Worst High Draft Picks

[jochhejaam]

From an article in the Detroit Free Press

BY KRISTA LATHAM

Among the worst NBA draft picks:

1. Sam Bowie: 2nd overall by Portland in 1984.
Drafted ahead of: Michael Jordan, Sam Perkins, Charles Barkley.


2. LaRue Martin: 1st overall by Portland in 1972.
Drafted ahead of: Bob McAdoo, Julius Erving.


3. Darko Milicic, 2nd overall by Pistons in 2003.
Drafted ahead of: Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh.


4. Rick Robey: 3rd overall by Indiana in 1978.
Drafted ahead of: Michael Ray Richardson, Larry Bird, Maurice Cheeks, Michael Cooper.


5. Michael Olowokandi: 1st overall by L.A. Clippers in 1998.
Drafted ahead of: Mike Bibby, Vince Carter, Dirk Nowitzki, Paul Pierce.



He's a bust!

How we'll remember Darko:
His nickname: Human Victory Cigar. You could celebrate a blowout win by the time he got in the game.

• Larry Brown's nickname: "Darko's a deer in headlights."

• How Chauncey Billups used to give him rides to practice until he earned his license.

• And when he got that license, he got pulled over for having illegally tinted windows on his silver 2004 Audi. He was arrested for driving with a suspended license.

• How he whined about playing time each year.

• At the 2004 title celebration, Billups joked about drafting Darko instead of Carmelo Anthony. "All I've got to say is: 'Carmelo who?' "

• But Darko never made it to the parade. He was recovering from a broken hand suffered against the Lakers.

• He never turned out like the Pistons' last two No. 2 overall picks -- Dave Bing and Isiah Thomas.

• And he's likely the biggest local draft bust. Andre Ware can breathe a sigh of relief.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060216/SPORTS03/602160553/1051

Joe won't take the heat some organizations have because the Pistons made the Finals Darko's first two years and have an excellent chance of making them again.

[ALVAREZ6]

...

some pretty bad picks

[baseline bum]

4. Rick Robey: 3rd overall by Indiana in 1978.
Drafted ahead of: Michael Ray Richardson, Larry Bird, Maurice Cheeks, Michael Cooper.


How can they mention Bird? He was drafted a full year and a half before he ever played a game for the Celtics. They took a huge gamble picking him #7 as a junior, because he had the right to say no and just enter the draft again if he didn't get the contract he liked. Any team that picked him was at his complete mercy because if no contract was signed by draft day, whoever picked him in the 1978 draft would lose ALL rights to him.

[Brutalis]

...

some pretty bad picks
Maybe you're just not bright.

[jochhejaam]

How can they mention Bird? He was drafted a full year and a half before he ever played a game for the Celtics. They took a huge gamble picking him #7 as a junior, because he had the right to say no and just enter the draft again if he didn't get the contract he liked. Any team that picked him was at his complete mercy because if no contract was signed by draft day, whoever picked him in the 1978 draft would lose ALL rights to him.
Good question, I wonder if she/he knew that when they wrote the column (I didn't remember).

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Its just such a fucking jawdropper to think that the Pistons wasted that amazing trade situated draft pick on him. They could have fucking DWAYNE WADE for crying out loud!!

It's just so inconceivable...what were they thinking????? For all the smart moves the Pistons have made, they are still a laughing stock organization to have made such a bonehead move....i mean did the guys in the office never watch College basketball or what? Fuckin idiots.

I would never forgive the GM if I were a Pistons fan...ya'll probably would be going for a 3 peat if those guys had any brains.

[JamStone]

The NBA draft is a gamble. And, the Pistons took a big gamble on Darko. It didn't work out. But, there was NO NBA GM at the time that would have chosen DWYANE WADE or CHRIS BOSH over Darko Milicic or Carmelo Anthony, not Jerry West, not RC Buford and Gregg Popovich. So, don't kid yourself. And, realize it's a moot argument.

The only debate is whether the Pistons should have picked Carmelo over Darko. Dwyane Wade was not even in the conversation. Ask any NBA GM, and you would get the same answer. Darko's workout in New York placed him as a can't-miss prospect in terms of potential and talent. Sure, three years later, it looks like a mistake, especially with the development of Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh as star players. But, no other GM would have picked Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh.

Fans who argue that point are just kidding themselves.

