Today we take a look at the 2000 NBA draft, which, in my opinion, was the worst draft in NBA history. While three players eventually became All-Stars, they only made three All-Star appearances. Michael Reed, Ken Young Martin and Jamal Magloire. He was named to the All-Star Team only once in their careers.
Kenya Martin, he was the champion of the year, his years at the Nets, it looks like he could become a future star. Of course, he and Kidd play together and have always had Kidd in control, but Martin has a very unique set of techniques. In the Nets' first four seasons, he was a brilliant basket finisher, shooting 68 percent from within a meter of the basket. He occasionally hits mid-range jumpers and for a big striker he moves very fast. On the defensive end, he was underrated. In the 2002 and 2003 seasons, the Nets reached the Finals, a team with the highest defensive efficiency in the league. This has a lot to do with Martin. With 205cm tall and weighing 213 pounds, he has enough strength to fend off most big forwards. But at the same time, it is fast enough to change to an outside player in a short period of time. Martin became an All-Star in the 2004 season, the only All-Star in his entire career. Unfortunately, his career slipped rapidly after that, he was traded to the Nuggets, and then injuries and off-court problems began to pile up. Martin had to undergo surgery for a micro-fracture of both knees, got into an argument with the coach, and he was suspended several times. Finally, in 2015, at the age of 37, he retired.
Mike Miller is the healthiest member of the draft and rookie of the year, playing alongside Maddy in Orlando. Although Miller never became an All-Star, he was a great role player throughout his career. His best season was with the Grizzlies, who won the Six of the Year in 2006. In the following season, he averaged more than 18 points per game. Overall, he is a reliable player, a great goalscorer and he greatly appreciates their star Gasol Jr. When we talk about the best shooter of 2000, Miller may not be the first person you think of, but he's a really good three-point shooter. Later in his career, he was probably best known for being with the Miami Heat. Miller's best performance in the playoffs was in the 2012 Finals. There, he scored 7-of-8 from three and ended up scoring 23 points, helping LeBron win his first NBA championship. Overall, Miller had a good career, retiring in 2017.
Jamal Crawford, who picked eighth, was probably the most successful player of his career in the draft. Although he never became an All-Star, he won the best sixth man three times, the most in NBA history. He also played in more than 1,200 regular season games, more than 200 more than second-placed Mike Miller. Crawford averaged more than 15 points per game in nine seasons, and in his career he became a great bench player. Whenever someone says a player can provide an instant attack, Crawford is one of the first people we think of. He's a good fit for that player's model where he can heat up quickly and then suddenly take over the game. Crawford also scored 50 points for three different teams. It's incredible, it shows that it doesn't matter which team he's on. He always shoots the same way and he can score no matter what the situation.
Hidu-Turkoglu, sixteenth pick. He is a very unique player. At 203cm tall, he can handle the ball like a defender, and he has the field view of a defender. It's a nightmare against most teams. Tru spent his best season in Orlando, playing alongside Howard. In my opinion, he's the most perfect small forward on that team because he's also a great three-point shooter with a career shooting percentage of 38 percent. Combined with his great passing skills, he can do anything, shoot, break, rebound, Tru is great. These are all good numbers, but unfortunately his career has been short.
Jamal Magnolia with the 19th overall pick. During his All-Star season, he averaged 14 points per game and was fairly efficient, and the New Orleans Hornets, from 2003 to season 4, perhaps his team did a good job and helped him get into the All-Star. After this season, he was unable to maintain his All-Star status and returned to role player status for the rest of his career.
The player with the 14th pick in the second round, Michael Reed. The best performer in this draft, and the only one in the same year to be selected for the Dream Team, Michael Reed, at his peak, was quite good. From 2004 to 2008, Reid averaged 24 points per game, and frankly, he would have had more All-Star appearances if he had stayed fit. A series of knee injuries at his peak essentially ended his career. At 29, he doesn't look as explosive and agile as he used to. At the age of 32, he was forced to retire because he could never recover. If Reed had been perfectly healthy, his career would have been very different. He only appeared three times in the playoffs and never made the first round.
The 2000 NBA draft was the worst draft in NBA history. Combined, the players made a total of three All-Star appearances, as well as one All-Team Three, led by Michael Reid. I think the 2000 draft is a great example of how not every draft level has a star or a superstar. Some people will say that the players are not meeting expectations, which is true, but at the same time, people's expectations for the draft are not very high. No one is seen as a player who changes the team, not even a champion. Kenya Martin's draft compares to Rashid Wallace, who is a great player, but you don't want the best player in the draft to be Rashid Wallace. Overall, there is a group of players with characteristics in this draft.
There are 0 members of the Hall of Fame
All-Star 3: Michael Reed 1, Ken Young Martin 1, Jamal Magro 1
MVP 0 people
FMVP 0 people
AMVP0 people
DPOY0 people
Scorer 0
Rebounding king 0 people
Assists king 0 people
Steal King 0
Cap King 0 people
Best Sixth Man 2: Jamal Crawford 3 times, Mike Miller 1 time