All-time top 30 draft picks by slot (cont.)

John Stockton gave the Jazz a lot more than they could have expected from the 16th pick in the 1984 draft. John W. McDonough/SI 2009 NBA Draft   THOMSEN: Draft-day Mock Draft ROUNDTABLE: What should Grizz do? WINN: Four burning draft questions THOMSEN: Wiz dealing No. 5 to Wolves THOMSEN: Top all-time draft picks by slot HOWARD-COOPER: Wolves will be busy HOWARD-COOPER: Curry ready to lead THOMSEN: 5-minute guide to the draft HOWARD-COOPER: Thabeet to Grizz? ASCHBURNER: Who's on the hot seat? Top big men in draft | Perimeter players All-time biggest busts | Best draft steals SI Photos Draft fashion through the years All-time best draft classes   Related Links REACT: Share your thoughts on the selections

16. John Stockton, Jazz, 1984: Picking up Stockton at No. 16 is like the 49ers discovering Joe Montana in Round 3 of the NFL draft. Ron Artest has been the next-best player from this slot.

17. Shawn Kemp, Seattle SuperSonics, 1989: Entering the NBA as the youngest player in the league, the 6-10 Kemp turned into a six-time All-Star who joined with guard Gary Payton to lead Seattle to the 1996 Finals. He averaged 16.8 points and 9.5 rebounds over his 11-year career. He may be challenged in this slot someday by Danny Granger, a 2005 pick of the Pacers who was named the NBA's Most Improved Player while averaging 25.8 points as an All-Star in 2008-09.

18. Joe Dumars, Pistons, 1985: A complement to Isiah Thomas, the Hall of Fame guard helped the Pistons earn two championships (as well as another one two decades later as the team president). Calvin Murphy, Mark Jackson and David West were other surprisingly outstanding picks here.

19. Nate Archibald, Cincinnati Royals, 1970: A small guard who could weave his way through any defense, the Hall of Famer led the NBA in scoring (34.0) and assists (11.4) in 1972-73, the only player to win both categories in the same season in league history. Rod Strickland (No. 8 on all-time assists list) and Bulls champion John Paxson also were picked here.

20. Gus Williams, Warriors, 1975: The two-time All-NBA guard and second-round pick (the NBA had fewer teams then) averaged 17.1 points in 12 seasons, including six defining years with the Sonics, whom he led to the 1979 championship while averaging 28.6 points in the Finals. More recently in this slot, the Magic are benefiting from the development of Jameer Nelson, a first-time All-Star in 2008-09.

21. Michael Finley, Suns, 1995: Rajon Rondo, drafted 21st in 2006, may be viewed as the best pick at this spot someday. For now, the choice is Finley, who turned into one of the league's elite scorers after being traded to Dallas, and later became a champion with the Spurs.

22. Reggie Lewis, Celtics, 1987: George McGinnis and Norm Nixon were fine choices here as well, but Lewis -- a sixth man on his high school team -- would have made multiple All-Star teams if not for the heart condition that killed him at age 27. He averaged 20.8 points in each of his final two seasons.

23. Alex English, 1976, Bucks: After three-plus middling seasons with Milwaukee and Indiana, the second-round pick found his niche with the score-first Nuggets. When he retired in 1991, the future Hall of Famer was the NBA's No. 6 all-time scorer.

24. Sam Cassell, 1993, Rockets: Talk about a steal: As a late-pick rookie, Cassell helped lead the Rockets to their first NBA championship. It was no fluke, as his 16-year career would attest. A lot of long-term value has been unearthed at No. 24, including Arvydas Sabonis, Andrei Kirilenko and Latrell Sprewell, as well as Lakers champions Rick Fox, Brian Shaw and Derek Fisher.

25. Mark Price, 1986, Mavericks: He was the face of the Cavaliers for a decade as well as a surprisingly effective shooter for his size. Price edges out John Drew, Gerald Wallace and Bob Gross, the small forward on Portland's 1977 championship team.

26. Vlade Divac, 1989, Lakers: How often do you get a 16-year center this late in the draft? Divac was one of the best passing big men in the modern era. Kevin Martin, who was also taken at this spot, needs several more years of excellence to surpass Divac.

27. Dennis Rodman, Pistons, 1986: He became so much more than anyone could have predicted -- in all kinds of ways. Rodman contributed to five championship teams in Detroit (two) and Chicago (three), exemplifying the kind of high-effort defender and rebounder teams are often seeking with a late pick.

28. Tony Parker, Spurs, 2001: Yes, the Spurs were lucky to win the lottery twice when David Robinson and Duncan were the No. 1 picks. But they also discovered Ginobili at No. 57 and their elite point guard and future NBA Finals MVP at this slot.

29. Dennis Johnson, 1976, Seattle SuperSonics: Johnson, a second-round pick, was never viewed as a great shooter; he nonetheless helped lead Seattle and Boston to three championships combined while playing the kind of defense that should posthumously earn him a place in the Hall of Fame.

30. Gilbert Arenas, 2001, Warriors: Another second-round pick, Arenas drew laughs at his introductory Golden State news conference when he predicted he would be a starter in his rookie year. Not only did he prove to be correct in that assessment, but he also turned into an All-NBA point guard with the Wizards.