NBA - Worst Draft Picks
Undoubtedly when a franchise gets to pick the 1st pick overall in the drafting season, they hope it’ll benefit them in the future. The No.1 pick means the player is considered to be the best player out of the lot; the team analyzes the player’s ability to perform and overall intellect level.
In the past there have been many No.1 draft picks who have lived up to the expectations their respective teams and fans have demanded from them, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson are the prime examples. However there are many who were picked by teams thinking they’d aid them to a whole new level, instead they took the team down with them.
Listing a few of the players who proved in a short period of time that they weren’t worthy of standing at the highest pedestal as the No.1 pick in the NBA drafting season.
Kwame Brown
27th July 2001 started off great for the Washington Wizards but it didn’t take many days for them to realize it was indeed the worst day in their history. They picked Kwame Brown as their 1st pick, he gave false hopes to the teams making them think he’d take them to a championship, although he could not accomplish doing that but what he did end up doing was changing four teams over the course of his 9-year career.
He came to the Los Angeles Lakers who got sick of the player and traded him to the Memphis Grizzlies, who decided to get rid of him as well. After Brown’s contract ended the Grizzlies decided not to extend his contract making him an unrestricted free agent.
Detroit Pistons somehow had the courage to throw a bone at the big dog in 2008 and he is still present on their roster. Brown’s best assist average is 1.0 per game. Pau Gasol was picked the same year as the 3rd pick, with commendable performance over the years. Playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, Pau has already won 2 NBA championship titles.
Joe Smith
Joe Smith, a man who came to the Golden State Warriors in 1995. Much was expected from the 6’10” forward, although he proved to be an average player shortly. Rasheed Wallace and Kevin Garnett belong to the same batch of 95’ but the difference between them and Joe is one could highlight several achievements by the later two, while the only one Joe has Naismith College Player of the Year. Rasheed and Kevin both have got a NBA Championship title to their name.
Naturally much was expected from Joe, as he was one the No.1 pick of the season but sadly he could not live up to the everyone’s dream. Joe has changed 10 teams over the course of his 15-year career, and currently plays for the Atlanta Hawks, where he is not given more than 5 minutes on the court.
Joe is undoubtedly one of the biggest busts in the draft history, career average 5.9 points per game with 4.2 rebounds per game.
Yao Ming
Yao Ming was considered as one of the biggest international drafts picks in the NBA history. Huston Rockets was a struggling team in the league, it seemed like the Rockets had no future. But things changed after Yao’s import to the country, Rockets wasted no time in drafting him in 2002 as the 1st pick overall. He gave the team hope and soon formed a remarkable duo with All-Star player Tracy McGrady.
The basketball nation was in awe by his humongous size, Yao stands at 7’6” and weighs 310 pounds. Some said Yao and McGrady together will bring down a championship to the Rockets. However it’s been eight years and the team is still without a championship. Yao Ming’s reoccurring injuries made him retire until he gets stronger, leaving behind the team in distraught.
Yao has missed on 175 games, which includes this year’s season as well, all the teams hopes and dreams were washed away by the man they banked on, and were confident in thinking someday he will take them to the National Championship.
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