The NBA draft is a player’s best opportunity to be drafted into the league. Since 1947, the NBA has drafted eligible players, typically from college to the league. Below, we are going to review the history of the number 20 draft pick in the NBA.
What is the NBA Draft?
The NBA draft is an annual ceremony, in which NBA teams, through a lottery system, select eligible players from college and the international stage to join their teams. College players who have completed all four years of their education are automatically eligible for the draft.
However, college players who have not completed all four years of their education, but are one-year removed from high school, must declare their eligibility for the draft. In declaring their eligibility, these underclassmen will effectively give up their remaining college eligibility.
For international players, any player older than 22 years old are automatically eligible for the draft. However, any international player younger than 22 years old must declare their eligibility.
How Does the Lottery System Work?
The NBA draft lottery system was revamped for the 2018 season. Looking at these new rules, the 14 NBA teams which did not make the playoffs will be eligible for the first 14 picks in the draft. Under the new system, the NBA Draft Lottery will ensure that the team with the worst overall record in the league will receive no worse than the fifth overall pick.
Similarly, in the new system, the three NBA teams with the worst regular-season records will each have a 14% chance of winning the lottery and the first overall pick. Once the first four teams with the worst records have been selected, the remaining ten teams will continue to pick in inverse order of their regular-season record.
How Does the NBA Draft Work?
Going a bit deeper, and speaking only of the new system, the NBA draft will be televised on ESPN, who will air the results live. Drawings will be conducted to determine the first four picks, with the remaining ten picks being doled out in inverse order of an NBA teams regular-season record.
The actual lottery procedure, however, takes place in a separate room before ESPN announces the results. In this room, a member of the media, an NBA official, and a representative of the accounting firm Ernst & Young are present to ensure no foul play or tampering with the machine.
In this separate room, fourteen ping-pong balls numbered 1-14 will be placed in the lottery machine. The lottery machine used by the NBA is manufactured by Smart Play Company. This company also weighs, measures, and certifies the ping-pong balls before the drawing.
There are 1,001 possible combinations when four balls are drawn out of 14, without regard to their order of selection. Before the lottery, 1,000 of those 1,001 combinations will be assigned to the 14 participating NBA teams.
Once all 14 balls have been placed into the machine, they will be mixed for 20-seconds before the first ball is removed. Similarly, the balls will be mixed for another 10-seconds before the second ball is drawn. Again, the machine will be mixed for another 10-seconds for both the third and fourth picks.
Full History of all 20th Overall NBA Draft Picks
| PLAYER | TEAM | AFFILIATION | YEAR | ||
| Jalen Johnson | Atlanta Hawks | Duke | 2021 | ||
| Precious Achiuwa | Miami Heat | Memphis | 2020 | ||
| Matisse Thybulle | Boston Celtics | Washington | 2019 | ||
| Josh Okogie | Minnesota Timberwolves | Georgia Tech | 2018 | ||
| Harry Giles III | Portland Trail Blazers | Duke | 2017 | ||
| Caris LeVert | Indiana Pacers | Michigan | 2016 | ||
| Delon Wright | Toronto Raptors | Utah | 2015 | ||
| Bruno Caboclo | Toronto Raptors | Esporte Clube Pinheiros (Brazil) | 2014 | ||
