Draft Offers Quality Far Beyond No. 1
Aug 20 2009 5:00PM
Message boards, sports talk radio and basketball critics have all but labeled this year’s NBA Draft as a one-man class.
That is, Blake Griffin or bust.
We say to heck with that logic.
While Griffin is regarded as the most talented player in the June 25 NBA Draft, it is unfair to say the annual event starts and ends with him.
Drafts always have sleepers, diamonds in the rough and role players who go on to help their teams on a consistent basis. They’re not all drafted first overall, or even in the lottery.
The last dozen drafts alone have produced scores of such players.
So get over the fact that the Thunder doesn’t have the top pick of the draft. Instead, know that it has precious capital in the No. 3 and No. 25 picks. Those two picks present General Manager Sam Presti with a legion of choices to acquire another quality player, be it through using the picks, or trading up, down or even out of the draft.
And just to hammer that point home, we’ve compiled a list of non-lottery draft picks who have gone on to fulfill meaningful roles with their respective teams:
First, let’s start with your Thunder. Rotation players who were drafted No. 10 or later include Nenad Krstic, who the New Jersey Nets took at No. 24 in the 2002 draft. Krstic went from New Jersey to Russia and back to the NBA with the Thunder, which acquired him just before the New Year; defensive specialist Thabo Sefolosha, who was drafted 13th in 2006. The Thunder traded a first-round pick (26th) in this year's draft to Chicago for him; Kyle Weaver, a second-rounder (38th overall) in the 2008 draft who cracked the rotation midway through the season; and D.J. White, selected with the 29th pick a year ago who was acquired in a trade with Detroit and showed promise in the final two weeks of the regular season.
See where we’re going with this?
Now we’ll look at the final four teams competing in the conference finals. There’s an abundance of talent that either slipped or was overlooked in their draft classes. And the one thing they all have in common is they’re still playing for an NBA title.
As far as point guards go, there’s Orlando’s Rafer Alston, who was the 39th pick of the 1998 draft. Through the first four games of the Eastern Conference Finals, he’s easily outplayed his counterpart, Cleveland’s Mo Williams, who garnered attention for guaranteeing a Cavs’ trip to the NBA Finals. Williams, by the way, was drafted 47th in the 2003 draft, and was widely considered one of the biggest acquisitions of last summer.
Denver’s Chauncey Billups and the Lakers’ Derek Fisher each took unique paths to where they are today. No one could predict that Billups, chosen by Boston with the third pick of the 1997 draft, would be traded during his rookie season and play for four teams before blossoming into an elite playmaker, annual All-Star and NBA Finals MVP with the Detroit Pistons. Now he’s at it again with his hometown Nuggets. Fisher, meanwhile, has three NBA titles, a role as president of the NBA Players Association and a 12-year career to his name. The Lakers made him the No. 24 pick of the 1996 draft.
Other notable players still competing in this year’s playoffs include Lakers’ defensive stopper Trevor Ariza, the 43rd pick of the 2004 draft; Denver guard J.R. Smith, the lightning quick, long-range threat who was selected 18th in the 2004 draft; Orlando backup center Marcin Gortat, who was drafted 57th in 2005; Cleveland big men Zydrunas Ilgauskus (No. 20 in 1996) and Anderson Varejao (30th in ’04); and Orlando forwards Rashard Lewis (No. 32 in ’98) and Hedo Turkoglu (No. 16 in 2000), who are always on the floor during crunch time.
And we’re just getting started here.
Think 2002, when the San Antonio Spurs drafted then traded Luis Scola to the Houston Rockets. Scola was the third to last pick (56th) of the draft, and has developed into a physical low-post presence for the Rockets and a tough match-up for any forward.
Think of Wake Forest’s Josh Howard, who slipped all the way to the final pick of the first round, where the Dallas Mavericks snatched him up. Howard eventually worked his way into the starting lineup, earned All-Star honors in his fifth season and has become a reliable defender.
And think of the 2004 draft class that produced an array of players who have assumed leadership roles with their clubs.
Minnesota center Al Jefferson just missed being a lottery pick -- he was the 15th pick. Jefferson has continued to develop each season and was recently awarded with a sizeable contract extension. Orlando point guard Jameer Nelson, who was named an All-Star this season, and Sacramento sharp shooter Kevin Martin were both late first-round picks that year.
