Ranking the No. 1 Overall Picks of the Last 15 NBA Drafts

With Zion Williamson as the first overall selection in the 2019 NBA Draft, he will join the company of one of sports’ most prestigious honors. Being the first overall selection in any draft is an incredible feat and a testament to hard work and years of sustained success. With being the first overall pick comes high expectations, which some live up to, while others falter.

In ranking the top first-overall picks in the last 15 years of the NBA Draft, we based our rankings on a combination of comparative expectations coming out of college and production in the NBA.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the last 15 first-overall picks in the NBA Draft.

15. Anthony Bennett

The 2013 NBA Draft was one of the most unpredictable drafts in recent memory. Considered one of the weakest draft classes of all time, it was uncertain who the Cleveland Cavaliers would select with the first overall pick. In shocking fashion, the Cavaliers took UNLV forward Anthony Bennett with the first overall pick. Although a top-tier prospect in the draft, Bennett was projected to be selected in the five-ten range of the draft. With the pick, Bennett was immediately thrust into the spotlight, and expectations were at an all-time high for a player who wasn’t worthy of the first overall selection. Although he was pretty good in college, Bennett was an incredibly young and undeveloped prospect, which the Cavaliers soon found out the hard way. In his rookie season, Bennett struggled immensely, averaging 4.2 points and 3 rebounds per game while shooting a miserable 35.6% from the field.

After just one season with the Cavaliers, the team decided they had seen enough. Bennett was traded alongside 2014 first overall pick Andrew Wiggins to the Timberwolves in exchange for Kevin Love, who would be paired with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving to create Cleveland’s new Big Three. Since being traded to the T-Wolves, Bennett has jumped around the league as a bench player before fitting in the G League in 2017. This past season as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers G League affiliate, the Agua Caliente Clippers, Bennett averaged 12.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. Although it remains possible that Bennett will return to the NBA one day, it will likely be nothing more than a bench role, making him one of the biggest first overall selection busts in NBA history.

14. Markelle Fultz

Markelle Fultz is a sad story still in the making. After dominating during his freshman season at Washington, Fultz looked like the next sure-fire franchise point guard of the NBA. He was such an enticing prospect, the Philadelphia 76ers traded up with the Boston Celtics to receive the number one overall pick, sending them the No. 3 pick and a future first-rounder. Fultz looked like the finishing touch of the Philadelphia 76ers new Big Three, joining rising stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.

From the get-go, Fultz struggled immensely with his shot. Fultz was shooting 33% from the field and refused to attempt shots from beyond the arc. At the free throw line, it was evident that something was off with Fultz when he displayed one of the ugliest shooting forms of all-time.

Fultz was shut down for the remainder of his rookie season with a specular muscle imbalance in his shoulder. Fultz began the 2018-19 season as the starting shooting guard before losing his position to newly acquired Jimmy Butler. In November of 2018, Fultz was again shut down with shoulder discomfort and diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome, which affects the nerves between the neck and shoulder, ultimately limiting Fultz’ shooting range. In February of 2019, the 76ers traded Fultz to the Orlando Magic, where he has yet to make an appearance.

At the moment, Fultz’ injury remains one of the most mysterious ones in sports history. Many have claimed that the effects of the injury have taken a mental toll on him, which might be more responsible for his poor play than the injury itself. On the plus side, he’s only 21 and still has a chance to get out of this funk. However, based on his play in the league so far and questionable future, Fultz has the makings to be an all-time NBA bust.

13. Greg Oden

During his lone season at Ohio State, Greg Oden was a menace down low. He averaged 15.7 points and 9.6 rebounds per game and looked like the next dominant big in the NBA. Oden was so impressive, that he became the census first overall selection in the 2007 NBA Draft over a certain Kevin Durant. With such high expectations and success in college, the Portland Trail Blazers selected Oden with the first overall pick, and Durant went second to the Seattle Supersonics. In September of his rookie season, Oden underwent microfracture surgery on his right knee, which kept him out for the entirety of the 2007-2008 NBA campaign. Making his debut in 2008, Oden struggled in his first game against the Los Angeles Lakers, before leaving just thirteen minutes in with a foot injury. This was just the beginning of a long and injury-filled career, which resulted in Oden only playing in 105 career games. Oden was released by the Trail Blazers in 2012 and played one year with the Miami Heat in 2013-2014 before his NBA career came to an end. Although he’s attempted a few comebacks, staying healthy has continued to remain a problem for Oden.

