In a draft as muddled as the one on Thursday, there are bound to be some gems that slip further down the draft board than their talent suggests. And then years from now we’ll look back and say “How the hell did that guy fall so low?” Kind of like the 10 guys on this list:
1. Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics, 21st overall in 2006
He’s a creative playmaker – the NBA’s two-time reigning assists king – arguably the best rebounding lead guard, one of the top three defenders at his position, good enough to handle the rock for a championship team in just his third season, and has a truly original flair to his game that separates him from the rest of the field. Yet 20 teams passed on Rondo in 2006 (his non-existent jumper at Kentucky really hurt his stock) and point guards like Quincy Douby and Randy Foye were chosen ahead of him. If the draft were to take place today, Rondo would go first overall, no debate.
2. Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies, 28th overall in 2007 (Los Angeles Lakers)
They said he’d never be as good as his brother, Pau. He is. They said his weight problems could make him the Spanish Eddy Curry. He isn’t. Instead, he became the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year, one of a preciously small handful of throwback, overpowering seven-footers who could anchor a team on both ends of the court. Just a few weeks ago, Gasol was the best player on a Western Finals team. Eleven centres were drafted ahead of him, none of which can make that claim.
3. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat, 5th overall in 2003
Yes, Wade was a high lottery pick but at the time of the historic 2003 draft, he was something of an afterthought. LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Darko Milicic and Chris Bosh were all penciled in for the draft’s top four spots long before David Stern ever made his way to the podium that night. In retrospect, Wade was clearly the second-best player in that draft and went on to win three championships (and counting), and a Finals MVP in ’06. Oh, and he’s probably one of the top five players at his positions ever .
4. (tie) Steph Curry, Golden State Warriors, 7th overall in 2009; and David Lee, Golden State Warriors, 30th overall in 2006 (New York Knicks)
I mean, were you watching the playoffs? Curry is already the best single-season shooter of all time and will be removing the “single-season” part of that statement in the very near future. And he proved these past couple of months that, outside of LeBron, he might be the scariest player bringing the ball up the court. So much for those questions about his size and position coming out of the draft. Six players and four guards were chosen ahead of Curry, and depending on how you feel about James Harden, you could argue now that Curry should’ve gone first.
As for Lee, the last pick of the first round, he’s surpassed all expectations and proved that he’s more than a dunker, having just led the NBA in double-doubles this past season (12 more than second-best). Together, the two have made the Warriors yet again the most fun team to watch in pro basketball.
5. Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers, 6th pick 2012
Another high pick, but Lillard, a versatile high-character kid, demolished rookie scoring and shooting records this past season. Yet thanks to concerns, like with Curry, over playing at a small school (Weber State) in a small conference, the NBA’s most poised young point guard was the third guard drafted in 2012, behind Bradley Beal and Dion Waiters. Lillard may already be a top-10 point guard (granted, probably at or near No. 10), and, more importantly, has a very real chance to close in on the NBA’s elite somewhere not so far down the road.
6. Landry Fields, Toronto Raptors, 38th pick 2010 (New York Knicks)
Kidding. This spot goes to Paul George, 10th pick in 2010 of the Indiana Pacers. George, the reigning Most Improved Player, showed this past season that he can compete with the best the NBA has to offer, and is poised to become an All-Star game staple for years to come and, along with Roy Hibbert (who should probably be on this list, but just missed the cut), is the cornerstone of a very good Pacers team. And while the 10th pick isn’t exactly sleeper range, George (who was largely unknown coming out of Fresno State) gets the nod because he’s already far better than all four players chosen ahead of him at his position (Gordon Hayward, Al-Farouq Aminu, Wes Johnson, and Evan Turner) will ever be.
7. Lou Williams, Atlanta Hawks, 45th overall in 2005 (Philadelphia 76ers)
The third-last high schooler ever drafted into the NBA, LouWill came to the draft with questions about his rail-thin frame and lack of position. Leading up to the big night, many expected him to go in the first round, as teams like the Raptors had been rumoured to be interested (the Raps instead went with Charlie Villanueva and Joey Graham that year instead. Awesome.), but he slipped, and slipped. A versatile, flashy scorer, Williams has since won a Sixth Man of the Year Award, and despite suffering a brutal knee injury this past season is one of the most exciting guards to watch in the NBA.
8. Tony Allen, Memphis Grizzlies, 25th overall in 2005 (Boston Celtics)
Allen was a four-year player at Oklahoma State with, scouts said, little to no upside. What they didn’t say is that elite perimeter defenders are a valuable scarcity, and none are better than Tony Allen.
9. (tie) Nikola Pekovic, Minnesota Timberwolves, 31st overall in ’08, DeAndre Jordan Los Angeles Clippers (35th), Omer Asik, Portland Trail Blazers, (36th) (Houston Rockets)
Their value is inflated because of the lack of depth at the position in today’s NBA, but these three centres, all drafted within five picks of each other in the second round, are all starters today who bring an important skill to the table. Jordan is an elite shot-blocker and violent finisher at the rim; Asik is one of the best offensive rebounders in the game; and Pekovic has the uncanny ability to look like a Bond villain.
10. Kenneth Faried, Denver Nuggets, 22nd overall in 2011
An endlessly energetic pogo stick who can guard three positions, rebound and run the floor like few other, and is a high-character guy in the locker room? Yeah, who would possibly value that?
Just missed the cut: Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler, Jrue Holiday, Ty Lawson, Paul Milsap, Amir Johnson, Mo Williams, Joakim Noah, Anderson Varaejo, Josh Howard, Leandro Barbosa
