Jan 12, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose (1) warms up prior to a game against the Phoenix Suns at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

It’s been four and a half seasons since the 2008 NBA Draft was conducted, and it seems like a good time to re-visit the selections and determine how the Draft would go if it were re-conducted today.

There’s no change in the number one selection, regardless of major injury, but the rest of the top-10 shake out intriguingly, as a number of players leaped a third of a round in value, including two big men who are being paid handsomely by their respective clubs.

1) Derrick Rose (1)

Derrick Rose is the only one in this class to win an MVP award, though at least two others in this class have the talent to do so.  Rose led the Bulls to the best record in the Eastern Conference in consecutive seasons, and they had the best record in the entire NBA in 2010-11.

He’s a franchise talent, and though he is coming off of ACL surgery, many expect Rose to return to be as brilliant as he was pre-injury, if not more so.  Rose is a hard worker and has recently been dunking in practice, which is a good sign we’ll see the real Rose after the All-Star break.

2) Kevin Love (5)

Kevin Love has become the league’s best power forward.  He posts 20/20 games with regularity, and up until this season had been an accurate three-point marksman (even winning the three point contest over the All-Star weekend festivities).

Love is going to go down in the conversation with Karl Malone, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Moses Malone and the likes, for the best power forward of All-Time, when it is said and done.

Jan 11, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) reacts after a 3-point basket against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center. The Thunder defeated the Lakers 116-101. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports

3) Russell Westbrook (4)

Russell Westbrook is the third franchise talent of this draft class.  Though he plays with the league’s best scorer Kevin Durant, Westbrook is not shy about making himself the primary option when games call for it.  He still averages 8.5 assists per game, proving that the selfish player labels are not so accurate, after all.

Westbrook is essentially a really good shooting guard in a point guard’s body, but at 6’3″ with a strong broad frame, Westbrook is able to post up of a lot of opposing point guard and take advantage of his physicality.  He should prove to be one of the best point guards in the league for the next decade.

4) Brook Lopez (10)

Brook Lopez is a dynamic scorer, but not much of a true center.  He doesn’t rebound the ball well enough, deferring to Kris Humphries to do most of the dirty work inside.

He’s returned more to the form he showed in his first seasons in the league now, though, and the Brooklyn Nets feature Lopez prominently in their well-rounded starting five.  Lopez was taken No. 10 overall, but after receiving a max contract, he’s shown he is nearly a franchise talent.  Just not quite.

5) Nicolas Batum (25)

Nicolas Batum is quickly becoming one of the league’s best swingmen.  Batum is a premier defender and is scoring well this season, too (a career high 16.6 points per game).  Batum is a career 37 percent three point shooter and helped France in the 2012 Olympics.

Will Batum enter the elite class of small forwards?  It’s possible.  He’s improved every season in his five-year NBA career and is seeing 38.7 minutes a night this year.  The Portland Trail Blazers have been a surprisingly good 20-16 behind the strong play of rookie Damian Lillard and All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge.  The future is bright in Portland and Batum is a big part of what they are building around.

6) Danilo Gallinari (6)

“The Rooster” has to be one of the more ridiculous nicknames in professional sports, but there is nothing ridiculous about Danilo Gallinari’s sweet jumper.  He hasn’t been hitting it at a high clip this year (just 40 percent from the floor and 35 percent from three), but over his career he has proven to be an effective scorer (just not the most efficient).

Gallo (much better nickname) has the potential to be a big scorer on a high scoring team, but would need to hit a much better percentage from the floor to move up much higher than the No. 6 overall selection in this draft, which incoincidentally was where he was selected in 2008.

January 6, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Denver Nuggets center JaVale McGee (34) dunks in the first half against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

7) JaVale McGee (18)

JaVale McGee lost his starting spot in Denver, but it stems primarily from the fact his asthmatic condition limits the amount of minutes he can play.  But when he does play, he’s been very good, and a number of Nuggets fans are calling for McGee to start once again.

McGee is extremely coordinated and put time in with the “Hoops Whisperer” Hakeem Olajuwon this summer.  It’s seemingly paid dividends, as his post repertoire looks much improved.  He already had the coordination and athleticism, but with some more big man coaching he could be an elite center.

