Below is most of the history of the NBA and Knicks drafts. It shows who made the best picks and who blew it! It may or may not mean anything as far as trends are concerned, but I found it highly interesting. If anything, I think you can see the differences in success and misery, surrounding our drafts. I would have to say we are doing a little better with Thomas drafting abilities. Balkman, Lee, Collins and maybe Frye and Nate (if they can get it together) seem to show a trend. For instance, the last time the Knicks had a strong draft was back in the 1960's. Some of those picks were instrumental in winning the only two championships that we own today. You will also see that every once in a while, there is a 'diamond in the rough' somewhere just waiting to be had.

Starting with 2003 season (because we still need to see what will come out of those drafts after) I only went back to 1956. Now maybe some of you would like to add to any of these list's with players I may have passed up.

Our Knicks have a history of either being in a lousy draft position or making horrible picks, especially when we had a chance to get someone significant, as you will see. Thomas seems to be the only one, since the 1960's to make some kind of difference. But we'll see in the next two years if that turns out to be true or not. As I stated when he came here, he is best at drafting, and I still think we need a new coach to develop this team. As Knick fans, I think we should know this stuff.

Here's the lists. Enjoy!

2003 draft
LeBron James (1)
Carmelo Anthony (3)
Dwayne Wade (5)

We didn't get to pick until #9
Michael Sweetney (9)
Maciej Lampe (30)
Slavko Vranes (39)

2002 draft
Yao Ming (1)
Amare Stoudemire (9)

We passed Amare for Maybyner 'Nene' Hilario (7) who we then traded to Denver

2001 draft
Kwame Brown (1)
Pau Gasol (3)j
Tony Parker (28)

We didn't get to pick until #39
Michael Wright (39)
Eric Chenowith (43) - From Seattle

2000 draft
Kenyon Martin (1) – Turned out to be a head case

We didn't get to pick until #22
Donnell Harvey (22) - Who we traded with John Wallace to Dallas for Erick Strickland and Pete Micheal
Lavor Postell (39) - From Boston

1999
Elton Brand (1)
Steve Francis (2)
Lamar Odom (4)
Wally Szczerbiak (6)
Andre Miller (8)

We didn't get to pick until #15
Frederic Weis (15) - We passed up Ron Artest who got nabbed at 16 (someone else knew something)

1998
Michael Olowokandi (1)
Vince Carter (5)
Dirk Nowitzki (9)
Paul Pierce (10)

We didn't get to pick until #38
DeMarco Johnson (38) - From Boston
Sean Marks (44)

1997
Tim Duncan (1) – That was a no brainer
Tracy McGrady (9)

We didn't get to pick until #25
John Thomas (25)

1996
Allen Iverson (1)
Marcus Camby (2)
Ray Allen (5)
Kobe Bryant (13) By Charlotte, who then traded him to L.A.L. (****!). If we knew what we know now, we could have traded our #18, #19 and #21 picks to Charlotte for Kobe.

And so we didn't get to pick until #18
John Wallace (18) - From Detroit
Walter McCarty (19) - From Atlanta
Dontae Jones (21)

1995
Joe Smith (1) – Golden State's GM was a complete idiot! I wonder if he talked to Layden at the time?
Antonio McDyess (2)
Rasheed Wallace (4)
Kevin Garnett (5)
Damon Stoudamire (7)

Knicks didn't get to pick that year.

1994
Glenn Robinson (1)
Jason Kidd (2)
Grant Hill (3)
Juwan Howard (5)
Eddie Jones (10)

The Knicks (again) didn't get to pick until #24
Monty Williams (24)
Charlie Ward (26) - From Houston, via Atlanta

1993
Chris Webber (1)
Anfernee Hardaway (3)
Sam Cassell (24)

We had the #26 but had to give it up to Orlando – Geert Hammink (didn't matter anyway).

