5. Denver Nuggets draft Nikoloz Tskitishvili with the 5th overall pick in 2002.
In 2002, the Nuggets drafted Tskitishvili, having high expectations of the seven footer. In 172 career games, he's averaged three points, two rebounds, 0.7 assists, and 0.3 blocks, and has shot a pathetic 30 percent from the field.
He was drafted ahead of All Stars Amare Stoudemire and Caron Butler. If they wouldn't have picked Tskitishvili and drafted Stoudemire, they would have been a completely different team in the past five seasons.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers draft Dajuan Wagner with the 6th overall pick in 2002.
In his rookie season, Dajuan Wagner averaged 13.4 points, 1.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and shot 36 percent from the field. Wagner was compared to Allen Iverson for his scoring ability. Obviously, that didn't happen. Even though he suffered injuries in 2004, he still had no future ahead of him. By the 2006 season, he was out of the league.
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3. Atlanta Hawks draft Marvin Williams with the 2nd overall pick in 2005.
In the 2005 draft, the Hawks were looking to draft a point guard. Many expected the Hawks to draft either Chris Paul or Deron Williams. Instead, they drafted small forward Marvin Williams. Even though he is a solid player with the Hawks, he will never be as good as Chris Paul or Deron Williams.
2. Washington Wizards draft Kwame Brown with the 1st overall pick in 2001.
Kwame was the first No. 1 pick to be selected straight out of high school. His rookie season was not what everybody expected. He averaged four points and three rebounds while shooting 39 percent from the field. In 2004, he averaged career highs in points and rebounds, as he averaged 11 points and seven rebounds.
The Wizards offered him a five-year, $30 million deal, which he rejected. In 2005, he was traded to the Lakers for Caron Butler and Chucky Atkins. Then, in 2008, he was traded in the blockbuster deal that sent him to the Grizzlies for Pau Gasol. This past offseason, he signed a two-year deal with the Detroit Pistons.
1. Detroit Pistons draft Darko Milicic with the 2nd overall pick in 2003.
The Detroit Pistons were in need of a big man, so they drafted Darko Milicic. In his rookie season, he averaged only one point and one rebound while shooting a pathetic 26 percent from the field. The Pistons passed up on All Stars Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade.
If the Pistons drafted Chris Bosh instead of Milicic, their lineup would have consisted of Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Tayshuan Prince, Ben Wallace, and Rasheed Wallace, with Chris Bosh coming off the bench. That would have resulted in maybe another championship for the Pistons and would have started a dynasty.
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about 1 month ago
Good article. I agree with the Darko pick being the worst because of how many great players were drafted after him. If the Pistons would have had Bosh instead of Darko they would have won 2-3 more rings and still would be a great team today instead of a declining team.
about 1 month ago
Replace Marvin Williams with Rafael Araujo and you've got yourself a list.
about 1 month ago
if you think about it this way...darko might not have been a bad pick afterall...
when the detroit pistons drafted darko...they won the nba championship...if they had drafted anyone else...they might have screwed up the team chemistry they already had in billups, prince, hamilton, wallace and wallce...sooo maybe darko was a great pick?!?!?!...
haha...i still have hope in darko...
from about 1 month ago
i really doubt that
from about 1 month ago
everyone's always bashing poor old darko...and i mean EVERYONE! so if u ever read this Darko...don't let all the analysts and reporters get you down. u can still do it!!!
about 1 month ago
Darko's not done yet. For the very first time, in his career, he finally gets to play PF! This is huge for him. The past 4 years they,ve made him bulk up and play center. Well this year, as reported last week, the Grizz have told him to prepare to play the 4. He is not a back to the basket post player. He is a high post player. @ 7mil per, this is going to prove a steal for the Grizz. This is the year of Darko...finally.
about 1 month ago
Marvin Williams is not a bust pick and could still develop into an All-Star... he just wasn't the best pick. How about the 21-Feet of Crap the Sonics drafted in 3 years? Talk about sinking a franchise... Boycott Starbucks!
about 1 month ago
If Williams is such a bad pick, then i feel duty bound to mention a couple of Golden Oldies.......Glenn Robinson over Grant Hill and over Jason Kidd was a terrible pick.....Bowie over MJ was obvious, and a no brainer looking back was Armon Gilliam, Dennis Hopson and Reggie Williams over Scottie Pippen......
about 1 month ago
I don't think you can put DaJuan Wagner on here. The kid had incredible talent - and the reason he had "no future ahead of him" was because of those injuries. They ruined his career. He was solid while healthy, and most people thought he was going to be a star. Averaging 13.4 ppg as a rookie doesn't sound like a bust to me. It's just not fair to call the kid a bust because of his knees. Johnathan Bender isn't being called a bust for the same reason; sometimes, you can't help what happens to your body.
Agree with John about the Sonics centers. What a joke those picks have been. I also would've put Tskitishvili 2nd behind Darko.
All in all, I think this is a solid list - I just can't agree with Wagner being on there.
from about 1 month ago
sorry, I didn't mean Wagner's knees...meant to say that about Bender. Wagner just had internal problems-even less under his control.
about 1 month ago
Maciej Lampe needs to be on this list.
about 1 month ago
Joe,
Lampe wasn't even a first rounder... You really think he was one of the worst 5 picks of the decade?
about 1 month ago
Hoffa ahead of
Al Jefferson
Andre Igyy
Josh Smith?
Hands down the worst pick of all time... no talent, no potential at 24 years old, short arms, and... the Raptors passed up 3 things they're STILL looking for till today. A starting 2, a starting 3, and a bruiser.
about 1 month ago
Hoffa ahead of
Al Jefferson
Andre Igyy
Josh Smith?
Hands down the worst pick of all time... no talent, no potential at 24 years old, short arms, and... the Raptors passed up 3 things they're STILL looking for till today. A starting 2, a starting 3, and a bruiser.
And to Darko's credit, he had more potential coming out of Serbia than any player in that draft outside of Lebron... they said in analysis that had it not been for Lebron, he'd have been the number one pick in every draft over the past 10 years. And having watched him in Serbia, he is super skilled, and a beast athletically for a European player. He's just dumb.
about 1 month ago
Good list, but I would have put Kwame at number one. Everyone knew drafted Darko was a throw away pick for the Pistions. If he panned out, great. But the Pistions did not need him or anyone in the draft for that matter.
Kwame was the #1 overall pick by Michael Jordan. The need for the club was greater. Plus, Darko is turning out to a decent player averaging 7.2 ppg and 6 rpg last season (not say he was not a bust) but Kwame will never be more then 5 fouls. Maybe he can be more with the Pistions, funny how that worked out. The Pistons have had the two biggest bust this decade on their roster.
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