Nba First Round Busts

bigboydan · 06-28-2006, 03:11 AM

on the eve of the NBA draft. i was thinking about all the big time busts there have been over the years.

the one that really stuck out to me the most though, was harold minnor.

this kid was nicknamed baby jordan, after he won the slam dunk contest while he was a member of the miami heat.

what are some of the other big time busts you remember ?

onlòóker · 06-28-2006, 03:22 AM

Pervis Ellison.

Overall number 1 pick in 1989. Enough said.

not mofome · 06-28-2006, 04:35 AM

sam bowie imagine if the portland trailblazers would
of picked jordan instead

SquareShooter · 06-28-2006, 04:38 AM

Kwame Brown is an epithome.

isetcap · 06-28-2006, 09:26 AM

Pervis Ellison was a decent player for a number of years. Certainly not the value you would like to see out of a number 1 but not quite a bust. His third year in the league he averaged 20/12/3 and then injuries started to hamper his performance. He ended up with 11 seasons in the NBA.

I'm not sure what an "epithome" is but Kwame Brown is steadily developing into a force in the league. His development under Phil Jackson has far exceeded expectations. Defensively he is a weapon and offensively he is improving. Although his progress has been much slower than anticipated, I think he ultimately won't be part of any "bust" discussion.

Harold Miner went #13 in the 92 Draft and only managed 4 years in the league. Pretty unimpressive, but at #11 in that year's draft, you have Adam Keefe who managed to muck around for 9 years with only one season averaging over 7 points a game (7.8 to be exact). At least Miner had over 10 points a game his first 2 seasons before injuries really caused his flame to flicker out.

Really hard to argue with that Sam Bowie pick especially in light of the fact that he was sandwiched by Akeem Olajuwon and MJ as mofome pointed out. Having said that, his numbers aren't terrible. He put in 10 years and had 6 seasons where he averaged more than 10 ppg.

I'll keep my selections limited to #1 overall picks in the last couple decades...

I think right at the top of the list you have to have Michael Olowokandi, the #1 pick in the 98 Draft. Of course you also have Robert Traylor going #6 in that same draft.

The other #1 overalls I would throw out as busts are the enigmatic Joe Smith and Ralph Sampson.

BadAzz · 06-28-2006, 09:42 AM

Didn't Ralph Sampson have pretty identical career with never nervous Pervis? A few good to great seasons and then injuries struck.

Willie Bee · 06-28-2006, 09:46 AM

As far as their careers went, Bowie and Samspon were fairly similar in regards to underachieving and not living up to their pre-NBA hype. Guess you can blame some of it on injuries for both of them, but neither was really as physical as they needed to be in the NBA. Sampson at least made some impact his first few seasons; hard to think of Bowie as an impact player at just about any point in his career.

Along the 1st-round lines, how about Lancaster Gordon in the same Olajuwon-Bowie-Jordan draft of 1984? Or Bobby Hurley as the 7th-overall pick by the Kings in 1993? He went ahead of Vin Baker, Allan Houston and Sam Cassell in the opening round that year.

isetcap · 06-28-2006, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Willie Bee

Along the 1st-round lines, how about Lancaster Gordon in the same Olajuwon-Bowie-Jordan draft of 1984? Or Bobby Hurley as the 7th-overall pick by the Kings in 1993? He went ahead of Vin Baker, Allan Houston and Sam Cassell in the opening round that year.

Come on, Willie. That's not fair. You can pick just about any Duke player with the exception of Elton Brand that went in the first round and call them a bust. That includes Grant Hill.

isetcap · 06-28-2006, 10:10 AM

Obviously Darko Milicic is working hard to lay claim to bust status.

moses millsap · 06-28-2006, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by isetcap

Obviously Darko Milicic is working hard to lay claim to bust status.

He showed flashes of being quite productive in Orlando. I think he'll be fine.

How about Todd Fuller and Frederik Weis (sp?)

isetcap · 06-28-2006, 10:13 AM

Look at 2002. You have Jay Williams going second overall. Oh that's right I already mentioned the Duke Autobust Theory.

You also have Dajuan Wagner who has really fallen off the map. He had a solid rookie season and I guess he's been on the IR ever since. Is he in jail or something?

isetcap · 06-28-2006, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OWNED

He showed flashes of being quite productive in Orlando. I think he'll be fine.

How about Todd Fuller and Frederik Weis (sp?)

Agreed on the flashes. Keep in mind that on that team he should be producing so he'll have to do much better than that.

I don't even know about the other 2 you mentioned so they must be busts!

moses millsap · 06-28-2006, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by isetcap

Agreed on the flashes. Keep in mind that on that team he should be producing so he'll have to do much better than that.

I don't even know about the other 2 you mentioned so they must be busts!

Warriors drafted Fuller out of NCST in the Kobe draft and the Knicks took Weis and passed on Artest, much to the dismay of the crowd, lol.

isetcap · 06-28-2006, 10:20 AM

How about Rodney White in 2001? Anybody want to argue for his cause?

isetcap · 06-28-2006, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OWNED

Warriors drafted Fuller out of NCST in the Kobe draft and the Knicks took Weis and passed on Artest, much to the dismay of the crowd, lol.

Could they have had Artest and Spreeeeeee at the same time or had LS moved on by then? That would have been a fireworks display!

moses millsap · 06-28-2006, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by isetcap

How about Rodney White in 2001? Anybody want to argue for his cause?

We need Michael Jordan to come here as a poster, since he called Rodney the next Magic Johnson.

Guy has TERRIBLE work ethic and a horrendous attitude as I witnessed here in the Bay Area, while he was riding the pine for the Warriors

Mudcat · 06-28-2006, 10:25 AM

I always feel like it's my job to inject some Canadian content. Picked 6th in 1995 by the Vancouver Grizzlies, Bryant "Big Country" Reeves.

I don't honestly know what his career stats look like (although I know they're not spectacular) - but I just know that a big contract he signed out there is considered the death of the NBA in that city.

isetcap · 06-28-2006, 10:26 AM

Hate to rail on Duke some more (not really), but in looking at the 1999 draft, you have Trajon Langdon (LOL), Corey Maggette (solid), and William Avery (are you kidding me?) in the top 14 picks.