Ranking the No. 1 NBA Picks of the Last 10 Years | The Ryen Russillo Podcast

Russillo is joined by his producer, Steve Ceruti, to rank the best NBA no. 1 overall draft picks of the last 10 years in order.
Check out the Bill Simmons KZbin channel: / billsimmons
Subscribe to The Ringer on KZbin: therin.gr/5te1wFL
CONNECT
Shop: theringer.com/shop
Website: theringer.com
Twitter: / ringer
Facebook: / ringer
Instagram: / ringer
KZbin: / @theringernba

[@Dave-to5it]

"I'd rather have Simmons not playing than Ayton" is fucking gold lmfao

[@andylee1651]

Fultz anywhere but 10 is absolutely insane. Ayton and Simmons at least had high points in their careers, Fultz is averaging 8 and 3 and it is considered a huge success lmfao

[@sgrey9181]

Disagree. Fultz isn’t anywhere near as good as we thought he’d be, but it’s not for lack of effort. He will be a reliable role player for many years to come, which you can hardly say for Simmons or Ayton

[@andylee1651]

ROY, all nba 3rd team, and multiple defensive 1st team outweighs reliable role player even if Simmons doesn't play another game. Sir Rudy is a magic stan so its forgiven but come on, you can get what fultz does late first round every draft. Alot harder to find someone who had the impact Simmons did even if it was only for 4 seasons lol

[@johnsnobles124]

You have to factor in the contacts too who would GMs want Ben Simmons and D Ayton both got max contracts

[@andylee1651]

@@johnsnobles124 No you definitely don't have to factor in the contracts that was not part of the exercise lol

[@JackHammer503]

One day I hope to feel as much passion about anything the way Ceruti despises Deandre Ayton lmao

[@Shortballa11]

Ayton 10 is simply hate, but im here for it lol

[@cam8868]

It’s truth

[@skylertaylor7283]

Double double machine he's just lazy

[@vietnam1978]

It’s true though. Ayton is an ok starter on a bad team

[@Jenkdog14]

When all is said and done i honestly think it’s probably right. Right now, i’d choose Ayton obviously but Simmons had some better highs early in his career.

[@Shortballa11]

@@vietnam1978better than Simmons who doesnt even play

[@Airwave202]

Sizzler of a take had me dying 😂😂

[@kostaVHjovanovic]

If this was pre ATL series. Simons would be second (or 3rd). What a sad turn of events for basketball fans

[@Fnubee]

For the purposes of building the KZbin channel, I think Ryen's face should appear on each thumbnail. Gotta build the brand.

[@Theiliteritesbian]

I think he dated the utube moderators and it went as expected. My little brother has more subs and he just shows all the diff things u can do with unbaked potatoes. Treat the ladies better, Ryen, it matters.

[@DancherboiJr]

I need Ryen mouth open ready to accept man hood in the thumbnail. Gonna go viral

[@stolpk]

Imagine wanting Cade over Kat.

[@tom4life2001]

Here are the rankings to help you follow along: Ryen Russillo List 1. Victor Wembanyama (2023) 2. Anthony Edwards (2020) 3. Paolo Banchero (2022) 4. Cade Cunningham (2021) 5. Zion Williamson (2019) 6. Karl Anthony Towns (2015) 7. Andrew Wiggins (2014) 8. DeAndre Ayton? (2018) 9. Markelle Fultz? (2017) 10. Ben Simmons (2016) Producer Steve Ceruti List 1. Victor Wembanyama (2023) 2. Anthony Edwards (2020) 3. Paolo Banchero (2022) 4. Zion Williamson (2019) 5. Cade Cunningham (2021) 6. Karl Anthony Towns (2015) 7. Andrew Wiggins (2014) 8. Markelle Fultz (2017) 9. Ben Simmons (2016) 10. DeAndre Ayton (2018)

[@jdankerdake]

There should be about ten empty spaces between #1 and #2. Yikes on the bottom four.

[@sanche215]

Thank you kind sir

[@cranekraken24]

​@@jdankerdakeThat's ridiculous disrespect toward Ant Edwards my man. I've got no dog in this fight but think you're way off with this take.

[@michaelahurt]

​@@cranekraken24No it's not. If Ant is a top 5 SG ever and wins an MVP that's an 11/10 career. If Victor wins less than 6 combined titles and MVP's and isn't a top 10 player ever that's a disappointment. Ant will at best be the second best *guard* of his era because of Luka. Comparing him to Victor is like comparing Wade to LeBron.

