Robert Parish is Truman's pick for the greatest player to ever be drafted at No. 8 in the NBA Draft -- the same pick the Bucks have in this Thursday's draft. (Getty)

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Tix

June 24, 2008

MILWAUKEE -- The annual National Basketball Association Draft has been a pivotal point in the history of many a franchise since its inception in 1947.

Draft records for the league’s first decade are deemed incomplete by The Official NBA Encyclopedia.

NBA pioneers who were drafted during that era included Dolph Schayes, Paul Arizin, George Yardley, Vern Mikkelsen and Dick McGuire, who have since been enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Others, such as Whitey Skoog, Easy Parham, Ike Borsavage, Boris Nachamkin and Togo Palazzi, played in the league for several seasons before electing to make their living elsewhere.

Other hot prospects of that era, including the likes of Wimpy Quinn, Otto Snellbacker, Rip Gish, Zippy Morroco and Theophilius Lloyd, never appeared in an NBA regular-season game.

As the league grew from its original 11 teams to its current 30, the draft evolved as well. It expanded to a maximum of 21 rounds in 1960 before contracting over the years to the contemporary total of two.

In the league’s early years, the draft included territorial picks to help struggling teams build fan bases. Before the draft began, a team could forfeit its first-round pick and select a player from its immediate area.

Territorial picks were eliminated after 1965. In 1966, the league adopted a coin flip between the last-place teams in each of its two divisions to determine which franchise would open the draft. That system remained in place until 1985, when the league adopted its first lottery.

Marty Blake, nicknamed “The Godfather of the NBA Draft,” has been involved in the annual talent search for more than five decades, first as a general manager and most recently as the NBA’s Director of Scouting. Even Blake, however, has said that he considers the NBA Draft “an inexact science,” and the records back him up.

There have undoubtedly been a substantial number of hands-down No. 1 overall picks, such as Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Patrick Ewing, Shaquille O’Neal and Tim Duncan.

The aforementioned Hall of Fame, though, includes such second-round picks as Willis Reed, Nate “Tiny” Archibald, Bill Sharman, Hal Greer and Calvin Murphy.

Other “hidden gems” were discovered in latter rounds: Randy Smith, a 14th-round pick out of Buffalo State by Detroit in 1970, became an NBA All-Star several years later with the Buffalo Braves; Harvey Catchings, selected in the ninth round by Philadelphia in 1973, played 11 NBA seasons – five for Milwaukee -- and blocked 1,226 shots (ninth). Billy McKinney, the Bucks’ new director of scouting, was a sixth-round draft choice out of Northwestern University by the Phoenix Suns in 1977. He played seven NBA seasons before becoming a team executive, and has spent 30 years in the league.

As the Milwaukee Bucks prepare for the 2008 NBA Draft, scheduled for Thursday, June 26, they hold the eighth selection in the first round.

In advance of the draft, check out the latest Truman Reed Index (TRI), listing his choices of the top draft picks by position in NBA history, accompanied by honorable mentions as well as a few others that never quite lived up to their billing:

No. 1:

1969

Lew Alcindor, UCLA, by Milwaukee Bucks: As cellar-dwellers in their respective conferences in 1969, the Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks flipped a coin to determine who would land the No. 1 pick in the ensuing NBA Draft. Phoenix called “heads,” the coin came up “tails,” and the rest is history. Alcindor transformed the Bucks into instant winners as they climbed from 27 victories in their first season to 56 in their second and won the NBA Championship one year later. Alcindor later changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and after six seasons in Milwaukee, went on to win five more championship rings with the Los Angeles Lakers. He is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer with 38,387 points and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995. He was voted one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history in 1996.

