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Home , 2001 NBA Finals, 2015 NBA draft, Adam Keefe (basketball), Adam Morrison, Allan Houston, Andrea Bargnani

ZSW [C M Y K]CC4 Tuesday, Jun. 23, 2015 ZSW [C M Y K] 4 Tuesday, Jun. 23, 2015

C4 • SPORTS • • TUESDAY, JUNE 23, 2015 TUESDAY, JUNE 23, 2015 • STAR TRIBUNE • SPORTS • C5

2015 NBA HISTORY BEST OF THE REST OF FIRSTS The NBA has held 30 drafts since the lottery began in 1985. With the Wolves slated to pick first for the first time Thursday, staff writer Kent Yo ungblood looks at how well the past 30 N o. 1s fared. Yo u might be surprised how rarely the first player taken turned out to be the best player.

MIDDLE OF THE PACK BEST OF ALL 1985 • KNICKS 1987 • SPURS 1992 • MAGIC 1993 • MAGIC 1986 • CAVALIERS 1988 • CLIPPERS 2003 • CAVALIERS Shaquille O’Neal Brad Daugherty LeBron James • Georgetown Center • Navy Center • Louisiana State Forward • Michigan Center • Forward • Kansas Forward • St. Vincent-St. Mary Career: Averaged 21.0 points and 9.8 Career: Spurs had to wait two years Career: Sixth all-time in scoring, O’Neal Career: ROY and a five-time All-Star, High School, Akron, Ohio Career: Averaged 19 points and 9 .5 Career: Averaged 14.0 pts and 5.2 rebounds over a 17-year Hall of Fame for Robinson, who came back from won four titles, was ROY, a 15-time Webber averaged 20.7 points and 9.8 rebounds in eight seasons. A five- rebounds in a career hampered by Career: Rookie of the Year, an All- career. ROY . He was an 11-time the Navy to win R OY, score 20,790 All-Star, was an MVP once and was rebounds over 15 seasons. He and time All-Star, helped Cavs to confer- knee injuries. Averaged 20 points for Star every year since his second All-Star, and his Knicks lost in the career points, win two titles and one named NBA Finals MVP three times. Sacramento lost to the Lakers in seven ence finals in 1992. Atlanta team that advanced to sec- season, four-time league MVP and NBA Finals twice. MVP in Hall of Fame career. Best player: O’Neal, who was in the games in the controversial 2002 Western Conference finals. Best player: F , ond round in 1994. two-time Finals MVP. Best player: F , Louisiana Best player: Robinson, barely. top five in MVP voting eight times. Southeastern Oklahoma State (27th, Best player: G , Kan- Best player: James. With career Tech (13th overall by Utah). Second Notable: Draft also included fellow Notable: , the No. 2 Best player: Webber, in a strong draft. ). Seven-time All-Defense first sas State (fifth, Golden State). Rookie of averages of 27.3 points, 7.1 all-time in scoring, averaged a career Hall of Famers (fifth) pick, is in the Hall of Fame. Seven Notable: First round also included team, won five NBA titles. the Year. Six-time All-Star was a reserve rebounds and 6.9 assists, consid- double-double. and (11th). Pippen won players drafted in the first round , , Nick Van Notable: Daugherty was only top-10 on the ’02 Lakers championship team. ered by many to be best player ever. Notable: First round produced four six titles with , and played with the Wolves: Christian Exel and . pick to be an All-Star; (sec- Notable: Richmond was only future Notable: A wonderful draft that Hall of Famers — Ewing, Malone, Miller scored 25,279 points. Laettner, , Malik Bust: C (second). He ond pick) died soon after the draft. Hall of Famer in the draft. also included , (seventh) and Joe Bust: G Dennis Hopson (third). The Sealy, , , played a long time, but never up to Bust: C (third). Scored Bust: F (seventh). Averaged and . Dumars (18th). 