1992
Shaquille O'Neal (1) – Another no brainer
Alonso Morning (2)
Robert Horry (11)

We didn't get to pick until #20
Hubert Davis

1991
Larry Johnson (1)
Dikembe Mutombo (4)

We didn't get to pick until #12
Greg Anthony (12) - We let Dale Davis pass by and he got picked up at #13 (someone else knew something about him).
We had #39, but had to give it to Charlotte

1990
Derrick Coleman (1) – Outside of Payton, New Jersey was in a weak ass draft
Gary Payton (2)

We didn't get to pick until #17
Jerrod Mustaf

1989
Pervis Ellison (1)
Glenn Rice (4)
Tim Hardaway (14)
Vlade Divac (26)

We had the #22 spot but had to give it up to Portland
For what it was worth we got Brian Quinnett at #50 (whatever)

1988
Danny Manning (1)
Rik Smits (2)

We had #11 that we had to give to chicago and they picked up Will Purdue, who helped beat us on they're way to championships
But in return, we got they're #19 and drafted Rod Strickland (go figure)
Greg Butler (37)
Phil Stinnie (69)
I bet a lot of you didn't realize that we used to have more than two rounds! There were up to about 10, 11 draft rounds at one time years ago.

1987
David Robinson (1) – Another no brainer
Scottie 'Pippy Long Stocking' Pippen (5) – We had this pick but had to give it to Seattle who traded him to chicago
Horace Grant (10)
Reggie Miller (11) – Anther one we might have had a shot at

We did' manage to get Mark Jackson at #18, from Milwaukee, via Seattle, but..........

1986
Brad Daugherty (1)

We picked up Kenny Walker at #5 and passed up
Ron Harper #8
Mark Price (25)
Dennis Rodman (27)

But wait! We picked up
Michael Jackson (47)
Calvin Thompson (71)
Jerome Mincy (94)
Butch Wade (117)
and Duane Kendall (140)

Would like to note that this 1986 draft was regarded as one of the worst drafts in the history of the NBA. It also marked tragedy and death, when Len Bias who was less than two days after being drafted, died of drug overdose. Also the thought of the Knicks having a shot at Rodman just steams me. Especially after we just got Ewing the year prior. That would have been an unstoppable defensive team. Perhaps one of the greatest. You see' we just keep missing. 'Carry On'!

1985
And here it was, our only chance at a #1, so we took
Patrick Ewing (1)
Karl Malone (13) – Believe it or not was still available!

We didn't get to pick again until #47 for Gerald Wilkins (from Boston), brother of Dominique Wilkins

1984
Hakeem Olajuwon (1)
Get this one: Sam Bowie at #2 over Michael Jordan at #3
Sam Perkins (4)
Charles Barkley (5)

Portland went after Bowie via acquiring him from Indiana!

We had the 18th spot but had to give it to Indiana

Note: This is regarded as the strongest draft of all-time with Olajuwon, Jordan, Barkley and Stockton.
The chicago bulls actually tried to draft Carl Lewis, the track star with they're 208th pick. Unbelievable!

1983
Ralph Sampson (1)

We took Darrell Walker at #12 over Clyde Drexler who was picked up at #14. Again, someone knew something about drafting. But I think it was the same guy who passed up Jordan the following year. Good grief!

1982
James Worthy (1) – How L.A. Did it with getting these players, still amazes me to this day!
Dominique Wilkins (3)

We had the 6th pick so we took Trent Tucker. We could have had someone like Mark Eaton who was surprisingly taken at #72. He was a very useful player.

1981
Mark Aquirre (1)
Isiah Thomas (2)

We picked up Frank Brickowski at #57, a pick we got from Washington

Note:
Again, the chicago bulls tried to get another type of pro athlete in Kenny Easley, who was being drafted at #221. He went on to the NFL. Even Tony Gwynn tried out for the drafted at #214

1980
Joe Barry Carroll (1)
Kevin McHale (3)
Kiki Vandeweghe (11)

We picked up Mike Woodson at #12

1979
Magic Johnson (1)
Bill Cartwright (3) – The Knicks got this pick, but traded him to chicago, on his way to help beating us for championships for chicago.

1978
Mychal Thompson (1)
Michael Ray Richardson (4) who we picked up, passing up the chance for Larry Bird who was taken at an incredible #6.

1977
Kent Benson (1)
Bernard King (7) – By New Jersey

We picked up Ray Williams at #10

1976
John Lucas (1)
Robert Parish (8)

Of course, we took Lonnie Shelton at #25 (although he wasn't a bad player) over Dennis Johnson who went at #29 (again someone knew something)

Note:
It would be interesting to know that Artist Gilmore and Moses Malone came out of the ABA draft that year.

1975
David Thompson (1)
Marvin Webster (3)
Alvan Adams (4)
Darryl Dawkins (5) – Remember? He used to break the backboards with those thunderous dunks!

We didn't get to draft until #9 in the name of Eugene Short

It would be interesting to note, the #14 pick of Joe Bryant, is the father of Kobe Bryant, who was born three years later.

