Who were the 14 players drafted before Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2013?
Who were the 14 players drafted before Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2013?
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Giannis Antetokounmpo was selected 15th overall in the 2013 NBA Draft. The "Greek Freak" is a two-time NBA MVP and now, a Finals champion and MVP. How could he have gone 15th overall? Let's take a look at the first 14 picks in that year's draft.
14. Shabazz Muhammad
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The Utah Jazz drafted Shabazz Muhammad. He is currently playing for the Shenzhen Aviators of the Chinese Basketball Association. After being chosen by Utah, Muhammad's draft rights were traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves along with the 21st pick, Gorgui Dieng, in exchange for the ninth pick, Trey Burke. He played for two NBA teams and has been out of the league since following the 2017-18 season.
13. Kelly Olynyk
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Kelly Olynyk was selected with the 13th overall pick by the Dallas Mavericks, before being immediately traded to the Boston Celtics. He signed a four-year, $50 million contract with the Miami Heat in 2017, but now plays for the Houston Rockets.
12. Steven Adams
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Steven Adams was drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder and averaged about 10 points and 8 rebounds per game. He currently plays for the New Orleans Pelicans.
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The 76ers drafted Michael Carter-Williams out of Syracuse. He was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 2014, and he has also played for the Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, Charlotte Hornets, Houston Rockets, and Orlando Magic.
10. C.J. McCollum
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CJ McCollum was drafted by Portland out of Lehigh. He shares the backcourt with Damian Lillard. After the 2015–16 season, he was named the NBA's Most Improved Player.
9. Trey Burke
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Trey Burke was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the ninth overall pick and immediately traded to the Utah Jazz. He has also played with the Washington Wizards, New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks and Philadelphia 76ers.
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Detroit drafted Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. He played four seasons with the Pistons before joining the Lakers as a free agent in 2017–18.
7. Ben McLemore
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The Kings drafted Ben McLemore. He has been with the franchise twice as well as the Memphis Grizzlies. After a stint with the Houston Rockets, he headed to the Los Angeles Lakers.
6. Nerlens Noel
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Nerlens Noel was selected with the sixth overall pick in by the New Orleans Pelicans. His rights were later traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. He has also played for the Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder. Noel is currently part of the New York Knicks' roster.
5. Alex Len
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The Suns drafted Alex Len. He has also played for the Atlanta Hawks and Sacramento Kings. Len is currently a member of the Washington Wizards.
4. Cody Zeller
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Cody Zeller was drafted by Charlotte out of Indiana and has remained with the team.
3. Otto Porter
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Washington chose Otto Porter Jr. from Georgetown. He was with the Wizards until February 2019 when he was dealt to the Chicago Bulls. Currently he plays for the Orlando Magic.
2. Victor Oladipo
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Victor Oladipo was drafted with the Orlando Magic's second overall pick and went on to be named to the NBA All-Rookie first team. He was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2016, and then traded to the Pacers in 2017. He became a first-time NBA All-Star, led the league in steals, was named to the All-Defensive First Team and the All-NBA Third Team, and won the NBA's Most Improved Player Award in his first season with Indiana. Despite an injury-riddled 2018–19 season, including a season-ending injury in January 2019, Oladipo was named an Eastern Conference All-Star reserve for the second-straight year. He currently plays for the Miami Heat.
1. Anthony Bennett
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The Cleveland Cavaliers drafted Anthony Bennett out of UNLV. His NBA career can be described as an enormous flop, though he is still playing professional ball with the Cangrejeros de Santurce of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional in Puerto Rico.
15. Giannis Antetokounmpo
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Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks in all five major statistical categories in 2016-17, and became the first player in NBA history to finish a regular season in the top 20 in all five statistics of total points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. He received the Most Improved Player award in 2017. Antetokounmpo has received four All-Star selections, including being selected as an All-Star captain in 2019 and '20, as he led the Eastern Conference in voting in these two years. In June 2019, he was named the Most Valuable Player. In August 2020, Antetokounmpo was named the 2019-20 Defensive Player of the Year. Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, and James Harden are finalists for the 2020 MVP award.
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