'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABQb/2gAIAQEAAAAAjQP/xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD/9oACAECEAAAAB//xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD/9oACAEDEAAAAF//xAAfEAACAgEFAQEAAAAAAAAAAAACAwEEBQAGEiIxEYH/2gAIAQEAAT8AwO2q+Y2VmMuVZDLVewKKxNMx4iXAewj1n2dWMfbQ9iQaMAspCPhz5H5r/8QAFxEBAAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQACEf/aAAgBAgEBPwAs7P/EABcRAQADAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAAjH/2gAIAQMBAT8AKjs//9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
It's not often that talented players go undrafted. They might slide in the draft at times and end up being great steals late in the first round or even in the second round but rarely does it happen that they don't end up being picked. Some of the reasons for not being picked might be playing for some lesser-known colleges or being considered too short to play their position like Isaiah Thomas was.
It's a bit ridiculous to think that back in 2011, IT was the last pick in the draft mainly because he was considered too short to play in the league.Still, it's extremely rare that undrafted players who eventually come into the league turn into great or even solid role players but the guys on this list did.
Some even managed to get into All-Star teams. Here we rank the top 10 undrafted players:
#10 Raja Bell
Raja Bell shot to fame in the NBA for clotheslining Kobe Bryant in the 2006 Playoffs but he did so much more in the league. After going undrafted in the 1999 draft, Bell ended up with the 76ers in 2001. He was a role player with the Sixers and later on with the Dallas Mavericks, but got his chance to shine with the Utah Jazz in 2003. His performances with Utah led to him signing with the Phoenix Suns, with whom he'd have his best years.
Bell notched career highs in every stat in his 1st season with the Suns. He helped them reach the Conference Finals, but they lost in 6 games to the Mavs. It was then that he started gaining recognition as a defensive specialist and would make the All-Defensive teams twice (2007, 08). He was also an excellent shooter, leading the league in 3's made in 2006/07.
Bell would have been an incredibly valuable player in the NBA today, with every team looking to add 3-and-D players.
#9 Darrell Armstrong
Darrell Armstrong was a late bloomer and after going undrafted in 1991, he was signed by the Orlando Magic in 1994. Even with the Magic, he was just a role player till 1998 when he started to get more playing time. With an increased workload, Armstrong won Most Improved and 6th Man of the Year Awards in the same year (1998-99) and was rewarded with a starting role the following season.
As a starter from 1999-2002, Armstrong delivered All-Star level numbers. Over those 3 seasons, he averaged 14.8 Points, 6.2 Assists, and 1.9 Steals, with the high point being 15.9 Points, 7 Assists, 4.6 Rebounds and 1.8 Steals in 2000/01. He even managed to get some MVP votes during those years, finishing 15th in 1999 and 13th in 2000. To go along with his already solid offensive game, Armstrong was also a very capable defender and finished in the top 10 in steals 4 times.
Despite strong performances with the Magic, he never had any playoff success with the team. It was only when he joined the Mavs in 2004 that he got out of the first round. They reached the NBA Finals in 2006, only to lose to the Heat.
#8 Udonis Haslem
Udonis Haslem went undrafted in 2002 largely due to his weight. He weighed over 300 pounds and had to play in France for a year. After losing over 70 pounds during the course of the year, he joined the Miami Heat in 2003 and has been with the franchise ever since.
He earned All-Rookie 2nd team honors in 2004, no shame in coming in the 2nd team that year, with LeBron, Wade, Melo and Bosh in the 1st team. He continued to improve as the years went by and had his best season in 2007-08, averaging 12 Points and 9 Rebounds. Haslem has been a great role player for the Heat over the years, providing solid defense and rebounding. He's also remained effective on offense thanks to a solid mid-range game.
He's been a valuable piece of 3 championship winning teams over the years and is the all-time leader in Rebounds in franchise history.
#7 Jose Calderon
Jose Calderon may be one of the worst defenders in NBA history, but he does make up for it somewhat with his ability on offense. Calderon spent 6 seasons in Spain before he was signed by the Raptors in 2005. He finished 3rd among rookies that year in assists, only behind Chris Paul and Raymond Felton.
By his 3rd season, Calderon was one of the better Point Guards in the league, often ranking among the league leaders in assists. He is currently the all-time leader in assists in Toronto Raptors history. He was also an extremely efficient shooter and in 2008/09, shattered the NBA record by shooting 98.1% from the free throw line. Calderon also narrowly missed out on joining the 50-40-90 club in his 3rd season. Even though he managed to post those shooting percentages, he didn't shoot enough free throws to qualify.
The knock on Calderon has always been his lack of playoff success, having never gotten out of the first round.
#6 Avery Johnson
Avery Johnson went undrafted in 1988 because he was undersized at 5'10 and played college basketball at Southern University, not known for producing too many NBA players. Johnson bounced around in the league after being signed by Seattle in 1988, until he joined the San Antonio Spurs for the 3rd time in 1994.
