Jamal Murray was selected with the seventh pick in '16, what were the achievements of the six players ahead of him?

There is no 24th in the rivers and lakes

2024-04-25 19:22Posted in Henan Sports Creators

Preface

In 2023, the Nuggets can win the championship, many people ignore how good Murray's performance in the playoffs is, last year he averaged 26.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 7.1 assists and 1.5 steals per game, and the most important thing is that he is really not soft at critical moments, and it is because of his explosion that the Nuggets can win the O'Brien Cup in the end.

Although Murray has still not been selected to the All-Star team or All-Star, this does not affect him as one of the best guards on the roster, and compared to many players who can only perform in the regular season, Murray's strength is all reserved for the playoffs. With Murray's help, the Nuggets are undoubtedly still the favourites to win the championship this season, and since he and Jokic are still relatively young, he even has a chance to help the team build their own Nuggets dynasty.

But even though Murray is already so strong, he was only selected with the seventh pick in the draft that year, but now it seems that he has become the strongest player in this draft. So what have the six players in front of Murray achieved since they entered the league?

Sixth Pick: Buddy Hield (Pelicans)

Career averages: 15.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists per game

As an older rookie, Hield was 24 years old when he entered the draft, and the Pelicans selected him because of his immediate combat attributes. However, Hield was traded to the Kings shortly after entering the league, where he quickly established himself with his accurate three-point shot, and slowly became one of the best shooters in the league.

Hield averaged a career-high 20.7 points per game in the 2018-2019 season, and he averaged 3.4 three-pointers per game on 42.7 percent shooting this year. Later, Hield was traded to the Pacers, the 76ers, and the 31-year-old finally ushered in his playoff debut with the 76ers this season, but unfortunately his performance so far can be said to be very bad, he has not made a three-point shot so far, and his defense is also very stretched.

5th Pick: Chris Dunn (Timberwolves)

Career averages: 7.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.4 steals per game

When Dunn participated in the draft that year, the outside world was still very optimistic about him, and the template given to him by the media was the famous Wade. However, Dunn's performance has clearly lived up to everyone's expectations of him, averaging only 3.8 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game in his rookie season.

Dunn was traded to the Bulls in 2017, and his form has picked up this season, averaging 13.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals per game. After Dunn changed several teams, he was almost eliminated by the NBA for a while, and stayed in the NBA last season by signing a ten-day contract with the Jazz, Duncan averaged 5.4 points and 3.8 assists per game this season, his style of play is still characterized by weak offense and strong defense, this kind of player is not very popular in today's NBA, and it is unknown whether he can find his next home in the offseason.

Fourth Pick: Dragan Bender (Suns)

Career averages: 5.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game

Drafting Bender in 2016 was undoubtedly one of the worst decisions in Suns history, as the player simply didn't have what it took to play in the NBA, averaging just 3.4 points and 2.4 rebounds per game in his rookie season and shooting 35.4 percent from the field as an interior player. Even so, the Suns still didn't give up on him, but Bender's performance in the second season was still unimpressive, averaging 6.5 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, shooting 38.6% from the field.

After that, Bender was out of the Suns' plans to build a team, and he was also traded to the Bucks in 2019, but his performance still didn't improve after changing teams, and it was best to be cut by the team. In the end, Bender played only four seasons in the NBA, played in 187 games, and was eliminated from the NBA at the age of 22.

Third Pick: Jaylen Brown (Celtics)

Career averages: 18.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1 steal

Brown is a relatively lucky rookie, he is not only a scout, but the most important thing is that he was selected by a strong team like the Green Army, although Brown did not get much playing time in his rookie season, but he ushered in the opportunity in the second year. Brown has gradually become the core of the team, and his individual performance has been gradually improving, and since the 2020-2021 season, he has played at the level of the league's top two leaders.

Now Brown is not only an All-Star, named to the All-Star team, but also got the first 300 million contract in history. However, Brown has not yet fully proven himself on the playoff stage, and this season is a good opportunity for him, and the Green Army's configuration is the most luxurious in the league, and it will be up to him and Tatum to help the team win the 18th championship in team history.

Second Pick: Brandon Ingram (Lakers)

Career averages: 19.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game

Ingram was also quite favored when he was drafted, with some saying he played like George, others saying he was more like Durant. After entering the league, Ingram was also regarded as the core of the Lakers, but unfortunately he met Luke Wharton later, and his coaching philosophy is typical egalitarianism, even if the player with a lower rank than Ingram can get more balls in some games, so this also seriously delays his development.

Ingram was traded to the Pelicans in 2019 and was named the Most Improved Player and All-Star in his first season here, where he has since established himself as a centerpiece. Unfortunately, despite Ingram's quality, he and another core Caien are too prone to injury, which has led to little change in the team's record, and the first round of the playoffs is already their best result, and the 26-year-old Ingram seems to have the upper limit just that.

First pick: Ben Simmons (76ers)

Career averages: 14.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game

As the undisputed champion at the time, Simmons was once known as James' successor, and his all-round style of play and explosive physical fitness made the 76ers very optimistic about him. Although Simmons was delayed for a season due to injury, his performance after officially landing in the NBA in 2017 still made the outside world feel incredible, he averaged 15.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, 8.2 assists and 1.7 steals per game, and he didn't look like a rookie on both offensive and defensive ends.

Later, Simmons was also selected as an All-Star, All-Defensive Team and All-Star at the 76ers, and also got a big contract. However, as Simmons has been in the league for longer and longer, his shortcomings in projection have become more and more obvious, and it seems that he has no scoring means except for attacking the frame, so his career has also ushered in a cliff-like decline, coupled with the impact of injuries, he has only played 15 games this season, averaging only 6+7+5 per game, and at present, if he does not transform, it is not far from being eliminated by the NBA.

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