The Spurs have a storied history of making the most of unfavorable draft positioning, and when you’re routinely competing for championships, lottery caliber prospects rarely reach your range. Believe it or not, San Antonio hasn’t selected in the lottery since Tim Duncan came to town in 1997, but that hasn’t stopped them from producing high-level hoopers.
Take Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker, for example. The 28th and 57th pick of their respective draft, few analysts probably saw productive NBA careers in their future, yet the pair of fleet-footed guards became multi-time All-Stars, champions, and members of one of the greatest Big Threes in NBA history.