The NBA Draft is a crap shoot. Sometimes things don't work out as planned. Look at Jay Williams and Len Bias. Who predicts a career ending injury in the second year of a player's career or a death days after the NBA draft? Look at Michael Olowokandi, Pervis Ellison, Nikoloz Tskitishvili, among others. Sometimes franchises take gambles in the NBA lottery.

The drafting of Darko was bad. But, anyone can second guess in hindsight. Retrospectively, everyone's smarter than someone in the past. Ask the Orlando Magic about the Grant Hill-Ben Wallace sign-and-trade.

[Chris]

The NBA draft is a gamble. And, the Pistons took a big gamble on Darko. It didn't work out. But, there was NO NBA GM at the time that would have chosen DWYANE WADE or CHRIS BOSH over Darko Milicic or Carmelo Anthony, not Jerry West, not RC Buford and Gregg Popovich. So, don't kid yourself. And, realize it's a moot argument.

The only debate is whether the Pistons should have picked Carmelo over Darko. Dwyane Wade was not even in the conversation. Ask any NBA GM, and you would get the same answer. Darko's workout in New York placed him as a can't-miss prospect in terms of potential and talent. Sure, three years later, it looks like a mistake, especially with the development of Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh as star players. But, no other GM would have picked Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh.

Fans who argue that point are just kidding themselves.

The NBA Draft is a crap shoot. Sometimes things don't work out as planned. Look at Jay Williams and Len Bias. Who predicts a career ending injury in the second year of a player's career or a death days after the NBA draft? Look at Michael Olowokandi, Pervis Ellison, Nikoloz Tskitishvili, among others. Sometimes franchises take gambles in the NBA lottery.

The drafting of Darko was bad. But, anyone can second guess in hindsight. Retrospectively, everyone's smarter than someone in the past. Ask the Orlando Magic about the Grant Hill-Ben Wallace sign-and-trade.


Great post but I agree with CBF, you guys got majorly screwed. Pistons with either Wade or Bosh is a pretty scary thought.

[Horry For 3!]

The NBA draft is a gamble. And, the Pistons took a big gamble on Darko. It didn't work out. But, there was NO NBA GM at the time that would have chosen DWYANE WADE or CHRIS BOSH over Darko Milicic or Carmelo Anthony, not Jerry West, not RC Buford and Gregg Popovich. So, don't kid yourself. And, realize it's a moot argument.

The only debate is whether the Pistons should have picked Carmelo over Darko. Dwyane Wade was not even in the conversation. Ask any NBA GM, and you would get the same answer. Darko's workout in New York placed him as a can't-miss prospect in terms of potential and talent. Sure, three years later, it looks like a mistake, especially with the development of Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh as star players. But, no other GM would have picked Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh.

Fans who argue that point are just kidding themselves.

The NBA Draft is a crap shoot. Sometimes things don't work out as planned. Look at Jay Williams and Len Bias. Who predicts a career ending injury in the second year of a player's career or a death days after the NBA draft? Look at Michael Olowokandi, Pervis Ellison, Nikoloz Tskitishvili, among others. Sometimes franchises take gambles in the NBA lottery.

The drafting of Darko was bad. But, anyone can second guess in hindsight. Retrospectively, everyone's smarter than someone in the past. Ask the Orlando Magic about the Grant Hill-Ben Wallace sign-and-trade.
Bull. I knew how good Wade was because I watched him play every Saturday when he was with Marquette plus saw him dominate in March Madness. Now Chris Bosh, I didn't know much about him because I don't keep up with HS ball, just mainly College and NBA.

[himat]

Its just such a fucking jawdropper to think that the Pistons wasted that amazing trade situated draft pick on him. They could have fucking DWAYNE WADE for crying out loud!!

It's just so inconceivable...what were they thinking????? For all the smart moves the Pistons have made, they are still a laughing stock organization to have made such a bonehead move....i mean did the guys in the office never watch College basketball or what? Fuckin idiots.

I would never forgive the GM if I were a Pistons fan...ya'll probably would be going for a 3 peat if those guys had any brains.

thats what sucks about fans they'll pound you for a mistake even if you make a lot of good moves. who knows how any of the players we could have gotten would have turned out with lb as our coach.

[JamStone]

Bull. I knew how good Wade was because I watched him play every Saturday when he was with Marquette plus saw him dominate in March Madness. Now Chris Bosh, I didn't know much about him because I don't keep up with HS ball, just mainly College and NBA.


