James Lang
C · 2003 NBA Draft, 2nd round, pick #48 (NOH)
Why he was overlooked Patterns
Nothing in our pre-draft data flagged him as a steal: his age, school, testing and position profile looked like a typical pick in his range. The gap opened after the draft, on the field.
- Pre-draft rankings
ESPN's pre-draft board ranked him #58 (#5 at his position); he went #48, 10 spots earlier. So teams were actually higher on him than the media board was; everyone underrated him.
Since 2000, picks in this group beat their draft slot 33.8% of the time (272 players, 2000–2021 classes) vs. 50% for a typical pick.
- Age
19.7 years old on draft night (born 1983-10-17).
Since 2000, picks in this group beat their draft slot 51.7% of the time (300 players, 2000–2021 classes) vs. 50% for a typical pick.
- Position
C (ESPN draft listing).
Since 2000, picks in this group beat their draft slot 51.1% of the time (182 players, 2000–2021 classes) vs. 50% for a typical pick.
- Availability
Played 11 games over 1 NBA season (~13% of a full 82-game schedule each year).
Every line comes from data: Basketball-Reference career data; ESPN's draft profile; Wikidata birth dates. No scouting reports or quotes. Green = pointed toward a steal for him.
Career numbers
| Seasons | 1 |
| Games | 11 |
| Minutes / game | 5.0 |
| Points / game | 1.0 |
| Rebounds / game | 1.0 |
| Assists / game | 0.2 |
| Win Shares (career) | 0.1 |
| VORP | -0.1 |
| Box Plus/Minus | -6.4 |
The 2003 class: draft pick vs. redraft rank Full redraft
Each dot is a 2003 pick. Dashed line = typical redraft rank for each slot (2000–2021 classes). Above the line = beat his slot.
How players like him did
| Pre-draft rankings Taken 10+ picks before ESPN's rank | 33.8% n=272 | |
| Age Under 20 | 51.7% n=300 | |
| Position Center | 51.1% n=182 |
Share of 2000–2021 picks with the same trait who beat their draft slot. Line = 50%.
Measurables & pre-draft
| Height / weight | 6' 10", 305 lbs |
| Age on draft night | 19.7 |
| Born | 1983-10-17 |
| ESPN pre-draft rank | #58 overall (#5 C) |
Picked around him 2003 redraft
| 45 | Matt Bonner | redraft #11 |
| 46 | Sani Bečirovič | redraft #52 |
| 47 | Mo Williams | redraft #10 |
| 49 | James Jones | redraft #18 |
| 50 | Paccelis Morlende | redraft #53 |
| 51 | Kyle Korver | redraft #6 |
How verdicts and reasons are computed: methodology. Steal / bust = 15+ spots better / worse than the typical redraft rank for the slot.