1987 Big Ten Player of the Year strug- LaPhonso Ellis and . the standards of a second overall pick. 222 points, played in 72 games. only 6.8 points over eight seasons . Bust: C Darko Milicic, (second). Bust: Taken third after Ewing and gled before heading overseas. Bust: F/C (10th). Aver- Wolves fans saw how disappointing , Benoit Benjamin aged 5.0 points over nine seasons 1990 • NETS 1991 • HORNETS this player was. A bust amplified by played 15 years but rarely impressed. with three teams. Larry Johnson the folks drafted around him. Center/forward • Syracuse Forward • UNLV 1996 • 76ERS 1997 • SPURS 2004 • MAGIC Career: Roo kie of the Year and a one- Career: A two-time All-Star and 1992 time All-Star, he averaged 16.5 points ROY , Johnson averaged 16.2 points Guard • Georgetown Forward • Wake Forest Center • Southwest and 9.3 rebounds over 15 seasons. and 7.5 rebounds, helping lead the Atlanta Christian Career: R OY, MVP, 11 times an All-Star Career: ROY, 15-time Knicks into the 1999 NBA Finals. Academy Best player: G , Oregon Photos by ; and three-time All-Star Game MVP, All-Star, two-time State (second, Seattle). Nine-time All- Best player: C , ALLSPORTS (Webber) he led the 76ers to the NBA Finals in league MVP and Career: Has aver- Star and once named Defensive Player Georgetown (fourth, Denver). Eight- 2001 . three-time NBA aged 1 8.1 points of the Year. Won one championship. time All-Star and four-time Defen- Best player: G (13th, Finals MVP, has and 1 2.7 rebounds. sive Player of the Year, he helped get Notable: took Toni K ukoc Charlotte, traded to Lakers). An All- won five titles. Eight-time All-Star to the 2001 NBA Finals. early in the second round, but he Star 17 times , one-time league MVP Best player: Duncan, and three-time Defen-en- didn’t arrive in Chicago until 1993. Notable: Ex-Michigan State G Steve and twice NBA Finals MVP, he holds the only player to be named both to sive Player of the Year. Bust: G (eighth). High Smith led class with 13,430 points. five championship rings. the All-NBA and All-Defensive teams Best player: Howard, who helped lead scorer out of Loyola Marymount Bust: F (sixth). Averaged Notable: A very deep draft, with four in every one of his first 13 seasons. Orlando to the 2 009 NBA Finals, los- played only 105 games. 8.0 points over five seasons probable Hall of Famers in Bryant, Notable: Only four players scored ing to the Lakers in five games. Iverson, and . more than 10,000 points in this draft: Notable: Top three scorers in this draft 1994 • BUCKS 1999 • BULLS Bust: C Todd Fuller (11th). Averaged 3.7 Duncan, Tracy McGrady, Chauncey — Howard, and Josh Smith points in five seasons for four teams. Billups and . — were selected out of high school. Bust: C Tony Battie (fifth). He never Bust: G Shaun Livingston (fourth). He Forward • Purdue Forward/center • Duke averaged better than 8.4 points per was s lowed by a k nee injury. Career: A two-time All-Star, Robinson Career: Rookie of the Year. Averaged game. averaged 20.7 points over 11 seasons. 20 points or better in six of his first He led the Bucks to the playoffs three eight seasons. Twice an All-Star. 2009 • CLIPPERS 2010 • WIZARDS 2011 • CAVA LIERS 2012 • PELICANS times. One trip to the conference finals. Best player: F (ninth, AT A GLANCE LEBRON’S LEGACY Best player: G (second, Phoenix). Four-time All-Star who Forward • Oklahoma Guard • Kentucky Guard • Duke Forward • Kentucky Dallas). Rookie of the Year. A 10-time played in more than 100 playoff All-Star who was a part of the 2011 games, he was a part of the 2011 Career: After missing the 2009-10 Career: Two-time All-Star who has Career: He has averaged 21 points Career: Finished fifth in MVP voting NBA champion . champion Dallas team. 4 27.35 178 season because of a knee injury, he averaged 17.6 points and 8 .7 assists and 5.7 assists in four seasons. RO Y, after averaging 24.4 points and 2.9 Notable: Kidd, (third) and Notable: Nine players became All- Regular-season MVPs, Career , Career playoff wins, returned to win ROY and is a five- and has led the Wizards to back-to- three-time All-Star, 2014 All-Star blocks this season. (fifth) combined to Stars. Likely no Hall of Famers. which is the second- which ranks fourth all- which ranks fifth all- time All-Star with career averages of back playoff berths. Game