Inspecting among the finest and worst No. 8 picks of all time

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Parish Schrempf Alexander Hill TREATED ART
Parish Schrempf Alexander Hill TREATED ART

The Knicks head into November’s 2020 NBA Draft with the eighth general decide.

Certain, it’s not the No. 1 spot that Knicks followers had been hoping to safe, and most consultants usually are not forecasting a really deep draft this 12 months, however the Knicks nonetheless have an opportunity to land a really gifted participant at their present spot within the first spherical.

Simply how good? To get a way of the kind of participant the Knicks may find yourself drafting in an ideal world, right here’s a take a look at among the finest eighth general picks within the historical past of the NBA Draft, which dates all the way in which again to 1947.

Let’s check out among the finest gamers ever who heard their names referred to as eighth …

Robert Parish, 1976

Parish is undoubtedly the very best eighth decide of all-time. The 7-foot-1 heart was chosen by the Golden State Warriors in 1976, however was traded (together with a first-round decide that ended up being Kevin McHale) in 1980 to the Celtics for 2 future first-round picks.

With the Celtics, Parish was fairly actually in the midst of three Celtics championships within the Nineteen Eighties, averaging 16.5 factors, 10 rebounds and 1.5 blocks over his 14 seasons with the workforce. The nine-time All-Star performed 21 seasons within the league, and his 1,611 common season video games performed are essentially the most by any participant in NBA historical past.

Parish was named one of many 50 Biggest Gamers in NBA Historical past in 1996, and inducted into the Basketball Corridor of Fame in 2003.

Detlef Schrempf, 1985

Born in Germany, Schrempf was taken by the Dallas Mavericks within the 1985 draft after an ideal profession on the College of Washington. However he put up middling numbers with the Mavericks throughout his first two seasons earlier than being traded to Indiana after his third 12 months.

It was with the Pacers that Schrempf’s profession took off, as he averaged 17.0 factors, 8.6 rebounds, and 4.1 assists over his 5 seasons. The 6-foot-10 ahead was then traded once more after an All-Star season in 1992-93, touchdown with the Seattle Sonics. Schrempf performed six seasons in Seattle, making two extra All-Star Video games whereas capturing 41.4 p.c from past the arc.

The 2-time Sixth Man of the 12 months retired after the 2000-01 season.

Rudy Homosexual, 2006

Extremely, Homosexual has by no means been an All-Star throughout his 14 NBA seasons. However make no mistake, Homosexual has been one of many league’s prime scorers for fairly a while now.

Taken by the Houston Rockets out of UConn in 2006 and traded to the Memphis Grizzlies earlier than his rookie season, Homosexual has averaged no less than 17.0 factors per sport in 10 of his 14 seasons and has common 20+ factors per sport thrice.

What Homosexual hasn’t executed a lot in his profession, nonetheless, is make the playoffs. Homosexual has performed within the postseason simply thrice in his profession, as he’s spent nearly all of his profession taking part in for unhealthy groups in Memphis and Sacramento.

Homosexual continues to be taking part in, as he’s spent his final two years with the San Antonio Spurs, averaging 12.1 factors, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per sport.

Jamal Crawford, 2000

Among the finest scorers off the bench the NBA has seen over the previous twenty years, Crawford has made scoring look nearly easy. Taken by the Bulls in 2000, Crawford’s profession obtained off to a gradual begin, averaging 8.3 factors over his first three seasons.

After a powerful fourth 12 months in Chicago, Crawford was traded to the Knicks, and whereas he performed for some unhealthy Knicks groups, Crawford put up the very best numbers of his profession over his 5 seasons in New York, averaging 17.6 factors whereas taking part in a career-high 36.9 minutes per sport.

Crawford has performed for 9 groups in his profession, making fast stops alongside the way in which, however he’s taken residence the Sixth Man of the 12 months Award thrice (twice with the Clippers and as soon as with Atlanta), and he’s been a prolific scorer off the bench nearly in every single place he’s gone.

Clark Kellogg, 1982

Kellogg is among the nice “what ifs” in NBA historical past. Taken by the Indiana Pacers out of Ohio State in 1982, Kellogg burst onto the season as a rookie, averaging 20.1 factors, 10.6 rebounds, 2.8 steals, and 1.7 blocks, incomes a spot on the All-Rookie First Group.

Over his first three seasons, the 6-fot-7 energy ahead averaged 19.3 factors, 9.7 rebounds, and three.0 assists, showing primed to be one of many subsequent younger stars within the NBA. However power knee issues for Kellogg started within the 1985-86 season, as he performed simply 19 video games earlier than sitting out all of 1986-87.

Kellogg appeared in 4 video games in 1986-87, however his knee points have been merely an excessive amount of. Kellogg has loved a profitable profession as a broadcaster, and also you’ve in all probability heard his commentary within the NBA 2K video video games.

However who is aware of how massive of a begin Kellogg may have turn out to be if not for accidents.

Ron Harper, 1986

Taken by Cleveland in 1986, Harper averaged 22.9 factors, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in his first season, incomes First Group All-Rookie honors.

Harper put up great scoring numbers with each Cleveland and the Los Angeles Clippers, averaging 19.3 factors, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.9 assists over his first eight seasons, however Harper might be finest recognized for his function with the Chicago Bulls dynasty of the Nineteen Nineties.

Harper was the place to begin guard through the Bulls’ second three-peat of the last decade. His scoring numbers dipped, but it surely’s onerous accountable him for that when taking part in on a workforce with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.

After spending another 12 months in Chicago following the three-peat, Harper then joined the Los Angeles Lakers, and received back-to-back titles with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal.

Total, the five-time NBA Champion averaged. 13.8 factors, 4.3 rebounds, and three.9 assists, proving to be a winner on the NBA degree.