[@trainwrekka12]

​@@michaelahurt lebron ain't ever had a 15 win season. Wemby is so incredibly overrated

[@day6778]

KAT and Cade is the only thing I would flip. Even if you believe in Cade and don't like KAT we can't forget that gms once had him as the player they would pick to start their teams. Definitely was ahead of Cade at the same stage of their careers.

[@WheresWaldo05]

That was long before Cade was in the league. Lol. And before all Kats infuriating playoff performances. I am telling you right now us wolves fans in our chat forums have been clamoring to trade Kat for a couple seasons now. The same way as when we started that with Sleepy Wiggo

[@day6778]

@@WheresWaldo05 KAT has his flaws don't get me wrong lol. I've watched him be unable to take advantage of smaller guys on a switch way too many times. He's not THE guy on a team but there is decent chance Cade won't be either. He didn't become a superstar but he's still a good player.

[@joeg2258]

KAT is 10 times better than Cade

[@michaelahurt]

​@@day6778 But there's a good chance Cade won't have as many -- or really any -- flaws when he's 28, even if he is your second/third best player. Just as a prospect though, I'd have to rank KAT higher. Especially how we graded them at the time.

[@roycedot]

KAT doesn’t really care about winning. That’s why Butler exposed the team during practice. Immensely gifted no doubt

[@eitanmagaliff9772]

Fultz above Simmons is crazy. Simmons is a three time all star.

[@mikephilipps2090]

The joy in Ryen's face as he rips apart DeAndre Ayton is so enjoyable :)

[@iamjacquesbarjon]

Simmons over Ayton is insane

[@qhar]

I am a Magic fan but Fultz also over him is... Well interesting..:]

[@dominic64tblightning24]

Id go 1 Wemby 2 Ant 3 Paolo 4 KAT 5 Zion (would be higher if he was serious) 6 Cade 7 Wiggins 8 Simmons 9 Ayton 10 Fultz But 8-10 are kinda interchangeable

[@romanshibilski7093]

Russilo is the man

[@cptsketch13]

This should be a draft of #1 picks over the last 20 years and it should be a Bill and Ryen Sunday segment

[@jammysau]

actually tried to build one of my own lol, lmk what you think - 20-16: bennett, oden, simmons, ayton, markelle 15-11: bargnani, wiggins, bogut, wall, KAT 10-6: blake, d rose, zion, cade, kyrie 5-1: paolo, ant, victor (he's just a season in), dwight, AD

[@jammysau]

well, misread your comment. i just did a ranking, in a draft yeah im goin victor #1 all day lmao

[@cptsketch13]

@@jammysau I love the effort lol

[@TheChessRunner]

​@@jammysau if you offer Spurs. Victor stays his whole career with you and has AD level. They decline in a heartbeat. AD deserves 2, but Wemby is at another level

[@jammysau]

@@TheChessRunner first off, my rating initially was an all time rating of these #1 picks (i misread the OG comment lol), it would be different if i were drafting them if all these 20 players were rookies. regarding the ranking though, what victor's doing is truly insane and all-time shit.... buuuuut we've had a lotta very very good rookies who haven't gone on to be all timers per se. I think wemby goes up a spot over dwight if he continues to do what he's doing for another 2ish seasons? all he needs to beat out AD is long-term decent health, and getting slightly better/more game-savvy. nothing's stopping the kid imo. again, in a draft with all of these players being rookies, i'm taking vic 20/10 times. but for an all time ranking, yeah, idk i'll take the resumes over the potential ~for now~, if that makes sense.

[@michaelcollins3384]

Haha Ceruti of course loves Fultz. I'd like to see you guys do this exercise again but include first AND second overall picks going back 15 years, and bring in House, Wos and - sigh - Simmons, just so he could look like a dumb-dumb and make a movie reference nobody asked for.

[@bleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee]

There's no universe where Cade is a better pick than KAT

[@WheresWaldo05]

This list takes into account growth and what ifs. Not just what have you done in the past. Deerrrr. Otherwise Wemby cannot go 1st. Ant goes 1st.

