For some teams, the NBA draft is a chance to rebuild and send the franchise in a completely new direction (cough, Cleveland, cough). But there are no guarantees that a high pick will change a franchise’s fate, or even become an impact player.
Yesterday we listed the best NBA draft picks at each spot. Today, we present you with the worst picks at 1-30 in NBA history.
No. 1: LaRue Martin in 1972 by the Portland Trail Blazers
I don’t mean to scare Cavs’ fans, but the number of No. 1 overall picks who turned out to be busts is higher than LeBron‘s hairline. Michael Olowokandi, Kwame Brown, and Kent Benson were all No. 1 picks who went on to lead disappointing careers. But the biggest bust of all-time selected at the top is Martin hands down. The 6-11 center out of Loyola University of Chicago hung around the league for just four seasons, finishing with career averages of 5.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.
No. 2: Darko Milicic in 2003 by the Detroit Pistons
I hesitate to give this honor to a player who has only been in the league for eight years and is coming off his most successful campaign, but the words “bust” and “Darko Milicic” will forever be linked. The Pistons passed up on Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade to take the Serbian big man who is averaging 6.1 points and 4.3 boards per game for his career. Sam “the guy drafted before MJ” Bowie is a close second.
No. 3: Chris Washburn in 1986 by the Golden State Warriors
Highly recruited out of high school, Washburn was supposed to be the next big thing. He played two seasons with North Carolina State where he averaged 16.4 points per game before leaving for the NBA. His career didn’t last much longer as Washburn was banned from the league 72 games into his career in 1989 after failing his third drug test.
No. 4: Ron Shavlik in 1956 by the New York Knicks
Knicks fans, if you think Renaldo Balkman was a bust, wait until you hear about Shavlik. After being selected fourth by the Knicks, Shavlik played a total of eight games and scored just 10 career points in two seasons.
No. 5: Jonathan Bender in 1999 by the Toronto Raptors
The Raptors passed on Wally Szczerbiak, Richard Hamilton, Shawn Marion, Ron Artest, Andrei Kirilenko, and Manu Ginobili to select Bender with the fifth pick. So far, Bender hasn’t exactly lived up to the hype, averaging just 5.5 points in eight seasons in the NBA.
No. 6: Dajuan Wagner in 2002 by the Cleveland Cavaliers
Wagner got buckets in high school, dropping 100 points in a single game during his senior season at Camden High School. But Wagner’s scoring ways ended when he got to the NBA. He never averaged more than 10 points per game after his rookie campaign and was out of the league after four seasons because of health problems.
No. 7: Roger Strickland in 1963 by the Los Angeles Lakers
After setting Jacksonville University’s single season scoring record, Strickland was picked up by the Lakers with the seventh pick. Some people can hold their breath for more minutes than Strickland spent on an NBA court. He got four minutes of fame with the Baltimore Bullets, scoring one basket on three shots. Strickland was never heard from again.
No. 8: Rafael Araujo in 2004 by the Toronto Raptors
After four solid years in college, the Raptors must have felt they were getting a sure thing with their eighth pick. But Araujo, who currently plays in Brazil, failed to bring the same skill he displayed at BYU. He posted a 2.8 scoring average in 139 games with the Raptors and Jazz before being bounced from the league.
No. 9: Patrick O’Bryant in 2006 by the Golden State Warriors
Top-10 picks aren’t supposed to be in the D-League just five seasons into their careers. But after averaging less than three points per game in his first four seasons, O’Bryant found himself riding the bus with the Reno Bighorns last year.
No. 10: Mouhamed Sene in 2006 by the Seattle Sonics
The Sonics had high hopes for the 20-year-old Senegalese big man when they used their first round pick on Sene in the 2006 draft. Sene was nothing but a disappointment, playing in just 47 games in three seasons in the NBA.
No. 11: Fran Vazquez in 2005 by the Orlando Magic
If you see Vasquez, please contact the Magic’s front office. They’ve been looking for him for six years.
No. 12: Aleksandar Radojevic in 1999 by the Toronto Raptors
I don’t even care how bad his NBA career was, this dude deserves to be the worst No. 12 pick of all-time solely on his name alone. I feel bad for all the writers who had to check six times to make sure they spelled his name right. At least they didn’t have to worry about him for long since his NBA career lasted all of 15 games.
No. 13: Sean May in 2005 by the Charlotte Bobcats
Remember the days when May was a dominant forward on UNC’s championship squad in 2005? It certainly feels like a long time ago now that May is out of the league. In three seasons with the Bobcats and one year with the Kings, he averaged 6.9 points and 4.0 rebounds per game.
