Biggest Draft Day Steal

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Denny Crane

Denny Crane

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Who was it?

In a sense, Oden is a rookie, so the Blazers are effectively adding him as if he were a draft pick. But I don't think that counts :)
 
Scottie Pippen for Olden Polynice. Hard to top a Hall of Famer for a mediocre role-player.

I'd disqualify Kobe Bryant for Vlade Divac, because Bryant making it clear to the Hornets that he wouldn't sign with them played a major role in them trading him to LA. Otherwise, that would be up there.
 
John Stockton dropping to #16 comes to mind

Ginobilli was #57

and of Course Jordan going #3 (although Hakeem going 1st is totally understandable)
 
It would have to be the Bulls drafting MJ at #3. I know this isn't a trade but it has to be the biggest steal IMO. It would be the biggest steal because MJ was the best player to ever play in the NBA IMO.
 
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Nothing in the modern (just two rounds) age of the NBA can be considered that big of a steal. The draft used to be 19 rounds. If anyone that was picked in the 19th round that ended up an all-star (or even a decent starter) that's gotta be the biggest steal in draft history. Chuck Taylor was taken in the 10th round by Chicago back in 1972. Maybe he was the biggest steal.

Edit: oops, wrong Chuck Taylor. THE Chuck Taylor died in 1969.
 
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My bad, I meant this past draft, but this is a great thread anyway.

Do you think it matters if it's a championship caliber team that somehow gets a top draft choice? If so, Len Bias would be a first order steal for the Celtics, in spite of his untimely death. Tim Duncan to the Spurs would be another.
 
On a similar note, a trivia question: who drafted Dr J (NBA)? Then think of how great that team would have been.
 
Denny Crane said:
My bad, I meant this past draft, but this is a great thread anyway.

Do you think it matters if it's a championship caliber team that somehow gets a top draft choice? If so, Len Bias would be a first order steal for the Celtics, in spite of his untimely death. Tim Duncan to the Spurs would be another.
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From this years draft I think the Blazers getting Bayless was a huge steal. I think Bayless will end up in the top 2 or 3 players from this draft.
 
Tortimer said:
I think it was Det or maybe Milw. Someone in the midwest.
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Milwaukee it was. He'd have joined Kareem and Oscar Robertson to form an incredible 3x HOFer team.

I seriously doubt Kareem would have been traded after that.
 
OK, how about biggest draft day steal by the Blazers ever?
 
Dennis Rodman was picked like #28

As for the Blazers it's obviously HA or Ruben Boumtje Boumtje!
 
what about Clyde at #14??

big steal right there.

there's not a single player ahead of him who would argueably have been okay to draft before him, unlike Jordan being drafted After Hakeem. It's hard to pass on a great big man like that IMO.
of course the Blazers having Clyde is what prompted them to draft Sam Bowie over Jordan I would imagine... ouch. Clyde + Jordan.. whoooa
 
Denny Crane said:
My bad, I meant this past draft, but this is a great thread anyway.

Do you think it matters if it's a championship caliber team that somehow gets a top draft choice? If so, Len Bias would be a first order steal for the Celtics, in spite of his untimely death. Tim Duncan to the Spurs would be another.
Click to expand...

The Lakers also used a top draft choice to grab James Worthy, at a time when they were already a championship-caliber team.
 
JFizzleRaider said:
Dennis Rodman was picked like #28

As for the Blazers it's obviously HA or Ruben Boumtje Boumtje!
Click to expand...

Rodman led the nation in scoring (of all things) in college, but he went to a small college. Drafting where the Pistons picked, he was a gamble that obviously paid off huge.
 
Minstrel said:
The Lakers also used a top draft choice to grab James Worthy, at a time when they were already a championship-caliber team.
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The Bulls had 6th pick in the 1989 draft and big man Stacey King was a sure thing to be picked top 3, but fell to them. In spite of his failure in the long run as a player, I thought that was a huge steal of a pick. He led the nation in scoring, and could have been the #1 pick overall. Not sure why his stock dropped so much.

He was stuck on the Bulls behind Ho Grant and never got the kind of PT to develop like he should. He was a valuable contributor to at least one championship season, though.
 
Tortimer said:
I would say T.Porter or J.Kersey both 2nd round picks.
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Terry was a first rounder (toward end of the first round)

Duck was second round, and Uncle Cliffy.

As to the question of the thread (FWIW I understood you meant this year) it is really too hard to say as nobody has played yet, but, if I had to guess my short list would be:

Bayless
Anthony Randolph
Donte Green
Chalmers

If you weight it for draft position, then I would say Green.
 
Reep said:
Terry was a first rounder (toward end of the first round)

Duck was second round, and Uncle Cliffy.

As to the question of the thread (FWIW I understood you meant this year) it is really too hard to say as nobody has played yet, but, if I had to guess my short list would be:

Bayless
Anthony Randolph
Donte Green
Chalmers

If you weight it for draft position, then I would say Green.
Click to expand...