[@user-vl2yv9rx4e]

Yeah but the stupid part of that approach is that the newer guys are almost always going to be picked first bc all of them still have "potential", whereas the other guys we have mostly seen the final product. I will however, stand by the fact that Cade's ceiling is probably not better than KAT. dude's in yr 3 and his team lost 28 in a row with him as the first option lol. He can still be good, but acting like he can still be a legitimate superstar at this point is laughable. If i were to put money on it, i don't even think he'll be as good as peak simmons, and maybe wiggins. simmons was all nba and all defense and made an immediate winning impact, and wiggins was the 2nd option on a championship team. Cade should probably be 8th on this list. @@WheresWaldo05

[@johnt6806]

In the wise words of Family Guy, "the mystery box (Cade) could be anything. It could even be a boat (KAT)!" Then why don't you just take.."I'll take the mystery box!"

[@mgee1723]

Kat under Zion and Cade is crazy

[@colbyisham2677]

KAT isn't a winning player. Doesn't make anyone better. Doesn't ever fit into an offensive scheme that wins basketball games and is one of the biggest ball stoppers in the league. Jimmy Butler was 100% right about who he was during his time in Minnesota. Not to mention he got leapfrogged by Ant as the alpha and true foundation of the franchise in one season of them together. There's serious Ewing Theory with him being out and their offense really not being any worse without him. He doesn't move me man or impact anything.

[@mgee1723]

@@colbyisham2677 Zion hardly plays. Cade just lead his team to an all time losing streak

[@WheresWaldo05]

​@@colbyisham2677our offense has been way worse without him 🤡 And as a wolves fan i been begging for us to trade him for a few seasons now.

[@donjohn7709]

And Zion and Cade are? LMAO@@colbyisham2677

[@richborn6700]

​@@colbyisham2677man got outta here with that FIVE year old Butler take. KAT has seen the entire regime change. Every teammate, GM, coach, and even soon the the ownership

[@littleguyjoe22]

Russilo is right the not playing thing with simmons is a minor issue. Those offseason workout highlights bring a lot of attention to a franchsie and are worth the contract.

[@Dichotomic_King]

“If you offered Kat for Cade, who would say no?” Is one of the most freezing cold takes I’ve ever heard

[@1800LUNATIC]

Who do you think says no? Both teams probably because of fit, but in a vacuum the pistons say no

[@christopherwilliams2351]

The Ayton and KAT hate here is wrong lol

[@THE_BEAR_JEW]

Crazy how even among #1 picks, there's such a high likelihood (40% in this case) that you'll end up with a total bust or just ok player like Fultz, Wiggins, Simmons or Ayton. In the case of Ayton...that's gotta be rough for the Suns knowing Luka was right there. Same with Philly, who could've had Brown and Tatum instead of Simmons and Fultz.

[@jdankerdake]

Not just the Suns - the Kings and Hawks (who drafted him) knew Luka was right there. That's the most historically unforgivable and egregious. Tatum over Fultz looks terrible in hindsight, but Fultz was a really good prospect (comped to Harden) before his injuries and shooting collapse. Simmons was a WAAAAYYYYYYY better prospect than Brown. He was supposed to be a 6'10" LeBron. We knew he couldn't shoot, but no one knew he would REFUSE to shoot and become unplayable, not to mention the injuries. Jahlil Okafor and Michael Carter-Williams were much worse picks for the Sixers.

[@SomeChink]

It just shows you how much your mentality means when it comes to being an elite athlete

[@THE_BEAR_JEW]

@@jdankerdake Yeah that was pretty bad with Luka lol. I agree on Tatum and Brown but I meant more like it must suck you missed on those guys and got the much worse player. I get why Philly made the picks they did but it still has to hurt to look over at Boston and see those guys going to the ECF or Finals every year when you could've had em.

[@dvs620]

​@@jdankerdake The Ayton pick was defensible at the time, but now is bad. The Hawks can at least say they have Trae, who is the best player drafted between the Suns, Kings and Hawks. The Kings are the ones who royally screwed up. All they had to do was take the player the Suns didn't draft.

[@jdankerdake]

@@dvs620 The Hawks reasoning for trading Doncic was more egregious in my opinion and an afront to the sanctity and purpose of sports. From my understanding, they kept Trae because they thought he’d be a better fit for “the culture,” not because they thought he’d be a better player. The vast majority of fans care foremost about winning. Ask Hawks fans (however many there are) how many of them would rather have Luka now. The Trae apologists are living in denial. The Kings, as they have sone many times, f*cked up.

