When fully healthy, Jamal Murray has proven he's one of the best point guards in the entire NBA. Back in college, scouts were skeptical whether Murray could play the point guard or the shooting guard. With limited playmaking abilities as per NBADraft.net and standing only 6 foot 4, Murray fell 7th in the 2016 NBA Draft despite averaging 20.0 ppg on 45.4% from the field at 20 years old.
Today, Jamal Murray is clearly a top-three pick if a re-draft were to ever happen. Now let's take a look at the careers of the six players picked ahead of him.
6. Buddy Hield
Every basketball fan remembers the hype around Buddy Hield's March Madness run during his junior year at Oklahoma. His scoring abilities overshadowed the fact he entered the draft at 24 years old. Hield started his career playing with the New Orleans Pelicans but was traded his rookie year to the Sacramento Kings as part of the trade package involving Demarcus Cousins.
Seven years later, Hield will play his 3rd season with the Indiana Pacers and has career averages of 16.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 40.2% from 3.
5. Kris Dunn
Coming out of Providence, Dunn was ranked by ESPN as the 2nd best point guard of the draft. He started his first season slow with the Minnesota Timberwolves averaging only 3.8 points and 2.4 assists in 17 minutes per game. Dunn has had to spend a few seasons in the G league to stay in the NBA, but when he signed a 10-day contract with the Utah Jazz late in the 2022-2023 season, he was rewarded with a multi-year deal.
4. Dragan Bender
Tagged as the best international player of his draft class, Dragan Bender was highly valued for his shooting and untapped potential in other facets of his game. He was 7 feet, weighed 220 lbs. whose only weakness was his athleticism. In the end, Bender only played four seasons in the NBA for three different teams and currently plays for Monbus Obradoiro of the Spanish Liga ACB.
3. Jaylen Brown
Brown is the first player picked ahead of Jamal Murray who lived up to his draft stock. During his only season at the University of California, Berkeley, Brown averaged 14.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. He's only played for the Boston Celtics his entire career, and after getting named to the all-NBA team for the 2022-2023 season, Brown now has a chance to sign a five-year, $300 million extension to become one of the highest-paid players in NBA history.
2. Brandon Ingram
Heading into the draft, Ingram had the most potential boasting a game similar to Kevin Durant. He has already been named an All-Star and won Most Improved Player of the Year back in 2020. The only knack on his game is trying to stay healthy. Ever since his rookie year when he played 79 games, the most regular season games Ingram has played in was the 2019-2020 season when he appeared in 62 games.
1. Ben Simmons
Simmons drew comparisons to legends like Magic Johnson and LeBron James. Despite missing his entire rookie year with a fractured foot, he won Rookie of the Year. What's more impressive is Simmons is a 3-time All-Star and a triple-double threat on a nightly basis. However, ever since he was alienated by the city of Philadelphia, Simmons has struggled to return to his All-Star form with the Brooklyn Nets.
What Happened To Players Picked AHEAD Of Jamal Murray? 🤔 I Clutch #Shorts – YouTube
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