No. 14: William Avery in 1999 by the Minnesota Timberwolves
After two strong seasons at Duke, Avery left early for the NBA draft and was selected by the T-Wolves at 14. Avery should have gone back to Coach K University, as he was out of the NBA after his first contract expired.
No. 15: Pickles Kennedy in 1960 by the Philadelphia Warriors
I don’t know why Kennedy was nicknamed “Pickles,” but I do know he played in just seven games and scored a total of 12 points in his career.
No. 16: Troy Bell in 2003 by the Boston Celtics
Bell’s career was even shorter than that of our friend Pickles. After killing at Boston College, Bell played in just six NBA games and scored 11 total points.
No. 17: Leo Rautins in 1983 by the Philadelphia 76ers
Like his son Andy, Leo got drafted into the NBA out of Syracuse. Also like Andy, he didn’t see the court much in his rookie season, averaging just seven minutes per game. Leo lasted just one more season before leaving the league.
No. 18: Luther Wright in 1993 by the Utah Jazz
7-2 centers don’t grow on trees, and the Jazz must have felt like they got a potential star when they picked Wright in 1993. But Wright, who reportedly suffered from bipolar disorder, was cut after one season with Utah.
No. 19: Ryan Humphrey in 2002 by the Utah Jazz
Humphrey was a rare first-round selection who spent more time in college than the pros. His four collegiate seasons with Oklahoma and Notre Dame didn’t translate into success at the NBA level, as Humphrey’s career spanned just three seasons.
No. 20: Paul Grant in 1997 by the Minnesota Timberwolves
Things greater than the number of total points Grant scored in his career: days in a month (excluding February), books written by Stephen King and points scored by Lamar Odom in his NBA debut.
No. 21: Pavel Podkolzin in 2004 by the Utah Jazz.
Podkolzin is 7-5. That’s four inches taller than Shaq. Despite this fact, Podkolzin played in just six NBA games after being drafted ahead of Tony Allen, Kevin Martin, Trevor Ariza, and Anderson Varejao in the 2004 draft.
No. 22: Tom Sewell in 1984 by the Philadelphia 76ers
The 1984 NBA Draft was filled with talented players such as Hakeem Olajuwon, Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, and John Stockton. Tom Sewell was not one of them. In his one NBA season, Sewell saw the court in 21 games, scoring a total of 20 points on 36 shot attempts. Marcus Williams was also drafted at No. 22 in the 2006 draft and has since averaged no more than two points per game in any of his four seasons in the NBA.
No. 23: Efthimios Rentzias in 1996 by the Denver Nuggets
By the time Rentzias first stepped foot on an NBA court, five players from his draft class had already played in their first All-Star game. The 6-11 center out of Greece didn’t stick around for long, playing in the NBA for just 35 games with the 76ers during the 2002-03 campaign.
No. 24: Larry Johnson in 1977 by the Buffalo Braves
No, I’m not talking about the Larry Johnson drafted No. 1 overall by the Charlotte Hornets in 1991 who reached the All-Star game twice. I’m talking about the Larry Johnson who played four games with the Braves during the 1997-98 season and scored six points.
No. 25: Shaun Vandiver in 1991 by the Golden State Warriors
Vandiver must have missed the bus to California cause he never suited up for the Warriors or any other NBA team.
No. 26: Rolando Ferreira in 1988 by the Portland Trail Blazers
In 1986, the Trail Blazers used a late pick on a foreign big man named Arvydas Sabonis who spent seven seasons in Portland and averaged 12 and 7 during his career. Two years later, the Blazers tried their luck on another foreign big man with a late pick. This time, however, it didn’t work out as well. Ferreira played in just 12 games, dropping a total of nine points.
No. 27: George Brown in 1957 by the Minneapolis Lakers
What does Brown have in common with Shaq, Rajon Rondo, and Hedo Turkoglu? They all posted career highs in scoring on their birthdays. Shaq dropped 61 points on his 28th birthday, Turkoglu notched 39 on his 29th birthday, and Rondo put up 32 when he turned 23. Brown? On his 22nd birthday, the 6-6 forward made a free throw. It was the only point of his career.
No. 28: Deon Thomas in 1994 by the Dallas Mavericks
Thomas finished his career at Illinois as the leading scorer in school history. He must have been looking for some good falafel because he took his talents to Israel after graduation and never returned to the US.
No. 29: Steve Logan in 2002 by the Golden State Warriors
The first pick of the second round, Logan was never offered a guaranteed contract and never saw an NBA court. Five picks later, the Cavs picked Carlos Boozer, a two-time All Star.
No. 30: Mark Sanford in 1997 by the Miami Heat
The 30th overall pick in 1997, Sanford signed three non-guaranteed contracts with NBA squads during his career. But injuries prevented him from ever seeing the court and he ended up playing Europe where he had a strong career.
What do you think?
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