MVP. Best player: Davis, a two-time All- 21.5 points and 9.7 rebounds. play 56 seasons. Bust: F (fifth). most (Kareem Abdul- time and is the second- time and is the second- Best player: Wall, who gets the nod Best player: Irving, whose knee injury Star who can dominate at both ends Bust: C (ninth). Aver- Underperformed until career was Jabbar had six) of any highest (, most (Tim Duncan, Best player: G (sev- over DeMarcus Cousins and Paul altered the tone of the 2015 NBA of the court. aged 4.5 p oints over eight seasons. halted because of knee injuries. No. 1 draft pick. 27.36) of any No. 1 pick. 241) of any No. 1 pick. enth, Golden State). Overlooked by six George. Finals. Notable: For the first time, the top teams — including the Wolves twice Notable: Five Kentucky players were Notable: Derrick Williams — taken two players were from the same — Curry just won the league MVP 2000 • NETS 2002 • ROCKETS taken in the first round: Wall, Cousins, second by the Wolves — is the only school. Both Davis and Michael Kidd- and his first NBA title. Patrick Patterson, and player taken in the top five averaging Gilchrist were from Kentucky. Notable: Top 15 picks included three Daniel Orton. less than 10 points per game. Bust: F Royce White (16th). Former Forward/center • Cincinnati Center • China sons of former NBA players: Curry, Ger- Bust: Wes Johnson (fourth). Taken by Bust: F Jan Vesely (sixth). Averaged Minnesota high school star taken by ald Henderson Jr. and Austin Daye. Career: A one-time All-Star who has Career: D erailed by injuries. An eight- the Wolves, he never has averaged 10 only 3.6 points in three seasons for Houston. White’s time with the Rock- averaged 12.3 points over 15 seasons. time All-Star named to the All-NBA Bust: (second). He points per game in a season. two teams. ets was hampered by a disagreement edges out Jonny Flynn simply because over how to handle his anxiety disor- Best player: G (43rd, Mil- second or third team five times. Aver- of how high he was taken. der. He has played three NBA games. waukee). Taken in the second round, aged 19.0 points and 9.2 rebounds. THROUGH THE YEARS was a one-time All-Star. His 19.0 scor- Best player: F Amare Stoudemire ing average is the best in this draft. (ninth, Phoenix). RO Y. Stoudemire is a Notable: One of the worst drafts in six-time All-Star and was a first-team the lottery era, producing only three All-NBA selection in 2007. All-Star seasons among all the play- Notable: The draft was full of players ers selected. Coincidence that it was hampered by injuries in their career. held in Minneapolis? Bust: F Nikoloz Tskitishvili (fifth). He Bust: F (fourth). Career averaged 2.9 points in 172 games was cut short by a knee injury. over four years with four teams. 2003: James is the No. 1 pick. He would 2010-14: Spends four seasons in Miami, 2014: James heads back to Cleveland, 2005 • BUCKS 2006 • RAPTORS play seven seasons in Cleveland before where the Heat reaches the Finals four where he leads the Cavaliers to the signing with Miami. times, winning the title twice. Finals. Cleveland loses to Golden State. Center • Utah Forward/center • Italy Career: Has averaged 10.9 points and Career: Has averaged 15 points and POINTS PER GAME REBOUNDS PER GAMEASSISTS PER GAME 9.2 rebounds. 4.8 rebounds for and New 36 9 9 Best player: G (fourth, York; named to the all-rookie team . New Orleans). Rookie of the Year and Best player: F/C LaMarcus Aldridge an eight-time All-Star. Considered (second, Chicago, traded to Portland). 27 7 7 one of best guards in the game. A four-time All-Star, Aldridge has Notable: The last draft in which high steadily improved , averaging 23.4 18 5 5 school players were eligible, and two points and 10.2 rebounds last season. 2003-04 2014-15 2003-04 2014-15 2003-04 2014-15 were taken in the top 10 (Martell Notable: Only two of the top 20 picks Webster, ). h ave been named an All-Star. Bust: F/C Fran Vazquez (11th). Orlando Bust: F (third). Lost used p ick only to have him declare his second season to a knee injury. he would stay in Europe. Played only four seasons. BIGGEST BUSTS TOO SOON TO TELL

