12. Derrick Rose (2008):
Scouting services referred to Derrick Rose’s package of overall athletic abilities as “extraordinary” and “breath taking,” acknowledging that if he cleaned up what they saw as wonky mechanics on his jump shot, he would develop into one of the most un-guardable point guards in the NBA.
Many of the things we remember about Derrick Rose during his heyday on the Chicago Bulls — the blinding speed in which he attacked the basket, the variety of ways he could finish around the basket, and the balance in which he could either create for his teammates or take over the game himself — were evident during his one year at the University of Memphis.
That’s what led Rose to overtake the previously more-heralded Michael Beasley as the top prospect in the 2008 NBA Draft, even if it was still somewhat rare for a team to take a 6’3 point guard with the top pick.