[@KK-pm7ud]

The moral of the story is that you want to draft based on not only potential upside but also desire. The interesting question to me is to redraft the top 10 picks for the last 10 drafts and see how they would have been ranked. Then discuss how each of the players drafted were perceived before the draft, during the draft, and then after time passed. The difference between Wemby and KAT is the desire and attitude. The same might go for Wiggins and ANT. And what is interesting is that Wiggins got better when he went to a championship team for a time, KAT has always played below his potential, and ANT has pushed hard to become a top 10 player. So a follow up to that might be a discussion of player vs culture where the Lakers have had some players leave their organization and over performi while you see some players in other organizations overcome the poor attitude in their team's culture like ANT.

[@michaelahurt]

The problem is good luck measuring the desire of a 19 year old. And even if you could, are you passing on Iverson and Shaq? Those guys at 70% are still better than 99.9% of players. Ben Simmons barely worked on his game and *still* made All-NBA in his third season. Plus as you said, there is culture, player development, injuries, and million different situations and decisions that shape who we become as adults. Look at Barkley ... a guy whose work ethic and competitiveness is well documented now but who said he would have eaten himself out of the NBA if not for Moses Malone. Or go look how people talked about Zion's character before the draft. That is why you bet on talent. The other stuff is a tie breaker if the talent is even. To me the biggest mistake teams make in the draft is overdrafting based on "character". Especially when it's 19 year olds who don't know who they are But yeah I agree. Your suggestion would be infinitely more entertaining than the typical "re-draft" which is just 'rank these players' For me ranking them as prospects it's: Wemby (S tier) Simmons (A) * Embiid (A but C due to injury risk) *Luka (A) Paolo (B) Zion (B) KAT (B) Ayton (B/C) Cade (C) Fultz (C) Ant (C) Wiggins (C) *Oladipo (D) Bennett (F) I never really bought the Zion hype. Especially the defense so I was always way lower on him but I saw him as a shorter fatter Giannis on offense. Ayton was pretty close to KAT. Physically he was an Adonis and KAT's shooting ability really helped his stock. The big concern was rim protection but there was a general sense it'd probably be fine because he had good feet. Fultz, Cade and Ant was a pick em. They all had real concerns. (Although if Cade had actually measured 6'8" he'd have been right there with Paolo.) I think ultimately I would have preferred Cade because he had the highest floor by a lot. I saw Ant as true 50/50. He was either gonna be Dion Waiters or this. And I really liked Fultz. Wiggins was the same tier but almost a C- instead of a C+ ... He had the physical tools but the lack of playmaking vision and his general demeanor -- just not a guy I wanted to bet on. (Although I liked him a lot more than Jabari Parker)

[@noyou113]

@@michaelahurtYou’re underselling ant as a prospect. It wasn’t that he was a bad prospect compared to past years, and more he was unfortunate victim of circumstance. His freshman season got cut short due to a virus, he wasn’t able to play during march madness, and he decided to play for his hometown team instead of going to a big college like Duke or Kentucky. He has absolutely no hype, and the media didn’t care about him. That didn’t make him any less of a prospect. I’d have him more as a B ranked prospect than a C-. He still led college in scoring, and has measurables we’ve almost never seen out of a guard. Outside of Ant, I’d agree with most of what you said.

[@michaelahurt]

@@noyou113 Go back and read the scouting reports. Ant shot 40% overall, 29% from three and had a 1:1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Teams don't exactly salivate over guards who make bad decisions, don't playmake and can't shoot. Also he played in all 32 games and only averaged 19 points per game so idk where you are getting that his season was cut short or he led the country in scoring. (That was Markus Howard at 27.8 PPG) In a stronger draft there's just no way he goes first. He was similar to guys like Jaylen Brown and Russell Westbrook as a prospect. And those two were seen as slight reaches at picks 3 and 4 during their drafts.

[@noyou113]

@@michaelahurt Sorry, bad wording. Led freshman in scoring. (Big difference) Also, 2020 was the virus year. His season was cut short, and there was no march madness. Also he couldn’t workout in person for a lot of nba teams, and had to do zoom calls. It was a weird year in general. And that shot selection you’re talking about is a result of him getting doubled, and being by far the best player on his team. It was considered a weak draft, but the point I’m making, is that draft, and Edwards in general would’ve been a lot more hyped if the virus never occurred. Unfortunate circumstance.

