NBA Draft: 5 best picks of lottery era at No. 31
By Phil Watson
5. Nikola Pekovic, 2008, Minnesota Timberwolves
The pick used by the Minnesota Timberwolves to take Montenegrin big man Nikola Pekovic in the second round of the 2008 NBA Draft had its origins with the Miami Heat, who traded the selection to the Boston Celtics as part of a massive five-team, 13-player deal in August 2005.
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The Celtics later sent the pick to Minnesota in January 2006 as part of the trade that brought Wally Szczerbiak to Boston.
Pekovic was already 22 when he was drafted by the Timberwolves and had played five professional seasons in Serbia. After being drafted by Minnesota, Pekovic opted for a three-year deal with Greek club Panathinaikos and was All-EuroLeague First Team in 2009.
He eventually landed with Minnesota in 2010 and was a beast inside, leading the NBA in offensive rebounding percentage in 2011-12.
The problem with Pek was simply that he could not stay healthy. He never played more than 65 games in a season played his last NBA game in January 2016 as chronic problems with his ankles and Achilles’ tendons plagued him.
His best season overall was in 2012-13, when he averaged 16.3 points and 7.7 rebounds in 31.6 minutes per game, despite missing 20 games overall. He shot 52 percent overall.
In six NBA seasons, he put up career marks of 12.6 points and 6.7 boards in 24.9 minutes per game on 51.8 percent shooting. He never attempted a 3-pointer.
After his playing days were over, he spent 10 months as president of Serbian club Partizan.