NBA 2004 Redraft: Picking between high school and college champions
By Corey Rausch
#5 Pick: Al Jefferson (Originally: Devin Harris)
In an impactful draft-day trade, the Mavericks obtained this pick, along with Christian Laettner and Jerry Stackhouse in exchange for Antawn Jamison and cash considerations back in 2003.
Devin Harris was an important member of that Mavericks team but instead of going with a point guard, we are going with a big man who will pair with Dirk Nowitzki. It also may prevent them from signing the ill-fated Erick Dampier contract.
Al Jefferson may seem like a relic from a bygone era, but the numbers he put up over a nine-year stretch were staggering. It started in his final season in Boston, where, as a 22-year old, he averaged 16.0 points, 11.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.
After being traded to Minnesota, he would go on to average 20.1 points, 10.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks a night for the best individual run of his career. He continued his strong play in Utah, going for 18.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. Finally, as a playoff cornerstone for the Bobcats, Jefferson posted 17.5 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game.
Consistency and strength next to Nowitzki would have allowed much better use of financial capital that summer and set the team up for success. As the rare player who was never an All-Star but did make an All-NBA team, Al Jefferson fits the bill.
With the sixth pick in the 2004 NBA Redraft, the Atlanta Hawks select…