With the 2015 NBA Draft fast approaching, we take a look back at the 20 best NBA Draft picks to come from the University of Michigan.
Dec 30, 2014; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; General view during the second half of the game between the Michigan Wolverines and the Illinois Fighting Illini at Crisler Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
It’s hard not to immediately think of the Fab 5 when thinking about Michigan basketball. While they may have been a highly touted group and the best five-player unit Michigan basketball has ever put on the floor, not all had NBA success and there are certainly players from other Michigan basketball teams who went on to productive NBA careers.
So keep in mind that this list does not rank the greatest players in Michigan basketball history. This is about what happened after these basketball players left Michigan and heard their name called in the NBA Draft.
While the list focuses on the NBA career of each player, it should serve as a walk down memory lane for the Michigan basketball as it features players recent and not so recent, active and retired, living and deceased.
With that, let’s get on with the top 20 NBA draft picks to come from the University of Michigan.
Next: Number 20
Apr 13, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; New York Knicks guard
Jr. (5) drives to the basket against the Atlanta Hawks in the first quarter at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Tim Hardaway Jr’s decision to leave Michigan after his junior season was validated when he was drafted by the New York Knicks in the first round of the 2013 draft. It not only earned him a guaranteed contract as a first round pick, but put him in a situation where he could play right away.
Hardaway appeared in 81 games as a rookie, averaging just over 23 minutes per game. He was elevated to a spot-starter in his second year, making 30 starts while averaging 24 minutes per game.
He was a hot and cold shooter while at Michigan but has improved his three point shooting despite the longer line (.343 at Michigan, .353 in the NBA). He has also improved his free throw shooting, finishing better than .800 in both seasons, something he didn’t do in any of his three seasons as a Wolverine.
The NBA Draft is a crap shoot, even in the first round. Hardaway won’t be a star, but the Knicks could have done a lot worse. Of the 36 picks that came after Hardaway in the 2013 NBA Draft, only one player has put up a higher win share total through their first two NBA seasons.
Next: Number 19
Tim McCormick played for six teams during his eight years in the NBA, but never for the team that drafted him. The Cleveland Cavaliers made McCormick the 12th pick in the 1984 draft, but by the time the trade dust settled, McCormick was a member of the Seattle SuperSonics.
According to PER, McCormick’s best season was his first when he posted a 14.7 PER. His most impressive season looking just at the stat lines was his third NBA season after being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers when 12.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.
His NBA production waned with decreased playing time the second half of his career, but McCormick finished his eight seasons with a career averages of 8.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.
Next: Number 18
Feb 8, 2015; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward
(33) attempts a shot against Los Angeles Clippers guard
(31) during the fourth quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
A guy with 32 career games is a top 20 NBA Draft pick out of Michigan? OK, some projection is necessary here but although the sample size is small – very small – McGary posted an impressive PER of 16.4 as a rookie.
Compare that to career averages of other former Wolverines and McGary ranks fourth. In limited action, McGary largely showed that his game could translate to the NBA. We’ll see if that continues as the Thunder bounce back from what was a lost season last year.
Revisit this list in a couple years and McGary could pace much higher. Or he could be left off entirely.
Next: Number 17
The Clippers got the best basketball of Maurice Taylor‘s career but couldn’t hold on to him past his rookie deal as Taylor, like many players of the era, got away from the Clippers as soon as he could. As a rookie, Taylor was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.
Taylor averaged 17.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game in his third and final season in LA before bolting for the Houston Rockets as a free agent. He wasn’t as productive as a Rocket and his career ended with unremarkable stops with the New York Knicks and Sacramento Kings.
Next: Number 16
Gary Grant went from the Seattle SuperSonics to the Los Angeles Clippers on a draft day trade and went on to play seven seasons for the Clippers. One of the greatest assist men in Michigan basketball history, Grant was an effective distributor of the basketball at the NBA level, averaging ten assists per game in his second NBA season.
Grant finished his NBA career with averages of 7.9 points, 2.3 rebounds, 5.5 and 1.5 steals per game in 553 games.
Next: Number 15
Tractor Traylor was originally drafted by the Dallas Mavericks but was part of a draft day trade that sent him to Milwaukee in exchange for Dirk Nowitzki and Pat Garrity. With all due respect to Traylor, the Bucks might want a redo on that one.
Traylor’s career averages of 4.8 points, 3.7 rebounds and 0.7 blocks per game don’t light up a box score, but he managed to be a rather efficient player while never playing heavy minutes in a career that spanned 438 games.
Traylor’s career was cut short due to heart problems and it was an apparent heart attack that prematurely ended his life in 2011.
Next: Number 14
Feb 16, 2014; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; A general view of the Crisler Arena during the first half of the game between the Wisconsin Badgers and the Michigan Wolverines. The Badgers won 75-62. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Phil Hubbard‘s move from the University of Michigan wasn’t a far one after being drafted by the Detroit Pistons. Hubbard’s Pistons career came to an end midway through his third season in a trade to the Cleveland Cavaliers that brought Bill Laimbeer to Detroit.
