With the NBA draft last week there have been some players who are believed to turn around their franchises. Let's look back on some players who were drafted in the lottery picks who didn't live up to the hype that surrounded them.
1. Sam Bowie (Drafted 2nd Overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in 1984)
One of the reasons on why this pick was a bust is because of who was drafted right after him with the third pick, Michael Jordan. The Blazers were looking to go with a big man in Bowie who was 7'1 but was riddled with injuries through his collegiate and professional career. Bowie only played 139 in five years with Portland. He was supposed to be the final piece of the puzzle that Portland needed to win the title. 2 other big names that were selected behind Bowie was John Stockton and Charles Barkley.
2. Darko Milicic ( Drafted 2nd Overall by the Detroit Pistons in 2003)
With what had surrounded him during the 2003 draft this pick looks awful in hindsight. Being drafted before players such as Dwayne Wade, Carmelo Anthony, and Chris Bosh, Milicic never had any outstanding seasons in the NBA and only averaged 6 points per game throughout his entire career. The Pistons already had a great team at the time and were drafting for a position of need, but Milicic was over-hyped by the scouts when they branded him the next Dirk Nowitzki.
3. Greg Oden (Drafted 1st Overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in 2007)
The big debate behind this draft is who would go 1st overall, would it be Kevin Durant or Greg Oden? To be fair, Oden's career was short due to the countless injuries he suffered. Even when he was at Ohio State he played with a broken hand and he dominated using his left-hand. Oden had so much hype that surrounded him and was said to be a once-in-a-generation type talent at his position. It is a shame we could never see him reach his potential due to the injuries. Portland just can't catch a break when drafting centers.
4. Michael Olowokandi
One of the reasons on why this was such a bad 1st overall pick was due to the fact that Olowokandi had not played organized basketball until he was 18. The fact that a team was willing to take this much of a chance on a complete project is beyond me. Over 10 seasons in the NBA he averaged an abysmal 8.3 points per game. Some of the bug names who were picked after him include: Vince Carter, Mike Bibby, Paul Pierce, and Dirk Nowitzki.
5. Anthony Bennett (Drafted 1st overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2013 draft)
The only saving grace for Cleveland with this pick is that they were able to trade him and Andrew Wiggins for Kevin Love. Bennett had a very underwhelming career for a top draft pick, only averaging 4.4 points per game in his 4 year career in the NBA. He had also only started 4 of the 151 games he played in.
6. Shawn Bradley (Drafted 2nd overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1993 draft)
This 7'6 monster was taken to be the 76ers defensive anchors, but it ended up being the other way around as he was dunked on quite a bit for someone with that height. Someone with that height should not be getting put on a poster as much as he was.
7. Kwame Brown (Drafted 1st overall by the Washington Wizards in the 2001 draft)
Even though he was 7 feet tall, he did not possess the fundamental skills it took to play basketball at the professional level. He was drafted due to his high ceiling and his potential rather than his actual skills. This is more evidence that not every 7-footer can be molded into a superstar.
8. Adam Morrison (Drafted 3rd overall by the Charlotte Bobcats in 2006)
Adam Morrison was a big name in March Madness that year and was the force behind the powerful team in Gonzaga. After what looked like a great rookie year, he tore his ACL in a preseason game. He was then shipped off to the Lakers and won two rings as a bench warmer and never resurfaced after that. This was yet again another pick that Michael Jordan whiffed big-time on.
9. Chris Washburn (Drafted 3rd overall by the Golden State Warriors in 1986)
The 1986 draft was filled with top picks that resulted in problems, which is why Washburn wasn't ranked higher on this list. This draft also didn't produce many great players so it wasn't a terrible pick in hindsight. That being said, Washburn only scored 22 points in his entire NBA career. He failed three drug tests in three years and was banned from the NBA for life.
10. Jay Williams ( Drafted 2nd overall by the Chicago Bulls in 2002)
Williams came into the league as a can't-miss prospect. He had a great college career at Duke and was the best college player in the country. He gave the Bulls a promising rookie season, however, his career was cut short due to a motorcycle accident. Chicago also did not have to pay out the remainder of Williams' contract because he violated the terms of his contract. After his unsuccessful rehab he was never able to suit up again.
