Are they really a Bust?
Today I will talking about some of the biggest busts in NBA history. I’m gonna take 5 of the biggest busts in NBA history and explaining if they really are a bust or people just over exaggerate. The definition of a draft bust is basically a player who was high draft pick and ended up either having a short or really bad career.They are in no particular order.
5. Hasheem Thabeet was the 2nd pick in the 2009 NBA draft. Hasheem was 7'3 Center from the University of Connecticut. In Hasheem’s 3 years in college he averaged a total of 10.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and 4.2 blocks. Obviously the best shot blocker in his college years and almost averaging a double double. As a prospect heading into the draft he was being compared to Hakeem Olajuwon and Dikembe Mutombo. So Hasheem had super high expactations but in his rookie season he averaged 3.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks. Some rookies just need to get settled and by there second and third years they start to do good. But Hasheem well in his second season he didn’t start a single game and only played in 47 games. Which definitely brought his number down. After 2 years in Memphis he goes to Houston where in 2 years he only plays 7 games total. Players picked after Hasheem conclude James Harden, Stephen Curry and Demar Derozan. Obviously at this point we can tell HE WAS A BUST.
4. Greg Oden one of the best players in his 1 year in college. The 7'0 Center out of Ohio St. was drafted the #1 pick in 2007. In college Greg Oden averaged 15.7 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.3 blocks. Greg is a very unfortunate man. His right leg is longer than his left leg. Which is why doctors believe his career was ruined by injuries. In his first 2 NBA seasons he averaged 10 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks. In the 2009–2010 NBA season is where it all started. 21 games into the season he suffered an injury. That injury kept getting worse and worse. He missed out on 3 straight years of basketball, after the doctors told him he had to stop playing. He didn’t listen and tried to make comeback into the NBA. In his comeback season with the Miami Heat he played 23 games and only averaged 2.9 points. Greg even admitted to being one of the biggest bust in NBA history. Greg was drafted ahead of Kevin Durant, Al Horford, Mike Conley, Joakim Noah and Marc Gasol. I think because of injuries and the players drafted after him aren’t top 100 players of all time HE WASN’T A BUST.
3. Anthony Bennett the #1 pick in the 2013 NBA draft. After Lebron left for Miami Anthony was one of the rebuild picks including Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson, Dion Waiters and Andrew Wiggins. In college his only year in college he averaged 16.1 points and 8.1 rebounds. For Anthony to be the #1 pick in the draft and only start 4 games in your entire career is pretty crazy. His NBA career stats are 5 points and 3.4 rebounds. A lot of people said that he would be a better Zach Randolph because he was pretty fat power forward. Just imagine what the Cavaliers could look like today if they would’ve drafted C.J. McCollum, Giannis Antetokounmpo or Rudy Gobert instead of Anthony Bennett. As Anthony hasn’t retired yet and is still in the league, I wouldn’t count him as a bust just yet. At this point HE ISN’T A BUST.
2. Kwame Brown the #1 pick in 2001. Kwame actually skipped College and went straight to the NBA out of high school. Picking any player straight out of high school is always risky especially the #1 pick but when your averaging 20.1 points, 13.3 rebounds and 5.8 blocks in high school it is hard to pass up on you. Some people say that Michael Jordan ruined Kwame’s career. At the end of Michael Jordan’s career he played for the Wizards, same team that Kwame Brown was drafted too. Although Michael didn’t have the best numbers as a Wizard he still had the trash talk in him. Michael Jordan would talk trash to his own player Kwame Brown and most people say it got to Kwame’s head. In his rookie season he averaged 4.5 points and started 3 games. He was progressing each and every year and by his 3rd season he was basically averaging a double double. Kwame was put under pressure everywhere he went. With the Wizards he had Michael Jordan, With the Lakers he had Kobe Bryant. In Memphis he had Pau Gasol by his side and many other young players. In Detroit he had Rasheed Wallace and Allen Iverson. You get it he never had his own team. Kwame is participating in Ice Cube’s BIG3 league. Kwame was drafted ahead of Tyson Chandler, Pau Gasol, Joe Johnson and Tony Parker. It is pretty obvious Kwame Brown WAS A BUST.
1. Darko Milicic drafted by the Detroit Pistons in 2003. Never averaged more than 9 points. But if a championship contending team needed a good rebounder to come off the bench Darko was the man. In 4 straight years off the bench he averaged over 4.5 rebounds in less than 20 minutes per game. Although Darko did win a ring in 2004 he wasn’t a big help only averaging 1.8 points. In his 3 seasons with Detroit he didn’t even score 160 points total. But when your drafted to a championship contending team with already good big men it is going to be hard to score and even get minutes. The Pistons passed up on Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh to draft Darko Milicic. Darko is actually a kick boxer now. Just imagine if the Pistons already a contender would’ve drafted a future superstar in Wade, Melo or Bosh. This one is a pretty easy choice to me…HE WAS A BUST.
