Ten years ago, Milwaukee Bucks General Manager, John Hammond swung for the fences.
With “safe” picks available at pick-15 in the first round of the NBA Draft, Hammond opted for a skinny 18-year-old kid from Greece with an impossible last name.
The selection of Giannis – a raw prospect who put up modest numbers in a second-division league in Greece sent draft experts and local talk show hosts scurrying for information.
Nobody could say his name.
Nobody could spell his name.
The instant draft analysis yielded grades anywhere from B to F.
Typically, NBA teams rely on three avenues to build a playoff-caliber roster: The draft, trades, and free agency.
In Milwaukee, only two of the three applied. Free agency was not an option for even marginal players.
Hammond’s philosophy was to throw caution to the wind and take a chance on one of the youngest, tallest, most raw prospects on the board.
Hammond swung, and missed, with Thon Maker, and hit a grand slam with Giannis.
The single greatest draft pick in franchise history was selected on June 27th, 2013.