| Tony Snell | Chicago Bulls | New Mexico | 2013 | ||
| Evan Fournier | Denver Nuggets | Poitiers Basket 86 (France) | 2012 | ||
| Donatas Motiejunas | Minnesota Timberwolves | Universo Treviso Basket (Italy) | 2011 | ||
| James Anderson | San Antonio Spurs | Oklahoma State | 2010 | ||
| Eric Maynor | Utah Jazz | Virginia Commonwealth | 2009 | ||
| Alexis Ajinca | Charlotte Bobcats | Hyeres-Toulon Var Basket (France) | 2008 | ||
| Jason Smith | Miami Heat | Colorado State | 2007 | ||
| Renaldo Balkman | New York Knicks | South Carolina | 2006 | ||
| Julius Hodge | Denver Nuggets | North Carolina State | 2005 | ||
| Jameer Nelson | Denver Nuggets | Saint Joseph’s | 2004 | ||
| Dahntay Jones | Boston Celtics | Duke | 2003 | ||
| Kareem Rush | Toronto Raptors | Missouri | 2002 | ||
| Brendan Haywood | Cleveland Cavaliers | North Carolina | 2001 | ||
| Speedy Claxton | Philadelphia 76ers | Hofstra | 2000 | ||
| Dion Glover | Atlanta Hawks | Georgia Tech | 1999 | ||
| Roshown McLeod | Atlanta Hawks | Duke | 1998 | ||
| Paul Grant | Minnesota Timberwolves | Wisconsin | 1997 | ||
| Zydrunas Ilgauskas | Cleveland Cavaliers | LSU-Atletas (Lithuania) | 1996 | ||
| Jason Caffey | Chicago Bulls | Alabama | 1995 | ||
| B.J. Tyler | Philadelphia 76ers | Texas | 1994 | ||
| Scott Burrell | Charlotte Hornets | Connecticut | 1993 | ||
| Hubert Davis | New York Knicks | North Carolina | 1992 | ||
| John Turner | Houston Rockets | Phillips | 1991 | ||
| Gerald Glass | Minnesota Timberwolves | Mississippi | 1990 | ||
| Jeff Sanders | Chicago Bulls | Georgia Southern | 1989 | ||
| Kevin Edwards | Miami Heat | DePaul | 1988 | ||
| Jim Farmer | Dallas Mavericks | Alabama | 1987 | ||
| Buck Johnson | Houston Rockets | Alabama | 1986 | ||
| Sam Vincent | Boston Celtics | Michigan State | 1985 | ||
| Tony Campbell | Detroit Pistons | Ohio State | 1984 | ||
| Roy Hinson | Cleveland Cavaliers | Rutgers | 1983 | ||
| Paul Pressey | Milwaukee Bucks | Tulsa | 1982 | ||
| Larry Nance | Phoenix Suns | Clemson | 1981 | ||
| Bill Hanzlik | Seattle SuperSonics | Notre Dame | 1980 | ||
| Larry Knight | Utah Jazz | Loyola-Chicago | 1979 | ||
| Frankie Sanders | San Antonio Spurs | Southern University | 1978 | ||
| Glenn Mosley | Philadelphia 76ers | Seton Hall | 1977 | ||
| Major Jones | Portland Trail Blazers | Albany State (GA) | 1976 | ||
| Gus Williams | Golden State Warriors | Southern California | 1975 | ||
| Jan Van Breda Kolff | Portland Trail Blazers | Vanderbilt | 1974 | ||
| Mike D’Antoni | Kansas City-Omaha Kings | Marshall | 1973 | ||
| John Gianelli | Houston Rockets | Pacific | 1972 | ||
| Willard Sojourner | Chicago Bulls | Weber State | 1971 | ||
| Jake Ford | Seattle SuperSonics | Maryland | 1970 | ||
| Ken Spain | Chicago Bulls | Houston | 1969 | ||
| Emanuel Leaks | Detroit Pistons | Niagara | 1968 | ||
| Malikin Strong | Baltimore Bullets | Seattle | 1967 | ||
| Erwin Mueller | Chicago Bulls | San Francisco | 1966 | ||
| Ron Reed | Detroit Pistons | Notre Dame | 1965 | ||
| Larry Jones | Philadelphia 76ers | Toledo | 1964 | ||
| Steve Gray | San Francisco Warriors | St. Mary’s (CA) | 1963 | ||
| Harold Hudgens | Detroit Pistons | Texas Tech | 1962 | ||
| York Larese | Chicago Packers | North Carolina | 1961 | ||
| Frank Case | Detroit Pistons | Dayton | 1960 | ||
| Bob Anderegg | New York Knicks | Michigan State | 1959 | ||
| Frank Howard | Philadelphia Warriors | Ohio State | 1958 | ||
| John Smyth | St. Louis Hawks | Notre Dame | 1957 | ||
| Dick Boushka | Minneapolis Lakers | Saint Louis | 1955 | ||
| Walt Walowac | Milwaukee Hawks | Marshall | 1954 | ||
| Bill Mann | Baltimore Bullets | Bradley | 1951 |