The One(s)
May 3, 2010
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.—The season of struggle has given way to an offseason of optimism, and it begins by Looking Toward the Lottery. During the next few weeks, NJNets.com will take you through the process with our ongoing series. Stay tuned for more!
First Choice
Since the lottery began in 1985, when the Knicks won the right to select clear No. 1 pick Patrick Ewing, teams have had to be open to the possibility they might not be drafting in order of finish. But that doesn’t mean good value will cease to be available for anyone who drops down. With the Nets guaranteed to pick at least fourth, we’ll take a historical swing through each of the team’s potential draft positions to see what could be.
After examining what could be at picks 2-4, it’s time to take a look at five No. 1 picks who lived up to the advance billing. It’s apparent that superstars are selected more often than not, and can make things quite complicated when one attempts to discern which one should rank ahead of another.
1. Shaquille O’Neal (1992, Orlando Magic)
You can make a great case for either of these former No. 1’s, each a four-time champion, league MVP and multiple-time Finals MVP while you can talk yourself into Duncan being the guy, confronted with a Gladwell-style blink test, Shaq’s peak dominance probably grabs your gut over Duncan’s incredible consistency. When the statistical cases are this close to call, that’s the tipping point.
| Career Stats | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | GS | MPG | FG% | FT% | BPG | RPG | APG | PPG |
| 1,170 | 1,161 | 35.2 | .581 | .527 | 2.3 | 11.0 | 2.6 | 24.1 |
| Notes | ||||||||
18 seasons |
||||||||
2. Tim Duncan (1997, San Antonio Spurs)
| Career Stats | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | GS | MPG | FG% | FT% | BPG | RPG | APG | PPG |
| 977 | 975 | 36.4 | .508 | .687 | 2.3 | 11.6 | 3.2 | 21.1 |
| Notes | ||||||||
13 seasons |
||||||||
3. LeBron James (2003, Cleveland Cavaliers)
There’s a pretty fair chance that the recently re-crowned, reigning back-to-back MVP finishes his career atop this list, but with Shaq and The Big Fundamental hoarding championship hardware (eight of 10 titles during the ’aughts), it’s too early to put LeBron ahead of either. We’ll be witnessing greatness for years to come, and it will be intriguing to see exactly when the “if” becomes a “when” for young James.
| Career Stats | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | SPG | BPG | RPG | APG | PPG |
| 548 | 547 | 40.3 | .475 | .329 | .742 | 1.7 | 0.9 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 27.8 |
| Notes | ||||||||||
7 seasons |
||||||||||
4. David Robinson (1987, San Antonio Spurs)
Though “The Admiral” gave up two early years of his career to complete his naval service, he immediately impacted the league, following up his Rookie of the Year campaign with a Defensive Player of the Year Award two seasons later. Robinson had already established himself as MVP-worthy before Tim Duncan’s 1997 arrival, but he adjusted well to playing alongside his fellow big, winning two championships before retiring in 2003.
| Career Stats | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | GS | MPG | FG% | FT% | SPG | BPG | RPG | APG | PPG |
| 987 | 985 | 34.7 | .518 | .736 | 1.4 | 2.9 | 10.6 | 2.5 | 21.1 |
| Notes | |||||||||
13 seasons |
|||||||||
5. Allen Iverson (1996,
The shortest No. 1 pick of all time at 6-foot, 1/2-inches tall, “The Answer” proved to be one of the most explosive scorers in league history, pacing the NBA in PPG four times while carrying teams as far as the Finals. Iverson’s 2000-01 MVP season is regarded as one of the league’s most memorable, teaming with mid-season acquisition Dikembe Mutombo to eventually guide coach Larry Brown’s hard-scrabble outfit to a Game One upset of the heavily favored Lakers. His baby-cross pullup on Michael Jordan was the harbinger that a new generation of superstars was upon us, and Iverson’s influence has since permeated the league, inspiring the current up-and-comers as they eyed NBA careers.
| Career Stats | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | SPG | RPG | APG | PPG |
| 914 | 901 | 41.1 | .425 | .313 | .780 | 2.2 | 3.7 | 6.2 | 26.7 |
| Notes | |||||||||
14 seasons |
|||||||||
Honorary Mention
Patrick Ewing (1985, New York Knicks)
The man who made the first lottery so exciting for the New York defined an era for the Knicks, playing hard and fiercely defending the middle while carrying the load as the team’s top scorer for more than a decade. With no MVP or championship hardware in the cupboard, Ewing finds himself just outside the Top 5 of this stellar group of superstars. But his wildly productive career is a reminder that more often than not, No. 1 is a no-lose situation.
 |
Stats | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | |
| 1,183 | 1,122 | 34.3 | 0.504 | 0.740 | |
| SPG | BPG | RPG | APG | PPG | |
| 1.0 | 2.4 | 9.8 | 1.9 | 21.0 | |
| Notes | |||||
17 seasons |
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Thanks to Marketing Intern Craig Manfra and Marketing Assistant Dave M. Brown for the assist!
