When it comes to being the first overall pick in your draft class, the expectation is that the player selected can instantly change a franchise’s fortunes around, serving as the centerpiece for winning and competing for years to come. For some, that is the case with them becoming some of the greatest players the NBA has ever seen. Others are good, but not quite the game changer that many expected, and then there are those who struggle to live up to expectations and carve out smaller, yet significant roles elsewhere.
Over the last 10 drafts, there have been a handful of stars to be selected with the top pick in the draft, creating an instant impact upon stepping foot in the NBA. Others have taken a little more time to carve out their place and are still finding their footing in the best league in the world.
We ranked the last 10 first overall picks in the NBA Draft, based on what they have accomplished to this point, but also based on the direction that they are trending for the foreseeable future. While a player like Ben Simmons has a great resume of accolades so far in his career, he's trending in the wrong direction of late in terms of his play on the court. Ant Edwards may not have the resume of accolades but we ranked him based off his trend and projection.
With all that being said, here are the last 10 first overall NBA Draft picks, ranked.
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When it comes to being the first overall pick in your draft class, the expectation is that the player selected can instantly change a franchise’s fortunes around, serving as the centerpiece for winning and competing for years to come. For some, that is the case with them becoming some of the greatest players the NBA has ever seen. Others are good, but not quite the game changer that many expected, and then there are those who struggle to live up to expectations and carve out smaller, yet significant roles elsewhere.
Over the last 10 drafts, there have been a handful of stars to be selected with the top pick in the draft, creating an instant impact upon stepping foot in the NBA. Others have taken a little more time to carve out their place and are still finding their footing in the best league in the world.
We ranked the last 10 first overall picks in the NBA Draft, based on what they have accomplished to this point, but also based on the direction that they are trending for the foreseeable future. While a player like Ben Simmons has a great resume of accolades so far in his career, he's trending in the wrong direction of late in terms of his play on the court. Ant Edwards may not have the resume of accolades but we ranked him based off his trend and projection.
With all that being said, here are the last 10 first overall NBA Draft picks, ranked.
10.Anthony Bennett - Cleveland Cavaliers (2013)
Career stats: 4.3 PPG | 3.1 RPG | 39 FG%
Accolades: N/A
It was a surprise to everyone watching the Cleveland Cavaliers take Anthony Bennett as the No. 1 pick. He was a dominant force at UNLV but no one had him projected as the first overall pick of the draft. Who can forget Bill Simmons yelling "WOAH" on live television after the pick was announced. Bennett will unfortunately go down maybe the most disappointing No. 1 pick in NBA history but to be fair to Bennett, the 2013 draft class is one of the worst classes of all-time as a whole with the best two players in Giannis Antetokounmpo (15) and Rudy Gobert (27) going outside the lottery. Besides the Magic with Victor Oladipo and the Blazers with CJ McCollum, if you had a top 10 pick in the 2013 draft, your selection didn't pan out for you longterm.
9.Markelle Fultz - Philadelphia Sixers (2017)
Career stats: 11.8 PPG | 5 APG | 3.5 RPG
Accolades: N/A
We may never truly find out what happened to Markelle Fultz's right shooting shoulder that hindered him from being one of the most complete guard prospects in recent years, but the injury hasn’t stopped him from being a productive pro. Since being traded to Orlando in 2019, Fultz has carved out a role as a legitimate starting point guard in the NBA, coming off a career-year in 2022 where he averaged 14 points, 5.7 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.5 steals, all career-highs. He may not become the superstar that he seemed destined to be coming out of the University of Washington, but there is no denying that he has bounced back from multiple injuries and adversity to establish himself as a quality NBA starter.
8.Cade Cunningham - Detroit Pistons (2021)
Career stats: 17.8 PPG | 5.6 APG | 5.6 RPG
Accolades: NBA All-Rookie First Team (2022)
Cunningham missed 70 games in his second season in the NBA due to a stress fracture in his left shin, but he was looking the part of a franchise cornerstone with averages of 19.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and six assists per game in the 12 games he played. If Cunningham can stay healthy and show off the complete all-around game that made him the consensus top prospect in a very good 2021 NBA Draft, he could find his way moving further up this list in due time. But he needs to stay healthy and become more efficient to do so. Entering his third year under new head coach Monty Williams will be pivotal in determining whether Cunningham can be a true star or not in the NBA.
7.Deandre Ayton - Phoenix Suns (2018)
Career stats: 16.7 PPG | 10.4 RPG
Accolades: NBA All-Rookie First Team (2019)
Despite having a strong start to his career, Ayton has fallen victim to the success of his peers in his 2018 class. Players such as Luka Doncic, Trae Young, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have all become All-Star and All-NBA level performers, with others such as Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges also becoming star level guys. That isn’t to say Ayton wasn’t a worthy selection for the Suns. He has anchored the middle for them in what has been a franchise turnaround the last three seasons, with a berth to the Finals in 2021 to show for it. Still, if we were to redraft the 2018 draft again, he likely would slide some, and he isn’t as accomplished as those ahead of him on this list.
