In 2007, Yi Jianlian was only the No. 6 pick in the first round. Who are the top 5 players? Only the No. 1 pick is the sub-competition.

As the second star to stand in the NBA after Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian's talent is undoubtedly. He is 2.12 meters tall and can break through and shoot, and he has excellent mobility on the court. Before participating in the 2007 NBA Draft, Yi Jianlian, who played for the CBA, averaged 24.8 points, 11.4 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.8 blocks per game, and in the playoffs, he averaged 25.3 points, 11.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.8 blocks per game, and his shooting percentage was as high as 59.1%.

However, there are too many "talent monsters" among the players participating in the NBA draft every year, so even Yi Jianlian was "just" the No. 6 pick in the first round in the 2007 draft. But now, it is more of an unexpected surprise that Yi Jianlian was selected at this pick. After entering the league in 2007, he obviously failed to realize his talent. Yi Jianlian, who averaged only 8.6 points and 5.2 rebounds per game in the rookie season, was traded to the Nets. Later, Yi Jianlian's original performance improved, but he never completely gained a foothold in the NBA due to injury.

Finally, in 2012, Yi Jianlian ended his first NBA career and then returned to the CBA. He played a dominant performance here again. Although he tried to return to the NBA again, unfortunately he was completely eliminated by the NBA before he even played. Looking back at Yi Jianlian's NBA career, he averaged 7.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and a shooting percentage of 40.3%. His most important goal during this period was the rookie of the month he won in December 2007.

Under this circumstance, Yi Jianlian's NBA career is obviously not worthy of his original draft pick, so it is not an exaggeration to say that he is a "parallel player". However, not only Yi Jianlian did not play in that lottery show, but others, such as Brandon Wright, No. 8 pick and No. 12 pick and Julian Wright, etc., were unable to play in line with expectations. Next, we will take stock of the five players who were selected before Yi Jianlian, many of whom are still playing, but the No. 1 pick has become the most popular player of this year.

5. Jeff Green averaged 11.8 points, 4 rebounds, 1.5 assists in his career. If you only look at the personal honors and strength at the peak of the NBA, then Green is not as good as the rookies behind him in the same class, such as No. 9 pick and Marc Gasol of the second round. But on the one hand, his personal strength is still relatively outstanding in the 2007. In addition, Green's biggest advantage is that as a role player, his playing style is comprehensive and his competitive state is maintained for a long time. Therefore, he has not only played in the NBA for 18 seasons, but he has never lacked a job during this period.

By the 2022-2023 season, the 36-year-old Green also won a championship ring in the Nuggets. That year, he was not only one of the team's locker room leaders, but also was also a key inside substitute for the team in the playoffs. At that time, Green averaged 17.2 minutes per game and contributed 4.1 points and 1.6 rebounds per game, he also made important contributions on the defensive end. Green, 38, can still renew his contract with the Rockets this year. He averaged 5.4 points and 1.8 rebounds per game last season, but with the joining of Durant and Finney Smith, it will be difficult for him to play again next season.

4.Conley

Average of 14.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.4 steals in his career. As the best point guard in the 2007, Conley was the core of the outside line of the Grizzlies at his peak. Under his leadership, the team also reached the Western Conference Finals. Here he was selected as the only best defensive team in his career. Conley joined the Jazz in 2019. He averaged 16.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 6 assists and 1.4 steals per game in the regular season of the 2020-2021 season. Under his leadership, the team won the No. 1 record in the Western Conference, and he was selected as the NBA All-Star for the first time. The Jazz, who have begun rebuilding in the 2022-2023 season, traded Conley to the Timberwolves, and his arrival has also significantly improved the strength of the new team. With the help of Conley, the Timberwolves not only made it to the playoffs in a row, but also reached the Western Conference Finals for two consecutive years. Conley, 37, averaged 6 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.3 three-pointers per game. However, it can be seen that under the influence of his age, his ball holding, defense and passing have declined much compared to before, so it is difficult for him to help the Timberwolves go further in the future.

3. Horford averaged 12.9 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.1 blocks in his career. In the first eight seasons of his career, Horford's style of play was more in the traditional inside line. During this period, he was selected for the All-Star many times, and was selected into the Best Team in the 2010-2011 season with his comprehensive performance of 15.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1 block. Later, as the NBA entered the small ball era, Horford also made a transformation and developed a shooting, becoming a space-type insider. Especially as he got older, his shooting in every game was more outside the three-point line. Although the positioning has changed, this does not affect Horford being an inside player with both offense and defense. It is precisely because of this that he finally helped the Celtics win the championship in 2024. That year, at the age of 37, he averaged 9.2 points, 7 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.8 three-pointers per game. Horford, who is one year older, still averages 8 points, 6 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game this year's playoffs, so he has also received a higher offer in the free market. Judging from the current situation, he has a high probability of joining the Warriors in the future.

2. Durant averaged 27.2 points, 7 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1 steal and 1 block in his career. As a well-deserved first person in the 2007, Durant's strength is obviously too outstanding compared to other players of the same class. At his peak, he was one of the best players in the league. He was a regular player of the All-Star and the Best Lineup, and he has won the regular season scoring champion many times. In his best performance during this year, he won the MVP with an average of 32 points per game, which all proves that he is a historical star.

Durant later left the Thunder and tasted the taste of winning the championship with the Warriors, and he successfully won the cup for two consecutive seasons. He personally won two consecutive FMVPs without any controversy. Durant is now also a veteran, and he is also a player who has suffered a torn Achilles tendon injury, but even so, he averaged 26.6 points, 6 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.2 blocks per game last season, so the Rockets are still willing to give him high-quality trading chips for him this offseason. Now coming to Houston, Durant's hopes for the championship have undoubtedly increased, but considering their defenders' shortcomings, they cannot become the first-tier championship team.

1. Oden has averaged 8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in his career. As the most favored player this year and the most disappointing player later, the performance of No. 1 Oden in college and the talent he showed early made many people think that even if he did it again, he would still be selected in the first pick. And there is a reason why these fans think this way. After all, looking back at Oden's career, he can be said to be ruined by injuries. After being selected, he was entangled with injuries before he could work hard to realize his talent. In the end, he was completely eliminated after only playing in the NBA for 3 seasons.