I loved the Chalmers pick. The Heat had two glaring holes (PG, C) and Chalmers will get all the PT he can earn there.
 
Reep said:
Terry was a first rounder (toward end of the first round)

Duck was second round, and Uncle Cliffy.

As to the question of the thread (FWIW I understood you meant this year) it is really too hard to say as nobody has played yet, but, if I had to guess my short list would be:

Bayless
Anthony Randolph
Donte Green
Chalmers

If you weight it for draft position, then I would say Green.
Click to expand...

Your right I was wrong and I remember now. Terry Porter was the last draft in the 1st round and Kersey was a 2nd rounder. Sorry I'm old and my mind is forgetting the facts.
 
CDR, Rush and Randolph were possibilities too. But, I don't think CDR and Rush will be the type of players people look back on as steals. They are solid, but won't be all-stars. T. Prince was a steal in his draft, but nobody talks about him being a steal because he is such a solid background player. Randolph could be, but hasn't shown it yet. Green really lit up a couple games in summer league, which may or may not mean anything.

I think Chalmers might be the best functional steal (amazing fit for a team that far down), but Chalmers will likely be no more than a solid PG, where Green could be a really explosive player.
 
Biggest bust?

Derrick Rose.

Biggest steal?

Michael Beasley. The Beast. What? At #2? Wouldn't LeBron be a steal at #1? :)
 
Reep said:
CDR, Rush and Randolph were possibilities too. But, I don't think CDR and Rush will be the type of players people look back on as steals. They are solid, but won't be all-stars. T. Prince was a steal in his draft, but nobody talks about him being a steal because he is such a solid background player. Randolph could be, but hasn't shown it yet. Green really lit up a couple games in summer league, which may or may not mean anything.

I think Chalmers might be the best functional steal (amazing fit for a team that far down), but Chalmers will likely be no more than a solid PG, where Green could be a really explosive player.
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I agree that Green could be a huge steal and maybe CDR but IMO Rush isn't a steal and was even drafted a little to high. I was a little worried when we drafted him and I was hoping KP was making some kind of trade.
 
Tortimer said:
I was a little worried when we drafted him and I was hoping KP was making some kind of trade.
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X2

Kind of like finding out your parents are buying you your first car--but it's a station wagon.
 
I think Michael Beasley was probably the biggest draft day steal of this years draft. Jerryd Bayless is going to be a big steal too, but there is no reason for this. Bayless should have been the 4th pick, I don't quite understand why he fell so far. Also Omer Asik if he recovers from his knee injury.

Stephen Curry will be the biggest steal of next year's draft.
 
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I'm with Celtic fan on best steal ever. If you redo that draft Clyde is #1 with a bullet. And the #2 guy would probably be Byron Scott. That's a HUGE drop off from #1 to #2. Clyde was a total steal.

With this year's draft I'm gonna go non-homer and say Donte Green. Call me crazy, but that kid looks like he's better than Travis Outlaw right now and the sky is the limit for that kid. But what do I know, it was just a few summer league games.
 
Kobe 4 Vlade.......Biggest Steal Ever!
 
ebott said:
Nothing in the modern (just two rounds) age of the NBA can be considered that big of a steal. The draft used to be 19 rounds. If anyone that was picked in the 19th round that ended up an all-star (or even a decent starter) that's gotta be the biggest steal in draft history. Chuck Taylor was taken in the 10th round by Chicago back in 1972. Maybe he was the biggest steal.

Edit: oops, wrong Chuck Taylor. THE Chuck Taylor died in 1969.
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Heh. But beyond Chuck, you're right, you used to see lots of late round picks who turned out to be really really good.

This is maybe the best argument for why, in general, the NBA does a better job of drafting now. When was the last time an undrafted player (who might have been taken in rounds 3-19 in the old days) turned out to be really good? Ben Wallace became really good, and there are a few good players on this NBA.com list (which is incomplete- I don't see Chris Quinn on there), but Wallace was 12 years ago.

Anyway, for current players at least, how about the All-Undrafted Team

1- Jose Calderon, Chucky Atkins, Chris Quinn
2- Raja Bell, Mike James, Marquis Daniels
3- Andres Nocioni, Bruce Bowen, Ime Udoka
4- Ben Wallace, Udonis Haslem, Chuck Hayes
5- Brad Miller, Fabricio Oberto, DJ Mbenga

It's probably a clear loser to an all-second round team:

1- Gilbert Arenas, Monta Ellis, Mo Williams
2- Manu Ginobili, Michael Redd, Stephen Jackson
3- Rashard Lewis, Luke Walton, Trevor Ariza
4- Ryan Gomes, Ronny Turiaf, Matt Bonner
5- Mehmet Okur, Anderson Varejao
 
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