Honorable Mention: 1958 – Elgin Baylor, Seattle, by Minneapolis Lakers; 1959 – Wilt Chamberlain, Kansas, by Philadelphia Warriors; 1960 – Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati, Cincinnati Royals; 1970 – Bob Lanier, St. Bonaventure, by Detroit Pistons; 1974 – Bill Walton, UCLA, by Portland Trail Blazers; 1979 – Earvin Johnson, Michigan State, by Los Angeles Lakers; 1983 – Ralph Sampson, Virginia, by Houston Rockets; 1984 – Akeem Olajuwon, Houston, by Houston Rockets; 1985 – Patrick Ewing, Georgetown, by New York Knicks; 1987 – David Robinson, Navy, by San Antonio Spurs; 1992 – Shaquille O’Neal, Louisiana State, by Orlando Magic; 1994 – Glenn Robinson, Purdue, by Milwaukee Bucks; 1996 – Allen Iverson, Georgetown, by Philadelphia 76ers; 1997 – Tim Duncan, Wake Forest, by San Antonio Spurs; 2002 – Yao Ming, China, by Houston Rockets; 2003 – LeBron James, Akron (Ohio) St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, by Cleveland Cavaliers.

Bygones: 1963 – Tom Thacker, Cincinnati, by Cincinnati Royals; 1964 – George Wilson, Cincinnati, by Cincinnati Royals; 1972 – LaRue Martin, Loyola (Ill.), by Portland Trail Blazers; 1977 – Kent Benson, Indiana, by Milwaukee Bucks; 1989 – Pervis Ellison, Louisville, by Sacramento Kings; 1998 – Michael Olowokandi, Pacific, by Los Angeles Clippers; 2001 – Kwame Brown, Glynn Academy High School, by Washington Wizards.

No. 2:

1960

Jerry West, West Virginia, by Minneapolis Lakers: With the addition of “Zeke from Cabin Creek,” the Lakers skyrocketed from 25 wins the year before his arrival to 54 victories two seasons later after they moved to Los Angeles. West and Elgin Baylor formed the league’s most potent scoring duo in 1961-62, averaging better than 69 points per game between them. West played his entire 14-year career with the Lakers and ranks as the franchise’s all-time scoring leader with 25,192 points, an average of 27 per game. West entered the Hall of Fame in 1980 and was recognized as one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history when the league celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1996.

Honorable Mention: 1962 – Jerry Lucas, Ohio State, by Cincinnati Royals; 1966 – Dave Bing, Syracuse, by Detroit Pistons; 1967 – Earl Monroe, Winston-Salem, by Baltimore Bullets; 1968 – Wes Unseld, Louisville, by Baltimore Bullets; 1972 – Bob McAdoo, North Carolina, by Buffalo Braves; 1981 – Isiah Thomas, Indiana, by Detroit Pistons; 1982 – Terry Cummings, DePaul, by San Diego Clippers; 1990 – Gary Payton, Oregon State, by Seattle SuperSonics; 1992 – Alonzo Mourning, Georgetown, by Charlotte Hornets; 1994 – Jason Kidd, California, by Dallas Mavericks.

Bygones: 1957 – Charles Tyra, Louisville, by Detroit Pistons; 1958 – Archie Dees, Indiana, by Cincinnati Royals; 1959 – Bob Ferry, St. Louis, by St. Louis Hawks; 1961 – Tom Stith, St. Bonaventure, by New York Knicks; 1963 – Art Heyman, Duke, by New York Knicks; 1965 – Bill Buntin, Michigan, by Detroit Pistons; 1969 – Neal Walk, Florida, by Phoenix Suns; 1973 – Jim Brewer, Minnesota, by Cleveland Cavaliers; 1974 – Marvin Barnes, Providence, by Philadelphia 76ers; 1976 – Scott May, Indiana, by Chicago Bulls; 1979 – David Greenwood, UCLA, by Chicago Bulls; 1984 – Sam Bowie, Kentucky, by Portland Trail Blazers; 1986 – Len Bias, Maryland, by Boston Celtics; 1989 – Danny Ferry, Duke, by Los Angeles Clippers; 1993 – Shawn Bradley, Brigham Young, by Philadelphia 76ers; 2000 – Stromile Swift, Louisiana State, by Vancouver Grizzlies; 2002 – Jay Williams, Duke, by Chicago Bulls; 2003 – Darko Milicic, Hemiska, Montenegro High School, by Detroit Pistons.

