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Being drafted in the second round of the NBA Draft comes with no cheering and no glory. Most times when someone gets drafted in the second round, it's the first time their name is being heard around in the NBA world.
But more than in other sports, the NBA Draft can be a fickle thing. People study everything about the players right from college and think that they have them pinned down, but as soon as they get into the NBA, it turns out that they were completely wrong about them.
There are many times teams take a gamble on overseas players or sometimes teams just get lucky and end up with a Hall of Fame talent. That is why we rarely see a team get a good player in the second round.
But in the history of this great game, there are bound to be second round players that turned their career around and converted them into a Hall of Fame career. Let us look at the top 10 second-round draft picks in NBA History.
#10 Mark Price
Mark Price was selected first in the second round by the Dallas Mavericks in the 1986 NBA Draft. He was acquired by the Cleveland Cavaliers in a draft day trade.
As a point guard, Price mystified the critics that said that he was too slow, too small and too deliberate for the league. He was known to be one of the most consistent in the NBA. In a 12-year NBA career, Price averaged 15.2 points per game and 6.7 assists per game while shooting 47 percent from the field, 40 percent from beyond the arc and 90.4 percent from the free throw line.
Price became the second player after Larry Bird to join the 50-40-90 club. The only others players to be part of the club are Reggie Miller, Steve Nash, Kevin Durant and Dirk Nowitzki. That is some class to be a part of for a second-round pick.
Another one of Price's distinguishing traits on the court was his pioneering of the splitting of the double team. Former teammate, Steve Kerr explained that Mark revolutionized the way that people attack the screen and roll. He’d duck right between them and shoot that little runner in the lane. Everyone does it now in the league and Mark was a pioneer in that regard.
He was a 4-time NBA All-Star and also won the three-point contest 2 times. Mark Price left a mark on the NBA, and his Cleveland Cavaliers jersey is still being worn in Cleveland. He has done things that most NBA players will never do in a career, which is why he finds his name on this list over many other more accomplished players.
#9 Maurice Cheeks
Most of us remember Maurice Cheeks as the coach of the Detroit Pistons in 2011, but before that, he was a decorated NBA player. Cheeks was selected as the 36th pick in the second round of the 1978 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers.
Cheeks played 15 years in the NBA, 11 of which came with the Sixers. He played point guard for the Sixers and helped them earn three trips to the NBA Finals in a four-year span in 1980, 1982 and 1983, including one NBA Championship in 1983.
He averaged 11.1 points per game and 6.7 assists per game for his career, but Cheeks’ effect on the game went way beyond points and assists. Playing alongside legends like Julius Erving, Moses Malone, Andrew Toney and Charles Barkley, Cheeks was admired for his unselfish team play and excellent defensive skills due to which he was named to four straight NBA All-Defensive squads from 1983 to 1986.
Cheeks amassed 2,310 steals over his 15-year NBA career and therefore ranks fifth on the All-Time Steals list. He also ranks 11th on the All-Time assists list. He was also able to reach the All-Star stage 4 times in his career.
#8 Draymond Green
It is safe to say that the Golden State Warriors won’t be 3-time champions in 4 years if it wasn’t for Draymond Green. He was drafted as the 35th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors. Even the Warriors organization and the coaching staff never expected the Michigan product to be as good as he is and be an integral part of the Dubs’ success both offensively and defensively.
Green is not your traditional superstar. He is at best a complimentary piece on the offense end of the floor. But his overall career numbers of 11.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 1.6 steals suggest that he is able to make his presence felt in a number of ways. His ability to operate like a point forward, initiate the offense and make great decisions with the basketball either at the low post or in transition make him invaluable to the Warriors’ squad.
Green is undersized for a power forward at just 6’7”, but his aggressiveness on the defensive end of the floor compensates for his physical shortcomings. He is also not a total liability on offense as he is a career 32 percent three-point shooter and can hit shots when it matters the most.
