Before I start this article, I have to give credit to Erick Blasco. His recent article on his All-Time NBA Team (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/44828-erick-blascos-all-time-nba-team) gave me the idea for this article, my All-Time NBA Bust Team.
These guys have to meet three certain criteria for my team:
- They must have been drafted top 10 overall
- They must have busted due to lack of talent or work ethic, NOT injury (a la Jay Williams)
- They must have been drafted AFTER 1976. Being a top 10 pick when there's only 18 teams (expanded to 22 in 1977) isn't as impressive.
Thanks for the inspiration Erick, and more to the point, here we go:
Point Guard: Keith Edmonson, Purdue (No. 10 pick in 1982 Draft, Atlanta Hawks)
Keith Edmonson was a crucial part of the Purdue Boilermakers Final Four team in 1980.
During his senior season, Edmonson averaged 21.3 PPG and was named an Academic All-American.
His pro career? Well he played fewer games as a pro than he did as a collegiate.
In his 87-game career, Edmonson averaged 6.0 PPG while playing for the Hawks, Spurs, and Nuggets.
He also played in France, Belgium, and Spain after his NBA career was over.
Edmonson is currently a players' agent and also hosts youth basketball summer camps in the San Antonio area.
Runner-Up: Jerome "Pooh" Richardson, UCLA (No. 10 pick in 1989 Draft, Minnesota Timberwolves)
Shooting Guard: Darius Miles, East St. Louis HS (No. 3 pick in 2000 NBA Draft, L.A. Clippers)
What can you say about Darius Miles that hasn't already been said?
Cocky. Lazy. Talented, but not willing to show it.
Miles has all the athletic ability in the world, and could have been a great player if he put his mind to it.
Instead, he soaked up the fame appearing in a few movies such as Van Wilder, The Perfect Score, and The Youngest Guns. He played the part of a basketball player in all three.
Say what you want about his recent injury, that's not why he busted. He busted because he came into the league thinking he was the second coming of Christ, and when he didn't get treated like it, he whined his way out of L.A., Cleveland, and ultimately annoyed the Blazers to the point where he is currently out of a job.
The Suns were recently considering giving Miles a look, but decided against it. Smart move.
Runner-Up: Isiah Rider, UNLV (No. 5 pick in 1993 Draft, Minnesota Timberwolves)
Small Forward: Ed O'Bannon, UCLA (No. 9 pick in 1995 Draft, New Jersey Nets)
Ed O'Bannon had a great collegiate career at UCLA, scoring 30 points to go along with 17 rebounds to help the Bruins win the 1995 NCAA Championship.
His number 31 was retired at UCLA, and he was picked ninth overall in the 1995 NBA Draft by the New Jersey Nets.
His professional career? Not so stellar.
He wasn't physical enough to play forward and wasn't fast enough to play guard, and therefore never really found his spot in the NBA.
His career-high averages include 6.2 PPG and 2.6 RPG, both during his rookie season with the Nets.
55 comments Last one added 10 months ago — Leave a Comment
Chris Kelly 11 months ago
Biggest bust would probably be Tim Thomas. He had so much potential, at one point Rick Pitino said he was better than Kobe Bryant. Thomas never tried and was lazy thus never reaching his full potential he was arguably the best player out of high school and best freshmen the year he left college.
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Mark Brown 11 months ago
Tim Thomas was a huge bust, but this is a great list. Greg is a really good writer.
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Greg Haefner 11 months ago
Thanks LALALA!
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Michael Whittenberg 11 months ago
I feel bad for D-Miles. He was just beginning to come around as a good scorer, and then the knee injury. His career is probably over now.
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Mark Brown 11 months ago
True, but Miles has always had an attitude problem. If he can get his head on straight and just play ball, he'll get another chance. But now...thank God the Suns didn't sign him.
