Our draft picks - 2004 thru 2007

[AHF]

This is why your criteria is useless. He is a likely Hall of Famer and a multiple time DPOY. If he is not a superstar then I might as well pull out the "LOL" responses. And All-NBA Defense is an All-NBA team, so Deke does count in that regard.

All-Defense is totally different than All-NBA.

I suppose you think Bruce Bowen is a multiple first time All-NBA player now?

Deke was a very good player for a very long time in the league. He was never a superstar, though. I don't think that he was ever a top 10 player in a given season because of his extremely limited offense. He was an elite defender and rebounder and a very modest offensive player -- like a better Dennis Rodman (who was also never a superstar). That doesn't mean he won't end up in the HOF. All HOFs have a spot for guys with good track records and great longevity -- that is especially true in the NBA when you can also tag the boxes for being very likable and an international player (the basketball HOF loves college and foreign players).

[AHF]

For most of Deke's career, he was firmly behind some combination of Hakeem, Shaq, David Robinson, Ewing, and Duncan in the race for the best big man that season. (I may be forgetting someone). All of those guys are HOFers and clearly higher impact players during their primes. That is before you start adding in Michael Jordan, Lebron James, etc.

[Plainview1981]

Either way, it's over now as far as the draft is concerned.

[supermariowest]

@AHF -- Just to be clear, I didn't mean you when I said that posters need to accept that we are not tanking. I think we just disagree on where this team might peak and that's ok. I don't think Ferry will articulate his plan either (as most GMs don't), but I imagine Bud wouldn't leave a sure thing in San Antonio unless he felt that he and Ferry could create something good here.

[Guest]

All-Defense is totally different than All-NBA. I suppose you think Bruce Bowen is a multiple first time All-NBA player now? Deke was a very good player for a very long time in the league. He was never a superstar, though. I don't think that he was ever a top 10 player in a given season because of his extremely limited offense. He was an elite defender and rebounder and a very modest offensive player -- like a better Dennis Rodman (who was also never a superstar). That doesn't mean he won't end up in the HOF. All HOFs have a spot for guys with good track records and great longevity -- that is especially true in the NBA when you can also tag the boxes for being very likable and an international player (the basketball HOF loves college and foreign players).

LOL

[AHF]

LOL

You think Bowen is an 8 time All-NBA player or you think Deke > Hakeem, Shaq, Robinson, Ewing, Duncan, Jordan, Lebron, Karl, Barkley, etc.?

[Guest]

You think Bowen is an 8 time All-NBA player or you think Deke > Hakeem, Shaq, Robinson, Ewing, Duncan, Jordan, Lebron, Karl, Barkley, etc.?

If he is not a superstar then I might as well pull out the "LOL" responses.

[AHF]

Deke has never been in the discussion for best player in the league; for MVP; etc. He has never been a player who could be the best player on an NBA championship team. As a starter, the only season he made it out of the second round in his career was the season he was playing with the league MVP. That season the Sixers went 15-11 with Deke and 41-15 without him so he didn't exactly revolutionize that squad.

I remain a big fan but just don't see him as a superstar.

On a brighter note, Deke just did this: