New York Knicks have struggled with the NBA Draft for the last 20 years.
Good news for the Knicks is there have been good picks! Bad news for the Knicks is they were all traded for poor returns.
The six good picks they have made the last two decades have all left in New York, either on bad terms or in bad deals.
Kristaps Porzingis (2015, #4)
Why it was good: Porzingis played 186 games in three years, scoring 17.8 ppg. In 2018, he was named to his first All Star Game.
After the usual boos and disappointment from draft night, fans
quickly began falling in love with Porzingis for his ability to shoot
and get to the basket. Porzingis’ rise came as Carmelo Anthony was
looking for a way out, so it was a seamless transition for him to become
the face of the franchise.
How it ended: Shortly after being named to the All
Star team in 2018, Porzingis suffered a torn ACL. At the end of that
season, Porzingis reportedly blew off his exit interview with Phil
Jackson.
From there, he had a rocky relationship with the front office and
despite being the Knicks best draft pick in three decades, he was traded
in late January.
He was traded January 31, 2019 for cap space, two first round draft
picks, and Dennis Smith Jr. Smith Jr was the guy that Knicks passed over
in 2018, draft picks were nice, but the big win was the salary cap
space they received, for trading Courtney Lee and Tim Hardaway Jr. The
cap space was freed up to sign Keven Durant and Kyrie Irving. Except
they didn’t. They signed Julius Randle, Bobby Portis, Marcus Morris, and
a bunch of veterans who took away valuable playing time for youngsters.
Porzingis left NY having never been part of a team that didn’t lose 50 or more games.
Iman Shumpert (2011, #17)
Why it was good: The most exciting part of Iman Shumpert’s tenure with the Knicks was this song.
Why it was bad: Shumpert was taken 2 picks after
Kawhi Leonard, 1 pick after 2019 All Star Nikola Vucevic and 2 picks
before Long Island native Tobias Harris.
Shumpert came out strong as a rookie, flashing an amazing dunking
ability and was a strong defender. But during a playoff game in 2012,
during his rookie season, he tore his ACL. That kept him out until
January 2013 and when he returned, it was clear the injury sapped some
of his athleticism as he wasn’t the same player.
In 2015, Shumpert was traded to Cleveland with JR Smith in return for Lance Thomas, a second round pick and other minor parts.
Danilo Gallinari (2008, #6)
Why it was good: Gallo showed potential in NY. He
was a similar player to Porzingis, many years earlier – stretch four big
man, with the ability to shoot but also athleticism.
Why it was bad: There was disappointment that the
Knicks drafted an unknown Euro (sound familiar?) over established
Indiana U guard Eric Gordon (who was picked #7). That disappointment
grew as Gallinari played only 28 games as a rookie due to a bad back.
The two picks right ahead of Gallinari? Russell Westbrook (4) and Kevin Love (5). More bad luck for the Knicks.
In 2009-10, Gallinari broke out in a big way, scoring 15.1 ppg,
shooting 42% from the field. He missed only 1 game, while playing nearly
34 minutes per game.
He played roughly 34 mpg again the next season, scoring 15.6 ppg but
was part of the trade package that landed Carmelo Anthony in NY.
Gallinari has emerged into a valuable player (career average of 16
ppg), but just never got the chance to get going with the Knicks.
Wilson Chandler (2007, #23)
Details: Knicks and Bulls swapped picks as part of
the final terms of the Eddy Curry trade in 2005. Bulls picked Joakim
Noah #9 and Chandler went to the Knicks at #23.
Why it was good: Chandler spent 3.5 seasons in NY.
After playing just 35 games as a rookie, he played all 82 in year two
and averaged over 33 minutes per game from 2008 on.
His final Knicks numbers – 14 ppg, 5.2 rpg. He became a valuable rotational piece as both a starter and in a bench role.
Why it was bad: At the risk of being repetitive,
let’s save the specific details – he was part of the Carmelo Anthony
trade (seems like everyone on this list was).
Nate Robinson (2005, #21)
Details: Robinson was officially drafted by the Suns
and traded on draft night, along with Quentin Richardson for Kurt
Thomas and a second round pick (Dijon Thompson)
Why it was good: Robinson was electric! He mostly
came off the bench throughout his Knicks career and energized The
Garden. He is also the league’s only 3-time Slam Dunk Contest Champion.
How it ended: A recurring theme continues – Robinson
clashed with Mike D’Antoni in 2009 and was in-and-out of the rotation.
Five days after winning his third dunk contest in February 2010, he was
traded to the Celtics for Eddie House, Bill Walker, and JR Giddens.
Robinson played a key role off the bench in the 2010 NBA Finals, which
the Celtics lost.
David Lee (2005, #30)
Details: In February 2005, Knicks acquired this pick
from the Spurs (initially the Suns) as part of a deal to acquire Malik
Rose in exchange for Nazr Mohammed and Jamison Brewer (they also
received a 2006 first round pick, which became Mardy Collins).
Why it was good: David Lee is the only draft pick in
the last 20 years to actually play in the All Star Game (Porzingis made
it in 2018, but he was hurt).
In five full seasons with the Knicks, Lee averaged 13.0 ppg and 9.6
rpg. During his All Star season in 2010, Lee averaged 20.2 ppg and 11.7
rpg. He missed a total of just 3 games over his last three seasons. Lee
became known for his reliability, consistency, and his rebounding
ability.
