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Just for fun... let's take a look at the guys that have gone #20 in the NBA draft the last 10 years. Just as a warning... it's not very pretty. I also have included their rookie season stats, the guy(s) the Jazz drafted that year (just for fun), and guys that went after #20 (though, as they say, hindsight is... a bad word).
1999- Atlanta Hawks: G Dion Glover (rookie season: 30 GP, 14.9 mpg, 6.5 ppg, 0.9 apg, 1.3 rpg)
Glover lasted in the league until 2005, when he was released by San Antonio. He has also spent some time overseas. He never really developed into much (even for a #20 pick).
He did spend 5 or so years with the Hawks, but never really turned into anything big.
In 1999, the Jazz had 3 picks in the first round, and landed Quincy Lewis (#19), Andrei Kirilenko (#24) and Scott Padgett (#28). A couple of player that went after Glover... Devean George (#23), Manu Ginobili (#57) and Chris Andersen (undrafted). Though maybe you'll recognize some of the other names in the draft... Aleksandar Radojevic (#12), Michael Ruffin (#32), Gordan Giricek (#40), Raja Bell (undrafted) & Milt Palacio (undrafted). Man... talk about a lot of ex/current Jazz-sters.
2000- Philadelphia: G Speedy Claxton ("rookie season": 67 GP, 22.8 mpg, 7.2 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 3.0 apg)
Okay, the stats above aren't for his rookie season... he missed that with an injury. So they're for his first season back. He has bounced around the league a bit, getting traded a couple of times and winning a championship in his 3rd season (as a back-up for the Spurs). He is currently on the Hawks, where his big contract keeps him from being traded and his injuries keep him from playing.
He's never really developed into a starter or anything, but was a fine back-up for a bit, and does have a ring.
The Jazz picked 3 picks later, and ended up with DeShawn Stevenson. Other names... Eddie House (#37), Eduardo Najera (#38), Michael Redd (#43) and Jason Hart (#49).
2001- Cleveland (to Orlando): C Brendan Haywood (rookie season: 62 GP, 20.4 mpg, 5.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.5 bpg)
2001- Portland: F Zach Randolph (rookie season: 41 GP, 5.8 mpg, 2.8 ppg, 1.7 rpg)
No, 2 guys didn't go #20. This was the year where the Timberwolves lost a pick for the Joe Smith fiasco. Cleveland was picking #21, but due to the forfeit, they had the 20th guy off the board. Portland, meanwhile, had the actual #20 pick (though they ended up picking #19). Cleveland traded Haywood on the draft day deal to Orlando for Michael Doleac, and then Orlando dealt him to Washington before the season for Laron Profit & a future first rounder (which also ended up being #20... in 2005). Both guys are still in the league... Haywood remains a center for the Wizards, while Z-Bo is now one of the many bigs on the Clippers.
Whichever guy you consider, the picks turned out really well... even if there have been some dumb moments.
The Jazz took Raul Lopez at #24 in the draft (oh... the bad memories). Other names... Gerald Wallace (#25), Samuel Dalembert (#26), Tony Parker (#28), Gilbert Arenas (#31), Mehmet Okur (#38), Bobby Simmons (#42), Jarron Collins (#53), Carlos Arroyo (undrafted), Andres Nocioni (undrafted) and Jamario Moon (undrafted).
2002- Toronto (to LAL): G Kareem Rush (rookie season: 76 GP, 11.5 mpg, 3.0 ppg, 1.2 rpg)
Rush was traded in a draft day deal with Tracy Murray, with Lindsey Hunter & Chris Jeffries (picked #27 in the draft) going to Toronto. Rush has bounced around the league (and even spent a season in Lithuania). He spent the past season with the Sixers, but never really found the success he had in his 2 seasons with the Charlotte Bobcats.
He did have a couple of good seasons in there, but in terms of the pick, it's not much to write home about.
Jazz fans should remember this year as the draft we passed on Carlos Boozer to take (via trade) Curtis Borchardt. Other names... Tayshaun Prince (#23), Nenad Krstic (#24), John Salmons (#26), Carlos Boozer (#34), Darius Songaila (#49), Luis Scola (#55), Reggie Evans (undrafted) and Udonis Haslem (undrafted).
2003- Boston (to Memphis): G Dahntay Jones (rookie season: 20 GP, 7.7 mpg, 1.8 ppg, 1.2 rpg)
Jones was traded in a 4-rookie deal, with Jones & Troy Bell (#16) going to Memphis and Marcus Banks (#13) and Kendrick Perkins (#27) going to Boston. Jones didn't see much action in Memphis, and was even signed & cut by a couple of teams. But then came the D-League, and a call up to Denver in 2008. He has made himself into a solid perimeter defender, as we saw in the playoffs this year.
While a couple teams failed to cash in on the pick, it seems that he's finally found a home in Denver.
The Jazz ended up with 1 season of Sasha Pavlovic and 1 season of Mo Williams in the draft... Pavlovic was stupidly left unprotected in the expansion draft (he was picked) and Williams left for Milwaukee as a FA. Other names... Boris Diaw (#21), Leandro Barbosa (#28), Josh Howard (#29), Jason Kapono (#31), Luke Walton (#32), Steve Blake (#38), Zaza Pachulia (#42), Mo Williams (#47) and Kyle Korver (#51).
