We continue our eDraft exclusive look at the top NBA draft choices over the past 40 years. Our continued look back through history will determine who was the best draft selection through each slot in the draft. We don’t stop with the first overalls, we will go pick by pick, year by year to to identify the very best selections of all-time.
Our greatest 21st overall pick was none other than the Boston Celtics current point guard Rajon Rondo. Despite having only seven season of NBA ball on his resume, Rondo shone above the competition with his NBA Championship, All-Star nods, All-NBA Defensive Team appointments and in setting new Celtic franchise records.
We now move on to the 20th overall draft slot to take stock and crown our next champion. I had high hopes for this draft slot as we wanted to finish up the 20’s with a real bang. In review of the drafted talent out of this spot, it turns out the 20’s are going out with a bust.
Not only does this draft slot offer little in terms of talent, this slot is remarkably shallow too boot. Now we weren’t even being that picky when analyzing the players; fact is there just weren’t that many to choose from. The success stories were few and far between as the years and years of dismal draft picks out of the 20th overall spot were analyzed. The list started to read as a who’s who of has beens, over-hyped college prospects and washed out NBA’ers.
Of the few who stuck around in the Association a whopping four merit mention here. Jameer Nelson was drafted in 2004 by the Denver Nuggets, in 1996 the Cleveland Cavaliers selected Zydrunas Ilgauskas with their pick and digging deep in the almanacs we found Mike D’Antoni who was drafted 20th overall in 1973 by the Kansas City-Ohama Kings.
Thankfully back in 1981 the Phoenix Suns drafted a 6’10” forward from Clemson University by the name of Larry Nance. A little known fact about Nance is that he was the very first winner of the NBA Slam Dunk Competition back in 1984 and while it was to be his only title in the event; for those who remember, it was the start of something beautiful for the NBA as legends would later take to the court and battle it out.
Nance retired from the Association after a successful 13 year career that took him from Phoenix to Cleveland. During his playing days he was named to three NBA All-Star teams and was three times named to the NBA All-Defensive Teams. His career averages upon retirement were a very respectable 17.1 ppg, 8.0 rpg and 2.2 bpg. Although Nance has not and will not be elected to the basketball Hall of Fame, the Cavaliers did retire his jersey in tribute.
Larry Nance takes home the honours as eDraft’s greatest 20th overall draft pick ever. Stay tuned as we start our countdown through the teens and creep our way into the lottery picks. The competition is sure to get stiffer as many a league MVP and Hall of Famer has heard their name called late in the first-round on draft day.