Why it was bad: In 2010, after striking out on
Lebron James and settling for Amare Stoudemire in free agency, Lee was
traded to the Warriors in a sign-and-trade deal for Ronny Turiaf,
Anthony Randolph, and Kelena Azubuike. Those three guys played a
combined 81 games with the Knicks.
Lee would go on to have an All Star season in 2013 and was NBA Champion in 2015.
Over the last 20 years, the New York Knicks have had many struggles with the NBA Draft.
One way the Knicks have screwed up the draft is simply by not having a
pick as the Knicks have acquired some good players, while trading away
too many assets, including picks.
The Knicks acquired the following players, trading mostly first round
picks. Here’s the key caveat – many of these picks were surrendered
years after the trade was complete, and in some cases after the player
was long gone.
Andrea Bargnani
Details: Traded 2016 first round pick, two second
round picks, Marcus Camby, Steve Novak, and Quentin Richardson for
Bargnani (August 2013)
How it ended: Bargnani played just 71 games over two
seasons with the Knicks, due to injuries. Bargnani wasn’t even on the
Knicks in 2015-16, the season before this pick was conveyed to Toronto.
When he was healthy, he was horrible. He averaged 13.9 ppg and shot 30%
from three and never fit in to what the Knicks wanted to do.
At least we got this highlight…
About the pick: 3 years after the trade was made and
one year after Bargnani had left the Knicks, this pick was officially
conveyed to the Raptors in 2016.
In 2016, the Raptors draft Jacob Poeltl with the #9 pick. Two years later, he was included in the trade for Kawhi Leonard.
2016 was also the final stipulation from the Carmelo Anthony trade
with Denver. Nuggets owned the right to a pick swap with the Knicks,
which they applied. Initially, the Knicks were slotted to pick 7th and
the pick belonged outright to Toronto, no matter what. But Denver, set
to pick 9th, was able to automatically swap slots with Toronto, per the
trade terms. Nuggets drafted guard Jamal Murray #7.
Carmelo Anthony
Details: Traded 2014 first round pick, rights to
pick swap in 2016, two second round picks, Danilo Gallinari, Wilson
Chandler, Raymond Felton, and Timofey Mozgov for Anthony and Chauncey
Billups (February 2011)
The problem with the trade was they gave away everything. They traded
their first round picks from 2007 (Chandler) and 2008 (Gallinari) and a
future outright pick in 2014 (Dario Saric) PLUS a pick swap in 2016
(Jamal Murray). That’s essentially 4 first round picks. In hindsight, it
didn’t work out. But even in the moment, many doubted that it would –
less because they doubted ‘Melo, but more because of the enormous
package the Knicks had to sacrifice.
How it ended: Anthony was great for the Knicks. This
is the one player the Knicks acquired who definitely panned out. He
appeared in 6 All Star games and helped NY finish first in 2013, which
included their first playoff series victory since 2000.
But the supporting cast was depleted because of the trade. And it
ended poorly because of a bad relationship with former team President
Phil Jackson. Anthony didn’t necessarily want to be traded, but the
front office made it clear they didn’t see a future that included him.
Before the start of the 2017-18 season, was traded to OKC Thunder for
Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott, and a second round pick that became
Mitchell Robinson.
About the pick: Three years after the trade was
made, the pick was cashed in. But it was the Orlando Magic, not the
Nuggets who had the rights to the pick. This pick was later part of a
blockbuster trade that sent Andre Iguodala to the Nuggets, Dwight Howard
to the Lakers, among many other moving pieces.
Dario Saric was picked 12th by the Magic with the Knicks pick and
traded immediately on draft to the 76ers for the #10 pick, Elfrid
Payton. Ironically, Payton is now a Knick in 2020.
Tracy McGrady
Details: Traded 2012 first round pick, Jordan Hill, Jared Jeffries to Rockets for Tracy McGrady (January 2010)
Remember when the Knicks traded Kristaps Porzingis for cap space to
pursue Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in 2019? That’s what happened here,
10 years earlier.
Knicks needed to shed Jared Jeffries’ contract in order to
potentially afford two max contracts in the summer of 2010 – Lebron
James and a co-star (Chris Bosh?). The cost of trading Jeffries was
Hill, their 2011 first round pick and a future first round pick (2012).
For their efforts, the Knicks got Tracy McGrady. But not THE Tracy McGrady, they got the well-past-his-prime T-Mac.
How it ended: McGrady played 35 games the year prior
and had played just 6 games that season, before coming to NYC. He
played 24 games as a Knick (starting all 24), averaging 26.1 mpg and
scoring 9.4 ppg. For a minute, the Garden had electricity. But as time
went on, it was clear, McGrady was a shell and the Knicks had simply
acquired cap space.
That money was not used on James (or Dwayne Wade or Chris Bosh). It
was used on Amare Stoudemire, who did have a good run with the Knicks.
But was always an overpay due to his chronic knee pains.
About the pick: Rockets drafted Royce White with the
16th pick. White never played for the Rockets and only played 3 games
in the NBA due to, among other reasons, anxiety issues.
