The process of selecting prospects during the NBA draft has proven to be an imperfect science over the years. Some players quickly live up to their billing as surefire stars in the making, while others fail to meet the lofty expectations placed upon them.
Once the biggest names are off the board, teams are left with a combination of less-recruited players and raw athletes to choose from. Sometimes, it's those types of talents who slip through the cracks and wind up making the biggest impact at the next level.
On that note, theScore put together a list featuring five of the greatest draft-day steals in NBA history (sorted in alphabetical order by last name).
Giannis Antetokounmpo
The Milwaukee Bucks drafting Antetokounmpo just outside of the lottery with the 15th overall pick in 2013 is unquestionably one of the biggest steals of all time. Further, Victor Oladipo is the only player of the 14 selected ahead of Antetokounmpo who has made an All-Star Game.
The league's reigning MVP somehow improved across the board during the 2019-20 season and was well on his way to winning the award for a second consecutive campaign - and possibly Defensive Player of the Year, too - before the season was put on hold. Antetokounmpo's nearly unstoppable all-around game makes the Bucks a clear-cut championship favorite until further notice.
Given how Antetokounmpo is already dominating the NBA at only 25 years old, there's no telling what his ceiling is as he progresses through his prime.
Marc Gasol
Drafted 48th overall in 2007, few expected the younger Gasol brother to rival the elder Pau's impact when he arrived in the league as a pudgy 24-year-old. However, it quickly became clear the Spaniard was much better than initially advertised as he began acclimating to the NBA game during the early years of his career.
Gasol has built a stellar resume in the Association, one that includes a Defensive Player of the Year award during the 2012-13 campaign, two All-NBA selections, an All-Defensive team nod, and three All-Star appearances.
Of all his accomplishments, Gasol helped guide the Toronto Raptors to their first-ever title in 2019 following a midseason trade from the Memphis Grizzlies, the only other team he'd ever played for.
After winning an NBA championship, Gasol capped off his incredible 2019 by earning a gold medal at the FIBA World Cup this past summer. In doing so, he joined Lamar Odom as the only players to ever win an NBA title and FIBA gold medal in the same year.
Draymond Green
Despite an exceptional college career at Michigan State, questions surrounding how Green's game would translate to the NBA led him to slide down draft boards and into the hands of the Golden State Warriors.
Selected with the 35th pick in 2012, Green emerged as an all-important "Glue Guy" after becoming a full-time starter in 2014-15, his third pro season. Since then, he's been named to five consecutive All-Defensive teams, two All-NBA teams, and won Defensive Player of the Year in 2016-17 despite being an undersized six-foot-six power forward.
While Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and later Kevin Durant carried the bulk of the scoring load for the Warriors during their five-year run of dominance, Golden State likely doesn't win its three championships without Green's leadership and contributions across the board.
Nikola Jokic
Few could have anticipated Jokic would end up contending with Joel Embiid for the title as best big man of the 2014 draft class, yet here we are.
Picked 41st overall by the Denver Nuggets, the burly Serbian started his career coming off the bench but quickly showed he was ready to become a full-time starter after just 35 games in his rookie season.
Jokic has been the biggest reason for Denver's emergence as legitimate Western Conference contenders. Thanks to his gifted court vision - Jokic is already on the shortlist for the best passing big man of all time along with Hall of Famer Arvydas Sabonis - and a smooth shooting stroke, the Jokic-led Nuggets were on pace to win 50 games for a second consecutive season in 2019-20.
His impressive production during the first half-decade of his career is likely only a taste of what's to come for this once-in-a-generation center.
Tony Parker
While Tim Duncan was undoubtedly the franchise cornerstone of the San Antonio Spurs for 19 seasons, Parker's impact on the team's nearly unprecedented run of dominance can't be overlooked.
The Frenchman was taken with the 28th selection in 2001 and was instantly gifted the keys to San Antonio's offense by Gregg Popovich as the team's starting point guard. Following a pedestrian rookie season as a 19-year-old, Parker became far more aggressive on the offensive end from Year 2 onward, relentlessly attacking the paint and putting pressure on opposing defenses. His emergence as a reliable scoring threat helped put the Spurs over the top en route to capturing a title that season.
Parker went on to win three more championships and a Finals MVP award in 2007 as a key cog of San Antonio's dynasty. He rounded out his resume with four All-NBA selections and six All-Star appearances before leaving town to play the final campaign of his career with the Charlotte Hornets.
Honorable mention: Manu Ginobili (drafted 57th overall in 1999)