[@michaelahurt]

@@noyou113 Georgia wouldn't have made the tournament anyway. He's not the first guy to get double teamed though. Guys like Cade, Ja, Haliburton, Steph, etc. were all similarly targeted by defenses because they were so much better than everyone else but none of them had the same kinds of questions about shot selection (or playmaking). I'd like to think that anyone who spends a lot of time scouting knows the difference between settling and needing to force bad shots because your team sucks. They are not the same thing.

[@Sbock86]

Was waiting for a countdown from 10 to 1 and Russillo just goes straight to 1. Love how unconventional he is 😂

[@jdankerdake]

I wonder if Towns is going to end up having had a better career than Zion and Cade. For Town's flaws, he has been mostly healthy and productive throughout his career. IDK how good Cade would have to be to overcome the wasteland of Detroit he's playing in to become relevant to the average NBA fan.

[@johnt6806]

Minnesota was a wasteland too at the time, and KAT had to overcome that.

[@jdankerdake]

​@@johnt6806 Better teammates certainly helps. K Love, Rubio, KAT, Wiggins, Butler, Ant... even before this season, with all their shortcomings, the Wolves have flirted with relevancy for the last decade plus. When was the last time the Pistons were relevant to the broader NBA fanbase? '08? That one year Blake Griffin was there?

[@johnt6806]

@@jdankerdake you're right that if I was ranking biggest wastelands that players had to deal with, Detroit, then Sacramento, then Minnesota would probably have been the top 3 in that order for current NBA players. I guess my point is that KAT looked just as good, if not better than Cade at the same points in their career, and both were in comparably bad situations (even if Cade's was slightly worse).

[@razkable]

I think woz meant like sometimes the 1st pick is lebron or shaq or magic and sometimes its kwame or bargnani...i guess its more like sometimes the 1st pick is kyrie or griffin or paolo and sometimes its all time or maybe paolo is inbetween...he may win more than wemby who knows and stay healthy for 20 years and play that long....

[@finglo9521]

My antman

[@slobberkissintl3548]

Zion should be averaging 9 or ten rebounds

[@shorewall]

For real, he should be the modern Charles Barkley.

[@vietnam1978]

Should be, but he’s out of shape

[@timmystool3349]

Rebounding is a skill…. Zion doesn’t have it and all his boards are a result of just sheer width and atheltism

[@TheSportsandFilmFellowship]

Agreed but Paolo, Zion and Cade aren’t over Kat. And I don’t even like Kat

[@michaelstover6778]

U obviously don’t know basketball towns is a loser

[@Dave-to5it]

Aggregious take

[@shorewall]

​@@michaelstover6778as opposed to all the winning that zion and cade have done. Lol.

[@kam_12_]

⁠@@shorewallthats not the point.. you gotta look at their value to a team and kat, for all the good he can do scoring and shooting the ball, has just as many bad qualities and plays😭 zion and cade have won just as much as Kat, not at all😭

[@YourWorstNightmare3333]

Paolo light years better than KAT Compare their sophomore season

[@daj_leo4417]

Ceruti has an invite to the player haters ball. Lol

[@handfullofsean]

Steve looking handsome

[@1800LUNATIC]

Ceruti’s magic bias needs to be studied lmao

[@ruchpat1]

Cade is so good if you’re not from Michigan y’all don’t get it.

[@chucknola484]

Wemby and Edwards #1 and #2 Three - Seven is personal preference. I have Simmons 8th, Fultz 9th and Ayton #10.

[@YourWorstNightmare3333]

Paolo is closer to wemby and Ant

[@willzsportscards]

Don't forget when Ayton was drafted a lot of talking heads were saying "Luka has been playing pro ball for a few years now and is probably close to his ceiling." LOLLLLLLL Basketball is hard. I've never seen someone come close to peaking at 19 (if they keep at the craft and stay healthy).

[@ruchpat1]

Cannot wait until Cade Cunningham leads the Detroit Pistons to an NBA Championship and the haters lips will be zipped

[@stanleyrizzo]

Steve Ceruti is one of the good guys. He is good people.

[@rahulsinha6862]

Should be Wemby, Ant, Zion, Paolo, KAT, Cade, Ayton, Wiggins, Simmons, Fultz. Only legit discussion is Cade v KAT

[@EGarrett01]

The way these guys feel about Ayton is how I feel about Wiggins, I hate how little he cares. Even more than Simmons because Simmons at least has some kind of injury.

