NBA / Sep 3, 2008 / 5:13 pm

Who did you think was going to be an NBA star but fell short?

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Sebastian TelfairSebastian Telfair (photo. adidas)

In this morning’s Smack we took a little shot at J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams; certainly not the first and definitely not the last coming from an office full of charter members of the Duke-Haters Club and one delusional Blue Devils fan who thinks Christian Laettner, Bobby Hurley and Redick are the three greatest college ballplayers of all-time, in that order.

I’m one of those Duke-haters, and while I knew right away that the Hawks were making a mistake taking Shelden fifth overall in the ’06 Draft, I have to admit that I thought Redick would turn out to be a good pro, and I even wanted him on my Sonics, who had the 10th pick that year. (At the time, I was convinced that if Seattle went to a Mike D’Antoni-ish system — Luke Ridnour playing the Steve Nash role, Chris Wilcox playing the Amare role, and Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis sticking threes on the wing with Rashard playing that Boris Diaw hybrid forward spot — they would be a decent team, and Redick would fit into that picture perfectly as another shooter.)

While both Shelden and Redick are still young with room to grow and find their NBA niche, by all accounts it looks like I was wrong on Redick. And he wouldn’t be the first guy I swung and missed on when it comes to projecting an NBA career. From John Wallace (Syracuse) to Mateen Cleaves (Michigan State) to Drew Gooden (Kansas) to Jared Jeffries (Indiana) to Salim Stoudamire (Arizona) to Steve Logan (Cincinnati) to Ike Diogu (Arizona State) to Sebastian Telfair (Lincoln H.S.; Brooklyn), there are plenty of guys who I was certain would be somewhere between good and All-Star caliber pros when they were coming out of school, but for whatever reason it hasn’t worked out for them.

Who did you think was going to be a star but fell short?

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  • JCUB

    And Keith Van Horn

  • brickhouse

    Ed & Charles O’Bannon – total complete busts
    Corliss Williamson – ended up having a decent NBA career but that year that Arkansas won the championship dude was like America’s Hero
    Sean Bradley – worst draft pick of all time
    Eddy Curry definitely
    Joe Smith, decent but not at all worth his draft position

  • nicky

    @95

    thank you.

    jason, i’ll give you Brand over Rasheed, but the rest is suspect.

    and if you want to go “All-Time”, theres no question

  • The saint

    i thought Monta ellis…..but he fell real short….maybe he fell in a dunk contest tryin to jump over a 2 year old

  • dagwaller

    Korleone Young

  • Big North

    I remember Childress tearin that up. I also remember him plying in the league too though. Detroit I believe

  • douglalr

    I include Ewing on this list because the changed the draft just so teams could have a shot at him. He was as good as Russel, but much more of an intimidator…he was to redefine the bigman position and do things not done since Kareem. Hoya Destroya remember???

  • Scottee

    Jonathan Bender….in my opinion, had one of the biggest upsides I’ve ever seen with anyone. 7 foot, could shoot the 3, Ball handler, athletic as all hell, much like a Kevin Durant but even more athletic and taller. Unfortunetly, health problems forced him out of the league. He was my guy though!!

  • Celts Fan

    The guy I thought was going to be a SUPERSTAR was Gerald Green and I thought that long before he was a Celtic. I remember watching him win the McD’s Dunk Contest (off the gym wall?!? gtfoh!) and then hang like 20 in the game with a mix of aggressive takes and pull up jumpers on the break. I know there’s no D at all in those games, but a guy that’s 6’8″ with those hops and a legit jumper should be more than barely in the league. The only thing that coulda held him back was a bad attitude, which is exactly what the problem’s been. They used to say he was the closest thing to Kobe and TMac since those guys, now his ceiling is like a poor man’s Maggette (and I’m not a fan of Maggette.) I thought he was gonna be the 2nd best player from that class (behind CP3) and was ECSTATIC when he fell to us. What a waste…

    2 other names from much earlier on that I thought would be better. Terry Dehere from Seton Hall (I just liked him and he was good in the Big East. When you’re like 10, that’s all you can realy go on.)

    I also really like Shawn Respert from MSU, though I think he must’ve been more of a combo guard in the days of legal hand checking and other things that’d render combo guards useless and vulnerable to getting man-handled legally.

    I figured he’d be a bust for where he was picked (3rd overall, over Brandon Roy!?,) but I figured he’s a more gritty Wally or Jason Kapono, not just barely hanging on at this point. I also figured Redick would be a poor man’s Kerr or Paxson, but I guess you gotta get some burn to have a chance.

    also Jason Williams (bike, not shotgun) would’ve been a superstar IMO had he stuck to vehicles w/ 4 wheels, but that’s a little different…

  • Celts Fan

    * Adam Morrison
    I figured he’d be a bust for where he was picked (3rd overall, over Brandon Roy!?,) but I figured he’s a more gritty Wally or Jason Kapono, not just barely hanging on at this point.

  • vinny

    douglair

    Man hall of fame doesnt mean he was a star?? that was the orginal question– how could a hall of fame career fall short??

  • http://www.espn.com Sho-Nuff

    @ nicky.

    Brilliant minds think alike. Brand over Rasheed is marginal. When Rasheed comes to play, and I think in a UNC vs. Duke game he’d be ALL IN like 4 aces, it would be no question.

    I’d even go McCants as the 6th man, at this point he’s as good as Stack.

  • Young Lebron 23

    Bassy and Gerald Green has plenty of time.

    Dajuan wagner and Jay Williams had bad luck.

    Adam Morrison and Sean May were trash from the go.

  • Ian

    sho nuff
    comon stop that bs that when rasheed comes to play
    brand is better than him no question if rasheed came to play brand would still be better

  • JM

    Even though hard core duke fan…Danny Ferry!

    Hurley was in a near fatal car accident months into rookie season…never recovered. Not fair to consider him here. The tore his acl.

    Redick – needs to get some time. Shows he can score when has minutes. Move to another team to see what he has.

    Jay Williams – Hurley like fate, but was his decision to get on bike. NJ/Duke pg’s are cursed. I think would be top 5 pg right now. Baron Davis type player. Rookie year was bumpy…so was others like Gary Payton. He turned out ok.

  • doug

    I thought one of the biggest wash ups and surprises was Harold Miner. Everybody thought he was Jordonesque.

  • eric cooley

    Frank Oleynic! hahah. I just read up on the history of the Seattle Sonics– He averaged 27ppg in D1 college and was the ‘Supes 1st round pick in 1974. After two seasons in the NBA he was cut adrift.
    Apparently he was an amazing pure-shooter but this was LONG BEFORE the 3-point line.

  • Joe

    Qyntel Woods

  • Darrell

    ODEN what a bust. This will be on tv down the road. The 5 reason u cant blame portland for picking oden first.

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