2006 LaMarcus Aldridge - Chicago Bulls (Draft rights traded to Portland Trail Blazers) 1999 Steve Francis - Vancouver Grizzlies 1994 Jason Kidd - Dallas Mavericks 1992 Alonzo Mourning - Charlotte. Which NBA star was the biggest draft-day steal? FantasyPros considers the best player values for DraftKings and FanDuel NBA DFS. 1 pick Bob Lanier (Detroit Pistons) | Full Draft, 1969 | No. Kerry Miller is a multisport writer for Bleacher Report. Luka Doncic might become one of the greatest players to have graced the competition if he continues his upward trajectory. While A.C. Green got three rings, he was, at best, the fourth-most important player on those rosters. 3 pick Dennis Hopson (7.1) and No. 5. 15, Orlando), Desmond Bane (No. Zelmo Beaty also had a Hall of Fame career between the NBA and ABA. In the process of becoming the best inside-outside duo in NBA history, John Stockton and Karl Malone helped cement 1984 and 1985 as two of the top draft classes ever. 1 pick Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves) | Full Draft, 2019 | No. Plus, Can the Knicks Win a Playoff Series? There are other great NBA stars picked first such as Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, Tim Duncan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Allen Iverson, and David Robinson. Allen Iverson was the 2001 MVP in the first of his two consecutive seasons leading the NBA in both points and steals. Klay Thompson: Weve sorely missed this sharpshooters presence over the last two years, and hopefully he returns to full health soon. 1 and No. But there were so many guys who provided value for more than a decade that the 1999 class grew more attractive with each look. Case in point: Wilt Chamberlain (1959) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1969) were two of the greatest players in NBA history, but the third-most successful players in their respective draft classes were Dick Barnett and Steve Mixeach appeared in just one All-Star Game in his career. 1 pick Andrew Wiggins (Cleveland Cavaliers) | Full Drafts, 2013 | No. 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. 1, Cleveland), Klay Thompson (No. Well, Ray Allen wasn't. 5 pick George Trapp amounted to 9.0 career win shares. Since the Cavs selected him back in 2013, he has played in only 151 NBA games, averaging minuscule numbers. 1 pick Ray Felix (Baltimore Bullets) | Full Draft, 1952 | No. He's going to get leapfrogged by LeBron James next year, but he could be one healthy season away from bypassing Wilt Chamberlain (31,419) and Michael Jordan (32,292). Each of those drafts produced at least one all-time great and had a lot of depth. A six-time All-Star and four-time All-NBA pick, Parkers No. Another close call. 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. James Harden's is 23.68, and Blake Griffin's is 22.43. Dirk Nowitzki (31,187 and counting) is No. 35 pick in 2012 and is tied with teammate Klay Thompson for the title of king of the rings among this group. 1 pick LeBron James, No. 1 pick Shaquille O Neal (Orlando Magic) | Full Draft, 1991 | No. He won All-Star Game MVP honors in 2013, led the league in steals six times and in assists five times. Luka Doncic is arguably the greatest player picked up by a team in the last five NBA Draft classes. 5-8 in career win shares from this draft. But videos of the Greek teenager playing were hard to come by. The case for Westbrook: As controversial a pick as there is on this list, its hard to argue when you examine Westbrooks career accomplishments and impact. Scouts and writers likened Giannis to Nicolas Batum more than any other player, and Im sure at the time, this seemed like an optimistic, even charitable comparison. You can e-mail himhere, find his archivehereand follow him onTwitter. 1 pick David Robinson (San Antonio Spurs) | Full Draft, 1986 | No. . 7, Chicago), Andre Iguodala (No. This is likely because executives that are bad at drafting are fired while better drafting executives are . 