In order to avoid polarization in the league, the draft has become the key to saving the fate of weak teams, each team can get 1 or 2 draft picks in the offseason, and the level of draft picks will directly determine their results in the draft. Most of the time, the higher the picks tend to get the stronger the young players, but there are also some special cases, those with lower picks, sometimes can also get some very good players in the low picks.
The closest example to us is last season's regular season MVP Nikola Jokic, who, as the 41st pick in the 2014 draft, was able to compete all the way from such a backward position to the MVP trophy, a cost-effective player that every team is looking forward to.
It has been some time since the 2021 draft, and these new generations of young people have also entered the league, and they will usher in a new starting point in the league, regardless of the ranking, they have the possibility of becoming superstars in the future. Now let's take stock of the most cost-effective players in the draft after 2001, and our evaluation criteria are not based on the quality of the players, but more on the draft rankings, current performance and career achievements.
First of all, the most cost-effective player in the 2001 draft, we gave Tony Parker.
He entered the league with the 28th pick, spent 18 seasons in the league, and averaged 15.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game. He helped the San Antonio Spurs win four championship trophies, and he also won the Finals Most Valuable Player, four times to the Player of the Year and six times to the All-Star roster.
He has been in very good shape for the 10 seasons since Parker entered the league, and this sports car from France has become the absolute core of the Spurs' organization as soon as he entered the league. Such a thing is absolutely unimaginable today, as a rookie player, as soon as he entered the league, he became the backcourt core of the championship team, which also indirectly proved to Tony Parker's ability to be excellent. Of course, as a player who entered the league with Parker in the same draft, in addition to him, like Arenas with the 31st pick into the league and Oku with the 38th pick, these players are very worthwhile in terms of cost performance, but they are still a little inferior compared to Tony Parker.
Coming to the 2002 draft, the most cost-effective player, we gave Carlos Boozer the 35th pick.
Boozer spent 13 seasons in the league throughout his career, averaging 16.2 points, 2.2 assists and 9.5 rebounds per game. Although Boozer is not as dazzling in honor as Tony Parker, he has won two All-Star trips and a three-team all-team in his career.
An offensive player in the fourth position, Boozer was quite good at the big forward position of his contemporaries, with excellent physical fitness and stable mid-range shooting ability. And we do have some regrets about his entire career, if he didn't choose to part ways with the Cavaliers in the first place, then he will probably have partnered with LeBron James very early, as a space-type interior player of that era, we believe that when he has a James by his side, the power of this combination will be quite terrible.
Among the players who entered the league as his draft, like Scola with the 56th pick and Prince with the 23rd pick, these players are in a low-pick area, but they are quite good.
The most cost-effective player in the 2003 draft, we gave Korver the 51st pick to the league.
He spent 17 seasons in the league throughout his career, averaging 9.7 points, 1.7 assists and 3 rebounds per game. As the person whose personal data is not prominent in this list, he has never averaged more than 15 points per game in a single season in his entire career, but as one of the greatest pitchers on the three-point line, Korver has shot 2,450 three-pointers in his entire career, ranking fourth on the NBA's all-time three-point list. Although his record is likely to be broken by latecomers in today's three-point core era, if we consider that he was in an era when three-pointers were not so popular in the first half of his career, he was still able to play such a good performance in this position, we must show respect for the top shooter.
In Korver's draft, there are not many low-ranking players who really have the cost performance, and if you have to pick another one, Mo Williams with the 47th pick should be regarded as the most cost-effective player besides Korver.
In the 2004 draft, the most cost-effective player was Al Jefferson with the 15th pick.
He spent 14 seasons in the league throughout his career, averaging 15.7 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.
As a player who entered the draft after graduating from high school, it was already a very good thing that he was selected by the Celtics with the 15th pick. In his three seasons with the Celtics, he averaged a double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds per game.
Jefferson's career didn't get much credit, except that he was named to the All-Team Three Teams in the 2014 season, when he played for the Hornets, averaging 21.8 points and 10.8 rebounds per game and helping the team reach the playoffs.