1974
Bill Walton (1) – I can't stand this guy as an announcer!
Maurice Lucas (14)

We didn't get a shot at any high picks that year

Note that Lucas came out of the ABA

1973
Doug Collins (1)
Kermit Washington (5)

We took Mel Davis at #14
We also had George Karl (believe it or not) at #66

1972
LaRue Martin (1)
And of course, we drafted Tom Riker at #8 over Dr. J (Julius Irving) who was picked up at an incredible #12! Geeeeessshhhh!

We also picked up Henry Bibby at #62

Although the Knicks were reigning champions, this seems to have been the beginning of our draft woes.

All other interesting draft information is below, prior to the 1972 season:

Hard to believe that Buffalo once had an NBA team.

1970 – draft produced Pete Maravich, Dave Cowens, Calvin Murphy, Bob Lanier and Nate Archibald. Three of these men would later make the 50 greatest list.

1969 – Did you know that they used to flip a coin to see who got the top draft pick? The Phoenix Suns lost out on a coin flip to the Milwaukee Bucks for the rights to 'Lew Alcindor' (later to become Kareem Abdul-Jabbar). Kareem helped Milwaukee win a championship the following season, while the Suns to this day still have not won one. He was of course drafted #1.

1968 – This draft also produced two more 50 greatest. Elvin Hayes and Wes Unseld. Don Chaney was also drafted at #12 that year.

1967 – This draft produced two of some of the greatest NBA coaches in the history of, Pat Riley (#7) and Phil Jackson (17). Earl 'The Pearl' Monroe (#2) also came out of this draft, who went on to help our very own Knicks win a championship.

1966 – Now here's something I never knew!!! Did any of you??? Cazzie Russell was drafted #1 by the Knicks that year and eventually helped the Knicks win the 1970 championship over the Lakers. That kills off my thought of Ewing being the only draft pick we ever had! Crazy! We should know these things. Well' you know it now!!! And get this, he's now coaching a basketball team at the 'Savannah College of Art and Design'. Cool!

1965 – This year is when the Knicks started to really rebuild. They drafted four players, Bill Bradley (#2), Dave Stallworth (5), Dick Van Arsdale (#13) and Hal Belvins (#17).

1964 – The history of the Knicks drafting in the old days just keep on surprising me. We had not only one or two first round draft picks, but 'three'! We drafted a fella by the name of Jim Barnes at #1. He didn't turn out to be much, which is why it was a GREAT thing that we drafted Willis Reed at #10. We also picked up Howard Komives at #15. In three years, we picked up 9 high picks, a few who were instrumental in taking us to two championships.

1963 – My gosh! We got four #1 draft picks in our history. This one by the name of Art Heyman. He averaged just over 15 a game his first year.

1962 – What?! No #1's? But we did' get #2 in the name of Paul Hogue.

1961 – We got the #2 this year also. Tom Stith. It was also the year that the chicago Zephyrs came onto the scene. They got the #1 and the 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd and 23rd picks.

1960 – This year produced Oscar Robinson at #1, who went to Cincinnati. It also produced Jerry West at #2 and Lenny Wilkins at #6. We passed up Lenny Wilkins for Darrall Imhoff at #3.

1959 – Two future Hall of Famers in the names of Bailey Howell and Wilt Chamberlain were in this draft. Bailey was picked 2nd, but can you believe that a guy by the name of Bob Boozer was picked over Wilt (#3)? We didn't get to pick until 6th and we got Johnny Green.

1958 – Elgin Baylor came out of this one #1. He went to the then Minnesota Lakers. We got #3 and #4 picks.

1957 – There was this guy, Hot Rod Hundley (cool name) who was drafted #1. He was the fourth player to score at least 2,000 points in college at the time. He did not amount to anything in the pros. We got the #5 pick.

1956 – This is far as I can go with this draft thing. But in this year a guy by the name of Sihugo Green, from Duquesne, believe it or not' was drafted before Bill Russell, who came in at #2. We didn't get to draft until the 4th spot. Nice to know that the Knicks aren't the only ones who blundered in the draft.

Hope you enjoyed the 'short' history of the NBA and Knicks drafts. Also keep in mind. The draft back in the 50's, 60's and 70's wasn't as competative as it is today. It's harder to get a good chance for picks and with the Knicks way over the cap, it doesn't give us much of a chance to do anything significant really.