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Smart Hoops: Why Late First-Round N.B.A. Draft Picks Are a Bargain

Rudy Gobert is still mad about where he was picked in the 2013 N.B.A. draft, and he has a point.

This past season, Gobert made the 26 teams that passed on him look foolish.

In his second season with the Utah Jazz, Gobert, a 22-year-old Frenchman, emerged as a dominant rim protector, a voracious rebounder and a franchise centerpiece. He earned the nickname Stifle Tower, finishing only 11 blocks shy of the league leader Anthony Davis despite playing 297 fewer minutes.

The No. 1 pick in 2013, chosen 26 spots ahead of Gobert, was Anthony Bennett.