Eddy Curry
Details: Traded 2006 first round pick, rights to
swap picks in 2007, two second round picks (2007, 2009), Michael
Sweetney, Tim Thomas, and Jermaine Jackson for Curry and Antonio Davis
(October 2005).
When he was acquired from the Bulls in 2005, he was coming off a
missed postseason due to an irregular heartbeat issue. He also struggled
with his weight, showed an inability to rebound, and was a poor
defender. Basically, he wasn’t that good. But for the Knicks, he was
good enough to trade 2 future first round picks.
How it ended: Ugh.
In 4.5 seasons with the Knicks, Curry averaged 15.2 ppg and 5.8 rpg.
His numbers were solid, but the truth is he wasn’t very good. In 2008,
upon Mike D’Antoni’s arrival in NY, Curry was benched. He was on the
roster, but played just 3 games. He played 7 games the next year, before
being shipped off to Minnesota as part of the Carmelo Anthony trade.
About the picks: In 2006, the Knicks pick ended up
at #2. The Bulls drafted LaMarcus Aldridge, but would immediately trade
him on draft night to the Blazers for the 4th pick, Tyrus Thomas.
In 2007, the teams executed the pick swap, with the Knicks pick at 9
and the Bulls pick at 23. Bulls would draft Joakim Noah, who was coming
off back-to-back NCAA Championships with Florida and would become an
integral part of the Bulls’ break through in the early 2010s. At 23,
Knicks took Wilson Chandler, who was later traded for Anthony.
Stephon Marbury
Details: Traded 2004 first round pick, future first
round pick (lottery-protected through 2010), Antonio McDyess, Howard
Eisley, Charlie Ward, Maciej Lampe, Milos Vujanic for Marbury and Penny
Hardaway
One month later, the Suns traded both Knicks picks AND Tom Gugliotta to the Jazz for cap relief.
How it ended: For Marbury and the Knicks, it ended like almost every other relationship with the franchise over the last 20 years – horribly.
There was a “sexual harassment” situation that Marbury had to testify
in, involving team President Isaiah Thomas. Marbury and Thomas clashed
on the court too, as Thomas benched him in 2007 and Marbury opted for
surgery so that he could sit out the rest of the season, without
consequences. Marbury played just 23 games in 2007-08.
When Mike D’Antoni arrived in 2008, the Knicks immediately signed
Chris Duhon, to supplant Marbury, who remained on the roster until
February 2009, when he and the team finally agreed to a buyout.
It was an ugly ending, in a history of ugly endings for the
franchise. Marbury did average 18.2 ppg and 7.0 apg during his time with
the Knicks.
About the picks: Jazz controlled both Knicks picks. In 2004, they drafted Kirk Snyder 16th overall.
The other first round pick was lottery protected through 2010. By
2010, the Knicks playoff drought reached 6 years – their longest since
1966! Knicks pick would land at #10 in 2010 and the Jazz drafted Gordon
Hayward, who would become the new face of the franchise.
Antonio McDyess
Details: Traded rights to 2002 #7 Nene, Marcus Camby, Mark Jackson for McDyess and a 2002 first round pick (PG Frank Williams).
Knicks actually made the #7 pick, selecting Nene Hilario (now known
just as Nene). Nene was taken right before Amare Stoudemire (9) and
Caron Butler (10).
How it ended: From 1995-2001, McDyess missed just 28
games and averaged 18 ppg and 9 rpg with the Nuggets. Then, he played
only 10 games in 2001-02 due to a serious leg injury. He was traded to
the Knicks that summer, re-injured his knee in pre-season and missed the
entire 2002-03 season. The next season, he would play 18 games in
2003-04, before being traded as part of the package for Marbury.
About the pick: Nene played 10 seasons in Denver,
averaging 12.4 ppg and 7.0 rpg. He made the NBA All-Rookie First Team in
2003. He had a very successful 18 year career.
Trading Patrick Ewing
This is….complicated.
Let’s keep the focus on the draft picks only.
As part of a 4-team 12-player trade in 2000 that sent Patrick Ewing
to the Seattle Sonics, the Knicks received a first round pick from
Seattle and one from Los Angeles. They also traded one (and Chris
Dudley) to the Suns.
About the picks: Let’s start with the 2001 Draft.
Rockets had the #18 pick, which originally belonged to the Knicks and
was traded to the Suns, and later to Houston. The Rockets drafted Jason
Collins, who was traded immediately to the Nets on draft night and had a
solid career. Collins was a starter at center for the Nets Finals’
teams in 2002 and 2003.
Grizzlies, at #27, drafted PG Jamaal Tinsley and immediately traded
him to the Pacers. That pick initially belonged to the Lakers, and was
traded to the Knicks. Later, the Knicks traded that pick to the
Grizzlies for Othella Harrington.
In the 2002 Draft, the first round pick the Knicks received from the
Sonics, belonged to the Raptors. In February 2001, the Knicks traded
this pick to Toronto, along with Chris Childs for their former PG Mark
Jackson and Mugsy Bogues (who never played for the team). Raptors used
the #20 pick to draft Kareem Rush, who was immediately traded to the
Lakers.
Did any of that make sense? In a nutshell, the Knicks traded away
three first round picks, one of their own and two via other teams. The
three teams that received the initial picks, all traded them too. And
the Knicks received virtually nothing in exchange for these multiple
transactions.