With expectations through the roof, and Durant going on to be one of the greatest players in NBA history, Oden will forever be known as one of the biggest busts in NBA history. It’s a shame that such a highly touted player could never stay healthy enough to make an impact in the league. Much of Oden’s problems were out of his control, and have the NBA community still pondering what could have been.

12. Andrea Bargnani

To think that Andrea Bargnani was the first-overall selection in the 2006 NBA Draft is pretty remarkable. In 2006, the Raptors made the Italian forward the first overall selection in the draft. Throughout his career in Toronto, Bargnani enjoyed some impressive individual statistical seasons, yet never lived up to the hype of being a No. 1 overall pick. His best individual year came during the 2010-2011 season when he averaged 21.4 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. In the years following, Bargnani struggled to stay on the court and saw the quality of his play take a deep dive. After being traded to the Knicks in 2013, Bargnani played just three more seasons in the NBA before being waived by the Brooklyn Nets in 2016, ending his basketball career.

A solid scoring big, Bargnani was a liability in almost every other aspect of the game. At 7’0″ tall, Bargnani was not a great rebounder and was often beat on the defensive side of the ball. He carved out a role with decent offensive production, but he never became a franchise player or came anywhere close to living up to the expectations of being the first pick. To make matters worse, theTrail Blazers selected LaMarcus Aldridge with the second overall pick, who has developed into one of the premier power forwards of the past decade and is still playing at a high level in the NBA.

11. Andrew Wiggins

In 2014, Andrew Wiggins was the consensus first overall pick in the NBA Draft. The Canadian-born shooting guard played one season at Kansas, before being drafted by the Cavaliers first overall. The hype for Wiggins was through the roof, but the Cavaliers ended up dealing him to Minnesota with the aforementioned Bennett before he stepped foot on the court. Since joining the Timberwolves in 2014, Wiggins has flashed talent on the offensive side of the ball, averaging nearly 20 points per game throughout his five-year career.

As good as Wiggins’ counting statistics are, he consistently underperforms in almost every other aspect of the game, and even his scoring efficiency is quite poor. In 2017, the T-Wolves signed Wiggins to a five-year, $148 million extension. Just two years later, it’s widely considered one of the worst contracts in the NBA.

Although he’s still only 24-years old and has shown flashes of potential, Wiggins needs to improve many aspects of his game in order to be a more complete player. Throughout his five-year career, not only has Wiggins shown little to no improvement, he appears to have gotten worse over the past two seasons. Until Wiggins shows vast improvements in his game, he fails to live up to the expectations of being the No. 1 pick.

10. Andrew Bogut

Look, Andrew Bogut clearly was not worthy of the first overall pick in 2005. With players like Deron Williams and Chris Paul selected just after him, it’s obvious that the Milwaukee Bucks had regrets about taking Bogut first with the benefit of hindsight. With this in mind, Bogut has still been able to sustain a solid NBA career, which includes being a key member of the 2015 NBA Championship Golden State Warriors.

Throughout his career, Bogut was never a true franchise center. His best statistical season came in 2009-2010 when he averaged 15.9 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. Outside of a few years of success around that time period, Bogut has been a strong role player and average center in the NBA. Bogut’s defensive prowess led him to consistent success and a long career, things that the others above in this list could not achieve. After suffering a series of injuries towards the end of his career, including a devastating broken left leg just 56 seconds into his Cavaliers debut in 2017, Bogut signed back with the Warriors this season, providing a role off the bench during the 2019 NBA Playoffs. After the Raptors defeated them in 6 games, Bogut announced he plans on returning to his home country of Australia, where he will play for the Sydney Kings of the NBL.

9. Deandre Ayton

It’s hard to place DeAndre Ayton so low on the list after one season in the NBA. But looking back on that season, it’s hard to place him any higher than established players. After dominating in his lone season at Arizona, Ayton was the consensus first overall selection in the 2018 NBA Draft. In his rookie season with the Phoenix Suns, Ayton averaged a double-double with 16.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per game.

Ayton would easily be considered for Rookie of the Year in most NBA Draft classes, but the 2018 NBA Draft class boasted the likes of Luka Doncic and Trae Young, who took the league by storm last year and completed some of the most impressive rookie campaigns in recent memory. Ayton looks like a key piece on the Suns’ young core moving forward. If he continues to develop his game, Ayton will have no trouble moving up on this list in the near future. For now, though, he’s all potential.