Draymond Green is a 3 time Champion, 3 time NBA All-Star, 2017 NBA Defensive Player of the Year and 3-time All-NBA Defensive First Team member. Steph Curry and Kevin Durant may be the best player for the Dubs, but Draymond Green is the heart and soul of this team and is certainly very valuable to them.
#7 Dennis Rodman
Dennis Rodman is remembered more for his theatrics off the court than his play on the court. But, sometimes we forget how great of a player he was.
Although Rodman was never considered a scorer from the start of his career and he only averaged 7.3 points per game over his 14-year career, he affected the game in many other ways. Averaging 13.1 rebounds per game, Rodman might be the best rebounding forward we will ever see. Rodman had seven straight years from 1991-1998 where he averaged 15 rebounds a game, an insane stat till today.
Apart from being a rebounding machine, Rodman was also one of the best defenders the game has ever seen. He had the ability to play almost perfect one on one defense and was able to lock down on some of the best scorers in the history of the game. He was named the defensive player of the year twice in 1990 and 1991 and is a 7 time NBA All-Defensive First Team.
Dennis Rodman is a 5-time champion and will always be remembered as a major piece to the "Bad Boy" Pistons of the late 80's and then later to Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls in the mid-1990s.
#6 Manu Ginobili
Manu Ginobili is a one of a kind player in the history of the NBA and that is sufficient to project the kind of impact this second-round pick has had on the game. Once a crazy overseas project, Manu Ginobili has become a legend in the NBA.
He was drafted as the 57th pick in the 1999 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs and by any measure the Argentinian is considered to be one of the biggest steals of the second round in NBA history.
Ginobili has always been the spark of the bench for Gregg Popovich and the Spurs dynasty. Be it cutting through lanes and dissecting the opposition defense or stepping back and shooting his infamous left-hand jumper, Manu has done it all in the regular season and more importantly in the playoffs.
He has been an integral part of why the Spurs have been a dynasty for almost 2 decades now. Popovich and the Spurs have always depended upon Ginobili to close out games and on most of the occasions, the Argentinian has delivered when it mattered the most.
He has the sixth most career win shares and most career win shares per 48 minutes among all second-round picks in NBA history with at least 100 games under his belt, ahead of Hall of Famers such as Dennis Rodman, Tiny Archibald and Willis Reed in both categories. He is a 4-time champion, 2-time All-Star and the 2007-08 Sixth Man of the Year.
#5 Dennis Johnson
Any time a second-round draft pick can turn his career into a hall of fame career, it’s a major accomplishment. Dennis Johnson was drafted by the Seattle Supersonics in the second round of the 1976 NBA Draft as the 29th overall pick. Considered by many to be the most underrated player in NBA history, his achievements haven’t gone unnoticed by all.
Johnson during his time was one of the best two-way players in the game. His greatest accomplishments came in the 1979 NBA Finals where he averaged close to 23 points to go along with 6 rebounds and 6 assists. He scored 32 points in Game 4 overtime as was named the Finals MVP with his spectacular performance. It was in this season that Johnson established himself as one of the best guards in the league.
Johnson later into his career joined the Big 3 in Boston Celtics and won 2 more titles. Johnson was an integral part of the intense Lakers-Celtics rivalry of the 1980s. He played smothering defense on the legendary Magic Johnson limiting him to a sub-average 17 points in the last four games of the 1984 NBA Finals and being at least partly responsible for several of the Laker point guard's game-deciding errors in Games 2, 4 and 7. As a result, Magic Johnson was taunted as "Tragic Johnson" whenever the Lakers and Celtics played against each other.
He is a 3-time champion, 6-time NBA All-Defensive First Team Member and 5 time NBA All-Star and therefore is one of the best second-round steals in the history of the NBA.
#4 Nate Archibald
Nate Archibald was selected in the second round of the 1970 NBA Draft by the Cincinnati Royals. Archibald stood at a listed height of 6-1 and 150 pounds, so you can see where Nate received his nickname from. But there is another name he warranted which was ‘Terror’ because that’s what he was on the court.
