4) Rudy Gobert at No. 27 (2013)
On draft night 2013, the Jazz essentially bought the No. 27 pick from the Denver Nuggets to take Rudy Gobert. Four years later, people debate whether he or Giannis Antetokounmpo should’ve been taken with the No. 1 overall pick.
Since being drafted, Gobert has continually developed his game around his elite size. In doing so, he has gone from being the 12th man, to a defensive specialist, to an elite defender and, now, possibly the best center in the NBA.
Last season, he averaged 14 points, 12.8 rebounds and a league-best 2.6 blocks per game. He also led the league in true shooting percentage and defensive win shares. As a result, he was a second-team All-NBA selection and could be picking up some Defensive Player of the Year hardware this summer.
Next season, he probably plays in his first All-Star Game.
In addition to his late first-round status, it’s hard to believe that Gobert once played behind the likes of Enes Kanter and Jeremy Evans. I’m not a Tyrone Corbin hater, but dude…really?
Next: No. 3