In the second of a three-part series, The Canon Review takes a look at the worst draft pick for each year in the 1990s. While teams always hope they have the next superstar coming out of the draft, that's not always going to be the case. For every Kobe Bryant or Dirk Nowitzki, there's a Todd Fuller or a Michael Olawakandi on the draft board, providing nothing but disappointment and grief to their team's fanbase. So, without further aideu, here are the worst NBA draft picks of the 1990s.
1990: Felton Spencer, Center, Minnesota Timberwolves, 6th Pick
Spencer was a teammate of 1989's worst pick, Pervis Ellison, at the University of Louisville. Because of Ellison's presence, Spencer only started one year at Louisville. But the Timberwolves needed a better center than Randy Breuer, so they picked the 7'0" Spencer with their pick. Spencer proved quite early that he wasn't going to be an offensive force, but he did average 7.9 rebounds in his rookie year. However, the Timberwolves weren't satisfied, so they picked Luc Longley the next year. Spencer spent the next two years primarily on the bench for Minnesota, then was traded to the Utah Jazz for Mike Brown.
1991: Doug Smith, Forward, Dallas Mavericks, 6th Pick
Some people might have Billy Owens in this slot, but he did have a few good years in Golden State and Miami, so I'll give him a pass. Instead Smith, a 6'10" inch forward out of Missouri, gets the nod here. Smith held out and didn't sign until just before the 1991 season started, and when he showed up, he was out of shape and struggled most of his rookie year. Smith averaged a career high 10.4 points in 1992-93 for the 12-70 Mavericks, but lost playing time the next year. After the 1995 season, Smith was selected by the Toronto Raptors in the expansion draft, but was released soon after. Smith then signed with the Celtics and played 17 games in 1995-96 before getting released, ending his NBA career.
1992: Todd Day, Guard-Forward, Milwaukee Bucks, 8th Pick
1992 was a rather strong draft, but the Bucks didn't get exactly what they wanted when they picked Day with the 8th pick in the draft. Day, who finished his collegiate career as Arkansas' all time leading scorer, Day got a lot of playing time with the Bucks during his first three seasons and averaged 14.0 points a game, but was an inconsistent shooter, shooting .just over 41 percent from the field during his stay in Milwaukee. So off he went to the Celtics, where Day once held the franchise record for points scored in a quarter. However, he also shot .387 from the field in his two seasons in Boston. Day spent the next few years as a backup for three different NBA teams and then finished his basketball career playing in various locales, including the new ABA and a stint on the Harlem Globetrotters.
1993: Shawn Bradley, Center, Philadelphia 76ers, 2nd Pick
Yes, Bradley played over 800 games and made nearly 70 million dollars during his career (if only I were 7'6"), but his career as a whole came up short. The 76ers decided to make the big man from BYU the centerpiece of their franchise, and picked him over Anfernee Hardaway and Jamal Mashburn. Bradley proved to be an excellent shot blocker, and his 2.5 blocks per game rank ninth in NBA history. However, offensively he was limited at best, and his rebounding was rather lackluster for a man that stands 7'6". In his two plus years in Philly, Bradley averaged 9.7 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, and the Philadelphia fans and press turned on him. Traded to New Jersey, Bradley showed signs of competency, averaging 12.3 points and 8 rebounds a game. That's not great, but the Mavericks were impressed, and sent Jim Jackson, Sam Cassell, and others for a package centered around Bradley. Bradley would spend nine seasons in Dallas, but only averaged double figures in points for the first two seasons, gradually losing playing time and becoming little more than a better version of Jim McLlvaine. Bradley retired in 2005, finishing his career averaging 8.1 points and 5.4 rebounds a game, and also leaving behind a legacy of getting dunked on.
1994: Sharone Wright, Forward, Philadelphia 76ers, 6th Pick
Over the years, Clemson has produced some quality power forwards, like Larry Nance and Horace Grant, and Wright was supposed to be the next link in the chain. In his first year in the league, Wright was solid, averaging 11.4 points and 6.0 rebounds a game and was named to the All NBA Rookie 2nd Team. The next year, his play seemed to slip, and when Philadelphia decided to start all over, Wright was traded to the Toronto Raptors. Wright finished the 1995-96 season strongly for the Raptors, averaging 16.5 points in 11 games. The next year, Wright spent most of the season as a backup, averaging only 16.8 minutes and 6.5 points per game. During the 1997 offseason, Wright was seriously injured in a car wreck, and was never the same player. After playing seven games with the Raptors in 1998, Wright continued his career in Europe, and is currently a coach for a Dutch team in Amsterdam.
1995: Bryant Reeves, Center, Vancouver Grizzlies, 6th Pick
Reeves, nicknamed Big Country, was the first ever pick of the Vancouver Grizzlies, and the 7'1, 275 lb was positioned to be the franchise player of the expansion Grizzlies. In his first three years, Reeves wasn't great, but he wasn't terrible either, averaging 15.2 points per game. The Grizzlies were encouraged by Reeves' play, so they signed him to a six year, 65 million dollar contract extension. It is contracts like these that is the cause of the upcoming lockout. The only thing that improved after the contract signing was Reeves' waist size, as he got overweight and the Grizzlies saw his ppg average go from 16.3 to 10.8 to 8.9. In 2001, Reeves averaged 8.3 points a game, and chronic back pain forced him to retire in 2002. Meanwhile, Reeves continued to reap the benefits of his contract until 2005, so good for him.