Wade was a beast in college and in the tournament. He was a great prospect, every bit deserving of his #5 draft pick. But, at the time, he was not in the class of LeBron-Darko-Carmelo. Point blank. He wasn't. ABSOLUTELY NO NBA GM thought Dwyane Wade should have been picked over Darko or Carmelo. That's my point. He was still a great prospect. He was still an amazing college player. But, he wasn't even a consideration for the #2 draft pick in that draft class, no matter what team had the pick. Pat Riley even admitted that he wasn't that high on drafting Wade. He wanted Chris Bosh. So, just because I said that Wade wasn't as high a prospect as Darko or Carmelo, that doesn't mean he wasn't still a high draft prospect. He very much was so. That doesn't change the fact that at the time, no one, no NBA GM, no NBA scout thought Wade should have been drafted over Darko.

[Phenomanul]

Didn't the Pistons draft a big man (Darko) before they traded for Sheed? That means they went after size and potential before going after an extra SF in Carmelo... when they already had Prince of course.

[baseline bum]

Great post but I agree with CBF, you guys got majorly screwed. Pistons with either Wade or Bosh is a pretty scary thought.

The Pistons without him are more scary. Billups and Hamilton are absolutely perfect fits, as is Prince. Wade's an upgrade over Billups, but Chauncey fits what they're trying to do perfectly because his court-awareness is better and his range is also. If they take Bosh, no Rasheed, no 2004 title, and they might not be as good because Bosh isn't going to pull bigs out the way Sheed does. That starting lineup is as perfectly tuned to each other as any I've seen since the 85-86 Celtics. Drafting Darko might have been the best thing to ever happen to that team. Is Carmello Anthony going to do all the little things Prince does? Can he score and be effective without the ball? With star players like that the offense has to be completely changed.

[JMarkJohns]

Bowie gets a bad rap, but the kid could play when healthy. Olowokandi is as bad as a #1 overall pick can get. Sure, there's no All-Time NBA First teamers drafted behind him (as in Sam's case), but had injuries not wrecked Bowie, he would have been a very good big man.

I agree with Baseline on Bird.

Also, Detroit wouldn't be able to keep Wade, Carmelo or Bosh had they picked them. That was the point of this recent trade. They needed to clear a six million dollar salary in order to resign their two MVP's. There's no way they can afford to have six players with 10-per contracts averages. No way.

[midgetonadonkey]

Now Chris Bosh, I didn't know much about him because I don't keep up with HS ball, just mainly College and NBA.

Chris Bosh played his college ball at Georgia Tech.

[midgetonadonkey]

I think Len Bias should be on that list.

[Guru of Nothing]

[QUOTE=JMarkJohns]Bowie gets a bad rap, but the kid could play when healthy.QUOTE]

Concur, Sam Bowie was one hell of a talent. It pisses me off that everyone piles on after the fact. .... Weak.

[ambchang]

Joe Barry Carroll anyone? Absolutely no heart. He no doubt had talent (a bunch of 20 ppg seasons), but he was drafted ahead of McHale, Andrew Toney, Darrell Griffith, Mike Gminski and Kiki Vandeweghe.
Kwame Brown is pretty atrocious, so is Tyson Chandler (Could be a monster if he ever gets healthy). Eddy Curry is this generation's Carroll (same draft, going 1,2 and 4).
Stromile Swift, Darius Miles and Marcus Fizer were all terrible, but that draft was just piss awful.
Joe Smith was a big disappointment, so was Keith Van Horne. Then there is Danny Ferry, Tim Perry (The Mitch Richmond year), Kent Benson, the list goes on. I suppose all GMs makes mistakes.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

But, there was NO NBA GM at the time that would have chosen DWYANE WADE or CHRIS BOSH over Darko Milicic or Carmelo Anthony, not Jerry West, not RC Buford and Gregg Popovich. So, don't kid yourself. And, realize it's a moot argument.



That statement is totally false. Are you telling me GM's consistently use their first round picks on 17 year old skinny european projects? Or battle tested college players who take their team to the championship as a freshman or a shitty ass marquette team to the tournament?

You're wrong bud.

[JamStone]

That statement is totally false. Are you telling me GM's consistently use their first round picks on 17 year old skinny european projects? Or battle tested college players who take their team to the championship as a freshman or a shitty ass marquette team to the tournament?

You're wrong bud.


Prove that I'm wrong.

Find any articles, quotes, 2003 NBA draft projections that had EITHER Dwyane Wade or CHRIS BOSH rated higher than Darko Milicic. After LeBron James, Darko Milicic was considered more of a can't-miss a prospect than anyone else in the draft.