No. 3:

1984

Michael Jordan, North Carolina, by Chicago Bulls: Though the Bulls were not an overnight success upon Jordan’s arrival, his career achievements make him an easy choice here. Passed over by two teams in desperate need of post players (Houston and Portland), Jordan led the Bulls to six NBA championships, became their franchise leader in points, rebounds, assists and steals and won five NBA MVP awards. Following two years of retirement, he returned to the league with the Washington Wizards in 2001 and played two more seasons, finishing his career with an NBA career scoring average of 30.1 points per game. He was voted one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history in 1996.

Honorable Mention: 1959 – Bob Boozer, Kansas State, by Cincinnati Royals; 1965 – Gail Goodrich, UCLA, by Los Angeles Lakers; 1970 – Pete Maravich, Louisiana State, by Atlanta Hawks; 1977 – Marques Johnson, UCLA, by Milwaukee Bucks; 1980 – Kevin McHale, Minnesota, by Boston Celtics; 1982 – Dominique Wilkins, Georgia, by Utah Jazz; 1994 – Grant Hill, Duke, by Detroit Pistons; 1995 – Jerry Stackhouse, North Carolina, by Philadelphia 76ers; 1997 – Chauncey Billups, Colorado, by Boston Celtics; 2003 – Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse, by Denver Nuggets; 2005 – Deron Williams, Illinois, by Utah Jazz.

Bygones: 1957 – Jim Krebs, SMU, by Minneapolis Lakers; 1958 – Mike Farmer, San Francisco, by New York Knicks; 1962 – Bill McGill, Utah, by Chicago Zephyrs; 1963 – Rod Thorn, West Virginia, Baltimore Bullets; 1964 – Jim Barnes, Texas Western, New York Knicks; 1966 – Clyde Lee, Vanderbilt, by San Francisco; 1972 – Dwight Davis, Houston, by Cleveland Cavaliers; 1973 – Ernie DiGregorio, Providence, by Buffalo Braves; 1974 – Tom Burleson, North Carolina State, by Seattle SuperSonics; 1975 – Marvin Webster, Morgan State, by Atlanta Hawks; 1976 – Richard Washington, UCLA, by Kansas City Kings; 1986 – Chris Washburn, North Carolina State, by Golden State Warriors; 1987 – Dennis Hopson, Ohio State, by Chicago Bulls; 2000 – Darius Miles, East St. Louis (Ill.) High School, by Los Angeles Clippers.

No. 4:

1970

Dave Cowens, Florida State, by Boston Celtics: Those who considered the 6-foot-8-inch Cowens undersized to play center came to regret it both in a hurry and over a long haul. He was the league’s co-Rookie of the Year in 1971 and its MVP in 1973. Though his career scoring average of 17.6 points per game is not eye-popping, he averaged 13.6 rebounds per game and was a mainstay in the middle for Boston for seven seasons. He helped lead the Celtics to NBA championships in 1974 and ’76, earned seven NBA All-Star Team selections and was named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history in 1996.

Honorable Mention: 1959 – Bailey Howell, Mississippi State, by Detroit Pistons; 1963 – Nate Thurmond, Bowling Green, by San Francisco Warriors; 1964 – Joe Caldwell, Arizona State, by Detroit Pistons; 1966 – Lou Hudson, Minnesota, by St. Louis Hawks; 1975 – Alvan Adams, Oklahoma, by Phoenix Suns; 1983 – Byron Scott, Arizona State, by San Diego Clippers; 1984 – Sam Perkins, North Carolina, by Dallas Mavericks; 1985 – Xavier McDaniel, Wichita State, by Seattle SuperSonics; 1986 – Chuck Person, Auburn, by Indiana Pacers; 1989 – Glen Rice, Michigan, by Miami Heat; 1991 – Dikembe Mutombo, Georgetown, by Denver Nuggets; 1993 – Jamal Mashburn, Kentucky, by Dallas Mavericks; 1995 – Rasheed Wallace, North Carolina, by Washington Bullets; 1998 – Antawn Jamison, North Carolina, by Toronto Raptors; 2003 – Chris Bosh, Georgia Tech, by Toronto Raptors; 2005 – Chris Paul, Wake Forest, by New Orleans Hornets.

