Re-drafting the impactful 1997 NBA Draft Lottery picks
player. 41. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Power Forward. Tim Thomas. Original: 7th-Nets. 8
The original eighth overall pick for the Warriors in the 1997 draft wasn’t necessarily bad, but Adonal Foyle didn’t bring as much value to the table as the former seventh overall pick of the New Jersey Nets Tim Thomas did over the long haul. Thomas was a 6-foot-10 Villanova Wildcats big man that had a 13-year long NBA career.
The only major accolade that Thomas would pull in over the course of his run in the NBA was 1997-98 All-Rookie Team honors. But his advanced numbers were pretty good by all considerations for this draft class. He had 35.2 win shares, 6.4 value over replacement player rating, 53.5 true shooting percentage, and and 10.1 percent assist rate.
Thomas played in more than 800 regular season games in his career and had a pretty versatile skill set. He needed to play better on defense, but this is still a flier worth taking for the Warriors at No. 8.
Pick Analysis. Original: 4th-Grizzlies. 147. Scouting Report. Combo Guard. Antonio Daniels. 7. player
While the former fourth overall pick of the Vancouver Grizzlies in the 1997 draft, Bowling Green Falcons guard Antonio Daniels, didn’t get All-Rookie Team honors in 1997-98, he did have a decent professional career. Although Daniels would win get an NBA Championship with the Spurs during the 1998-99 season.
A 114 offensive rating, 47.0 win shares, .115 win shares per 48 minutes, 10.1 value over replacement player rating, 54.6 true shooting percentage, and a 14.6 player efficiency rating, marked Daniels’ 13-year long career. He spent most of his career with the Spurs and Washington Wizards (four seasons each way).
The Nets get the Grizzlies original pick in this re-draft instead of Thomas.