6.Paolo Banchero - Orlando Magic (2022)
Career stats: 20.0 PPG | 6.9 RPG | 3.7 APG
Accolades: NBA Rookie of the Year (2022), NBA All-Rookie First Team (2022)
In a year or two, Paolo Banchero can easily be in the top 3 on this list. It's not easy to come in to the league and immediately assert yourself as a 20-point scorer. A lot of people might knock his efficiency early but the game will only get easier for Paolo as he matures. You also have to factor in, the Magic didn't give Paolo the ideal spacing this year he could benefit from. Nonetheless, Paolo is a special talent. From his ability to score from all three levels at 6-foot-10, 250 pounds to his ability to create for others and find his teammates, there aren't many guys in the history of the game that own the physical tools and skill Paolo has. It was a surprise to some that Paolo was selected above Jabari Smith and Chet Holmgren but he quickly eliminated that doubt.
5.Ben Simmons - Philadelphia Sixers (2016)
Career stats: 14.7 PPG | 7.8 RPG | 7.5 APG
Accolades: NBA All-Rookie First Team (2018), Rookie of the Year (2018), 3x NBA All-Star, All-NBA Third Team (2021), 2x All-Defensive First Team. NBA Steals Leader (2020)
Reading off Ben Simmons’ list of accomplishments, you would expect him to be near the top of this list. But after a rough past two seasons, Simmons is sliding down this list and is in jeopardy of sliding further unless he can regain the form he showed as a two-way savant from 2018-2021. He entered the league as the perfect blend of size, athleticism and skill with the ability to seemingly guard every position on the floor. Nowadays, it’s fair to wonder if he is even a starting caliber player in the NBA. Still just 26-years-old, Simmons has time to turn his career around, but it remains to be seen whether he is willing to put the work in to improve the flaws in his game and once again become one of the league’s elite.
4.Andrew Wiggins - Cleveland Cavaliers (2014)
Career stats: 19.1 PPG | 4.5 RPG | 2.3 APG
Accolades: NBA All-Rookie First Team (2015), Rookie of the Year (2015), NBA All-Star (2022), NBA Champion (2022)
Andrew Wiggins went from one of the most maligned no. 1 overall picks in recent history, with people questioning his motor and desire to maximize his talent and ability, to an indispensable part of the Warriors 2022 title team and legitimate All-Star level wing. The tools and ability have always been there, but Wiggins is the ultimate case study for what putting a player in the proper environment can do for their careers. Playing alongside Steph Curry, Klay Thomspon and Draymond Green allowed his strengths on both ends to be highlighted without him having to carry the burden of being the guy. What you now see is one of the elite two-way players in the NBA, changing the negative perception that followed him in Minnesota.
3.Karl-Anthony Towns - Minnesota Timberwolves (2015)
Career stats: 23.0 PPG | 11.2 RPG | 3.2 APG | 39.5 3PT%
Accolades: 3x NBA All-Star, 2x All-NBA Third Team, NBA Rookie of the Year (2016), NBA All-Rookie First Team (2016)
Karl-Anthony Towns gets a lot of slack from NBA fans but you can't discredit his production in his first eight years. He's been nothing but dominant from Day 1. You may not agree with his takes that he's the big man best shooter of all time but he will absolutely go down as one of the greatest shooting bigs ever and we can't take that for granted. Other than Dirk, no one has shot the 3-ball at his size with the same efficiency and volume to go along with difficulty. He's shooting threes off the dribble and off the catch and he's just under 40 percent from deep in his career. KAT has a long way to go in terms of winning as he's still looking for his first playoff series win but he certainly has been a success as the No. 1 pick.
2.Zion Williamson - New Orleans Pelicans (2019)
Career stats: 25.8 PPG | 7.0 RPG | 3.6 APG | 60.5 FG%
Accolades: 2x NBA All-Star, NBA All-Rookie First Team (2020)
Zion Williamson is without a doubt the most talented player on this list. The term generational talent often gets thrown around loosely but if there was a generational talent on this list, it's this guy. Nobody can question what he does on the floor. He's arguably the most dominant interior scorer since Shaq. There's no formula to slow him down and if you decide to double him, he'll still elevate above it and score or dribble out of it and find his angle to the basket. He's shooting slightly over 60 percent from his career and that's standing at 6-foot-6. The issue with Zion is his inability to stay on the floor. Zion has played in 114 games and has missed 194 games in his career so far. The Pelicans have been unable to reach their potential because of Zion's consistent absence. He's far from a bust or a disappointment but you have to be concerned about his future.
1.Anthony Edwards - Minnesota Timberwolves (2020)
Career stats: 21.8 PPG | 5.1 RPG | 3.7 APG
Accolades: NBA All-Star (2022), NBA All-Rookie First Team (2021)
When you have the conversation of who's going to be the next face of the NBA when the older superstars hang it up, Anthony Edwards has to be one of the names listed. He has an early case to be No. 1 on this list and could end up being the best player of the10 mentioned here when it's all said and done. He's helped the Timberwolves make the playoffs in two of his first three seasons and has become the face of the franchise, taking the throne from the aforementioned Karl-Anthony Towns. With his growth as a shooter, Ant-Man is developing into an offensive player with virtually no weakness and with the NBA being a 'wings' league', he's the perfect guy to build a team around. While he's been in the league for only three years, Ant-Man looks to be trending toward a legit superstar. We could see him soon as a top five player in this league.