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. And from 1990 to 1997, he averaged at least 22 points and 10 rebounds per game for eight consecutive years. The 13-time All-Star, who was dealt to Phoenix on Feb. 9, has not played in a game since Jan. 8 when he was with the Nets. His value as a 35-overall pick is indisputable. From 1985, the legendary player was the 13th pick, Karl Malone. Whether Cunningham fulfills expectations or not in the NBA is yet to be seen, but the guard coming from Oklahoma State seems to have a great package for today's NBA. The Lakers had no first or second-round draft picks from 1983, 1987, and 2001. As far as depth is concerned, 2003 doesn't hold a candle to our top three drafts. Only two other classes (1960 and 1987) produced multiple members of this club, and 1984 is the only one with at least three such legends. He played just 291 minutes for them and was out of the league by 1973. Donovan Mitchell: At one point, baseball was Mitchells main sport, and you halfway wonder what he could have achieved had he focused all his efforts on that endeavor. pic.twitter.com/pGYeAfYz54. Hits: John Wall first overall to the Wizards. In his best. He put up at least 20 points per game in each of his first 13 seasons in the league. A stalwart on New Jersey Nets teams that made back-to-back Finals appearances, Martin was also the defensive backbone on a Denver team that fell to the Kobe Bryant-led Los Angeles Lakers in the 2009 Western Conference finals. 3, Philadelphia), Zach LaVine (No. Keep in mind that shooting feat has been accomplished just 12 times by eight players in NBA history, and seemingly every season the 39th pick of the 2012 draft is on the cusp of achieving it. He has career averages of 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.7 assists in the regular season while making 56% of his field goals. 1 pick Yao Ming (Houston Rockets) | Full Draft, 2001 | 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. 1 pick Bob Boozer (Cincinnati Royals) | Full Draft, 1958 | No. Over nine NBA seasons, Middleton has started in 510 of 585 regular-season games, averaging 31.7 minutes. "I think that Im the only person in the league that can do that," Nic Claxton says. After Devin Booker dropped a 40-point triple-double in Game 1 of the West finals, relive his four 40-point performances from 2020-21. debate) has never been stronger than it is now, in the aftermath of his fourth title run with the Lakers. Here is the complete 1-60 order of selection. The perimeter specialist was Ray Allen, aka Jesus Shuttlesworth. 8 in rebounds. However, he chose to pursue a career as a dentist and never appeared in an NBA game. There are 48 players who have scored at least 20,000 points between the NBA and ABA, and this draft produced four of them. 11 in 2016); Pascal Siakam (No. This marked the first time in NBA history . Is that transcendent, once-in-a-generation talent the genuine item? However, some of the No. In 2015, he left the Serbian League when his team was eliminated in the semifinals. 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. Fultz was traded to the Orlando Magic on February 7th, 2019 and he found his feet with the Magic in the 2019-20 NBA season, averaging 12 points and five assists per game in 72 appearances. Every draft class has fingerprints throughout the pages of the NBA's history, but 1984 practically authored the record books. He was one of the frontrunners to win the 2020-21 NBA Rookie of the Year, but Ball took said honor in front of him. LeBron is the undisputed greatest player of the past 20 Drafts and firmly entrenched in the conversation with Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the greatest to ever do it. His trophy case is overflowing Kia MVP in 2017, nine-time All-Star, two-time All-Star Game MVP, two-time gold medalist (2010 World Championship and 2013 Olympics) and two-time scoring champ and two-time assist leader. The case for Morant: A runaway Kia Rookie of the Year award winner, Morant led the Grizzlies in scoring (17.8) and assists (7.3) while playing beyond his years for a team that was far more competitive than most imagined theyd be in his first year. This was, by far, the toughest class to rank. 1 pick, 2001 NBA Draft. Teams swear they bagged the player they coveted and see nothing but a bright future ahead. 11 pick Reggie Miller also played all of his games for the franchise that drafted him. 1 pick Fred Hetzel (San Francisco Warriors) | Full Draft, 1964 | No. 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. Take a look back at every All-NBA team in league history. The case for Howard: He spent the first half of his career battling for the title of the best big man in basketball. 