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Michael Wagner 11 months ago
Miles had a ton of talent but his career has been ruined by his cockiness and more recently Micro-Fracture surgery
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Zachary Cole 11 months ago
great article except for the wagner pick, his talent WAS stalled due to injury. he had ulcerative colitis that required hospitalization which is why he only played 11 games his third year.
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David Hartman 11 months ago
great list. i love it.
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Fun Ston 11 months ago
derrick coleman....anyone?
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Greg Haefner 11 months ago
Derrick Coleman won Rookie of the Year in 1991, was an All-Star in 1994, and was named to the All-NBA third team twice.
That's not a bust, my friend. That's a good player.
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Greg Haefner 11 months ago
And he also played for the 1994 Olympic Basketball Team, which won a gold medal.
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Greg Haefner 11 months ago
Correction: FIBA World Championship team. Not Olypmic.
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Alex Kennedy 11 months ago
No Darko?
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Greg Haefner 11 months ago
It was tough to leave Darko off the list, but Kwame Brown and Michael Olowokandi are just that bad :P
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Stephane Morneau 11 months ago
Some that I would like in that list too, altought yours is pretty neat
Donyell Marshall (4th pick in 1994)
Tony Battie (5th pick in 1997)
Adonal Foyle (8th pick in 1997)
Michael Sweetney (9th pick in 2003)
Rafal Araujo (8th pick in 2004)
I got more, but hey, good stuff man, keep it up...
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Alex Kennedy 11 months ago
Battie and Foyle AKA the Magic's front line other than Dwight Howard. lol
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Erick Blasco 11 months ago
Oh goodness, Darius Miles. A punk for the ages who's been a walking disaster wherever he's wound up. It's no coincidence that Portland's turnaround has coincided with Miles' injuries.
Great article Greg, glad I could be of some inspirational value :)
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Greg Haefner 11 months ago
Thanks Erick! And thanks for the Article of the Day vote. I appreciate it :)
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Paul Nuzzi 11 months ago
Ditto on the Wagner comment.. he just can't solve his health problems. How about Dwayne Pearl Washington. Or for that matter, Michael Ray Richardson.. or are we calling Drugs and injury these days.
Dennis Hopson and Reggie Williams come to mind. Washburn, was Yinka Dare a top 10 pic? Kenny Walker.. guess he was just a bad pick.
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Ben Sex-ton 11 months ago
You have to make Darko the 6th man coming off the bench. lol. You should do a article on the 5 greatest bargains..... Good article. pick of the day..
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Patrick Shields 11 months ago
I know this may come as a little insensitive, but what about Len Bilas? I know you said they couldn't be considered a bust due to injury, but blowing enough coke in your dorm room to OD and cost a team a #2 pick is pretty bad.
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gswfan4ever 11 months ago
Wagner has been a walking injury/illness in his nba career. his colitis got so bad he had his colon removed. i hope the kid makes it all the way back but it's not looking too good since his last stint with the warriors
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Tom Dillard 11 months ago
First off, If I remember correctly, didn't Dajuan Wagner have a life threatening disease, i think in the kidney? That's why he left the Cavaliers in the first place.
Secondly, Do you see a trend here? How many busts were drafted by the Clippers? hahahaha
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Gregory Sharpe 11 months ago
HOW BOUT SAM BOWIE! THAT GUY WAS DRAFTED BEFORE JORDAN! IF I WERE THE PORTLAND GM WHO MADE THAT PIC I WOULD HAVE COMMITTED SUICIDE AFTER CHAMPIONSHIP NUMBER 4
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Greg Haefner 11 months ago
Thanks for pointing out the Wagner mistake, everyone.
You'll notice that it's been corrected, and he has been replaced by super-bust Keith Edmonson.
