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The NBA Draft is always an exciting time for basketball fans all around the country as they hope that their team will select the next big name from an extremely talented group of draft enrollees. Teams want to build around franchise players and each first-round pick is believed to be a step in the direction towards setting a foundation and winning a championship. However, there have been a number of instances where a well-known player in college doesn’t live up to the expectations once they enter the NBA. These busts were virtually unstoppable in college or in their overseas leagues. Once they reached the NBA, they were in for a rude awakening. Let’s take a look at the top five NBA Draft busts of all time.
5. Adam Morrison Charlotte Bobcats (No. 3 Overall, 2006)
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Adam Morrison was an absolute freak of nature while playing for Gonzaga. He led the Zags to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament and averaged just over 28 points per game. Those 28 points per game made him the NCAA scoring leader for the 2005-2006 season. The Bobcats selected Morrison third overall and it was Michael Jordan’s first pick as Director of Basketball Operations. Morrison began to lose his shot midway through the 2006-2007 and then tore his ACL in a 2007 preseason game which made him miss the entire 2007-2008 season. Morrison was then traded to the Lakers but barely played during their 2009 and 2010 championship seasons. It’s safe to say that Morrison’s NBA career was a large disaster.
4. Michael Olowokandi: Los Angeles Clippers (No. 1 Overall, 1998)
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When a guy is seven feet tall, he has been given the DNA jackpot when it comes to playing basketball. Hailing from the University of Pacific, it was a disaster for the Clippers to pick him number one overall right from the get-go. Olowokandi did not start playing organized basketball until he was 18. Yeah, you read that correctly. He averaged just over eight points per game and only broke 45 percent shooting one time in his 10 seasons in the NBA. Just let it sink in that Olowokandi was drafted before Vince Carter, Dirk Nowitzki, Mike Bibby, and Paul Pierce. Yikes!
3. Greg Oden (No. 1 Overall, 2007)
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Greg Oden was an absolute stud when he played at Ohio State during the 2006-2007 season. He led the Buckeyes to the National Championship game where they were eventually defeated by the Florida Gators and Joakim Noah. Oden averaged just under 16 points per game, over three blocks per game, and just under 10 rebounds per game in his one season wearing the Scarlet and Grey. Oden was drafted number one overall and had all of the makings of a future NBA star. However, knee injuries in the 2007-2008, 2009-2010, 2010-2011 seasons led to his demise. The dominant seven-footer never really got his chance to put his talent on full-display due to the injury bug and it’s really a shame.
2. Darko Milicic (Number 2 Overall, 2003)
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Milicic was looked upon as the next Dirk Nowitzki. When a European player gets compared the legend Dirk himself, it doesn’t turn out well at all. Darko Milicic was barely 18 years old when the Pistons selected him and ended up winning a title in just his first season. However, he barely played during that magical run with Chauncey Billups and company. Maybe Milicic would have been better suited in a different setting, or maybe he wouldn’t have. In his NBA career, he has not looked like a former number two overall pick at all and has averaged just about six points per game. Yikes again!
1. Sam Bowie (Number 2 Overall, 1984)
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Sam Bowie, then 23 years later, Greg Oden. There’s just something about Portland and centers that do not mix well together. The Trail Blazers lost a coin flip for the number
one overall pick that year. That pick was Hakeem Olajuwon. Not to mention Michael Jordan was picked third overall in the same draft. John Stockton and Charles Barkley were also part of the 1984 draft class as well. Bowie missed two full seasons at Kentucky due to major stress fractures in his legs. At 7’1″, everything could have possibly gone wrong in Bowie’s career. He was supposed to be the last piece of the puzzle that would lead Portland to a championship. Bowie was surrounded by Clyde Drexler, Mychal Thompson, Kiki Vandeweghe, and Jerome Kersey. I’ve said it twice, but the third time’s the charm. YIKES!!!!!!
