Okay, so I got this idea to rank the best undrafted NBA players ever, you know, the guys who didn’t hear their names called on draft night but still made it big. I figured it would be a fun little project, and I was kinda curious to see who would make the cut.
First thing I did was hit up the internet, of course. I started googling “best undrafted NBA players” and, man, did I get a ton of results. There were articles, forum discussions, and even some videos breaking down the best of the best. I started making a list of names that kept popping up, guys like Ben Wallace, John Starks, and Brad Miller. These were the obvious ones, the ones everyone agrees on.
Then, I started diving deeper. I wanted to find some less obvious choices, guys who maybe didn’t have the accolades of some of the bigger names but still had solid careers. I spent hours reading old articles and watching highlights of players I’d never even heard of before. It was like a history lesson and a scouting session all rolled into one.
After gathering a huge list of names, I started the painful process of whittling it down. I had to figure out what criteria I was going to use. Was it just stats? Was it about their impact on the game? What about longevity? I decided it had to be a mix of all of that. I mean, you can’t just look at points per game and call it a day, right?
I made spreadsheets, man, I got into it. I compared players, moved them up and down my list, and argued with myself for days about who deserved a spot and who didn’t. Some days I felt confident, other days I was totally lost. It’s hard to compare players from different eras, it felt like comparing apples and oranges at times. But that’s what made it so interesting too, right?
Finally, I came up with a list I felt good about. I put it out there, and wow, did people have opinions! I got a lot of love for my list, some people really agreed with my choices. I also got some heat, of course, some people thought I was crazy for including certain players or leaving others out. That’s all part of the fun though, sparking some debate and getting people talking about these awesome players.
My Toughest Calls
- Leaving off Udonis Haslem: Look, the guy’s a legend in Miami, a three-time champ, but I just couldn’t justify putting him above some of the other guys on my list. It was a tough one for sure.
- Ranking Fred VanVleet: This guy is still playing, and his story is still being written. Putting him on the list felt a bit premature, but his impact on the Raptors’ championship run was undeniable.
- Finding a spot for Bruce Bowen: Some say he was a dirty player, others call him a defensive genius. Either way, he was a key piece of those Spurs championship teams, and I felt he deserved a spot.
Overall, it was a really fun project. I learned a ton about basketball history, and I got to appreciate the journeys of these incredible players who defied the odds and made it to the top. It really makes you think about all the hard work and dedication it takes to make it in the NBA, especially when you don’t have that draft night boost. It’s a reminder that there’s no one path to success, and sometimes, the best stories are the ones that start a little differently.