Although he was only a high school player when he entered the league, relying on his excellent back-back singles skills, he quickly established himself in the team's inner line, and as a master of low-post back-playing technology, even if he is put into the current league, he is absolutely extremely strong on the inside line.
As another player who entered the league in the same draft as him, the more cost-effective is Ariza with the 43rd pick, as a swing player in the front position, he successfully helped the Lakers win the championship in the 2009 season, from this point of view, he seems to be more worthy of the cost performance than Al Jefferson, but considering that he has not been able to get a salary that meets his ability in terms of salary contract, we finally gave the cost-effective place to Jefferson.
In the 2005 draft, the most cost-effective player, we gave Lu Wei the 45th pick.
As a player with super offensive ability but a black hole on the defensive end, he averaged 14.3 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game in his career. In the same draft, there were a lot of good players in the low-pick area, and Lou Wei was still the most eye-catching of them. Having won the honor of the best sixth man three times, this honor will surely make him leave his mark on the entire history of the NBA.
He is still active in the league, playing for the Atlanta Hawks, and in the new season, he will still be the best firepower score in the team's second team.
In the 2006 draft, the most cost-effective player we gave kyle Lowry the 24th pick.
So far, he has also played for a total of 15 seasons, averaging 14.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game. Throughout his career, Lowry has been named to the All-Star Team six times, once to the NBA All-Team Three, and has an NBA championship.
And the players who also have a good value for money in the same draft, we have to give Rondo with the 21st pick and Millsap with the 47th pick.
The most cost-effective player in the 2007 draft came to the league with the 48th pick.
So far, he has played in the NBA for a total of 13 seasons, averaging 14 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. And as the peak of his career, the Memphis Grizzlies must have been unable to get around Gasol Jr.
Considering that he also has a championship ring on his hand, and considering the honor of the best team and the best defensive team he won in his career, as well as the various awards he has won on the international stage, he, like his brother, is bound to be a candidate for the Hall of Fame in the future.
In the 2008 draft, we gave the most cost-effective player to Jordan Jr. with the 35th pick.
So far, Jordan Jr. has played in the league for 13 seasons, averaging 9.4 points, 10.6 rebounds and 1.6 rebounds per game.
As a second-round show player, Jordan Jr. has been named to the NBA's All-NBA First and Third Teams in his career, was named to the All-Star Roster and won the rebounding king twice. Among the draft players of the same year at that time, there were many cost-effective players, such as Ibaka, Batum or Chalmers, these players were relatively low in the draft, but they played quite well. Among them, in addition to Jordan Jr., the best is dragic with the 45th pick, as the winner of the European Championship gold medal and MVP honors, he has been selected for the best team in the NBA three teams, but overall, compared to Little Joe's is still inferior.
The most cost-effective player in the 2009 draft was undoubtedly schoolboy Stephen Curry.
As the seventh-picked player in the league, his pick is not as low as the other players on this list, but he was definitely looked down upon by many when he first entered the league. In fact, so far, he has played in the league for 12 seasons, averaging 24.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game.
Although Curry's draft pick is relatively high, considering his achievements in his career and the impact on the league, he is undoubtedly the most cost-effective player in this draft.
The most cost-effective player in the 2010 Draft we chose was Paul George.
As the 10th player to enter the league with the 10th pick, he has been in the league for 11 seasons, averaging 20.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.
Although there were not many people who could actually play as top stars in the 2010 draft, they were still very good overall, including great players like Wall, Cousins, hayward and so on. But if you compare your entire career, Paul George is undoubtedly the best player in the 2010 draft.
Although he entered the league with the 10th pick, paul George is definitely capable of stepping into the top spot if we rearrange the draft list. Most of the players who entered the league in the 2010 draft have already ended their careers, and as of now, the real value for money is Bledsoe with the 18th pick and Whiteside with the 33rd pick, but it is clear that the final results of the two of them are still far from Paul George.