A handful of drafts come charging out of the gate before losing steam, then catch a miraculous second wind near the tail-end of the lottery (1996, 2002).

There is even the occasional draft where the top player(s) taken get blown out of the water by the legends-in-making selected shortly after (1995, 2005).

What type of trajectory will the 2008 draft follow?

Before we can answer that, we have to accept that it is an exercise in futility to classify a draft's place in NBA history before it actually takes place. What we can do is look at the speculation surrounding recent NBA drafts and attempt to put this year's crop of prospects into a similar context.

From what I can tell, there isn't the destiny-altering type of talent (i.e. Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, LeBron James) available this year, which means the 2008 draft will likely fall short of the lofty standards set in '84 and '03. No shame in that.

But clearly, there are some serious prospects in this draft that deserve and command any NBA fan's attention, which sets it apart from the sleep-inducing 2000 draft. Only Kenyon Martin (No. 1 overall) and Michael Redd (No. 45) have made All-Star appearances.

At this point, it appears as if there are two can't-miss, all-world, upside-spewing players available. Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley are this year's "Pavlovian" prospects, since the mere mention of their names seems to turn most scouts into salivating canines.

Rose is a dynamite 6-foot-4 point guard with more natural ability at his age (19) than should be legal. It's nearly impossible to envision a scenario — injuries notwithstanding — where Rose doesn't develop into one of the game's best floor generals. At worst, he'll still be better than Andre Miller. At best, he'll become a more athletic Jason Kidd or a less volatile Gary Payton circa 1994.

Beasley, on the other hand, was the most dominant college basketball player last season (sorry, Tyler Hansbrough). Players with his size shouldn't come equipped with his quickness or his shooting range. How does anyone guard a kid like Beasley when his head is in the game? Worst case, he falls into some of the bad habits he picked up during his high school days and develops into another Derrick Coleman. Best case, he maintains his maturity level and becomes one of the league's premier scoring threats.

But for the 2008 draft to achieve a level beyond those top-heavy drafts from '82, '92 or even 1997, which featured Tim Duncan at No. 1, Mr. Big Shot at No. 3, T-Mac at No. 9 and little else, it will need some depth beyond Rose and Beasley.

Of course, depth just happens to be this draft class' specialty. Most insiders believe that there are an especially high number of NBA-level prospects based simply on athleticism and skill level. But as we all know, that isn't enough to secure a roster spot. Often, that talent must be developed under optimum circumstances.

News » What will be personality for this year's draft?
What will be personality for this year's draft?
Every draft has a personality. Some drafts come attached with an aura of greatness, when all die-hard NBA fans know they are witnessing history in the making (1984, 2003). Other drafts kick things off with an amazing start, then fall apart faster than the 2007 Mets (1982, 1992). Read more... For mock drafts and in-depth player scouting reports, go to nbadraft.net.