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One thing I’ve realized since the offseason began for the Phoenix Suns is that when they’re not playing, and I’m not writing nightly articles or recording postgame podcasts, I have a lot of time on my hands. Maybe too much time.
Thankfully, I have this outlet to help fill some of that time, and this project of identifying the best player drafted at every draft position has done a stellar job of keeping me occupied. It’s also been a fun reminder of how much NBA history is tucked away in the draft, especially when you start digging into the careers of players selected outside the lottery.
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Now we move into the top 20 draft positions. And that’s where things start to get really interesting.
The deeper we’ve gone into this series, the more we’ve encountered quality role players, unexpected success stories, and the occasional Hall of Famer. But once you enter the top 20, the conversations become much tougher. Hall of Famers become commonplace. Franchise cornerstones begin appearing everywhere. And some of the debates become genuinely difficult because you’re no longer comparing good players to great players. You’re comparing great players to all-time great players.
Before we begin working through the top 20 selections, let’s take a look at where we currently stand after identifying the best player drafted at each position from 60 through 21.
Pick
Player
Year
60
Michael Cooper
1978
59
Pat Cummings
1978
58
Kurt Rambis
1980
57
Manu Ginobili
1999
56
Amir Johnson
2005
55
Luis Scola
2002
54
Sam Mitchell
1985
53
Anthony Mason
1988
52
Rasual Butler
2002
51
Kyle Korver
2003
50
Steve Kerr
1988
49
Eddie Johnson
1997
48
Marc Gasol
2007
47
Paul Millsap
2006
46
Jeff Hornacek
1986
45
Bob Dandridge
1969
44
Malik Rose
1996
43
Michael Redd
2000
42
Stephen Jackson
1997
41
Nikola Jokic
2014
40
George Gervin
1974
39
Khris Middleton
2012
38
Lou Dampier
1967
37
Nick Van Exel
1993
36
Mauric Cheeks
1978
35
Draymond Green
2012
34
Carlos Boozer
2002
33
Jalen Brunson
2018
32
Rashard Lewis
1998
31
Danny Ainge
1981
30
Jimmy Butler
2011
29
Dennis Johnson
1976
28
Tony Parker
2001
27
Dennis Rodman
1986
26
Vlade Divac
1989
25
Mark Price
1986
24
Sam Cassell
1993
23
Alex English
1976
22
George McGinnis
1973
21
Rajon Rondo
2006
And now, into…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/nba-draft-history-best-players-120000454.html
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Publish date : 2026-06-21 12:00:00
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