Business was booming in the NBA in the 1990s. As Magic Johnson, Larry
Bird, and Isiah Thomas faded away, Michael Jordan took over the
spotlight. Everyone was interested in seeing him and everyone was
interested in seeing who could take him down. Ratings and revenue were
up all over the league.
As a result, the NBA explored expansion. In 1988-1989, they added a
total of four teams – Charlotte Hornets, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, and
Minnesota Timberwolves. In 1995, they added two more – Toronto Raptors
and Vancouver Grizzlies.
The success of the NBA, led to the league expanding their reach into Canada.
NBA in Toronto has been an overwhelming success. The franchise has
had superstars like Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, Chris Bosh, Demar
Derozan, and most recently Kawhi Leonard, who helped lead them to their
first NBA Finals and championship in 2019.
NBA in Vancouver? Well, it was an overwhelming failure. In fact, I think it’s fair to say that the Vancouver Grizzlies are one of, if not the, least successful team in the history of sports.
Six years after they first started playing in Vancouver, they left the city for Memphis before the 2001-02 season.
How? Why? There was so much excitement about bringing the NBA to
Canada…. How did this experiment become such a colossal failure so
quickly?
First, you need to understand the full extent of the misery and failure.
Misery and Failure
The Grizzlies lasted just 6 years in Vancouver, playing their first
game on November 3, 1995 and playing their final game as Vancouver on
April 18, 2001.
Since moving to Memphis the team has had some success. While they
haven’t made the NBA Finals, they did make the West Finals in 2013 and
between 2011-2017, they made the playoffs 7 straight years.
But before going to Memphis, they were awful, winning 22% of their games, going 101-359 overall from 1995-2001. Over that span, Grizzlies had the worst record in the league 3 times and finished last in the division 5 times.
101 wins in 6 years is pretty bad. Let’s put that into some comparable context:
Toronto Raptors also began play in 1995. They
had the same limitations as the Grizzlies, regarding draft picks and
salary cap. Over the same 6 year time period as the Grizzlies, they won
182 regular season games and made the playoffs twice, including 1 series
win
Golden State Warriors won 73 games in ONE season alone. 72% of the Grizzlies 6 year win total, was accomplished in one season in 2015-16.
New York Knicks have been really bad for the last 6 years, but they have won 147 games (including 2020), which is 31% of their games
Charlotte Bobcats
are the league’s most recent expansion team and they got off to a
really rough start in beginning in 2004. Yet, they won a total of 188
games through 6 years, even making the playoffs in year 6.
The post-Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls were awful, historically awful. Yet from 1998-99 season through 2003-04 they won 119 games (18 more than Vancouver’s history).
Here’s one that’s worse on a skewed timeline – the “Trust the process” Philadelphia 76ers
won 19% of their games over a three season period between 2013-2016.
That represents a lower percentage than the Grizzlies at 22% over six
years. However, the 76ers were trying to lose those 3 years, while the
Grizzlies spent 6 years trying to win.
So what went wrong?
Well, outside of drafting Shareef Abdur-Rahim in 1996, their 2-0
start in 1995, and the awesome teal jerseys and cartoon
grizzly….everything. Everything went wrong! Literally every moment in
the 6 year history of Vancouver basketball.
The franchise played their first regular season game on November 3,
1995, playing in Portland. Coached by Brian Winters, a long-time
assistant and 2x All Star as a player with the Bucks, the Grizzlies put
together a dominant fourth quarter and won their first game 92-80.
Benoit Benjamin, a legendary Clipper who averaged 2.8 blocks per game
in his six seasons in LA, led Vancouver with 29 points, 13 rebounds,
and 3 blocks. Former Knicks point guard Greg Anthony scored 15 points,
with 6 assists, 4 rebounds. After winning 3 NBA titles as a player with
the LA Lakers, Byron Scott came off the Grizzlies bench and scored 14
points.
Two days later, on November 5, 1995, the first regular season NBA
game was played in Vancouver. On the same night that the Grizzlies
played and won their first ever game, the Raptors hosted the New Jersey
Nets, winning their first game and the first game by a Canadian team in
Canada since 1946 (Toronto Huskies).
Minnesota Timberwolves, led by Christian Laettner (26 points, 11
rebounds) came to Canada and lost in overtime to the Grizzlies, 100-98.
Byron Scott’s 18 points, led the team in scoring. Greg Anthony scored 17
points, grabbed 9 rebounds, and dished 8 assists.
Vancouver Grizzlies were 2-0!
Unfortunately, that was it. That was the peak of the excitement and
that three day stretch is probably the most successful the Vancouver
franchise ever was.
After starting 2-0. Grizzlies lost 19 straight and eventually
finished their first season an NBA-worst 15-67. They went 1-25 between
February and March, a stretch that also included a 23-game losing
streak.
In their second season, they won just 14 games. In year 4, they went
8-42 in a lockout-shortened season. They did win 23 games in their final
season, which shows an 8 game improvement over a 6 year span (which is
not much of an improvement).
Earlier, when asked what went wrong, I said everything. For
everything to have gone wrong, it had to start with Grizzlies management
and some awful decision making. But in their defense, the NBA
handcuffed them, making it challenging to succeed right away.
