The 1996 Draft

[JCSunsfan]

With Kobe's retirement, I got thinking about the 1996 draft. Hoopshype has a slideshow, but I can never get those to run right. I remember that draft so well.

Top two players: Kobe and Steve Nash. Drafted 13 and 15. The Suns were trying to trade up to get Kobe and when they could not, they took Nash. Someone's judgement was good.

Inexplicable dropper (at the time). Everyone was expecting John Wallace to go high. He kept dropping. Good call everyone.

Hindsight mistakes: Samaki Walker, Eric Dampier, Lorenzen Wright.

Underrated pick: Ilgauskas at 20.

Undrafted sensation: Ben Wallace

 

[AzStevenCal]

With Kobe's retirement, I got thinking about the 1996 draft. Hoopshype has a slideshow, but I can never get those to run right. I remember that draft so well.

Top two players: Kobe and Steve Nash. Drafted 13 and 15. The Suns were trying to trade up to get Kobe and when they could not, they took Nash. Someone's judgement was good.

Inexplicable dropper (at the time). Everyone was expecting John Wallace to go high. He kept dropping. Good call everyone.

Hindsight mistakes: Samaki Walker, Eric Dampier, Lorenzen Wright.

Underrated pick: Ilgauskas at 20.

Undrafted sensation: Ben Wallace

That's close to my recollection but not quite the way I thought it all went down. What I heard was that we were expecting to draft Kobe with our pick. Jerry West found out about our interest and traded to get in front of us.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

That draft had so many talented players. There was something like 10 all star caliber players in that draft.

 

[JCSunsfan]

That's close to my recollection but not quite the way I thought it all went down. What I heard was that we were expecting to draft Kobe with our pick. Jerry West found out about our interest and traded to get in front of us.

Yeah. Maybe that was it.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Yeah. Maybe that was it.

But either way, what a disappointment. I've never been a Kobe fan but just having the rights to him given where he was drafted would have been huge for the Suns.

 

[Sunburn]

But either way, what a disappointment. I've never been a Kobe fan but just having the rights to him given where he was drafted would have been huge for the Suns.

Even with getting Steve Nash, for the Suns, the draft has been mostly pain, drizzled in torment, topped with a dash of agonizing what-if.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Even with getting Steve Nash, for the Suns, the draft has been mostly pain, drizzled in torment, topped with a dash of agonizing what-if.

I guess it feels that way to most fans here, can't say it does to me though. We missed out on the two great big men but that's not exactly going against the odds. We've made a few bad picks along the way but mostly we've done fairly well in the draft. The only stretch that I really despised was those years when Sarver and company were selling off picks. Now that the front office no longer disregards the value of young players or the impact a draft can have on fan interest, I'm enjoying the process again. I just wish I liked the players in this class a little more than I do.

 

[elindholm]

The run of selling off picks, including the one that could have been Iguodala and the two to move Kurt Thomas's value-positive contract, has left deep scars. In spite of that, I agree that the Suns have fared generally well in the draft, over the long term. They've drafted three Rookies of the Year, for example (Adams, Davis, Stoudemire), in spite of never having the #1 overall.

 

[Sunburn]

I guess it feels that way to most fans here, can't say it does to me though. We missed out on the two great big men but that's not exactly going against the odds. We've made a few bad picks along the way but mostly we've done fairly well in the draft. The only stretch that I really despised was those years when Sarver and company were selling off picks. Now that the front office no longer disregards the value of young players or the impact a draft can have on fan interest, I'm enjoying the process again. I just wish I liked the players in this class a little more than I do.