8. Derrick Rose

What could have been? If Derrick Rose had been able to stay healthy, there’s a strong possibility that he’d be regarded as a top player in the league to this day and may have even moved up the all-time point guard rankings. Selected with the first overall pick by the Chicago Bulls in 2008, Rose quickly became one of the most dominant point guards in the league. His explosiveness and playmaking ability took the league by storm and he truly became a one-of-a-kind player. After averaging 25 points and 7.7 assists per game, Rose took home NBA MVP honors at only 22 years old, the youngest MVP in NBA history. After signing a five-year, $94.8 million extension with the Bulls, Rose backed up his MVP season with yet another solid campaign in 2011-2012. All was looking good for the Bulls, until it all went south.

In a tale many are familiar with, Rose drove to the basket during a 2012 first-round playoff matchup agains the Sixers and immediately went down grabbing his leg. He was diagnosed a torn ACL, missed all of the following season, and played only ten games the year after. Ever since the injury, Rose has never been the same. After jumping around between multiple teams, Rose has found a spot with the Timberwolves, where he has flourished in a role off the bench.

If Rose has never torn his ACL, there’s a strong possibility he could have taken the top spot on this list. One of the greatest what-ifs in NBA history.

7. John Wall

In the years being drafted first overall by the Washington Wizards in 2010, John Wall has established himself as one of the top point guards in the league. Over the course of his nine-year career with the Wizards, Wall has averaged 19 points and 9.2 assists per game. In 2017, Wall signed a $170 million supermax extension, keeping him with the franchise until the 2023-2024 season. This past season, Wall was enjoying yet another good campaign before undergoing season-ending surgery for bone spurs, then later slipping at home and rupturing his Achilles tendon. Based on the track record of previous players with Achilles’ injuries, Wall’s return timetable and ability to be the same player both remain questionable.

Whether or not Wall returns to form does not take away from the success he’s sustained throughout his career. Already one of the greatest players in Wizards franchise history, Wall is a true franchise point guard and a player who has lived up to the expectations of being selected first overall, even if he never made the jump to one of the truly elite players in the league.

6. Karl Anthony Towns

Selected first overall in the 2015 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves, Karl Anthony Towns has been one of the best bigs in the league ever since. In four seasons, Towns has averaged 22.3 points and 11.9 rebounds per game as the franchise player in Minnesota. Although already posting impressive statistics early in his career, Towns has continued to develop his game and only looks to get better.

At 23-years old, Towns is one of the youngest and brightest stars in the entire league. When drafted first overall, the biggest knock on Towns was his post offense. Towns has developed this weakness over the years and become a solid post player in the NBA. Although he entered the league with a solid jump shot, Towns’ range has also improved significantly, as his three-point attempts and percentages have all increased over the course of his career. A young and versatile stretch five, Towns has already showcased why he deserved to be the number one overall selection. His defense leaves a lot to be desired, but that’s true for most young players. Although still early in his career, if he continues down the same path, Towns has the makings of being an all-time NBA player.

5. Ben Simmons

A 6’10” point guard, Ben Simmons is a matchup nightmare. Drafted first overall in 2016, Simmons sat out the entire 2016-2017 season with a fractured foot. Making his debut in 2017-2018, Simmons immediately became one of the best guards in the league. A prolific finisher, passer, and rebounder with incredible size and length, Simmons is about as complete of a point guard as you can ask for, and is also 6’10”. In the past two seasons, he’s averaged 16.4 points, 7.9 assists and 8.5 rebounds for the Philadelphia 76ers. As good of an overall player Simmons is, he has one major flaw: his shooting ability. Simmons’ jump shot is arguably one of the worst in the league. He constantly looks to drive with the ball and finish around the hoop, passing on open looks from mid-range or beyond the arc. In the past two seasons, Simmons has only attempted a handful of actual NBA three-pointers, with every other jump shot coming from halfcourt heaves.

As impactful of a player that he is on the court, Simmons could be an even bigger threat if he develops a jump shot to his repertoire. With team’s knowing that Simmons is not a threat from deep, it’s easier for them to strategize how to defend him knowing that he scores almost all of his points under the basket. If Simmons can even develop some semblance of a jump shot, the sky’s the limit for his potential moving forward. Jump shot or no jump shot, Simmons has already proven to be an elite point guard in just two seasons.

