Give this year's draft a one-star rating

Duncan has won four NBA championships, is a two-time Most Valuable Player, and his name comes up in any discussion of the game’s greatest power forwards. Van Horn? The journeyman is retired in Colorado, was never an All-Star, and averaged 20 points per game only one season in a nine-year career.

Besides Duncan, of the top five picks in 1997, only Billups had some individual success.

It’s hard to find another draft with such a disparity between the top selection and everyone else. But that could be the case this year when Oklahoma forward Blake Griffin is selected by the Los Angeles Clippers with the top pick Thursday.

“He is a big-time talent,’’ an NBA general manager said Friday. “He is going to be a force in this league for a long, long time. He is certainly above everybody else. Over the course of a year, he has definitely separated himself.’’

After Griffin, the draft is anyone’s guess. Selecting the top 10 picks could be tougher than picking the NCAA Tournament brackets.

Spanish guard Ricky Rubio, Connecticut center Hasheem Thabeet, and Arizona State swingman James Harden are projected to be top-five selections, with any one of them going No. 2. But each comes with a lot of questions.

This draft is so weak that someone selected at No. 12 could end up being as good as someone drafted No. 4.

“This year’s draft is not good,’’ the GM said. “Whether someone else besides Griffin ends up being really good, who knows? But the general consensus is it is weak.’’

While there are some concerns about Griffin, too, he has superstar written all over him and will make an immediate impact on the Clippers.

For the Sooners last season, Griffin averaged 22.7 points while shooting 65.4 percent from the field, plus a nation-best 14.4 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 1.1 steals as a sophomore.

The 6-foot-10-inch, 248-pounder is said to have short arms, with just a 6-11 wingspan and standing reach of 8-9. By comparison, Arizona’s 6-10 forward-center Jordan Hill, a top-10 prospect, has a wingspan of 7-1 and a standing reach of 9-0.

Also, as he showed in his workout with the Clippers, Griffin has to improve his jump shot.

The Oklahoman will have to adjust to the fast life of Los Angeles and to coach Mike Dunleavy, who has a reputation of not playing rookies much.

“[I’m] working on my shot and pull-up jumper,’’ said Griffin, after a June 6 workout with the Clippers. “That’s something I’ve always done. It just kind of depends on which hand gets the ball first. It’s been better. [The workout] wasn’t great.

“The thing about me is that I don’t have to rely on my jumper, but it is something I have been working on. Later on, everybody will see that it’s a little better than [the workout].’’

As for his strengths, the list is long for the 20-year-old.

Griffin is not only strong but also extremely quick for his size. He is an excellent jumper with both feet or one. He has a 35.5-inch vertical, dunks hard, catches alley-oops, and can finish strong with either hand.

He will likely be a better defender in the NBA since Oklahoma held him back defensively at times to keep him out of foul trouble. He is a good ballhandler (he actually did dribbling tricks at the Clippers workout), and don’t be surprised if he plays small forward at times. Expect an All-Star appearance in three years time. And above all, the word is he’s a good kid with a solid upbringing.

“It would mean a lot [to be picked first],’’ Griffin said. “It’s something I dreamed about since I was old enough to know what the NBA was. For us to be so close, it’s kind of surreal.’’

The Clippers will have a superstar in the making if they pick Griffin. After that, it’s anybody’s guess what teams get.

“Quite honestly, in this draft, getting the No. 1 pick is really a very positive move for our organization,’’ Dunleavy said. “The more I see the kids in this draft, the more I like [Griffin]. He’s probably, clearly, the front-runner.’’

Weaving baskets in India

The NBA Finals were shown in 215 countries this year and the league has had a lot of success showcasing itself overseas, most notably in China. Three years ago, the NBA began its toughest challenge trying to sell itself to cricket-loving India. Considering that India is the world’s second-most populous country, with the fastest-growing economy, it’s worth a try.

“Our goal is to make basketball the No. 2 sport in India over the next five years,’’ said NBA director of international development Akash Jain.

In 2006, a 10-member NBA staff went to India to look at basketball facilities and to meet politicians, coaches, players, and corporate leaders as well as current league sponsors with India ties. While paling in popularity to cricket, field hockey, and tennis, basketball is played in schools in all the key urban areas, and kids are gravitating to the sport, according to Jain.

After the trip, the NBA developed a plan to build the sport through coaching programs, clinics, school programs, and court construction. India is sorely lacking in basketball venues; there is no current facility available suitable for an NBA preseason game.

The NBA had a Basketball Without Borders camp in India last year attended by Celtics legend Robert Parish, and Kevin Garnett was overwhelmed by a crowd during a visit last year. Three Indian newspapers and two television networks covered the recent Finals.

“India is a significant emerging business and basketball opportunity for us,’’ Jain said.

Etc.

Marc J. Spears can be reached at mspears@globe.com