1.) Tim Duncan, F/C
School: Wake Forest
Drafted: Spurs, 1997
18 seasons with San Antonio, two MVPs, five NBA championships
James might be the best player in the world, but no one has done more for the team that drafted him than Duncan. He has averaged 19 points and 11 rebounds per game over that career, with an average PER of 24.5. He is a two-time league MVP and three-time NBA Finals MVP. And he's regarded by many as the greatest power forward to ever play the game. Greatest draft pick in the past 25 years? It's hard to argue against Duncan.
2.) LeBron James, SF
School: High school
Drafted: Cavaliers, 2003
Eight seasons with Cleveland, two MVPs, two Finals appearances
James is chasing Michael Jordan to be the greatest to ever play the game. That's how special he's been over the past 12 seasons.
His numbers have been staggering: 27.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 6.9 assists per game over his career. His career PER is a whopping 27.7. As good as Duncan is, James is even better as a basketball player.
Two things drop James down this list. The first is that he spent four seasons of his prime in Miami, leaving the Cavs in an epic breakup that critically wounded the franchise. Second is LeBron's inability to deliver a title to the Cavs. Yes, he has won two championships, but both of them have been in Miami.
He's taken the Cavs to the Finals twice, but the lack of a strong supporting cast (in this season's case, an injured supporting cast) has kept him from delivering a trophy. He still has time to overtake Duncan, but he'll need a few titles in Cleveland to do it.
3.) Anthony Davis, F/C
School: Kentucky
Drafted: Pelicans, 2012
Three seasons with New Orleans
I know, I know, Davis has played just three seasons in the league. The Pelicans have made the playoffs just once. But it speaks to how special Davis is that he already is at No. 3 on this list. Davis has averaged 19.7 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. His PER over that three-year span is a 26.8. He's already one of the best defenders in the league, and you can argue that he's already one of the five best players in the NBA. Assuming he stays in New Orleans and the Pelicans get some help around him, he has the chance to win several MVPs and lead the Pelicans to a lot of titles during the next decade.
4). Allen Iverson, G
School: Georgetown
Drafted: 76ers, 1996
12 seasons with Philadelphia, one MVP, one Finals appearance
Iverson was an icon for much of his career in Philadelphia. He was an elite, albeit inefficient, scorer who played the bulk of his career in Philly while averaging 27.6 points and 6.2 assists per game with a 21.5 PER. Iverson won a league MVP award and led Philly to one Finals appearance. The problem with Iverson is twofold. As such he was a ball-dominant guard, it was tough to find players to complement him. He also wasn't exactly easy to manage. And as good as he was, he wasn't the best player in the draft that year. That honor goes to Kobe Bryant, who was drafted 13th by the Hornets and then traded to the Lakers. If Kobe had gone No. 1, he would have landed at No. 3 on this list, behind Duncan and LeBron.
5.) Shaquille O'Neal, C
School: LSU
Drafted: Magic, 1992
Four seasons with Orlando, one Finals appearance
Shaq was the most dominant center in his era and one of the best big men to ever play the game. For his career, he averaged 24.3 PPG, 11.6 RPG and 2.1 BPG. He won four NBA titles, was the Finals MVP three times and claimed the league MVP trophy once. Unfortunately for the Magic, O'Neal played just four years in Orlando and did not win any of those awards while playing with the Magic. He was awesome while he was there, averaging 27 PPG and reaching the Finals in 1995. He and Penny Hardaway put the Magic on the map. But his departure to the Lakers really hurt the franchise and left the Magic in turmoil until Dwight Howard arrived in 2004.
6.) Blake Griffin, PF
School: Oklahoma
Drafted: Clippers, 2009
Five seasons with Los Angeles
Griffin has played just five seasons with the Clippers (he missed his rookie year with an injury) and already has established himself as one of the 10 best players in the league. Griffin has averaged 21.5 points, 9.7 rebounds and four assists per game in L.A. and enjoys a 22.8 PER. He is one of the hardest workers in the game, and he's no longer just an elite athlete with a terrific NBA body. The only knock against Griffin here is that he didn't turn out to be the best player in the 2009 draft. That would be Stephen Curry. As long as Griffin stays healthy and remains in L.A., he has a chance to pass both Shaq and Iverson on this board someday -- especially if he can deliver a title.