4. Blake Griffin

Selected first overall by the Los Angeles Clippers, Blake Griffin has consistently been one of the best power forwards in the league. Known for his ferocious dunks and athleticism coming out of college, Griffin appears to be a player that gets better with age. After playing with the championship contending Clippers for eight years, Griffin was traded to the Detroit Pistons during the 2017-2018 season. This past year, Griffin averaged a career-high 24.5 points per game while adding 7.5 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game as well. Griffin entered the NBA as a strong finishing power forward and rebound snatcher. Over the course of his career, his game has developed to the point where he is now an all-around fantastic player.

Over the past few seasons, Griffin has developed a solid jump shot and has become a threat from beyond the arc. Outside of scoring and grabbing rebounds, Griffin has also improved his passing abilities, as he has become a key facilitator for the Pistons. It’s often hard to see a player get better with age but Blake Griffin is the exception. The former first overall pick has lived up to expectations and developed into one of the best players in the entire league.

3. Kyrie Irving

Drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers first-overall in 2011, Kyrie Irving was viewed as the team’s savior in the wake of losing LeBron James to the Miami Heat. Since joining the league, Irving has not only become one of the top point guards in the NBA but has also displayed some of the flashiest and impressive dribble moves in league history. Irving spent his first few seasons as the top scorer on a putrid Cavaliers team before LeBron’s return in 2014. With James and Love on his side, Irving became a championship point guard in 2016, hitting the game-winning three-point shot with just over a minute left in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals. After the 2017 season, Irving demanded a trade from the Cavaliers. Tired of being second-fiddle to King James, Irving was shipped to the Boston Celtics where he’s spent the past two seasons. Although Irving has excelled statistically in Boston, including a career-high average of 6.9 assists this past year, Irving has struggled to fit in with the team.

An unrestricted free agent this summer, Irving is one of the most highly coveted players on the market. He will likely receive a multi-year max contract and look to continue to build upon his already impressive resume. At 27-years old, Irving already displayed why he was selected first overall back in 2011. Showing no signs of slowing down, it looks like Irving’s peak years are still ahead of him.

2. Dwight Howard

During the prime of his career, Dwight Howard was one of the most dominant big men in NBA history. There’s no debate, regardless of how we feel about him now. Howard was selected first overall by the Orlando Magic in the 2004 NBA Draft. Going straight to the NBA out of high school, Howard served as the Magic’s franchise center for eight seasons. Averaging a double-double for the entirety of his career, Howard arguably had his best individual season in 2010-2011, when he averaged 22.9 points and 14.1 rebounds per game. In 2009, the Howard-led Magic had their best season in year’s, making the NBA Finals before falling to the Los Angeles Lakers, 4-1.

After the 2011-2012 season, Howard demanded a trade and was sent to the Los Angeles Lakers. Although it seemed like a match made in heaven, giving Kobe Bryant his best big man since Shaquille O'Neal, Howard and Bryant never truly clicked. Howard posted a strong statistical season, but he left the Lakers after one season and signed with the Houston Rockets in 2013. Since then, has jumped from team-to-team while still putting up solid numbers, but it hasn’t translated to winning. Although he’s often criticized for the way he handled his exit from Orlando, there’s no doubt about it that Howard is one of the greatest centers in NBA history. At 33, Howard is currently a member of the Wizards and expects to return to the court in 2019-20 after missing the majority of last season with various injuries.

1. Anthony Davis

Known as The Brow, Anthony Davis has established himself as a top-ten to top-five player in the NBA over the past few seasons. Selected first overall by the New Orleans Pelicans in 2012, Davis has profoundly developed his game in just a few years. Coming out of Kentucky, Davis was knocked for his strength, with many worrying that he wouldn’t be able to handle the physicality of the NBA. Since his rookie season, Davis has bulked up and emerged into one of the most dominant players in the entire league. Over the course of his seven-year career, Davis has averaged 23.7 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, while blocking two and a half shots per game.

As the franchise player on a consistently disappointing Pelicans team, Davis demanded a trade during the middle of the 2018-19 season. The Pelicans didn’t ship him off before the deadline, but finally relented, and Davis was dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers in a large package deal just days ago. At just 26, Davis is still in the prime of his career. Now playing alongside one of the greatest players of all time in LeBron, Davis has an opportunity to add multiple titles to his impressive resume while showcasing his talent in a large market for the first time. Based on his previous accomplishments and the opportunity he has to flourish with the Lakers, Davis has the potential to go down as one of the greatest players in NBA history.