The Worst Rookie Of The Year In The Past 25 Years
Since Michael Jordan won the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award in the 1984-85 season, the player who received the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy has gone on to great success. Patrick Ewing (1985-86), David Robinson (1989-90) and Shaquille O’Neal (1992-93) are all in the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players, Tim Duncan (1997-98) has won four rings and LeBron James (2003-04) is well, LeBron James. But when you look at the complete list, there’s one name that just doesn’t belong: Mike Miller.
While Miller (the Rookie of the Year in 2000-01) has had a solid NBA career, he’s nowhere near lived up to his peers. From Chris Paul (2005-06) to Brandon Roy (2006-07) to Kevin Durant (2007-08) to even Derrick Rose (2008-09), each of these guys have legitimate star power and will be holding down NBA All-Star games for the rest of their career. Miller has never made one.
In my eyes, the only two players that could really battle Miller for this honor would have to be Chuck Person (1986-87) and Emeka Okafor (2004-05). While you may have forgotten, the Rifleman was a legit NBA pro for many years. And while some people’s first thoughts were that Okafor should be given this title, through battling injuries, the guy has averaged a double-double for his entire five-season career. Some other guys who did that: Shaq, TD and Dwight Howard to name a few. Not bad company if you ask me.
Don’t get me wrong. I’d love to have Miller on my squad any day, and this post is by no means trying to knock him down. If the Wizards are going to win the championship, they’re going to need him to play a large part in it. But amongst a group that includes Allen Iverson (1996-97), Vince Carter (1998-99) and Amare Stoudemire (2002-03), he just doesn’t belong.
What do you think? Of all the Rookie of the Year award winners since Jordan, who has not lived up to the hype?
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September 23rd, 2009 at 9:08 am
BNZA says:
Who was runner-up to Mike Miller that year?
September 23rd, 2009 at 9:09 am
rick773 says:
If you go by the worse rookie of the year then it’s miller. But the one who hasn’t lived up to the hype despite all his potential would be Derrick Coleman
September 23rd, 2009 at 9:15 am
rick773 says:
I think it was K-MART
September 23rd, 2009 at 9:33 am
. says:
with all due respect to Miller, that was probably one of the worst draft classes ever…
September 23rd, 2009 at 9:33 am
auntiehonda says:
K-MART isn’t a much better choice
September 23rd, 2009 at 9:34 am
Mark says:
Damon Stoudamire was fairly disappointing?! Has he ever made an All-Star team?? averaged around 13ppg and 6apg for his career…
September 23rd, 2009 at 9:39 am
BNZA says:
All-Rookie-Teams from 2000-2001:
# All-Rookie First Team:
* Mike Miller, Orlando Magic
* Kenyon Martin, New Jersey Nets
* Marc Jackson, Golden State Warriors
* Morris Peterson, Toronto Raptors
* Darius Miles, Los Angeles Clippers
# All-Rookie Second Team:
* Hidayet Turkoglu, Sacramento Kings
* Desmond Mason, Seattle SuperSonics
* Courtney Alexander, Washington Wizards
* Marcus Fizer, Chicago Bulls
* Chris Mihm, Cleveland Cavaliers
what a weak class. Who was Marc Jackson again? its certainly not the PG from NY….
September 23rd, 2009 at 9:39 am
The REAL Tyrone says:
AIn’t not doubt y’all that Mile Miller be a talented cat. Cat be knockin them troikas down and be dishin some dopey dimes. Cat’s got dem ability to be playin some D too y’all.
True thugs NEVER lie.
The Real Tyrone
September 23rd, 2009 at 9:40 am
Patrick Cassidy says:
I don’t think you would find any GM anywhere who would take Damon Stoudamire (in his prime) over Mike Miller. No chance.
September 23rd, 2009 at 9:42 am
Patrick Cassidy says:
@ BNZA -
That’s the Marc Jackson from Temple!
September 23rd, 2009 at 9:49 am
Scott says:
Ya, Damon would edge out Miller, Miller just hasn’t really had a chance to play in a good system since he left the Magic. When he gets minutes consistently, outside of last season, he’s put up good numbers across the board.
Meanwhile, Damon fell off pretty damn quick once he wasn’t the man when he was moved to Portland. He went from budding star to role player and that was before his prime years.
September 23rd, 2009 at 9:51 am
kevin says:
I agree with 8
September 23rd, 2009 at 9:58 am
Jake says:
BNZA i completely agree. Looking at that list… well thats one horrid draft class no doubt. I definitely see how he won ROY. Mike Miller is decent but really? There’s no one of any significance on that list in the NBA. Half of them arent even in the league anymore.
September 23rd, 2009 at 10:25 am
stinky says:
hey what a class, to bad darko and kwame aren’t in there too …
my man hedooo is by far the best of them
September 23rd, 2009 at 10:29 am
Aron Phillips says:
@BNZA
As PC said, Marc Jackson was a 6-10 beast who went to Temple. He was actually drafted in the second round of the 1997 NBA Draft by the Warriors, but didn’t play until 2000. Kind of crazy he made All-Rookie First Team. And I agree, that could be one of the worst draft classes of all time.
September 23rd, 2009 at 10:41 am
dial up says:
Um, Lebron james wasn’t a rookie of the year. His team was garbage, at least carmelo was in the playoffs. Even so, what’s made lebron like his peers, he has no rings.
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:08 am
BRUCE says:
Affirmative Actions at its best!