Never had the #1....a coin flip screwed us out of one of the all time greats. Adams, Davis, Stoudemire, Marion.........all great players, but imo, Steve Nash is the only transcendent player this team has ever drafted, and he had to leave and come back before this was realized. Sold away our draft picks, and got to watch all-stars selected with these picks, during a run where these picks could've been the difference between a championship and not. We remain chipless. I include the draft day deal that the Warriors renegged on, which would've delivered Curry to us, in my draft torment. Every year I go into the draft nervous something terrible will happen. It's what I've been conditioned for. For example, this draft I'm half expecting Washington to slide into the top 3, and our pick to subsequently drop. Why?.......Because you build a champion through the draft and we are supernaturally prevented from winning a championship. From the coin flip, and ever since......

 

[JCSunsfan]

The run of selling off picks, including the one that could have been Iguodala and the two to move Kurt Thomas's value-positive contract, has left deep scars. In spite of that, I agree that the Suns have fared generally well in the draft, over the long term. They've drafted three Rookies of the Year, for example (Adams, Davis, Stoudemire), in spite of never having the #1 overall.

Yep. Especially since the Sonics was traded, six months later, to the Spurs for Elson, Brent Barry, and a 2009 first round pick.

The Sonics essentially netted 3 first round picks, Elson and Brent Barry for taking on Kurt Thomas 8 mill salary.

It has to be the stupidest move in basketball history.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Never had the #1....a coin flip screwed us out of one of the all time greats. Adams, Davis, Stoudemire, Marion.........all great players, but imo, Steve Nash is the only transcendent player this team has ever drafted, and he had to leave and come back before this was realized. Sold away our draft picks, and got to watch all-stars selected with these picks, during a run where these picks could've been the difference between a championship and not. We remain chipless. I include the draft day deal that the Warriors renegged on, which would've delivered Curry to us, in my draft torment. Every year I go into the draft nervous something terrible will happen. It's what I've been conditioned for. For example, this draft I'm half expecting Washington to slide into the top 3, and our pick to subsequently drop. Why?.......Because you build a champion through the draft and we are supernaturally prevented from winning a championship. From the coin flip, and ever since......

I would disagree with one thing. You build a champion whichever way you can.

The Lakers built a champion in 2009 and 10 and the only player they drafted was Kobe, and even then, technically they did not draft him, they traded Vlade Divac for him. Gasol, Odom came by other means.

Same with the Shaq/Kobe championships. Everyone they had they got through trades or free agency.

Boston built a championship, but only 1 of their big three was their own draft pick (except Kobe).

The Heat's championship all had only one draftee as a central player, DWayne Wade. Shaq in the earlier championship and LeBron and Bosh later.

In the Dallas championship, only one primary player came to that team through the draft and that was Dirk. Kidd came back through trade.

Same with the Pistons championship. Only one starter on that team was drafted by Detroit and that was Tayshawn Prince.

There are really only two championship teams in the last 20 years that built their team through the draft--the Spurs and the Warriors. In all the others only one major player (top three type) on each team came through the draft

 

[Sunburn]

I would disagree with one thing. You build a champion whichever way you can.

The Lakers built a champion in 2009 and 10 and the only player they drafted was Kobe, and even then, technically they did not draft him, they traded Vlade Divac for him. Gasol, Odom came by other means.

Same with the Shaq/Kobe championships. Everyone they had they got through trades or free agency.

Boston built a championship, but only 1 of their big three was their own draft pick (except Kobe).

The Heat's championship all had only one draftee as a central player, DWayne Wade. Shaq in the earlier championship and LeBron and Bosh later.

In the Dallas championship, only one primary player came to that team through the draft and that was Dirk. Kidd came back through trade.

Same with the Pistons championship. Only one starter on that team was drafted by Detroit and that was Tayshawn Prince.

There are really only two championship teams in the last 20 years that built their team through the draft--the Spurs and the Warriors. In all the others only one major player (top three type) on each team came through the draft

All those teams you mentioned did build a champion through the draft. They acquired one of, if not, their best player through the draft. Detroit was an outlier (quite a remarkable team actually). I don't think there's any coincidence that the franchises with the most championships are the franchises who have drafted the most all-time great players. You want to say the draft isn't how you build a champion, it's just a piece of the puzzle.....Fine, I'll accept that, but I'd argue it's the foundation of a championship team. And as I said, we seem supernaturally prevented from winning a championship, which is why I expect the worst when it comes to the draft and getting lucky vs unlucky.