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Detroit Sports Fan 11 months ago
lol. dude, i was cracking up reading this article. these guys were all supposed to be good and how they ended up playing, i could probably take them all in 5-on-1!!!!!!!!! Ha Ha Ha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Gary Holland 11 months ago
Regarding his recent deal with Detroit? What are these General Managers thinking about? Maybe he'll blossom over there. Detroit has been wonderful for ex-Wizards! e.g. Hamilton, Wallace and now Brown? ...N-O-T!!!!!
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Michael Mulraney 11 months ago
Hey Shawn Bradley isn't a complete bust he made Tracy McGrady a lot of money when T-Mac dunked on him and probably made the most popular poster ever.
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Kevin Nolan 11 months ago
Pooh Richardson was actually a decent player. He was no star but a decent little PG. I'm having trouble thinking of PG bust though. The only better ones I've thought of are Marc Macon, Khild Reeves, and Jay Williams but he was in a moto crash. Anyone on the PGs??????
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Lee Granger 11 months ago
It's not good enough to label all the bust, but they had to be talted as the next coming before they were drafted. Here's mine:
Center: Stacey King
After a stand-out career at the University of Oklahoma, King was selected by the Bulls in the 1989 NBA Draft with the sixth pick. We came to call him Stay-Seated-King. Couldn't dunk, couldn't palm the ball, and got every shot in close blocked (even by guards). It was so bad that he shot fade-aways for the rest of his career.
Power Forward: Sidney Green
At 6'9" Green was an All-American selection at UNLV before being selected by the Chicago Bulls in the first round (5th pick overall) of the 1983 NBA Draft. In his ten-year NBA career, he played for the Bulls, the Detroit Pistons, the New York Knicks, the Orlando Magic, the San Antonio Spurs, and the Charlotte Hornets and retired in 1993 with only 5,080 career points.
Small Forward: Scott May
He won a gold medal as a member of the United States basketball team in the 1976 Summer Olympics. In 1975 Indiana finished the regular season undefeated; The Chicago Bulls chose May with the second overall pick in the 1976 NBA Draft. Scott clearly showed the difference between pro ball and college. A player with just a shot, but with no speed, no hops can get away with it in college, but in the pros they're left behind-Scott May, Mr. college everything.
Dishonorable mention:
Brad Sellers: controversial selection among the Bulls' staff and players. General manager Jerry Krause was attracted to Sellers because of his above-average shooting ability, which was rare in a player of Seller's size. Michael Jordan and others, however, had wanted Krause to draft Johnny Dawkins, a hard-playing guard from Duke University and a friend of Jordan [1]. Sellers eventually became a part-time starter for the Bulls, but he never averaged more than 9.5 points or 4.7 rebounds in a season
Samaki Walker
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Curly Morris 11 months ago
Great list! I might've put Rider before Miles, because Rider did play in college and I believe was given that dreaded "next Jordan" moniker.
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Greg Haefner 11 months ago
Ya I was thinking about putting Rider in my starting lineup, but he did have a 20 PPG season and three other 19+ PPG seasons, so he at least did back up his mouth a LITTLE bit.
I'm not saying he was a great player, just better than Miles. His attitude was totally out of control though.
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yungCaucasoid ... 11 months ago
You're kidding right?
Not one single Caucasoid player? Typical. At least, for this *Fox Sports-bred* outlet anyway. And, thats considering all of the dead-weight they carry which surpasses most of these players you all listed.
This article is a joke. And a disrespect to real NBA futility.
And some of you all have nerve to wonder/hate on why I take the approach that I take about the *peculiar institution* of some writers on this site. Therefore, behold:
My *ALL TIME DEAD-WEIGHT CAUCASOID* list of players who make you all's lists look like NBA All-Pro lineups:
Ostertag? Bradley? Redick? Montross? Stipanovich? Koncak? Seikaly? Keefe? Collison? Doleac? Cherokee? McCormick? Croshere? Fuller?
The list could CERTAINLY go on, but...dinner's ready!
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TJ Zwarych 11 months ago
It's way to early to tell about Reddick, he could still have a good career, and he was not a top ten pick.
