NBA’s Biggest Busts

Being a top pick in the NBA draft doesn’t always mean you’re destined for greatness. In fact, for every Lebron James or Kevin Durant there’s a Darko Milicic or Anthony Bennett. Here are the NBA’s biggest busts.

NBA’s Biggest Busts: Top 10

The NBA is a league of superstars. Every year, players enter the league with high hopes and dreams of becoming the next big thing Unfortunately, not every player lives up to the hype. In fact, many players wind up being major busts.

So, who are the biggest busts in NBA history? Here are the top 10:

1. Anthony Bennett: The former first overall pick has been a massive disappointment throughout his career. He’s currently out of the league and is widely considered to be one of the biggest busts in NBA history

2. Greg Oden Oden was once considered to be the next great center. Unfortunately, injuries derailed his career and he was never able to live up to the hype.

3. Darko Milicic: The second overall pick in 2003, Darko was drafted ahead of future stars like Carmelo Anthony Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. He went on to have a lackluster career and is widely considered one of the biggest draft busts in NBA history

4. Andrew Bogut: Bogut was the first overall pick in 2005 but injuries limited him throughout his career. He’s bounced around from team to team but has never been able to live up to his full potential.

5. Andrea Bargnani: The former first overall pick was supposed to be a star for the Toronto Raptors but he turned out to be a major bust. He’s currently out of the league and is considered one of the worst picks in NBA history

6 Amar’e Stoudemire: Stoudemire was once one of the best players in the league but injuries have taken their toll on him over the years. He’s struggled to stay on the court and his play has declined significantly in recent years

7 Tyrus Thomas: Thomas was supposed to be a star Power Forward for the Chicago Bulls but he turned out to be a major disappointment. He’s bounced around from team to team over his career and has never lived up to his full potential..
8 Hasheem Thabeet: Thabeet was drafted second overall in 2009 but he turned out to be a colossal bust . He’s currently out of basketball after failing miserably at the professional level.. 9 Adam Morrison Morrison was supposed t9o be a star player forthe Charlotte Hornets but he turned outto be oneof thee biggestbustsin recent memory.. 10 Kwame Brown Brownwas tthe first oveallpickin 2001and whilehe hada few productive seasons,hewasoneneverabletoliveuptohishypeandisalwaysrememberedasoneofthebiggestbustsinNBAhistory..

NBA’s Biggest Busts: Honorable Mentions

There are plenty of “honorable mentions” when it comes to the NBA’s biggest busts. These are players who were highly touted prospects that didn’t quite live up to the hype. Players like Michael Beasley Anthony Bennett, and Hasheem Thabeet come to mind. However, there are a few players who stand out above the rest as the biggest busts in recent NBA history

NBA’s Biggest Busts: What Went Wrong?

There are a lot of variables that go into whether or not an NBA player will be successful. From the level of competition they faced in college, to their size and athleticism, to their shooting touch and playmaking abilities, to their intangible leadership qualities; every player is different. And while some players seem like can’t-miss prospects, others come with a lot of red flags.

In recent years we’ve seen a number of highly touted NBA prospects who just haven’t lived up to the hype. Here are some of the biggest busts in recent memory, and what went wrong:

Anthony Bennett: The Canadian forward was the surprise No. 1 overall pick in 2013, but he was out of the league just four years later. He struggled with weight issues andaveraged just 4.4 points and 3.1 rebounds per game in his career.

Greg Oden: Oden was supposed to be the next big thing in the NBA, but injuries derailed his career before it ever really got started. He played in just 82 games over five seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers and Miami Heat averaging 8.0 points and 6.2 rebounds per game

Hasheem Thabeet: The Tanzanian-born center was drafted No. 2 overall by Memphis in 2009, but he lasted just three seasons in the league averaging 2.2 points and 2.6 rebounds per game before he was out of the league for good.

NBA’s Biggest Busts: Where Are They Now?

The NBA has seen its share of busts throughout the years. Players who were drafted high, expected to be superstars, but who never lived up to the hype. Some have gone on to have successful careers elsewhere, while others have faded into obscurity. Here’s a look at some of the biggest busts in NBA history and what they’re doing now.