In 11 NBA seasons between the Pistons and Cavs, Hubbard averaged 10.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists. His best statistical season came in 1984-85 when he averaged 15.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists.
Next: Number 13
One of the great scorers in Michigan basketball history, Mike McGee averaged 4.9 points in just 9.0 minutes per game as a rookie in which he appeared in 39 games for a Lakers team that would go on to win and NBA title.
Three years later, the Lakers would win another title, this time with McGee figuring in more prominently. McGee played in 76 games for the 1984-85 Lakers, averaging 10.2 points per game.
For his career, McGee averaged 9.6 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.2 assist per game in 520 games.
Next: Number 12
It took a while before Terry Mills gained some stability with one team but he would go on to make good on his original draft position of 16th overall in the 1990 draft. Mills was originally a pick of the Bucks, who traded his rights to the Denver Nuggets. However, Mills would only play in 17 games for the Nuggets before being traded to the New Jersey Nets.
He played in all 82 games with the Nets in his second year, but was on the move again after signing with his hometown Pistons prior to the 1991-92 season.
It was with the Pistons that Mills solidified himself as a pro, posting a career-high 17.3 points per game during the 1993-94 season.
Mills’ NBA career spanned 678 games over the course of 11 seasons in which he averaged 10.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.
Next: Number 11
For much of the mid-90s, Loy Vaught was a double-double machine as he became one of the league’s most consistent power forwards. Vaught’s scoring averaged peaked at 17.5 points per game for the 1994-95 season while his best rebounding year came the next season when he averaged 10.1 boards per game.
Injuries started to set in during the 1997-98 season in what would be his last as a Clipper. Vaught appeared in 80 games over the course of two seasons with the Pistons, then played in 51 in his final NBA season split between the Dallas Mavericks and Washington Wizards.
Vaught played in 689 career games, finishing with averages of 10.1 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.
Next: Number 10
When Roy Tarpley played, he was one of the best NBA players to ever come from Michigan. The problem was that Tarpley wasn’t able to have a long career due to drug and alcohol issues. Suspensions took away what should have been Tarpley’s prime NBA years, and ultimately led to him being outright banned from the league.
Tarpley was named to the All-Rookie First team for the 1986-87 season and was the league’s Sixth Man of the Year the following season. Tarpley’s career PER average of 18.4 ranks second only to Chris Webber (we’ll get to him later) among all NBA players from the University of Michigan. His career was just 280 games played in total, but Tarpley finished with a double-double average of 12.6 points and 10.0 rebounds per game.
Next: Number 9
Campy Russell made the All-Star game in the 1978-79 season in which he averaged 21.9 points, 4.7 assists and 6.8 rebounds per game. It was the only season he averaged better than 20 points per game but he was solidly a double-figure guy for most of his career, finishing with a 15.8 points per game average.
Campy Russell’s career was 566 games, only three of which came after missing the 1982-83 and 1983-84 seasons due to injury (knee).
In 2014, Cavs fan site Fear the Sword ranked Campy Russell the 13th best Cavalier.
Next: Number 8
Appearing in 946 games over 14 NBA seasons, Rickey Green averaged 9.4 points, 5.5 assists and 1.4 steals per game. His 5.5 assist per game is tied for best among Michigan-produced NBA players. His 946 career games trails only Glen Rice, Jamal Crawford and Juwan Howard.
Green was named to the All-Star squad in 1982-83 as a member of the Utah Jazz, a season in which he averaged 13.2 points, 9.2 assists and 2.7 steals per game.
Next: Number 7
When the New York Knicks made Cazzie Russell the first overall pick in the 1966 draft, they got a player who would become an important piece of their 1969-70 team that won the World Championship. Cazzie was a productive player early on, averaging 11.3 points per game as a rookie and earning a spot on the All-Rookie First Team following the 1966-67 season.
His minutes and numbers dipped for that Championship team, but Russell made up for it with efficiency by posting a 16.p PER, one of the best of his career.
Russell may be most well known for his time with the Knicks, but his lone All-Star game appearance came in the 1971-72 season as a member of the Golden State Warriors. Russell averaged 21.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.1 assist that season, all career highs.
In 817 career games, Russell averaged 15.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists.
Next: Number 6
The most vocal member of the Fab 5, Jalen Rose finished behind only Juwan Howard for career NBA games played. Rose’s 923 are fifth-most among former Wolverines and his longevity can be attributed in part to his versatility as Rose saw time in the NBA at point guard, shooting guard and small forward.
After a couple unremarkable seasons with the Denver Nuggest and a couple more under Larry Brown in Indiana, Rose became a pivotal player for the Pacers of the late-90s and early-2000s that were among the best in the Eastern Conference. He was particularly good in the 2000 NBA Finals, averaging 23 points per game as the Pacers fell to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.
