Re-Picking the 2009 NBA (Stephen Curry/James Harden) Draft

The 2009 NBA draft brought in guards Stephen Curry (out of Davidson) and James Harden (from Arizona State University). Both faced a modest amount of expectations as top-10 picks, but nobody expected those guys to finish 1-2 in MVP voting six seasons into their careers.

And while the 2009 class featured a collection of future All-Stars, scouts didn’t exactly do their homework. The Minnesota Timberwolves, for instance, passed on Curry (the 2015 MVP) twice in favor of selecting two lesser point guards—Ricky Rubio (injury prone, can’t shoot) and Jonny Flynn (undersized, out of the league by 2012 due to a hip injury).

The Memphis Grizzlies rolled the dice by taking towering 7’3” center Hasheem Thabeet No. 2 overall. He’s now toiling in the D-League.

By re-picking the draft based on career win shares, PointAfter set out to right those wrongs by showing where Harden, Curry and others should have been drafted back in 2009.

Re-Draft Takeaways

The Minnesota Timberwolves originally drafted Ricky Rubio with the No. 5 pick. In the re-draft, a total of six point guards (seven if you count Tyreke Evans) beat out Rubio by win shares.

Jonny Flynn, the T-Wolves No. 6 overall pick in 2009, is the worst player of the draft class by win shares (-1.1).

Wesley Matthews, who went undrafted back in 2009, should have gone in the top 10 overall based on career win shares (stay tuned).

Hasheem Thabeet, originally the No. 2 overall pick, dropped out of the first round entirely.

James Harden

James Harden Overview | PointAfter

Team: Los Angeles Clippers
Original Slot for Harden: No. 3
Original No. 1 pick: Blake Griffin

Win Shares: 63.0

Stephen Curry

Stephen Curry Overview | PointAfter

Team: Memphis Grizzlies
Original Slot for Curry: No. 7
Original No. 2 pick: Hasheem Thabeet

Win Shares: 53.7

Blake Griffin

Blake Griffin Overview | PointAfter

Team: Oklahoma City Thunder
Original Slot for Griffin: No. 1
Original No. 3 pick: James Harden

Win Shares: 50.9

Ty Lawson

Ty Lawson Overview | PointAfter

Team: Sacramento Kings
Original Slot for Lawson: No. 18
Original No. 4 pick: Tyreke Evans

Win Shares: 38.0

Wesley Matthews

Wesley Matthews Overview | PointAfter

Team: Minnesota Timberwolves
Original Slot for Matthews: Undrafted
Original No. 5 pick: Ricky Rubio

Win Shares: 35.7

Taj Gibson

Taj Gibson Overview | PointAfter

Team: Minnesota Timberwolves
Original Slot for Gibson: No. 26
Original No. 6 pick: Jonny Flynn

Win Shares: 28.2

Jeff Teague

Jeff Teague Overview | PointAfter

Team: Golden State Warriors
Original Slot for Teague: No. 19
Original No. 7 pick: Stephen Curry

Win Shares: 27.3

Brandon Jennings

Brandon Jennings Overview | PointAfter

Team: New York Knicks
Original Slot for Jennings: No. 10
Original No. 8 pick: Jordan Hill

Win Shares: 26.6

Darren Collison

Darren Collison Overview | PointAfter

Team: Toronto Raptors
Original Slot for Collison: No. 21
Original No. 9 pick: DeMar DeRozan

Win Shares: 26.4

DeMar DeRozan

DeMar DeRozan Overview | PointAfter

Team: Milwaukee Bucks
Original Slot for DeRozan: No. 9
Original No. 10 pick: Brandon Jennings

Win Shares: 25.5

Danny Green

Danny Green Overview | PointAfter

Team: New Jersey (Brooklyn) Nets
Original Slot for Green: No. 46
Original No. 11 pick: Terrence Williams

Win Shares: 22.8

Tyreke Evans

Tyreke Evans Overview | PointAfter

Team: Charlotte Bobcats (Hornets)
Original Slot for Evans: No. 4
Original No. 12 pick: Gerald Henderson