NBA Draft and Trade Misery
Part of the agreement when the Grizzlies and Raptors joined the NBA
was that they were ineligible to pick in the top 5 of the draft in 1995,
and could not obtain the #1 pick for their first three years. That’s a
crazy rule, in my opinion, and obviously hurt the Grizzlies.
Bryant “Big Country” Reeves – 1995, #6
Because of that insane rule noted above, the Grizzlies picked 6th in
1995. That, in itself is bad and it’ worse when you see who went in the
top 5:
Joe Smith – 16 seasons, averaging 10.9 ppg, 6.4 rpg
Antonio McDyess – career cut short by injuries, but in his first 5 seasons with Denver, he averaged 18.2 ppg, 9.0 rpg
Jerry Stackhouse – 16.9 ppg over his 18 year career
Rasheed Wallace – NBA champion with 2004 Pistons, career averages of 14.4 ppg and 6.7 rpg
Kevin Garnett – Hall of Famer, NBA Champion with 2008 Celtics, all-time legend
Reeves was far from bad. He started 341 of the 395 game he played, playing 30 mpg and averaging 12.6 ppg, 6.9 rpg.
Problem was he just wasn’t the superstar Vancouver needed to
kick-start the franchise. He wasn’t the guy fans were going to pay to
come see.
But he was the guy that the team paid to play. In 1997, despite
working with a limited salary cap compared to the rest of the league,
the Grizzlies signed Reeves to a 6 year, $61 million extension, which
did not end well. That first season, he averaged 16.3 ppg and 6.9 rpg,
but over the next three (his final three in the league), he averaged 9.3
ppg, 5.7 rpg, while playing 8 minutes per game less (34 mpg vs 28 mpg)
and missing 77 games (after missing just 20 in the first 3 years).
Reeves played all 6 years in Vancouver, and retired shortly after the team moved to Memphis due to back injuries.
Shareef Abdur-Rahim, 1996, #3
Abdur-Rahim is the best player to ever wear the Vancouver jersey. This was a rare win for the franchise.
In 5 years, Abdur-Rahim missed just 3 games total and averaged 20.8 ppg and 8.2 rpg.
While it’s hard to knock this pick, it must be noted who else was in
this draft. Without the ability to pick #1, Grizzlies lost out on Allen
Iverson who went to 76ers. Marcus Camby (#2), Stephon Marbury (#4), Ray
Allen (#5), Antoine Walker (#6) round up the top of the draft. Between
13-15, Kobe Bryant (#13), Steve Nash (#14), Peja Stojakovic (#15).
Abdur-Rahim made one All Star game, but as a member of the Hawks in
2002. In 2001, right before the move to Memphis, Grizzlies traded
Abdur-Rahim to Atlanta for the #3 pick, in which they drafted Pau
Gasol.
This was an extreme circumstance where the Grizzlies drafted the
right player and got a positive return in a trade. Unlike their 1997
first round pick…
Antonio Daniels – 1997, #4
1997 Draft represented the beginning of the start of a great run in
Canadian basketball. Except, I’m referring to the Raptors, not the
Grizzlies. After winning 15 games in a year 1, the Grizzlies won 14
games in year 2. The Raptors, on the other hand, went from 21 wins to 30
wins in year 2. Progress!
After picking Damon Stoudemire 7th in 1995 and Marcus Camby 2nd in
1996, the Raptors drafted Tracy McGrady 9th in 1997. All three of those
players help lay the foundation for the Raptors.
Meanwhile, the Grizzlies picked fourth. After Tim Duncan, Keith Van
Horn, and Chauncey Billups were drafted top 3, the Grizzlies took point
guard Antonio Daniels.
Daniels would play just 74 games in one season as a Grizzlie. After
starting 50 games and averaging 7.8 ppg and 4.5 apg, Daniels was traded
to the Spurs after his rookie season. Daniels would become a solid bench
player for the 1999 NBA Champion Spurs and he had a successful career
as a backup guard, appearing in the playoffs in 10 of his 14 seasons.
In exchange for the #4 pick in the draft, the Grizzlies received
Felipe Lopez and Carl Herrera from the Spurs. Lopez averaged 6.5 ppg in
less than two years and Herrera played 4 games with the Grizzlies.
What is the value of the #4 pick? In the two years prior, #4 pick was
Rasheed Wallace and Stephon Marbury. In the two years after, #4 was
Antawn Jamison and Lamar Odom. More recently, Russell Westbrook and
Kristaps Porzingis were drafted 4th and the #4 pick in 2019 was used as a
trade chip to acquire Anthony Davis. Clearly, it’s a valuable pick.
Except to Vancouver, who decided to essentially throw it away.
Mike Bibby – 1998, #2
Was Bibby the right pick? He played every possible game with
Vancouver from 1998-2001, starting all 214 games and averaged 14.8 ppg
and 7.8 apg.
After Bibby was drafted, 4 of the next 7 picks were Antawn Jamison, Vince Carter, Dirk Nowitzki, and Paul Pierce. OUCH!!
But give them some credit – the #1 pick was Michael Olowokandi to the
Clippers and big man Raef LaFrentz went #3 to the Nuggets. So among the
top 3, the Grizzlies hit a homerun.
