Top 10 Draft-night blunders in Utah Jazz history
By Ryan Aston
1) Raul Lopez over Tony Parker (2001)
Back in 2001, the Jazz were in a bit of a bind. They still ranked among the best teams in the league, but the end of the road was beginning to appear on the horizon. It had become apparent that the team would have to begin considering life after the Hall of Fame connection of Stockton-to-Malone.
So the team went into the ’01 draft looking for a point guard to be John Stockton’s understudy and, eventually, take the reins from the league’s all-time leader in assists and steals. To that end, there were two players that the Jazz liked when they were on the clock with the No. 24 pick.
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One was Raul Lopez, the other was Tony Parker. They bet on the wrong horse.
Utah ultimately went with Lopez, who was an exciting talent, but had severe knee problems. He would eventually play for the team and was a solid back-up during the 2003-04 season, but he was out of the league a year later.
In the meantime, Parker won four titles, played in six All-Star games and will one day join Stockton in the HOF.