Best all-time NBA draft

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Best all-time NBA draft
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Elliott Kalb / Special to FOXSports.com
Posted: 8 hours ago




What would be the perfect pick-by-pick draft of all time? Well, let's give it a shot ...

1st overall selection: Tie. David Robinson, 1987 and Tim Duncan, 1997

In horse racing, this would be a coupled entry. The San Antonio Spurs finish 1 and 1A in this competition. San Antonio lost 11 of their final 13 games in 1987, improving their chances in the draft lottery (which they won). In 1997, the Spurs lost 15 of their last 19 (and eight of their last nine) as they geared up for their lottery run (which they won). Each time, there was a big carrot at stake. The Spurs selected David Robinson with the first overall pick in the 1987 draft, despite knowing that he wouldn't be able to help them for two years. Why? The next three players taken were Armon Gilliam, Dennis Hopson, and Reggie Williams. San Antonio was then able to stay in the lottery to surround Robinson with the 10th overall pick in 1988 (Willie Anderson) and the third overall pick in 1989 (Sean Elliott). It was brilliant. Tim Duncan was the prize in 1997 (Keith Van Horn was the second overall pick).


2nd overall selection: Isiah Thomas, 1981
This is the spot to get your great point guards. Isiah was selected after his friend, the taller Mark Aguirre. Jason Kidd was selected in this spot in 1994 (drafted after a taller Glenn Robinson). Gary Payton was selected in this position in 1990 (drafted after a taller Derrick Coleman). Mike Bibby was drafted here in 1998 (after taller Michael Olowkandi). Phil Ford was the 1978 second-overall selection (after big Mychal Thompson). I love Kidd and Payton, but they don't have the rings that Thomas earned.


3rd overall selection: Michael Jordan, 1984
Duh. The other two third-overall selections that deserve mention are 1980 pick Kevin McHale and 1982 pick Dominique Wilkins. Grant Hill (1994) would have been up there, if injuries hadn't curtailed his career.


4th overall selection: Rick Barry, 1965
The San Francisco Warriors picked Barry, an instant star. The Warriors were 17-63 the year before Rick got there. They were 35-45 in his rookie season (Barry finished fourth in scoring as a rookie). The next year, the Warriors made the NBA Finals, and Barry was scoring champion.


5th overall selection: Charles Barkley, 1984
I thought about a four-way tie, but refuse to wimp-out. Scottie Pippen (1987) was one of the great draft picks of all-time. He owns six championship rings, and was instrumental in all of them. Dwayne Wade (2003) is taking over the league. If he didn't get injured in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Miami Heat may have been champs in 2005. And Vince Carter (1998) is simply one of the most exciting players the league has ever seen. Pippen, Carter, and Wade never won an MVP. Sir Charles did, and was All-NBA First or Second Team 10 consecutive seasons. He did that in an era with Michael, Karl, Larry, Magic, and Scottie.


6th overall selection: Larry Bird, 1978
Red Auerbach knew what he wanted when the 1978 NBA Draft (connected then by a telephone conference call) began, but he had to sweat out the Knicks taking Michael Ray Richardson with the fourth pick, and the Warriors taking Purvis Short with the fifth.



7th overall selection: Bernard King, 1977
This is the spot where teams get players who can fill up the hoop, and flat-out score. Rip Hamilton (1999) is one such player. Chris Mullin (1985) was another. King was impossible to stop from day one in the league.


8th overall selection: Sam Jones, 1957
One of the greatest big-game performers of all time, Sam Jones was 9-0 in his career in 7th games, including 4-0 in Game 7's in the NBA Finals. His teams were 13-2 in games facing elimination.


9th overall selection: Amare Stoudamire, 2002
This was an even tougher selection than Barkley over Pippen/Wade. The Raptors made a great pick with high-school product McGrady in 1997. But they never reaped the benefits. The Mavericks did an outstanding job, taking Dirk Nowitzki in 1998. Stoudamire, still very young, is redefining the center position.


10th overall selection: Willis Reed, 1964
The NBA had so few teams, that this was actually the first pick in the second round. Reed had to play forward for the Knicks for a few years, until New York was able to trade center Walt Bellamy to Detroit for forward Dave DeBuscchere.


11th overall selection: Reggie Miller, 1987
This is the place where shooters from UCLA get drafted, and thrive. Reggie Miller's pick in 1987 produced groans from Indianapolis fans, who wanted local product Steve Alford. Didn't they know the history of UCLA's shooters? Jamaal Wilkes (1974), also from UCLA, averaged 18 points over 12 NBA seasons. Kiki Vandeweghe (1980) did even better, averaging 20 points over 13 NBA seasons. The pick here is Miller, but in any case, it's a UCLA Bruin.


