Georgia Tech Basketball: NBA Draft Primer

THE FLATS – Jose Alvarado’s and Moses Wright’s paths to becoming NBA players began with declarations in April that they would test the waters by entering their names in the NBA Draft, then making their decisions final by the July 7 deadline. Thursday night, they hope to get one step closer to realizing that dream when the NBA holds its annual draft at the Barclays Center beginning at 8 p.m. (ESPN).

The inside-outside duo finished off their Georgia Tech careers impressively, leading the Yellow Jackets to their first Atlantic Coast Conference Championship in 28 years and to their first berth in the NCAA Tournament since 2010. Wright was named the ACC’s Player of the Year and a first-team all-conference choice, while Alvarado was tabbed the ACC’s Defensive Player of the Year and was a second-team all-conference pick.

Alvarado, a 6-foot point guard from Brooklyn, N.Y., was a second-team All-ACC choice after leading the ACC in steals for the second straight year, and also ranked among the league’s top 10 in seven categories – No. 8 in scoring (15.19 ppg), No. 5 in FG percentage (.504), No. 2 in FT percentage (.838), No. 6 in assist average (4.08), No. 1 in steals (2.85), No. 7 in assist/turnover ratio (2.00), No. 2 in minutes (37.10).

• Scouting report: Jose Alvarado (Peachtree Hoops/SBNation)
• Jose Alvarado loving NBA pre-draft process (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
• Jose Alvarado goes deep on decision to stay in draft, pursue NBA dreams (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Wright, a 6-9 forward from Raleigh, N.C., was a first-team All-ACC selection this past season after ranking among the conference’s top six in scoring average (3rd, 17.40 ppg), rebound average (4th, 8.04 rpg), field goal percentage (4th, .532), steals (7th, 1.48 pg), blocked shots (6th, 1.64 per game), offensive rebounds (4th, 3.16 rpg) and minutes (6th, 35.34 mpg)..

• Scouting report: Moses Wright (Peachtree Hoops/SBNation)
• Slew of pre=-draft workouts for Moses Wright (Atlanta Journal-Constitition)

Alvarado finished his Tech career 19^th on its all-time scoring list with 1,429 points and No. 3 in steals with 226. Wright became the 21^st player in Tech history to collect more than 1,000 points (1,130) and 500 rebounds (614).

Draft projections have placed Alvarado and Wright as potential second-round choices in the NBA Draft, but the most recent projection of the top 100 prospects by Jonathan Givony at ESPN.com last weekend show Alvarado at No. 74 and Wright at No. 77. A total of 60 players are selected in the draft.

Wright was chosen to participate among 69 players in the NBA Draft Combine in June, the first Tech player to do so since Josh Okogie in 2018, while Alvarado participated in the NBA G League Elite Camp. Both have had individual workouts with a majority of the teams in the NBA.

TECH’S NBA DRAFT HISTORY

Overall – A total of 45 Georgia Tech players have been selected in the NBA Draft (see chronological list), Josh Okogie being the most recent in 2018. Since the draft was reduced to two rounds in 1989, 24 Yellow Jackets have been selected. Nine other players have been signed as free agents in the aftermath of the draft and spent time on active NBA rosters.

First-round picks – Georgia Tech has had 19 players taken in the first round overall, 17 of them since 1989. Josh Okogie was the last Yellow Jacket to be selected in the first round, 20^th overall in 2018 to the Minnesota Timberwolves, with whom he still plays. Two Georgia Tech players been selected in the first round of the NBA Draft in the same year once – Thaddeus Young (12th overall) and Javaris Crittenton (19th) in 2007.

Lottery picks – Eight Tech players have been “lottery picks” (one of the top 14 players chosen) since the lottery was implemented in 1985. They are: John Salley (11th overall to Detroit, 1985), Tom Hammonds (9th overall to Washington in 1989), Dennis Scott (4th to Orlando in 1990), Kenny Anderson (2nd to New Jersey in 1991), Stephon Marbury (4th to Milwaukee in 1996), Chris Bosh (4th to Toronto in 2003), Thaddeus Young (12th overall to Philadelphia in 2007) and Derrick Favors (3rd overall to New Jersey in 2010).

Highest draft pick – Kenny Anderson (No. 2 overall to New Jersey in 1991)

Next highest picks – Derrick Favors (No. 3 overall to New Jersey), Stephon Marbury (No. 4 overall to Milwaukee in 1996, traded to Minnesota); Dennis Scott (No. 4 overall to Orlando in 1990); Chris Bosh (No. 4 overall to Toronto in 2003)

Early NBA entries – Though they were seniors and have graduated, Jose Alvarado and Moses Wright are considered early entries to the draft since they had the option of returning to Georgia Tech for an extra year of eligibility. They are the 13^th and 14^th Tech players to make an early entry into the NBA draft. The other early entries were Dennis Scott (1990), Kenny Anderson (1991), Stephon Marbury (1996), Dion Glover (1998), Chris Bosh (2003), Jarrett Jack (2005), Thaddeus Young and Javaris Crittenton (2007), Gani Lawal and Derrick Favors (2010), Iman Shumpert (2011) and Josh Okogie (2018).

Two players drafted in the same year – The last time two Georgia Tech players were selected in the same draft was 2010, when Derrick Favors was taken third overall by the New Jersey Nets, and Gani Lawal went in the second round, 46^th overall, by the Phoenix Suns. Overall, two players have been selected in the same draft 10 times.

Draft choices by team – The hometown NBA team, the Atlanta Hawks, has drafted three Georgia Tech players in its history – guard Phil Wagner in 1968 (6th round), guard George Thomas in 1983 (8th round) and guard Dion Glover in 1999 (1st round), while New Jersey, Phoenix, Philadelphia, Milwaukee and Seattle (now Oklahoma City) also have selected three Tech players each. Franchises which have never selected a Tech player in the draft – Charlotte, Cleveland, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis, New Orleans and San Antonio.

Notable – From 1985 to 2001, at least one Georgia Tech player was selected in every draft except 1994.

Kenny Anderson remains the highest draft choice in Georgia Tech history, No. 2 to New Jersey in 1991. (photo courtesy of the NBA)

 

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ABOUT GEORGIA TECH MEN’S BASKETBALL

Georgia Tech’s men’s basketball team won the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament championship in 2021 after finishing fourth in the regular season. Tech has been a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference since 1979, winning four ACC Championships (1985, 1990, 1993, 2021), playing in the NCAA Tournament 17 times and playing in two Final Fours (1990, 2004). Connect with Georgia Tech Men’s Basketball on social media by liking their Facebook Page, or following on Twitter (@GTMBB) and Instagram. For more information on Tech basketball, visit Ramblinwreck.com.