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Brooklyn Nets: Historic value at No. 40 has notable highs, lows

By Phil Watson

OKLAHOMA CITY - APRIL 5: Monta Ellis #8 of the Golden State Warriors shoots a layup against David West #30 of the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets during a game on April 5, 2006 at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the term and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2006 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images)
OKLAHOMA CITY - APRIL 5: Monta Ellis #8 of the Golden State Warriors shoots a layup against David West #30 of the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets during a game on April 5, 2006 at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the term and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2006 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Brooklyn Nets selected Latvian combo forward Rodions Kurucs 40th overall in last week’s NBA Draft. That slot has had its highs and lows historically.

It’s been said the second round of the NBA Draft is akin to a crap shoot — sometimes you win big, but most often you land a guy who may hang around for a few seasons before fading into oblivion. That’s something to bear in mind as we look at the Brooklyn Nets‘ second-round pick this year, Latvian combo forward Rodions Kurucs.

The No. 40 slot has been a very mixed bag in the lottery era (beginning with the 1985 NBA Draft). On the high end of the spectrum, the Golden State Warriors struck gold when they landed prep prospect Monta Ellis from Lanier High School in Jackson, Miss.

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The 2006-07 Most Improved Player averaged 17.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.7 steals in 34.8 minutes per game over 12 NBA seasons from 2005-17 with the Warriors, Milwaukee Bucks, Dallas Mavericks and Indiana Pacers.

Twice, Ellis led the NBA in minutes per game, logging 41.4 per game in 2009-10 and 40.3 a night in 2010-11, both while still with Golden State.

Will Barton, who has been an outstanding sixth man since going to the Denver Nuggets in 2015, was the 40th overall pick by the Portland Trail Blazers from Memphis in 2012.

Since going to the Nuggets in a trade-deadline deal in February 2015, Barton has averaged 14.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 29.6 minutes per game on .443/.357/.793 shooting. It’s a case of a guy getting a chance for regular minutes and capitalizing.

Last season, Barton started a career-high 40 games in his 81 appearances and put up career-bests of 15.7 points in 33.1 minutes per game, shooting .452/.370/.805.

Those are obviously two big wins at No. 40 overall.

Bimbo Coles played 14 NBA seasons with five teams from 1990-2004 after being taken with the No. 40 pick by the Sacramento Kings out of Virginia Tech.

Related Story: Examining historic value at No. 29 overall

Coles never played for the Kings, as he was traded to the Miami Heat on draft night and was later swapped to the Warriors in the Tim Hardaway trade by the Heat in February 1996. He averaged a modest 7.8 points and 3.9 assists in 23.8 minutes per game in his career, shooting .425/.267/.811.

The Nets previously picked 40th twice since 1985, selecting Memphis swingman Chris Douglas-Roberts at that spot in 2008. and Alabama State guard Steve Rogers (no relation to Captain America … that we know of) in 1992.

CDR played two seasons with New Jersey before he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in June 2010 for a 2012 second-round pick.

Rogers, on the other hand, is one of five No. 40 picks in the lottery era to never log a single NBA minute. Rogers did play 11 years in Europe.

The other four to never see any NBA time were Augusto Binelli (Atlanta Hawks, 1986), Marcus Mann (Golden State Warriors, 1996), Eddie Elisma (Seattle SuperSonics, 1997) and Denham Brown (Seattle, 2006).

Another active player who was taken 40th overall is free-agent-to-be Lance Stephenson, whose option for 2018-19 was not exercised by the Indiana Pacers.

Stephenson has an up-and-down career, reaching near-star status in his first stint with the Pacers before bombing as a big-ticket free agent with theCharlotte Hornets and then playing for five teams in two seasons in 2015-16 and 2016-17.

He was a key rotation piece for Indiana last season, playing all 82 games and averaging 9.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 22.6 minutes a game on .427/.289/.661 shooting. He’ll likely land somewhere next season.

ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla is not particularly high on Kurucs’ potential impact with the Brooklyn Nets, telling the New York Post last week:

"He is what he is: A big wing who can shoot it, probably not as athletic as Dzanan Musa, but I like his toughness. He’s probably going to be in the G-League. I don’t see him being a factor early on. He’s got some talent. There’s long-range potential."

General manager Sean Marks, for his part, refuses to look at a potential G-League assignment for Kurucs as a net negative.

"If you take into account what the G-League is for, hopefully we use that to the best of our ability. This goes back to the NBA where it’s a league of versatility now."

Next: Nets 15 best draft picks of all-time

If Kurucs can eventually turn into a contributor akin to 2015’s No. 40 overall pick, Josh Richardson of the Miami Heat, the pick will have to be considered a win for the Nets.