I have been cursed by a witch to repeatedly travel back through time to relive every NBA draft. Fortunately, her spell sends me directly to the Utah Jazz war room on draft night and all the executives magically know I’m from the future and will do whatever I say. Unfortunately, the curse prevents me from seeing how my advice altered the future, as I am sent back to the previous year as soon as draft night ends.
June 30, 1999 – MCI Center, Washington, D.C.
Previous season:
The NBA lockout of 1998 played major havoc on the league and the Jazz. The season didn't begin until February, and then it was a super-condensed 50-game slog that not only featured many back-to-back games, but some dreaded back-to-back-to-back games. Despite that, Utah still managed to win 37 games, tying San Antonio for most in the league. Karl Malone won his second (and final) MVP and John Stockton even snuck onto the All-NBA Third Team (the last time he earned All-NBA honors in his career). However, I have to believe the grueling schedule played its toll on Utah's aging roster, culminating in a rather surprising second-round defeat to Portland.
The draft:
In his last draft as Jazz general manager, Scott Layden found himself with three first-round picks and a pressing need to shore up Utah's bench. Thanks to a 1998 trade involving Nazr Mohammed, the Jazz had Philadelphia's No. 19 pick, which Utah used on Minnesota swingman Quincy Lewis.
A 1996 trade that sent Felton Spencer to Orlando gave Utah the 24th pick. Knowing he still had one more first-rounder after this (plus a second-round pick), Layden decided to take a risk on an 18-year-old project from Russia named Andrei Kirilenko.
Utah's own pick wound up being No. 28, and the Jazz used it on Kentucky forward Scott Padgett.
With the No. 58 pick (the last of the draft), Utah took a guard from Virginia Tech named Eddie Lucas.
Analysis:
Lewis never really caught on with the NBA. He played out his three-year rookie contract with the Jazz, never rising above the level of mediocrity (and bizarrely seeing his 3-point percentage slip from 36% to 17%). He went to Israel for a year, then tried a comeback with Minnesota, but that only lasted 14 games. He seems a nice enough guy — for whatever reason, Utah hired him in 2022 as Director of Alumni Relations (whatever that means). But back in 1999, the Jazz could have had a much better player. My recommendation isn't exactly a sexy pick, but one I think would have helped Utah the most at the time. Big man Jeff Foster never put up big numbers, but he somehow earned a 13-year career with the Pacers thanks to his defense and rebounding, particularly on the offensive end. The Jazz really needed some front court support to make up for Greg Ostertag's inconsistencies.
Kirilenko didn't come to Utah until 2001, but he quickly proved to be one of the best draft picks in Jazz history. He became an All-Star and earned All-Defensive honors. His career sadly faltered when Carlos Boozer, Deron Williams and Mehmet Okur edged him out offensively, causing Kirilenko to suffer a mental breakdown. And his bloated contract ended up being a bit of an albatross around the franchise's neck in later years. However, I think the good Kirilenko brought to Utah far outweighs the bad and I can't really imagine the Jazz without him.
Padgett was a little bit better than Lewis — at least his 3-point shooting didn't take a drastic dip. He spent four years in Utah, then another four years between Houston, New Jersey and Memphis. Nevertheless, the Jazz have a far superior option at this position: Hall of Famer Manu Ginobili. The future All-Star and Sixth Man of the Year didn't join San Antonio until 2002, and I'm sure the Jazz would have been quite hesitant to use two first-round picks on foreigners who wouldn't join the NBA for several years. But Ginobili was more than worth the wait, and I would have been able to convince Utah's front office of this. The fans wouldn't have understood, but who cares?
Lucas never played in the NBA and only spent a couple of years overseas. Luckily, I have an excellent undrafted option available: Raja Bell. Bell would eventually play for the Jazz — in two separate stints. The second one ended in a bitter contract dispute, but the first stint was quite good and it proved the defensive-minded shooting guard could thrive under Jerry Sloan's system.
My advice:
1. Use the 19th pick on Jeff Foster.
2. Use the 24th pick on Andrei Kirilenko.
3. Use the 28th pick on Manu Ginobili.
4. Use the 58th pick on Raja Bell.
I just gave the Jazz two solid defenders — one for the front court, one for the back. And, more enticingly, I gave the team two incredible international players, who'd come over in two or three years. I don't think I did enough to push the decaying Stockton-Malone lineup back to the Finals, but I am hopeful about Utah's long-term future with these four players.
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