Minnesota Timberwolves: Ranking the decade’s No. 1 overall picks by potential
By Josh Tyler
Minnesota Timberwolves: Ranking the decade’s No. 1 overall picks by potential
No. 5 – Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers, 2011
Kyrie Irving was selected first overall in the 2011 draft. In Kyrie’s nine years in the league so far, he has been selected to six All-Star games and is two-time member of the All-NBA team. He also won a championship in 2016, hitting the game-winning shot against the seemingly unbeatable Warriors solidifying a the infamous 3-1 comeback.
Uncle Drew’s game doesn’t lie. For his career, he’s averaged 22.4 points, 5.7 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.3 steals. He’s a bonafide star in the NBA for years moving forward, and there’s no question about it.
The reason Irving comes in at No. 5 is simply that he is 28 years old. We can expect Irving to begin a (likely slow) decline over the next decade. But still, watch out for Kyrie and KD to start something special out in Brooklyn.
No. 4 – Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers, 2016
Ben Simmons, originally from Australia, spent his freshman year of college playing for LSU. Philadelphia selected him over Brandon Ingram and Jaylen Brown in the 2016 draft after an all-around impressive season at LSU, where he averaged 19.2 points,11.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 2.0 steals per game.
Simmons had an interesting entrance into the NBA; he missed his first season with a fractured bone in his foot. Like Simmons, Joel Embiid also missed his first season with the team due to injury.
Simmons is a premier talent, already being named to two All-Star appearances just three years in. He has posted a line of 16.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.2 assists, and 2.1 steals per game. He also leads the NBA in steals this season with 115. The only real knock on Simmons is his shooting, and as the 3-point shot continues to take over the game, Simmons will have to develop something resembling a perimeter game in order to truly be an offensive weapon.
If Simmons can develop an outside scoring game of his own, he will easily become a top 10, if not a top 5, player in the NBA.