Though this class is a little deeper than our top two, the collective number of championships among top players was too noteworthy to ignore. But the rest of this class left a lot to be desired. Published January 5, 2021 10 biggest NBA Draft busts of the past decade, by year Vincent Frank Mar 14, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Tobias Harris (34) drives to. You can follow him on Twitter,@kerrancejames. Ten of the top 12 picks would accumulate at least 46 career win shares. Location: Los Angeles, California Team Names: Los Angeles Lakers, Minneapolis Lakers Seasons: 75; 1948-49 to 2022-23 Record: 3489-2412, .591 W-L% Playoff Appearances: 62 Championships: 17 More Franchise Info 1 pick, 2001 NBA Draft. Tatum had a great 2019-20 NBA season, averaging 23 points, seven rebounds, and three assists per game on 45% shooting as he led the Celtics to the Eastern Conference Finals. 1950 was one of the exceptions to that rule, producing four future Hall of FamersArizin, Cousy, Sharman and Yardleyand a fifth player (Foust) who fell just shy of averaging a double-double (13.7 PPG, 9.8 RPG) while making eight All-Star Games in his career. Nonetheless, Ja is one of the top-ten players in the world right now by averaging 27.4 PPG, 5.7 RPG, and 6.7 APG for the Grizzlies this past year and will be on an uptrend to be the best point . They were a massive disappointment, yes, but also so transcendent for brief moments. Your login session has expired. Some could make the case that hes the biggest Draft steal in NBA history. Chicago drafted Horace Grant at No. 9, Chicago), Marc Gasol (No. 1 overall. 2 in career points and No. Both star power and depth were necessary to land in the top 10. Other contenders: Pau Gasol (No. But its hard to dismiss the all-around talent Booker has developed into thus far. Dan Issel was selected 122nd overall by the Pistons, but he instead signed with the ABA's Kentucky Colonels. Other contenders: Karl-Anthony Towns (No. Kings draft Keegan Murray (Iowa) 5. Other contenders: Brandon Ingram (No. 1 pick LaRue Martin (Portland Trail Blazers) | Full Draft 1971 | No. Though the sample size was small, Zion Williamson showed from his first few weeks as an NBA player that he is a special talent. Jayson Tatum Is in a Funk. NBA Trade Rumors: Rival teams expect Toronto Raptors to be more likely to trade Pascal Siakam after the draf. Michael C. Wright is a senior writer for NBA.com. But the fact is Leonard has exceeded even the loftiest of expectations anyone had for him when he began his career as a defensive stopper and role player in San Antonio alongside Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. The 10-time All-Star and two-time NBA champion made 2,973 triples in his 18-year career. The latter averaged better than 20 points per game in back-to-back seasons before dying on a practice court at the age of 27. 1 pick Walt Bellamy (Chicago Zephyrs) | Full Draft, 1960 | No. 1 pick Chris Webber (Orlando Magic) | Full Draft, 1992 | No. 1 pick Derrick Coleman (New Jersey Nets) | Full Draft, 1989 | No. Take a look back at every All-NBA team in league history. Take a look back at the storylines, award-winners and much more from each season in NBA history. Barton joins the Raptors after he was waived by the Wizards on Feb. 21. Each of the last few editions of the NBA Draft have had more than one player who could be transcendent in the league. Had there been one more stud or just a bit of depth beyond Nowitzki, Pierce and Carter, there would have been a strong case for 1998 as one of the three best draft classes ever. 11 pick Reggie Miller also played all of his games for the franchise that drafted him. Toss in gold medals in the Olympics in 2008 and 2012, and Pauls legacy is already secure. Neither Giannis Antetokounmpo (left) nor Nikola Jokic were Top 10 picks, but both have won Kia MVPs in the last 2 seasons. Greens knowledge of the game is unmatched, and hes going to be a star on television once he decides to call it quits. No. Ayton was the first selection of the 2018 NBA Draft, coming from Arizona, and he has career averages of 16 points and 10 rebounds per game in his regular-season career so far. Davis has a chance to go down as one of the greatest power forwards the game has seen. Three of the four (James, Wade and Bosh) teamed up to win the 2012 and 2013 titles. Magic draft Paolo Banchero (Duke) 2. 1 pick David Robinson (San Antonio Spurs) | Full Draft, 1986 | No. A two-time NBA All-Star and winner of the 2018 Verizon Slam Dunk Contest, Mitchell was the 13th pick of a 2017 draft that produced a trio of All-Stars (Bam Adebayo and Jayson Tatum). Frank Franklin II/AP Images. No one is ever persuaded to change their opinion, and no one is ever in the middle. Throughout the years, the Lakers had traded away some of their picks as well as traded for other teams' picks. 23, Detroit). He is a study in perseverance considering all the losing seasons he endured over his first five seasons to get to this point. Kerry Miller is a multisport writer for Bleacher Report. Boston also ended up with one of the other Hall of Famers from this class when Cousy refused to report to the Tri-Cities Blackhawks, who selected him with the third overall pick. 5, Miami). 1 Pick, and QB Movement Updates With Jeff Darlington. 