2008 • BULLS 1989 • KINGS 1995 • WARRIORS 1998 • CLIPPERS 2001 • WIZARDS 2007 • TRAIL BLAZERS 2013 • CAVA LIERS 2014 • CAVA LIERS Michael Anthony Bennett Guard • Memphis Center/forward • Louisville Forward • Olowokandi Forward/center • Glynn Academy Center • Ohio State Forward • UNLV Guard/forward • Kansas High School , Brunswick, Ga. Career: R ookie of the Year and the Career: In an injury-plagued career, Career: H e averaged 10.9 points but Center • Pacific Career: Limi ted to three seasons and Career: Each of first two seasons Career: Traded to the Wolves with youngest player to be named NBA he averaged 9.5 points, 6.7 rebounds. perhaps is best known for the costly 105 games because of knee injuries, — including this past one with the Career: Gifted but unmotivated, Career: The first N o. 1 overall pick to Bennett in the deal, Wig- M VP when he won it in 2011. In juries Was 1992 Most Improved Player. illegal contract offered by the Tim- Oden remains one of the biggest dis- Wolves (he was acquired in the Kevin Olowokandi averaged 8.3 points over come out of high school, averaged 6 .6 gins led all rookies in scoring (16.9) on have limited him to 100 games and a berwolves. appointments in draft history. Love deal) — were shortened by Best player: G , Texas- nine listless seasons for three teams, points and 5.5 rebounds in 12 seasons. the way to winning Rookie of the Year. lost season since the 2011-12 season. injury. Has averaged only 14.3 min- El Paso (14th, Golden State). Five-time Best player: F (fifth, including the Wolves. Best player: F (third, Best player: F (second, Best player: Wiggins. But Jabari Park- Best player: G All-Star led Miami to Eastern Confer- Wolves). The Wolves’ best player ever, Seattle). ROY. Four-time scoring utes and 4.7 points. Best player: F (ninth, Atlanta, traded to Memphis). Rookie er’s injury eliminated what might (fourth, Seattle). Led the league in scor- ence finals in 1997. he has scored nearly 26,000 points champ . Six-time All-Star and 2014 Best player: G Michael Carter-Williams. , traded to Dallas). An of the Year and a five-time All-Star, have been a tight ROY competition. ing this season (28.1), is a four-time over 20 seasons. league MVP. Rookie of the Year already has been Notable: Leading career scorer in All-Star 13 times, 2007 NBA MVP was on two Lakers title teams. Notable: Three Canadians were All-Star and 2015 All-Star Game MVP. traded from the 76ers to the Bucks. draft — Cliff Robinson — was taken Notable: A deep draft for and Finals MVP in 2011. Notable: V alue was found late in the Notable: For the first time, three taken in the top 20: Wiggins, Nik Notable: Each of the first three in the second round. forwards included Garnett, Rasheed players taken in the top 10 were from Notable: Bennett became the first Notable: Six of the top eight picks draft: (10th), Richard J effer- Stauskas and . picks was a college freshman: Rose, Wallace and Antonio McDyess. the same school: , Corey Canadian taken No. 1. Bust: Ellison. Nicknamed “Never never appeared in an All-Star Game. son (13th), (19th), Tony Bust: None yet, of course, but Lakers , O.J. Mayo. Nervous’’ Pervis in college, he was Bust: (sixth), whose Parker (28th), (30th). Brewer and of Florida. Bust: Too early to call anyone a bust. Bust: Olowokandi, with a nod to F (seventh) was lost for Bust: F (eighth), wh o renamed “Out-of-Service” Pervis by career was cut short by weight issues Bust: Oden, who a ttempted at a But, as a first overall pick, it’s time for (sixth). Bust: Brown, who struggled and dealt the season to a broken leg on open- played in 6 7 games in two seasons. NBA teammate . and injuries. with injuries. comeback with Miami in 2013 . Bennett to step it up. ing night.