Second round picks and undrafted players

[dalekjazz]

Apart from Deron, Kirilenko, and Ostertag? over the last two decades the Jazz have had more success in developing second round picks and undrafted players (Russell, Anderson, Eisley, Milsap, Matthews, Miles, etc.) than first round picks. Why is that?

[DelaneyRudd]

I don't know if their hit rate is unique. They tend to take on other peoples 2nd round successes too in the FA market, making the team appear very 2nd round heavy.

[MeestR]

i think it has something to do with the personalities of players taken in the first round with guaranteed contracts verses players who have to fight to stay in the league. sloan likes the humble fighters. if a player is taken in the first round, he better not feel entitled because he wont go far in sloan's system.

well, no. the players in the first round who were fighters were viewed as assets because we had a 2nd round player who fought and came cheaper and could fill the 1st rounders roll. dwill and ak havent had a cheaper 2nd rounder to fill in should the jazz feel the need to trade em away.

[BarneyGumble]

We have an effective plug and play system, similar to San Antonio under Popp, which allows players to come in and play to their strengths and play pretty well if they are disciplined. As MeestR said, Sloan trusts his system and favors guys who have to earn their keep while being harder on the guys who come in here and expect to be handed playing time.

That, and alot of our first round picks in the late 90's and early 2000's were just plain crap.