Right before their move to Memphis in 2001, Bibby was traded to the
Sacramento Kings. He was 23 years old at the time and a rising star with
a lot of value. Yet, the Grizzlies decided to trade him got was former
Magic hero Nick Anderson, who played just 15 games with Memphis and
called it a career and a young Jason Williams to replace Bibby at point
guard. Williams did play 4 years in Memphis and was traded to the Heat
in 2005, just in time to become an NBA Champion in 2006.
Steve Francis – 1999, #2
Grizzlies reward for going 8-42 in 1998-99 was nothing. Literally, nothing.
After the Bulls took Elton Brand, Grizzlies opted to draft Steve
Francis. Uh oh. This was the beginning of the end… “Stevie Franchise”
had ZERO interest in joining this franchise.
Francis hated the idea of playing in Vancouver. So rather than take
Baron Davis (#3) or Lamar Odom (#4), Grizzlies took a guy who they knew
wasn’t going to be happy. Francis is from Maryland and played college
ball for the Terps and claimed he wasn’t comfortable playing so far from
home and without any kind of spotlight. After a long battle with the
team, he was eventually traded before his rookie season season, never
playing a game for the team.
Francis was traded to the Houston Rockets for Michael Dickerson,
Othella Harrington, Antoine Carr, Brent Price, and future first and
second round draft picks. So like I said, for the #2 pick, coming off an
8-win season, they got NOTHING.
Stromile Swift – 2000, #2
This pick is somewhere in the middle of the previous #2 selections –
Bibby and Francis. Swift was #2 after the Nets took Kenyon Martin #1.
Swift did play 7 years with the Grizzlies franchise, but was mostly
underwhelming for a #2 pick. As a rookie, in his lone season in
Vancouver, he averaged 4.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg in just 16 minutes per game.
To be fair to the Grizzlies, outside of Martin, this was not a very
exciting draft. The next eight players drafted to round out the top 10
were Darius Miles, Marcus Fizer, Mike Miller, DerMarr Johnson, Chris
Mihm, Jamal Crawford, Joel Pryzbilla, and Keyon Dooling. Nothing like
the previous drafts, where Grizzlies passed on multiple All Stars and
Hall of Famers. Swift was a fine pick compared to Marcus Fizer.
The Worst Trade Ever Made
Obviously, the Grizzlies had some bad luck and some bad decisions.
Trading away #4 (Daniels) and #2 (Francis) picks for nothing was
stupid. Not getting a significantly greater return for Bibby was tough.
Along with the Grizzlies, the Toronto Raptors also began play in
1995. However, their trajectory was quite the opposite of the Grizzlies.
From 1995-2001, Vancouver went 101-356, while Toronto went 188-278.
Grizzlies highest win total was 23 in 6th and final year – Raptors won 21 in year 1
Only 1 season with less than 20 wins for Raptors (4 for Grizzlies)
Raptors made the playoffs twice in their first six years, going 6-10 including a series win over the Knicks in 2001
The other big point of comparison is the draft. Only once (1996) did
the Raptors draft higher than the Grizzlies, and that turned out to be
the one good Grizzlies pick. While Vancouver failed to capitalize on 4
of their 6 picks, the Raptors NAILED their first four, drafting Damon
Stoudamire, Marcus Camby, Tracy McGrady, and Antawn Jamison (who was
immediately traded on draft night for Vince Carter).
Over that same time, Grizzlies drafted Antonio Daniels and Steve Francis.
Winners and Losers
Who are the biggest beneficiaries and losers from the presence of the Vancouver Grizzlies.
10 Biggest Winners
Toronto Raptors: the failure of the Grizzlies forced them out of Canada in 2001, leaving the Raptors as the country’s darling team.
Indiana Pacers: went 11-0 vs Vancouver, the only team never to lose to them between 1995-2001
Utah Jazz: in addition to the Pacers, Jazz are the only other team to go undefeated in Vancouver (11-0 on road and 22-1 overall)
Denver Nuggets: as part of the worst trade ever, the
Pistons received the #2 pick in the 2003 Draft. That along the Nuggets
to draft Carmelo Anthony at #3.
Shareef Abdur-Rahim: he is the best player in
Vancouver basketball history and is responsible for any shred of success
the Grizzlies had from 1996-2001. He was traded to the Hawks in 2001,
and made the All Star team in 2002.
Sacramento Kings: hard to believe now, but there was
a time when the Kings were considered good. From 1998-2006, they made
the playoffs every year, including a 5 year stretch with Mike Bibby,
after acquiring him in 2001
Memphis: city known more for it’s college basketball
than pro basketball, was able to land the Grizzlies upon relocation and
they’ve had a nice run of success.
Baron Davis: Grizzlies passed on Davis in 1999, to
take Steve Francis #2. More on him below, but obviously Francis wasn’t
happy. Davis was drafted #3 and went on to have a very exciting career.
Houston Rockets: acquired Steve Francis for almost
nothing. Francis won co-Rookie of the Year in 2000 and made 3 All Star
appearances as a Rocket. He was eventually traded to the Magic for Tracy
McGrady.
