 1 All-NBA Team selection. Over the last 3 seasons, he is averaging 26.3 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and 4.8 APG.
2016 NBA Draft
No. 1 Overall Pick: Ben Simmons
Re-Pick: Jaylen Brown
The 2016 NBA Draft Class is loaded with talent that is currently among the best in the league. The Sixers decided on Ben Simmons just a few seasons ago, a decision that they now regret 7 years later. Simmons was great in his first few years with Philadelphia as one of the premier defenders and playmakers in the NBA. After a meltdown in the 2021 NBA playoffs, Simmons and the Sixers concluded a bitter divorce that saw him shipped to the Nets in exchange for James Harden.
Among all the players that could have been selected instead of Simmons are Domantas Sabonis, Brandon Ingram, Pascal Siakam, and Dejounte Murray. However, the man we are taking with our re-draft is one-half of one of the best duos in basketball, Jaylen Brown. For the past 3 years especially, Brown has been a big reason for the Success in Boston alongside his teammate Jayson Tatum. Brown helped lead the Celtics to the NBA Finals in 2022 and has led them to a hot start in 2023. He is averaging 27.2 PPG and 7.1 RPG this season for the 26-12 Celtics, who have the best record in the NBA.
2017 NBA Draft
No. 1 Overall Pick: Markelle Fultz
Re-Pick: Jayson Tatum
Re-selecting the first pick in 2017 is one of the easiest selections on this entire list. Markelle Fultz was selected by the Sixers in 2017 and is expected to be the final missing piece next to Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons to lead the Sixers to a title. Fultz lasted just 2 years in Philadelphia, where he struggled with his jump shot and injuries, playing just 33 games in 2 years. For the last 4 seasons, Fultz has been in Orlando, where he is enjoying a nice resurgence of sorts to his career. He is averaging 11.3 PPG and 5.3 APH through 16 games for Orlando in 2022-23.
The player that should have been taken at the No. 1 spot was Jayson Tatum. As a young man, Tatum was leading the Celtics to a Game 7 appearance in the Conference Finals against LeBron James. In 2022, Tatum led the Celtics to their first NBA Finals appearance since 2010 but fell to the Warriors in 6 games. Tatum is among the brightest young stars in basketball and a serious MVP candidate in 2022-23. For the first-place Celtics, Tatum is averaging 30.8 PPG, 8.1 RPG, and 4.0 APG. He has made 3 All-Star Teams and 2 All-NBA Teams so far in his career.
2018 NBA Draft
No. 1 Overall Pick: Deandre Ayton
Re-Pick: Luka Doncic
The 2018 NBA Draft is when we start to get into the players who are still very young and just entering their peaks as NBA players. The Phoenix Suns selected Deandre Ayton with the first pick in 2018, and he has remained their starting center ever since. In 2021, Ayton helped the Suns reach the NBA Finals by being an efficient scorer in the paint and fighting for rebounds on a consistent basis. In 2022-23, Ayton is back with the Suns despite signing an offer sheet to play in Indiana. He is averaging 17.5 PPG and 9.4 RPG for the 20-18 Suns so far in 2022-23.
There hasn’t been a single player more infatuating to watch than Luka Doncic over the last 4-plus seasons. Doncic has come in and taken the NBA by storm with his precise playmaking and effortless scoring. He led a less-than-average Mavericks roster to the 2022 Western Conference Finals and is once again putting them on his back in 2022-23. He currently leads the NBA in scoring with 34.2 PPG and has also added 8.8 RPG and 8.9 APG. He is a serious candidate for the 2022-23 MVP award and is must-watch television every single night he is due to play.
2019 NBA Draft
No. 1 Overall Pick: Zion Williamson
Re-Pick: Ja Morant
Both top players from the 2019 NBA Draft have shared their troubles with injuries since entering the NBA. Zion Williamson missed the entire 2022 season with a foot injury and is once again slated to miss a few weeks in 2023 after straining his hamstring. Williamson has been amazing when healthy averaging 25.8 PPG and 7.0 RPG on 60.5% shooting in 114 games. The problem is he must stay on the court to warrant the No. 1 pick.
Ja Morant has quite emphatically taken over as the best player from the 2019 Draft class, propelling Memphis to some of their best seasons in team history. In 2022, Morant was named the Most Improved Player by the NBA as he averaged 27.4 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 6.7 APG, and 1.2 SPG. The Grizzlies won 56 games, and Morant earned the first All-Star selection of his young career. In 2022-23, Morant is once again throwing his name in the MVP race averaging similar numbers to those of last season. The Grizzlies own the 2nd-best record in the West at 23-13 and look poised to challenge anyone they come across in the NBA playoffs.
2020 NBA Draft
No. 1 Overall Pick: Anthony Edwards
Re-Pick: Anthony Edwards
Ok, so this draft is a little complicated. Anthony Edwards has been incredible in 3 seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves after being taken No. 1 overall in 2020. He has become a consistent scorer and serious defender in his short time with the team, which includes a playoff berth in 2022 due in part to Edwards’ play. He is averaging 21.1 PPG so far in his young career and possesses all the talent to become a superstar.
If you would like to select LaMelo Ball in Edwards’s spot, you will not hear any criticism from me. Ball has been special so far in his young career, even as he battles injuries to his wrist and other parts of the body that have helped him out of too many games. On the floor, he is a special playmaker and decent shooter who can lead a team with the right pieces around him. For now, Edwards remains our selection, but the future is bright for both of these young stars.
2021 NBA Draft
No. 1 Overall Pick: Cade Cunningham
Re-Pick: Cade Cunningham
There will be no re-drafting for the 2021 NBA Draft, as it is far too early to tell what will come out of the immense talent from this draft. Cade Cunningham started off his career with an injury and is currently dealing with those same issues again in 2022-23. On the court, he is a generational point guard who possesses all of the mental ability and talent to be one of the greats. In 2 years, he has played 76 games and has averaged 17.8 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 5.6 APG, and 0.8 SPG. If he can remain healthy moving forward, our selection will easily be warranted.
That isn’t to say he doesn’t have challengers for his spot atop the 2021 draft. Scottie Barnes was the Rookie of the Year last season and has developed into an all-around weapon for the Raptors. Evan Mobley is a big part, no pun intended, of the resurgence down in Cleveland, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Franz Wagner has developed into a great player for the Magic as well. For now, the pick is still Cunningham, but any one of these guys can leapfrog him in the near future.
2022 NBA Draft
No. 1 Overall Pick: Paolo Banchero
Re-Pick: Paolo Banchero
Paolo Banchero was the No. 1 overall pick in the most recent version of the NBA Draft, selected by the Orlando Magic. Banchero looks to be the right choice through the 30 games he has played, helping the Magic make a run upon his return from a small stint on the bench due to injury. Banchero is currently leading the Rookie of the Year race with 20.9 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 3.9 APG.
The only challenger to Banchero’s spot atop the draft class is Bennedict Mathurin. Appearing in 38 games so far for the Pacers this season, 36 off the bench, Mathurin has put the league on notice as one of its best bench players. He could compete for the Sixth Man of the Year award if he keeps this production up for the rest of the 2022-23 season. Mathurin is averaging 17.3 PPG on 42.2% shooting from the field this season and has been a big part of Indiana’s hot first half of the year. Banchero is still the guy we would select fairly easily, but Mathurin didn’t make it a landslide.
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