Draft isn’t only way to make it to the top
Many unselected players worked their way up, including Raps’ VanVleet
The road to the NBA is not always a straight line, and talent can be found anywhere. Stars are typically selected at the top, but good players can be found at any spot in the draft. However, many didn’t hear their names called on draft night at all.
It’s difficult enough to reach the NBA, the pinnacle of professional basketball, as a high pick. It’s even harder to make it as an undrafted player. Guys often play in minor leagues or overseas before getting a shot in the NBA.
With this year’s draft behind us, here are the 10 best undrafted players to overcome the odds and reach the NBA, guys who can serve as inspiration for prospects like Kansas’s Devon Dotson, Kentucky’s Ashton Hagans and Marquette’s Markus Howard, who weren’t selected Wednesday night.
10. Fred VanVleet: A three-year starter at Wichita State, VanVleet signed with Toronto and spent much of his first season in the G League. VanVleet broke out as a key contributor during the Raptors’ championship run in 2019 and is poised to cash in as one of the top names on this year’s free-agent market after averaging 17.6 points a game in 2019-20.
9. Udonis Haslem: After playing a year in France, Haslem, now 40, signed with the hometown Miami Heat in 2003 and hasn’t left. A key piece of three NBA title teams as an inside defender and rebounder, Haslem is one of the most beloved players in franchise history. He announced just last week that he intends to return in 2020-21 for his 18th season.
8. Raja Bell: Bell played 12 seasons as a 3-and-D wingman before anyone knew what those were. He was a two-time alldefensive team pick and career 40.6 per cent shooter from three-point range. Bell’s best years came as a key cog in the “seven seconds or less” Suns of the mid-2000s alongside twotime MVP Steve Nash.
7. David Wesley: Wesley spent a year in the Continental Basketball Association before signing with the New Jersey Nets in 1993. He played 14 seasons in the NBA as a solid combo guard and tenacious perimeter defender. Wesley averaged double figures in points in 10 consecutive seasons from 1995-96 to 2004-05.
6. Darrell Armstrong: Standing shy of six feet tall, Armstrong found his role as an offensive sparkplug with the Orlando Magic in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He won the sixth man and most improved awards in 1999 after averaging 13.8 points and 6.7 assists. Armstrong played 14 seasons in the NBA.
5. Brad Miller: Miller carved out a 14-year career as a stretch centre a decade before bigs who can shoot began to take over the league. Miller was a two-time all-star who averaged 11.2 points for his career and was best known for his time as a key role player with the Sacramento Kings (2003-09) when they were perennial playoff contenders.
4. Bruce Bowen: After four years at Cal State Fullerton, Bowen spent five years bouncing between France and the CBA. Bowen finally caught on with the San Antonio Spurs in the 2000s and developed into one of the league’s best defenders. He was named to the alldefensive team eight times and won three championships with the Spurs.
3. John Starks: Starks caught on with the New York Knicks in the early 1990s and became a fan favourite over eight seasons in Madison Square Garden for his scrappy play and won’t back-down attitude. He made the all-defensive second team in 1993, was an all-star in 1994 and won the sixth man award in 1997.
2. Avery Johnson: Johnson played 16 years in the NBA for six teams, but he was best known for his 10 seasons with the San Antonio Spurs over three stints. A steady hand at point guard, Johnson averaged 8.4 points and 5.5 assists for his career and helped the Spurs win the 1999 championship.
1. Ben Wallace: Wallace’s career resumé stacks up well with the best defenders in league history. He emerged as a defensive force in the early 2000s and anchored the Detroit Pistons teams that went to six consecutive Eastern Conference finals and won the 2004 title. Wallace was the defensive player of the year four times, was named all-NBA five times and made the all-defensive team six times.