New York’s David Lee was the final pick of the first round in 2005, and his scrappiness and ability to provide the intangibles are sure to garner interest from other teams when he becomes a restricted free agent this summer. The explosive Monta Ellis, who was a second-round draft pick in that class, signed a $66 million contract extension with Golden State last off-season.
Houston’s Ron Artest, Milwaukee’s Michael Redd, Boston’s Rajon Rondo, Washington’s Gilbert Arenas, Utah’s Carlos Boozer and Paul Millsap, New Orleans’ David West, Detroit’s Tayshaun Prince and San Antonio’s Tony Parker were all drafted 16th or later in their draft classes.
The Olympic gold-medal winning Team USA, meanwhile, consisted of just two players who were drafted first overall: Dwight Howard and LeBron James. That team included three players -- Redd, Carlos Boozer and Prince -- who were late first-round picks.
The 31 players mentioned above have all made their mark in the NBA. Few were products of the ESPN hype machine coming out of college. And even fewer hold national endorsement deals. But when it comes down to one’s value to a team, none of that matters. Of course, the will to overcome odds comes from within one’s self; it’s a certain character and work ethic that’s hard to fully gauge.
It’s the type of player the Thunder will target next month.
And that should make Thunder fans feel at ease come June 25.
As NBA commissioner David Stern put it prior to last week’s NBA Draft Lottery, “There’s something for everyone in the draft and the lottery – guaranteed.”
Look at the 2005, 2003 and 2001 drafts, for instance. Each class had a consensus overall pick heading into draft night. And each had a player drafted No. 3 who has made a similar, if not greater, impact.
While Andrew Bogut went No. 1 overall to Milwaukee in ’05, Utah was able to get point guard and future Olympian Deron Williams at No. 3.
Everyone knew James would be the first pick of the 2003 draft, but it was a crapshoot afterwards. Denver nabbed Carmelo Anthony with the third pick, and the versatile forward hasn’t disappointed.
Center Kwame Brown was also a shoe-in as the top pick of the ’01 draft, but Pau Gasol, who went No. 3, has made more of an impact in his career.
The point of all this: don’t be so quick to judge a draft class by its star potential. While Griffin is projected to become a franchise player, there’s just no telling how one’s career will turn out.
Keep that much in mind when the 2009 NBA Draft unfolds.
Contact Chris Silva
That is, Blake Griffin or bust.
We say to heck with that logic.
While Griffin is regarded as the most talented player in the June 25 NBA Draft, it is unfair to say the annual event starts and ends with him.
Drafts always have sleepers, diamonds in the rough and role players who go on to help their teams on a consistent basis. They’re not all drafted first overall, or even in the lottery.
The last dozen drafts alone have produced scores of such players.
So get over the fact that the Thunder doesn’t have the top pick of the draft. Instead, know that it has precious capital in the No. 3 and No. 25 picks. Those two picks present General Manager Sam Presti with a legion of choices to acquire another quality player, be it through using the picks, or trading up, down or even out of the draft.
And just to hammer that point home, we’ve compiled a list of non-lottery draft picks who have gone on to fulfill meaningful roles with their respective teams:
First, let’s start with your Thunder. Rotation players who were drafted No. 10 or later include Nenad Krstic, who the New Jersey Nets took at No. 24 in the 2002 draft. Krstic went from New Jersey to Russia and back to the NBA with the Thunder, which acquired him just before the New Year; defensive specialist Thabo Sefolosha, who was drafted 13th in 2006. The Thunder traded a first-round pick (26th) in this year's draft to Chicago for him; Kyle Weaver, a second-rounder (38th overall) in the 2008 draft who cracked the rotation midway through the season; and D.J. White, selected with the 29th pick a year ago who was acquired in a trade with Detroit and showed promise in the final two weeks of the regular season.
See where we’re going with this?
Now we’ll look at the final four teams competing in the conference finals. There’s an abundance of talent that either slipped or was overlooked in their draft classes. And the one thing they all have in common is they’re still playing for an NBA title.
As far as point guards go, there’s Orlando’s Rafer Alston, who was the 39th pick of the 1998 draft. Through the first four games of the Eastern Conference Finals, he’s easily outplayed his counterpart, Cleveland’s Mo Williams, who garnered attention for guaranteeing a Cavs’ trip to the NBA Finals. Williams, by the way, was drafted 47th in the 2003 draft, and was widely considered one of the biggest acquisitions of last summer.