Win Shares: 21.7

Jodie Meeks

Jodie Meeks Overview | PointAfter

Team: Indiana Pacers
Original Slot for Meeks: No. 41
Original No. 13 pick: Tyler Hansbrough

Win Shares: 20.7

Jrue Holiday

Jrue Holiday Overview | PointAfter

Team: Phoenix Suns
Original Slot for Holiday: No. 17
Original No. 14 pick: Earl Clark

Win Shares: 19.3

Tyler Hansbrough

Tyler Hansbrough Overview | PointAfter

Team: Detroit Pistons
Original Slot for Hansbrough: No. 13
Original No. 15 pick: Austin Daye

Win Shares: 19.2

DeJuan Blair

DeJuan Blair Overview | PointAfter

Team: Chicago Bulls
Original Slot for Blair: No. 37
Original No. 16 pick: James Johnson

Win Shares: 19.1

Marcus Thornton

Marcus Thornton Overview | PointAfter

Team: Philadelphia 76ers
Original Slot for Thornton: No. 43
Original No. 17 pick: Jrue Holiday

Win Shares: 17.8

DeMarre Carroll

DeMarre Carroll Overview | PointAfter

Team: Minnesota Timberwolves
Original Slot for Carroll: No. 27
Original No. 18 pick: Ty Lawson

Win Shares: 17.0

Dante Cunningham

Dante Cunningham Overview | PointAfter

Team: Atlanta Hawks
Original Slot for Cunningham: No. 33
Original No. 19 pick: Jeff Teague

Win Shares: 15.4

Jonas Jerebko

Jonas Jerebko Overview | PointAfter

Team: Utah Jazz
Original Slot for Jerebko: No. 39
Original No. 20 pick: Eric Maynor

Win Shares: 14.6

Gerald Henderson

Gerald Henderson Overview | PointAfter

Team: New Orleans Hornets (Pelicans)
Original Slot for Henderson: No. 12
Original No. 21 pick: Darren Collison

Win Shares: 14.2

Jordan Hill

Jordan Hill Overview | PointAfter

Team: Portland Trail Blazers
Original Slot for Hill: No. 8
Original No. 22 pick: Victor Claver

Win Shares: 12.5

Chase Budinger

Chase Budinger Overview | PointAfter

Team: Sacramento Kings
Original Slot for Budinger: No. 44
Original No. 23 pick: Omri Casspi

Win Shares: 12.5

Omri Casspi

Omri Casspi Overview | PointAfter

Team: Dallas Mavericks
Original Slot for Casspi: No. 23
Original No. 24 pick: Byron Mullens

Win Shares: 12.0

Ricky Rubio

Ricky Rubio Overview | PointAfter

Team: Oklahoma City Thunder
Original Slot for Rubio: No. 5
Original No. 25 pick: Rodrigue Beaubois

Win Shares: 11.4

James Johnson

James Johnson Overview | PointAfter

Team: Chicago Bulls
Original Slot for Johnson: No. 16
Original No. 26 pick: Taj Gibson

Win Shares: 10.6

Patty Mills

Patty Mills Overview | PointAfter

Team: Memphis Grizzlies
Original Slot for Mills: No. 55
Original No. 27 pick: DeMarre Carroll

Win Shares: 10.1

Patrick Beverley

Patrick Beverley Overview | PointAfter

Team: Minnesota Timberwolves
Original Slot for Beverley: No. 42
Original No. 28 pick: Wayne Ellington

Win Shares: 9.9

Toney Douglas

Toney Douglas Overview | PointAfter

Team: Los Angeles Lakers
Original Slot for Douglas: No. 29
Original No. 29 pick: Toney Douglas

Win Shares: 9.2

Alonzo Gee

Alonzo Gee Overview | PointAfter

Team: Cleveland Cavaliers
Original Slot for Gee: Undrafted
Original No. 30 pick: Christian Eyenga

Win Shares: 7.9

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