1992 Draft Retrospective

[WigNosy]

The players from this draft are now established stars - they've been through their rookie contracts, they've been through their first big contract, and their impact on the league is now pretty clearly understood. Let's take a look back at the draft and see both how the teams that drafted them have fared and how the players themselves have fared. Many of these players are still stars, but they are all clearly starting the downswing of their careers and I think now is a fair time to figure out how they've fared. As a reminder, here was how the first round shook out:

#1 - Houston Rockets - Shaq
#2 - Boston Celtics - Alonzo Mourning
#3 - Los Angeles Clippers - Latrell Sprewell
#4 - Seattle Supersonics - Doug Christie
#5 - Milwaukee Bucks (via Cleveland via Washington) - Robert Horry
#6 - Miami Heat - Jim Jackson
#7 - Detroit Pistons - Christian Laettner
#8 - Charlotte Hornets (via Cleveland) - Tom Gugliotta
#9 - Toronto Raptors (via Charlotte) - Jon Barry
#10 - Philadelphia 76ers - PJ Brown
#11 - Minnesota Timberwolves - Walt Williams
#12 - Portland Trailblazers - Bryant Stith
#13 - Detroit Pistons (via Denver) - David Wesley
#14 Toronto Raptors - Hubert Davis
#15 Chicago Bulls - Anthony Peeler
#16 Boston Celtics - Clarence Weatherspoon
#17 San Antonio Spurs - Todd Day
#18 Seattle Sonics - Tracy Murray
#19 Golden State Warriors - Richard Dumas
#20 Phoenix Suns - Laphonso Ellis
#21 VanMemphis Grizzlies - Malik Sealy
#22 Dallas Mavericks (via New Jersey Nets) - Popeye Jones
#23 Dallas Mavericks (via Seattle Sonics) - Matt Geiger
#24 Seattle Sonics - Sean Rooks
#25 Sacramento Kings - Marlon Maxey
#26 Miami Heat - Adam Keefe
#27 Sacramento Kings (via Orlando Magic) - Oliver Miller
#28 Los Angeles Lakers (via New York Knickerbockers) - Brent Price
#29 Atlanta Hawks - Lloyd Daniels

With that little reminder, let's now look at the top picks in the draft and what impact they had, as well as taking a little time to briefly look at a couple of other things that caught my eye when reviewing this group of players.

#1 Pick - Shaquille O'Neal, Rockets (traded prior to 1999 season)

Shaq played for Houston from 1992-1998 and has been a beast since the moment he came into the league. The Rockets won the Midwest division in 1993 with a 58-24 record. They lost the Midwest the following year by just one game (finishing 57-25) and then started to decline... 46, 45, 32 and 31 win seasons followed before Shaq was finally traded for a package built around Zydrunas Ilgauskas (who continues to give the Rockets great production at the Center spot). Shaq was everything you could ask for during his time in Houston, posting averages of 24.6 ppg, 11.2 rpg, and 3.1 bpg on .576 shooting. That's the kind of production everyone hopes they'll get from a #1 pick. Alonzo may have won more, but Shaq's numbers are right there with him, so you have to think some of that has to do with the talent around him.

#2 Pick - Alonzo Mourning, Celtics (traded prior to 2001 season)

Alonzo has pretty much been the face of the Celtics from the time he was drafted until finally being shipped off to Seattle this past off-season. Under Zo's leadership, starting with his rookie season, the Celtics made five Finals trips in the span of six years. He made the All-Star team every season, was a Defensive Player of the Year, and generally dominated the East for that six-year period. He averaged 24.0 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 3.8 bpg on .571 shooting in Boston, and you could argue he had more impact on the league than Shaq did. Unlike Shaq, however, the exit does not appear to have been as fruitful for the Celtics, who netted only a couple of draft picks they have yet to make for Zo.

#3 Pick - Latrell Sprewell, Clippers (traded in 1999)

Sprewell was a bright star in Los Angeles but did not enjoy the same team success Shaq and Zo did. The Clippers were a playoff team for most of his tenure but only got past the first round a couple of times. Sprewell's averages were 23.3 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 4.7 apg, 1.5 spg on .474 shooting and .371 three-point shooting, so while not quite as dominating as Shaq and Zo, he was consistently an all-star level performer. He was eventually traded for a package that included Ricky Davis, who took a couple of years to blossom but now appears to be on his way to a productive career, filling the gap left by Sprewell.

#4 Pick - Doug Christie, Sonics (traded in 1999)

Doug was never able to elevate the Sonics beyond their consistent General Manager incomptence in his career - the Sonics only made the playoffs twice, flaming out in the first round, and finally shipped him off for what looked to be three late first round picks. His career averages with Sonics bespeak a player who never fulfilled his promise on either end of the floor: 15.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 3.3 apg, 1.6 spg on .429 shooting (.374 from three). Fortunately for the Sonics, new GM Darth Vegito was able to salvage things somewhat, as one of those picks was key to the Mourning acquisition, but Christie's career is definitely a disappointment considering his draft position. Maybe not a bust, but close.

#5 pick - Robert Horry, Bucks

Horry played only one season in Milwaukee before being traded for the Bulls' 1994 pick (Jim McIlvaine) and Wizards' 1995 draft picks (traded for Rick Fox), Manute Bol, and Tom Chambers. I think it's safe to say none of those players elevated the Bucks to a great place and even as a combination plate aren't really a great return on investment for the #5 pick. Horry himself has carved out a journeyman's career, making the all-star team once (1997) and the all-defensive team once (1998) but never really impacting the league. Horry is probably a bust himself, and even though the Bucks flipped him quickly for other assets, I'd label the value they got for the #5 pick a bust as well. Consider they passed on Jim Jackson, Tom Gugliotta, Jon Barry, David Wesley, and Anthony Peeler.

BEST VALUE PICK: Adam Keefe, Heat, #26 (and he happens to be the only player from this draft class still with the team that drafted him)

BIGGEST BUST: Walt Williams, Timberwolves, #11. At least Christian Laettner had a good rookie season before overeating in the off-season and letting TC kill him. Williams never had a good season. Laettner was almost the pick, though.

POINT AT WHICH THE CLASS QUALITY FELL OFF A CLIFF: Between picks 16 and 17. Popeye Jones and Matt Geiger had brief flashes as big men, but in general, every player except Williams and Laettner (the "busts") picked from 1-16 has been at least a decent starter in the league at some point, and every player after that point has been a niche bench player at best.

[JNR]

11th picks can't be busts. There was extremely little expectation.

[ballsohard]

Didn't Doug and I do this ?


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[Conroy]

I also think comparing Zo and Shaq trades would be the proverbial apples / oranges comparison.

[78#]

Didn't Doug and I do this ?


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On a different network (ESPN). This is Fox Sports Network's version.

[IamQuailman]

Didn't Doug and I do this ?


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On a different network (ESPN). This is Fox Sports Network's version.

[NOLa.]

This draft was stacked

[IamQuailman]

AWARDED 5pts! THANKS! (Fox Sports Version)