Biggest NBA Draft Bust

[Loftin]

My vote goes to Sam Bowie.

[Vlyrock]

I took Darko...just because he's been in the league for 2 years now and still gets about 2 minutes a game...that's pathetic.

[12thman]

im not sure what this guys name is but he was drafted by Detroit last year i think in the 1st round. what was his name? thats my pick

[Loftin]

Darko Milicic #2 overall, 2003
Selected ahead of:
#3 Carmelo Anthony
#4 Chris Bosh
#5 Dwayne Wade
#7 Kirk Hinrich
#29 Josh Howard
#32 Luke Walton
Jay Williams #2 overall, 2002
Selected ahead of:
#4 Drew Gooden
#7 Nene
#9 Amare Stoudemire
#23 Tayshaun Prince
#35 Carlos Boozer
Kwame Brown #1 overall, 2001
Selected ahead of:
#3 Pau Gasol
#5 Jason Richardson
#10 Joe Johnson
#13 Richard Jefferson
#29 Tony Parker
#31 Gilbert Arenas
Jonathon Bender #5 overall, 1999
Selected ahead of:
#6 Wally Szczerbiak
#7 Rip Hamilton
#9 Shawn Marion
#10 Jason Terry
#16 Ron Artest
#24 Anrei Kirilenko
#57 Manu Ginobilli
Michael Olowakandi #1 overall, 1998
Selected ahead of:
#2 Mike Bibby
#4 Antawn Jamison
#5 Vince Carter
#9 Dirk Nowitzki
#10 Paul Pierce
#32 Rashard Lewis
#39 Rafer Alston
Joe Smith #1 overall, 1995
Selected ahead of:
#2 Antonio McDyess
#3 Jerry Stackhouse
#4 Rasheed Wallace
#5 Kevin Garnett
#18 Theo Ratliff
#21 Michael Finley
Shawn Bradley #2 overall, 1993
Selected ahead of:
#3 Anfernee Hardaway
#4 Jamal Mashburn
#11 Allan Houston
#24 Sam Cassell
#37 Nick Van Exel
Pervis Ellison #1 overall, 1989
Selected ahead of:
#2 Danny Ferry
#3 Sean Elliott
#4 Glen Rice
#14 Tim Hardaway
#17 Shawn Kemp
#26 Vlade Divac
#36 Cliff Robinson
Sam Bowie #2 overall, 1984
Selected ahead of:
#3 Michael Jordan
#5 Charles Barkley
#11 Kevin Willis
#16 John Stockton

This should give you an idea of how big of a bust these guys were.

[12thman]

Is it that darko fellow? he has been a huge bust

[Loftin]

Sam Bowie is the biggest bust IMO, by far. Just read who he was picked ahead of.

Olowakandi was a bigger bust than Darko, since Darko still has time to become a good player and Olowakandi has played a whole career of not contributing much.

[AggieWill]

Anyone picking Darko is so off base....the kid has only been in the league 2 years for crying out loud.

How can you not pick Kwame Brown over him?

HOW?

[EconAg05]

Hmmm all them (since I dont know who any of these people are lol ;) )

[Loftin]

I expected Kwame Brown and Sam Bowie(picked ahead of Michael Jordan!) to get the most votes when I made this poll. Also, I personally think Olowakandi is pretty high up there.

[polish]

Bowie or williams

[Dustin00whoop]

I would go with Bowie myself solely based on who he was taken before. I don't think he was the worst player in the NBA out of that group, but he was taken before a lot of talented players & just didn't pan out.

I agree that Darko still has time to prove himself, but did anyone hear the announcers in the Finals the other night call him "The Human Victory Torch" because whenever he is in the game the Pistons are up my a lot without much time to play?

[Vlyrock]

Yeah, that was funny. But Bowie himself wasn't a bust...he still contributed. Darko was a bust....he hasn't contributed crap....

[AggieWill]

Darko was a bust....he hasn't contributed crap....

Neither did Jermaine O'Neal and many other out-of-HS players.

Its absurd to call a 20-year-old (JUST turned 20 BTW) a bust when he is stuck behind the NBA Champions.

[CHHS_Aggie]

I think Bowie is the biggest bust cause he was taken way higher then he was actually worth. Not to mention all the players that were taken after him.Darko still has time to prove himself, also I imagine it pretty hard to get a starting spot on a team that just won the Championship.

[Loftin]

Yeah, that was funny. But Bowie himself wasn't a bust...he still contributed. Darko was a bust....he hasn't contributed crap....

His career had a decent start but injuries kept him from ever being worth a lottery pick. The madness is that he was already injured in college, and the Blazers still picked him ahead of Jordan, Barkley and Stockton.

