nba draft review

When Brandon Roy was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves last night (before being traded), that marked the 4th consecutive year, and the 13th overall, in which their was an NBA 1st round pick with the same name as someone who plunked Craig Biggio that same year. Brandon Claussen plunked Biggio on April 28th.
There has never been an NBA first round draft pick during Biggio's career with the same full name (first and last) as any of the pitchers who hit him with a pitch, but there have been 34 plunks thrown by 24 pitchers with the same last name as someone drafted by the NBA in the first round between 1988 and 2006, and 179 plunks thrown by 134 pitchers with the same 1st name as a 1st round NBA pick in that span.

Only 4 pitchers plunked Biggio in the same year someone with their last name was a 1st round NBA pick - Michael Jackson plunked Biggio in 1992, when Jimmy Jackson was drafted 4th overall by Dallas, David Williams hit Biggio with a pitch in 2002 when Jay Williams and Frank Williams were taken 2nd and 25th in the NBA draft, Aaron Cook plunked Craig Biggio in 2003 when Brian Cook was drafted by the Lakers, and Jamey Wright plunked Biggio last year when Antoine Wright was drafted by the New Jersey Nets.

There have been 26 plunks thrown by 21 pitchers whose first name matched an NBA 1st round pick from the same year. Twice there were two different pitchers with the same first name, also coincident with a first round NBA pick, to plunk Biggio. Chris Hammond and Chris Carpenter plunked Biggio last year, while Chris Paul was selected to the NBA, and Brian Anderson and Brian Meadows both plunked Biggio in the year Brian Skinner was drafted in the 1st round. Greg Maddux plunked Biggio in two different seasons ('93 and '94) in which there was an NBA 1st round pick named Greg (Greg Graham in '93 and Greg Minor in '94).

In the past 18 NBA drafts there have been 12 1st round picks named Chris and 8 name Jason (more than any other first name), but there were none name Chris or Jason in 2006. There was only one Craig drafted in that span, but he usually goes by the nickname "Speedy" (Claxton). Since 1988, there have been 14 1st round picks named Williams, including 3 in 2006, and 10 named Smith. Those are the top 2 last names drafted in those years. Not a single Biggio.