Seventh pick?
It got us Lionel Simmons, Walt Williams, Bobby Hurley and Jason Williams, none of which were exceptional picks for their years, but we weren't very good at picking in those days. We made so-so choices at every draft position. Billy Owens was a bad #3. Pervis Ellison was a bad #1. Kenny Smith was an OK #6, but it wasn't OK that we picked him over Reggie Miller, Kevin Johnson, etc. Harold Pressley was pretty much what you'd expect at #18, but getting Dennis Rodman, Mark Price or Arvydas Sabonis would have been better.
In the past, Petrie has excelled mainly at not picking anyone in the first round that would totally suck. When you're always picking late, that's a very positive thing. His only lottery pick (1998) was JWill, who he took over Dirk Nowitzki, Paul Pierce, Larry Hughes, and Rashard Lewis, among others. With the early second-round pick, he took Jerome James over Rafer Alston, Cuttino Mobley, Brad Miller, Mike James, Earl Boykins, etc.
This draft is not unlike the loaded '98 draft. I don't mind the idea of #6, #7 or #8, I just hope that Petrie is able to do a better job this time.
It got us Lionel Simmons, Walt Williams, Bobby Hurley and Jason Williams, none of which were exceptional picks for their years, but we weren't very good at picking in those days. We made so-so choices at every draft position. Billy Owens was a bad #3. Pervis Ellison was a bad #1. Kenny Smith was an OK #6, but it wasn't OK that we picked him over Reggie Miller, Kevin Johnson, etc. Harold Pressley was pretty much what you'd expect at #18, but getting Dennis Rodman, Mark Price or Arvydas Sabonis would have been better.
In the past, Petrie has excelled mainly at not picking anyone in the first round that would totally suck. When you're always picking late, that's a very positive thing. His only lottery pick (1998) was JWill, who he took over Dirk Nowitzki, Paul Pierce, Larry Hughes, and Rashard Lewis, among others. With the early second-round pick, he took Jerome James over Rafer Alston, Cuttino Mobley, Brad Miller, Mike James, Earl Boykins, etc.
This draft is not unlike the loaded '98 draft. I don't mind the idea of #6, #7 or #8, I just hope that Petrie is able to do a better job this time.