The 10 Worst First-Round Draft Picks in Indiana Pacers History

You win some, and you lose some.

Having done the Top 10 first round draft picks in Indiana Pacers history, it's now time to turn to the worst...and the Pacers, like most teams, have had a few shockers.

Before we begin, here are just some thought processes that went into formulating the list.

1. In this day and age, being unworthy on the court is no longer the sole consideration. Off-court distractions must also be taken into account now.

2. Players are weighed against reasonable expectations.

3. Injuries are a sad part of life, but on this list there is no concession for it.

4. With all due respect to Brandon Rush, Roy Hibbert, and Tyler Hansbrough, they just haven't played enough yet to warrant consideration. Don't worry guys, maybe in the next edition.

Let's go!

10. Jamaal Tinsley

As one of the most reviled players in Pacers history, I bet many thought Jamaal Tinsley would be much higher on the list.

But the truth is, before he was known as a gangster who got paid for doing nothing, Tinsley actually played okay when he was not injured.

10.4 points, 7 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.7 steals over seven seasons (four of which were seriously hampered by injury)...that's not too bad for a 27th pick...though to this day, many wonder what could have been had the Pacers picked Tony Parker instead.

9. Erick Dampier

Few people remember that Erick Dampier was selected 10th overall by the Pacers back in 1995 (the fact that I couldn't find a picture of him in a Pacers uniform says it all).

The big fella averaged 5.1 points and 4.1 rebounds in his rookie season, but was considered too slow and immobile to be an effective player for the Pacers.

He was then traded to Golden State with Duane Ferrell (for Chris Mullin) before eventually finding a stable home in Dallas.

Strictly going by his pick number and contribution to the Pacers, he should probably be higher on this list.

But seeing how he has performed since then (as modest as it is), it makes me wonder whether the Pacers gave up on him too soon.

8. Primoz Brezec

Primoz Brezec was selected with the 27th pick of the 2000 NBA Draft at a time when European players were hot on the agenda.

However, after three seasons sitting on the end of the bench (22, 22 and 18 games with no more than 7.3 minutes in each of those seasons), Brezec was selected by the Charlotte Bobcats in the expansion draft.

From there, Brezec blossomed, averaging 13 points and 7.4 rebounds in his first year there as the starting center.

However, injuries and the rise of other players saw him lose playing time again, before he was traded to Detroit and then Toronto, both in limited roles.

In 2009, he returned to the NBA, signing with the Philadelphia 76ers.

7. Malik Sealy

Malik Sealy was a pretty decent NBA player, but not while he was with the Pacers.

Selected 14th overall in 1992, Sealy never lived up to his potential in Indiana, averaging just 5.7 and 6.6 points in the two seasons he spent there.

As often is the case with Pacers players, Sealy found his groove when he moved to the LA Clippers, averaging as high as 13.5 points in the 1996-97 season. He later played with both Detroit and Minnesota.

Sealy sadly passed away in 2000 in a head-on collision on his way home from teammate and best friend Kevin Garnett's birthday party.

6. Shawne Williams

Shawne Williams was selected 17th overall in 2006, and for one game at least, appeared to have a bright future in the NBA when he scored 13 points in his NBA debut (second highest in Pacers history).

Williams did have potential, his scoring average improving from 3.9 to 6.7 points per game in his second season. However, in a story we've seen too often in Indiana, Williams had 'character' issues.

In 2007, the six foot nine forward was arrested in Indianapolis for possession of marijuana along with two friends: one also for marijuana possession and the other for having a stolen handgun.

Williams was pretty much the last straw before the Pacers decided to completely clean house and get rid of all 'problem' players.

He was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in 2008 and then in January 2010, to the last place New Jersey Nets, who later waived him.

Hours later, he was arrested and indicted on drug charges.

5. David Harrison

If just looking at off-court issues, David Harrison was probably the worst pick the Pacers ever made.

Yes, he was only the 29th pick (in the 2004 draft), but Harrison was a true dunderhead in every sense of the word. A seven footer with tremendous potential, Harrison was lazy and also happened to be a pot head.

The Pacers gave him four seasons and a bunch of second chances, but Harrison never learned his lesson. His best season was his rookie year, where he averaged 6.1 points and 1.3 blocks in 43 games.

A willing and swinging participant in the Detroit brawl (where he was charged with assault and battery), Harrison clearly had anger management issues.

He was suspended by the Pacers in 2008 for a 'meltdown' in the locker room after being hit with an elbow by the Spurs' Matt Bonner. Reports said Harrison told the referee that he was going to '[expletive] kill' Bonner, which, not surprisingly, earned him a technical.

In 2008, Harrison was suspended for violating the NBA's anti-drug policy. He later went on radio defending his drug use, claiming that marijuana protects people from lung cancer.

No wonder the Pacers refused to re-sign him after his rookie contract expired.

4. George McCloud

George McCloud began his career in Indiana after being selected with the seventh overall pick in the 1989 NBA Draft.

For various reasons, McCloud just never lived up to his lofty expectations in a Pacers uniform, playing sparingly in his first four seasons and never averaging more than 7.2 points a game.

In 1994, McCloud went to the Mavericks, where he finally got the minutes to put up some decent numbers. His best season by far was 1995-96, where he averaged 18.6 points. He later played for LA, Phoenix and Denver.

3. Jonathan Bender

Unfairly or not, Jonathan Bender is often considered the biggest bust in Pacers history.

The Pacers gave up one of their most popular players in Antonio Davis to acquire the Raptors fifth overall pick in order to draft Bender straight out of high school.

Needless to say, expectations were sky high for the lanky, athletic seven footer: he was compared to a young Kevin Garnett with more range.

The Pacers talked about Bender as a future All-Star, and possibly a superstar; however, injuries and poor confidence (possibly related) made those dreams an impossibility.

In seven seasons with the Pacers, Bender played only 237 games and averaged just 5.6 points. Chronic knee problems forced Bender to retire at 25, an age where many NBA players are only just starting to find themselves in the league.

In his retirement years, Bender went on to do some great things, setting up the Jonathan Bender Foundation after Hurricane Katrina where he helped those devastated by the hurricane build new homes.

Not done with basketball, Bender returned to the NBA as a free agent, signing with the New York Knicks during the 2009-10 season.

2. Scott Haskins

Scott Haskins didn't have the expectations of, say, Jonathan Bender on his shoulders when he was selected with the 14th overall pick in the 1993 NBA Draft.

However, the 6-foot-11 power forward's career was pretty much over before it began.

Injuries, injuries and more injuries limited Haskins to 27 games in the NBA. He averaged 2 points per game during his short-lived career.

Haskins retired from basketball and became an insurance salesman in Portland.

1. Rick Robey

Rick Robey was selected with the third overall pick in the 1978 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers.

A six foot ten center-forward, Robey was on the 1978 Kentucky team that won the NCAA title.

Robey played eight seasons in the NBA, but only 43 games for the team that drafted him before he was traded to Boston in his rookie season. In those 43 games, Robey averaged 8.6 points and 5.9 rebounds.

Statistically speaking, Scott Haskins (number two on this list) has the edge on him, but Robey was the third pick in the first round of an NBA draft that produced the following All-Stars: Mike Mitchell (15th), Reggie Theus (9th), Micheal Ray Richardson (4th), and of course, Indiana's favorite son, Larry Bird (6th).