[@brandumb925]

The fact that the Wolves have 3 of the 10 no. 1's is just incredible lottery luck. The Ant pick was their saving grace

[@TheChessRunner]

Still to early to call. I think at the exact same point in their careers most GM's still would pick KAT . Around that time it started going down. But still Ant easily can fall to 5 in this list in the next 2 years

[@packers806]

@@TheChessRunnerhaha sure bud. He’s averaging 33 a game without Kat. Only Wemby is a better future bet right now. Kid is averaging 26.5/5/5 at 22. Who’s passing that from the last 3 drafts cause he already passed everybody but Wemby and technically he’s right at Wemby but Wemby is crazy talented so he’s the 1 for sure no argument there.

[@richborn6700]

Technically Cleveland drafted Wiggins but flipped him to us for Kevin Love. But yes it's crazy MN has owned 30% of the last #1 picks

[@ryanrobinson5638]

Before ant, we hadn't ever picked better than our potential seating.... Way more often than not dropping........ Also, Wiggins was a trade, we didn't win that lottery. And I'd argue that he wasn't exactly a Beacon, so much as an albatross after a while there.

[@brandumb925]

@@ryanrobinson5638 man i cant believe i blanked on the wiggins/love trade. Guess the point cant really be made with only 2 #1's, but Ant was such an incredible pick in hindsight. He was the #1 prospect that draft, but with it being the Covid draft, they should get props for still picking the best player without being able to scout nearly as well as any other year.

[@sisepuede5612]

For the algorithm

[@stefanpberg]

313 vs everybody

[@davidburke2453]

I was wrong about Pablo. My dumbass thought he would be a super charged Boozer. The kid is a legit building block that is only going to continue to get better. Only grip. Not a great defender, but he is on a great team for that. For the love of God can Isaac give them 20-25 minutes a night and play 55 games a year. That kid can defend with the best of them in the NBA. The funny thing about the Ringer though is that they were saying Evan Mobley was the next Tim Duncan when he puts up the same stats as Deandre Ayton.

[@WheresWaldo05]

He is an above average defender. Go do some online analytic/defensive metrics research.

[@akw23]

Agree. Watch the games. The leap he’s made defensively in year 2 has been very encouraging. To be 6’10, 260 and be able to move your feet like he does is very special. Those pre draft projections are really outdated.

[@puneetsahewala24]

Vic Ant Cade Paolo Zion KAT Wiggins Ayton Simmons Fultz

[@hoppy23]

Sometimes you get the #1 and the scouts miss on a prospext even vetter then wemby #dontforgetlukatherealeurostar

[@andysauro1500]

Wemby: excellent ANT: Excellent Paolo: excellent Zion: excellent talent, lacks discipline (diet) and work ethic (rebounds) Cade: Excellent talent and improving KAT: excellent talent, Bone headed Wiggins: lacks heart/effort Ayton: lacks heart/effort Simmons: lacks heart/effort and back Fultz: unfortunate circumstances The common thread seems to be teams need to focus more on the Interview portions of the draft. Too many times they fall in love with the talent and not the person and their discpline/intelligence/work ethic.

[@andysauro1500]

To be perfectly fair and honest however, I would have passed on ANT due to the interviews and how he showed up draft night (zoom call). I would have regretted it entirely too.

[@k_hack9441]

This hurts as a Sixers fan. Both guys weren’t even bad, but just the unluckiest things in a hundred years happened. One guy got hurt in Summer League and ruined his shot, and the other went from All-NBA to the biggest choke artist in playoff league history

[@Theiliteritesbian]

Keep telling yourself this

[@k_hack9441]

@@Theiliteritesbian where am I mistaken?

[@cranekraken24]

Danny Ainge fleeced the Sixers. Got Tatum and another first round pick for Fultz. He knew he wanted Tatum and knew the Sixers wanted Fultz. The Celtics always seem to come out on top when the Sixers are involved.

[@michaelahurt]

I'm a Pistons fan and even I feel bad for you guys

[@k_hack9441]

@@cranekraken24 Yup, Ainge fleeced Colangelo bad (who was installed as GM by the NBA after forcing out Hinkie). They could have sat at 3 and still taken Fultz since the Celtics were a guard-heavy team at the time.

