The Philadelphia 76ers and their long-suffering fanbase are praying their selection in Thursday night’s 2016 NBA Draft won’t end up on this list of the worst of the worst to be selected first We’re narrowing down the field to the biggest busts since 1989, when the draft moved to two-round format. Away we go:
(AP Photo/Matt York)
7. Andrea Barngani, Toronto Raptors, 2006
We’re talking about a guy who has averaged 14.3 points per game in his career, which is above replacement. You just wish he’d repeat his 2010-11 season (21.4 ppg) a lot more, especially in a league that loves a floor stretcher. Alas.
(AP Photo/Elise Amendola)
6. Pervis Ellison, Sacramento Kings, 1989
The forward lasted one season in Sacramento in 1989-90 before he was dealt to Washington, where he logged two great years. That was about it, as injuries took a toll. His “Never Nervous Pervis” nickname, however, is an all-time great.
(Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY)
5. Joe Smith, Golden State Warriors, 1995
The funny thing about Smith is his career lasted a looooong time. And the beginning of that career wasn’t bad at all — he averaged 15.3 ppg his rookie season, then followed it up with 18.7 a year later. So while he wasn’t a Hall of Famer, let’s give some kudos to the guy for carving out a role that gave him some value.
(AP Photo/Chuck Stoody)
4. Michael Olowokandi, Los Angeles Clippers, 1998
I remember hearing about how he started playing basketball in his late teens and thinking that might be a red flag. It most certainly was: The center had one productive season to his name before calling it a career in 2007.
(Michael Madrid)
3. Kwame Brown, Washington Wizards, 2001
Back when NBA teams were taking kids right out of high school, the expectation was it would take a few seasons for them to get acclimated to the league. That never happened for Brown, who struggled from the outset and was reportedly subject to some rough treatment from teammates — including Michael Jordan — trying to toughen him up.
Craig Mitchelldyer, USA TODAY Sports
2. Greg Oden, Portland Trail Blazers, 2007
This one hurts a lot — he was drafted over Kevin Durant and missed the entire 2007-08 season after undergoing microfracture surgery on his knee. When he came back, there were moments you thought something was there, but further injuries all but destroyed a promising career for the center.
(AP Photo/John Locher)
1. Anthony Bennett, Cleveland Cavaliers, 2013
The former UNLV star hasn’t done anything since the Cavs took him first overall in ’13. But in a weird way, he helped LeBron James win a championship for Ohio — he was part of the trade that brought Kevin Love to Cleveland.
