Yeah, there's just a lot of incentive to hype up the next draft. Every single year I see people saying "this is the best draft class in years!!!!" and then we get an average draft class. The No. 1 prospect is always hyped and the thing is that you don't know and can't know in 90% of cases if the person is going to really make it in the NBA at the top level. The difference between proven NBA stars and college prospects is huge. Every prospect is hungry and ambitious... many of them lose that the second they get drafted. For many players making it into the NBA is the goal. It takes super human levels of dedication and work to get to that point. Not to mention the price your body has paid. Once you've got that contract your willingness to play through injury, your ability to play through injury against NBA players, very likely goes down. Your determination to push through hardship, which now isn't getting there and providing for the people who supported you but simply based on competitive success, is not the same. Many NBA millionaires never played a single playoff game.In all honesty, the best prospect I’ve seen in my lifetime has been Lebron. The size and skill was just off the charts. He was a mix of Malone and Magic. And that’s exactly what he has been and more. I remember watching that one high school game of his on espn. Remember how that was a big deal? And the man has ****ing delivered.
I think some honorable mentions #1 picks Yao and Drose.
It takes a special person to make it through everything it takes to make it to the NBA and still want more.