6, Portland), Rajon Rondo (No. James Harden's is 23.68, and Blake Griffin's is 22.43. A six-time All-Star and four-time All-NBA pick, Parkers No. 3 pick Carmelo Anthony, No. Speaking of great big men who never got a ring, No. Well, Ray Allen wasn't. The 2x All-Star and 2x All-NBA selection is undoubtedly one of the greatest draft steals in league history; he easily walks into this list. 2, Portland), Brandon Roy (No. 11. Tate is back just in time for March Madness! Hes also shown himself to be a prime-time player in the postseason, when the pressure ramps up to its highest level. Although diehard NBA fans may know about some of the all-time greats who went on to be legends of the NBA after being the first pick of their draft class, we will only take a look at the five most recent #1 picks. James Wiseman is something of an anomaly only two years into his NBA career, he missed his entire second season due to injury. A 12-time All-Star and 11-time All-NBA pick, Paul has also been on the All-Defensive Team nine times. Who actually drafted Doncic will be a fun trivia question someday: Atlanta selected the Slovenian third before sending him in a draft-day trade to Dallas for Trae Young (the no. 1 pick Mychal Thompson (Portland Trail Blazers) | Full Draft, 1977 | No. NBA Draft History data. But the star power at the top of this class is second to none. Jimmy Butler: Butlers story is incredible. Eliot, Brown entered the NBA with a bang, but left with a whisper. 5, Atlanta), Jaren Jackson Jr. (No. Does said player have the work ethic and drive to push himself to become his best? Issel's NBA win shares are 82.3, but Sports Reference puts his combined total at 157.8good for 23rd on the all-time list. At the opposite end of the spectrum, there were some classes that had a ton of good players, but no great ones. Take a closer look at some of the impactful activations hosted by the Kings during Black History Month. UFC 285 Preview: Can Jon Jones Turn Back the Clock. Though the Mailman never won a title, this 14-time All-Star trails only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain on the NBA's career win shares leaderboard. Where the players were selected in the draft did not matter for this list, though we will occasionally call out second-round steals and lottery busts for sake of context. In NBA history, 20 players have accumulated at least 160 win shares, and four of them (20 percent) were drafted in 1984: Michael Jordan, John Stockton, Charles Barkley and Hakeem Olajuwon. 19 DIMES FOR DONCIC. 11 in 2016); Pascal Siakam (No. 30, Boston). 1 pick in the 1998 draft ended up being one of the biggest busts in the history of the league, but even Michael Olowokandi couldn't keep this class from finishing in the top 10. 5. Also read: NBA Trade Rumors: Rival teams expect Toronto Raptors to be more likely to trade Pascal Siakam after the draft, Be the first one to comment on this story. Malone is also No. As you'll see in the honorable mentions, there were a few instances in which several all-time greats went in the same draft, but they were the only players who amounted to much of anything. NBA.com is part of Warner Media, LLC's Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network 27 in 2016); Nikola Vucevic (No. Sometimes the best player goes No. Applauding the Mavs for securing Doncic doesnt mean we need to criticize the Hawks for wanting Young, who was voted an All-Star this season and averaged a cool 29.6 points per game. He dominated that league for six years before it was absorbed by the NBA. 4 pick Chris Bosh and No. In fact, this is the only draft with more than six players who provided at least that much return on investment. 1 pick Cade Cunningham (Detroit Pistons) | Full Draft, 2020| No. 1 pick Ralph Sampson (Houston Rockets) | Full Draft, 1982 | No. In the depth department, eight players drafted in 1985 went on to accumulate at least 86 win shares. However, he found a nice groove with the Magic, although his 2020-21 campaign was cut short by an ACL injury. Classic Type in answers that appear in a list Type in answers that appear in a list . 3, Atlanta), Mike Conley (No.4, Memphis), Joakim Noah (No. International players make up the majority of this list because they dont have as much amateur visibility, resulting in lower selections or the idea that they came out of nowhere. Jokic wasnt a McDonalds All-American; nor did he play for an NCAA powerhouse. The seventh pick in the second round of the 1974 NBA draft, John Drew was selected by the Atlanta Hawks, the team which he would spend eight of his 11 years in the league with. Looking at the Western Conference After LeBrons Injury. The 1987 NBA draft produced a lot of talented players, and the coaches and general managers at the top of the draft did a great job of evaluating that potential. Karl-Anthony Towns has averaged 22.7 points and 11.8 rebounds per game in his five-year NBA career while shooting 53% from the field, 40% from the three and 83% from the FT line. The Philadelphia 76ers selected Markelle Fultz with the first overall pick of the 2017 NBA Draft. And after what looks like a monthslong fast, a slimmer Jokic should be capable of even more than his beefier self, who was averaging 20 points, 10 rebounds, and almost seven assists before play stopped. Hes a 6-foot-11 positionless defender who leads the league in blocks and field goal percentage. In 1984, it was Kevin Willis (81.8). 2, LA Lakers), Kristaps Porzingis (No. The best player from the 2015 NBA Draft is Karl-Anthony Towns. Ayton's progression could be huge for the Phoenix Suns going forward as the experience of the 2021 NBA Finals at such a young stage could mean a lot to him for the future. The only dud in this top 10 was No. If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. Jeff Teague, Taj Gibson, Darren Collison and Ty Lawson have combined for just one All-Star appearance, and they are Nos. 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