1996: Lorenzen Wright, Center, Los Angeles Clippers, 7th Pick
Wright was a journeyman center who wasn't an awful player, but when you're the seventh player in the draft and picked ahead of Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash, you're expected to be a little more than a big man that can provide 15-20 minutes off the bench each night. Coming out of Memphis, Wright was chosen by a Clippers team that needed help at the center position. But Wright wasn't the answer for the Clippers' problems, averaging 7.7. points and 7.4 rebounds during his three years in L.A. The Hawks saw some potential in Wright, so after the 1999 season, they traded two future first round picks for Wright and signed him to a six year, 42 million dollar contract. So imagine my frustration as a Hawks fan when Wright proceeds to average 6.0 points and 4.1 rebounds a game next year. Wright improved in 2001 (12.4 ppg, 7.5 rpg), so it was time for the Hawks to make another stupid trade and send Wright along with the pick that would become Pau Gasol for Shareef-Abdur Rahim. Wright spent five seasons playing for his hometown Grizzlies, averaging 9.4 points and 7.1 rebounds per game in 336 games. After the 2006 season, Wright signed again with the Hawks as a backup center, and was eventually part of the deal that sent Mike Bibby to Atlanta. After 18 games in 2008-09 with the Cavaliers, Wright retired. Sadly, Wright was found dead in July 2010, and the investigation into his murder is still pending.
1997: Antonio Daniels, Guard, Vancouver Grizzlies, 4th Pick
The 1997 Draft was not very good at all, as you had Tim Duncan, Tracy McGrady, Chauncey Billups, and a whole bunch of guys that were either decent or something less than that. Daniels was the fourth pick in this draft out of Bowling Green, and unlike Steve Francis and Stephon Marbury, Daniels actually wanted to play in Vancouver. But after struggling in his rookie season (7.1 ppg, 4.5 apg, .416 field goal percentage), the Grizzlies drafted Mike Bibby the next year and sent Daniels to San Antonio for Carl Herrera and Felipe Lopez. In San Antonio, Daniels developed into a decent role player, but not the star he was projected to become. After three years in San Antonio, Daniels has been a backup in Portland, Seattle, Washington, and New Oreleans, and just this past season, Daniels played four games for the Philadelphia 76ers. While Daniels is a consummate pro, the fact is that he's only had one season where he averaged double figures in points (11.2 with the 2004-05 Supersonics) and his career averages of 7.6 points and 3.4 assists per game are not the marks one hopes for out of a number four pick, hence, his appearance on this list.
1998: Michael Olowokandi, Center, Los Angeles Clippers, 1st Pick
The Clippers could have chosen Mike Bibby, Antawn Jamison, Vince Carter, Dirk Nowitzki, or Paul Pierce with the pick. But in true Clippers fashion, they chose Olowokandi, a seven footer from Pacific who didn't start playing organized basketball until he was 17. To say that Olowokandi was raw would be an understatement, but in his first season, he wasn't terrible (8.9 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 1.2 bpg). But Olowokandi didn't improve much after his rookie season, and his range was limited (.433 field goal percentage as a Clipper). After a 2002-03 season in which Olowokandi set a career high in ppg (12.3), and rpg (9.1, albeit in 36 games), the Timberwolves signed him as a free agent in the hopes that Olowokandi and Kevin Garnett would make an imposing front line. While Garnett lived up to his end of the bargain, Olowokandi struggled with injury and in his three years in Minnesota, he averaged a mere 6.1 points and 5.8 rebounds a game. After a trade to the Celtics in 2006, Olowokandi would last only one more season before finding himself out of the NBA after the 2006-07 season.
1999: Jonathan Bender, Forward, Toronto Raptors, 5th Pick
The Raptors chose Bender straight out of high school in 1999, but didn't hold on to him long, as they traded him to the Pacers for Antonio Davis on Draft Night. That would prove to be a good decision for the Raptors. The Pacers, a team full of veterans, figured that they could wait a couple of years and allow Bender to develop and adjust to life in the NBA. At the time, it probably seemed like a good idea. But time makes fools of us all and Bender wasn't able to translate his athletic talent into a decent NBA career. He struggled shooting (career .417 field goal percentage) and while he was 6'11", he was too slim to bang with the power forwards of the league. Knee problems started to rob Bender of his elite athleticism, and the Pacers had to call it a day and release Bender at the end of the 2006 season. Remarkably, Bender came back and played for the Knicks in the 2009-10, but wasn't brought back after averaging 4.7 points in 25 games. For his career, Bender finished with averages of 5.5 points and 2.2 rebounds. However, he's only 30, so a comeback is theoretically possible.