Bygones: 1957 – Win Wilfong, Memphis State, by St. Louis Hawks; 1958 – Pete Brennan, North Carolina, by New York Knicks; 1959 – Bailey Howell, Mississippi State, by Detroit Pistons; 1960 – Jack Moreland, Louisiana Tech, by Detroit Pistons; 1961 – Ray Scott, Portland, by Detroit Pistons; 1962 – Paul Hogue, Cincinnati, by New York Knicks; 1967 – Sonny Dove, St. John’s, by Detroit Pistons; 1968 – Tom Boerwinkle, Tennessee, by Chicago Bulls; 1969 – Terry Driscoll, Boston College, by Detroit Pistons; 1971 – Ken Durrett, LaSalle, by Cincinnati Royals; 1972 – Corky Calhoun, Penn, by Phoenix Suns; 1973 – Mike Green, Louisiana Tech, by Seattle SuperSonics; 1974 – John Shumate, Notre Dame, by Phoenix Suns; 1976 – Leon Douglas, Alabama, by Detroit Pistons; 1979 – Greg Kelser, Michigan State, by Detroit Pistons; 1980 – Kelvin Ransey, Ohio State, by Chicago Bulls; 1981 – Al Wood, North Carolina, by Atlanta Hawks; 1982 – Bill Garnett, Wyoming, by Dallas Mavericks; 2000 – Marcus Fizer, Iowa State, by Chicago Bulls; 2004 – Shaun Livingston, Peoria (Ill.) Central High School, by Los Angeles Clippers; 2006 – Tyrus Thomas, Louisiana State, by Trail Blazers.

No. 5:

1965

Rick Barry, Miami (Fla.), by San Francisco Warriors: Barry averaged 25.7 points per game as a rookie with the Warriors and bettered that to 35.6 to win the NBA scoring title the following year. Then he bolted to the American Basketball Association and averaged 30.5 points over four seasons with the Oakland Oaks, Washington Capitols and New York Nets before returning to the NBA and the Warriors in 1972. He totaled 25,279 points over his NBA and ABA careers, led Golden State to the NBA title in 1975. His career free-throw percentage was .893. He became a Hall-of-Famer in 1987 and was recognized as one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history in 1996.

Honorable Mention: 1962 -- Zelmo Beaty, Prairie View, by St. Louis Hawks; 1967 – Walt Frazier, Southern Illinois, by New York Knicks; 1974 – Bobby Jones, North Carolina, by Houston Rockets; 1977 – Walter Davis, North Carolina, by Phoenix Suns; 1979 – Sidney Moncrief, Arkansas, by Milwaukee Bucks; 1984 – Charles Barkley, Auburn, by Philadelphia 76ers; 1987 – Scottie Pippen, Central Arkansas, by Seattle SuperSonics; 1988 – Mitch Richmond, Kansas State, by Golden State Warriors; 1991 – Steve Smith, Michigan State, by Miami Heat; 1995 – Kevin Garnett, Farragut Academy (Ill.), by Minnesota Timberwolves; 1996 – Ray Allen, Connecticut, by Minnesota Timberwolves; 1998 – Vince Carter, North Carolina, by Golden State Warriors; 2001 – Jason Richardson, Michigan State, by Golden State Warriors; 2003 – Dwyane Wade, Marquette, by Miami Heat.

Bygones: 1957 – Brendan McCann, St. Bonaventure, by New York Knicks; 1959 – Tom Hawkins, Notre Dame, by Minneapolis Lakers; 1961 – Wayne Yates, Memphis State, by Los Angeles Lakers; 1963 – Eddie Miles, Seattle, by Detroit Pistons; 1968 – Don Smith, Iowa State, by Cincinnati Royals; 1971 – George Trapp, Long Beach State, by Atlanta Hawks; 1972 – Fred Boyd, Oregon State, by Philadelphis 76ers; 1976 – Wally Walker, Virginia, by Portland Trail Blazers; 1980 – James Ray, Jacksonville, by Denver Nuggets; 1981 – Danny Vranes, Utah, by Seattle SuperSonics; 1982 – LaSalle Thompson, Texas, by Kansas City Kings; 1985 – Jon Koncak, SMU, by Atlanta Hawks; 1986 – Kenny Walker, Kentucky, by New York Knicks; 1989 – J.R. Reid, North Carolina, by Charlotte Hornets; 1997 – Tony Battie, Texas Tech, by Denver Nuggets; 1999 – Jonathan Bender, Picayune (Miss.) High School, by Indiana Pacers; 2002 – Nikoloz Tskitshvili, Italy, by Denver Nuggets.