Here's his career by the numbers according to basketball-reference.com
Year Ag Tm Lg G MP FG FGA 3P 3PA FT FTA ORB DRB TRB AST STL BLK TO PF PTS
+---------------+----+----+----+----+---+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+---+---+---+---+----+
1985 23 POR NBA 76 29.2 3.9 7.3 0.0 0.0 2.1 3.0 2.7 5.9 8.6 2.8 0.7 2.7 2.3 3.7 10.0
1986 24 POR NBA 38 29.8 4.4 9.1 0.0 0.0 3.0 4.2 2.4 6.2 8.6 2.6 0.6 2.5 2.3 3.7 11.8
1987 25 POR NBA 5 32.6 6.0 13.2 0.0 0.0 4.0 6.0 2.8 3.8 6.6 1.8 0.2 2.0 3.0 3.8 16.0
1989 27 POR NBA 20 20.6 3.5 7.7 0.3 0.4 1.4 2.5 1.8 3.5 5.3 1.8 0.4 1.7 1.7 2.2 8.6
1990 28 NJN NBA 68 32.5 5.1 12.3 0.1 0.5 4.3 5.6 3.0 7.1 10.1 1.3 0.6 1.8 1.8 3.1 14.7
1991 29 NJN NBA 62 30.9 5.1 11.7 0.1 0.4 2.7 3.7 2.8 4.9 7.7 2.4 0.7 1.5 2.3 2.8 12.9
1992 30 NJN NBA 71 30.7 5.9 13.3 0.1 0.4 3.0 3.9 2.9 5.3 8.1 2.6 0.6 1.7 2.1 3.0 15.0
1993 31 NJN NBA 79 26.5 3.6 8.1 0.0 0.1 1.8 2.3 2.0 5.0 7.0 1.6 0.4 1.6 1.5 2.9 9.1
1994 32 LAL NBA 25 22.2 3.0 6.9 0.0 0.2 2.9 3.3 1.1 4.2 5.2 1.9 0.2 1.1 1.7 2.6 8.9
1995 33 LAL NBA 67 18.3 1.8 4.0 0.0 0.2 1.0 1.3 1.1 3.2 4.3 1.8 0.3 1.2 1.4 2.7 4.6
+---------------+----+----+----+----+---+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+---+---+---+---+----+
10 Seasons 511 27.6 4.2 9.2 0.1 0.2 2.5 3.3 2.3 5.2 7.5 2.1 0.5 1.8 1.9 3.0 10.9
+---------------+----+----+----+----+---+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+---+---+---+---+----+

[Loftin]

Also Stephen Jackson came straight out of high school and was drafted by the Suns, they thought he was a bust and cut him. He played very well for the Spurs and now he is one of the best players for the Pacers.

Maybe Darko just needs some time.

[CHHS_Aggie]

I think with time Darko could be a very good player the problem is that cause hes such a high pick hes going to be considered a bust even though hes only 20.

[CHHS_Aggie]

I also think Darko's big problem is that before the draft were he got taken, the news was all playing the game about who's going to be the better pick. Lebron, Melo, or Darko I think it was a little unfair to throw him into the category with those 2.

[Loftin]

I think it's unfair to throw Carmelo into the same category as LeBron. Dwayne Wade would be a closer comparison.

[CHHS_Aggie]

I was just saying back when they all came out it was who was Cleveland going to take, Lebron the hometown hero, Melo the college star, or Darko the European Beast

[AggieWill]

I also think Darko's big problem is that before the draft were he got taken, the news was all playing the game about who's going to be the better pick. Lebron, Melo, or Darko I think it was a little unfair to throw him into the category with those 2.

Right. Add in that he is playing behind the best team in the NBA....and what do you expect?

There are not many 20-year-olds that are current NBA stars or were at that time....outside of Lebron and what not....

I can't fathom how someone can call him a bust with Kwame Brown (easily a bust) and others on that list. Makes zero sense.

[CHHS_Aggie]

I just think that people are trying to find something to complain about the Pistons and Darko is the prime target. He's very well know just because of the publicity he received when he was drafted and he is unfairly picked on.

[AggieWill]

I just think that people are trying to find something to complain about the Pistons and Darko is the prime target. He's very well know just because of the publicity he received when he was drafted and he is unfairly picked on.

Right.

[Loftin]

And since this is primarily a college football fan site, NBA knowledge for some isn't near what it is for others. Many people on here don't remember Pervis Ellison ro Michael Olowakandi and how HUGE of a bust they were. Casual NBA fans remember Darko, especially since he plays for the champions.

EDIT: I'm not trying to say that anyone who voted for Darko doesn't know anything about the NBA. He is a legitimate candidate which is why I put him on the list.