The lion’s share of attention in the NBA goes to top-flight players, the kind selected with premium lottery picks. That’s appropriate. In a star-driven league, a single player can change the fortunes of a franchise for an entire generation. Just ask the San Antonio Spurs in the 1990’s. And 2000’s. And 2010’s. And right now.
But each NBA Draft runs 60 players deep. The final 30 of those are selected in the second round. Contracts are different. Expectations are muted. What kind of value to these picks, and players, really have? That’s the subject of today’s Blazer’s Edge Mailbag.