Well, thanks for reading The Canon Review's Worst NBA Draft Picks of the 1990s. If you have any thoughts or disagreements about this list, then feel free to share those by leaving a comment or by sending me an e-mail at kthec2001@gmail.com.
Showing posts with label NBA Draft. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NBA Draft. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Worst NBA Draft Picks: 1980-1989
On Thursday, the 2011 NBA Draft takes place. In this year's draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers are lucky enough to have both the first and fourth picks in the draft. However, this year's draft class is considered the weakest in years, and even the top players, such as Duke PG Kyrie Irving and Arizona F Derrick Williams, aren't considered likely to develop into superstars. Anyway, the Cavs are at least hoping that whoever they pick won't go on to have the careers of the following men, the worst NBA draft picks of the 1980s. In the first of a three part series, the Canon Review takes a look back at the men who had the hopes of an entire franchise pinned on them, and then proceeded to dash those hopes for any number of reasons. Some men got hurt, some men fell into drugs, while others just weren't good enough to live up to the hype. Whatever the reason, here are the worst NBA draft picks of the 1980s.
1980: James Ray, Forward, Denver Nuggets, 5th Pick
I suppose I could have gone with Joe Barry Carroll or Kelvin Ransay in this spot, but at least those men had a few stretches of solid play in their careers. The same can not be said about Ray, a 6'8" forward from Jacksonville University. After the Nuggets selected him ahead of Mike Gminski, Andrew Toney, and Kiki Vandeweghe, Denver coach Donnie Walsh said that Ray "may be the best out of all the player's in this year's draft" and "There's no doubt in my mind that he's going to be a very good player in the NBA for a very long time." So, what happened? Well, Ray started to have knee problems almost as soon as he entered the league, and never stayed healthy long enough to develop his game. As a result, he lasted only three years in Denver, playing 103 games and scoring 334 points. After that, it was off to Europe for Ray.
1981: Al Wood, Guard-Forward, Atlanta Hawks, 4th Pick
Picked over Tom Chambers and Rolando Blackman, among others, Wood was a second-team All American for the North Carolina Tar Heels and helped lead his team to the championship game in 1981. The Hawks decided that was good enough for them, and were so impressed that they traded him after 19 games to the Clippers for the immortal Freeman Williams (who would become part of the deal that landed Dominique Wilkins for Atlanta). Wood lasted two seasons with the Clippers with mixed results, and was soon sent to Seattle along with Tom Chambers for James Donaldson, Greg Kesler, and Mark Radford. While this would turn out to be yet another bad trade for the Clippers, it wasn't because of Wood. Wood had his moments as a Supersonic, though, and in 1984-85 Wood averaged 15.0 a game. By 1986, the Sonics were looking for someone with a little more range, so they traded Wood to the Mavericks for Dale Ellis. While Ellis blossomed in Seattle, Wood languished on the Dallas bench, averaging 6.6 points in 54 games for the Mavericks in 1986-87 before being waived in November. Wood went on to continue his career in the CBA and in Europe, never to regain the glory of his college days.
1982: Bill Garnett, Forward, Dallas Mavericks, 4th Pick
1982 turned out to be a three player draft (James Worthy, Terry Cummings, and Dominique Wilkins). Unfortunately for the Mavericks, they picked fourth that year. So they took Garnett, the 1982 WAC Player of the Year out of the University of Wyoming. Garnett spent two seasons in Dallas, and proved to be too inconsistent to get major minutes on a Dallas team that was desperate for front court help. In two seasons in Dallas, Garnett averaged 5.7 points and 4.8 rebounds. When he was traded to Indiana prior to the start of the 1984-85 season, he was referred to as a "liability" by Dallas GM Norm Sonju. Garnett did little to prove Sonju wrong, lasting two seasons in Indiana and averaging a mere 5.3 points per game. By 1986, Garnett was out of the NBA for good.
1983: Russell Cross, Center, Golden State Warriors, 6th Pick
I suppose I could have gone with Steve Stipanovich, who was picked second by the Pacers, but at least Stipanovich was a decent center for five seasons in Indianapolis. Instead, the choice here is Cross, who came out a year early out of the University of Purdue. Even though he had a history of knee injuries, the Warriors drafted him anyway and teamed him up with Joe Barry Carroll in the hopes that they could become a pair of stalwarts in the Warriors' frontcourt. However, Cross only played one year in Golden State, playing 45 games and scoring a grand total of 166 points. The Warriors released him before the 1984-85 season, and Cross signed with Denver shortly after. But Cross's knees acted up again, and he never saw any action for the Nuggets, or any other team, for that matter.
1984: Sam Bowie, Center, Portland Trailblazers, 2nd Pick
Like Cross, Bowie was a center who had a history of knee problems. Unlike Cross, Bowie at least lasted more than one season and proved to be a halfway decent player on the rare occasions where he stayed healthy. In his first year, the All-American from Kentucky made the NBA All-Rookie Team and finished third in blocked shots per game (2.7). Then the injuries started happening, and over the next four years Bowie played a total of 63 games before Portland traded him along with a first round pick for Buck Williams. While in New Jersey, Bowie actually stayed healthy to play 280 games over the next four seasons, and was a solid player for the Nets (12.8 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 1.64 blocks per game). After playing two seasons with the Lakers, Bowie retired in 1995. On one hand, Bowie fought his way to have a decent career that lasted over a decade in the NBA. On the other hand, he never stayed healthy and his selection has been question by every basketball fan ever since, mainly because the Trailblazers took him one pick ahead of Michael Jordan, only the greatest player in NBA history.
