A Who's-Who of the NBA Lottery Teams

With the excitement of the NBA playoffs in full motion, here is a look at the top ten players not featured in this year's playoffs.

To make this list, I looked at their performance this year, as well as in previous years. Players who missed most of the season, such as Elton Brand, or those with injuries that can be seen as a large reason for their team not advancing to the playoffs (e.g. Dwayne Wade), were not up for consideration.

10. Corey Maggette, Los Angeles Clippers. 

It's easy to forget about Maggette. He puts up good numbers every year, but is only mentioned around the trade deadline. Even though he has been rumoured to be in seemingly every trade, he has now played eight years with the Clippers, and in his nine-year NBA career, he has made the playoffs only once.

However, it is hard to discount his talent, as he put up some of the best numbers of his career with 22.1 PPG and 5.6 RPG.

9. Jason Richardson, Charlotte Bobcats.

While many questioned the draft-day trade of Brandon Wright and $10 million for Richardson, Richardson certainly did not disappoint this season. While playing in all 82 games, he scored 21.8 PPG, while leading the team in three-point shooting at 40.6 percent. He also lead the league in three-pointers made.

While the Bobcats still fell well short of the playoffs, their outlook for the next few seasons is bright if Richardson can continue to play this well.

8. Kevin Martin, Sacramento Kings.

One may be surprised to find that Kevin Martin had the sixth highest points-per-game this season, and lead the league in free-throws made per game.  For Kings fans, this news is expected, as Martin has increased his scoring average in all four of his NBA seasons. However, this increase in productivity has not come with playoff success, as Martin has played in only six playoff games so far.  

7. Shawn Marion, Miami Heat.

While many players on this list have spent years fighting for the chance to make the playoffs, Marion has taken a different strategy: fighting for years to be traded from the wildly successful Suns.

Marion, a four-time All Star, unlike others on this list, has spent a good deal of time in the playoffs, appearing in the postseason in six of his nine seasons.

However, this total is unlikely to grow in the coming seasons, as Marion managed to join the worst team in the NBA, and promptly become injured. He played his fewest games in a season since his first year in the league.

6. Stephen Jackson, Golden State Warriors.

Jackson, the only member of this list with a championship, enjoyed one of his best seasons. He averaged a career high 20.1 PPG and a near career high of 4.1 APG, as he enjoyed a controversy-free year after missing the first six games of the season due to suspension.

However, given how close the race for the eighth seed was, the fact that the Warriors went 0-6 without Jackson to start the season may have doomed their chances from the beginning

5. Al Jefferson, Minnesota Timberwolves.

No one doubts Jefferson's talents, as he managed to replace Kevin Garnett's statistical production with 21 PPG and 11.2 RPG. However, it is not a promising sign that in his four-year career, his production has increased every year, but his team's wins have decreased every year (45,33,24,22).

Hopefully, the Timberwolves' young core will come together around Jefferson, and improve upon their road record, a Western-Conference worst, 7-34.

4. Brandon Roy, Portland Trail Blazers.

Roy's Blazers took the NBA by storm in the first half of the season, as he lead a young team into the playoff picture averaging 19.1 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 5.8 APG.

While the future in Portland looks promising, Greg Oden is set to debut next season, Roy has not yet appeared in the postseason, and it is difficult to see which of the eight teams will fall in order to make room for the Blazers.

3. Michael Redd, Milwaukee Bucks.

Redd has quietly compiled quite a resume in his eight NBA seasons, with over 10,000 points and a 20.5 PPG average. However, this has not translated into much playoff success, as Redd's Bucks have not advanced past the first round since his rookie season.

2. Vince Carter, New Jersey Nets.

While Carter may have the most potential of any player not in the playoffs, his absence from this postseason is of little surprise, given that he just signed a four-year deal worth more than $60 million this past offseason.

Carter, now the poster boy for unmotivated, overpaid athletes still averaged 21.3 PPG, 6 RPG, and 5.1 APG. To his credit, Carter's career resume, at the age of 31, is quite impressive, as he has amassed more than 16,000 points in his ten NBA seasons

1. Baron Davis, Golden State Warriors.

A healthy, motivated Davis enjoyed his finest NBA season in his his nine-year career. Playing in all 82 games for the first time in six seasons, Davis scored 21.8 PPG and handed out 7.6 APG.

Davis' absence from the postseason is a disappointment, as the talented point guard missed the playoffs for just the third time in his career. The race for the eighth seed could be even tighter, as Davis, Jackson, and Monta Ellis could compete with the likes of the Nuggets and Blazers for the final spot.