E-mail Buford and Coach Pop. Ask them who they would have taken.

You find me just ONE quote, ONE reference, even ONE intimation by any NBA scout, GM, or so-called basketball expert that Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh should have been drafted over Darko, and I will NEVER question you again on this messageboard. I won't even respond to any of your posts even if I disagree with them. Just ONE NBA person who said at the time they would have taken Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh over Darko, and it's done. In 2003, Darko was considered the European version of LeBron James, a can't-miss player. The only other player who even was in the conversation was Carmelo Anthony. Not Dwyane Wade, not Chris Bosh, no one else.

Prove me wrong, buddy.

[JMarkJohns]

I'd have never taken Darko, especially after Tskitishvilli, but there were several GM's that admitted they'd draft Darko ahead of LeBron. At least four or five. Now, it was in a poll, so no one was named, but it shows that several thought Darko would be a star.

Going in, a lot of people had Wade a top-10. He's made a fine career proving everyone of his doubters wrong. He's arguably the best from a superstar draft.

Going in, it was probably the same order as they were drafted.

LeBron, Darko, Carmelo, Bosh and Wade.

It's obvious now whom doesn't belong. Then, there were comparisons of a mix of Dirk and Garnett. I saw video of him destroying fellow 03-04 pick Maciej Lampe, who was thought to be a lottory-type talent at the time as well.

Some things you just can't explain.

[JMarkJohns]

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.
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<--------- :devil

[snowboarder]

The NBA draft is a gamble. And, the Pistons took a big gamble on Darko. It didn't work out. But, there was NO NBA GM at the time that would have chosen DWYANE WADE or CHRIS BOSH over Darko Milicic or Carmelo Anthony, not Jerry West, not RC Buford and Gregg Popovich. So, don't kid yourself. And, realize it's a moot argument.

The only debate is whether the Pistons should have picked Carmelo over Darko. Dwyane Wade was not even in the conversation. Ask any NBA GM, and you would get the same answer. Darko's workout in New York placed him as a can't-miss prospect in terms of potential and talent. Sure, three years later, it looks like a mistake, especially with the development of Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh as star players. But, no other GM would have picked Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh.

Fans who argue that point are just kidding themselves.

The NBA Draft is a crap shoot. Sometimes things don't work out as planned. Look at Jay Williams and Len Bias. Who predicts a career ending injury in the second year of a player's career or a death days after the NBA draft? Look at Michael Olowokandi, Pervis Ellison, Nikoloz Tskitishvili, among others. Sometimes franchises take gambles in the NBA lottery.

The drafting of Darko was bad. But, anyone can second guess in hindsight. Retrospectively, everyone's smarter than someone in the past. Ask the Orlando Magic about the Grant Hill-Ben Wallace sign-and-trade.

wow. every post i read thats your god damn excuse.

I know the the spurs or any other organization would have chosen darko/carmelo 2nd, but the point is they passed up great talent. thats why we laugh.

[Guru of Nothing]

Prove that I'm wrong.

Find any articles, quotes, 2003 NBA draft projections that had EITHER Dwyane Wade or CHRIS BOSH rated higher than Darko Milicic. After LeBron James, Darko Milicic was considered more of a can't-miss a prospect than anyone else in the draft.

E-mail Buford and Coach Pop. Ask them who they would have taken.

You find me just ONE quote, ONE reference, even ONE intimation by any NBA scout, GM, or so-called basketball expert that Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh should have been drafted over Darko, and I will NEVER question you again on this messageboard. I won't even respond to any of your posts even if I disagree with them. Just ONE NBA person who said at the time they would have taken Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh over Darko, and it's done. In 2003, Darko was considered the European version of LeBron James, a can't-miss player. The only other player who even was in the conversation was Carmelo Anthony. Not Dwyane Wade, not Chris Bosh, no one else.

Prove me wrong, buddy.


So, upon what did ALL of these alleged experts base their high regard for Darko? Is there a body of video highlights?

I can buy that all the pundits bought into the Darko hype, but I have a very difficult time believing that ALL hard-core professional scouts, and GMs, thought Darko was a rock-solid top 3 pick.

I'm sure Dumars knew better than anyone that drafting Darko carried significant bust potential. Plain and simple, he gambled and lost.

[cecil collins]

Prove that I'm wrong.