Rose was never named to an All-Star team but was on the All-Rookie Second Team and was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player in 2000. He finished with career averages of 14.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.
Next: Number 5
February 19, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Jamal Crawford (11) shoots a basket against the San Antonio Spurs during the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Jamal Crawford’s time as a Michigan Wolverine was rocky and brief, but he has gone on to have a solid NBA career. The first stop of his NBA career was also very short as the Cavaliers traded him on draft day to the Chicago Bulls. He showed steady improvement for the Bulls early in his career, breaking out in year four with a scoring average of 17.3 points per game as his minutes jumped by about ten minutes per game from the year before. Instead of building around Crawford, the Bulls traded him to the Knicks.
In his fourth season with the Knicks, Crawford put up the only 20+ points per game season of his career, averaging 20.6 points per game over 80 games in the 2007-08 season. As was the case with the Bulls, he was traded shortly after his best season with the team, shipped to Golden State 11 games into the 2008-09 season. Crawford has spent time with the Hawks, Trail Blazers and most recently the Clipper since then, remaining a scoring threat.
15 seasons into his NBA career and still going, Crawford owns career averages of 15.6 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.
Next: Number 4
Younger fans will know him best as the coach of the World Champion Houston Rockets of the mid-1990s but Rudy Tomjanovich had a great career as a player, both as a Michigan Wolverine and in the NBA. Tomjanovich improved his scoring totals in each of his first four years in the NBA, culminating with being named to his first All-Star team in 1973-74. Rudy T averaged a career-best 24.5 points per game that season, along with 9.0 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game.
By the 1977-78 season, Tomjanovich had become a perennial All-Star, appearing the previous four games. However, an on-court incident resulted in Tomjanovich being punched by opposing player Kermit Washington, inflicting serious injuries that cost Tomjanovich the rest of the season. He returned the next season to make another All-Star team but played just two more season after that.
Tomjanovich’s playing career ended having played 768 games in which he averaged 17.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists.
Next: Number 3
Juwan Howard’s NBA career got off to a fast start as he was named an NBA All-Rookie Second Team selection then an All-Star in his second season. Washington then signed Howard to the NBA’s first $100 million contract, although he would never match the 22.1 points per game he averaged during his second NBA season. Still, he was solidly a double-digit scorer and could be counted on for 7-8 rebounds per game for much of his career.
He may not have lived up to that contract, and that meant he was often a trade target for shifting around salary cap space, but his longevity is a testament to worth as an NBA player. No former Wolverine has played in more NBA games than Howard’s 1208 over the course of his 19 seasons. Even with a wane in production late in his career, Howard finished with career averages of 13.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists.
Howard was almost more coach than player with the Miami Heat, but in 2011-12 he became the first and only member of the Fab 5 to win a World Championship.
Next: Number 2
A noted scorer at Michigan, the Miami Heat picked Glen Rice early in the 1990 draft to help carry the load offensively. Rice delivered, upping his average from 13.6 to 17.4 to 22.3 points per game over his first three seasons. He dipped to 19 points per game in year four but was back above the 20 point per game mark in each of the next five seasons, three of which came as a member of the Charlotte Hornets.
Rice’s 1996-97 season was the most prolific scoring season of his career, averaging 26.8 points per game helped in large part by shooting 47.0% on three pointers.
An All-Star in each of his three seasons with the Hornets, Rice took a somewhat smaller role after being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, but it did see Rice add the title of NBA Champion to his resume. A season with the Knicks, two with the Rockets and one with the Clippers finished Rice’s career but what a career it was. Rice’s career 18.3 points per game average ranks second behind Chris Webber for former Wolverines.
OK, let’s finally get to that Webber guy…
Next: Number 1
He was the most highly-regarded player in the most highly-regarded recruiting class in Michigan basketball history and Chris Webber’s NBA career continued on that trajectory. Among NBA players from Michigan, Webber’s 37.1 minutes per game and 20.7 points per game are tops. And he didn’t do it all on volume. Webber is the NBA’s most efficient former Wolverine, checking in with a career PER average of 20.9.
The versatility Webber showed in his two years at Michigan translated beautifully to the NBA. The Magic dealt him to the Warriors in a draft day trade in exchange for Penny Hardaway and three future first round picks. A steep price, but one that Webber would justify over the course of his career. Unfortunately for the Warriors, much of that justification would come with Webber wearing a Sacramento Kings uniform.
Webber named to the All-Rookie first team and was the league’s 1994 Rookie of the Year. He was an All-NBA first team selection once, second team selection three times, a third team selection one time and was a five time All-Star. Webber played in 831 games as a pro, averaging 20.7 points, 9.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game.
Next: Top 20 Former Spartans in NBA