Steve Francis: he forced his way out of Vancouver before ever playing a game and got the spotlight he desperately wanted in Houston
10 Biggest Losers
Vancouver: so much excitement, so much anticipation
and yet so much misery. The city probably deserved better. The NHL’s
Canucks have been a successful franchise so it’s not the city’s fault
the Grizzlies stunk.
Byron Scott: former Lakers PG started 4/5 games in
the 1991 NBA Finals and won 3 championships with LA in the ’80s. During
the Grizzlies inaugural season in 1995, Scott came off the bench in all
80 games he played.
Brian Winters: very respectable player in his
career, making 2 All Star game appearances and his #32 jersey is retired
by the Bucks. But as head coach of the Grizzlies, he lasted 125 games
and had a winning percentage of 18%.
Boston Celtics: only team with a losing record against Vancouver franchise (5-6).
Los Angeles Clippers and Washington Wizards: two of three teams to not finish over .500 against the Vancouver franchise (more below)
Greg Anthony: went from being a part of the New York
Knicks Finals team in 1994, to being the #2 pick in the expansion draft
and playing for the Grizzlies two years later
Antoine Carr: after helping the Jazz in a bench role
get to back-to-back NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998, Carr played the final
21 games of his 17 year career in Vancouver. Before the 1999 season,
Houston included Carr in a package of players for Steve Francis.
Dennis Scott: averaged 12.9 ppg in 94-95 when the
Orlando Magic went to the NBA Finals. Scott averaged 5.6 ppg in 66 games
during his final NBA season in 1999-00 with Grizzlies
Fans/execs: anyone who invested any time or money into the franchise
Head-to-head Records vs Vancouver
Opponent
Overall Record
Road record
Atlanta Hawks
9-2
4-2
Boston Celtics
5-6
3-3
Charlotte Hornets
9-1
5-1
Chicago Bulls
8-3
3-2
Cleveland Cavaliers
9-1
4-1
Detroit Pistons
7-3
3-2
Indiana Pacers
11-0
6-0
Miami Heat
8-2
4-1
Milwaukee Bucks
6-4
3-2
New Jersey Nets
7-3
4-2
New York Knicks
8-2
3-2
Orlando Magic
9-1
4-1
Philadelphia 76ers
10-1
5-1
Toronto Raptors
7-4
3-2
Washington Wizards*
5-5
1-4
Dallas Mavericks
19-4
10-1
Denver Nuggets
16-8
6-6
Golden State Warriors
15-8
8-4
Houston Rockets
20-4
9-3
Los Angeles Clippers
12-12
5-7
Los Angeles Lakers
22-1
10-1
Minnesota Timberwolves
20-4
9-3
Seattle Sonics
20-3
9-3
Phoenix Suns
20-3
8-1
Portland Trail Blazers
16-7
7-5
Sacramento Kings
19-5
8-4
San Antonio Spurs
20-3
11-1
Utah Jazz
22-1
11-0
*Washington vs Grizzlies – 4-2 as Wizards, 1-3 as Bullets
January 1, 2017. That’s the last time Colin Kaepernick started an NFL
game. 88 different quarterbacks have started the three seasons since
then. Including repetitive QBs starting for different teams, there’s
been 105 different starting quarterbacks. Colin Kaepernick has not been
one of them.
Everyone knows the story involving Colin Kaepernick. He was highly
criticized in and outside of the NFL for taking a knee during the
National Anthem. His way of protesting silently was meant to be harmless
and help raise awareness of the issues in our country. Issues that have
really come to the surface in the last week.
But this isn’t about those issues. This is about the proof that Kaepernick deserved a second chance.
2013 is a long time ago. That’s when Kaepernick led the 49ers to a 12-4 record and a Super Bowl appearance.
Fast forward three years later, to his final NFL season in 2016.
49ers were 1-10 in games he started. It wasn’t all his fault. That was
Chip Kelly’s one-and-done year in San Francisco and every part of it was
a disaster. Kaep threw only 4 interceptions on 331 pass attempts. He
completed 59.2% of his passes, an improvement on his career year in 2013
(58.4%). The 2,241 yards passing were the third most in his 5 years as a
starter. He also ran for 468 yards and 2 touchdowns.
If you don’t want to believe the stats, go look at the tape. You’ll
see a very qualified and solid quarterback. Top 32? Maybe, maybe not.
Over the last three years, he definitely would have been a top 64 QB.
Only 4 teams have had the same starter all 16 games each of the last
three years. That means men way less qualified than Kaepernick, men
proven to be worse, got opportunities ahead of him.
If you don’t want to look at stats, or tape, look at this…
Here are the 88 QBs, and 105 variations, that have started a game since week 1 2017.
Patriots – Tom Brady
Dolphins – Jay Cutler, Matt Moore, Ryan Tannehill, Brock Osweiler, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Josh Rosen
49ers – Brian Hoyer, CJ Beathard, Jimmy Garoppolo, Nick Mullens
Look at that list. And remember that no one has been willing to give Kapernick a second chance.
Yet, this more specific list of QBs got a second chance (and more).
I’m all for second chances, even third. But you can never, ever convince
me that Kaepernick wouldn’t have been better then any of these guys.
Nathan Peterman, Bills – the 2017 fifth round pick
is known for one thing – in a game against the Chargers in week 11 of
the 2017 season, Peterman threw 5 interceptions IN THE FIRST HALF!
