Utah Jazz all-time draft bust starting 5
By Tyler Watts
SF: Quincy Lewis
The Jazz made the playoffs for two straight decades starting in 1984. It included reaching the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998 with John Stockton and Karl Malone leading their charge. In 1999, the Trail Blazers knocked out Utah in the second round of the playoffs after the lockout-shortened season. The Jazz had the 19th pick, and they were hoping to add an impactful wing.
Lewis played three years in Utah where he averaged 3.8 points and 1.4 rebounds in 12.3 minutes per game. The 6’7 wing just never found his place in the NBA and only played 14 more games before finishing his playing career overseas. He finished with the third-lowest VORP and the eighth-lowest win shares per 48 minutes in this class.
The Jazz had three first-round picks in 1999, and they redeemed themselves five picks later when they selected Andrei Kirilenko, who had the third-highest VORP. Still, they missed on Manu Ginobili, who went 57th overall to the Spurs. The Hall of Famer was a two-time All-Star and four-time NBA champion and arguably the best player in this class.
Imagine how different things would have turned out if the Utah Jazz took a flyer on Ginobili in this draft. Hindsight is 20-20, but the player they needed was sitting on the board three different times when they selected.