A Dive into How Cal's 10 NBA Draft 1st-Rounders Fared as Pros

Jaylon Tyson is projected to perhaps become the 11th Golden Bear chosen in the first round of the NBA draft.

Jaylon Tyson / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

Jaylon Tyson is being projected as a possible first-round selection tonight when the NBA draft gets under way. The 6-foot-7 wing would become the 11th Cal player chosen in the first round, starting with Darrell Imhoff in 1960 and most recently with Jaylen Brown in 2016.

Tyson had an All-Pac-12 season in Berkeley, averaging 19.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists — all team bests — as a transfer from Texas Tech. 

The versatility of his game seems to appeal to NBA teams, but it remains to be seen how his pro career will unfold.

The NBA draft concludes with the second round on Thursday.

We look back at the 10 previous Golden Bears chosen in the first round and evaluate their NBA careers, including a final letter grade: 

JAYLEN BROWN, 2016 (No. 3 to the Boston Celtics): Brown, who played one season at Cal before turning pro, has averaged 18.6 points in eight seasons with the Celtics, including at least 20 points per game each of the past five years. He has scored more than 10,000 points in his career and over the past month earned MVP honors for the Eastern Conference finals and the NBA Finals, helping the Celtics to their record 18th championship. His final career grade is not yet established, but for now . . . NBA Grade: A

RYAN ANDERSON, 2008 (No. 21 to the New Jersey Nets): The 6-9 forward, who played two seasons at Cal, enjoyed a 12-year NBA career with six teams, averaging 12.3 points, including a career-high 19.8 with the New Orleans Pelicans in 2013-14. A 38-percent career 3-point shooter, Anderson was voted the NBA’s Most Improved Player in 2011-12. NBA Grade: B

ED GRAY, 1997 (No. 22 to the Atlanta Hawks): The nation’s No. 2 scorer as a senior at Cal, Gray played 60 games over two seasons with the Hawks before his NBA career ended. He averaged 7.6 points as a rookie, just 4.9 the next year. NBA Grade: D

SHAREEF ABDUR-RAHIM, 1996 (No. 3 to the Vancouver Grizzlies): A one-and-done college player after averaging 18.1 points as a freshman at Cal, Abdur-Rahim finished third in the NBA Rookie of the Year voting in 1997, then averaged better than 20 points each of the next five seasons. In 12 seasons, he averaged 18.1 points and 7.5 rebounds, he was a one-time all-star and he once put up 50 points in a game. But Abdur-Rahim played in just one postseason series. NBA Grade: A-minus

JASON KIDD, 1994 (No. 2 to the Dallas Mavericks): Kidd was a first-team All-America point guard as a sophomore at Cal, then shared Rookie of the Year honors with Grant Hill in 1995. A 10-time All-Star, he finished in the top-10 in MVP voting five times, was All-Defense first or second team nine times and won an NBA title with the Mavericks in 2011 at the age of 38. He averaged 12.6 points, 8.7 assists and 6.3 rebounds over 19 seasons while compiling 107 triple-doubles. A first-ballot Hall of Famer, Kidd ranks second all-time in career assists and steals. NBA Grade: A-plus

LAMOND MURRAY, 1994 (No. 7 to the Los Angeles Clippers): Jason Kidd’s running mate at Cal where he was a prolific scorer, Murray never became a star in the NBA. But he played 10 seasons and averaged 11.3 points, including a career-best 16.6 with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2002. NBA Grade: B-minus

KEVIN JOHNSON, 1987 (No. 7 to the Cleveland Cavaliers): Cal’s career scoring leader when he entered the NBA, KJ was traded midway through his rookie season to the Phoenix Suns, where he played the remainder of his 12-year career. He averaged 17.9 points and 9.1 assists over 735 games, was voted Most Improved Player in 1989, made three All-Star games and once dished 25 assists in a game. He averaged 19.3 points while playing in teams the postseason 11 times, including the 1993 NBA Finals. NBA Grade: A

MARK McNAMARA, 1982 (No. 22 to the Philadelphia 76ers): The 6-11 center, who transferred to Cal from Santa Clara for his final two college seasons, was primarily a reserve during an eight-year NBA career in which he played a total of just 278 games and averaged 3.5 points and 3.0 rebounds. He did grab 22 rebounds in a game once and played a minor role on the 76ers’ championship team his rookie season. NBA Grade: C-minus

PHIL CHENIER, 1971 (No. 4 in supplemental “hardship” draft to the Baltimore Bullets): Chenier played the majority of his 10-year NBA career with the Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets, earning three All-Star selections and averaging 19.7 points or better five times. In the playoffs, he scored 22 points per game or more in six separate series. His teams made the NBA Finals three times, but their only championship came in ’78 when Chenier was sidelined by ruptured disk in his back. NBA Grade: A-minus

DARRALL IMHOFF, 1960 (No. 3 to the New York Knicks): The centerpiece of Pete Newell’s 1959 NCAA championship team, Imhoff averaged 7.2 points and 7.6 rebounds over a 12-year NBA career. He was an All-Star in 1967 when he averaged 10.7 points and 13.3 rebounds for the Lakers as the third option alongside Jerry West and Elgin Baylor. He averaged just 4.0 points in three NBA Finals series defeats to the Celtics. NBA Grade: B-minus