Western Conference Insider: Second-rounders show their worth

June will mark the 21st anniversary of the NBA switching to a two-round draft format (it was seven rounds as recently as 1987), and while pundits are quick to label lottery picks as busts, not nearly as much time is spent on identifying which second-round selections are not.

With Utah's Paul Millsap (drafted with the No. 47 pick in 2006) and Golden State's Monta Ellis (snagged by the Warriors at the No. 40 spot in 2005) making news recently, this is as good a time as any to concentrate on the second-rounders who are making their mark on the Western Conference.

Millsap (pictured above going against Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki), making the league minimum salary, has nearly doubled his production from a year ago, upping his scoring from 8.1 to 15.4 points per game and his rebounding from 5.6 to 9.5 per game. The third-year forward attracted some All-Star consideration while filling in as a starter for Carlos Boozer and will become even more valuable for the Jazz in the next 3-4 weeks while Andrei Kirilenko recovers from ankle surgery.

Ellis, who signed a six-year, $66 million contract extension this summer after playing out his original rookie deal, is averaging 12.4 points on 36.9 percent shooting in five games after missing the first 43 games with an ankle injury sustained while riding a moped.

There is something refreshing about a second-round success story. At the center of each resides a humbled athlete. When a player is passed on by team after team on Draft Day, it's a shot to the confidence. In order to get that confidence back, second-round picks -- well, at least those that make it -- must work harder than anybody else.

First-round picks get guaranteed three-year deals. Being a second-round pick comes with no guarantee that you'll ever play a single NBA game, let alone be paid a handsome salary. Out of the 30 players taken in the second round last June, only 14 are playing for an NBA team right now. That number will only dwindle as time passes.

Here's a look at the Top 20 second-rounders playing in the West this year (from lowest to highest pick):

1. Manu Ginobili, San Antonio

Drafted: 57th overall in 1999 by San Antonio

The buzz: Taken with the second to last pick in '99, Ginobili has gone onto an All-Star appearance, a Sixth Man award and three rings with the Spurs.

2. Luis Scola, Houston

Drafted: 55th overall in 2002 by San Antonio

The buzz: It took Scola five years to play in the league, but he was worth the wait, coming in third in the Rookie of the Year voting last season.

3. Ryan Gomes, Minnesota

Drafted: 50th overall in 2005 by Boston

The buzz: As underrated as they come, Gomes is averaging 13.5 points per game in 2009 for the resurgent Timberwolves.

4. Marc Gasol, Memphis

Drafted: 48th overall in 2007 by L.A. Lakers

The buzz: Gasol is second among all rookies with nine double-doubles this season.

5. Matt Barnes, Phoenix

Drafted: 46th overall in 2002 by Memphis

The buzz: After playing for five different teams in his first five seasons, Barnes and his 9.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game are fitting in nicely in Phoenix.

6. Trevor Ariza, L.A. Lakers

Drafted: 43rd overall in 2004 by New York

The buzz: Ariza's impact on the West-leading Lakers has been invaluable. He causes chaos on the floor with 1.6 steals per game and knows how to finish when he runs the floor.

7. Stephen Jackson, Golden State

Drafted: 43rd overall in 1997 by Phoenix

The buzz: Jackson has gone from second-round casualty to captain of the Warriors, averaging 19.4 points, 5.9 assists and 4.7 rebounds this season.

8. Rafer Alston, Houston

Drafted: 39th overall in 1998 by Milwaukee

The buzz: Alston slipped in the draft because of his Skip To My Lou streetball reputation but has been solid in four seasons as the starting point guard for the Rockets, averaging 10-plus points and five-plus assists each year.

9. Mehmet Okur, Utah

Drafted: 38th overall in 2001 by Detroit

The buzz: Okur is averaging 17.4 points, 8.4 rebounds and the 6-foot-11 center is shooting 41.3 percent from downtown.

10. Carlos Boozer, Utah

Drafted: 34th overall in 2002 by Cleveland

The buzz: Boozer has blossomed into a two-time All-Star. With Millsap, Okur and Boozer, Utah's Jerry Sloan has three hungry former second-rounders to lean heavily on. They are Sloan's kind of players.

The Next 10
Rasual Butler, Hornets (52nd overall in 2002 by Miami)
Kyle Korver, Jazz (51st overall in 2003 by New Jersey)
Matt Bonner, Spurs (45th overall in 2003 by Chicago)
Von Wafer, Rockets (39th overall in 2005 by L.A. Lakers)
Ronny Turiaf, Warriors (37th overall in 2005 by Lakers)
Steve Blake, Trail Blazers (38th overall in 2003 by Washington)
Craig Smith, Timberwolves (36th overall in 2006 by Minnesota)
Brandon Bass, Mavericks (33rd overall in 2005 by New Orleans)
Carl Landry, Rockets (31st overall in 2007 by Seattle)
Roger Mason, Spurs (31st overall in 2002 by Chicago)

Carmelo Anthony returned from a fractured hand Friday, scoring 19 points to go with five assists for the Northwest Division-leading Nuggets in a win against Charlotte. That same day, the Pacific Division-leading Lakers lost Andrew Bynum for an indefinite amount of time because of a knee sprain. Bynum had been averaging 26.2 points, 13.8 rebounds and 3.2 blocks in his five games before the injury against the Grizzlies.

Perhaps the health role reversal buoyed Denver coach George Karl into believing his 31-16 Nuggets have a chance against the 37-9 Lakers to be crowned Western Conference champions.

"There are numerous teams in the Western Conference that will have to time to grow up and challenge [the Lakers]," Karl told reporters.

The All-Star Game is next week in Phoenix, but the Suns are feeling anything but festive these days. According to Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic, several members of the team had a closed-door meeting following a home loss to the Bulls on Friday night.

Steve Nash and Grant Hill met with members of the coaching staff as well as general manager Steve Kerr and Suns managing partner Robert Sarver for approximately 45 minutes Friday. Then, on Saturday, the whole team congregated and "aired out differences," according to Suns head coach Terry Porter.

"I've been on teams where guys don't like each other at all. But when we stepped on the floor, I respected that guy, and I knew he had my back," Porter told the Republic. "Some of that's not present right now ... At times it looks like we're not together on the floor."

Phoenix is just 3-7 over its last 10 games and currently occupies the No. 8 seed in the West.

The Lakers have dropped five of their last six games against the Bobcats ... Jazz rookie forward Kosta Koufos and second-year center Kyrylo Fesenko recently had a dance-off in front of season ticket holders which Koufos won. There is a now a blown up photo of the competition in Utah's locker room with a caption that reads "Where Greek Soul Happens" ... Mavs forward Josh Howard on the trade speculation that surrounds him: "We don't need no changes right now." ... The Spurs tip off their annual lengthy road trip with the rodeo coming to San Antonio. They play the Warriors on Monday to start the eight-game sojourn. Their next home game isn't until Feb. 24 against Dallas.