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It came much later than predicted, but Australian point guard Patty Mills was finally selected with the 55th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Portland Trailblazers on Friday.
The 20-year-old had been tabbed as a likely late first-round or early second-round pick, but he slid all the way to No.55 in a draft that features just 60 picks at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
Best known for his exploits at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the lightning-quick guard had his draft chances hurt by a broken hand during his recently-completed second season at St Mary’s College in California.
Unlike first-round picks, players drafted in the second round don’t receive guaranteed contracts. But Mills will be given every opportunity to join compatriots Andrew Bogut and Nathan Jawai in the world’s premier basketball league.
The 183cm guard is the second indigenous Australian to be drafted after Jawai, who was also a second-round pick by Indiana last year before being traded to Toronto.
Former college stand-out and current ESPN basketball analyst Jay Bilas was surprised Mills slipped so low.
“He can be a solid back-up point guard in the NBA and honestly I’m surprised that he didn’t go a lot higher in this draft,” he said.
“I thought he would be a late first-round pick or pretty early in the second round.
“But I think this young man can play in the NBA.”
Despite his diminutive frame, Mills turned heads at the Olympics, most notably with his 20-point performance in a quarter-final loss to the United States.
He played two years at St Mary’s, averaging a team-high 18.4 points per game, as well as 3.8 assists and 2.2 steals last season.
Compatriots Joe Ingles, Luke Nevill and Aron Baynes also nominated for the draft, but failed to be selected.
Luc Longley was the first Australian drafted when he was pick No.7 by Minnesota back in 1991.
There have been a slow trickle of Australians drafted since, including Chris Anstey, Paul Rogers, CJ Bruton and David Andersen, although of that group only Anstey ended up playing in the league.
But Australians are now making their presence felt in the NBA, with Mills set to join 2005 No.1 pick Bogut and Jawai in the US.
In other draft news, as expected the Los Angeles Clippers secured highly-impressive big man Blake Griffin with the No.1 overall pick.
Exciting point guard Ricky Rubio, who played for Spain in the Beijing Olympics, was selected fifth by Minnesota.
Bogut also has some new teammates after Milwaukee selected point guard Brandon Jennings with the 10th overall pick.
The Bucks also traded small forward Richard Jefferson to San Antonio for veteran guard Bruce Bowen and forwards Kurt Thomas and Amir Johnson.
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