For Every LeBron James … there’s a Chris Washburn

For every LeBron James (high school phenom who lived up to the hype), Chris Bosh (college player who transcended his game after becoming a pro) and even Brandon Roy (4-year senior who was swept under the underclassmen radar), we find countless players who defy expectations in ways you couldn’t imagine.

Some are far better than you would ever expect in your wildest of dreams, while others are doomed to toil in obscurity.

Washburn, the 3rd overall pick in 1987, scored a total of 222 points...in his entire 4-year career.
Credit: CNNSI.com

How many of you penciled these 2001 draftees as perennial All-Stars on draft night?
-Gilbert Arenas [31^st pick by Golden State]
-Michael Redd [43^rd pick by Milwaukee]

Even role players like Paul Millsap, Craig Smith and Leon Powe have clearly leapt above the expectations of GMs making selections in the 2006 NBA Draft.

I bet even a few of you considered the plight of these four former Top 10 selections of the new millennium.

-Nikoloz Tskitishvili [5^th pick in 2002 by Denver]
-DaJuan Wagner [6^th pick in 2002 by Cleveland]
-Darko Milicic [2^nd pick in 2003 by Detroit]
-Rafael Araujo [8^th pick in 2004 by Toronto]

Of course, Kwame Brown (#1 to Washington and MJ in 2001) deserves his own billboard in such a situation.

MJ's "legacy" as a GM started with this former #1-selection.
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

You can do one better and look at a lot of the 2000 1^st-round…

Marcus Fizer, DerMarr Johnson, Jerome Moiso, Stromile Swift, Courtney Alexander, Dalibor Bargaric (who?), Mateen Cleaves, Joel Przybilla, and Chris Mihm.

Impressive, right?

As for the 2007 crop, how many of you have already penciled in Spencer Hawes and Joakim Noah as busts? I know I have. Although the latter may make me look a little silly if he continues to get the most out of his limited talents (and I don't mean with his recent affinity towards Purple Haze records).

In case you’ve forgotten college basketball already (not likely), Pay has become an expert in modeling blank resumes of prospective teams on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament. Let’s see which of our readers can do they same, except when given descriptions of then-prospective NBA talent.

Try and guess who these NBA players are. Answer in the comments, where you will find answers 24 hours from this posting. GOOD LUCK!

Analysis of a NBA player from the 2003 draft. Who is it?

_______________ is really one of a kind. He runs the floor, handles the ball, shoots the NBA 3 and plays with his back to the basket, so you can slot him in at the 3, 4 or 5 positions. OK, a few other guys can do that too; what sets ____________ apart is his toughness in the post. You have to love a guy who has the footwork to spin by an opponent but still prefers to lower a shoulder and bang. Fact is, _____________ plays in attack mode at both ends of the floor. The more you push, the more he pushes back. While he won't be asked to carry the load, he's capable of doing this earlier than you think.

Who am I?

One clue: This pick was NOT David West. However, this draft pick was taken before the all-star. Far, far before actually.
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

Analysis of another NBA player from the 2003 draft. Who is it?

"I love _____________. I think he can play three positions. Ridiculous shooter and surprisingly good rebounder. If I was a good team, I'd take him. Someone will
end up with a hell of a player, absolute stud."

Who am I?

One clue: It's NOT Josh Howard, the last pick of the 1st-round, who would've been a much savvier lottery selection for this Eastern Conference squad.
Credit: Basketbolhabor.com

Analysis of a NBA player from the 2002 draft. Who is it?

The __________ would have preferred Hilario or Wilcox, but they'll have to settle for
this ____________who takes the ball hard to the basket like a young Shawn Kemp.
Unfortunately, that's about all he does right now. One scout last fall termed
his overall game "clueless."

Who am I?

One clue: we're not talking about former Tennessee Marcus Haislip. Funny story, though...
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

Analysis of a NBA player from the 2000 draft. Who is it?

NBA Comparison: Michael Jordan
Strengths: Special player. Extremely gifted athlete. Great ball handler. Very advanced shooter and scorer for his age. A showstopper. Can play the 1 or 2. Super character. As NBA ready as any player in this class. Wow.

Who am I?

One clue: I wonder if this "next" MJ was hatin' on this "next" MJ when this cover dropped in February of 2002?
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

Good luck in the next 24-or-so hours. You'd be surprised what the "experts" (ESPN, CNNSI.com, NBADraft.net, and countless others) think when scouting the draft.

Make you nervous about the likes of Anthony Randolph (next Lamar Odom?), JaVale McGee (next Andrew Bynum?), and Marreese Speights (next Juwan Howard?)?

Me too.