Memphis Grizzlies: 15 best NBA Draft picks of all time

Draft data over a 10-year span from 2003 to 2013 showed that 26 percent of the second-round picks never actually played in the NBA. 48 percent had careers that spanned three seasons or fewer.

The simple fact that Sam Young occupied an NBA roster spot for four seasons after being drafted 36th overall makes him an above average second-round pick. The fact that he spent close to three seasons in Memphis and was a starter or consistent rotation player in 192 games makes him one of the two best second-round picks in franchise history.

Young scored 18.6 points a game between his junior and senior seasons at Pittsburgh in spite of his limited offensive skill set and inconsistency as a shooter. His off the chart athleticism and power were enough to make him a prolific scorer in college, but didn’t translate at the next level.

Still, he averaged a respectable 7 points per game over his career with the Grizzlies, while being an above average defender. When his shot was falling, he was capable of scoring 20+ points any given night. Young was never a consistent scorer but he had over 30 games with more than double his career scoring average.

Young is one of only three players on this list who compiled a record above .500 during his tenure with the team. The Grizzlies had a record of 102-90 with Young in the lineup and made the playoffs in two of his three seasons.

Also – at 6-foot-6, Young didn’t have the size to match players like Stromile Swift, Hakim Warrick, and Rudy Gay. He never scored or attempted the volumes that those guys did, but the compilation of highlight reel dunks he produced stack up with anyone in the franchise’s history.