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J. Michael Morris 11 months ago
All those players were expected to suck because they are white. We lower expectations for the pasty players. I would not exactly call that racist.
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Robert Kleeman 11 months ago
I agree with all of the choices here, but is there no room for Slava Medvedenko, Zarko Cabarkaba or Mike Sweetney?
Medvedenko enjoyed one decent season in Utah when Karl Malone was sidelined with an injury but that was the highlight of his frustrating career. He couldn't defend a refrigerator and didn't care to learn.
I laugh everytime I play the Golden State Warriors on NBA 2K7 because Cabarkaba is still on the roster (I don't want to buy a new X Box just to buy the latest NBA 2K or Live version). He too had some talent but never did much with it.
Sweetney is an easy sell--the guy with a sweet tooth whose NBA game has never been sweet.
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TJ Zwarych 11 months ago
I think Darko needs to be there...he was the second pick in arguably the best draft ever...they obviously thought he would be better then Melo, Flash and CB4 which is insane...other then that, great article!
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yungCaucasoid ... 11 months ago
its says there are 36 comments for this article...where are they? Or is my computer clowning on me again (smile)??
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yungCaucasoid ... 11 months ago
TJ,
a bust-is-a-bust-is-a-bust...i.e. Redick
Besides...the article deceives by putting Black players out of position, just to make sure they're on this suspect list. So I can tweek my list, as well. At least I'm not joining the writer's deceit. Still, I'm glad to see you only came up with one deadweighter from my list, to criticize being there. No compare some of the stiffs I listed, to folk like:
Brown
Miles
Candy Man
J.R. Rider
Pooh
who some peculiar institutionalized writers placard up, and...veracity should set right-in on you
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Greg Haefner 11 months ago
Players being black has absolutely nothing to do with them being on my list, i.e. Darko Milicic, Shawn Bradley. The only person being racist here is you.
No one is out of position on my list either. Stop posting this idiotic garbage on my article, my readers shouldn't have to read your crap.
Your list of players is completely irrelevant:
Ostertag: Drafted No. 28 overall, doesn't meet my top 10 pick requirement.
Bradley: On my list already.
Redick: Has played for 2 years, can't judge him yet.
Montross: Not nearly as big of a bust as Olowokandi or Bradley.
Stipanovich: Limited by knee injuries during his five years. Again, doesn't meet my requirement.
Koncak: Played for the 1984 Olympic Gold Medal basketball team.
Seikaly: Has career averages of 14.7 PPG, 9.5 RPG, and 1.3 BPG. Not a bust, he was a good player.
Keefe: Not as big of a bust as Brown or Milicic.
Collison: Last year Collison averaged 9.8 PPG to go along with 9.4 RPG. He is a solid player, not a bust. Plus he was drafted No. 12, so once again, doesn't meet my rquirement.
Doleac: No. 12 overall, doesn't meet my requirement.
Cherokee: What is it with you and guys drafted No. 12? Doesn't meet my requirement.
McCormick: Struggled with injuries throughout his eight year career. Drafted No. 12 overall. Both disqualify him from my list.
Croshere: Again, No. 12 overall. That's five straight guys at No. 12 from your list. What's up with that?
Fuller: No. 11 overall, doesn't meet my requirement.
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yungCaucasoid ... 11 months ago
Greg,
Your article was 'suspect' from the start. And while that didn't seem to bother most who contributed, you can't get mad at me for refusing to join in with that same disregard. So, that validated me posting what I wanted to post. Once I smell the 'peculiar instution' reeking here. And you're right, your readers shouldn't have to read crap, bka...your disregard for reality/fairness when selecting busts.
I posted my list, and classified it differently than you. You don't like it-----sorry 'bout that! My list featured *viable lottery picks* according to NBA standards, unlike you did, in order to manipulate 'a bust' into what you wanted to fit a suspect agenda/classification.