No. 6:

1978

Larry Bird, Indiana State, by Boston Celtics: The Celtics shrewdly drafted Bird following his junior season at Indiana State University, retained his draft rights and signed him after his senior campaign, before the next draft. He was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 1980, earned 12 NBA All-Star selections and was named first-team all-NBA nine times. He led the Celtics to NBA championships in 1981, ’84 and ’86, scored 21,791 career points and was named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history in 1996. He was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1996.

Honorable Mention: 1959 – Dick Barnett, Tennessee State, by Syracuse Nationals; 1960 – Lenny Wilkens, Providence, by St. Louis Hawks; 1971 – Fred Brown, Iowa, by Seattle SuperSonics; 1976 – Adrian Dantley, Notre Dame, by Buffalo Braves; 1992 – Tom Gugliotta, North Carolina State, by Washington Bullets; 1996 – Antoine Walker, Kentucky, by Boston Celtics; 2006 – Brandon Roy, Washington, by Minnesota Timberwolves.

Bygones: 1957 – Lenny Rosenbluth, North Carolina, by Philadelphia Warriors; 1958 – Connie Dierking, Cincinnati, by Syracuse Nationals; 1963 – Gerry Ward, Boston College, by St. Louis Hawks; 1965 – Dave Stallworth, Wichita State, by New York Knicks; 1967 – Al Tucker, Oklahoma Baptist, by Seattle SuperSonics; 1968 – Otto Moore, Pan American, by Detroit Pistons; 1970 – Jim Ard, Cincinnati, by Seattle SuperSonics; 1972 – Russell Lee, Marshall, by Milwaukee Bucks; 1973 – Ed Ratleff, Long Beach State, by Houston Rockets; 1979 – James Bailey, Rutgers, by Seattle SuperSonics; 1983 – Russell Cross, Purdue, by Golden State Warriors; 1984 – Mel Turpin, Kentucky, by Washington Bullets; 1985 – Joe Kleine, Arkansas, by Sacramento Kings; 1986 – William Bedford, Memphis State, by Phoenix Suns; 1989 – Stacey King, Oklahoma, by Chicago Bulls; 1990 – Felton Spencer, Louisville, by Minnesota Timberwolves; 1991 – Doug Smith, Missouri, by Dallas Mavericks; 1994 – Sharone Wright, Clemson, by Philadelphia 76ers; 1998 – Robert Traylor, Michigan, by Dallas Mavericks; 2002 – Dajuan Wagner, Memphis, by Cleveland Cavaliers.

No. 7:

1985

Chris Mullin, St. John’s, by Golden State Warriors: Mullin began developing a reputation as one of the most uncanny sharpshooters of his era during an All-American career at St. John’s University and in helping the United States capture an Olympic gold medal a year before entering the NBA. By his third pro season, he was among the most prolific marksmen in the pro ranks, and he helped the U.S. Olympic Team strike gold again in 1992. He averaged better than 25 points per game in five consecutive seasons for Golden State. He made five All-Star Game appearances as a Warrior, then played three seasons with Indiana before finishing his playing career with Golden State. He scored 17,911 career points.

Honorable Mention: 1964 – Jeff Mullins, Duke, by St. Louis Hawks; 1965 – Billy Cunningham, North Carolina, by Philadelphia 76ers; 1970 – John Johnson, Iowa, by Cleveland Cavaliers; 1977 – Bernard King, Tennessee, by New York Nets; 1979 – Vinnie Johnson, Baylor, by Seattle SuperSonics; 1983 – Thurl Bailey, North Carolina State, by Utah Jazz; 1984 – Alvin Robertson, Arkansas, by San Antonio Spurs; 1987 – Kevin Johnson, California, by Cleveland Cavaliers; 1992 – Walt Williams, Maryland, by Sacramento Kings; 1999 – Richard Hamilton, Connecticut, by Washington Wizards; 2003 – Kirk Hinrich, Kansas, by Chicago Bulls; 2004 – Luol Deng, Duke, by Phoenix Suns.