1985: Benoit Benjamin, Center, Los Angeles Clippers, 3rd Pick
If you look at Benjamin's stats, you might come to the conclusion that all in all, he wasn't a bad player. After all, for his career he averaged 11.4 ppg, 7.5 rpg, and 2.0 bpg. During his days with the Los Angeles Clippers, he was constantly in the top 10 in the league in blocked shots, and in 1987-88 Benjamin averaged 3.4 blocks per game to finish second in the NBA. However, stats are only part of the story, as Benjamin was one of the most frustrating players to ever put on a uniform. He constantly struggled with his weight, put in inconsistent effort, and nearly every coach he ever had despised him for his attitude and lackadaisical play. During his 15 year career, Benjamin played for nine teams, as every one of them tried to convince themselves that they were the team that could turn Benjamin around. As it turns out, no one could, and Benjamin, who had all the talent in the world, is remembered today as a bust and as a cautionary tale.
1986: Len Bias, Forward, Boston Celtics, 2nd Pick
The 1986 Draft class is one that is full of heartbreak and disappointment. Just in the top 10 alone, there's Chris Washburn, Kenny Walker, William Bedford, Roy Tarpley, and Brad Sellers. All those guys, for a number of reasons, were colossal disappointments, but at least they suited up for their teams. The same can not be said for Bias, as I'm sure most of you know. Coming out of the University of Maryland, Bias was supposed to be the man that challenged Michael Jordan's status as the best player in the league and would be the next star of the Celtics' dynasty. Instead, just two days after being drafted, Bias died of a cocaine overdose. Sadly, we'll never know what kind of player Bias would have been in the NBA.
1987: Dennis Hopson, Guard, New Jersey Nets, 3rd Pick
Hopson was an All-American guard at Ohio State who averaged 29 points a game his senior season. The Nets, in dire need for backcourt help, picked Hopson with the third pick in the Draft over Scottie Pippen and Kevin Johnson. Hopson was supposed to be the Nets' version of Michael Jordan, even wearing the number 23 during his first year in the NBA. However, he played more like Michael Ruffin, shooting just over 40 percent from the field in his first season. In 1989-90, Hopson was the Nets' leading scorer with 15.8 ppg. But his shot continued to be inconsistent (.434 field goal percentage) so they traded him to the Bulls for a first round pick. Hopson won a ring in Chicago, but was buried on the bench and fell out of favor with coach Phil Jackson, so off he went to Sacramento, where he average 10.7 ppg coming off the bench for the Kings in 1991-92. After that season, Hopson went on to play in Spain, and over the next eight years traveled the world, playing for 10 different teams in six different countries.
1988: Tim Perry, Forward, Phoenix Suns, 8th Pick
1988 was actually a pretty decent year for draft picks, so we had to go all the way down to number eight to find a selection that didn't quite work out. That pick was Perry, a 6'9" power forward from Temple. In his first three seasons with the Suns, Perry spent most of the time on the bench, averaging 4.2 points a game in those first three years. In 1991-92, Perry stepped up his game somewhat, starting 69 games for the Suns and averaging 12.3 points and 6.9 rebounds a game. After the 1992 season, Perry was one of three players traded to the Philadelphia 76ers for Charles Barkley. While it would be unfair to suggest that the 76ers expected Perry to become the next Charles Barkley, it would be fair to say that Perry was a bit of a disappointment for the 76ers. As the Great Book of Philadelphia Sports Lists put it; Perry "was a tall guy who couldn't pass, couldn't shoot, couldn't rebound". That may be overestimating things slightly, but Perry averaged a mere 7.3 ppg and 4.3 rpg during his four years with the Sixers. After that, Perry finished his career with the New Jersey Nets, getting released by the team in 1996.
1989: Pervis Ellison, Center, Sacramento Kings, 1st Pick
Ellison was the MVP of the Final Four as a Freshman at Louisville in 1986 and picked up the nickname "Never Nervous" for his play. Even though at 6'9", he was undersized for a center, the Kings picked him first anyway and figured at the worst, he could play at the power forward spot. After an injury plagued rookie season, the Kings shipped Ellison to the Washington Bullets in a three team trade in which the Kings ended up with Eric Leckner, Bobby Hansen, and some low draft picks. I'm not sure what the Kings were exactly thinking here, but Ellison turned into a heck of player in 1991-92, averaging 20 points and 11.2 rebounds per game and winning the NBA's Most Improved Player award. However, Ellison couldn't stay healthy after that season long enough to repeat that year's success, and in 1994 the Bullets let Ellison go. Ellison signed with the Celtics during the 1994 offseason, and spent the next six years either backing up at center or on the injured list. Had Ellison's body held up, it's likely that he would have been an All-Star at least once in his career and Danny Ferry would have been on this list. But instead, here we are, and Ellison is just one of many who couldn't reach greatness due to injury.
