Whose really number 1

The Number 1 of all Number 1s….

Ranking the Number 1 picks since 1990…

With another NBA Draft on the books, I like to take time to sit back and reminisce on
the drafts of the previous few years, and see who wound up living to their potential, and who a bust. LayupDrill.com is proud to reveal our Top 10 Number 1 picks since 1990.

10. Derrick Rose - Chicago Bulls - 2008
A shock to some by putting a player who has not played a game yet in our top 10 number 1s. Rose has the potential, and we stress potential, to be that good. Chicago has a point guard for the next decade.

9. Larry Johnson - Charlotte Hornets - 1991
“Grandmama” dominated the college hardwood with UNLV before making his splash into the NBA with the young expansion Hornets. His 9 season career was respectable, averaging 16.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 48% from the floor. Johnson showed flashes of greatness during the playoffs for Charlotte in 1994-95 season, as well as when the Knicks made their miracle run to the NBA Finals.

8. Elton Brand - Chicago Bulls - 1999
The most coveted free agent of the 2008 off season is a career 20-10 guy. Brand spent only 2 seasons with the team that drafted him, before being shipped out to the LA Clippers, and becoming the cornerstone to the franchise. Brand’s sole playoff appearance came in 2005-06, where he was arguably the best player on the court in every series he played in, averaging 25.4 points and 10 boards a game. The 2 time all star has the best yet to come in his career.

7. Chris Webber - Orlando Magic - 1993
I still remember watching the 1993 NBA draft, where Chris Webber donned the Orlando Magic hat, and thinking The Magic were going to have the most dominant front court the league had seen in years, teaming Webber and Shaq together. Of course, we would learn a few hours later that Chris would be shipped to Golden State for Penny Hardaway. It was in Oakland that Webber made his initial impact on the NBA in a major way, winning Rookie of the year, and leading the Warriors to the playoffs in his first season. Webber would leave Golden State for stops in Washington, Sacramento, Philiadelphia, and ending his career in Detroit. The 5 time all star never made it to the NBA Finals, coming close with the Kings, to be denied by the Shaq and Kobe led Lakers. C Webb came along way from the infamous no timeout - timeout against North Carolina in the NCAA Title Game.

6. Yao Ming - Houston Rockets - 2002
The first six seasons of Yao Mings career has been a mix of good and bad. The positive is that every year Yaos game has improved, and he has grown to become one of the best big men in the league. Yao has not played an entire 82 game season since 2003-04, and injuries have not allowed the Rockets to achieve their potential. His career numbers ( 19 points, 9 rebounds) are solid, though his 3 playoff performances have been less than stellar. The 6 time all star has alot of upside, and with a solid supporting cast, expect to see Yao possibly go higher on this list in years to come.

5. Dwight Howard - Orlando Magic - 2004
Another Orlando Magic number 1 pick, another big man. But Dwight Howard is not just another big man. His exceptional talent was quickly put on display for Magic fans since day one, and the durable 6′11 Howard has yet to miss a regular season game for his career due to injury. The numbers are impressive(16 pts, 12 boards) and 2 consecutive all star and playoff performances show him continuing to improve. Howard must gain that killer instinct, and gain the ability to take over a game at will, much like a young Shaq did once upon a time for the Magic to achieve the championship heights they would like to see.

4. Allen Iverson - Philadelphia 76ers - 1996
This is where this list became very difficult to rank. The top four on this list are four of the fifty greatest players in NBA history, and they are split up into two sets of four. Iverson’s numbers are undeniable(career 27.7 pts, 6.3 assists). He single handedly took the Sixers to the Finals in 2000-01, and unfortunately has not seen that type of success since. The 9 time all star, 2 time all star game MVP, 2000-01 regular season MVP, and 1996-97 rookie of the year has only 1 thing missing from his resume, and thats a NBA title. Whether he winds up getting it in Denver remains to be seen. But like many players, time is not on his side.

3. Lebron James - Cleveland Cavaliers - 2003
Hard to believe its been 5 full seasons in the NBA for King James. But after five full seasons, the resume he has put together is among the all time greats. A career 27.3 pts, 7 boards, 6.6 assists make him virtually unstoppable on the court. Those numbers stay consistent in his 3 playoff appearances as well, including 1 finals appearance. The 5 time all star enters his 6th season with 1 goal, to win a NBA title. Just making the finals won’t be enough for the 23 year old.

2. Shaquille O Neal - Orlando Magic - 1992
Putting Shaq second on this list was tough to do at first, yet once you begin to breakdown his career, you can easily justify it. While Shaq has acomplished what many would dream to do throughtout his career, the 4 time NBA champion could easily be a 6 or 7 time champion when you look at the situations he has been in. Playing aside the likes of Penny Hardaway and a young Orlando Magic team gave him experience. The Phil-Shaq-Kobe era won 3 titiles, but was dismantled much too soon, and the Shaq-Wade Heat era was cut short by his own choice. Yet the 25 points and 12 rebounds O Neal gave you night in and night out in his prime made up for all of that. Shaq has averaged only 60 regular season games a year over the last 5, and theres no signs that will going up heading into his 2nd season with the Suns. The window of opportunity
for Shaq to win another title may be closing, but his place in history is already cemented.

1. Tim Duncan - San Antonio Spurs - 1997
The Big Fundamental. In a time where style almost always is set over substance, Tim Duncan is a throwback. 21 points, 12 rebounds, 2 blocks for the last 10 years, every single night. 4 titles in 10 years all for the same franchise. Duncan will be 32 entering this season, and shows no signs of slowing down. He is the reason the Spurs year in and year out are a serious title contender, regardless of who else is wearing that uniform. The 3 time finals MVP, 2 time regular season MVP, and constant ALL NBA and ALL Defensive team member is the best big man in the game today, and the best number 1 overall selection of the last 15 years.