1. Jayson Tatum Is in a Funk. In his first NBA season, Williamson averaged 22.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game on 58% shooting. Who are the best No. 1 pick Andy Tonkovich (Providence Steam Rollers) | Full Draft, 1947 | No. 1 pick Walt Bellamy (Chicago Zephyrs) | Full Draft, 1960 | No. 12, Oklahoma City), Rudy Gobert (No. 1 pick Danny Manning (LA Clippers) | Full Draft, 1987 | No. 1 pick Joe Smith (Golden State Warriors) | Full Draft, 1994 | No. No one knows for sure, not even when the players carry a cant-miss label, if things will turn out as well as the projections suggest. As we all gorge on NBA conference finals action, many teams around the league not fortunate enough to earn a postseason berth are toiling diligently behind the scenes, looking to uncover the next potential franchise-changing gem. His Draft class includes six other All-Stars (Butler, Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard, Isaiah Thomas, Klay Thompson, Kemba Walker and Nikola Vucevic). Hes surged to the head of his class in the past four seasons. For the ones that did make the cut, the more star power and depth, the higher they ranked. The Jokeris coming off his first Kia NBA Most Valuable Player award, and he was the first Serbian to take home the honor and the lowest-drafted player (41st overall) to do it. Give It the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar. 3 Oklahoma City), Jrue Holiday (No. All four could/should be first-ballot Hall of Famers when they become eligible. Barton joins the Raptors after he was waived by the Wizards on Feb. 21. 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 41st pick of the 2014 draft and 1st center to be named NBA MVP in 21 seasons details his unlikely ascent and what fuels his drive to succeed. They rank 17th, 18th and 30th, respectively, on the, Shawn Marion (124.9), Elton Brand (109.6), Manu Ginobili (106.4), Jason Terry (102.0), Andre Miller (100.8), Lamar Odom (77.0), Andrei Kirilenko (75.4), Baron Davis (63.1), Richard Hamilton (62.8), Corey Maggette (62.2), Metta World Peace (61.1), Steve Francis (54.1), Wally Szczerbiak (53.3), James Posey (51.6), David Robinson (178.7), Reggie Miller (174.4), Scottie Pippen (125.1), Horace Grant (118.2), Kevin Johnson (92.8), Mark Jackson (91.8), Derrick McKey (61.8), Armen Gilliam (58.1), Muggsy Bogues (54.0). 10 biggest NBA Draft steals from the last 10 years These players were not Top 10 picks in their Drafts, but have worked their way into becoming an NBA All-Star. The former is one of just five players with at least 10,000 career assists. The 2014 Kia MVP owns four scoring titles, two Olympic gold medals (2012 and 2016) and a World Championship gold (2010). 1 picks have also turned out to be busts who had short careers. Davis won his first NBA championship this past season and averaged 25.0 points on 57% shooting with 10.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 2.0 blocks . Get to know the Milwaukee Bucks' star forward with these 10 interesting factoids about his life and career. Basketball; Football; Baseball; . FantasyPros considers the best player values for DraftKings and FanDuel NBA DFS. Moreover, he already played a big role in the NBA Playoffs for the Phoenix Suns, being one of the three most important players for the team during their run to the 2021 NBA Finals. At 15.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 6.1 apg and 1.6 spg, Ball became only the 12th rookie to at least 15 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 1.5 steals. In 1984, it was Kevin Willis (81.8). 1, Minnesota), Tyrese Haliburton (No. However, along with Malone and Ewing, Terry Porter, Detlef Schrempf, Chris Mullin and Charles Oakley never won a title. Its easy to laugh at teams that passed on superstars in retrospect. Only six players from this draft lasted more than five seasons in the NBA, but three of those six were Oscar Robertson, Jerry West and Lenny Wilkens. The 13-time All-Star, who was dealt to Phoenix on Feb. 9, has not played in a game since Jan. 8 when he was with the Nets. He dominated that league for six years before it was absorbed by the NBA. Other contenders: Joel Embiid (No. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Turner Broadcasting. 