Denver’s Chauncey Billups and the Lakers’ Derek Fisher each took unique paths to where they are today. No one could predict that Billups, chosen by Boston with the third pick of the 1997 draft, would be traded during his rookie season and play for four teams before blossoming into an elite playmaker, annual All-Star and NBA Finals MVP with the Detroit Pistons. Now he’s at it again with his hometown Nuggets. Fisher, meanwhile, has three NBA titles, a role as president of the NBA Players Association and a 12-year career to his name. The Lakers made him the No. 24 pick of the 1996 draft.
Other notable players still competing in this year’s playoffs include Lakers’ defensive stopper Trevor Ariza, the 43rd pick of the 2004 draft; Denver guard J.R. Smith, the lightning quick, long-range threat who was selected 18th in the 2004 draft; Orlando backup center Marcin Gortat, who was drafted 57th in 2005; Cleveland big men Zydrunas Ilgauskus (No. 20 in 1996) and Anderson Varejao (30th in ’04); and Orlando forwards Rashard Lewis (No. 32 in ’98) and Hedo Turkoglu (No. 16 in 2000), who are always on the floor during crunch time.
And we’re just getting started here.
Think 2002, when the San Antonio Spurs drafted then traded Luis Scola to the Houston Rockets. Scola was the third to last pick (56th) of the draft, and has developed into a physical low-post presence for the Rockets and a tough match-up for any forward.
Think of Wake Forest’s Josh Howard, who slipped all the way to the final pick of the first round, where the Dallas Mavericks snatched him up. Howard eventually worked his way into the starting lineup, earned All-Star honors in his fifth season and has become a reliable defender.
And think of the 2004 draft class that produced an array of players who have assumed leadership roles with their clubs.
Minnesota center Al Jefferson just missed being a lottery pick -- he was the 15th pick. Jefferson has continued to develop each season and was recently awarded with a sizeable contract extension. Orlando point guard Jameer Nelson, who was named an All-Star this season, and Sacramento sharp shooter Kevin Martin were both late first-round picks that year.
New York’s David Lee was the final pick of the first round in 2005, and his scrappiness and ability to provide the intangibles are sure to garner interest from other teams when he becomes a restricted free agent this summer. The explosive Monta Ellis, who was a second-round draft pick in that class, signed a $66 million contract extension with Golden State last off-season.
Houston’s Ron Artest, Milwaukee’s Michael Redd, Boston’s Rajon Rondo, Washington’s Gilbert Arenas, Utah’s Carlos Boozer and Paul Millsap, New Orleans’ David West, Detroit’s Tayshaun Prince and San Antonio’s Tony Parker were all drafted 16th or later in their draft classes.
The Olympic gold-medal winning Team USA, meanwhile, consisted of just two players who were drafted first overall: Dwight Howard and LeBron James. That team included three players -- Redd, Carlos Boozer and Prince -- who were late first-round picks.
The 31 players mentioned above have all made their mark in the NBA. Few were products of the ESPN hype machine coming out of college. And even fewer hold national endorsement deals. But when it comes down to one’s value to a team, none of that matters. Of course, the will to overcome odds comes from within one’s self; it’s a certain character and work ethic that’s hard to fully gauge.
It’s the type of player the Thunder will target next month.
And that should make Thunder fans feel at ease come June 25.
As NBA commissioner David Stern put it prior to last week’s NBA Draft Lottery, “There’s something for everyone in the draft and the lottery – guaranteed.”
Look at the 2005, 2003 and 2001 drafts, for instance. Each class had a consensus overall pick heading into draft night. And each had a player drafted No. 3 who has made a similar, if not greater, impact.
While Andrew Bogut went No. 1 overall to Milwaukee in ’05, Utah was able to get point guard and future Olympian Deron Williams at No. 3.
Everyone knew James would be the first pick of the 2003 draft, but it was a crapshoot afterwards. Denver nabbed Carmelo Anthony with the third pick, and the versatile forward hasn’t disappointed.
Center Kwame Brown was also a shoe-in as the top pick of the ’01 draft, but Pau Gasol, who went No. 3, has made more of an impact in his career.
The point of all this: don’t be so quick to judge a draft class by its star potential. While Griffin is projected to become a franchise player, there’s just no telling how one’s career will turn out.
Keep that much in mind when the 2009 NBA Draft unfolds.
Contact Chris Silva
