Top Ten NBA Draft Steals
Last week, Justin Voccola presented his list
of the Top Ten Biggest Draft Flops of
All-Time. These week, he focuses on the guys who have
been the biggest steals in the 1st and 2nd round since the 1980.
Check out Jon Teitel's list of the 10 biggest
steals picked in the 3rd round and below.
1. John Stockton
Selected by Utah with the 16th
pick in 1984, this small white guy from a small school in the
Northwest became one of the greatest point guards in NBA
history.
2. Manu Ginobili
Chosen with the 57th pick by San Antonio in
1999, Ginobili was selected to play in the 2005 All-Star game.
Well respected throughout the league, he has been instrumental
in San Antonio’s recent success. Hard to believe this guy was
chosen after Frederic Weis, Cal Bowdler, and Leon Smith.
3. Steve Nash
Chosen with the 15th pick by Phoenix in 1996,
Nash’s early years in the NBA suggested that this selection
might have been a mistake. But after being traded to Dallas in
1999, Nash has become one of the most valuable players in the
NBA.
4. Gilbert Arenas
Chosen with the 31st pick in 2001 by the
Golden State Warriors, Arenas has developed into one of the
better young point guards in the NBA. He was key in the
Washington Wizards first playoff series win since 1982. Arena’s
success suggests teams made a major mistake drafting Kedrick
Brown, Kirk Haston, and Joe Forte ahead of him to name a few.
5. Rashard Lewis
Chosen with the 32nd pick by Seattle in 1998,
Lewis has developed in an all-star caliber player. While many
high school players chosen ahead of him were busts, Lewis has
steadily improved throughout his career. Lewis’ rise to stardom
suggests it might make more sense to go after potential than
celebrated college players such as Bryce Drew and Felipe Lopez
who were drafted ahead of him.
6. Dirk Nowitzki
Chosen with the 9th pick by Milwaukee in 1998
(traded to Dallas), Nowitzki has become one of the more dominant
players in the NBA. His success has led to foreign players being
picker earlier in the draft rather than choosing prolific
college players like Raef Lafrentz and Robert Traylor who were
selected ahead of Nowitzki.
7. Michael Redd
Chosen with 43rd pick by the Milwaukee Bucks
in 2000, Redd is one of the better sharp shooters in the NBA.
Very surprising he was picked so late in a weak draft that
included Marcus Fizer (4th to the Bulls), Jerome Moiso (11th to
Boston), and Jason Collier to Milwaukee.
8. Paul Pierce
Chosen with the 10th pick in 1998, Pierce has
become one of the better scorers in the NBA. (See Nowitzki.)
9. Karl Malone
Chosen with the 13th pick by the Utah Jazz in
the 1985, Malone became the most dominant forward of his era.
10. Kobe Bryant
Chosen with the 13th pick by Charlotte in
1996 (Traded to L.A.), Bryant has become the logical choice for
Michael Jordan’s successor in the NBA. Hard to believe he was
taken right after Todd Fuller and Vitaly Potapenko in the ’96
draft.
Check out Jon Teitel's list of the 10
biggest steals picked in the 3rd round and
below.