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:14 am
Jayo says:
Steve Francis & Emeka Okafor are not far behind. Francis was good for about 5yrs before he flamed out. Okafor is who he his. A semi-athletic big body.
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:17 am
jay says:
miller was pretty bad roy but that draft class was horrible! i would go damon stod….webber was hurt so he gets a pass..i like webber but he was the numero uno pick which means gotta produce in numbers, rings, and selling tix and merchandise..part of the gig IMO!
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:28 am
King says:
That draft class was trash
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:32 am
d says:
who writes in slang and intentionally spells things wrong? internet thugs. lame.
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:33 am
d says:
who writes in slang and intentionally spells things wrong because they think it looks/reads cool? internet thugs. lame.
September 23rd, 2009 at 12:00 pm
mellmeister says:
real tyrone is a real poser… hahahaha!
well, LBJ’s draft class was the best… but he wasn’t supposed to be ROY for that season… i’d look for D-Wade or Melo… both took their respective teams while LBJ on the other hands was given a go signal from day 1 and started jacking ill advised shots which made him who he is today.
I’d have to go for Damon Stoudamire’s draft class,
1st Pick – Joe Smith – didn’t live up to the hype.
2nd Pick – Antonio McDyess
3rd Pick – Jerry Stackhouse
4th Pick – Rasheed Wallace
5th Pick – Kevin Garnett
6th Pick – Bryant Reeves -where the fuck is he?
7th Pick – Damon Stoudamire – ROY of the class. how far did he go?
Ratliff, Finley,and other notable college stars like tyus edney, ed o’bannon were in the same class…. Damon stood up on his rookie, but is he also gone now like mighty mouse out of the tv screen?
September 23rd, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Jabbar says:
No one has even considered the fact that Miller played the bulk of his career with the goddamn Grizzlies. Had he played for, say, the Lakers or Spurs, he would have gotten more love.
September 23rd, 2009 at 12:05 pm
srb says:
stop trashing okafor just because he’s not flashy
September 23rd, 2009 at 12:25 pm
ldawg3323 says:
K-Mart would have won the ROY that year..But he re-injured his knee and missed the last part of the season…20ish games if not more…So they couldnt vote for him, so the Next best stats where Miller
Miller 11.9pts 4 brds 1.7 dimes and 82 games played
Martin 12 pts 7.4 brds 1.9 dimes and 68 games played steals and blocks where close to 2 per from K-Mart as well
September 23rd, 2009 at 12:43 pm
Gunner J. Matthews says:
I hope everyone remembers the 2000 Draft was the worst in history so they had no choice but to give it to him
September 23rd, 2009 at 1:51 pm
hansosword says:
Why you got to diss chuck Person like that? The rifleman was sick….
September 23rd, 2009 at 2:09 pm
George W Kush Sr says:
That draft class was pretty bad. But in all honesty Miller’s name popped in head as soon as I finished reading the title, that’s not good.
September 23rd, 2009 at 3:08 pm
star_bury says:
I’m just surprised to not see LJ mentioned at all… Not saying he’s the worst, but he’s nowhere near the best!
@16 – I’m pretty sure LBJ’s mantle disagrees with your idea that he wasn’t a ROY….
September 23rd, 2009 at 3:16 pm
doc says:
Miller’s the worst winner,but he aint a bad player.
September 23rd, 2009 at 5:56 pm
Only 1 Mike, Just One! says:
Funny thing is I thought this moment it happen, but he was the best rookie from the worst draft class in History.
September 23rd, 2009 at 6:15 pm
stinky says:
@star_bury: why you hatin on grandma? he was a beast until his back made him walk like a real grandma!
20-10 for an undersized PF! All-Star!
Eastern Conf. Finals! and that famous 4pt play against the pacers w/ the knicks!!!!
show some respect
September 23rd, 2009 at 10:24 pm
Lucas says:
Damon Stoudamire has to win this one, don’t hate on Emeka he’s got plenty of ball to play. Damon fizzled out wayy too fast.
September 24th, 2009 at 2:30 am
Seven Duece says:
The worst pick in that draft was Tyrus Thomas err, Stromile Swift. Athletic with no feel for the game whatsoever.
September 24th, 2009 at 2:39 am
sh!tfaced says:
The 2000 draft class was the worst ever. Mike Miller was the least shittiest among the shit.
Damon and Okafor were the next flop ROYs, because after winning the ROY, it was downhill for them from there…
Also a few disappointing ROY’s after MJ because of injuries like LJ, C-Web, Grant Hill, Amare… Plus some of them not being able to sustain the hype after a few years like VC, Steve Francis and Coleman…
September 24th, 2009 at 2:40 am
sh!tfaced says:
LOL. That’s right. Tyrus Thomas is the next Stro Show!!
September 24th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
Ekstor says:
@23… Bryant “Big Country” Reeves. Played for Oklahoma. 7 foot white boy weighing close to 300 pounds. He was kind of a dopey kid but worked hard and had some good hands. He actually played well his rookie year if recall correctly but had some injury that took him out for good. There was a story that I heard that the first time he was on a plane, he complained to the coaches about the pain in his ear when taking off and landing. The coach recommended bubble gum… he took it and said later it didn’t help. He had stuck it in his ear!
September 24th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
crossphaded says:
The Rifleman was aight. Ron Harper shoulda won the ROY in ’86 though…he got ganked! Then you wouldn’t have to mention Chuck Person’s name in this post. LOL
September 27th, 2009 at 9:31 pm
Promoman says:
Damon Stoudamire by a mile. He’s decent at best but didn’t advance his game to All-Star status.