8) Roy Hibbert (17)

Roy Hibbert is another player in this draft who received a max-contract due to position scarcity.  With all due respect to Hibbert (and to a lesser extent Lopez), I don’t feel he could have started back in the center rich talent pool of the 90s.  Hibbert is immobile, soft and doesn’t have particularly great timing, which results in a lot of reach-in fouls.

He’s still the third best center in this draft class, and he’s better than the No. 17 overall at which he was picked, but the Pacers are going to live to regret that max-contract, and likely already are with Ian Mahinmi playing so well off the bench.

9) Eric Gordon (7)

If I were re-ordering this draft two seasons ago, Eric Gordon would have been No. 4.  He’s more talented than everyone in this draft outside of Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook (Yes, more talented than Love, but Love’s work ethic puts him over the top), and if not for the knee injuries he would unequivocally be a perennial All-Star.

Instead, he’s seldom been on the court.  Gordon drew vast interest at the end of last season, but the Hornets retained his services as a restricted free agent.

May 15, 2011; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard OJ Mayo (32) shoots a layup against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Thabo Sefolosha (left) and forward Serge Ibaka (second from right) during the first half of game seven of the second round of the 2011 NBA playoffs at the Oklahoma City Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

10) O.J. Mayo (3)

O.J. Mayo looked as though he might contend for Rookie of the Year early in the 2008-09 season.  For a season and a half in Memphis, Mayo looked as though he could be a 20-plus point per game scorer.  In his rookie season, he averaged 18.5 points per game.

In time, the Grizzlies seemingly outgrew their need for Mayo, as other scorers stepped up and Tony Allen’s defensive skills were far more need-appropriate than Mayo’s shooting.  Moreover, his shooting had become less accurate as time wore on.

It turned out, all Mayo needed was a change in scenery.  This season in Dallas, Mayo has returned to the brilliance he displayed as a rookie—plus some.  He’s averaging over 18 points per game again, but shooting a career high 46 percent from the floor, including a blistering 42.6 percent from three-point range.

Tony Parker may be the best point guard in the Olympics this go around.

France (4-1) vs. Spain (3-2)

Here’s what I wrote about each squad prior to the games beginning in my previews with Maddux Sports:

Spain (5/1) is the favorite for the silver. With the Gasol brothers, Marc and Pau, and a talented host of perimeter players that includes point guards Jose Calderon and Rudy Fernandez, Spain should be able to play a versatile inside outside game that will give all the squads, the US included, a lot of troubles defensively. They have the shot blocking with the Gasol brothers and league leading shot blocker Serge Ibaka, so the US’s perimeter players will be thinking twice before taking it right to the hole.

France (25/1) must also be taken seriously, due to the fact that they have some real weapons that NBA fans will recognize. Tony Parker of the Spurs leads the way, and is joined by the versatile forward Nicolas Batum. They also have a few role players from NBA teams to round out the squad in Ronny Turiaf, Boris Diaw, and Kevin Seraphin. France could be a danger to any team if they get hot from behind the arc, but they lack the size necessary to match up with the U.S. and many other teams, accounting for their long-shot odds status.

Spain tanked their final game on purpose to draw France instead of the US in medal play. It was sneaky, but unsurprising. Getting hammered by France would be a good payback for playing a game half-assed in an event that deserves only one’s best effort.

Still, it is hard to blame the Spaniards for it, and their 3-2 record should be easily viewed as 3-1. They did lose by 6 to Brazil to close out pool play today, and again, it’s hard to know whether they really should have. Their other loss came to the strong Russian team.

In the loss to Russia, Pau Gasol had a big game with 20 points on 8 of 13 shooting, but no other Russians made huge contributions, with only Marc Gasol and Rudy Fernandez reaching double figures with 10 a piece. Jose Calderon and Juan Carlos Navarro have both been pretty solid throughout the tournament, but the Spaniards clearly could use rookie standout Ricky Rubio, who is still rehabbing in the hopes of returning to the NBA soon.

Spain has yet to face the US, of course, and they obviously don’t want to. Their three wins all came against teams they should beat. They dispatched of Australia by 12, England by 1, and China by 16 in their opener. None of those games are particularly impressive victories, and the one point victory over Luol Deng and the Brits should be downright troubling. Not only did Spain give up 26 points to Deng, but they also allowed 6’10″ former NBA draft pick Joel Freeland to score 25 in his own right. Spain has some obvious weaknesses to rectify before they can be taken seriously as medal contenders.

