NBA's Top Active Second-Round Picks

SI Staff | Dec 7, 2006

NBA's Top Active Second-Round Picks /

NBA's Top Active Second-Round Picks

Monta Ellis, Warriors

After playing sparingly as a rookie, the 6-foot-3 guard ranks No. 2 among second-year players in scoring at nearly 18 points a game. Ellis, 21, who jumped to the NBA from a Mississippi high school, stands a good chance of climbing this list as he gains more experience.

Eric Snow, Cavaliers

This 6-3 point guard, drafted out of Michigan State by the Bucks, made himself into a valuable NBA player with his defense, toughness and smarts. Snow paired with Allen Iverson in the backcourt to lead the 76ers to the 2001 NBA Finals, and is now trying to do the same for LeBron James' Cavs.

Clifford Robinson, Nets

The 6-10 forward from UConn cracks the top 10 for his career achievements. In 18 seasons with the Blazers, Suns, Pistons, Warriors and Nets, "Uncle Cliffy" has been a key contributor on a Finals team (1992 Trail Blazers), a Sixth Man Award winner ('93), an All-Star ('94) and a two-time member of the All-Defensive second team. Robinson also ranks seventh in NBA history in minutes played.

Cuttino Mobley, Clippers

A virtual unknown when the Rockets drafted him, the 6-4 guard from Rhode Island quickly made a name for himself as a three-point specialist and hard-nosed competitor. In a nine-year career spent with Houston, Orlando, Sacramento and L.A., Mobley has averaged nearly 17 points a game and shot 38 percent from three-point range.

Mehmet Okur, Jazz

This 6-11 forward-center from Turkey played his first two seasons in Detroit, coming off the bench to help the Pistons win the NBA title in 2004. He left after that season to sign a free-agent deal with Utah, where he currently averages 15 points and 8.5 rebounds alongside Andrei Kirilenko and Carlos Boozer in the Jazz's potent frontcourt.

Rashard Lewis, SuperSonics

The 6-10 forward out of Houston's Alief Elsik High School cried on draft night when his hometown Rockets passed on him three times before Seattle nabbed him. Since then he has made everybody who overlooked him weepy, averaging more than 20 points in each of the past two seasons while earning his first All-Star nod in 2005.

Carlos Boozer, Jazz

One of this season's early MVP candidates, the 6-8 forward from Duke somehow fell to the Cavs despite having been a key part of the Blue Devils' 2001 NCAA title team. After two successful seasons in Cleveland, he bolted to sign a controversial free-agent deal with the Jazz. Coming off two injury-plagued seasons in Utah, he is averaging 23 points and 12 rebounds during the Jazz's hot start.

Manu Ginobili, Spurs

Though he didn't sign with San Antonio until 2002, one of the all-time draft steals proved to be well worth the wait. Ginobili's playmaking and defense helped the Spurs win two titles (2003, '05), and the 6-6 guard earned a berth in last year's All-Star Game. Ginobili also led Argentina to the gold medal at the 2004 Olympics.

Michael Redd, Bucks

The 6-6 guard out of Ohio State spent most of his rookie year on the bench behind Ray Allen. But once he got a chance, Redd made the most of it. The sweet-shooting lefty, a 2004 All-Star, is an early contender for the scoring title and is on pace to increase his scoring average for the seventh consecutive season.

Gilbert Arenas, Wizards

Scouts thought the 6-3 guard from Arizona was a 'tweener so he fell to the Warriors with the second selection of the second round. Using the snub as motivation, Arenas played his way into a big free-agent contract two years later in Washington. He is now one of the NBA's top scorers and a two-time All-Star.

Published Dec 7, 2006

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