Some analysts say the 2013 draft class is weak. Others say it is strong. Until the draftees get a few seasons of experience in the NBA, no one will know for sure.
As for the first 66 draft classes, all have had a chance to show off their skills. Some have proven themselves, while others have not. Here are the top ten draft classes in NBA history.
The Best Draft Classes In NBA History Slideshow
10. 2008
It is still way too early to tell, but the 2008 class already has some meat to back itself up. Derrick Rose (No. 1) has an MVP award, and Russell Westbrook (No. 4), Kevin Love (No. 5), Brook Lopez (No. 10) and Roy Hibbert (No. 17) appear poised to be stars in the NBA for years to come. O.J. Mayo, Danilo Gallinari, Eric Gordon, JaVale McGee, Ryan Anderson, Serge Ibaka, Nicolas Batum, George Hill, Nikola Pekovic, Mario Chalmers, DeAndre Jordan, Omer Asik and Goran Dragic also have All-Star potential.
9. 1998
Ignoring the first three picks of Michael Olowokandi, Mike Bibby and Raef LaFrentz, this draft did not turn out half bad. One could argue Vince Carter (No. 5), Dirk Nowitzki (No. 9) and Paul Pierce (No. 10) are all future Hall of Famers. Antawn Jamison (No. 4), Jason Williams (No. 7) and Rashard Lewis (No. 32) give this class some depth.
8. 1956
All three future Hall of Famers in the draft ended up in Boston by the end of the night. The Celtics drafted Tom Heinsohn (Territorial) and K.C. Jones (No. 13) with their first round picks and traded with the St. Louis Hawks for Bill Russell (No. 2). Heinsohn and Jones won eight titles in Boston, while Russell claimed 11. Russell also won five MVP awards in a Celtics uniform. The Hawks franchise can ease some of its pain knowing it stole the only other all-star in the draft, Willie Naulls, with the ninth pick.
7. 1985
Although 1984 gets all the love, 1985 was not that shabby either. Patrick Ewing (No. 1), Chris Mullin (No. 7) and Karl Malone (No. 13) are all 1992 Dream Team and Hall of Fame members. Joe Dumars (No. 18), the other Hall of Famer, won two championships, two more than Ewing, Mullin and Malone. Wayman Tisdale, Xavier McDaniel, Detlef Schrempf, Charles Oakley, A.C. Green and Terry Porter also learned their first NBA destinations in 1985.
6. 1987
David Robinson (No. 1) and Scottie Pippen (No. 5) each have rings and plaques in Springfield. Reggie Miller is also in the Hall of Fame, and he is the second most decorated three-point shooter of all-time. Kevin Johnson, Horace Grant, Mark Jackson and Reggie Lewis add to an underrated class.
5. 1960
The first two picks, Oscar Robertson (No. 1) and Jerry West (No. 2), are the architects of the modern NBA backcourt. "The Big O" and "The Logo" combined for 26 All-Star appearances and two Hall of Fame tickets. Lenny Wilkens (No. 6) also punched a ticket to Springfield as both a player and a coach. All-Stars Darrall Imhoff (No. 3) and Lee Shaffer (No. 5) were other respectable products of the 1960 class.
4. 1970
Bob Lanier (No. 1) heads a class of six Hall of Famers that includes Pete Maravich (No. 3), Dave Cowens (No. 4), Calvin Murphy (No. 18), Nate Archibald (No. 19) and Dan Issel (No. 122). (Issel signed with the Kentucky Colonels of the ABA). Rudy Tomjanovich, Sam Lacey, John Johnson, Geoff Petrie and Charlie Scott are also standout members from this draft.
3. 1996
Love him or hate him, Allen Iverson (No. 1) brought much-needed skill and spunk to the NBA as Michael Jordan headed toward the end of his career. Iverson won an MVP in his career to go along with four scoring titles. Despite Iverson being deemed "The Answer," he is not the draft's most decorated player. That title belongs to the 13th pick, a 17-year-old from suburban Philadelphia named Kobe Bryant. Bryant's five championships and two Finals MVPs top the class, but like Iverson, his one MVP Award does not. Steve Nash (No. 15) owns two MVPs. Of course, none of the three are the most impressive shooter from the draft. The other surefire Hall of Famer, Ray Allen (No. 5), holds the record for most three-pointers made with 2,857 (and counting). Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Stephon Marbury, Antoine Walker, Peja Stojakovic, Jermaine O'Neal, Zydrunas Illgauskas and Derek Fisher are other names that came off the board in 1996.
2. 2003
Although it will be a decade before this class finalizes its legacy, they have already done enough to earn the number two spot. At age 28, LeBron James (No. 1) has four MVP Awards, two championships and two Finals MVP awards. He shares those title runs with Chris Bosh (No. 4) and Dwyane Wade (No. 5), the latter of which owns a third championship and his own Finals MVP. Carmelo Anthony (No. 3) averages 25.7 ppg in his career and has made the playoffs in all ten of his seasons. Other All-Star names include Chris Kaman, David West, Josh Howard and Mo Williams. Role players Kirk Hinrich, Mickael Pietrus, Nick Collison, Luke Ridnour, Boris Diaw, Travis Outlaw, Carlos Delfino, Kendrick Perkins, Leandro Barbosa, Jason Kapono, Luke Walton, Steve Blake, Willie Green Zaza Pachulia, Matt Bonner, James Jones and Kyle Korver were also drafted. Darko Milicic (No. 2) is the one permanent stain this class will never overcome.
1. 1984
Time will tell if 2003 will surpass this class, but for now, the 1984 group is comfortably the No. 1 draft class of all time. Hakeem Olajuwon (No. 1), Michael Jordan (No. 3) and Charles Barkley (No. 5) make three Hall of Famers in the first five picks. The trio combined for eight championships, eight MVP Awards and eight Finals MVP Awards. Add in John Stockton (No. 16) and you have four of the "NBA's Top 50" in one draft. Alvin Robertson (No. 7), Otis Thorpe (No. 9) and Kevin Willis (No. 11) round out the other All-Stars in the draft. The Sam Bowie (No. 2) hiccup is terrible, but 10.9 ppg and 7.5 rpg for a career is no Darko level.
-- Follow Jeffrey Eisenband on Twitter @JeffEisenband.
