We continue our eDraft exclusive look at the top NBA draft choices over the past 40 years. Our continued look back through history will determine who was the best draft selection through each slot in the draft. We don’t stop with the first overalls, we will go pick by pick, year by year to to identify the very best selections of all-time.
With this we are officially cracking the top five and I’m imagining some stiffer competition with these draft slots. The competition for the title of greatest sixth overall draft pick was pretty weak, mind you it would have taken an epic selection to unseat the Boston Celtic legend who was taken back in 1978. For in 1978 the Celtics drafted the ‘Hick from French Lick’ aka, Larry Bird.
Larry the Legend went on to win three NBA titles and in two of those series Bird took home the Finals MVP honours. In addition to the three titles, Bird won an Olympic Gold Medal with the original USA Dream Team, three league MVP’s and was named to 12 NBA All-Star teams. After retirement from his playing days, Bird transitioned smoothly to the sidelines then to the front office as he was named NBA Coach of the Year in 1998 and Executive of the Year in 2012. As one might imagine, the Celtics honoured Bird with his jersey retirement and he was soon thereafter accepted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 1998.
Alright, we move on from Celtic lore in hopes of finding a similarly gifted player who was taken in the fifth overall draft slot. In review of the almanacs, the competition was steep; however, the winner was still a clear cut choice. Let’s start off with those who made the cut but who fell short of claiming out title.
We will start with a four-year stretch of solid picks coming out of the five slot. 2011 saw the Toronto Raptors select Jonas Valanciunas and while this pick might not have garnered attention last season, Valanciunas seems poised for a breakthrough season this year. In 2010 the Sacramento Kings took DeMarcus Cousins with their pick and despite the rumours of attitude issues and general malcontentedness the Kings signed Cousins to a contract extension this offseason.
The Minnesota Timberwolves had the fifth overall pick in consecutive years and they struck gold on both as the took Ricky Rubio in 2009 and Kevin Love in 2008. This duo could form the nucleus of the franchise for the next decade, if they stay healthy and are happy in Minnesota. Of course a duo that also went in back to back draft years fifth overall to Minnesota didn’t exactly work out as planned as the Wolves picked Ray Allen in 1996 and Kevin Garnett back in 1995. While each has certainly enjoyed success, hardly any of it was experienced in Minnesota.
While Garnett was in consideration for top honours here so was the Miami Heat’s fifth overall pick from 2003. Dwyane Wade has had himself a great career, of which the final chapter has yet to be written. While Wade and Garnett both have NBA Championships to their name, they weren’t the absolute catalyst on those championship teams and thusly they both fell short here.
A couple of high-fliers make the list here as both were originally selected by the Golden State Warriors as fifth overall picks. Jason Richardson went in 2001 and Vince Carter was taken in 1998 then promptly flipped to Toronto for Antawn Jamison. Richardson and Carter both dazzled with electrifying dunks and aerial acrobatics; however, their success was fleeting and they have been relegated to reserve roles nowadays.
Going back even further we come across out first Hall of Famer of the bunch and while others mentioned here are most certainly going to have their names called to the hall on day, so far the fifth overall draft slot has but two representatives already enshrined.
The first of the Hallers is Scottie Pippen who was drafted by the now defunct Seattle Supersonics back in 1987. Pippen never played for the franchise as he was shipped to the Chicago Bulls and as they say the rest is history. Pippen teamed with Michael Jordan to form the league’s most successful duo as they have the six Championship rings to prove it. Pippen’s resume speaks for itself as he is considered one of the league’s best small-forwards of all-time. Despite all the accolades Pippen earned throughout his Hall of Fame career he comes up just short to our eventual winner.
Back in 1984 the Philadelphia 76ers drafted a portly and rotund power-forward from Auburn University. This forward listed himself as 6’6” despite playing about two inches shorter; however, he went on to be one of the most feared players in the league. He became known as the “Round Mound of Rebound” and Charles Barkley did nothing to curtail the vices that brought his moniker.
Barkley was a force in the Association for the better part of two decades as he averaged a double-double in every season of his career cept for his rookie season where he posted a mere 8.6 rpg. While Barkley will forever be mentioned in the same breath as other NBA greats without a Championship on their resume, one must remember that he played in the era dominated by Jordan and the Bulls.
Even without a ring on his finger, Barkley was an automatic selection for the Naismith Hall of Fame as his resume did include two Olympic Gold Medals, a league MVP award, 11 All-Star appearances and a spot on the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-time Team. Barkley hung up his sneakers with career averages of 22.1 ppg and 11.7 rpg which further cemented his legacy.
Charles Barkley won out as the greatest 5th overall draft pick of all-time over some stiff competition because when push comes to shove, everyone knows Barkley would push back harder and with that Barkley walks away our champion.