Find any articles, quotes, 2003 NBA draft projections that had EITHER Dwyane Wade or CHRIS BOSH rated higher than Darko Milicic. After LeBron James, Darko Milicic was considered more of a can't-miss a prospect than anyone else in the draft.


Milicic wasn't considered can't miss. He was just such a talent, that he was projected high. There was a ton of hype, and mystery about him, and that's why he went. The emergence of Prince in the playoffs is the only reason they didn't draft Carmelo.

I do think it is too early to call Darko a bust.

[JamStone]

I don't deny that Darko has been a bust so far.

I don't deny that drafting Darko with the #2 draft pick was a gamble.

I merely stated that AT THE TIME of the 2003 NBA Draft, Darko was considered the a top 3 draft choice prospect. Only LeBron and Carmelo were thought of as good or better a prospect.

Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh were both highly regarded, but neither were considered as highly as the aforementioned three.

What excuse am I making, snowboarder?

Darko is a bust so far. In 20/20 hindsight, he was the wrong draft pick. I'm only saying that at the time, every other NBA GM would have chosen him or Carmelo.

Cantbefaded mentioned that the Pistons could have had Dwyane Wade. That's true. I'm saying it's a moot point, because no one considered Dwyane Wade to be as good as he has turned out so far. He was the dreaded "combo" guard who was supposedly not big enough of a shooting guard and did not have the requisite point guard skills to play that position.

Darko was considered a can't-miss prospect. It just turns out, three years into his NBA career, those scouts have been wrong so far.

I don't argue Darko has been a bust or was the wrong choice, IN RETROSPECT. I argue that the Detroit Pistons organization is a "laughing stock" or that AT THE TIME drafting Darko was a "bonehead" move. It didn't work out.

Not every lottery draft pick does.

[Marklar MM]

Why argue? JamStone is correct. Pretty much every scout, analyst, mock draft had Darko going #2. There was even talk that he might go #1. Everyone thought that if he hadn't entered the 03 draft, he was #1 pick in 04. Denver's GM(Kiki) who had the #3 pick said that if they had gotten the #2 pick, they would have taken Darko also. After the way Darko had played at whatever tournament was held at the time, scouts jumped on him as the next great big man...speed, agility, shooting, post moves. He was quicker than Melo(I think), had a high IQ of the game. A European with an attitude.

As said, the draft is never correct. Otherwise, Manu and Parker would have been drafted higher. Miles and Olowakandi would be taken lower. You just go for the best available, or what you need.

[Sec24Row7]

Len Bias should be on the list I agree.

[IcemanCometh]

Len Bias died, before that he was considered a can't miss prospect. Everyone that year pretty much sucked or was on coke.

[DarkReign]

That statement is totally false. Are you telling me GM's consistently use their first round picks on 17 year old skinny european projects? Or battle tested college players who take their team to the championship as a freshman or a shitty ass marquette team to the tournament?

You're wrong bud.

Did someone highjack CBF's account lately?

Although I agree with your principle, I cant believe your attitude.

Are you the same CBF that posts in the Political Forum? Completely different, IMO.

[Darrin]

Great post but I agree with CBF, you guys got majorly screwed. Pistons with either Wade or Bosh is a pretty scary thought.

Take Rip Hamilton off that team, then. He was a RFA in the summer of 2003, you think the Pistons are going to soak Rip for 10 mil a year at age 26 if his replacement is sitting on the bench?

Or Take Chauney Billups off the team.

If Darko Milicic had made an immediate impact, the Pistons don't pursue the Rasheed Wallace trade. They traded for Wallace because the team was sliding backwards because there was no interior defender to compliment Ben Wallace in the post, and no one on that Pistons frontline could guard Jermaine O'Neal.

Or...

D-Wade sits stewing just like Darko did, and we can be chastized for passing on Darko. This is revisionist history. The Pistons made the right pick, even though it didn't pan out. The only consideration they could've made is taking Chris Bosh over Darko, something they did consider after Bosh had a strong workout at the Palace.

[RaptorsFan]

The consensus going into the draft was that the class was top-heavy up to the top 3 only. Everyone thought there was a huge drop-off after #3. I remember being hugely disappointed and vividly recall our representative Vince Carter shaking his head at the lottery after we dropped to #4 despite having the 3rd-worst record in the league. Wade was an undersized combo guard with a poor long-range game. Bosh was largely upside at that point. Dumars would've been laughed at and berated in the media if he passed on Darko for either of those two at the time.