NBA Draft: Top 5 Best (And Worst) No. 3 Picks Since NBA-ABA Merger
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Boston Celtics select third overall in the 2016 NBA Draft, and based on the history of the pick, they still have a chance to land a future superstar.
When talking about the best No. 3 picks, it begins and ends with Michael Jordan himself. Even if there's no one with a fraction of Jordan's talent in this year's draft, the Celtics at least know there's a chance of drafting the kind of franchise-altering player they need to get to the next level, despite landing outside the top-two.
As much a chance as they have of landing a very good player with the third pick, there's also the chance of ending up with a total bust. Here are the best picks made at No. 3 since 1977, the first since the NBA-ABA merger in August of 1976. This list also excludes the 2013-15 drafts, since it's still too early to fairly determine whether those players are successes or failures.
The Best:
5. James Harden (Thunder, 2009): Harden has done nothing but excel since stepping on an NBA floor. And since the Thunder traded him to the Houston Rockets, making him the main man, he has blossomed into one of the league's elite stars. Harden has averaged 21.1 points per game in his career, and that number should climb.
4. Pau Gasol (Hawks, 2001): Gasol has been one of the league's elite all-around power forwards for most of his career and was one of the key pieces to getting Kobe Bryant's Lakers two more rings in 2009 and 2010. Even in the 2015-16 season, at age 35, Gasol averaged 16.5 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks in 31.8 minutes per game for the Chicago Bulls.
3. Kevin McHale (Celtics, 1980): Everyone knows how great Larry Bird was for the 1980s Celtics teams, but McHale also deserves a lot of credit. Charles Barkley once called McHale "the best player I played against because he was unstoppable offensively, and he gave me nightmares on defense." McHale was a true dual threat as a dominant low-post scorer and lockdown defender. McHale turned out to be by far the best, most valuable pick of the 1980 draft.
2. Dominique Wilkins (Jazz, 1982): A nine-time All-Star and former slam dunk contest champion, Wilkins was an athletic freak who scored at will for most of his career. He never won an NBA championship, but neither did most other star players not named Jordan, Bird, Magic, or Olajuwon. He did, however, have a successful championship career in Europe.
1. Michael Jordan (Bulls, 1984): A no-brainer. Jordan plummeted to third in the 1983 draft after the Houston Rockets selected Hakeem Olajuwon (can't blame them for that) and the Portland Trail Blazers took Sam Bowie (blame them, blame them all). M.J. eventually became the greatest player in NBA history and one of the most recognizable, successful athletes of all time. So if your team can get even a tenth of what Jordan gave the Bulls at No. 3, your team will be in good shape.
The Worst:
5. Rick Robey (Pacers, 1978): After winning the NCAA national championship with Kentucky in 1978, Robey went to the Pacers in the '78 draft. He turned out to be one of the bigger disappointments out of the top-five players, who were all selected before the Celtics drafted...Larry Bird. Coincidentally, the Celtics traded for Robey in his rookie season, then later flipped him for Dennis Johnson. Robey never started more than 4 games in a single season for the final six years of his career.
4. Darius Miles (Clippers, 2000): Super-hyped as a blue-chip prospect straight out of high school, Miles never came close to living up to his perceived ceiling. He struggled to stay healthy and bounced between four different teams, ultimately retiring at age 27.
3. Dennis Hopson (Nets, 1987): It's not Hopson's fault that the New Jersey Nets picked him in a draft where Reggie Miller, Scottie Pippen, and Horace Grant were available, but in that context, this one hurts - and helped set the Nets back years. Hopson struggled to crack the starting lineup in six seasons with the Nets, Bulls, and Kings, and left the NBA at age 26 to play overseas.
2. Adam Morrison (Charlotte Bobcats, 2006): Morrison was one of the best college players in the country during his time at Gonzaga, co-winning the Oscar Robertson trophy for Player of the Year in 2006. But as a pro, Morrison could never reach the heights of his college career, averaging just 11.5 points per game in four seasons with the Bobcats (now the Hornets) and Lakers.
1. Chris Washburn (Warriors, 1986): Wonder why the Golden State Warriors were so irrelevant for so long before they took Stephen Curry? Because they spent years picking guys like Chris Washburn. A 6-foot-11 center out of North Carolina State, Washburn tantalized the Warriors with his size and talent but struggled with numerous off-court issues. He had run-ins with the law and even admitted to having a drug problem, and lasted just two seasons in the NBA.
What do you think? Did we miss any sleepers or busts at the No. 3 pick? Share your thoughts in the comments.
