Fansided

Best NBA lottery picks of all-time

By Paul Centopani

NEW YORK - JUNE 26: (L to R) Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Jarvis Hayes, Maciej Lampe, Kirk Hinrich, Chris Kaman, NBA Commissioneer David Stern, Darko Milicic, T.J. Ford, Zarko Cabarkapa, Dwyane Wade, Nick Collison, Reece Gaines, Mike Sweetney and LeBron James poses for a photo prior to the 2003 NBA DRAFT at the Paramount Theater at Madison Square Garden on June 26, 2003 in New York, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
NEW YORK - JUNE 26: (L to R) Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Jarvis Hayes, Maciej Lampe, Kirk Hinrich, Chris Kaman, NBA Commissioneer David Stern, Darko Milicic, T.J. Ford, Zarko Cabarkapa, Dwyane Wade, Nick Collison, Reece Gaines, Mike Sweetney and LeBron James poses for a photo prior to the 2003 NBA DRAFT at the Paramount Theater at Madison Square Garden on June 26, 2003 in New York, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Average career Win Shares from No. 9 picks, 1985-2017: 40.8

Dirk Nowitzki will go down as the best foreign-born player the NBA has seen with a ring and repertoire of fall-away jumpers kissed by angels. But few stars in the league’s annals burned as bright as peak-Tracy McGrady. Devoted affections for McGrady run deep like Brandon Jefferson‘s: “That’s just personal bias. I’m a T-Mac-stan like Scott Rafferty.”

David Ramil dove into the details around his selection:

“I have always had a hard time liking Dirk (until recently, I intensely disliked him) but that’s mostly due to his two Finals showdowns with Miami (the team I supported most before I had to adopt a journalistic unbias). I think a case could still be made that T-Mac’s game was more well-rounded than Nowitzki’s and that we’ve elevated Dirk’s one-dimensional impact as a scorer because he’s nice, self-deprecating, played much longer, and won that fucking undeserved title in 2011 because of J.J. fucking Barea.”

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