Fish in a Bread Basket

The 2004 draft doesn't get the press the '03 Lebron/Darko/Melo/Bosh/Wade draft does but it certainly has yielded some intriguing possibilities. A comparison:

2003: Following the five above...
6. Chris Kaman
7. Kirk Hinrich
8. T.J. Ford (Bucks)
11. Mickael Pietrus
14. Luke Ridnour
18. David West
28. Leandro Barbosa (Spurs - traded to Suns for '05 pick)
29. Josh Howard
47. Mo Williams (Jazz)
51. Kyle Korver

2004:
1. Dwight Howard
2. Emeka Okafor
3. Ben Gordon
4. Shaun Livingston
5. Devin Harris
6. Josh Childress
7. Luol Deng
9. Andre Iguodala
11. Andris Biedrins
13. Sebastian Telfair (Blazers)
15. Al Jefferson
17. Josh Smith
18. J.R. Smith (Hornets)
19. Dorell Wright
20. Jameer Nelson (Nuggets - traded to Magic)
24. Delonte West
25. Tony Allen
26. Kevin Martin

Which draft is better? At this point, you'd unquestionably have to say '03. But in time '04 may turn out to have been just as good. With Deng, Iguodala, Biedrins, Jefferson, the Smiths, and Kmart it may at least prove to be extraordinarily deep. Without Chris Kaman, however, it's nowhere near as sexy...