Well, that's it for the Worst NBA Draft Picks of the 1980s. Tomorrow we'll have the Worst NBA Draft Picks of the 1990s and rest assured there's a whole lot of centers to be featured. Thanks for reading, and if you have any thoughts about this list, then feel free to share them either by leaving a comment or by sending me an e-mail at kthec2001@yahoo.com
1980: James Ray, Forward, Denver Nuggets, 5th Pick
I suppose I could have gone with Joe Barry Carroll or Kelvin Ransay in this spot, but at least those men had a few stretches of solid play in their careers. The same can not be said about Ray, a 6'8" forward from Jacksonville University. After the Nuggets selected him ahead of Mike Gminski, Andrew Toney, and Kiki Vandeweghe, Denver coach Donnie Walsh said that Ray "may be the best out of all the player's in this year's draft" and "There's no doubt in my mind that he's going to be a very good player in the NBA for a very long time." So, what happened? Well, Ray started to have knee problems almost as soon as he entered the league, and never stayed healthy long enough to develop his game. As a result, he lasted only three years in Denver, playing 103 games and scoring 334 points. After that, it was off to Europe for Ray.
1981: Al Wood, Guard-Forward, Atlanta Hawks, 4th Pick
Picked over Tom Chambers and Rolando Blackman, among others, Wood was a second-team All American for the North Carolina Tar Heels and helped lead his team to the championship game in 1981. The Hawks decided that was good enough for them, and were so impressed that they traded him after 19 games to the Clippers for the immortal Freeman Williams (who would become part of the deal that landed Dominique Wilkins for Atlanta). Wood lasted two seasons with the Clippers with mixed results, and was soon sent to Seattle along with Tom Chambers for James Donaldson, Greg Kesler, and Mark Radford. While this would turn out to be yet another bad trade for the Clippers, it wasn't because of Wood. Wood had his moments as a Supersonic, though, and in 1984-85 Wood averaged 15.0 a game. By 1986, the Sonics were looking for someone with a little more range, so they traded Wood to the Mavericks for Dale Ellis. While Ellis blossomed in Seattle, Wood languished on the Dallas bench, averaging 6.6 points in 54 games for the Mavericks in 1986-87 before being waived in November. Wood went on to continue his career in the CBA and in Europe, never to regain the glory of his college days.
1982: Bill Garnett, Forward, Dallas Mavericks, 4th Pick
1982 turned out to be a three player draft (James Worthy, Terry Cummings, and Dominique Wilkins). Unfortunately for the Mavericks, they picked fourth that year. So they took Garnett, the 1982 WAC Player of the Year out of the University of Wyoming. Garnett spent two seasons in Dallas, and proved to be too inconsistent to get major minutes on a Dallas team that was desperate for front court help. In two seasons in Dallas, Garnett averaged 5.7 points and 4.8 rebounds. When he was traded to Indiana prior to the start of the 1984-85 season, he was referred to as a "liability" by Dallas GM Norm Sonju. Garnett did little to prove Sonju wrong, lasting two seasons in Indiana and averaging a mere 5.3 points per game. By 1986, Garnett was out of the NBA for good.
1983: Russell Cross, Center, Golden State Warriors, 6th Pick
I suppose I could have gone with Steve Stipanovich, who was picked second by the Pacers, but at least Stipanovich was a decent center for five seasons in Indianapolis. Instead, the choice here is Cross, who came out a year early out of the University of Purdue. Even though he had a history of knee injuries, the Warriors drafted him anyway and teamed him up with Joe Barry Carroll in the hopes that they could become a pair of stalwarts in the Warriors' frontcourt. However, Cross only played one year in Golden State, playing 45 games and scoring a grand total of 166 points. The Warriors released him before the 1984-85 season, and Cross signed with Denver shortly after. But Cross's knees acted up again, and he never saw any action for the Nuggets, or any other team, for that matter.
1984: Sam Bowie, Center, Portland Trailblazers, 2nd Pick
Like Cross, Bowie was a center who had a history of knee problems. Unlike Cross, Bowie at least lasted more than one season and proved to be a halfway decent player on the rare occasions where he stayed healthy. In his first year, the All-American from Kentucky made the NBA All-Rookie Team and finished third in blocked shots per game (2.7). Then the injuries started happening, and over the next four years Bowie played a total of 63 games before Portland traded him along with a first round pick for Buck Williams. While in New Jersey, Bowie actually stayed healthy to play 280 games over the next four seasons, and was a solid player for the Nets (12.8 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 1.64 blocks per game). After playing two seasons with the Lakers, Bowie retired in 1995. On one hand, Bowie fought his way to have a decent career that lasted over a decade in the NBA. On the other hand, he never stayed healthy and his selection has been question by every basketball fan ever since, mainly because the Trailblazers took him one pick ahead of Michael Jordan, only the greatest player in NBA history.
