NBA lottery picks who turned out to be duds

[temery]

Not sure how to word this ...

Is a star at one position in college more difficult to evaluate NBA potential than other positions? I'm curious if there's a pattern: Is a star guard in college less likely to excel in the NBA than a star center?

 

[4in16]

Greg Oden?

 

[UofCT]

Good question, will take some digging but I feel like across the board NBA talent is impossible to predict from every position and even coaching and general managing.

 

[Scrutiner]

Not sure how to word this ...

Is a star at one position in college more difficult to evaluate NBA potential than other positions? I'm curious if there's a pattern: Is a star guard in college less likely to excel in the NBA than a star center?

If anyone here can actually answer that they should be the GM of the Knicks.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Not sure how to word this ...

Is a star at one position in college more difficult to evaluate NBA potential than other positions? I'm curious if there's a pattern: Is a star guard in college less likely to excel in the NBA than a star center?

At this point I think you’d have to point to the bigs as being more likely to star in college but struggle in the NBA. You can still be a traditional post player and be an NCAA star but the NBA game has largely moved on from that if that’s your only game. Doesn’t necessarily make it harder to evaluate, just very different skill sets necessary.

 

[superjohn]

Not sure how to word this ...

Is a star at one position in college more difficult to evaluate NBA potential than other positions? I'm curious if there's a pattern: Is a star guard in college less likely to excel in the NBA than a star center?

Bigs seem to be harder to project, most of the biggest busts have been centers and forwards. Olowakandi, Hasheem, Darko, Kwame, Bowie, Oden, Bradley, Tskitishvili etc.

 

[polycom]

It’s bigs and it isn’t close. It’s clear if you can shoot and dribble it will translate to some extent to the NBA. But the physicality of play a post position + the ridiculous athletism from those guys makes it very difficult to figure out who will translate. Add on top the fact that bigs didn’t need the same work ethic growing up to be good at basketball so when they get to the nba if they don’t have a strong work ethic or aren’t willing to get a strong work ethic they really won’t work out.

 

[intlzncster]

RE bigs, they tend to go overly high in the draft because you can't teach that size. There aren't many guys on the planet with build and athleticism like that. So they worry less about skills and the like than they would with a shorter dude.

Hence more busts.

 

[LIuconn]

work ethic

Brings to mind the guy from UNLV that stunk and our very own Thabeet. Both guys didn't want to put the work in to be NBA players.

I can't call Oden a bust since he was always injured. Or Kwame Brown since he shouldn't have been drafted #1. But those busts are in fact out there

 

[superjohn]

Brings to mind the guy from UNLV that stunk and our very own Thabeet. Both guys didn't want to put the work in to be NBA players.

I can't call Oden a bust since he was always injured. Or Kwame Brown since he shouldn't have been drafted #1. But those busts are in fact out there

The only thing keeping Thabeet from being the biggest bust in history is Anthony Bennett.

 

[intlzncster]

The only thing keeping Thabeet from being the biggest bust in history is Anthony Bennett.

Not sure how you are measuring, but there are some impressive ones out there: Darko, Kwame Brown, Olowokandi.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

The Freak is basically a point center, and no one saw him coming. He scores primarily at the basket, and no one can stop him. Jokic is excellent, and he was picked in second round.

 

[Horatio]

Anthony Bennett?

 

[Onions]

The only thing keeping Thabeet from being the biggest bust in history is Anthony Bennett.

Ralph Sampson.

 

[A10 fan]

Ralph Sampson.

There was no lottery when Sampson came out, and although he broke down physically pretty quickly, and was never at the Kareem/Wilt level that many predicted, he was still, far from a bust. Oden wasn't a bust. his body fell apart, leaving him unable to play. Bennett, and Darko have to top this list.

 

[Calhoun's Court]

It was before the Lottery but in 1972 LaRue Martin was taken #1 by the TrailBlazers.

 

[dvegas]

https://nypost.com/2019/03/31/nba-bust-kwame-brown-busted-for-weed-cant-fit-in-cop-car/

 

[Travelman6]

Bryant big country reeves.

Lol.

 

[StepbackCity]

Jonny flynn, MCW, Fab Melo, Malachi Richardson, Tyler Ennis.

Thanks Boeheim.

 

[the Q]

Brings to mind the guy from UNLV that stunk and our very own Thabeet. Both guys didn't want to put the work in to be NBA players.

I can't call Oden a bust since he was always injured. Or Kwame Brown since he shouldn't have been drafted #1. But those busts are in fact out there

Oden would’ve been a god damn superstar if his knees didn’t give out.

He had the same injury and surgery that Chris Webber had that basically made it hard for him to dunk afterwards...

The 2001 draft was interesting because it had a whole lot of upside but no clear known commodities with superstar potential. The highest upsides were guys coming off their proms or from across pond.

Kwame had a lot of kg comparisons before the draft. But he was an immature kid who was more playful than even Dwight Howard and seemingly had zero work ethic.

 

[the Q]

Not sure how you are measuring, but there are some impressive ones out there: Darko, Kwame Brown, Olowokandi.

Speaking of guys who never should’ve gone 1-1.

I’m still baffled that the clippers took kandi over Bibby and Pierce that year.

I loathed Kansas pierce...but he was incredible.

Also, it’s amazing how a new uniform can change your perspective on a guy...

 

[HuskyHawk]

Thomas Robinson jumped immediately to my mind. I thought he'd be great. Guys who are built like Karl Malone can dominate in college and won't have those physical advantages in the NBA and fail.

Even with guards, I feel like teams can fall in love with physical measurables and miss. Skills are sometimes undervalued. NFL has the same problem. Most busts are guys who dominated the combine measurables.

 

[the Q]

Thomas Robinson jumped immediately to my mind. I thought he'd be great. Guys who are built like Karl Malone can dominate in college and won't have those physical advantages in the NBA and fail.

Even with guards, I feel like teams can fall in love with physical measurables and miss. Skills are sometimes undervalued. NFL has the same problem. Most busts are guys who dominated the combine measurables.

I wanted him to be good so bad. What an incredible story and a good person.

But his entire game was out muscle and out athlete other college guys.

He would miss a lot of bunnies.

 

[andy34]

Bryant big country reeves.

Lol.

I suspect like most guys who could be considered "busts", there's a really interesting backstory with Big Country. There was this really great documentary earlier this year about him called "Finding Big Country" - highly recommended.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I suspect like most guys who could be considered "busts", there's a really interesting backstory with Big Country. There was this really great documentary earlier this year about him called "Finding Big Country" - highly recommended.

Saw him a lot. He was at OK State when I was at KU. KU had Greg Ostertag at the time and they had some great battles.