The Top 5 Picks of the 2007 NBA Draft: An Early Analyisis

The season is still young and players are still settling in to their new roles as NBA players. It is never easy being a rookie in any professional sport. Adjustment is never easy. Here is an early look at the progress and impact of the top five selections of the 2007 draft.

Greg Oden (Pick 1, Portland): Greg Oden appeared to be a fantastic pick for the rebuilding Portland Trail Blazers. Oden was expect to start immediately and begin to establish himself as a premier center during his opening season. However a look at the stats is revealing. Zero points per game, zero rebounds per game, zero blocks per game, zero minutes played. Greg Oden has not stepped on the court as a Trailblazer. Injuries derailed this young man's season before it even began. Oden underwent surgery to repair his right knee. Oden has been traveling with the team to adjust to the rigors of the NBA, but that will do little to prepare him for an actual season. Fans will have to wait another year before they get to see what the big man can accomplish on the big stage.

Kevin Durant (Pick 2, Seattle): The wonder kid from University of Texas had the talent to be selected number one overall. However, Seattle was lucky enough to grab him with the second pick. The fact that he has remained healthy while Oden has failed to do so is very important for the Sonics. The Sonics are struggling record wise, but are showing the potential to be a good team with the aid of time and a key addition or two. Durant has begun to showcase his talent with an awe inspiring, game winning three pointer in double overtime. The kid definitely has talent. Scoring has been impressive for Durant who is averaging twenty points per game. Rebounding and assists have been mediocre, but expect those stats to improve with time. Durant has contributed 1.5 steals and 1 block per game. Durant seems to be well worth the number two selection early on.

Al Horford (Pick 3, Atlanta): Atlanta appeared to be the biggest loser of the draft by just missing out on surefire superstars Durant and Oden. It appeared as though they were going to have to settle for their pick at number three. The Hawks selection of Horford has paid big dividends for the team. The Florida star has provided adequate offense and superb defense. Horford is averaging a solid nine points, a fantastic eleven rebounds and 2 blocks per game. Solid overall contributions by this player in his 35 minutes per game show that Horford deserved to be picked so high.

Mike Conley Jr. (Pick 4, Memphis): Prior to the draft many experts were claiming that Conley would be nothing without his longtime teammate Greg Oden. The Grizzlies appeared to disagree with this notion when they picked the Ohio State point guard with the fourth overall pick. Unfortunately for the Grizzlies, this logic appears to be spot on. Conley is averaging an abysmal 6 points per game. Conley may be redeemed somewhat by his five assists per game, but overall Conley adds little to the Memphis team. So far Conley has been a huge disappointment on the NBA level, but has plenty of time to turn it around.

Jeff Green (Pick 5, Boston, Traded to Seattle):Jeff Green had an impressive March Madness showing that helped to propel him into the top five of the 2007 draft. Expectations were high for this forward and while these expectations have not been met, flashes of brilliance have been shown. Green is well on pace to meet the lofty expectations. Despite pedestrian numbers, Green has been putting in impressive numbers coming off the bench. Look for Green to make his way into the starting

The jury is still out on the top of the 2007 draft. Oden appeared poised to become a superstar, but until he can find his way onto the court all he has is unfulfilled potential. Kevin Durant has shown that he is a superstar in the making. Horford and Green have proven to be solid contributors and can only improve further. Conley has prove to be a bust to this point in the season and the prospects of him turning around his season soon appear to be grim. Overall the top 5 picks have contained the expect star, solid contributors and the dreaded bust. However, the season is still very young and things can change in a heartbeat. However the opening weeks of a can set the tone for the rest of a career. The first season is the foundation that a player must build upon. Without a strong foundation these players can easily become failures. Hopefully Mike Conley can pick up the pace and start building his foundation which the other three continue building theirs. In regards to Greg Oden, all we can do is wait another year and hope he can become healthy. It would be a shame if we were deprived of seeing this great talent don an NBA uniform.

Sources:
sports.yahoo.com/nba for individual player stats