Great NBA Factoid or Bar Bet

[Chin Diesel]

Only one team in the last 30 years has won an NBA championship without having at least one player drafted within the first three picks on their roster. That distinction goes to the 2007-2008 Boston Celtics, whose highest drafted players, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, were selected fifth in their respective drafts.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/why-nba-draft-lottery-more-important-cleveland-cavaliers-215400670.html

 

[Ts5034]

Interesting stat considering there have been some busts along the way. Basketball especially the NBA, one player could be the difference between a 50 win season and a 30 win season. Just look at Cleveland the year after Lebron left for Miami. In the NBA, if you dont have talent, you will not win. Simple as that.

 

[Kitaman]

Wow I know he was stright out of high school. but Garnett drafted fifth! Too bad I'm too lazy to look it up to see the top 4.

 

[James]

Joe smith, Mcdyess, Stackhouse, Rasheed Wallace...Donny Marshall @ 39 !

 

[upstater]

This is why teams deliberately bag the season.

Problem is that the Celtics actually tried this under Pitino and failed. They had the best chance at Tim Duncan (two of the top 5 picks odd-wise) and ended up with Chauncey Billups and Ron Mercer. They quickly gave up on Billups, and the only other factor in the entire draft was a high schooler (Tracy McGrady). When you tank the season, you MUST win the lottery.

 

[huskyharry]

Wow I know he was stright out of high school. but Garnett drafted fifth! Too bad I'm too lazy to look it up to see the top 4.

In those days, straight out of high school players were considered to be a big risk, because you didn't know how they would develop.
It was the success of Kobe and KG that led to a change in perception that swung the pendulum in the other direction that we still see now...I.e. players leaving straight from high school tended to be overrated ...even now 1 and dones get much more of a free pass about their deficiencies and players leaving after 4 years tend to be underrated.

 

[Matrim55]

When you tank the season, you MUST win the lottery.

Warriors fans would probably disagree with you.

 

[upstater]

Warriors fans would probably disagree with you.

They're too busy trading Robert Parish and Kevin McHale for the #1 pick.