30, Boston). In their collective careers, Jordan, Stockton, Barkley and Olajuwon combined for 47 All-Star Games, 45 All-NBA teams, 23 All-Defensive teams, 10 scoring titles, nine assist titles, five steal titles, three rebound titles, three block titles, eight NBA championships and seven MVPs. YOU. Its an expansive list overall, so were limiting it to players who were drafted outside of the top 10 and later selected to at least one NBA All-Star game. Even though he missed his entire rookie year with a foot injury, he eventually won the Rookie of the Year award in the 2017-18 NBA campaign after showing great basketball skills on various ends. Now, Simmons is arguably at the lowest point of his NBA career after bad outings in the 2021 NBA Playoffs surely hindered the Philadelphia 76ers' chances of a deep run. An All-NBA performer and a Kia Defensive Player of the Year candidate, Simmons has yet to unlock his full scoring talents. But you can bet when the Draft arrives on July 29 a few teams will nab steals well be talking about for years to come. 2) Kawhi Leonard Career Averages: 18.7 points, 6.4. 1 pick Markelle Fultz (Philadelphia 76ers) | Full Draft, 2016 | No. All rankings were voted on by The Ringer staff unless noted. He made a slow start in his first NBA night but exploded with 17 points in the fourth quarter. The combined win shares total of every other second-round pick in this draft was 66.2, but this second-to-last selection ended up playing a key role on four championship teams. 1 pick in the 2008 Draft. The same is true with Draymond, arguably the NBAs most polarizing player, who you either think is vastly overrated or vastly underrated. 11, LA Clippers). The last 25 No. They were a massive disappointment, yes, but also so transcendent for brief moments. The 60th pick in a two-round format - Mr. 1 pick Ralph Sampson (Houston Rockets) | Full Draft, 1982 | No. You can follow him on Twitter,@kerrancejames. stands out as a viable candidate from the 2010s. But the two-time MVP in this bunch was No. The only dud in this top 10 was No. RotoWire considers the best player values in Yahoo fantasy leagues for Tuesday night's 10 game slate. A little perspiration got between the Suns and a two-time Finals MVP. He also showed good playmaking ability, with 3.7 assists per game last year. Issel's NBA win shares are 82.3, but Sports Reference puts his combined total at 157.8, It was tough to put any drafts from the past decade on this list since those players aren't close to finalizing their career win share totals. pic.twitter.com/0RuPHzAyIA. 27, Denver). Take a look back at every Kia Rookie of the Year award winner in NBA history. An All-Star in 2004, Martin averaged 12.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.1 blocks in his 15 NBA seasons with the Nets, Nuggets, Clippers, Knicks and Bucks. Cade Cunningham went first overall in the 2021 NBA Draft, as expected, and the Detroit Pistons' hopes are all on his shoulders for the foreseeable future. UFC 285 Preview: Can Jon Jones Turn Back the Clock. The only ones who fell short of that mark were No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham (Detroit Pistons) | Full Draft, 2020| No. (The Pacers selected Kawhi for the Spurs, who sent George Hill back in a draft-day deal.) 9, Utah). 5, Minnesota), Serge Ibaka (No. 5 pick Jonathan Bender, who ended up being one of the least successful players to make the leap straight from high school to the NBA. Several iconic, Hall of Fame players have been taken with the No. 2 pick from this class (Darko Milicic) turned out to be one of the biggest busts in draft history. Some could make the case that hes the biggest Draft steal in NBA history. Sixty on 11 dribbles, no, thats not ever happening again. The five-time All-Star was the 11th pick of the 2011 draft, and hes earned All-NBA Third Team twice (2015, 2016) in addition to making the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2019. Both star power and depth were necessary to land in the top 10. 2. 1 pick actually selected the best player. DeMarcus Cousins fifth to the Kings. 23, Detroit). However, this class drops off in a hurry from there. 