Re-drafting the impactful 1997 NBA Draft Lottery picks
Forward. Keith Van Horn. Pick Analysis. Original: 2nd-Sixers. 4. player. 211. Scouting Report
It’s hard to pick between the former Utah Utes 6-foot-10 forward Keith Van Horn for the fourth overall pick and Jackson. There is more longevity for Jackson, but the advanced numbers just don’t prove the value that he brings to the table.
Taking personal time and various injury problems held back the lengthy and efficient forward. The career of Van Horn didn’t play in even a full decade. The Dallas Mavericks were the final team that Van Horn played for in 2005-06. Of the five teams that Van Horn played for in his nine years in the NBA, none of them saw him average less than a double-digit number of points per game.
Most of the career of Van Horn was spent with the New Jersey Nets (five seasons). He also registered a 9.6 value over replacement player rating, 1.1 offensive box plus/minus rating, 41.7 win shares, and .110 win shares per 48 minutes.
Original: 3rd-Celtics. Chauncey Billups. player. 18. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Point Guard. 3
This is where the re-draft makes a big jump from the likes of Van Horn and Jackson up to the point where the top three players in the draft class are Hall-of-Fame worthy. The first player in the top three lands with the same team he was drafted with in the first place, with the Celtics snagging the 6-foot-3 former Colorado Buffaloes point guard Chauncey Billups.
The highlights of Billups’ career in the NBA came with the Pistons in the mid-2000’s, and the Celtics seemingly dumped him off for next to nothing. That’s why in this re-draft the Celtics would get to do it all over again.
Billups is a five-time All-Star selection, three-time All-NBA honoree, two-time All-Defensive Team member, 2003-04 NBA Finals MVP and a Champion in the same year. He averaged more than 15.0 points per game, posted an 18.8 player efficiency rating, and 120.8 career regular season win shares.