• Have something to say? Register Now! and be posting in minutes!

Has a team ever made a unexpected draft that panned out

DHoey

Well-Known Member
5,759
1,635
173
Joined
Feb 20, 2015
Hoopla Cash
$ 2,893.51
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
I am no modern NBA fan but I do follow some Huskies and Isaiah Thomas was the last pick in the draft and from what I have heard has done fairly well.
 

Debbie Does

Question Authority
55,069
34,057
1,033
Joined
Jul 14, 2014
Location
Delaware. By the ocean.
Hoopla Cash
$ 1,000.00
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
This isn't even about football, but Ray Guy was drafted in the first round by Oakland. He was a punter.

Many times All-Pro. He finally got into the Hall of Fame.

And guys knew that if they fielded a punt and beat the other 10 players, when they got to the punter they were going down. Hard.
 

tlance

Kyrie Hater
40,292
20,703
1,033
Joined
Apr 17, 2013
Location
Virginia
Hoopla Cash
$ 11,700.00
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
That isn't really what I am asking. Klay, Steph and Draymond ALL exceeded their draft expectations. Lots of players vastly exceeded their draft slot. Willis reed and Dennis Rodman were 2nd round picks. Pretty sure they exceeded expectations

But nobody went "Huh?" when they were drafted where they were drafted but actually turned out ok. Unlike Anthony Bennett or Andrea Bargnani or Frederick Weiss. Those guys were drafted and the entire basketball world collectively said "seriously"?

Kristaps Porzingas
 

tlance

Kyrie Hater
40,292
20,703
1,033
Joined
Apr 17, 2013
Location
Virginia
Hoopla Cash
$ 11,700.00
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
I know he was considered a bit of a reach but I thought he was a consensus top 7 or so pick, no?

Sure. But wasn’t Bennett a top 5-7 pick too?

Near the top of the draft, 3-4 spots is a lot.
 

flyerhawk

Well-Known Member
96,066
32,806
1,033
Joined
Aug 18, 2014
Location
Hoboken
Hoopla Cash
$ 500.00
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
Sure. But wasn’t Bennett a top 5-7 pick too?

Near the top of the draft, 3-4 spots is a lot.

That's fair. Doing a little searching and I see this though..






So he went anywhere from 3-10 on the mock draft.

Anthony Bennett ranged from 3-8..


But I see your point and I guess we could consider Ziggy as a win.
 

gohusk

Well-Known Member
20,652
4,040
293
Joined
Jul 16, 2013
Hoopla Cash
$ 200.00
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
I'd say Steph Curry. I thought they overreached when they drafted him and the league was run through sg's at the time. And the W's already had Ellis which made the backcourt really undersized. I thought it was a decent pick because he'd always be able to shoot the ball but didn't think his ceiling was that high.
 

Picklerick 2.0

Well-Known Member
11,297
7,260
533
Joined
Sep 11, 2020
Location
minnesota
Hoopla Cash
$ 1,000.00
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
But he exceded draft expectations. The question is who was picked extremely high, despite the nba world going wtf? And that player actually proving them wrong. I think Dan Marley is honestly the only one i can think of.
So dan majerle wins it. They booed him off the stage when phoenix picked him and he became an all star.
 

ANGELAKERAMS

Well-Known Member
5,097
3,936
293
Joined
Jul 3, 2013
Location
Idaho
Hoopla Cash
$ 1,000.00
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
John Stockton was heavily booed as well when he was drafted.

Gonzaga was a no name college back then. The announcers didn’t even know what to think of the pick.

guy became a HOFer


Given his status as arguably the greatest pure point guard ever to hit the hardwood, it’s pretty hard to believe that even John Stockton himself was surprised when the Jazz picked him out of Gonzaga in the middle of the first round back in 1984.

At the time, though, it was a pretty unpopular decision. When NBA commissioner David Stern announced Stockton’s name on draft night, fans in Salt Lake City were less than impressed —
 
Last edited:

DirtDirtDirt

Well-Known Member
31,892
5,215
533
Joined
Apr 17, 2013
Hoopla Cash
$ 1,000.00
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
Frederic Weiss to the Knicks worked out well
 

The Q

Hoop’s Villain, Reality’s Hero
32,637
11,220
1,033
Joined
Aug 16, 2015
Hoopla Cash
$ 1,000.00
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
John Stockton was heavily booed as well when he was drafted.

Gonzaga was a no name college back then. The announcers didn’t even know what to think of the pick.

guy became a HOFer


Given his status as arguably the greatest pure point guard ever to hit the hardwood, it’s pretty hard to believe that even John Stockton himself was surprised when the Jazz picked him out of Gonzaga in the middle of the first round back in 1984.

At the time, though, it was a pretty unpopular decision. When NBA commissioner David Stern announced Stockton’s name on draft night, fans in Salt Lake City were less than impressed —

draft coverage was so light back then that I didn’t even bother going back that far
 

logic

Well-Known Member
3,674
1,631
173
Joined
Apr 19, 2013
Hoopla Cash
$ 69,974.00
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
draft coverage was so light back then that I didn’t even bother going back that far
Sure, no one debated the Bowie/Jordan thing.
 

CitySushi

Andrew Wiggin's burner account
15,264
7,986
533
Joined
Aug 17, 2011
Hoopla Cash
$ 102,675.00
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
Looking back at the old draft analysis right after the drafts, I found this one really interesting. In 2005 the Warriors Drafted Ike Diogu in the first round. They drafted Monta Ellis in the 2nd round.

"Although he probably wont be an allstar, Diogu is an excellent pick for the Warriors for where they were drafting. He will bring them a lot of things that they are sorely missing right now, including scoring inside the post, toughness, work ethic, rebounding and a high character. Weve been telling you for months and months about how underrated Diogu is, and the truth finally came out on draft night. Diogu was promised by the Warriors that he would not slip past them after he worked out for them a few days before the draft (DraftExpress were the only ones to report about this workout), but only if Channing Frye was not on the board. He was there, and unlike a few other promises we heard about, this one was actually kept.

In the 2nd round the Warriors took Monta Ellis, a player who was ridiculously overhyped by most scouting services all year, but was destined for the 2nd round since the day he declared because of his attitude and lack of PG skills. Ellis reportedly refused to work out for a couple of teams drafting in the late first round, citing that he had a promise already from another team. He then allegedly came in hung over to the combines at the pre-draft camp and narrowly edged out Luke Schenscher to save himself from ending up as the worst athlete in Chicago. At the end of the day he saw his stock fall to the mid 2nd round, where the Warriors got great value for a guy they can stash in the D-League for the next year or two until hes maybe ready to back up Baron Davis or take his game to Europe. - Source: DraftExpress - 2005 NBA Draft Grades ©DraftExpress"

That didn't quite work out the way they thought.
 

Sir Robin Of Camelot

You seem angry. Miserable, even.
11,842
9,429
533
Joined
Nov 29, 2016
Hoopla Cash
$ 1,000.00
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
I can't recall dirk getting high marks
Most Mavs fans (like yours truly) were just hoping we would stop sucking. It had been a long 10 years. And it was a couple more before Game 5 in Utah... where it was apparent that we didn't suck anymore. And - wouldn't for a while.
 
Top