Diamonds in Utah’s 2nd Round Rough

Posted by James Seaman on June 25, 2009

Virtually all basketball-watching eyes in Utah are fixed on the Jazz’s first round pick (20^th overall) in tonight’s draft. But don’t count out the possibility of Utah’s second round pick (50^th overall) making an impact as well. After all, seven of the twelve Jazzmen who dressed for the playoffs were second round picks (with another player, Ronnie Price, going undrafted). While most second rounders fail to make a major impact, the Jazz have found several diamonds in the figurative rough during their history.

Much of Utah’s current roster consists of second round picks, though not all drafted originally by the Jazz. Mehmet Okur, Jarron Collins, Carlos Boozer, Paul Millsap, CJ Miles, Kyrylo Fesenko, and Kyle Korver all found themselves selected in the second round by one team or another. Despite Boozer’s penchant for missing games and defensive assignments, he certainly ranks as one of the best second round picks ever (nabbed by Cleveland in 2002). Meanwhile, Jazz fans wait to see whether Millsap—a second rounder taken by the Jazz in 2006—replaces Booz when the free agent bonanza begins. In three seasons with the Jazz, Millsap has earned himself a place alongside several others as Utah’s best second round steals.

5. Shandon Anderson

Putting Anderson on this list pains me because I will always remember him as a player who left the Jazz. Anderson was a key cog in a Utah machine that won more games than any team in the league over a three year span (1997-1999). Anderson—taken 54^th overall out of Georgia in 1996—started only four games for the Jazz in three seasons, but he helped Utah reach the NBA Finals twice. Upon leaving Utah for Houston, Anderson started every game for two years before once again becoming a bench player in New York. While his career never seemed to take off the way some thought it would, Anderson did finally win a championship ring with Miami in 2006, his final year in the league.

4. Mo Williams

Williams became an All Star (unlike players #2 and #3 on this list). He stepped up his game in 2008-09, helping the Cleveland Cavaliers attain the best record in the Eastern Conference. Williams took a gamble when he left Alabama after his sophomore year, a risk that has since paid off. The Jazz took a gamble of their own when they let Williams go in order to stick with Carlos Arroyo and Raul Lopez, a risk that clearly didn’t pay dividends. While the Jazz now have another more-than-adequate Williams at the point guard spot, letting Mo escape without some sort of compensation hurts when we see how effective he has become.

3. Paul Millsap

Where Millsap ultimately ends up on this list may depend on how longs he plays in Utah. As a rookie, Millsap earned his way into Jerry Sloan’s rotation, and any good Jazz fan knows that Sloan distrusts rookies—remember how he kept Deron Williams behind Keith McLeod and Milt Palacio for most of D-Will’s inaugural season? After one game during Millsap’s rookie year, I remember Sloan boasting to reporters about how Millsap had scored 16 points or something “and we didn’t run a single play for him.” Millsap is Sloan’s kind of player. Remember when he returned to the Milwaukee game last year despite hyper-extending his knee during the first half, all while Carlos Boozer missed game after game? Unfortunately, Millsap is also Joe Dumars’ kind of player, so the Jazz may have some difficulty keeping this rebounding machine in Salt Lake.

2. Bryon Russell

Any Jazz fan with a decent memory recalls how Russell—drafted 45^th out of Long Beach State in 1993—clung to Utah’s 12^th roster spot for several years. B-Russ molded himself into a defensive standout, earning Jerry Sloan’s respect and a steady paycheck. Russell broke through in 1996-97, starting all 81 games in which he played, averaging double figures in scoring, and helping propel the Jazz to their first ever NBA Finals appearance. Unfortunately, Russell became most famous for defending Michael Jordan when MJ hit his series-winning shot in the 1998 NBA Finals.

1. Mark Eaton

Okay, Mark Eaton was not a 2^nd round pick; he was actually taken in the 4^th round, making his story even better. While the Jazz sometimes competed with only four offensive players (remember how Eaton would stand out at the 3-point line and wait to run in for an offensive rebound, usually a fruitless endeavor?), the man swatted away more attempts than a gorgeous woman at a singles bar. He led the NBA in blocked shots four times and still holds league records for most blocks in a season and most blocks per game (for both a single season and a career). If Mark Eaton’s body could have held out just another year or two—and he was durable, playing at least 80 games in 9 of 11 seasons—the Jazz might have been able to get by Hakeen Olajuwon in the 1994 and 1995 playoffs.

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