Kwame Brown: The first overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft Brown was expected to be a franchise cornerstone for the Washington Wizards But he struggled mightily, averaging just 6.6 points and 5.5 rebounds per game over his 12-year career. He last played in the NBA in 2013 and is now out of the league.

Darko Milicic: The second overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft Milicic was picked ahead of future superstars Carmelo Anthony Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. He had a decent career, averaging 7.0 points and 4.2 rebounds per game over 11 seasons, but was never close to being worth the second overall pick. He last played in 2012 and has since retired from basketball.

Luol Deng: The seventh overall pick in the 2004 NBA draft Deng was considered one of the most promising young players in the league. But he never quite lived up to expectations, averaging 15.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game over his 14-year career. He’s still active, but his best days are behind him; he’s currently averaging just 5.1 points per game for the Minnesota Timberwolves

Greg Oden: The first overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft Oden was supposed to be a generational talent at center for the Portland Trail Blazers But injuries derailed his career; he played just 105 games over five seasons before finally retiring from basketball in 2016.

NBA’s Biggest Busts: What Could Have Been

The NBA is full of stories of players who never lived up to their potential. Some were drafted too high and never developed into the stars they were supposed to be. Others came into the league with high expectations and simply could not meet them.

Whatever the reason, busts happen. And when they do, it’s always a disappointment. Here are some of the biggest busts in NBA history

Kwame Brown was the first overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft Unfortunately, he was unable to live up to the hype and ended up having a very average career. He bounced around the league for 12 years before finally retiring in 2013.

Darko Milicic was drafted second overall in 2003, ahead of Carmelo Anthony Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade He played just six seasons in the NBA and was out of the league by 2010.

Greg Oden was drafted first overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in 2007 ahead of Kevin Durant He played just 82 games over four injury-plagued seasons before being out of the NBA for good.

Anthony Bennett was drafted first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2013. He played just four seasons in the NBA before being out of the league entirely.
Busts happen. It’s part of sports. But that doesn’t make it any less disappointing when a player fails to live up to his potential

NBA’s Biggest Busts: Lessons Learned

Whether it’s because of their overhyped potential or inflated egos, some NBA players just don’t live up to the hype. In fact, some of them become downright busts.

So, what exactly is a “bust” in the NBA? A bust is defined as a player who was expected to be great but failed to live up to those expectations. Some of these players fizzle out of the league quickly, while others hang around for a while but never truly reach their potential.

Unfortunately, there have been quite a few busts in the NBA over the years. While it’s always disappointing to see a player fail to meet expectations, there are sometimes lessons to be learned from these busts.

So, without further ado, here are the NBA’s biggest busts and the lessons we can learn from them.

NBA’s Biggest Busts: The silver lining

Bust is a strong word, but in the NBA, it’s often used to describe a player who was drafted in the lottery but never lived up to expectations.

For every Lebron James or Kevin Durant there are several more players who flame out of the league quickly or never live up to their draft position. In some cases, these “busts” become role players or journeymen who have long careers, but they are never All-Stars or starters on playoff teams.

In other cases, they are out of the league entirely a few years after they are drafted.

Here is a look at some of the biggest busts in NBA history

NBA’s Biggest Busts: Could they make a comeback?

In the NBA, there is always a lot of hype surrounding the draft. Every year, there are a few players who are considered can’t-miss prospects. However, for every Lebron James or Kobe Bryant there is also a player who doesn’t live up to the hype and becomes a bust. Here are some of the biggest busts in NBA history and what happened to them after their time in the league.

Kwame Brown The first overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft Brown was drafted by the Washington Wizards He was considered a can’t-miss prospect, but he struggled mightily in his four seasons with the Wizards. He was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2005 and he bounced around the league before retiring in 2013.

Darko Milicic: The second overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft Darko was taken by the Detroit Pistons after Lebron James He only played two seasons with the Pistons before being traded to Orlando. He then played for six different teams before retiring in 2012. Milicic is now a mixed martial arts fighter.

Thabeet has not played in an NBA game since 2015 and his career appears to be over.

