Monday Listed: The NBA Draft’s Biggest Busts #1-5

Claim to Fame: Hopson was supposed to be an NBA star because of his athleticism. However, he was out of the league after five unspectacular seasons. #4, Chris Washburn, C, third overall, Golden State Warriors. Taken ahead of: Chuck Person, Ron Harper, Mark Price, and Dennis Rodman. Claim to Fame: Washburn struggled for three years with his conditioning and never played much with the Warriors. He ended up in Atlanta before getting kicked out of the league for drugs.#3, Ed O’Bannon, F, ninth overall, New Jersey Nets. Taken ahead of: Kurt Thomas, Brent Barry, and Michael Finley. Claim to Fame: O’Bannon was a great college player, so the expectations in Jersey were huge. However, the agile forward struggled with injuries and was playing in Europe after just three NBA seasons. #2, Sam Bowie, C, second overall, Portland Trail Blazers.

League's executives know it's vital to have nose for picks

Every year, basketball fans from Bountiful to Beijing watch the NBA draft on television to find out which young players will end up with which franchise. Every year, one question lingers long after the final pick is announced and the annual extravaganza - which this year is scheduled Thursday night - slides from the forefront of our consciousness for another 12 months. Is the NBA draft really so important? If you ask Utah Jazz chief scout Troy Weaver, you won't ever have to ask again. "I think it is the single most important way to build a team," Weaver said. "When you have a chance to help your team - whether it's with a lottery pick or at the end of the second round - it's a tremendous opportunity. If you make the right pick, no matter where that pick comes, you can take your franchise to another level."
In 2003, the Cleveland Cavaliers owned the first pick in the draft and took high-school sensation LeBron James.

The Top 25 NBA Players Under The Age of 25: #20 - #16

411's Matt McCready continues his countdown of the top young stars in the NBA. Last week Ben Gordon came in at number 21 and this week we look at numbers 20 through 16. Will Muggsy Bogues Jr. make the cut?

How the players are rankedTo determine the ranking of the players on this list they are evaluated equally on their performance last year and their overall potential level. For example, while Andrea Bargnani is ranked highly on potential he also had the worst season on the list last year and is graded justly. On the other hand, Gerald Wallace had a terrific season last year but the combination of his age, league experience and injury history causes his potential score to be amongst the lowest. 20. Monta Ellis SG/PG, Golden State Warriors I feel like I should be doing some lame Bob Sagat impression while looking at this picture Age: 21 Height: 6-3 Weight: 177 Scoring: 8 (out of 10) Passing/Team Play: 5 Athleticism: 8 Defense: 3 Intangibles: 5 Potential: 7 If everything goes right he could be the next Allen Iverson Favorite shot at the bar...

Yi Jianlian sets to wow NBA draft

China's latest basketball sensation, Yi Jianlian, is likely to be one of the top 10 picks at the NBA draft this Thursday. He and his national teammates are expected to leave strong marks on the world's biggest basketball league, and start a new wave of hoop craze in China.

Yi Jianlian wasn't born into a professional basketball family, but he showed signs of aptitude for the sport at the early age of three.

He appeared in the top league when he was 15, and it took him just two years to lift the first domestic title. He led his team, the Guangdong Tigers, to three championships in the past four years.

In 2002, the seven-foot-tall Yi Jianlian stood out at a training camp in the US. The young prodigy was then billed by local coaches as a potential superstar, and has since been watched closely by a number of NBA scouts.