1 pick Derrick Coleman (New Jersey Nets) | Full Draft, 1989 | No. 3, Memphis), Joe Johnson (No. Choose at least two teams from the menus below to start your trade. A much deeper class than two years prior, the 1962 draft produced seven players who scored more than 10,000 career points, including John Havlicek, Chet Walker and Jerry Lucas. Other contenders: Blake Griffin (No. One Shining Podcast With Tate Frazier Returns, Happiness in America, Part 1: The Secret to a Good Life, According to an 80-Year Study, Derek chats with Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz about what their study teaches us about the secrets to a fulfilling life, The Top 5 Great Players in Bad Situations, The Top 5 Overrated Players in Great Situations in the NBA, The Ringers Top 5 Rankings for All Things NBA, The Surging Knicks, Zombie Heat, and a Bizarre College Hoops Season With Ariel Helwani, Mike Schur, Kevin OConnor, and Tate Frazier. 2001 NBA Draft; 1: Washington Wizards; Glynn Academy (GA) 2: Los Angeles Clippers; Dominguez High School (CA) 3: Atlanta Hawks; Spain : 4: Chicago Bulls; Thornwood High School (IL) 5: Golden State Warriors; Michigan State Ahead of the upcoming 2020 NBA Draft on November 18th, which has no established pecking order of draft picks, let us have a look at the best pick in each of the last five editions of the NBA Draft. Take a closer look at some of the impactful activations hosted by the Kings during Black History Month. James Harden's is 23.68, and Blake Griffin's is 22.43. 17, Indiana), David Lee (No. The New Orleans Pelicans' All-Star was the first pick of the 2019 NBA Draft and though a knee injury hindered his rookie season, he was ready to play once he was healthy. 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 overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft. When voting for this list, we were asked to consider draft picks with the most value, i.e., the lower the selection, the more impressive the selection. But I will laugh at Phoenix, who passed on Kawhi with the 13th pick because he was so nervous during a combine interview that he sweated through his suit. 2015 NBA Draft - Karl-Anthony Towns - 1st overall pick. 1 pick Kenyon Martin (New Jersey Nets) | Full Draft, 1999 | No. Stockton's class also produced Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley and Hakeem Olajuwon, and Malone was one of eight players in his class who ranks in the top 125 in career win shares*. Though Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies deservedly won the Rookie of the Year Award in the 2019-20 NBA season, Zion Williamson was dominant in the 24 games he started after suffering a knee injury at the start of the campaign. Here's a less successful footnote on this draft class: With Yardley and Sharman still on the board, the New York Knicks selected Irwin Dambrot with the No. #5 Markelle. 1 pick Howie Shannon (Providence Steam Rollers) | Full Draft, 1948 | No. By Kyle Boone Sep 26, 2022 at 12:06 pm ET 5 min read USATSI Around this time last year, the No. Williamson made his NBA debut on January 22nd, 2020 against the San Antonio Spurs. Gordon Hayward ninth to the Jazz might have been the best pick of the draft given where he was taken, except. 1 pick Blake Griffin (LA Clippers) | Full Draft, 2008 | No. 1 pick Oscar Robertson (Cincinnati Royals) | Full Draft, 1959 | No. And dont forget about him averaging a triple-double for three straight seasons. 41) International players make up the majority of this list because they. 19 DIMES FOR DONCIC. But Dallas knew what it wanted (the team has had luck drafting a European in the lottery before), made an aggressive draft day trade to get him, and, one year later, is back in the playoffs. 1 pick Bill Walton (Portland Trail Blazers) | Full Draft, 1973 | No. Bailey Howell was a six-time All-Star who finally made the Hall of Fame 26 years after retiring. Draymond Green: The three-time All-Star was the No. 1 pick Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic) | Full Draft, 2003 | No. Then, Zion continued his dominant scoring in his sophomore campaign, averaging 27 points (on 61% field-goal efficiency) per night with seven rebounds per game. Five years later, before the start of this season, NBA GMs voted him the best center in the league (a wonderful compliment for a pseudo-guard), the second-best passer, and the player with the second-highest basketball IQ. And in 1996, it was Stephon Marbury (77.5). Last Updated. By . Other. However, he found a nice groove with the Magic, although his 2020-21 campaign was cut short by an ACL injury. 