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.
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