1. 

Allen Iverson, 
Georgetown

Philadelphia

If this draft were held again, maybe Steve Nash, picked 15th, goes here. Or Kobe Bryant (# 13). And then Jermaine O'Neal (# 17). I'd also rather have Camby. Iverson has certainly been a great player; just too small to be the 'next Jordan' like they said he was going to be. Nobody believed 'them' in 1996, and nobody was right. 

  2.

Marcus Camby,
Massachusetts

Toronto

Good pick at #2. Isiah Thomas made this pick. Camby is one of the great rebounders and shotblockers of the last 10 years; a guy who plays above the rim. Knicks' Ernie Grunfeld made a great trade to get him for an aging Charles Oakley, but then Stu Laden traded him and the #7 pick in the 2002 draft (which rumour had it the Knicks were looking to select Amare Stoudemire with, but then chose Nene Hillario for Denver) for a 29-year-old-two-knee-operations Antonio McDyess. Worst trade in Knicks history, maybe NBA history. Where would the Knicks have been the last 10 years with Camby and Stoudemire on their front line? In one single move, Stu Laden stifled the Knicks for years to come.

  3.

Shareef Abdur-Rahim,
California

Vancouver

A star power forward for years, and not a bad pick, considering of course that Vancouver had no way of knowing Bryant, O'Neal, and Nash would be as good as they became.. 

  4.

Stephon Marbury,
Georgia Tech

Milwaukee (a)

So in hindsight Steve Nash was the best point guard picked in this draft. Marbury has been a joy to watch, slicing through defenses like a hot knife through butter. But he has not yet shown an ability to carry a team on his back.

  5.

Ray Allen,
Connecticut

Minnesota (a)

Great shooter. Great scorer. Not a mistake to take him at #5.

  6.

Antoine Walker,
Kentucky

Boston (from Dallas)

Most mistake-prone basketball player ever? Has spent a career as a player who seems to take bad shots at the worst times, going one-on-everybody to sink his team.  

  7.

Lorenzen Wright,
Memphis

LA Clippers

Has stuck around for a long career as a reserve 6'11" big man who gets 9-10 points a game. Not exactly what you want with the # 7 pick in the draft though. 

  8.

Kerry Kittles,
Villanova

New Jersey

A pretty good shooting guard; too light and small to become an impact player. In retrospect, the Nets should have gambled on Kobe Bryant here. A mistake.

  9.

Samaki Walker,
Louisville

Dallas (from Boston)

A career as a reserve, except for 2002 when he started for the Laker's championship team. Would have been a great second round pick, but at #9, a mistake.

10.

Erick Dampier,
Mississippi State

Indiana (from Denver)

It took a long time, but Dampier finally became a valued big man. A good pick, although it didn't work out for Indiana as they lost patience long before he became good. 

11.

Todd Fuller,
North Carolina State

Golden State

What a mistake.

12.

Vitaly Potapenko,
Wright State

Cleveland (from Wash.)

Forged a long career in the NBA as a 10 ppg forward. Not a great pick; especially if you consider who went next. 

13.

Kobe Bryant,
Lower Merion HS

Charlotte

Best player in the draft. Well him and Steve Nash. But Charlotte traded Bryant away soon after they picked him! Albiet for a hard-working, underrated, pretty good center in Vlade Divac. 

14.

Predrag Stojakovic,
PAOK (Greece)

Sacramento

Very good pick. Stojakovic has been a valued sharpshooter for years.

15.

Steve Nash,
Santa Clara

Phoenix

Phenomenal pick. According to Wikipedia, Suns fans booed when Nash was picked. Don Nelson's son Donnie influenced this pick, and then influenced his dad to acquire Nash for Dallas two years later for Martin Muursepp, Bubba Wells, the draft rights to Pat Garrity, and a first-round draft pick which was later used to select Shawn Marion  

16.

Tony Delk,
Kentucky

Charlotte (from Miami)

Has forged a long career as a decent NBA guard. A decent pick, but not a great pick considering Jermaine O'Neal was still available.

17.

Jermaine O'Neal,
Eau Claire HS

Portland

Phenomenal pick. The thing to do in this draft was to gamble on the high school players. Portland had no patience with O'Neal, however, and traded him to Indiana for aging, undersized power forward Dale Davis. One of the stupidist (on Portland's part), most one-sided trades in NBA history.

18.

John Wallace,
Syracuse

New York (from Detroit)

Knicks fans were excited when the Knicks drafted Wallace, an athletic big man who inherited Syracuse's power forward position from Derrick Coleman. Wallace looked good on paper, but didn't last long in the NBA. Proof that the MSG fateful, just like any NBA fans, really don't know what they're talking about when they boo or cheer picks on draft day. Wallace was a pick that didn't pay off, and when you consider Ilguaskas was still available, this was a big mistake for the Knicks.

19.

Walter McCarty,
Kentucky

New York (from Atlanta)

The Knicks other late first round pick -- McCarty made it! He looked good as a rookie, and continued to stick around for years with the Celtics. A good, athletic, head's up 6'7" small forward. A good pick, except for the fact that Ilgauskas was still available. Knicks had three picks at #17, 18, and 20, and managed to let Ilgauskas go through their fingers.

20.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas,
Lithuania

Cleveland

Great pick. The big 7'3" Ilguaskas has had a long career as a big time scorer and rebounder for Cleveland. The Knicks took pointers from this and selected Fredrick Weiss with their 15th pick several years later (1999). 

21.

Dontae Jones,
Mississippi State

New York

No. A college star. A nobody in the NBA. Lasted one year.

22.

Roy Rogers,
Alabama

Vancouver (from Houston)

Played a few years in NBA. Didn't catch on. 

23

Efthimis Rentzias,
PAOK

Denver (from Indiana)

Didn't catch on.

24

Derek Fisher,
Arkansas-Little Rock

LA Lakers

A terrific pick for #24. Fisher has had a long career as a clutch point guard who hit some big shots for the Lakers. A tough reserve guard and even a starter for full seasons with the Lakers. 

25

Martin Muursepp,
BC Kalev Tallinn

 Utah (b)

Played a few years, but didn't really catch on.

26.

Jerome Williams,
Georgetown

Detroit (from San Antonio)

The Junkyard Dog. Had a nice, long NBA career as a defensive specialist. A great pick at #26.

27

Brian Evans,
Indiana

Orlando

Played a few years as a reserve. 

28

Priest Lauderdale,
Peristeri (Greece)

Atlanta (from Seattle)

Played two years. Didn't catch on.

29

Travis Knight,
Connecticut

Chicago

Caught on and played 7 years in the NBA. Not a bad pick. Played on the Lakers 2000 championship team.