1985: Benoit Benjamin, Center, Los Angeles Clippers, 3rd Pick
If you look at Benjamin's stats, you might come to the conclusion that all in all, he wasn't a bad player. After all, for his career he averaged 11.4 ppg, 7.5 rpg, and 2.0 bpg. During his days with the Los Angeles Clippers, he was constantly in the top 10 in the league in blocked shots, and in 1987-88 Benjamin averaged 3.4 blocks per game to finish second in the NBA. However, stats are only part of the story, as Benjamin was one of the most frustrating players to ever put on a uniform. He constantly struggled with his weight, put in inconsistent effort, and nearly every coach he ever had despised him for his attitude and lackadaisical play. During his 15 year career, Benjamin played for nine teams, as every one of them tried to convince themselves that they were the team that could turn Benjamin around. As it turns out, no one could, and Benjamin, who had all the talent in the world, is remembered today as a bust and as a cautionary tale.
1986: Len Bias, Forward, Boston Celtics, 2nd Pick
The 1986 Draft class is one that is full of heartbreak and disappointment. Just in the top 10 alone, there's Chris Washburn, Kenny Walker, William Bedford, Roy Tarpley, and Brad Sellers. All those guys, for a number of reasons, were colossal disappointments, but at least they suited up for their teams. The same can not be said for Bias, as I'm sure most of you know. Coming out of the University of Maryland, Bias was supposed to be the man that challenged Michael Jordan's status as the best player in the league and would be the next star of the Celtics' dynasty. Instead, just two days after being drafted, Bias died of a cocaine overdose. Sadly, we'll never know what kind of player Bias would have been in the NBA.
1987: Dennis Hopson, Guard, New Jersey Nets, 3rd Pick
Hopson was an All-American guard at Ohio State who averaged 29 points a game his senior season. The Nets, in dire need for backcourt help, picked Hopson with the third pick in the Draft over Scottie Pippen and Kevin Johnson. Hopson was supposed to be the Nets' version of Michael Jordan, even wearing the number 23 during his first year in the NBA. However, he played more like Michael Ruffin, shooting just over 40 percent from the field in his first season. In 1989-90, Hopson was the Nets' leading scorer with 15.8 ppg. But his shot continued to be inconsistent (.434 field goal percentage) so they traded him to the Bulls for a first round pick. Hopson won a ring in Chicago, but was buried on the bench and fell out of favor with coach Phil Jackson, so off he went to Sacramento, where he average 10.7 ppg coming off the bench for the Kings in 1991-92. After that season, Hopson went on to play in Spain, and over the next eight years traveled the world, playing for 10 different teams in six different countries.
1988: Tim Perry, Forward, Phoenix Suns, 8th Pick
1988 was actually a pretty decent year for draft picks, so we had to go all the way down to number eight to find a selection that didn't quite work out. That pick was Perry, a 6'9" power forward from Temple. In his first three seasons with the Suns, Perry spent most of the time on the bench, averaging 4.2 points a game in those first three years. In 1991-92, Perry stepped up his game somewhat, starting 69 games for the Suns and averaging 12.3 points and 6.9 rebounds a game. After the 1992 season, Perry was one of three players traded to the Philadelphia 76ers for Charles Barkley. While it would be unfair to suggest that the 76ers expected Perry to become the next Charles Barkley, it would be fair to say that Perry was a bit of a disappointment for the 76ers. As the Great Book of Philadelphia Sports Lists put it; Perry "was a tall guy who couldn't pass, couldn't shoot, couldn't rebound". That may be overestimating things slightly, but Perry averaged a mere 7.3 ppg and 4.3 rpg during his four years with the Sixers. After that, Perry finished his career with the New Jersey Nets, getting released by the team in 1996.
1989: Pervis Ellison, Center, Sacramento Kings, 1st Pick
Ellison was the MVP of the Final Four as a Freshman at Louisville in 1986 and picked up the nickname "Never Nervous" for his play. Even though at 6'9", he was undersized for a center, the Kings picked him first anyway and figured at the worst, he could play at the power forward spot. After an injury plagued rookie season, the Kings shipped Ellison to the Washington Bullets in a three team trade in which the Kings ended up with Eric Leckner, Bobby Hansen, and some low draft picks. I'm not sure what the Kings were exactly thinking here, but Ellison turned into a heck of player in 1991-92, averaging 20 points and 11.2 rebounds per game and winning the NBA's Most Improved Player award. However, Ellison couldn't stay healthy after that season long enough to repeat that year's success, and in 1994 the Bullets let Ellison go. Ellison signed with the Celtics during the 1994 offseason, and spent the next six years either backing up at center or on the injured list. Had Ellison's body held up, it's likely that he would have been an All-Star at least once in his career and Danny Ferry would have been on this list. But instead, here we are, and Ellison is just one of many who couldn't reach greatness due to injury.
