Open Thread: The last ten players drafted at the #4 spot
What the Spurs should expect from such a high pick
What exactly can be gleaned from searching back through NBA Drafts past has yet to be determined. Lively conversation for sure. Possibly a look at some guys who needed some time to reach their potential. A few choices that could have gone another way is always on the table as foresight into the unknown careers of any given player make these lists the most interesting.
With hindsight 20/20, what team now wouldn’t have chosen Nikola Jokic or Joel Embiid with the first pick in 2014. Sure, Andrew Wiggins turned out all right, but probably not enough to claim the top spot in a reshuffling of his draft class.
So here are the last ten #4 picks in chronological order:
2014- Aaron Gordon: Tons of pre-NBA accolades in 2013 and 2014 got Orlando’s attention and they drafted Gordon with that fourth spot. Never a first choice or bona fide leader, Gordon seems to have maxed out his potential around 2018. On March 25, 2021, Gordon and Gary Clark were traded to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Gary Harris, R. J. Hampton, and a future first-round pick. Gordon found a home in Denver behind Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray and won a title with the Nuggets in 2023.
2015- Kristaps Porzingis: Injuries seemed to be the biggest plague on the Latvian big man. He moved teams a lot in search of a home. He seems to be the missing piece in Boston’s title run, and determining his health and return to the Celtic’s line-up determine his fate.
2016- Dragan Bender: This player’s name better suites a children’s adventure movie more than a basketball player. Bender’s career in the NBA was short and uneventful.
2017- Josh Jackson: Phoenix got back-to-back 4th overall picks. Both Bender and Jackson failed to pan out. Jackson was most recently in the G-League.
2018- Jaren Jackson, Jr.: This is what one hopes for when drafting at the 4th. Former Defensive Player of the Year. Still with one team. A force with which to be reckoned.
2019- De’Andre Hunter: Hunter is a good chose for a fledgling team building around a budding superstar. But if the Atlanta Hawks decide to have a fire sale, Hunter’s future is uncertain. He has posting good scoring and shoots the three well, but has had his bouts with injuries as well.
2020- Patrick Williams: Another player to be inhibited by injury, Williams averages nearly 10 points per game. His three-point shooting could be lethal if he could stay on the hardwood long enough to shine.
2021- Scottie Barnes: Here is the goal. Scottie Barnes was the 2022 Rookie of the Year and an All-Star this year. An impressive average of 16.6 points per game, Barnes had career highs in scoring, rebounds, assists, blocks, steals, and shooting percentages.
2022- Keegan Murray: If you don’t hear his name being called by a capacity arena upon swishing a three, then you missed some exciting Kings basketball this season. He’s still young, but has all the making of upside thus far.
2023- Amen Thompson: Small sample size, but the former Overtime Elite swingman played in the rebuilding Houston Rockets averaging just over 22 minutes per game. He’s definitely one to watch in the coming season.
Who will the Spurs pick with the 4th?
Find out on June 26th.
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