NBA’s ‘Second Draft’ Serves Up Unexpected Gems

It seems pro basketball is taking a cue from the TV networks. Teams are giving up on young players who don’t make an immediate contribution faster than networks can cancel a pilot with a former Seinfeld cast member.These teams have been slow to realize that the league keeps getting younger – this past draft saw a record seven players go straight from high school to the first round. As a result, the development curve for young players is getting longer.Because teams tend to treat their rookies as if they’re seasoned collegians, they aren’t patient or generous enough to allow them to develop. Many of these players end up spending a few years drifting from team to team before finally getting their act together. For every LeBron James or Carmelo Anthony, there are several Steven Hunters and Darius Mileses – players who require a couple of years to make the necessary adjustments before they can thrive on the main stage.Hunter was a first-round pick of the Orlando Magic in 2001, but after being traded by one team and cut by another, it took him until this year to become an everyday contributor with the Suns. The same goes for Miles, who went to the NBA in 2000 straight out of high school, but only became a solid pro after joining his third team.Scouts speak of a “second draft,” referring to the number of first-round picks who end up on the scrap heap within three seasons. And don’t think you can’t find star talent amidst this heap – take a look at last year’s Finals MVP if you need proof. Chauncey Billups was the no. 3 overall pick in 1997 after leaving Colorado as a sophomore, but the Celtics gave up on him almost immediately. From there he changed addresses more often than Jennifer Lopez changes husbands, finally alighting in Detroit just as his game was coming together.He’s not alone. Larry Hughes turned pro after a year of college ball, was let go by Golden State after what would have been his senior year, and now is scoring 21 points a game for the Wizards at a bargain price (though he’s out a month with a broken thumb).A later pick in that same draft, Ricky Davis, was dismissed by Charlotte and Miami before the Cavs scooped him up and he became a scoring machine.This year, we’ve seen several more examples of players excelling in the catch-and-release program. It’s important to note that each one of them left school early and still is fairly young. Here’s a look at eight of this year’s emerging players whose original teams should have stayed the course:Bobby Simmons, Clippers (Original team: Wizards) Simmons left DePaul after his sophomore year, but didn’t get much love right away. The Wizards let him go twice, with a dismissal from the Pistons in between (yes, even Joe Dumars makes mistakes). He finally surfaced in L.A. last year. This year, he’s making just above the minimum while shutting down opposing wings and dropping 15.9 points a game. Better yet, he’s just 24.Joe Johnson, Suns (Original team: Celtics) As with Billups, Boston gave up on Johnson halfway through his rookie season, even though he was only 20 at the time. As a Sun, he’s turned into a quality defender and a versatile ball handler who can play three positions. His averages of 15.6 points and 5.5 boards are impressive when you consider he’s 23.Drew Gooden, Cavs (Original team: Grizzlies) Gooden was traded halfway through his rookie year when Memphis sent him to the Magic for Mike Miller. Then, for good measure, Orlando brought in another player who played the same position, forcing Gooden to play out of position. The move to Cleveland this past off-season has been a liberation, allowing him to play his natural power forward spot. The result: 13.8 points, 9.6 boards, and 52% shooting.Darius Miles, Trail Blazers (Original team: Clippers) A sensation when he turned pro out of high school, the Clippers traded Miles to Cleveland for Andre Miller after a disappointing sophomore season. After 18 desultory months in Cleveland, it was the Cavs’ turn to give up on him, getting Jeff McInnis in return. Freed from the high expectations in his first two stops – as well as the silly experiments with playing him at point guard – Miles is averaging double figures for the first time and, at 23, still has plenty of room to grow.Chris Mihm, Lakers (Original team: Cavs) Cleveland took Mihm in the 2000 draft and made the disastrous decision to try and make a power forward out of him. I can imagine the conversation: “Sure, he’s 7-foot, 260, and slower than the last drop of ketchup, but let’s have him guard smaller, quicker guys.” He got a brief reprieve with last year’s trade to Boston, but he’s really come into his own with the Lakers this season, shooting 53%, playing solid D, and generally performing like a top-10 center. And he’s dirt cheap – just $3.4 million this year.Jiri Welsch, Celtics (Original team: Warriors)Welsch barely played as a rookie before being included as a trade throw-in twice in the summer of 2002. But since arriving in Beantown, the NBA’s first Czech player has become a stabilizing force who plays solid perimeter D, makes the extra pass, and hits the open shot. He’s averaging 8.5 points and nearly a steal a game while splitting minutes with Ricky Davis.Primoz Brezec, Bobcats (Original team: Pacers) Brezec didn’t get off the bench during three years in Indiana before the Pacers left him exposed in the expansion draft. Big mistake. Brezec immediately showed that he’s one of the 15 or 20 best centers in basketball, averaging 11.8 points on 48.7% shooting for Charlotte. Ironically, after a rash of injuries and suspensions, the Pacers would have had ample minutes available for the Slovenian if they had kept him.Steven Hunter, Suns (Original team: Magic) A classic example of a player who was abandoned too soon. Hunter played with Simmons at DePaul, and, like Simmons, turned pro after his sophomore year. Orlando invested three years in him, but despite signs of offensive potential, he never won the trust of the coaches and was shipped to Cleveland in the Gooden deal.It might have been one of the greatest trades in history but for one thing: Cleveland cut Hunter almost immediately. He surfaced in Phoenix, where his play off the bench has been the lone bright spot on a woeful second unit. He’s shooting a sizzling 65% this season, while averaging a blocked shot every 10 minutes. In his fourth season, the seven-footer is just 23, meaning his elevator still is going up.

NBA’s ‘Second Draft’ Serves Up Unexpected Gems

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