Well, that's it for the Worst NBA Draft Picks of the 1980s. Tomorrow we'll have the Worst NBA Draft Picks of the 1990s and rest assured there's a whole lot of centers to be featured. Thanks for reading, and if you have any thoughts about this list, then feel free to share them either by leaving a comment or by sending me an e-mail at kthec2001@yahoo.com
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Fun with YouTube Recommendations: July 17, 2010
First of all, sorry for the lack of activity lately around here, as things have been a bit wacky the last few days. Hopefully, I will get back to a more consistent schedule at The Canon Review in the upcoming days. For now, to ease myself back into posting, I decided to watch a few videos that YouTube has recommended for me to watch based on previous videos I had viewed before. So, let's see what the machine has for me to watch today.
Video 1: 1987 NBA Draft - 12 - Tyrone Bogues, Wake Forest
First we get an interview with then Boston Celtics president Red Auerbach, one of basketball's most legendary figures. He agrees with San Antonio's selection of Navy center David Robinson with the first pick, a pick that was heavily criticized at the time due to Robinson having to serve a two-year commitment in the Navy and therefore, not being able to play right away. Looking back, the Spurs made the right pick. Auerbach also is surprised that so many guards were taken this early, and wondered how the Indiana Pacers fanbase would react to the team selecting Reggie Miller over local favorite Steve Alford. Of course, Miller had a hall-of-fame career with the Pacers, so I think the fans ended up satisfied with the picks. After the interview, the Washington Bullets turn their selection in the while the announcers speculate just who will be picked or if the trick will be traded. Commissioner David Stern announces that the Bullets selected point guard Tyrone Bouges with the 12th pick in the draft, which gets a mixed reaction from the announcers, but the crowd seems to like it. Bouges, nicknamed Muggsy, is a 5'3" guard from Wake Forest who the announcers say was projected to be a second-round selection. I think the Bullets may have reached here, but anytime you can team up the shortest (Bouges) and tallest player (Manute Bol) in NBA History, you've got to do it. Plus, Bouges is from the Washington D.C. area, so at least the fanbase will be happy. We get a highlight package of Bouges from his Wake Forest days, and the anaylsts seemed to think he had a good chance of becoming a decent NBA player. Also, we get an interview from Bouges himself, who expresses his excitement about playing for the Bullets. Well, Bouges only played one year for the Bullets before the Charlotte Hornets took him in the 1989 expansion draft. After that, Bouges settled in as the Hornets point guard for the next nine years, and currently ranks 16th all-time in assists in NBA history. So while the Bullets didn't get much out of the pick, it wasn't a bad pick, and the mistake the Bullets made was getting rid of Bouges too early.
Video 2: Eternal Champions Commercial
Remember the Sega Genesis game Eternal Champions? Well, Eternal Champions was Sega's attempt to cash in on the fighting game craze of the early 90s caused by Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter II. It wasn't quite as good as those other two games, nor was it as popular, but overall it wasn't too bad. This commercial, however, is just awful. Apparently, playing Eternal Champions is such an intense experience that it will twist your face into all sorts of grotesque positions. Um, ok. After seeing that commercial, I don't exactly want to play Eternal Champions right now.
Video 3: Raw 15: Shane McMahon on Nitro
I guess this clip is from some DVD or something, because it includes interviews from a couple of guys in between showing Shane McMahon showing up on the last edition of WCW Nitro. Edge was shocked, SHOCKED by this turn of events. Anyway, the video's basically a clip of Shane McMahon showing up and saying he "bought" WCW, and that's how one of the biggest companies in wrestling history ended, with Shane freakin' McMahon on the screen. Whoopee. I'm not going to go into what happened after this clip, because it would just make me angry.
Video 4: TNA Impact 7/15/10 Part 10/10 (HQ)
Ok, this wasn't on my recommendations page but dang it, I wanted to watch it and comment on it anyway. In their never ending quest to make themselves relevant on the wrestling scene, TNA has decided that now is the time for yet another ECW invasion. First of all, they tried this sort of thing like seven years ago and nobody cared about it then. Second, the WWE did it already five years ago, and since they own all of the ECW copyrights and had a more talented group of wrestlers available, they were able to make a success out of it with One Night Stand. Of course, that led to the ill-fated ECW brand a year later, but still it was a huge success at the time. Now it's been almost ten years since ECW had their last show, most of the wrestlers involved are either broken-down, retired, or dead, and TNA decides that now is the perfect time to stage an ECW invasion. So they bring in Tommy Dreamer, Stevie Richards, and Raven, team Rhyno up with them, and have all of them beat up on security and other TNA wrestlers. Of course, it doesn't look very extreme, and seems more like a standstill than a full-out beatdown, but whatever. Then you have the president of TNA get a mic and say, hold on a minute, I invited these guys. Why? exactly, were these people invited to beat up the roster, well tune in to Impact next week to find out. Look, I was as big a fan of ECW as anyone else, but this whole angle stinks, and just seems like another desperate attempt by TNA to get some people to watch their crappy show. Instead of relying on wrestlers successful a decade ago and tired and recycled ideas, TNA should, try something, anything, that's an original idea, but their braintrust is all stuck in the 1990s and even the rumors of Paul Heyman taking over the book won't change that mindset. Enjoy the video!