Jack Sikma, 1977

Taken by the Seattle Sonics in 1977, Sikma went on to have a Corridor of Fame profession with the Sonics and Bucks. He performed 14 seasons within the NBA, and by no means had a 12 months by which he averaged single digits in factors.

A seven-time All-Star, Sikma was named to the All-Rookie first workforce in 1977 and the All-Defensive workforce in 1981-82. He helped lead Seattle to an NBA title in 1979-80, averaging 14.3 factors, 11.1 rebounds, and three.4 assists.

The 6-foot-11 heart was inducted into the Basketball Corridor of Fame in 2019.

Andrew Toney, 1980

Like Kellogg, Toney’s profession was reduce quick attributable to accidents, however he proved to be a key participant for the Philadelphia 76ers throughout his seven seasons within the league.

A two-time All-Star in 1983 and 1984, Toney was the starter at capturing guard on the 1983 Sixers workforce that received the title behind a loaded roster together with Julius Erving, Moses Malone, and Mo Cheeks, amongst others. Toney averaged 19.7 factors and 4.5 assists that season.

Total, Toney averaged 15.9 factors and 4.2 assists whereas capturing 50.0 p.c from the ground throughout his seven seasons.

Honorable point out:

Tom Chambers, 1981

Andre Miller, 1999

Rex Chapman, 1988

Kerry Kittles, 1996

Channing Frye, 2005

Terrence Ross, 2012

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, 2013

And nearly as good as a few of these above picks panned out, there have been some No. 8 picks which have, effectively, gone in the wrong way.

Right here’s a take a look at eight of the worst eighth general picks in NBA Draft historical past, which incorporates a few Knicks …

Frank Ntilikina, 2017 and Marquese Chriss, 2016 (The jury’s nonetheless out)

We’re lumping these two gamers collectively as a result of the pattern measurement continues to be very small, but it surely’s in all probability honest to say that neither participant has lived as much as his draft standing.

Ntilikina has had flashes right here and there of being a stable NBA guard, significantly on the defensive finish. The defensive toughness and athleticism are there with Ntilikina, however offensively it appears like his sport has begun to stagnate. Possibly he does ultimately take the leap ahead, but it surely’s onerous to take a look at his choice and never take into consideration what may have been if the Knicks had taken Donovan Mitchell, who went 13th general to the Utah Jazz.

Chriss is a bodily specimen at 6-foot-9, 240 kilos, however the energy ahead is now on his fourth workforce 4 seasons (5 when you embody the Sacramento Kings, who drafted him and traded him on draft night time). He’s by no means been in a position to catch on with a workforce, and has averaged simply 8.0 factors and 4.9 rebounds in 19.4 minutes per sport.

He did begin 21 video games for the depleted Warriors final season, and averaged a profession excessive 9.3 factors and 6.2 rebounds, so possibly Chriss can lastly discover a residence within the Bay Space.

Stanley Johnson, 2015

5 seasons into his NBA profession, it’s honest to name Johnson a bust at this level. A extremely touted wing out of Arizona, Johnson’s NBA profession has by no means gotten off the bottom.

He’s averaged simply 6.6 factors for his profession and has now been with three totally different groups, however he performed simply 6.0 minutes for the Toronto Raptors final season, and he solely performed in 18 video games with the New Orleans Pelicans the season earlier than.

Nearly each NBA workforce needs they might have taken Devin Booker within the first spherical in 2015 (he was taken 13th general by the Suns), however Detroit would have cherished to have chosen Booker over Johnson.

Nik Stauskas, 2014

After an amazing sophomore season at Michigan that included a run to the Nationwide Championship Sport, Stauskas appeared primed for the NBA. However after being drafted by the Sacramento Kings, it grew to become obvious shortly that Stauskas wasn’t going to be the identical participant within the execs.

Stauskas averaged simply 4.4 factors per sport and shot 32.2 p.c from three-point vary in 73 video games as a rookie, however he solely averaged 15.4 minutes per sport. Sacramento then despatched him to Philadelphia in a deal that was a pure wage dump for the Kings, who have been keen to surrender on Stauskas to unlock cap area in different places.

Stauskas suited up for 5 groups in 5 seasons earlier than heading to Spain for a 12 months. He’s at present a free agent, and will very effectively be executed within the NBA.

Jordan Hill, 2009

In 2009, the Knicks have been one decide away from having the choice of drafting Stephen Curry, who went seventh general to Golden State. Ah, what may have been.

However the Knicks ended up taking Hill, who averaged 5.2 factors and three.7 rebounds in 47 video games earlier than being traded to the Houston Rockets as a part of a three-team deal that introduced Tracy McGrady to the Knicks.

Hill performed with 5 groups and had his finest numbers with the Los Angeles Lakers from 2011-15, taking part in with some unhealthy LA groups. He averaged a pedestrian 7.9 factors and 5.8 rebounds throughout his eight NBA seasons.

He wasn’t a nasty participant, and the Knicks used him to land McGrady (although he was previous his prime at that time), however the Knicks may have drafted DeMar DeRozan, Jrue Vacation, Jeff Teague, or Darren Collison, amongst others.

Joe Alexander, 2008

A star at West Virginia, Joe Alexander lasted simply 67 video games within the NBA earlier than his profession was over. After being traded to the Chicago Bulls throughout his second season and lacking a while attributable to damage, Alexander suited up for simply eight video games throughout his second season.

He’s carved out a profession taking part in abroad, and even tried an NBA comeback with the Warriors in 2013 that didn’t pan out, however he’s one of many extra notable NBA busts over the past twenty years.

Honorable point out

Rafael Araujo, 2004

Mark Macon, 1991

Bo Kimble, 1990

Randy White, 1989

Lancaster Gordon, 1984

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