Translation of the article content into English:
As a former superstar in the league, McGrady's talent is considered a once-in-a-century phenomenon, boasting height, wingspan, speed, leaping ability, and explosiveness, making him unique among swingmen. McGrady's talent is so high that even Jordan took notice, with the Bulls once considering trading Pippen for this young prodigy, but ultimately backing out due to Jordan's opposition.
However, it is puzzling that McGrady, hailed as the top high school player in the United States, was only selected ninth in the 1997 NBA draft. Today, let's uncover the history and discuss the players ahead of McGrady in the draft, as well as their comparison in terms of talent and achievements with McGrady.
First, let's look at the players who were drafted ahead of McGrady. From eighth to fourth overall, they are Aronardo Foye, Tim Thomas, Ron Mercer, Tony Battie, and Antonio Daniels. These players' careers did not have many highlights; some were role players, others were benchwarmers, and they had no significant honors or achievements to speak of. Compared to McGrady, they could only boast of playing more years in college, falling short in other aspects.
Next, we have the third overall pick, Chauncey Billups. Billups is a player whose abilities outweigh his fame, with a mature and stable style of play, excelling on both offense and defense, and earning the nickname "Mr. Clutch" for his big-game performances. As the backcourt core of the Pistons, Billups led the team to seven consecutive Eastern Conference Finals and two consecutive Finals appearances, including a victory over the Lakers' F4 in 2004, earning him the title of "grassroots FMVP" in the hearts of fans.
The second overall pick that year was Keith Van Horn, whom many media and scouts saw as the next Bird. Despite lacking the speed and explosiveness of black players, his comprehensive skills and outstanding shooting ability were rare at the time for a power forward. In his second year, Van Horn lived up to his potential, averaging 21+8, with a bright future ahead. However, unexpectedly, Van Horn reached his peak upon entering the league and failed to continue improving, with his performance declining year by year, ultimately retiring in 2006 due to lack of playing opportunities, becoming an example of NBA's "wasted talent."
Finally, the number one pick was "The Big Fundamental" Tim Duncan. Long before the 1997 draft, Duncan had already secured the top spot, with multiple teams openly tanking to get him. The rest of the story is well-known; the Spurs, with their superb acting, had the last laugh, while "Red Auerbach" retired in anger. After drafting Duncan, the Spurs embarked on a legendary journey, reaching the finals for 19 consecutive years and winning five championships, officially recognized as a dynasty team. And all of this is attributed to Duncan, the greatest power forward in history.