Comments on: What makes an NBA Draft bust?

By: Maynard

Maynard — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 18:37:52 +0000

Nice drop. I will point out that nobody will — or at least should — kill the Clips if Griffin isn’t all that since they didn’t have an alternative, except for trading the pick. There was no clear-cut second-best player in this draft, and they would have been immolated immediately for passing on the obvious choice.

You can’t blame Jordan for trying it with Kwame and his potential. You CAN blame him for decimating the kid’s chances after he took him by tormenting him with his exclusive brand of psychological abuse.

I think Fordham fans would argue that assessment of Hill as well! But he was dead-on with Dirk.

By: BiG ShoT BoB

BiG ShoT BoB — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:56:44 +0000

Listening to these comments I think the problem is people think the NBA should consist of 12 allstars on every team when that’s just not the way it works. Guys just don’t get drafted because GM’s think their going to be stars they also make picks based on needs. The truth is most teams are built with 9 or 10 role players and 2 or 3 certified allstars if that. Everyone can’t be a Lebron or Kobe in fact most people are not going to be, that’s what makes those players special. Just like we all can’t be doctors or lawyers and most people are either cleaning floors, working in the kitchen, or picking up trash. They are just important. Everybody needs someone to do the dirty work the NBA is no different.

By: jay

jay — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:48:13 +0000

i cant see psycho t being a complete bust! he was picked in the teens…if he was a lottery pick yeah but he is what 13…if he turns into a role player..bird is a genius.. a role player at 8 is a bust..but whom am i …stephen a smith??

By: chris

chris — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:28:42 +0000

draft busts are easy. if you get a player with a top 15 pick who (barring injuries) doesn’t contribute in the league for at least a few years, that’s a bust.
hard to judge the 06/07/08 drafts yet, but looking at the top 15 picks for the prior 6 years, some clear draft busts stand out:

2005 – fran vasquez, y. korolev, sean may, rashad mccants
2004 – r. araujo, luke jackson, robert swift, sebastian telfair
2003- darko milicic, mike sweetney, marcus banks, reece gaines
2002- nikoloz tskitisvili, dajuan wagner, melvin ely, marcus haslip, fred jones
2001 – kwame brown, eddie griffin, desagana diop, rodney white, kedrick brown, steven hunter
2000 – stromile swift, marcus fizer, dermarr johnson, chris mihm, jerome moiso, courtney alexander, mateen cleaves, jason collier

to me, it looks like 4 to 6 of the top 15 picks are busts every year, and in years when the talent pool is a bit thinner, even more. i guess predicting performance over even 5 years from a 20 year old is risky business, thank god i don’t have to run my business that way.

By: parker

parker — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:28:21 +0000

Thabeet is an African Shawn whatchamacalit from Utah

By: Dukesman2000

Dukesman2000 — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:25:18 +0000

No one knows but Thabeet will be a bust

By: Chicagorilla

Chicagorilla — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:06:36 +0000

Just because Michael Jordan held the president position at Washington doesn’t mean he picked Kwame. That’s what the GM’s job is right? Now he’s in Charlotte and he still is not the GM, yet everyone keeps saying these are his picks. They are not. Mike could have some infulence on the pick because of his positon of power, but the GM is the one who makes that call to D.Stern on draft night. So stop saying MJ picked Kwame, it’s like everyone wants MJ to be fucking up when he really doesn’t have his hand in that shit.

By: Flying_Aussie_Dutchman

Flying_Aussie_Dutchman — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:50:31 +0000

Great great article AB.. Some people may give you shit about your articles, but man, I think you write some pretty good stuff.

This kinda stuff is good to read, keep them coming.

By: SwedishMooze

SwedishMooze — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 08:55:54 +0000

I remember sitting in Arco Arena when Geoff Petrie was booed for taking Peja… the whole place was cheering and chanting for John Wallace after his run with Cuse… how’d that play out?

By: vince

vince — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 07:35:06 +0000

?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!!?!?!??!!?!?!?

Antonio McDyess was a beast before injuries… how is he a bust?