~HYPOCRISY element~:
~even in you chronicling my all time dead-weight Caucasoid list...you featured, hypocritically, stats that transcend or rival those stats of players you list, or even, condoned in your responses to other posters...duh?? ...i.e. JR Rider, Dejuan Wagner
~you deceitfully claimed to disregard injuries, in factoring your list, then went on to include players who had their careers afflicted by injuries.
So again, Greg, I ask that you please look at yourself closely and how hypocritical and unjust you were toward reality, in this piece, before you get mad at me for exploiting it.
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Greg Haefner 11 months ago
I was not hypocritical at all in this piece.
And how did I manipulate a bust into what I wanted? Some players are good, some aren't. Players drafted high that aren't good are busts. I'm not saying your players weren't bad, just that they have no reason to be on my list.
There are no players on my list who busted due to injury. Not one.
My article was in no way "suspect" from the start. What do you even mean when you say you smell the "peculiar institution" reeking here? That doesn't make any sense.
You can't back up any of the things you say, and your statements are all either false, ignorant, or just plain offensive. Your self-richeous BS isn't fooling anyone. You have nothing to back up any of your opinions.
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yungCaucasoid ... 11 months ago
I backed up everything I posted, and it's a matter of a closed-minded opinion, to say that I didn't. But hey...thats your right to have one of those. My statements are false, ignorant, or just plain offensive -----only to the guilty-hearted. However...yours? Thats a different story. peep:
~For instance, read how much *the injury report* has found Darius Miles on it.
~Plus, unlike you, I'm sticking with NBA-specs. So, the word ""lottery pick"" means something. And since 1985, teams trade up and down, for specific players. Which means a player could've missed being a deserving lottery pick, over an undeserved lottery pick, just because a team wanted that specific player. This is called reality, which I took all into account to make my list, where you refused to. Now, thats offensive to me.!
~You manipulated your list's spec to render that *powerful NBA term* meaningless, unless I'm hallucinating that the lottery goes beyond the first ten picks.
~Here's whats VERY offensive, honestly, the fact that you obviously knew Shawn Bradley was 7'5" AND one of the tallest men to ever play in the NBA, PLUS he played basketball nearly his entire life, whereas...Olowokandi was barely 6'11" and played basketball for THE VERY FIRST TIME when he was but months from being a grown man.
~Plus, what else makes you egregiously offensive and insanely-unfair/hypocritical in putting Kandi-man worse than Bradley? Thou listed as 5 inches shorter than Bradley, Olowokandi's career = a higher ppg & rpg average. Including a couple of seasons at 9 rpg, Bradley had none. But ---in your peculiar mind--- Olowokandi was a bigger bust?
hahahaha...your rationale is the epitome of offensive, my friend.
~I'm not forgiving you unfairly adding Dejuan Wagner even though somebody had to exploit you, before he was even removed from your list-----after your lie, or instructions, that you didn't use injuries when factoring. Now, that is offensive!
Let me know if you want me to go on. I can show you offensive, and back it up, just like I've done all along.
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Greg Haefner 11 months ago
1. Darius Miles sucked far before his injury, and has spent more time suspended than injured.
2. You can use the lottery if you like, but there are thousands of NBA busts, and in order to narrow down my field I decided to use only the top 10. That doesn't render the term useless at all.
3. Yes Shawn Bradley was 7'5" and grown but Olowokandi was also picked No. 1 overall and dubbed one of the greatest center prospects the league had ever seen because of his potential. Potential which he clearly didn't have. And that's why he's a bigger bust than Bradley. Plus remember that Bradley had multiple 10+ PPG seasons and one 4.0 BPG season. Olowokandi never even came close to Bradley on the defensive end, and Bradley's career high for PPG in a season? 14.6. Olowokandi's? 12.3. The Kandi Man was worse than Bradley. That's not my "rationale", those are the facts.