 

[BC867]

There are really only two championship teams in the last 20 years that built their team through the draft--the Spurs and the Warriors. In all the others only one major player (top three type) on each team came through the draft

I am curious if any other championships came in trades involving high draft picks. Trades which might not have happened without having had that pick.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I am curious if any other championships came in trades involving high draft picks. Trades which might not have happened without having had that pick.

Interesting question. From 1995 until 2014, the highest pick the Lakers ever had was Andrew Bynum at #10. They turned Vlade Divac (#26 pick) into Kobe.

Since 1995, the Miami Heat have only had two picks inside the top 10. Dwayne Wade at #5 and Michael Beasley at #2. Their other two highest picks were Coran Butler at #10 and Dorell Wright at #19.

Since 1995 the Mavericks highest picks have been Robert Traylor at #6 (who they traded for Dirk). They had no lottery picks until 2013.

The Spurs haven't even had a pick in the teens for 19 years (since Tim Duncan).

The Pistons, since they took Grant Hill with the #3 pick in 1994 have had several high lottery picks. The problem is that they were bad ones: Rodney White at #9, Darko at #2, Bonzi Wells at #11. Those were all the lottery picks they had until 2010 when they took Greg Monroe at #7.

That really covers all the champions back to the Bulls, with the exception of the Warriors, who clearly built their team through the draft.

No, excuse me. The Celtics. Chauncy Billups at #3 (traded for Kenny Anderson two years later), Paul Pierce at 10, Moiso at 11 (traded to Philly for McCloud and a pick), Kedrick Brown at 11, Joe Johnson at 10, Randy Foye at #7 (traded to Portland for Telfair and Ratliff), Jeff Green at #5 (who was traded along with Wally Aphabet, and Delonte West for Ray Allen).

So, the Celtics used early picks to build a championship both on the roster and in trade.

 

[Phrazbit]

I am curious if any other championships came in trades involving high draft picks. Trades which might not have happened without having had that pick.

Fo sho. The 2007 Celtics tried (and failed) to tank for Oden/Durant, they ended up trading the #5 pick in the draft for Ray Allen and then some picks and players they drafted for Kevin Garnett.

I'm firmly believe drafting well is the key to success. As others mentioned, getting a top pick is not absolutely necessary but drafting well is. Title winners might not be loaded with a roster full of guys they drafted but I suspect their better players probably came via the draft or trading young, drafted talent to acquire them. Drafting well and the ability to swing quality trades IMO are hand in hand.

The third area of building a team, free agency, is something most title winners use to fill holes. Really, only the Shaq Lakers and the Heat won titles with free agency being the primary reason for their success, and the factors that landed those players are basically impossible to replicate. Its just not a realistic model for success. Across the sports landscape the worst franchises tend to be the ones blowing giant wads of cash in an effort to build a team via free agents.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Fo sho. The 2007 Celtics tried (and failed) to tank for Oden/Durant, they ended up trading the #5 pick in the draft for Ray Allen and then some picks and players they drafted for Kevin Garnett.

I'm firmly believe drafting well is the key to success. As others mentioned, getting a top pick is not absolutely necessary but drafting well is. Title winners might not be loaded with a roster full of guys they drafted but I suspect their better players probably came via the draft or trading young, drafted talent to acquire them. Drafting well and the ability to swing quality trades IMO are hand in hand.

The third area of building a team, free agency, is something most title winners use to fill holes. Really, only the Shaq Lakers and the Heat won titles with free agency being the primary reason for their success, and the factors that landed those players are basically impossible to replicate. Its just not a realistic model for success. Across the sports landscape the worst franchises tend to be the ones blowing giant wads of cash in an effort to build a team via free agents.

Trades have been used significantly by everyone.