NBA Draft: 5 best second-round picks in league history
With the NBA Draft 2020 approaching, teams across the league will be looking to pounce on the right talent in order to improve their rosters. With all the focus on lottery picks, there are chances that the franchises might miss out on some hidden gems in NBA Draft 2020.
NBA Draft: 5 best second-round picks in league history
The second round of the NBA Draft has produced some exciting talents in the past, players who have gone to become legends of the game. In this article, we will take a look at five such players who were overlooked on NBA Draft night.
#1 Manu Ginobili
Manu Ginobili epitomized the definition of 'underrated'. The Argentinian, who was a second-round pick in the 1999 NBA Draft, was a bench player at San Antonio Spurs.
Nevertheless, Ginobili was a key part of the Spurs team, as he combined with point guard Tony Parker and power forward Tim Duncan to form one of the greatest big 3s of all time.
Playing three seasons overseas before starting his 16-year NBA career, Ginobili accumulated four NBA championships, two All-Star and All-NBA selections apiece and a Sixth Man of the Year award.
Ginobili has also had a significant impact on how the game is played today, as he popularized the 'Eurostep' move. His performances for the Spurs emphasized the importance of role players in a team.
#2 Draymond Green
A defensive stalwart, Draymond Green was selected as the 35th pick in the 2012 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors.
Green has had an incredible career with the Warriors, providing defensive stability to a team loaded with offensive weapons like Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
The three-time NBA champion has won three All-Star and a Defensive Player of the Year award. He has also earned five All-Defensive and two All-NBA team selections and led the league in steals once.
Despite being the 35th overall pick, Green carved out a Hall-of-Famer resume. A direct result of the same has been that teams go to NBA Drafts every year, hoping to land a player like Green.
Also read: NBA Trade Options: Analyzing a blockbuster deal between Denver Nuggets and Philadelphia 76ers that could lead to the league's most lethal big 3.