2004- Denver (to Orlando): G Jameer Nelson (rookie season: 79 GP, 20.4 mpg, 8.7 ppg, 3.0 apg)
Denver took Nelson, then dealt him to Orlando for a 2005 first rounder. That first rounder ended up being the one Orlando had gotten from Washington in 2001 (the Haywood trade mentioned above)... and will actually be the next player on this list, as it ended up being #20 as well. Nelson had his struggles early with the Magic, but finally seemed to wake up and turned into an All-Star this year. Sadly, an injury sidelined him, and now there are those out there that would rather keep Rafer Alston based on 1 good series or something.
This pick has worked out really well... getting an All-Star at #20 is always a good thing. And he's still getting better.
The Jazz draft this year was a horror... Kris Humphries (traded a couple years later for Rafael Araujo), Kirk Snyder (traded after the season in the deal that brought back Greg Ostertag) and Pavel Podkolzin (traded to Dallas on draft night for a future 1st rounder). Names you might recognize... Kevin Martin (#26), Sasha Vujacic (#27), Beno Udrih (#28), Anderson Varejao (#30), Chris Duhon (#38) and Trevor Ariza (#38).
2005- Denver: G Julius Hodge (rookie season: 14 GP, 2.4 mpg, 0.9 ppg)
This pick just did not work out. He was traded to Milwaukee mid-way through his 2nd season (with Earl Boykins, for Steve Blake) and waived 1 month later, ending his NBA career. In fact, he's probably better known as the guy Chris Paul nailed "down there" in the ACC Tournament earlier. And then, to make matters, worse, he got shot in an unsolved drive-by and was within 5 minutes of bleeding to death.
This pick, unfortunately for the teams and Julius Hodge, did not work out.
The Jazz ended up with Deron Williams (and then CJ Miles and Robert Whaley) in this draft. Guys that went after #20... Nate Robinson (#21), Francisco Garcia (#23), David Lee (#30), CJ Miles (#34), Ronny Turiaf (#37), Von Wafer (#39), Monta Ellis (#40), Ryan Gomes (#50), Marcin Gortat (#57), Kelenna Azubuike (undrafted), Chuck Hayes (undrafted) and Ronnie Price (undrafted).
2006- New York: F Renaldo Balkman (rookie season: 68 GP, 15.6 mpg, 4.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 0.6 bpg, 0.8 spg)
The pick was highly ridiculed at the time, though it seems like the draft was one place where Isiah Thomas knew what he was doing (though he obviously reached to get his guys). Balkman spent 2 seasons in NY, before being traded to Denver in a salary dump. The Knicks ended up with Taurean Green, Bobby Jones and a 2nd rounder in 2010... with both guys getting released after the deal. Balkman has turned himself into a defensive-minded, high-energy contributor off of the bench.
This pick ended up being a nice pick-up at #20, when you're probably not going to get much more than a solid contributor.
The Jazz ended up with Ronnie Brewer and the Shorty/'Sap combo in this draft. Other guys... Rajon Rondo (#21), Kyle Lowry (#24), Shannon Brown (#25), Jordan Farmar (#26), Craig Smith (#36), Daniel Gibson (#42), Paul Millsap (#47) and Leon Powe (#49).
2007- Miami (to Philadelphia): F Jason Smith (rookie season: 76 GP, 14.6 mpg, 4.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg)
Smith was taken at #20, and then promptly dealt to Philadelphia for the guy that was taken at #21 (Daequan Cook). Smith had a fine first season with the Sixers, but then got hurt during the summer leagues and missed all of the past season. He will look to bounce back strong this coming season.
It's too early to judge how this draft ended up... even more so when you consider that he was injured for a full season.
The Jazz took Morris Almond & Kyrylo Fesenko in this draft... well, they traded for Fesenko, but yeah. Other guys... Daequan Cook (#21), Jared Dudley (#22), Wilson Chandler (#23), Aaron Brooks (#26), Carl Landry (#31), Glen Davis (#35), Kyrylo Fesenko (#38), Marc Gasol (#48), Aaron Gray (#49) and Ramon Sessions (#56).
2008- Charlotte: C Alexis Ajinça (rookie season: 31 GP, 5.9 mpg, 2.3 ppg, 1.0 rpg)
I'll admit, I don't know much about him. But given that the team has Okafor and Mohammed and May and traded for Diaw, it's not really surprising that he didn't play all that much. It'll be interesting to see if his minutes increase... if he develops into anything more than just a 12th-man type player.
It's obviously too early to tell anything about this draft.
The Jazz ended up with Kosta Koufos at #23... really not worth complaining about. Other guys... Ryan Anderson (#21), Courtney Lee (#22), Nicholas Batum (#25), Darrell Arthur (#27), Donte Greene (#28), Mario Chalmers (#34), DeAndre Jordan (#35), Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (#37) and Chris Douglas-Roberts (#40).
If you don't count Smith & Ajinça due to lack of time in the league, and count both guys in 2001... the final results end up being...
C- 1 pick, 1 hit, 0 misses
F- 2 picks, 2 hits, 0 misses
G- 6 picks, 2 hits, 4 misses
As you'd expect, the #20 pick is a toss-up. That said, there have been a fair number of hits and even an All-Star. I don't know if I'd expect that from the Jazz with j-slow around, but if nothing else, the Jazz (cash-strapped and all) should be able to find a contributor at #20... even if it is the "worst draft class ever" or whatever. So, despite the presence of a coach who already hates the guy (even though the guy doesn't know it, and even though we don't know who the pick will be), I'm hoping the Jazz get at least a solid bench-player in the draft. I think that's a realistic expectation... not like I'm asking for an All-Star or anything (though that'd be nice too).
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