Ranking Every No. 1 NBA Draft Pick from the Last 30 Years

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15. Larry Johnson, Charlotte Hornets, 1991

Johnson, an athletic marvel, came into the league with incalculable potential. He was Rookie of the Year in 1992, made the All-Star team in his second season and signed a 12-year, $84 million contract in 1993 that was the largest in league history at the time.

Back problems sapped his bounce, but Johnson developed skills to compensate. The power forward shot 38.6 percent from deep and averaged 18.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists in 1994-95 while making his second All-Star team. He was just as good the next year, posting averages of 20.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists.

Though decline set in following his move to the Knicks in 1996, Johnson was an effective player for the balance of his 10-year career. He ranks 10th among No. 1 picks in the last 30 years with 69.7 win shares.

        

14. John Wall, Washington Wizards, 2010

Wall’s average of 9.2 assists is tops on our list, and his 1.7 steals trail only Allen Iverson. It’s worth noting, too, that for all the criticism his shooting has endured during a nine-year career, Wall’s accuracy from the field and from deep are higher than Iverson’s.

Though surgery to repair a torn Achilles could keep Wall out for most or all of the 2019-20 season and will diminish his productivity upon return, the Wizards point guard has enough on his resume to warrant a spot this high.

Wall is a five-time All-Star who made the All-Defensive second team in 2014-15 and the All-NBA third team in 2016-17. One of the game’s all-time transition speedsters in his prime, he has long excelled at generating high-efficiency looks for teammates, particularly corner threes. 

Though far from perfect and probably now well clear of his best years, Wall was the best player on Wizards teams that made the playoffs four out of five years from 2013-14 to 2017-18.

                

13. Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls, 2008

Rose’s career point and assist averages are lower than Wall’s, and he’s played 27 fewer games than the Wizards point guard despite entering the league two years earlier. Wall’s five All-Star trips also outpace Rose’s three.

But Rose’s peak gives him a clear edge.

In 2010-11, Rose became the youngest MVP in league history at age 22. He averaged 25.0 points for a 62-win Bulls team that reached the conference finals before falling to LeBron James and the Miami Heat. Expectations are always high for top overall picks, but Rose’s early years blew away even the most outlandish hopes.

He fronted a title contender in his third season. If not for a devastating string of injuries that kicked off in the 2012 playoffs, he would have achieved even more. Though many of the players ranked behind him provided more overall production, none reached Rose’s apex.

Not to be forgotten, Rose averaged 18.0 points and was one of the league’s top reserves this past season with the Minnesota Timberwolves. That doesn’t necessarily help his ranking, but it’s certainly impressive given what he’s endured on the health front since his MVP campaign.

         

12. Elton Brand, Chicago Bulls, 1999

An Achilles tear in 2007 ended one of the least appreciated early-career runs we’ve seen from a big man.

Brand averaged 20.3 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks from 1999-00 to 2006-07. The only other players to match those averages during that stretch were Shaquille O’Neal and Tim Duncan. Brand earned Rookie of the Year in 1999-00, made a pair of All-Star squads and was an All-NBA second-teamer in 2005-06.

Efficient on offense, a major interior deterrent on D and a ridiculously consistent source of points and rebounds before his injury, Brand belonged in the NBA’s frontcourt upper class. The Clippers only had one playoff berth between 1997 and 2011, and Brand was the main reason for that lone postseason trip in 2006. Just as impressively, he hung on for a full decade after his torn Achilles, turning in several more productive seasons.

Only four players on our list generated more career win shares, and three appeared in more games. Brand is the best combination of quality and quantity we’ve come across thus far.

         

11. Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers, 2011

Rookie of the Year in 2011-12, six All-Star games (including an All-Star MVP in 2014), two All-NBA honors and a championship ring with the 2015-16 Cavs make Irving the most decorated player on our list so far.

And though there’s no specific award for it, we have to acknowledge that Cleveland might not have collected that title in 2016 if Irving hadn’t provided one of the great big-stage daggers in memory, putting the Cavs up by three with 53 seconds left in Game 7 of the Finals.

Yes, it’s fair to question Irving’s leadership after a rocky 2018-19 with the Boston Celtics. And it’s also true he’s never been the best player on a championship team. But we haven’t reached the true upper tier of these rankings; the standards aren’t quite that high yet.

Don’t forget: Irving is only 27. He’s got several more years to improve his position.

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