1 pick Anthony Davis (New Orleans Hornets) | Full Draft, 2011 | No. Be the first one to comment on this story. 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). Top Players (Career Win Shares):Dirk Nowitzki (206.1), Paul Pierce (150.0), Vince Carter (123.5), Rashard Lewis (90.9), Antawn Jamison (87.8), Mike Bibby (73.2), Cuttino Mobley (52.2). But Lowrys career picked up north of the border, where hes earned six All-Star bids, won a championship (2019) Olympic gold (2016) and cemented his legacy as one of the most tenacious players of his era. 9, Phoenix), Caron Butler (No. Duality underpins practically everything about the brief existence of the KD, Harden and Kyrie Nets. But 2003 made up for that lack of depth by providing NBA fans with four of the best players of the past two decades. The case for Parker: Parkers Finals MVP (2007) and four championships with the Spurs make it tough to rank anyone ahead of him, even with another multiple-time champion and fellow international star like Pau Gasol in the mix. But with Russell Westbrook as the headliner of a group of seven players who already have at least 50 win shares, there's a case to be made that this was one of the best. Allen wasn't one of the three MVPs, though. Pelicans phenom Zion Williamson is sure to challenge Morant for this spot in the future, but its Morants spot right now. A native Texan, Butler played junior college ball, then matriculated to Marquette University before Chicago made him the 30th pick of the 2011 draft. 1 pick in the NBA draft. Already an elite scorer, Bookers polished his playmaking and defense and is honing his leadership skills under the tutelage of Suns coach Monty Williams. Mitchell is one of the leagues most dynamic scorers, and one reason the Jazz should compete for titles for years to come. Still, Edwards' progression was noticeable and he might explode in the 2021-22 NBA season for the Timberwolves. The best player from the 2015 NBA Draft is Karl-Anthony Towns. 3, Atlanta), Mike Conley (No.4, Memphis), Joakim Noah (No. Neither was two-time All-Star Rashard Lewis. Rockets draft Jabari Smith (Auburn) 4. That's not because there was a dearth of talent until the 1980s, but rather because that talent was too spread out. 12, Sacramento), Cole Anthony (No. Paul Pierce (26,397 points) and Vince Carter (24,868) will also get into the Hall of Fame sooner rather than later after combining for 18 ASG appearances. Crawford was part of the worst NBA Draft of all time. 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. 1 pick David Thompson (Atlanta Hawks) | Full Draft, 1974 | No. Karl Malone (234.6), Patrick Ewing (126.4), Terry Porter (110.4), Detlef Schrempf (109.5), A.C. Green (99.5), Chris Mullin (93.1), Charles Oakley (89.7), Joe Dumars (86.2), Hot Rod Williams (70.5), Tyrone Corbin (56.5), From 1985, the legendary player was the 13th pick, Karl Malone. 1 pick Gene Melchiorre (Baltimore Hawks) | Full Draft, 1950 | No. Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers . Ben Simmons was the first pick of the 2016 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. 1, LA Clippers), James Harden, (No. Top Five Draft Picks of All Time. 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. So far, Antetokoumpo is 0-1 in the conference finals. 1 pick Bob Lanier (Detroit Pistons). Derrick Rose was the No. In most years, there's at least one dud in the top five picks. Though the Mailman never won a title, this 14-time All-Star trails only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain on the NBA's. His size, scoring ability and walking triple-double status has elevated him to the elite level in just 139 career games (regular season and playoffs). 1 pick John Lucas (Houston Rockets) | Full Draft, 1975 | No. Kwame Brown - No. 5, Orlando), Hedo Turkoglu (No. No. Recapping every NBA Draft from 1947 to 2021, Every Draft Pick In History: 1 pick Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota Timberwolves) | Full Draft, 2014 | No. 1 pick Cazzie Russell (New York Knicks) | Full Draft, 1965 | No. 1 pick LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) | Full Draft, 2002 | No. , he has played in only best nba draft picks last 5 years NBA games, averaging 31.7 minutes decades! 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