12th overall selection: Don Chaney, 1968
The Celtics picked a defensive specialist from the University of Houston in 1968, who played long enough that he became a trivia answer: He's the only one who played with both Bill Russell and Larry Bird. Paul Silas was picked 12th in 1964, by the St. Louis Hawks.


13th overall selection: Karl Malone, 1985

The Mailman didn't have a representative telling certain teams not to bother drafting him, because he wouldn't play there. In fact, Karl was drafted by Utah, not the most desired of places for players from Mississippi. Malone fit in well, for almost two decades. Kobe Bryant (1996) was drafted 13th out of high school by Charlotte, who orchestrated a draft-day trade to the Lakers. The Nets were interested in Bryant with the eighth pick. The feeling wasn't mutual, so New Jersey selected Kerry Kittles instead.


14th overall selection: Clyde Drexler, 1983
Although some might argue that if the Blazers had taken a big man, they would have been in the market the following year for Jordan. For a couple of seasons, Drexler was close to Jordan, and the second best player in the game in 1992. Peja Stojakovic was taken here in 1996. Joe (Jellybean) Bryant was the pick here in 1975, by the way.


15th overall selection: Steve Nash, 1996
It's so rare that an MVP comes this far out of the draft. Nash is the easiest choice on the board at #15.


16th overall selection: John Stockton, 1984
If his career was cut in half, either half alone would be enough to warrant being the top drafted player ever from the 16th spot. Either half of his career would warrant enshrinement in Springfield.


17th overall selection: Jermaine O'Neal, 1996
Portland made a nice selection with the 17th overall pick, and spent four years nuturing this blossoming talent. Then, they let him go and become a star in Indiana. Go figure.


18th overall selection: Mark Jackson, 1987
He lit up Madison Square Garden as a rookie, and had a long career with a ton of assists.


19th overall selection: Zach Randolph, 2001
He has become a top-flight scorer, and is still young and improving.


20th overall selection: Gus Williams, 1975
It's hard to believe there were 19 better players in the 1975 draft. He's the choice over 1981 pick Larry Nance and 1982 selection Paul Pressey.


21st overall selection: Michael Finley, 1995
In compiling this list, I gained a ton of respect for the job that the Phoenix Suns do in drafting, year after year.


22nd overall selection: Reggie Lewis, 1987
Boston drafted Lewis to inject some youth into an aging championship team. It would have worked, if Lewis' heart didn't give out far too early.


23rd overall selection: Tayshaun Prince, 2002
Who saw him play at Kentucky, and predicted that he would be this good in the NBA? I didn't think he would be a star. I was wrong.


24th overall selection: Latrell Sprewell, 1992
It's amazing, how a player could score 17,000 points and yet be known for two things. He choked his coach early in his career; and he was quoted how he couldn't feed his family on millions of dollars per year (late in his career).


25th overall selection: Al Harrington, 1998
He's quietly become a good scorer to go along with his tenacious defense.


26th overall selection: Vlade Divac, 1989
He is one of the NBA's most important historical figures. He replaced Kareem Abdul Jabbar as the Lakers center. He was traded from the Lakers to make room for Shaq. He became a beloved figure in Sacramento. He was also one of the first Europeans to make it in the NBA. He faced the solitude, the language barriers, his family far, far away. Every foreign player in the NBA owes Divac.


27th overall selection: Dennis Rodman, 1986

Dennis Rodman was a relatively normal person when the Pistons selected him with the 27th pick of the 1986 draft. (Otto Greule Jr. /Allsport / Getty Images)

Quite simply, the best defensive forward ever to play the game. In his first years with Detroit, he wasn't even that nutty.


28th overall selection: Tony Parker, 2001
When he was drafted, the Spurs needed a point guard to replace the aging Avery Johnson. Avery who?


29th overall selection: Toni Kukoc, 1990
Jerry Krause was one sharp judge of talent. He alienated his biggest stars — Jordan and Pippen — by drafting Kukoc in 1990. Toni was a big contributor on the last three Bulls title teams.


30th overall selection: Nate McMillian, 1986
Mr. Sonic was the perfect complement to Gary Payton.


31st overall selection: Gilbert Arenas, 2001
A surprise with the Warriors, an All Star with the Wizards.


32nd overall selection: Rashard Lewis, 1998
He just finished his seventh season in Seattle, his first as an All Star.