This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
It can be a gold mine.
It can be a minefield.
Owning the No. 3 pick in the NBA Draft is a win-some, lose-some proposition that can help secure a franchise's future or send it staggering backwards.
The third overall pick is located in an unpredictable no-man's-land — not good enough to secure a draft's best prospect but high enough that expectations for a physically talented player immediately soar.
Kevin O'Connor knows.
The Jazz own the No. 3 pick in Thursday night's draft, thanks to the Deron Williams trade with New Jersey in February and good fortune in the lottery, when they moved up from sixth.
O'Connor, the Jazz's longtime general manager, is responsible for making sure Utah maximizes the pick — only its third in the top 10 since 1983.
"Certainly there's a little more pressure," O'Connor said. "Your pool becomes smaller as far as possible choices go. You've got to dig a little deeper and find the right guy. … You've got to hit it."
Translation?
If a GM misses with a No. 3 pick, the impact is greater — and the criticism is louder and probably more justified — than if he whiffs on a player taken late in the first round.
This year, O'Connor walks an even more tenuous path because the draft lacks can't-miss prospects.
Duke point guard Kyrie Irving and Arizona forward Derrick Williams are the consensus No. 1 and No. 2 picks.
After Irving and Williams, however, as many as five players are considered worthy of being No. 3, depending on who is judging this beauty contest. The pick could come down to a foreign-born big man like Enes Kanter, Jan Vesely or Jonas Valanciunas.
Point guards Brandon Knight of Kentucky and UConn's Kemba Walker are other possibilities.
All are talented.
But so were past players like Darius Miles, Chris Washburn, Benoit Benjamin and Adam Morrison. They were the No. 3 picks in their respective drafts, but none had close to a proportionate impact.
Injuries and off-the-court problems can be an issue.
For others, the jump to the NBA is simply too severe.
"It's all about how a guy's game and his physical ability translates from college into the pros — where he's playing against bigger, older, more mature guys," Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin said. "Some guys, when they come up against the physical part of this league, it's just a little too much for them. Their natural talents can't shine."
On the other hand, Michael Jordan was a No. 3 pick.
In 1984, the Chicago Bulls drafted third, behind Houston and Portland.
The Rockets selected local star Hakeem Olajuwon from the University of Houston before the Blazers, in one of the most criticized moves in draft history, took Kentucky center Sam Bowie.
At the time, the pick made sense.
Portland already had All-Star shooting guard Jim Paxson and future All-Star Clyde Drexler on its roster.
But Jordan became the greatest player in NBA history.
"You look at a guy like Michael Jordan," Corbin said. "He's so talented, but he's such a tough cat, too. His inner drive was as good as his talent level, and that propelled him to who he was in this league."
Besides Jordan, the best No. 3 picks in draft history include Hall of Famers Nate Thurmond and Kevin McHale and two of the league's greatest scorers, Pete Maravich and Dominique Wilkins.
Is there a star waiting at No. 3 this year?
Stay tuned.
Best No. 3 NBADraft Picks
The top 10 No. 3 picks in the NBA Draft, going back to 1960:
1. Michael Jordan, Guard, 1984
Highlights • Played on six championship teams with Chicago. … A 14-time All-Star. … A six-time Most Valuable Player. … Averaged 30.1 points during his 15-year
career.
2. Nate Thurmond, Center, 1963
Highlights • A seven-time All-Star. … Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1985. … First player in NBA history to record a quadruple-double. … Once grabbed 42 rebounds in a game.
3. Pete Maravich, Guard, 1970
Highlights • A Hall of Famer and five-time All-Star. … Averaged 24.2 points in 10 seasons in the NBA. … Set a Jazz franchise-record with 68 points vs. Knicks on Feb. 25, 1977.
4. Kevin McHale, Forward, 1980
Highlights • Played on three championship teams with Boston. … A seven-time All-Star. … Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1999. … Averaged 17.9 points and 7.3 rebounds in his career.
5. Dominique Wilkins, Forward, 1982
Highlights • Drafted by the Jazz but traded to Atlanta. … Played in nine All-Star Games. … Elected to the Hall of Fame in 2006. … Scored 26,668 points in his career.
6. Buck Williams, Forward, 1981
Highlights • Played 17 seasons. … A three-time All-Star. … Made the all-defensive team four times. … Finished his career with more than 16,000 points and 13,000 rebounds.
7. Carmelo Anthony, Forward, 2003
Highlights • A four-time All-Star. … Has averaged more than 20 points in each of his first eight NBA seasons. … Represented the United States in the 2004 and 2008 Olympics.
8. Deron Williams, Guard, 2005
Highlights • A two-time All-Star. … Averaged more than 10 assists in each of the past four seasons. … Averaged 24.3 points and 10.3 assists in 2010 playoffs. … A 2008 Olympian.
9. Grant Hill, Forward, 1994
Highlights • Has overcome serious injuries to play 16 seasons. … A seven-time All-Star. … Co-Rookie of the Year in 1995 with Jason Kidd. … Averaged 25.8 points in 1999-2000.
10. Chauncey Billups, Guard, 1997
Highlights • Led Detroit to the 2004 NBA championship. … Named MVP of the Finals. … His team has reached the playoffs 11 times in 14 seasons. … A five-time All-Star. —
Recent No. 3 NBA Draft picks
The No. 3 overall pick in the past five NBA drafts:
2006 Adam Morrison Charlotte Forward
11.8 ppg as a rookie, then a knee injury
2007 Al Horford Atlanta Center
All-Rookie team and a two-time All-Star
2008 O.J. Mayo Minnesota Guard
Athletic scorer but off-court issues, too
2009 James Harden Okla. City Guard
Emerging scorer for on-the-rise Thunder
2010 Derrick Favors New Jersey Forward
Jazz hoping he becomes a cornerstone