France, meanwhile, was the favorite for the bronze leading into ths event. They’ve shown why, but have also failed to show that they could be anything more than a bronze or silver medal winner. The US team punished France and made it clear to the Frenchmen that Tony Parker will be their only advantage at any position, and a very slight one at that. The French have 5 NBA players, but other than Parker, and possibly Batum (according to your opinion), are NBA standouts.

Batum has the defensive skills to slow either Kevin Durant or LeBron James, but he can’t cover both at once, and Batum’s defense is going to be needed against Spain to slow down Rudy Fernandez and maybe even Serge Ibaka. It certainly doesn’t help that two of Spain’s top three players play center. That just means a more vicious headache for Ronny Turiaf.

As good as France is, I feel Spain was favored for a reason, and they still should be favorites despite a 3-2 record vs a 4-1 record. I also realize France only lost to the US, but they’ll face a real test playing a team with as many weapons as Spain has. I’m not predicting a total blowout, but Spain should win this by 7 to 10 points.

Mar. 27, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker during game against the Phoenix Suns at the US Airways Center. The Spurs defeated the Suns 107-100. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

2012 Olympic Basketball Preview:  U.S.A. v. France

France is a team that should not be underestimated:

French Starters:

C-  Ronny Turiaf

PF- Boris Diaw

SF- Mickael Gelabale

SG- Nicolas Batum

PG-  Tony Parker

They sport a talented cast of players, led by Finals MVP Tony Parker and defensive stalwart Nicolas Batum.  That duo is joined by an above average group of role players that includes NBA players such as Kevin Seraphin of the Washington Wizards, veteran Boris Diaw, journeyman Ronny Turiaf, and career D-leaguer Mickael Gelabale.

While France does have a lot of talent, they do lack size.  Seraphin will be forced into playing center, though he is just 6’9″, and the 6’10″ Turiaf represents the only true center on the squad (The 6’10″ Ali Traore can also play center, but likely won’t see much time in a game of this magnitude).

The lack of size might not be as problematic against the U.S. with only Tyson Chandler and Kevin Love patrolling the paint, but it will cause problems on the interior, and the Americans have plenty of players to slash to the hole.  Russell Westbrook in particular could potentially feast on the weak interior defense of the Frenchmen.

One thing to keep an eye on is how France employs the services of the newly re-signed Portland Trailblazer Nicolas Batum.  Batum was courted by the Minnesota Timberwolves, but ultimately the Blazers decided to match that offer to retain a young talent who is capable of playing either wing spot.

APRIL. 11, 2011; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers small forward Nicolas Batum (88) shoots the ball over Golden State Warriors center Andris Biedrins (15) during the fourth quarter of the game at the Rose Garden. The Blazers won the game 118-110. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-US PRESSWIRE

Batum will have the unenviable task of drawing the best perimeter player on the court for the U.S., be it Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, or Kobe Bryant.  Simply:  Batum is going to be worn out, regardless of the assignment.  Rendering Batum’s offense ineffective by virtue of wearing him out on defense will be the M.O. of the US squad.

While Batum is hardly an offensive juggernaut in the NBA, he makes up for it with his efficiency.  Last season, Batum scored 13.9 points per game, while hitting 39.1% from behind the arc.  With the International three point line being only 20’6″, expect Batum and the Frenchmen to launch plenty of threes.

Tony Parker is clearly the best player on the French team, but he may be outclassed by the US floor generals Chris Paul, Deron Williams, and the aforementioned Westbrook.  Parker sports the experience over these three, but the fact that Coach K is able to rotate the three of them in and out of the lineup will prove crucial, as Parker will simply be worn out late in the game and thus be unable to pull any late game heroics, if France is even anywhere within striking distance.

All in all, France is still a huge underdog to win the gold medal, and their odds are set at 25/1 by a popular Vegas booking site.  Still, quite remarkably, those odds are the third longest shot of the tournament, with only Spain boasting a better chance of beating the US out for the gold.

While France does have a lot of talent and team unity, it’s difficult to imagine them giving the American squad much trouble.  The US team is too deep, too good, and too prepared to let a team with only a handful of NBA players beat them.  I’m not suggesting it is an absurd blowout of the 40+ point magnitude, but the US will take care of business and remind the world why basketball flourishes here in the United States.

We may even see 12th man Anthony Davis get some burn during garbage time…

Score Prediction:  US by 21