Bygones: 1957 – George Bon Salle, Illinois, by Syracuse Nationals; 1960 – Al Bunge, Maryland, by Philadelphia Warriors; 1963 – Tom Hoover, Villanova, by Syracuse Nationals; 1966 – Jerry Chambers, Utah, by Los Angeles Lakers; 1967 – Pat Riley, Kentucky, by San Diego Rockets; 1968 – Charlie Paulk, Northeast Oklahoma, by Milwaukee Bucks; 1969 – Bob Portman, Creighton, by San Francisco Warriors; 1971 – Cliff Meely, Colorado, by San Diego Rockets; 1972 – Bud Stallworth, Kansas, by Seattle SuperSonics; 1973 – Ron Behagen, Minnesota, by Kansas City-Omaha Kings; 1974 – Tom Henderson, Hawaii, by Atlanta Hawks; 1975 – Rich Kelley, Stanford, by New Orleans Jazz; 1988 – Tim Perry, Temple, by Phoenix Suns; 1993 – Bobby Hurley, Duke, by Sacramento Kings; 2000 – Chris Mihm, Texas, by Chicago Bulls.

No. 8:

1976

Robert Parish, Centenary, by Golden State Warriors: Golden State took a gamble by drafting the 7-footer out of obscure Centenary College, but made the mistake of trading him away after three seasons and didn’t reap the handsome dividends he paid. Parish was dealt to Boston with a first-round draft choices in exchange for two first-round picks, and he went on to man the middle on four NBA championship teams for the Celtics. He not only became Boston’s all-time blocked shots leader with 1,703, but scored 23,334 points during an NBA-record 21-year career. He was named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA History in 1996 and became a Hall-of-Famer in 2003.

Honorable Mention: 1957 – Sam Jones, North Carolina Central, by Boston Celtics; 1970 – Geoff Petrie, Princeton, by Portland Trail Blazers; 1975 – Junior Bridgeman, Louisville, by Los Angeles Lakers; 1977 – Jack Sikma, Illinois Wesleyan, by Seattle SuperSonics; 1979 – Calvin Natt, Northeast Louisiana, by New Jersey Nets; 1980 – Andrew Toney, Southwestern Louisiana, by Philadelphia 76ers; 1981 – Tom Chambers, Utah, by San Diego Clippers; 1982 – Clark Kellogg, Ohio State, by Indiana Pacers; 1985 – Detlef Schrempf, Washington, by Dallas Mavericks; 1986 – Ron Harper, Miami (Ohio), by Cleveland Cavaliers; 1993 – Vin Baker, Hartford, by Milwaukee Bucks; 1994 – Brian Grant, Xavier (Ohio), by Sacramento Kings; 1999 – Andre Miller, Utah, by Cleveland Cavaliers; 2006 – Rudy Gay, Connecticut, by Houston Rockets

Bygones: 1958 – Ben Swain, Texas Southern, by Boston Celtics; 1959 – John Richter, North Carolina State, by Boston Celtics; 1961 – Cleo Hill, Winston-Salem, by St. Louis Hawks; 1963 – Roger Strickland, Jacksonville, by Los Angeles Lakers; 1964 – Barry Kramer, New York University, by San Francisco Warriors; 1967 – Tom Workman, Seattle, by St. Louis Hawks; 1972 – Tom Riker, South Carolina, by New York Knicks; 1984 – Lancaster Gordon, Louisville, by Los Angeles Clippers; 1989 – Randy White, Louisiana Tech, by Dallas Mavericks; 1990 – Bo Kimble, Loyola Marymount, by Los Angeles Clippers; 1991 – Mark Macon, Temple, by Denver Nuggets; 1995 – Shawn Respert, Michigan State, by Portland Trail Blazers; 2004 – Rafael Araujo, Brigham Young, by Toronto Raptors.