4. Yes DeJuan Wagner was added unfairly. It was a mistake. But he has since been removed, so why make a big deal about it? It's not offensive in any way.
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yungCaucasoid ... 11 months ago
HINT:
If you want more proof of how I backed up everything I posted?
I'll start with this lie, of yours;
"Montross: Not nearly as big of a bust as Olowokandi or Bradley."
His career = a ppg avg. that was HALF OF WHAT Kandi-Man produced + 2-3 rpg less than Kandi, so...please, quickly modify your expertise to grossly-misjudge, Greg.
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Greg Haefner 11 months ago
Montross retired due to a foot injury. Doesn't qualify for my list.
"Montross announced his retirement in August 26, 2003, due to a foot injury and was waived by the Raptors in February, 2004."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Montross
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yungCaucasoid ... 11 months ago
You're a hypocrite. And that is offensive! Proof:
you come defend Montross ----dead weight Caucasoid of minimal contributions---- claiming he didn't belong as a bust, because of a foot injury that happened after nearly 10 years of a sorryA$$ NBA career, yet...you beat Darius Miles down, for the same scenario.
You're not just offensive, but *sick & twisted* too, so...I'm done here. You've been exploited.
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yungCaucasoid ... 11 months ago
One last bit of proof:
Realize...for Bradley to have those supbar mediocrity seasons in points/rebounds that you alluded to -------and still wound up with lower career avg. than Kandi-man--------- only shows that he must've had seasons where he sunk to levels of *dead-weight minimal contributions* which Kandi-man DID NOT sink to. Read it and weep!
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Greg Haefner 11 months ago
It simply means that Bradley bounced around the league longer than Olowokandi. Bradley enjoyed a 12-year career, as opposed to Olowokandi's ten.
Everyone trails off at the end of their career, Bradley just stayed in the league longer than Olowokandi, further mucking up his stats.
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Greg Haefner 11 months ago
Montross battled injuries his entire career, Miles didn't.
Montross played for nine seasons, and only played for 60+ games in three of them.
Miles has played for seven seasons, and has four with 60+ games played.
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yungCaucasoid ... 11 months ago
And turn over in your sleep tonight, swallowing this one;
7'0" Kandi-man played basketball for THE VERY FIRST TIME just, about 4 years, prior to that night David Stern called his name at The Garden, whearas....
7'5" Shawn Bradley? Played basketball for over 14 years prior to that night David Stern called his name at The Garden.
Fortunately, reasonable and rational thinking minds wouldn't doubt who's the REAL bust in that scenario.
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Greg Haefner 11 months ago
That exact fact is listed in my article. Both Olowokandi and Bradley are REAL busts. That doesn't change the fact that he was picked No. 1 overall and was never any good.
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yungCaucasoid ... 11 months ago
I'm done. You're exploited. So...in the future, quit getting mad at folk who highlight your peculiarities.
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yungCaucasoid ... 10 months ago
TJ,
I am not like peculiar institutionalized writers here. I used the NBA standard, to make my list, where you all refused to. In other words, my list went by lottery picks. That is a meaningful word, or the NBA would not have made it as such. So any bust who is a viable lottery pick, gets on my list. Period.
Don't come *doing the Greg* on me, and trying to tapdance/explain away your irresponsibly-irrational choice to not include viable lottery picks when making a list of busts.
________________________________________________________________________________
J. Michael,
You have a new fan! Nothing is more gratifying than to read folk being honest:
"...All those players were expected to suck because they are white. We lower expectations for the pasty players..."
Exactly! But, since you don't lower the salary-requirements as well, then...I'm here to exploit the entire reality!
"...I would not exactly call that racist..."
I would! And thats why I am here on B/R, because 'Kings of Unfairness' don't call it racist, far far too often. So, I'm exploiting those who continually and peculiarly turn blind eyes to the reality. It's get me hated alot, but...oh well
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sdfdsf sdfsdf 10 months ago
Big Country Reeves
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