The Top 5 Worst NBA Drafts of All Time

The NBA draft lottery has seen its share of busts and underachievers throughout the years. I will look at the worst drafts based on the impact of the top 10 selections.

A draft can be dissected many ways, but teams who have a top-10 pick are looking for a franchise player. More often than not, NBA front offices are choosing players not ready for prime time.

In a league where potential is often more prized than production, you see a lot of boom or bust picks littered throughout the top 10 of the draft. Teams are willing to gamble in hopes of finding the next Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, or Dirk Nowitzki.

5. 2001 Draft

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LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 02: Tyson Chandler #6 of the Dallas Mavericks boxes out Pau Gasol #16 of the Los Angeles Lakers in Game One of the Western Conference Semifinals in the 2011 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center on May 2, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. N

The 2001 draft featured top-10 busts Eddie Curry (4th pick), Eddie Griffin (7), DeSagana Diop (8), and number 1 pick Kwame Brown.

Tyson Chandler (2) has developed into a decent role player for the Mavericks. Jason Richardson (5) and Shane Battier (6) are solid contributors to their teams, but that's not exactly want you want on your resume if you are a lottery pick.

Pau Gasol (3) and Joe Johnson (10) turned out to be All-Star caliber players, with Gasol helping the Lakers win two championships.

4. 2002 Draft

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Career-altering injuries have marred the 2002 draft, with Yao Ming (1) and Jay Williams (2) suffering career-ending injuries.

Yao may still attempt a comeback, but he looks to be done.

Williams was injured in a motorcycle accident and was never able to fully recover.

Mike Dunleavy Jr. (3) and Drew Gooden (4) have been decent NBA players, but didn't play up to their draft status. Nikoloz Tskitishvili (5) and Dajuan Wagner (6) were outright busts. Chris Wilcox (8) has been a fringe NBA player with very little impact.

This draft will be known for the bottom part of the top ten. Nene Hilario (7), Amare Stoudemire (9), and Caron Butler (10) save this draft from possibly being the worst of all time.

3. 1989 Draft

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14 May 2001: Danny Ferry #35 of the San Antonio Spurs celebrates in game five of the western conference semi-finals against the Dallas Mavericks at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The Spurs won 105-87 to take the series 4-1. DIGITAL IMAGE. Mandat

Never Nervous Pervis Ellison (1) came into the NBA with the hype of a future Hall of Fame player, but left without making much noise.

Danny Ferry (2), J.R. Reid (5), Stacy (Sky) King (6),  and George McCloud (7) were all marginal NBA players at best. Randy White (8) was thought to be the second coming of Karl Malone, but wasn't even the first coming of Randy White.

Tom Hammonds (9) and Pooh Richardson (10) make a strong case for 1989 being the all-time worst NBA draft.

2. 2006 Draft

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The 2006 NBA draft has three busts in the top five, with Adam Morrison (3), Tyrus Thomas (4), and Shelden Williams (5) being colossal mistakes for their franchises.

LaMarcus Aldridge (2) saves this group from being even worse, as he continues to develop into a franchise player. Andrea Bargnani (1) has played well, but not deserving of a number 1 pick.

The jury is still out on Brandon Roy (6) and Rudy Gay (8) as they battle back from injuries. Randy Foye (7) so far has not shown to be worthy of a lottery pick. Anyone heard from Patrick O'Bryant (9) and Saer Sene (10)? Anyone?

Worst NBA Draft of All Time: 2000 Draft

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DENVER, CO - APRIL 25: Kenyon Martin #4 of the Denver Nuggets awaits a free throw against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Four of the Western Conference Quarterfinals in the 2011 NBA Playoffs on April 24, 2011 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. T

After careful consideration, the 2000 draft wins the prize for the worst draft of all time.

Kenyon Martin (1) has had a decent career, but not up to the level of a number one pick.

Out of the top ten picks of this draft, you have only three players who have made any impact on the NBA.

Jamal Crawford (8) might be the best of the bunch, and he bounced around the league until finding his niche as a top-flight scorer off the Hawks bench. Mike Miller (5) and Joel Pryzbilla (9) have been decent role players in the league along with Keyon Dooling (10).

You would have to classify 4 out of the top 10 as monumental flops. Stomile Swift (2) never lived up to the hype and Marcus Fizer (4), Demarr Johnson (6), and Chris Mihm (7) simply weren't good enough to play at a high level in the NBA.