2019 – Justin James, 40th overall
The ability to find gems in the second round is by no means a walk in the park and some teams have better development programs than others. But to miss out on four extremely impactful players tends to sting a bit.
Justin James was chosen with the 10th pick in the second round, immediately followed by Eric Paschall to the Warriors. Paschall would’ve been a huge addition to this team, especially with Bagley spending so much time out with injuries. He brings the ability to stretch the floor and as an undersized power forward can switch every position on defense. James, on the other hand, spent the majority of his time with the Stockton Kings in the G-League.
The misses don’t stop there though. While the Kings were on the clock, Bol Bol, who was initially thought to be a lottery pick but fell due to injuries was still available. The Kings should have rolled the dice on Bol; what’s the worst that would happen? Even a small sample size shows the exceptional talent Bol possess and with time he could become a star in this league. A 7-foot-3 center who is already dribbling up the floor and pulling up from behind the arc, it’s hard to see why they wouldn’t take the risk.
Another two notable players went undrafted in Terrence Davis and Lu Dort. Both players have found homes at their respective teams and have contributed more than the many of the drafted players. Dort recently played the best defense I have ever seen anyone play on James Harden, While Davis has been a solid contributor to the Raptors all year long, averaging seven points in 16 minutes per game.