[@vincentbaillargeon9139]

I think Cade could be a super talent, like top 10 future guy. I hate how his team is built right now. Give him a good team and watch out. Paolo also is awesome.

[@razkable]

Zion vs kat is a debate kat wins for me zion vs cade is a debate i go zion but kat vs cade is not close

[@Deezy3211]

Literally everyone knew Zion would be a bust, the most obvious shit ever. Best case scenario is what he currently is; a borderline all star. That being said…. Ben Simmons I got way wrong, as did the world it seems

[@ptyten9718]

Zion is a bust? He's been a two time All Star and a pretty dominant player when healthy. He's def played below the BITW expectations but bust is crazy imo.

[@WheresWaldo05]

He did this same pouty stuff at LSU. He did not try cause he was forced to go to college for a season before the nba. He did not care. Which is why i hated him then. And still do. And was correct all along. This is not rocket science.

[@Lord_Clarke]

This Ayton ranking is so foolish dude was the 2nd option and 2nd best player on a finals team. Ayton's attitude problem was because he was upset they traded for someone who pushed him down the pecking order that's a perfectly fine thing to be upset about.

[@greyklopstock7155]

Well Wiggins was the second option on a finals team, guarded the other team's first option, LOCKED HIM DOWN, and actually won. So yeah, Wiggins is absolutely higher than Ayton

[@Lord_Clarke]

@greyklopstock7155 Wiggins was not the 2nd option that year, Klay took more shots than him in the regular season, Wig and Poole took that same amount of shots in the reg season. In the playoffs Klay still took more shots than him, so by the playoffs dude was the 3rd option. Did he have a great post season yes, but he's done nothing of merit before or since and he's been in the NBA far longer than Ayton.

[@greyklopstock7155]

@@Lord_Clarke dog, he WON A CHAMPIONSHIP, guarded the other team's best perimeter player that whole run, and in the FINALS, was the NUMBER TWO SCORER. He led the finals in rebounds, he defended Jayson Tatum so well people were questioning his superstar status, he was an all star. Wiggins is more accomplished than Ayton. It's not particularly close.

[@Mskedu47]

lol who is this ‘sir rudy’

[@matthogg2252]

I always assumed is was Sir Rudy , until now. Kinda disappointed.

[@ebnest123]

PAOLO BANCHERO

[@patgeary9673]

Simmons over ayton is soooo disrespectful hahah

[@mailmansteve87]

I think KAT would be like #2 if it was Year 4, I think it's all rose colored glasses on all the guys ahead of him besides Wemby

[@razkable]

Cade over towns is insane....i got wiggins simmons and ayton over cade...fultz is the only one i have under cade...

[@rbkluv29]

The Paulo slander is insane- bring that coward on the next show! #magicfansunite

[@dave_407]

Y’all are trying to justify what this man said, he completely shit on Paolo like he was another Deandre Ayton. You should all be ashamed

[@ShinMadero]

The Sixers drafting the 2 worst is just absolutely par for the course for our mickey mouse franchise

[@vietnam1978]

Zion would be so good if he just lost some weight

[@fentanyljones6956]

Paolo gotta be #3

[@mattwhitely1067]

Simmons was good till his back injury lead a team to the third seed with embiid out.. He is done though the back injury done

[@brandonmoskos9149]

No way I am taking Zion or Cade over Towns..

[@colbybrand5326]

People are getting overhyped on ant. When you’re on a team like Minnesota, you’re going to shine. He’s great, but Zion healthy is better than ant.

[@Noone23850]

I would have Zion #2

[@1800LUNATIC]

Fultz should be 10 for sure. His highs are in the mud, and his lows are also in the mud. I don’t care that he’s better than Simmons right now, I’d still take Simmons career 10/10 times over fultz

[@coreystenson2010]

cade hype is crazy. at some point you have to be held accountable to some extent. putting him ahead of a borderline 50/40/90 guy 7 footer is just purely hate. pistons have way more talent around him then teams with better records. i think he gets a pass because hes lightskin

[@JCJunior12]

I'm sorry but Cade over Karl Anthony Towns at this stage is nasty, bro has been a multiple time all star and was at his peak a top 3 player in his position (you can disagree but he made all NBA third team twice). It is highly unlikely Cade is ever top 3 in his position and I know its early but he's shown no signs that he will reach KATs level.

