To find out, they analyzed the draft order of the 1980–1986 NBA drafts, nine measures of player performance, minutes of playing time for five seasons, career length, and whether a player was traded. It turned out that draft order did have an independent effect on future playing time and roster decisions. “Results showed that teams granted more playing time to their most highly drafted players and retained them longer, even after controlling for players’ on-court performance, injuries, trade status, and position played.”