NBA’s Biggest Busts: What the experts say

When it comes to the NBA, there’s no shortage of opinion on who the best and worst players are. But when it comes to the biggest busts inleague history, there seems to be far less agreement.

There are a number of ways to measure bust potential. For our purposes, we’re going to take a look at three:

1) Pre-draft hype: Was the player highly touted coming into the league?

2) Draft position: How high did they go in the draft?

3) Performance: Did they live up to expectations once they got into the league?

Using those criteria, here are five players that experts say were the biggest busts in NBA History

1) LaRue Martin (1972): The Portland Trail Blazers made Martin the number one overall pick in the 1972 draft, ahead of future Hall of Famers Julius Erving and Bob McAdoo. Martin played just four seasons in the NBA, averaging just 5.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. He is widely considered one of the biggest busts in NBA history

2) Jimmer Fredette (2011): Fredette was a college star at BYU, winning multiple Player of the Year awards and becoming a household name in the process. However, his game didn’t translate to the NBA, and he was out of the league after just four seasons. He averaged just 6.0 points per game in his career and is considered one of the biggest busts in NBA history

3) Darko Milicic (2003): Milicic was taken with the second overall pick in 2003 draft by the Detroit Pistons ahead of future All-Stars Carmelo Anthony Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. He averaged just 6.0 points per game in his career and is considered one of biggest busts in NBA history

4) Sam Bowie (1984): Bowie was taken withthe second overall pick bythe Portland Trail Blazersin 1984, aheadof future Hallof Famers Michael Jordanand Charles Barkley He playedjust 10 seasonsin thenBA, averaging 10.9 pointsand 7..5 reboundsper gameand is widely consideredoneof themost infamousbustsinNBA historyn honorof Bowie’sinfamy, ESPNeven createdthe “Bowie Rule,”which preventsteamswiththefirstoverallpicksfrom draftinga playerwithextensive injuryhistoryin an attemptto avoidanother”Bowie.”

5) Kent Benson(1977): Bensonwas thenumberoneoverallpickby thenIndianaPacersin 1977and heplayedjus t10seasons intheNBA ,averaginga sordid10 .0pointspergame career .He ‘sbust thatwas soinfamousthat Hewas evenparodiedin an episodeof “TheSimpsons”whereBart Simpsonwas takenwiththefirst overallpick intheNBA draft(aheadof MichaelJordan).

NBA’s Biggest Busts: The final word

There have been many great NBA players who have come and gone, but there are also those who have been considered busts. In fact, some of the biggest busts in NBA history are still active today. Here is a look at the ten biggest busts in NBA history

Adam Morrison: The Charlotte Bobcats drafted Adam Morrison with the third overall pick in 2006. He was considered one of the best college players in recent memory and was expected to be a star in the NBA. However, Morrison struggled mightily in his three years with the Bobcats, averaging just 8.8 points per game He was out of the league by 2009 and is considered one of the biggest busts in NBA history

Sam Bowie: The Portland Trail Blazers selected Sam Bowie with the second overall pick in 1984. Bowie was a talented player, but he was plagued by injuries throughout his career. He played just 10 seasons in the NBA and averaged 10 Points per game He is often considered one of the biggest draft busts in NBA history

Kwame Brown: The Washington Wizards selected Kwame Brown with the first overall pick in 2001. He was supposed to be a franchise player for the Wizards, but he never lived up to his potential. Brown averaged 6.6 points and 5 rebounds per game during his 12-year career. He is considered one of the biggest draft busts in NBA history

Greg Oden: The Portland Trail Blazers selected Greg Oden with the first overall pick in 2007. Oden was supposed to be a Franchise player for the Blazers, but he missed most of his career due to injuries. He played just 82 games during his five-year career and averaged 8 points and 6 rebounds per game before he was out of the league by 2012. Oden is considered one of the biggest draft busts in NBA history as well as one of its saddest stories due to all his injuries preventing him from achieving greatness..

Anthony Bennett: The Cleveland Cavaliers selected Anthony Bennett with the first overall pick in 2013. Bennett was supposed to be a star for the Cavaliers, but he struggled mightily during his time with them before he was traded after just one season. Bennett averaged 4 points and 3 rebounds per game during his three-year career before he was out of the league by 2016..