[@VirtasPartners]

Cade had a great rookie season (That no one talked about) and basically missed his whole second season. Averaging 22.5, 5, 7.5 on significantly improved efficiency in what is more or less his second season is a huge sign that he will be a very impactful player. Monty and troy weaver have done him no favors with roster construction and lineup decisions so you can't just say he's a loser. I don't see him being a jokic/giannis level player, but I think he could definitely be in the Tatum/booker level. KAT has had a good career so far, but I think Cade is the real deal

[@timmystool3349]

The disrespect for KAT is crazy….. yeah he’s a little soft but to say you’d rather want Cade or Paola at this point is a joke 😂

[@joshuacampbell6212]

God Ceruti is brain dead talking about Ayton lmao,Ryen tried to tell him

[@krismanchaotic6643]

Its so crazy to me how quick nba talking heads just throw logic out the window to praise whoever the trending name is. Wemby is good and he will probably be a great player, but he has won 15 games in his nba career chill out and let the kid win a few games before you claim he is going to be a perennial mvp candidate. Also Cade over Kat? Get me whatever you are having Kat was an allstar and all-nba player at the point Cade is at in his career. And plz don't come at me with this mystical potential bs.

[@jwells1914]

The Pistons management situation has been such a train wreck he goes unnoticed but Cade really can be special

[@trainwrekka12]

Hes gone back to Standrew Wiggins.

[@oskarchristiansen4642]

Ayton at 10 is crazy dude has been balling lately

[@user-fu6gf9ix7h]

Darn, this segment shows, that there are allot of misses with the #1 pick.

[@donjohn7709]

ANT WEMBY PAULO KAT CADE ZION

[@Mellowyellow8888]

I mean if you said where they are today and helping a team win.. certainly.. but if you say look out 10 years even from where ant was drafted at.. no one is going to say ant is a generational talent..

[@abysstruthpoet]

Even though Simmons is the worst he will end his career with more accolades then Wiggins fultz and ayton 3 time all star 2 time all defensive team and a all NBA third team bid so yes while he deteriorated after that playoff fiasco vs Atlanta his beginning of his career did more for Philly then fultz ayton and Wiggins did for there teams

[@jdm2339]

IS ANYONE A KAT GUY???

[@razkable]

Kat disrespect

[@anthonymannone441]

The love for Cade is deserved, I think.

[@2pugshakur50]

Ayton 24 15 since the all star break.Are you really watching.You both say you don’t care about numbers.Having fultz in front of ayton is r3tarded

[@peacefulwarrior9518]

Simmons over Ayton is cope

[@louisloother301]

Putting Paolo 3rd is delusional 😂😂😂 This list is idiotic 😂😂😂

[@chirocket4791]

Care to high

[@pjmartin3666]

Fultz is last! He’s never going to accomplish what any of the other dudes have

[@eriksports]

I would take Paolo over Cade in a heartbeat. You guys are trying so hard to not be homers. Paolo has mvp potential.

[@VirtasPartners]

Eh. No one watches Cade. The dude is special. At his size, I feel like Paolo is very ineffecient (Which I know isn't everything). I think they are the same level.

[@joshb.1118]

A lot hindsight bias.

[@michaelstover6778]

Isn’t waz that dope who thought the wizards would win like 24 games? Why do they listen to that old dude

[@haydenpike8586]

Paolo is not better than Zion lol

[@ethangildone865]

It’s minor

[@andrewlaws5526]

Hire a fucking thumbnail/title/branding guy. My god

[@datruth9078]

Wolves had 3 number 1 in ten years and haven’t made it out the first round 😂😂

[@Steeezzzzz]

Ben Simmons back is legitimately hurt lmao he has a ongoing issue he needs time to get healthy

[@NewRimHoops]

Zion was always overrated man, can’t shoot, undersized, give me Cade all day . As a prospect, Cade is better and just because his team is a dumpster fire doesn’t diminish his ability.

[@AsianGreatness]

Paolo so overrated. I’d rather have KAT and Zion over him

[@esanwellington7179]

Wemby at the top is crazy. Dude can't get 15 wins and y'all putting him no1????? Loololll smh

[@Mskedu47]

Paolo is a mediocre dude guy

[@jamhotchicken]

WE ARE ORLANDO AND WE LOVE PAOLO AND HE IS GREAT > OVER ANYONE ON THE LIST TBH 🥲

[@Bootyboy31]

Ayton a huge lockerroom cancer. 10 is valid