Tiny Archibald became the only player ever to lead the league in scoring and assists in a single season with 34 points per game and 11.4 assists per game. Those numbers are unheard even till this day and even with the likes of athletes like LeBron James and Kevin Durant. His scoring average of 34.0 points per game broke the NBA record for a guard and was named the Sporting News NBA MVP of that season.
Archibald was a 6-time NBA All-Star, but it was with the Boston Celtics later into his career that he won his first championship (1980-81) alongside Larry Legend and helped guide the Celtics to the best record in the NBA for three consecutive years (1979–1982).
Quite a resume for a “tiny” guard that wasn’t even drafted in the first round.
#3 Hal Greer
Hal Greer was selected as the 13th selection in the 1958 NBA Draft by the Syracuse Nationals. In 1963, the Syracuse Nationals moved to Philadelphia to become the Philadelphia 76ers. There, Greer teamed with Wilt Chamberlain on the 1966–67 team that won the NBA championship.
In the 76ers' 15 playoff games that season, Greer averaged a team-best 27.7 points. As a major staple of the Philadelphia 76ers teams of the 1960s, Greer averaged 19.2 PPG during his career and once appeared in 10 straight All-Star Games and was the MVP of the 1968 game when he went 8-for-8 from the field and scored 21 points, a record-breaking 19 in one quarter.
He was considered to be the third-best guard of the 1960s, behind the legendary Oscar Roberston and fellow West Virginia native Jerry West which speaks volumes about the kind of player this second-round pick was.
When he retired after the 1972-73 season, he ranked as the all-time leader in games played and was in the top ten in both points scored and field goals made. As of his death, Greer is the franchise record holder for points scored, field goals, field goal attempts, games played, and minutes played. He was voted as one of the 50 greatest players in the NBA (1996).
During an interview after his career was over, Greer said that he didn’t even think he had a chance to make it to the NBA. Greer said, “In fact, when I first got there, I didn’t even unpack my bag.” Greer not only did more than just stay in the NBA but also set a perfect example of a player that turned his second round pick status into one of the best careers of all time.
#2 Alex English
Alex English was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2nd round of the NBA Draft with the 23rd pick. He was traded to the Indiana Pacers as a free agent and then again traded to the Denver Nuggets for another great second round pick, George McGinnis.
English averaged 26 points per game during the 10 years in spent in Denver. That 11-year span of scoring domination only saw English score under 21.0 PPG once, which was his final season with Denver in 1989-1990, where he averaged 17.9 points per game. English scored 2000 points for eight consecutive seasons. That speaks volumes about a second-round pick.
English reached the NBA Finals one time in his career where he lost to the Showtime Lakers in 5 games. He was the highest-scoring player during his heyday, something that can never be broken.
To this day, English is still the Nuggets all-time leading scorer. He is considered to be one of the best players to ever touch the hardwood and might be the best player to ever wear a Denver Nuggets uniform.
#1 Willis Reed
Willis Reed was selected by the New York Knicks with the 8th overall selection in the second round of the 1964 NBA Draft. Reed was a fierce, dominating and physical force on both ends of the floor. Reed proved to be a clutch playoff performer throughout his career. Although he stood at 6-9, he played at the center position.
What he lacked in size, he made up for it by playing a physical game and could hold his own against legendary contemporaries like Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
He was the heart and soul of the Knicks championships teams of 1970 and 1973 and was also named the Finals MVP both of those years. Playing his whole 10-year career with the Knicks, Reed averaged 18.7 points per game and 12.9 rebounds per game.
He was voted as one of the 50 greatest players in the NBA (1996) and also won the NBA MVP Award in 1970. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982.
Looking at his accolades makes it clear why he was one of the biggest second round steals in the NBA history. The Knicks fans everywhere would certainly wish they had him right now. He is arguably the biggest second-round steal of all time.
Agree with the list? Disagree? Who would you have included or excluded? Tell us in the comments below!
