Since we're going into another unpredictable draft, where the talent after pick one and the late teens is pretty much balanced, I thought I'd dig into our archives and find out whether NLL GMs are doing a better job than their NBA counterparts.
Biggest Risers
This list is clearly headlined by a bunch of busts. Second round talent grabbed in the first round. The one exception is Danny Granger, who fell because of his injury history (which hasn't been a problem in the NBA at all.) Proid reached on him and hit a jackpot. Too bad he traded him away later.
Vedict: NLL do reach only on occasion, but if they do it is without much success.
| Name | Year | NLL Rd | NLL Pos | NBA Pos | DIFF | Selected By | Current |
|---|
| Chris Taft | 2005 | 1 | 22 | 42 | -20 | Por | FA |
| Maciej Lampe | 2003 | 1 | 11 | 30 | -19 | Phi | FA |
| Martynas Andriuskevicius | 2005 | 1 | 26 | 44 | -18 | NJ | FA |
| Brandon Hunter | 2003 | 2 | 39 | 56 | -17 | Bos | FA |
| Chris Douglas-Rbts | 2008 | 1 | 24 | 40 | -16 | Min | Min |
| Christian Drejer | 2004 | 2 | 36 | 51 | -15 | Den | Den |
| Gerald Green | 2005 | 1 | 3 | 18 | -15 | Ind | Det |
| Bill Walker | 2008 | 2 | 32 | 47 | -15 | Sac | Sac |
| Zaza Pachulia | 2003 | 1 | 28 | 42 | -14 | Hou | Pho |
| Ante Tomic | 2008 | 1 | 30 | 44 | -14 | NJ | NJ |
| James Lang | 2003 | 2 | 35 | 48 | -13 | Min | FA |
| Blake Stepp | 2004 | 2 | 46 | 58 | -12 | Orl | Orl |
| Danny Granger | 2005 | 1 | 5 | 17 | -12 | Utah | Bos |
| Herbert Hill | 2007 | 2 | 43 | 55 | -12 | Den | FA |
| Tommy Smith | 2003 | 2 | 42 | 53 | -11 | NJ | FA |
| Sun Yue | 2007 | 1 | 29 | 40 | -11 | NJ | NJ |
Biggest Fallers
Nothing special on this list either. Maxiell, Brooks and Outlaw are the only notable players, but Outlaw came out of HS and took years to develop. Dahntay Jones is still around, but he was out of the league for a year too.
Verdict: It seems that talent doesn't fall very far in the NLL. Or in other words, if you fall in the NLL, you suck.
| Name | Year | NLL Rd | NLL Pos | NBA Pos | DIFF | Selected By | Current |
|---|
| Lionel Chalmers | 2004 | 2 | 41 | 33 | 8 | LAC | FA |
| Vassilis Spanoulis | 2004 | 2 | 58 | 50 | 8 | Mem | FA |
| Adam Haluska | 2007 | 2 | 51 | 43 | 8 | Chi | FA |
| Reyshawn Terry | 2007 | 2 | 52 | 44 | 8 | LAC | LAC |
| Trent Plaisted | 2008 | 2 | 54 | 46 | 8 | Tor | Tor |
| Willie Green | 2003 | 2 | 50 | 41 | 9 | Sea | SA |
| Aaron Brooks | 2007 | 2 | 35 | 26 | 9 | Cha | Det |
| Viktor Sanikidze | 2004 | 2 | 52 | 42 | 10 | Pho | GS |
| Jason Maxiell | 2005 | 2 | 36 | 26 | 10 | Sac | Pho |
| Renaldo Balkman | 2006 | 1 | 30 | 20 | 10 | Pho | Det |
| George Hill | 2008 | 2 | 36 | 26 | 10 | Ind | Hou |
| Travis Outlaw | 2003 | 2 | 34 | 23 | 11 | LAL | LAC |
| Albert Miralles | 2004 | 2 | 50 | 39 | 11 | Tor | Tor |
| Dahntay Jones | 2003 | 2 | 33 | 20 | 13 | LAL | LAC |
| Antonio Burks | 2004 | 2 | 49 | 36 | 13 | Atl | FA |
| Yaroslav Korolev | 2005 | 1 | 25 | 12 | 13 | NY | FA |
| Justin Reed | 2004 | 2 | 55 | 40 | 15 | Orl | FA |
| Troy Bell | 2003 | 2 | 32 | 16 | 16 | SA | FA |
Biggest Risers in Lottery
VTs selection of Lampe headlines this list, but he made up with the Barbosa pick in the same draft. Green at #3 was a lot worse. Chris Paul and Deron Williams went sixth and ninth that year.
Verdict: There isn't as much reaching going on in the lottery and success is mixed.
| Name | Year | NLL Rd | NLL Pos | NBA Pos | DIFF | Selected By | Current |
|---|
| Maciej Lampe | 2003 | 1 | 11 | 30 | -19 | Phi | FA |
| Gerald Green | 2005 | 1 | 3 | 18 | -15 | Ind | Det |
| Danny Granger | 2005 | 1 | 5 | 17 | -12 | Utah | Bos |
| Jarrett Jack | 2005 | 1 | 13 | 22 | -9 | LAC | Dal |
| Marcus Williams | 2006 | 1 | 13 | 22 | -9 | Det | Mia |
| Ronnie Brewer | 2006 | 1 | 9 | 14 | -5 | NO | NY |
| Reece Gaines | 2003 | 1 | 10 | 15 | -5 | Dal | FA |
| Marreese Speights | 2008 | 1 | 11 | 16 | -5 | NO | NO |
| Sean Williams | 2007 | 1 | 12 | 17 | -5 | Utah | GS |
| Luol Deng | 2004 | 1 | 3 | 7 | -4 | SA | LAL |
| Channing Frye | 2005 | 1 | 4 | 8 | -4 | Utah | Pho |
| Brook Lopez | 2008 | 1 | 6 | 10 | -4 | Sac | Min |
| Jerryd Bayless | 2008 | 1 | 7 | 11 | -4 | Mil | Orl |
| Nick Collison | 2003 | 1 | 8 | 12 | -4 | Det | Det |
| Kirk Snyder | 2004 | 1 | 12 | 16 | -4 | Phi | FA |
| Josh Smith | 2004 | 1 | 13 | 17 | -4 | Phi | Phi |
| Roy Hibbert | 2008 | 1 | 13 | 17 | -4 | Mil | Chi |