Peterman was so bad that he started AGAIN three weeks later in a game
against the Colts. Rather than sign an established backup in 2018 (a guy
like Kaep?), they kept Peterman and he started 2 more games. For his
career, Peterman has 12 interceptions on 130 pass attempts.
Don’t worry, the bad stench from his Bills tenure wasn’t strong
enough to keep the Raiders from signing him and employing him since
2018, through the 2019 season.
DeShone Kizer, Browns – Kizer was a second round
pick (#52 overall) out of Notre Dame in 2017. He started 15 of the
Browns’ 16 games in 2017, losing all 15! He completed just 53% of his
passes, throwing 11 touchdowns and a league-leading 22 interceptions.
It’s fine that Kizer stunk as a rookie. But in 2018, he was signed by the Packers and 2019, he was signed by the Raiders.
Cody Kessler, Jaguars – Kessler was a third round
pick (#96) by the Browns in 2016. He lost all 8 of his starts. He was so
bad as a rookie, that the Jaguars wisely signed him to backup the
equally awful Blake Bortles in 2018 and actually had to start Kessler 4
games due to injuries. To his credit, Jags did go 2-2 in Kessler’s 4
starts, but he had a complete lack of accomplishments and was
undeserving of this chance. Especially, when you consider the awfulness
of Blake Bortles and the Jaguars lack of an established backup QB.
Josh Johnson, Redskins – this might be the best
one…in 2013, Josh Johnson appeared in 2 games for the Bengals. He did
not throw a pass, but ran the ball 7 times for 20 yards. Prior to that,
he threw his last pass on 12/11/2011 as a member of the Bucs. His last
start was 12/4/2011. So what?
SO HE SIGNED WITH THE REDSKINS IN 2018!
Let’s recap – Kaepernick threw his last pass and started his last
game on January 1, 2017. Josh Johnson threw his last pass and started
his last games in December 2011. 6 years apart. Yet, after injuries to
Alex Smith, Colt McCoy, and Mark Sanchez, the Redskins chose to sign
Johnson off his couch.
Brock Osweiler, Dolphins – Here’s what you need to
know about Osweiler – he was benched in 2015 for Peyton Manning. But not
the GOAT Peyton, an injured shell of himself Peyton on his final legs,
months away from retirement.
In 2016, he signed a 4 year, $72 million ($37 million guaranteed)
contract with the Texans after just 7 career starts. He started 14 games
and was pretty bad. So bad, in fact, that the Texans traded him to the
Browns. He was so bad and had such a horrific contract, that the Texans
included a 2018 second round pick and a 2017 sixth round pick and
received cap relief (and a 2017 fourth round pick).
Browns released him after drafting DeShone Kizer, who went 0-15 as a
rookie starter. After returning to Denver in 2017, where he started 4
games, he got ANOTHER contract, signing with the Dolphins in 2018, where
he started 5 games.
That’s like 3 chances, arguably 4. But remember, Colin Kaepernick doesn’t deserve a second chance.
Scott Tolzien, Colts – Tolzien was mostly terrible
in two starts with the Packers in 2013. Apparently, he wasn’t terrible
enough to keep the Colts from signing him. In his second chance, he
started on Thanksgiving in 2017, tossing 2 interceptions in a loss to
the Steelers. And that should have been it. But it wasn’t.
Three starts was not a large enough sample size, and Tolzien remained
rostered in 2017. With Andrew Luck out injured, the Colts didn’t have a
viable backup plan. They acquired Jacoby Brissett, but he wasn’t ready
so Tolzien was forced into action starting week 1 that season,
completing 9-18 passes, throwing for 122 yards and 2 interceptions.
Jeff Driskel, Lions – Driskel was a 6th round pick
by the 49ers in 2016, but was waived before the season. He was claimed
off waivers by the Bengals, and spent the 2016-2017 seasons on the
bench. He started 5 games for the Bengals in 2018, due to an injury to
Andy Dalton. After being released, the Lions signed him in 2019 and he
started 3 games. Driskel, whose teams are 1-7 in games he starts, will
enter 2020 as a backup QB on the Broncos.
EJ Manuel, Raiders – If Raiders needed a backup to
Derek Carr in 2017, they could have signed Colin Kaepernick. Instead,
they chose EJ Manuel, a former first round bust, who would be forced
into action in one start in 2017.
Geno Smith, Giants – Jets went 12-18 in Geno Smith’s
starts from 2013-2016. He signed with the Giants in 2017 and started
one game. One veryyyy controversial game. Eli Manning started every game
of his career with the Giants, 210 in a row…until November 28, 2017
when former coach Ben McAdoo inexplicably benched him for Smith.
Would Colin Kaepernick have had more success than any of these
quarterbacks? I have no idea. He might have been way worse than them,
honestly. But this isn’t a debate about could he or would he. It’s proof
that he was way more deserving of an opportunity than some of these
second/third chance QBs.
But there’s also no debate that his career is over. Despite, a
workout in front of team personnel last fall, Kaep will never throw
another pass in the NFL. Too much time has passed and now, it’s fair to
take guys with recent experience, even if they are less qualified. But
at the time, you can never tell me you’d rather have Cody Kessler or EJ
Manuel over Kaepernick.
