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In anticipation for the 2011 NBA Draft on June 23, 2011 in New Jersey, let's reminisce some of the worst picks of the last 10 seasons.
Define Bust: Picked in the Top 5 (2008 is the exception) but did not live up to expectations
Here are some of the biggest busts in recent memory (by year):
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2001 - Kwame Brown (#1): He was the first top draft pick straight from high school. Never really played even close to what was expected of him. Maybe he should've stayed in high school. Who was picked after him? Pau Gasol (#3)
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2002 - Nikoloz Tsikitishvili (#5): The single biggest reason why a lot of people are skeptical when talking about tall Euros who can shoot. Who was picked after him? Amar'e Stoudemire (#9)
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2003 - Darko Milicic (#2): Not as bad as Tsikitishvili, but certainly never lived up to the hype. The supposed lefty version of Dirk, was nothing but left out in the cold. Who were picked after him? Melo, Bosh & Wade (#3-5)
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2004 - Shaun Livingston (#4): Had a promising start, but was never able to recover after a woeful knee injury. Who was picked after him? Devin Harris (#5)
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2005 - Marvin Williams (#2): Probably the best player on this list, but his performance dipped steeply this season. Who were picked after him? Deron Williams & Chris Paul (#3-4)
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2006 - Adam Morrison (#3): Dubbed the "Next Larry Bird," but wasn't even able to be the "Next Larry Nance." Could be the worst third pick of all time. Who was picked after him? Rajon Rondo (#21)
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2007 - Greg Oden (#1): Injuries severely dampened his play, and didn't really have enough talent to adjust. Had some good games, but these were too few and far between. Who was picked after him? Kevin Durant (#2)
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2008 - Joe Alexander (#8): The only non-Top-5 pick here, which is a testament to how solid the first 7 picks of 2008 have become. So where is Alexander now? Playing for the Texas Legends. Who was picked after him? Brook Lopez (#10)
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2009 - Hasheem Thabeet (#2): The Tanzanian Devil was far from devilish. Probably never will be. Who was picked after him? Tyreke Evans (#4)
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2010 - Derrick Favors (#3): Traded mid-season and averaged nearly 7 points and 5 boards. Great numbers if he were chosen late in the first round. Who was picked after him? DeMarcus Cousins (#5)
5 Comment
Derrick Favors is hardly a bust, and it's far, far too soon to put him on any list like this. 7 points and 5 rebounds may be modest numbers for a third overall pick, but scouts who've seen him play are so intrigued with his size and athleticism that they still view his ceiling as Shawn Kemp or perhaps Antonio McDyess pre-injuries.
BalasIt is far too soon, but I just wanted to choose one per year, and, so far, he's the worst-performing among the top 5 2010 picks. Can it change? Definitely. But there are signs he won't live up to the hype.
Balas- Getting traded in the middle of his rookie season (as the 2nd pick at that!) isn't very encouraging (and for draft picks too!).
- Not putting up big numbers considering his competition at the PF position (Kris Humphries, Dan Gadzuric & Brandan Wright) is also not promising.
- Being traded to a team loaded up front (Millsap, Kirilenko, Al-Jeff, and eventually Memo) means he might not get as much time to shine.
- And, again, Cousins was picked after him. Lots of upside for Favors, sure, but hasn't shown much YET.
Kwame Brown actually improved his number last season. 8 and 7. Actually better than some of the starting centers last year. Still a huge bust though. Hope he can still improve, mj placed too much pressure on that guy.
BalasI really believe derrick favors will be a solid NBA player. Not a great one, but certainly a solid role player.
BalasAlso I might add... (although this is way back)
1984 #2 pick - Sam Bowie
Who got picked before him? Hakeem Olajuwon.
After? His airness Michael Jordan.
Ey Von! I hope you're right about Favors. The Jazz did draft a nice set of young talent to complement him. Enes Kanter and Alec Burks could team up with Favors to make a nice youthful core for Utah's future. I think you're spot on, though, about Favors maybe NOT being a great player, but a solid contributor nonetheless.
BalasHaha Sam Bowie is like the quintessential bust. He wasn't an awful player stats-wise, but if one does look at what Hakeem and Michale have achieved, kawawa talaga si Bowie. Haha