Does the 1996 NBA draft still stand the test of time?

The 1996 draft took place 13 seasons ago now and is regarded as one of the best ever.

One of its members, Stephon Marbury, just signed with the Boston Celtics and the more I think about it, the better it looks.  The Celtics were not as big a threat this year to the Lakers Championship dreams, thanks, in part, to the loss of PJ Brown and James Posey — two veterans who were instrumental to their success last year off the bench.  Meanwhile, the Lakers hoped they improved simply by adding a healthy Andrew Bynum (hopefully ready for the playoffs) and Trevor Ariza.  Even with the stark improvement of Rajon Rondo, it was safe to say the Lakers had the upper hand…until today.   Read the rest of this entry »