7.) Dwight Howard, C
School: high school
Drafted: Magic, 2004
Eight seasons with Orlando, one Finals appearance
Howard has been one of the best big men in the game over the past decade, averaging 18.3 points, 12.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game in his career, while posting a 22 PER. Howard helped carry the Magic to six playoff appearances, the Eastern Conference finals in 2010 and the NBA Finals in 2009. He was defensive player of the year three times in Orlando. The Magic traded him to the Lakers after his eighth season when it became clear he would leave the team in free agency. The trade, once again, devastated the Magic.
8.) Derrick Rose, PG
School: Memphis
Drafted: Bulls, 2008
Six seasons with Chicago, one MVP
Three seasons ago, Rose was on a trajectory to make the top five here. He had just won the league MVP and the Bulls looked like they would be perennial Finals contenders. However, serious injuries have put a major damper on his career since then, and his future is still very much in doubt. During Rose's MVP season, he averaged 25 points and 7.7 assists per game and had a 23.5 PER.
His production has dropped since he tore his ACL in Game 1 of the 2012 playoffs. He missed the 2012-13 season entirely. He played in just 10 games in 2013-14 before tearing his meniscus in his right knee. And he appeared in just 55 games this past season. Rose still has time to return to form, despite much skepticism. Nevertheless, Rose is one of the most talented players to go No. 1 in the past 25 years and has meant a lot to his hometown Bulls.
9.) Yao Ming, C
Country: China
Drafted: Rockets, 2002
Eight seasons with Houston
Yao was a franchise-changer for the Rockets, and he was terrific when healthy, averaging 21 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks with a 23 PER during his eight seasons in Houston. Alas, health issues kept Yao from becoming all he could be. He was out for 25 games in 2005-06, 34 games in 2006-07 and 27 games in 2007-08. And he missed the 2009-10 season completely and played in just five games in 2010 before retiring. The heavy load he had to carry playing for the Chinese National Team in the summer contributed to his shortened career. While Yao had a major cultural impact on the court, he never led the Rockets out of the first round of the playoffs.
10.) John Wall, PG
School: Kentucky
Drafted: Wizards, 2010
Five seasons with Washington
Wall has been much maligned in his NBA career. But much of the criticism doesn't make any real sense. Injuries slowed him down early, but he's been terrific the past three seasons, averaging a double-double of 17.6 points and 10 assists per game this year. His career PER is 18.7, and he's a two-time All-Star. Wall hasn't won an MVP or led his team to the Finals, but the Wizards are getting better and should be poised to make a run in the next few years.
11.) Kyrie Irving, PG
School: Duke
Drafted: Cavaliers, 2011
Four seasons with Cleveland, one Finals appearance
You could list Wall and Irving as 10a and 10b. Irving has been remarkably consistent offensively, averaging a 21 PER through four seasons to go along with 21 points and 5.2 assists per game. Irving is the better offensive player of the two. He's a better shooter and a more consistent scorer. Wall is the better passer and defender. Both should be All-Stars for years to come. Given that Irving has LeBron as his teammate, he's the one most likely to win a couple of NBA titles.
12.) Andrew Wiggins, G/F
School: Kansas
Drafted: Timberwolves, 2014
One season with Minnesota
Wiggins has had a wild two years. He came to Kansas hyped as a once-in-a-decade prospect, but he struggled at times and was savaged by some scouts. He still went No. 1 overall before being traded from Cleveland to Minnesota in the preseason. After a slow start, he was name rookie of the year, thanks to averages of 20 points and 4.9 rebounds after the All-Star break. He's clearly just scratching the surface. On sheer athletic talent, he has the potential to become both an elite scorer and defender and move into the top four. But he's going to have to improve his 3-point shooting and handle to get there.
13.) Karl-Anthony Towns, F/C
School: Kentucky
Drafted: ???
Projected No. 1 pick for 2015
Projecting Towns before he has even played a game in the NBA (before he's even been drafted, mind you) is a nearly impossible task. Who knows what he'll look like in the NBA. So much of a player's success has to do with the situation he's put in (coaching, fit with offensive and defensive schemes, opportunity), and we don't know any of that. However, based on the scouting and analytics, Towns projects as a future All-Star and perhaps a future top-10 player in the NBA. He has that sort of talent. If he reaches his potential (and sticks around Minnesota with Wiggins), I could see him landing in the top five or six here.