Well, thanks for reading, and I hope to have something else up over the next 12 hours or so. Until then, if you have any thoughts about this or other posts, than feel free to leave a comment. And if you ideas for future reviews, than send them to me at kthec2001@gmail.com
Video 1: 1987 NBA Draft - 12 - Tyrone Bogues, Wake Forest
First we get an interview with then Boston Celtics president Red Auerbach, one of basketball's most legendary figures. He agrees with San Antonio's selection of Navy center David Robinson with the first pick, a pick that was heavily criticized at the time due to Robinson having to serve a two-year commitment in the Navy and therefore, not being able to play right away. Looking back, the Spurs made the right pick. Auerbach also is surprised that so many guards were taken this early, and wondered how the Indiana Pacers fanbase would react to the team selecting Reggie Miller over local favorite Steve Alford. Of course, Miller had a hall-of-fame career with the Pacers, so I think the fans ended up satisfied with the picks. After the interview, the Washington Bullets turn their selection in the while the announcers speculate just who will be picked or if the trick will be traded. Commissioner David Stern announces that the Bullets selected point guard Tyrone Bouges with the 12th pick in the draft, which gets a mixed reaction from the announcers, but the crowd seems to like it. Bouges, nicknamed Muggsy, is a 5'3" guard from Wake Forest who the announcers say was projected to be a second-round selection. I think the Bullets may have reached here, but anytime you can team up the shortest (Bouges) and tallest player (Manute Bol) in NBA History, you've got to do it. Plus, Bouges is from the Washington D.C. area, so at least the fanbase will be happy. We get a highlight package of Bouges from his Wake Forest days, and the anaylsts seemed to think he had a good chance of becoming a decent NBA player. Also, we get an interview from Bouges himself, who expresses his excitement about playing for the Bullets. Well, Bouges only played one year for the Bullets before the Charlotte Hornets took him in the 1989 expansion draft. After that, Bouges settled in as the Hornets point guard for the next nine years, and currently ranks 16th all-time in assists in NBA history. So while the Bullets didn't get much out of the pick, it wasn't a bad pick, and the mistake the Bullets made was getting rid of Bouges too early.
Video 2: Eternal Champions Commercial
Remember the Sega Genesis game Eternal Champions? Well, Eternal Champions was Sega's attempt to cash in on the fighting game craze of the early 90s caused by Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter II. It wasn't quite as good as those other two games, nor was it as popular, but overall it wasn't too bad. This commercial, however, is just awful. Apparently, playing Eternal Champions is such an intense experience that it will twist your face into all sorts of grotesque positions. Um, ok. After seeing that commercial, I don't exactly want to play Eternal Champions right now.
Video 3: Raw 15: Shane McMahon on Nitro
I guess this clip is from some DVD or something, because it includes interviews from a couple of guys in between showing Shane McMahon showing up on the last edition of WCW Nitro. Edge was shocked, SHOCKED by this turn of events. Anyway, the video's basically a clip of Shane McMahon showing up and saying he "bought" WCW, and that's how one of the biggest companies in wrestling history ended, with Shane freakin' McMahon on the screen. Whoopee. I'm not going to go into what happened after this clip, because it would just make me angry.
Video 4: TNA Impact 7/15/10 Part 10/10 (HQ)
Ok, this wasn't on my recommendations page but dang it, I wanted to watch it and comment on it anyway. In their never ending quest to make themselves relevant on the wrestling scene, TNA has decided that now is the time for yet another ECW invasion. First of all, they tried this sort of thing like seven years ago and nobody cared about it then. Second, the WWE did it already five years ago, and since they own all of the ECW copyrights and had a more talented group of wrestlers available, they were able to make a success out of it with One Night Stand. Of course, that led to the ill-fated ECW brand a year later, but still it was a huge success at the time. Now it's been almost ten years since ECW had their last show, most of the wrestlers involved are either broken-down, retired, or dead, and TNA decides that now is the perfect time to stage an ECW invasion. So they bring in Tommy Dreamer, Stevie Richards, and Raven, team Rhyno up with them, and have all of them beat up on security and other TNA wrestlers. Of course, it doesn't look very extreme, and seems more like a standstill than a full-out beatdown, but whatever. Then you have the president of TNA get a mic and say, hold on a minute, I invited these guys. Why? exactly, were these people invited to beat up the roster, well tune in to Impact next week to find out. Look, I was as big a fan of ECW as anyone else, but this whole angle stinks, and just seems like another desperate attempt by TNA to get some people to watch their crappy show. Instead of relying on wrestlers successful a decade ago and tired and recycled ideas, TNA should, try something, anything, that's an original idea, but their braintrust is all stuck in the 1990s and even the rumors of Paul Heyman taking over the book won't change that mindset. Enjoy the video!
Well, thanks for reading, and I hope to have something else up over the next 12 hours or so. Until then, if you have any thoughts about this or other posts, than feel free to leave a comment. And if you ideas for future reviews, than send them to me at kthec2001@gmail.com
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