NBA Draft Day is just ten days away from us, and there’s a lot of news coming up, suggesting that there can be some big moves to that point.
Desmond Bain is traded by the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Kentavius Caldwell Pope, Cole Anthony, four first-round picks and a pix swap.
Kevin O’Connor also suggested that the New Orleans Pelican could trade up in pursuit of Ace Bailey.
There are many exciting players in the draft. That’s why all of these transactions are being investigated.
Only time will tell if they can meet all the possibilities. Being selected in the lottery is a great honor for players, but not everyone turns out to be special.
In this article, we will look at five busts from the NBA lottery.
- 5) Michael Olowokandi (1st pick by LA Clippers – 1998)
Michael Orowocandi was drafted by the NBA as the number one pick ahead of the Hall of Fame, like Vince Carter, Dark Nowicki and Paul Pierce.
This is because the LA Clippers were impressed with their college draft training and performance.
But he didn’t help the Clippers much and there were problems with the coaching staff there as well.
Olowokandi averaged more than 10 points twice in his career, and although he occasionally showed signs of glow, he couldn’t live up to the hype that he was the number one pick.
- 4) Sam Bowie (2nd pick by the Portland Trail Blazers – 1984)
Sam Bowie had a great college career in Kentucky and was expected to be a major prospect in the 1984 stacked draft class.
The Houston Rockets chose Hae Kum Olajuwon on their first pick, but the Trail Blazers also wanted a “dream.”
This meant he was chosen before Michael Jordan, which put additional pressure on Bowie.
His stint with Portland wasn’t that great as he suffered a lot of injuries.
But he revived his career by going to teams like New Jersey’s Net and La Lakers.
Olajuwon and Jordan became rivals and won the championship, but Bowie ended his 11-year NBA career with great honors.
- 3) Hasheem Thabeet (2nd pick by the Memphis Grizzlies – 2009)
Hasheem Thabeet was the first Tanzanian player in the NBA, but after a good stint with UConn, he was unable to meet the expectations people had for him.
Thabeet’s 7.3 feet tall and defensive presence was what Grizzlies wanted, but did not justify being chosen before Steph Curry and James Harden.
The Grizzlies traded him before playing two full seasons with the team.
Thabeet played over ten minutes only in his rookie season, and eventually after five seasons he saw the end of his NBA career.
- 2) Kwame Brown (1st pick by the Washington Wizards – 2001)
Kwame Brown is the only player on this list who has graduated from high school and came to the NBA.
He had a great reputation in his time at the historic Glyn Academy.
Brown was originally scheduled to play for the University of Florida, but later decided to go to the NBA as the Washington Wizards decided to pick him as the first pick in the draft.
He has overwhelming rookie season numbers and did not post any big numbers in his time with the Wizard, except in his third year when he averaged 10.9 ppg and 6 rpg.
The wizard offered him an extension, but he decided to refuse, and in Washington, Brown moved to the Lakers four years later.
The 43-year-old didn’t enjoy any major stints in LA, further damaging his reputation.
Brown then moved to teams such as the Memphis Grizzlies, Detroit Pistons, Charlotte Bobcats and the Philadelphia 76ers, but could not find momentum.
- 1) Anthony Bennett (1st pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers – 2013)
Anthony Bennett had the shortest NBA career on a number one pick, having played in the league for almost five years.
He was selected as the Cleveland Cavaliers’ number one pick, but he only played with them for a year.
Bennett came to the NBA after an impressive college stint.
However, his NBA career was smashed down by injuries and inconsistent performance.
He didn’t score a field goal until his fifth NBA game.
The Canadians had spells for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Toronto Raptors and Brooklynnet, but only played 151 games in total before moving their careers to Europe.
