'%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,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
#5 Draymond Green
Draymond Green was selected by the Golden State Warriors as the 35th pick in the 2012 NBA draft and has since proved invaluable to the team.
Draymond is on the top five list of active players with the highest basketball IQ. His reading and understanding of the game has helped the Warriors to three NBA championships from 2015 to 2018.
Coupled with three championships, the big man has also won several individual awards in the NBA. In 2017, he was the NBA Defensive Player of the Year and also led the league in steals.
#4 Toni Kukoc
Toni Kukoc played overseas for a while before enlisting in the NBA draft. He was the 29th pick in the 1990 NBA draft and joined the formidable Chicago Bulls dynasty.
Despite being drafted in 1990, Kukoc reported to the Bulls in 1993 after the team won their first three-peat. However, the Croatian had his chance to play alongside Michael Jordan as the Bulls won the NBA Finals in 1996, 1997, and 1998.
Kukoc was also one of the best sixth man in the league, winning the award in 1996 after he was kept off the starting lineup following Michael Jordan's return.
#3 Dennis Rodman
Dennis Rodman was drafted by the Detroit Pistons as the 27th pick in the 1986 NBA draft. He joined the physically dominating Pistons team that were popular for their hard-nosed approach to the game.
Rodman's efforts on defense helped the Pistons to back-to-back championships in 1989 and 1990. His efforts did not go unnoticed when he was voted into the NBA All-Defensive First team in 1989. Rodman went on to win the Defensive Player of the Year award in 1990.
Meanwhile, he finished his NBA career with the Dallas Mavericks in 2000, winning several individual titles. His partnership with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls brought his NBA championship titles to five, while he also led the league in rebounds on seven occasions.
#2 Manu Ginobili
Manu Ginobili played in leagues in Argentina and Italy before joining the NBA in 2002. He was selected by the San Antonio Spurs as the 57th overall pick in the 1999 NBA draft.
In his first season with the Spurs, he was a valuable member of Gregg Popovich's playoffs team as he was the backup guard for Steve Smith. The Spurs went ahead to win the championship after defeating the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA Finals.
Ginobili's championship in his first year was the start of an era for the Spurs as he led them to 2005, 2007, and 2014 championships. He also finished his career with several individual awards, including Sixth Man of the Year in 2008 and two NBA All-Star appearances.
#1 Nikola Jokic
Nikola Jokic jumped to the top of the list after achieving what no other second-round pick could despite several other accolades they have gathered. Jokic played in all 72 games for the Denver Nuggets in the 2020-21 NBA regular season and was impactful in every single one of them.
Jokic is the only second-round pick to have won the prestigious NBA MVP award. He did so with an average of 26.4 points, 8.3 assists and 10.8 rebounds. Jokic was selected by the Denver Nuggets as the 41st pick in the 2014 NBA draft.
The Nuggets big man has carried the team without the contributions of Jamal Murray, who is sidelined due to injury. The Nuggets are currently facing off against the Phoenix Suns in the 2021 NBA playoffs Western Conference Semifinals.
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