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 Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 4:06 pm
Karl Malone, Utah Jazz | No. 13 -- 1st round, 1985  A year after gettin' Stockton, Jazz secured this diamond in rough from Louisiana Tech who worked himself into best player he could be--good enough to become a 2-time MVP n' league's 2nd all-time leadin' scorer.
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Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 4:07 pm
Kobe Bryant, Charlotte Hornets | No. 13 -- 1st round, 1996 He would have gone higher if not for some predraft machinations. Nets seriously entertained pickin' Kobe at No. 8, but they reportedly backed off after word spread through Bryant's agent that Philadelphia prep star wouldn't play for them. Instead, in a prearranged deal, Lakers acquired Bryant from Charlotte for center Vlade Divac, a swap that helped them clear enough salary-cap space to sign free agent Shaquille O'Neal later that offseason. n' Nets? They took Kerry Kittles with their pick.
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Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 4:11 pm
Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns | No. 15 -- 1st round, 1996 Phoenix fans booed pick on draft night. Mavs fans later booed Nash when he struggled in his 1st 2 seasons in Dallas after bein' acquired in a trade. All Nash has done since is win 2 MVP awards n' push Suns to brink of NBA Finals.
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Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 4:12 pm
Nate Archibald, Cincinnati Royals | No. 19 -- 2nd round, 1970 In his 3rd year, Tiny became only player in history to lead league in scorin' n' assists in same season. He averaged 18.8 points n' 7.4 assists in a 14-year Hall of Fame career that included a 1981 title with Celtics.
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Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 4:14 pm
Hal Greer, Syracuse Nationals | No. 14 -- 2nd round, 1958 A 10-time All-Star n' 1 of NBA's 50 greatest players, 6-foot-2 guard remained with same franchise his entire 15-year career (Nationals became Philadelphia 76ers in 1963). Greer, franchise's all-time scorin' leader, was 1st 76er to have his number retired.
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Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 4:15 pm
Alex English, Milwaukee Bucks | No. 23 -- 2nd round, 1976 After 2 forgettable seasons in Milwaukee n' 2 more decent ones in Indiana, English's career took off with a 1980 trade to Denver. Smooth forward averaged at least 23 points in 9 consecutive seasons n' won scorin' title in 1982-83.
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Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 4:17 pm
Dennis Rodman, Detroit Pistons | No. 27 -- 2nd round, 1986 Unheralded out of NAIA's Southeastern Oklahoma State, 6-foot-8 Rodman led NBA in reboundin' 7 consecutive years from 1992-1998. He also won 5 championships (2 with Detroit n' 3 with Chicago) n' was named Defensive Player of Year twice. Rumor has it he was a colorful character too.
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Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 4:18 pm
Manu Ginobili, San Antonio Spurs | No. 57 -- 2nd round, 1999 Findin' a future 3-time NBA champion, league All-Star n' Olympic gold medalist with 2nd-to-last pick in draft should earn Spurs GM R.C. Buford Executive of Decade honors.
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Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 4:20 pm
Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs | No. 28 -- 1st round, 2001 Score another 1 for NBA's current top front office. Parker cracked startin' lineup as a 19-year-old rookie n' has been entrenched at point guard position ever since. 25-year-old Frenchman already has won 3 titles, made 2 All-Star teams n' been named Finals MVP--n' he may not be finished improvin' yet.
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Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 4:21 pm
Joe Dumars, Detroit Pistons | No. 18 -- 1st round, 1985 Taken out of tiny McNeese State, Dumars grew into a 6-time All-Star, 1989 Finals MVP n' a Hall of Fame shootin' guard. Not only did he provide Pistons coach Chuck Daly a steady locker-room presence on a roster filled with guys who weren't afraid to stir emotions, but also Dumars remained to tutor a far less talented generation of Pistons on how to act n' play like professionals. Not bad for guy selected 1 pick after Uwe Blab.
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Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 4:22 pm
Gilbert Arenas, Golden State Warriors | No. 31 -- 2nd round, 2001 Warriors' payoff for landin' this explosive scorer was short-lived: After a breakout 2002-03 season in Golden State in which quirky guard was honored as Most Improved Player, Arenas signed a 6-year, $65 million free-agent deal with Washington, where he has averaged at least 25 points n' made All-Star team in each of last 3 seasons.
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Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 4:24 pm
Sarunas Marciulionis, Golden State Warriors | No. 127 -- 6th round, 1987 Mold for Manu Ginobili. Hamstrung by injuries n' a dogged willingness to literally leave his body on floor, Marciulionis played only 363 games in 8 seasons. But his athletic, hard-nosed style helped to quash stereotype of passive European role player. He is easily greatest 127th pick in NBA history.
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Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 4:25 pm
Michael Redd, Bucks | No. 43 -- 2nd round, 2000 Hard to believe that this lanky, left-handed shooter with a Big Ten pedigree could last until 43rd pick in 1 of worst drafts in recent memory. Known for having 1 of game's quickest releases, Redd has improved his scorin' average in each of his seven seasons. He ranked 5th in league last season at 26.7 points per game.
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Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 4:27 pm
Drazen Petrovic, Portland Trail Blazers | No. 60 -- 3rd round, 1986 In same draft in which it nabbed internationally renowned big man Arvydas Sabonis at No. 24, Portland selected this Croatian guard who starred for Real Madrid in Spain before arrivin' in NBA in 1989. Former Blazer n' Net played 4 NBA seasons, averagin' 15.4 points on 50.6 percent shootin', before he was killed in a car accident in 1993. Petrovic was inducted into Hall of Fame in 2002.
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Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 6:02 pm
Geez, all these stars are low picks. When was Allen Iverson picked, Glacier?
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