NBA 2004 Redraft: Picking between high school and college champions

#10 Pick: Ben Gordon (Originally: Luke Jackson)

That the original pick played 46 total games over two seasons with the Cavaliers should have been a sign for how poorly they would manage his first tenure with the team.

Ben Gordon was one of the best rookies in the league during his first year and would have complimented LeBron James perfectly in the early years. While injuries would plague the last few seasons of his career and lead to early retirement, he was quite the factor during his run in Chicago.

Over five seasons, Gordon missed 12 total games and averaged 18.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 0.8 steals per game, mostly off the bench. Playing a role that would later be filled by the likes of Larry Hughes is a significantly smarter use of both this pick and financial flexibility.

He may not have taken down the Sixth Man of the Year award as a rookie due to likely needing to start more in Cleveland. As a career 40.1 percent shooter from 3-point range, he was ahead of his time as a scorer and would have been the exact kind of teammate James would love to compete with.

With the eleventh pick in the 2004 NBA Redraft, the Golden State Warriors select…