clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

NBA Draft 2016: HIstory of the #42 draft pick and Utah Jazz possibilities this year

Not a lot of keepers, but the potential to find a diamond in the rough.

Scott Halleran/Getty Images

I'm not going to lie, the second round is an absolute crapshoot every year. Players that you think will be great fits do not pan out. Other players may not be highly regarded but work their butts off to be great. And still others you had your eyes on do not even get drafted. Like I said, it is a crapshoot. For the Utah Jazz they have the #42 pick this year (just like last year, so even more Deja vu from double #12s). Over the last three decades the #42 hasn't really been an impact player. I count maybe three guys who made a difference with how their team played. Three times in 30 years isn't a great track record. Anyway, here they are:

Draft Tm Player Age Pos College G MPG PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG% 3P% FT% WS WS/48
1 1986 ATL Ron Kellogg Kansas
2 1987 ATL Terence Bailey Wagner College
3 1988 UTA Jeff Moe Iowa
4 1989 DEN Michael Cutright McNeese State
5 1990 DEN Marcus Liberty 21.2 F Illinois 267 17.1 7.3 3.5 0.9 0.7 0.3 41.7% 34.0% 66.4% 4.0 0.042
6 1991 SAC Steve Hood James Madison
7 1992 MIA Matt Geiger 22.3 C Georgia Tech 552 22.1 9.2 5.7 0.7 0.6 0.6 49.9% 23.2% 72.8% 28.4 0.112
8 1993 SEA Adonis Jordan 22.3 G Kansas 10 9.7 2.1 0.6 2.2 0.3 0.1 29.6% 25.0% 50.0% 0.0 -0.015
9 1994 CLE Gary Collier Tulsa
10 1995 ATL Donnie Boyce 21.3 G Colorado 30 6.5 2.6 0.8 0.5 0.4 0.2 34.9% 25.0% 50.0% -0.3 -0.064
11 1996 HOU Randy Livingston 21.1 G LSU 203 13.2 3.8 1.4 2.0 0.6 0.2 40.6% 35.1% 77.1% 2.3 0.041
12 1997 PHO Stephen Jackson 19.1 F-G Butler County 858 31.9 15.1 3.9 3.1 1.3 0.4 41.4% 33.3% 79.8% 36.1 0.063
13 1998 ORL Miles Simon 22.2 G Arizona 5 3.8 0.4 0.4 0.0 0.2 0.0 20.0% 0.0% -0.1 -0.289
14 1999 MIN Louis Bullock Michigan
15 2000 SEA Olumide Oyedeji 19.1 C International 93 6.3 1.4 2.1 0.1 0.2 0.2 49.5% 65.9% 1.2 0.095
16 2001 NYK Eric Chenowith Kansas
17 2002 POR Jason Jennings Arkansas State
18 2003 ORL Zaza Pachulia 19.1 C International 891 21.5 7.1 6.0 1.2 0.7 0.3 46.1% 0.0% 74.6% 42.4 0.106
19 2004 ATL Viktor Sanikidze 18.1 F International
20 2005 GSW Chris Taft 20.1 F Pittsburgh 17 8.5 2.8 2.1 0.1 0.1 0.4 60.5% 16.7% 0.5 0.155
21 2006 CLE Daniel Gibson 20.1 G Texas 397 23.5 7.8 2.0 2.0 0.6 0.2 40.2% 40.7% 78.0% 16.0 0.082
22 2007 POR Derrick Byars 23.1 F Vanderbilt 2 18.5 5.0 5.5 0.5 1.0 0.0 27.3% 0.0% 100.0% 0.1 0.147
23 2008 SAC Sean Singletary 22.3 G Virginia 37 8.2 2.4 0.9 0.8 0.3 0.0 36.5% 40.0% 85.7% 0.0 0.006
24 2009 LAL Patrick Beverley 20.4 G Arkansas 224 27.8 9.2 3.5 3.1 1.2 0.4 41.2% 37.3% 76.3% 14.3 0.110
25 2010 MIA Da'Sean Butler West Virginia
26 2011 IND Davis Bertans 18.2 F International
27 2012 MIL Doron Lamb 20.2 G Kentucky 100 12.7 3.5 1.0 0.8 0.2 0.0 38.1% 39.4% 70.0% 0.1 0.005
28 2013 PHI Pierre Jackson 21.3 G Baylor
29 2014 HOU Nick Johnson 21.2 G Arizona 28 9.4 2.6 1.4 0.4 0.3 0.1 34.7% 23.8% 68.0% -0.1 -0.020
30 2015 UTA Olivier Hanlan 22.1 G Boston College
31 2016 UTA To Be Determined

Thanks to Basketball-Reference for the data, by the way!

Yes, there are a number of guys here who did become rotation players on playoff teams, like Geiger, or Zaza, or Boobie, or even Beverley. But I think everyone has to do a double take on Stack Jack falling to #42 back in 1997. He was a star player for a number of good playoff teams, and is the ultimate diamond in the rough. He came out of nowhere and was selected by a very smart group of people who did their homework.

I think Dennis Lindsey and the Jazz count as smart people who do their homework as well.

They had the exact situation last year and picked Hanlan, who had an okay season over in Europe (Latvia), but kind of had to take that route because he was outplayed in the summer league. If Utah finds another hidden gem he could be a diamond in the rough. Or he could be just another #42 pick who doesn't make it. But when you are getting picked this far down in the draft nothing comes easy, right Zaza?

Man, this video just makes me hyped up for the #42 pick for no damn good reason.

Don't expect: a guy to make the roster beyond training camp.

Do expect: someone who has a high reward with a low risk.

Prediction: I think the Jazz know that the #42 is a good enough asset to move in a package. The other picks (#52 and #60) are worth almost nothing. So I don't think the team will keep #42 for long. But if they do they may be picking a European bigman. There are a few who may be available at #42.  Juan Hernangomez (Spain), Petr Cornelie (France), Guerschon Yabusele (France), Rade Zagorac (Serbia), Georgios Papagiannis (Greece), heck even Joel Bolomboy (Weber State, with parents from the Congo and Ukraine) may even get a look.

Gut Feeling: Personally, if he's still there on the board, I would go with Caris LeVert (Michigan) at #42. He's likely not going to be on the board there. Which is all fine and well, because the Utah Jazz are not likely to be picking at #42 for themselves either.