In his first 2 seasons back, he averaged 13.2 Points and 8.9 Assists and helped the Spurs reach the Conference Finals in 1995. The high point of his Spurs career was winning the NBA title in 1999. Often maligned for his inconsistent shooting, Johnson drilled the game-winner to clinch the title in Game 5 against the Knicks.
His number was retired by the Spurs in 2007 and he was inducted into the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame in 2009. He's currently second all-time in Assists for the Spurs.
#5 Bruce Bowen
One of the best perimeter defenders of his generation, Bowen went undrafted in 1993 thanks to a non-existent offensive game. His defensive prowess wasn't quite evident back then to teams. After spending 4 years in France and the CBA, he finally got his chance in the NBA in 1997. After being a role player for 4 years, Bowen became a starter for the Heat and started to gain recognition as a defensive stopper.
After being named to the All-Defensive 2nd team, he was signed by the Spurs and was a vital component to 3 title-winning squads (2003, 05, 07) in the following 6 seasons. Bowen provided excellent perimeter defense for one of the best defensive teams in the league and made 5 consecutive All-Defensive 1st teams from 2004-08.
His career averages may not seem great but he was a vital cog in the Spurs machine and had his number retired by them in 2012. It was, however, later with his permission, reissued to LaMarcus Aldridge.
#4 David Wesley
Somewhat of an unknown commodity, David Wesley was a consistent scoring threat for much of his career. He went undrafted in 1992 as many felt he was too short to be a shooting guard and weren't sure if he could develop into a point guard. Wesley was picked up by the Nets in 1993 but didn't get much playing time. He joined the Celtics the following season and blossomed.
In his 2nd season, he averaged 12.3 PPG, starting a streak of 10 consecutive seasons, where he averaged at least 10 PPG, with the streak ending in 2005/06 when he averaged 9.9 a game. Wesley wasn't just a scorer, he was a good playmaker and an excellent defender.
He had his best season, in 2000-01, averaging 17.2 Points and 4.4 Assists and took the Hornets within one game of the Eastern Conference Finals, but they lost in Game 7 to the Bucks. He finished his career as the highest scoring undrafted player of all time.
#3 John Starks
It's rare that a player and a team thank the injury gods for someone being sidelined for an extended period of time, but that happened with Starks and the Knicks. After going undrafted in 1988, Starks signed with the Warriors but was cut during the season. He got a try-out with the Knicks in 1990, when an injury meant they could not release him unless it healed before the end of December and it didn't.
Starks would go on to become a vital component of those great Knicks teams in the 90s, providing a solid scoring punch, good defense, and playmaking. They, unfortunately, had to go up against the Bulls and Jordan. With Jordan out of the way in 1994 though, the Knicks reached the NBA Finals. It was also the year, when he made his only All-Star appearance, averaging 19 points and 5.9 assists.
In Game 6 of the Finals, Starks scored 16 points in the 4th quarter, single-handedly keeping the Knicks in the game. Then, with 5 seconds remaining the Knicks were down 2, but had the ball and a shot at winning the title. Starks potential game-winner however, was blocked by Hakeem Olajuwon and the Rockets eventually won the series. It would be the only time Starks reached the Finals.
#2 Brad Miller
Brad Miller wasn't your typical big man. He wasn't a great athlete or rebounder and his game wasn't exactly flashy but he carved out a long and successful career.
Miller was an excellent mid-range shooter and later on in his career, added a 3-point shot to his arsenal. He was also an excellent passer, something the Princeton Offense run by the Kings demanded.
He began his career in Charlotte but emerged as a potential All-Star after joining the Pacers midway through the 2001-02 season. Next season, he became an All-Star, the 2nd undrafted player (along with the guy above him on the list) to be voted into the team. After being traded to the Kings at the end of the season, he continued his strong play, making another All-Star appearance.
He had his best stretch with the Kings, averaging 13.3 points, 8.6 rebounds and 4 assists in his 6 seasons with the team. Miller didn't enjoy much playoff success, however, getting out of the 1st round only once in his career.
#1 Ben Wallace
One of the best defensive players of all time, Ben Wallace went undrafted in 1996. Standing at 6'9, he was considered undersized for a center and had no offensive game whatsoever, factors which contributed towards him not being drafted.
After some decent seasons in Washington and Orlando, Wallace was traded to Detroit in 2000. In 2 seasons, he won DPOY and led the league in rebounds, a feat he would match the following year, grabbing an absurd 15.4 rebounds per game. The next year, led by their incredible defense, the Pistons won their first title since 1990.
During that playoff run, the Pistons only gave up over 100 points once. They clamped down defensively on the heavily favored Lakers in the NBA Finals thanks in large part to Wallace.
All in all, Wallace was a 4-time All-Star, had 5 NBA All-Defensive First Team selections and won a record 4 DPOY awards. He is unquestionably the greatest undrafted player of all time.
