NBA Draft: All-Decade team of guys who were drafted too low (2010-19)

The bench unit for the All-Decade team of guys who were drafted too low doesn’t feature much of a drop in talent.

Point Guard – Spencer Dinwiddie – No. 38 overall selection in 2014 by the Detroit Pistons

Brooklyn Nets backup point guard now turned potential All-Star this season has had quite the 2019. Dinwiddie went from a potential sixth man of the year candidate backing up Kyrie Irving to now, quite possibly, an all-star.

Rewind five years ago to when Dinwiddie was coming out of Colorado and this would have seemed unlikely. Dinwiddie was in the midst of a magnificent run during his first three years at Colorado when during his junior year he suffered a devastating ACL tear.

It’s quite understandable that Dinwiddie fell down some draft boards after the injury occurred, but when he was healthy in college, his talent spoke for itself. Dinwiddie helped make Colorado a formidable opponent for any team and played like one of the best guards in the country.

Shooting Guard – Josh Richardson – No. 40 overall selection in 2015 by the Miami Heat

Josh Richardson played his college ball at Tennessee. While at Tennessee, Richardson played all four years there and became a 1,000 point scorer for the program. He capped off his career by being named to the First Team All-SEC and SEC All-Defensive team.

Despite being a four-year contributor and achieving a high level of success with the Volunteers, Richardson fell to the second round of the draft where he was scooped up by the Heat. The fall proved to be a good thing for Richardson.

The situation he fell into with the Heat proved to be a quality landing spot as it allowed him to develop into the two-way player that he is today. It’s a wonder how a quality contributor like Richardson fell to the second round.

Small Forward – Kris Middleton – No. 39 overall selection in 2012 by the Detroit Pistons

Milwaukee Bucks all-star wing Kris Middleton spent three seasons in college playing for Texas A&M. Middleton first played under Mark Turgeon for his first two years, before playing under Bill Kennedy his third and final season.

Middleton’s junior season averages of 13 points and 5 boards a game were not overly impressive, and those perhaps played a role in him falling to the second round. Still, Middleton offered a unique blend of size and shooting that it’s a wonder why he wasn’t drafted earlier.

Middleton may have been considered ahead of his time. In 2012, the NBA had not quite reached the stage of an obsession with big men who could shoot. If Middleton would have been a couple of years later, his draft position may have changed.

Power Forward – Montrezl Harrell – No. 32 overall selection in 2015 by the Houston Rockets

Montrezl Harrell was a part of some high-level Louisville teams during his time in college. By the time Harrell was a junior, he was averaging 15 points and 9 boards again and he was selected as a member of the Second Team All-ACC.

Harrell was also given the Karl Malone Award which recognized him as the best power forward in the country. He added those accolades to being a National Champion during his freshman season in 2013.

Despite the acclaim and the numerous honors, Harrell wound up being a second-round pick by the Rockets. He would eventually end up in Los Angeles with the Clippers via trade where and Lou Williams form one of the league’s best bench duos.

Center – Hassan Whiteside – No. 33 overall selection in 2010 by the Sacramento Kings

Hassan Whiteside has become somewhat of a polarizing NBA player. Still, whether you love him or you hate him, there’s no denying that Whiteside has outplayed his draft position from nine years ago.

Whiteside attended Marshall, where he made his name there for much of the same as what he does in the NBA now: block shots. Whiteside blocked 182 shots during his lone season at Marshall, a national freshman record.

He was named the Conference USA Freshman of the Year as well as the Conference USA Defensive Player of the year. On three separate occasions, Whiteside recorded a triple-double through blocked shots.

Despite his defensive prowess, Whiteside slipped to the second round of the draft, being selected at 33 by the Kings where he would eventually flame out and almost fell out of basketball entirely.