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I don't usually care for Rosen, but that's a pretty dead on piece.
All-time underachievers
Charley Rosen / Special to FOXSports.com
Posted: 24 minutes ago
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/5948258
Hey, Charley. I'd love to get your opinion about the biggest underachievers in NBA history. — Paolo Cruz — Tempe, AZ
Thanks for your interesting request.
It should be noted, however, that I don't equate an underachieving player with one whose talents were simply inadequate. Also, the following Baker's dozen list of players is presented in no particular order.
Stromile Swift — Has all the tools to be an All-Star, but lacks an understanding of the game. As far as he's concerned, there's no reason to pay attention to what's going on out there unless he has the ball in his hands.
Rasheed Wallace — Except for the 2004 playoffs and the 22 games he played with Detroit that season, Wallace has been a model of inconsistency. Blame his failure to be an All-Star-caliber performer night in and night out on his emotional instability.
Tim Thomas — If he were tougher, both mentally and physically, he wouldn't be a chronic rider on the NBA merry-go-round.
Eddy Curry — Will he ever get into game shape? Will he ever learn how to pass? Rebound? Defend? Bounce the ball without turning it over? This guy has All-Star moves when he can catch the ball with his foot in the paint — but, after five years in the league, he still plays like a confused rookie.
Derrick Coleman — He could score from near and far. He could also rebound, pass, handle and even play a modi of defense — whenever the spirit moved him, which it didn't do often enough.
Ralph Sampson — A lack of toughness was his main problem. And at 7-foot-4, he'd rather diddle with the ball in the backcourt than wrestle with the other bigs in the paint. With the proper coaching, the proper motivation and without any interference from the myopic media, Sampson should/could have been a premier defensive specialist.
Frankie J. Sanders — San Antonio's No. 1 draft pick out of Southern University in 1978 had the whole package. He could run, jump and shoot with any of the NBA's elite wings, and he was even capable of playing earnest defense. But Frankie J. (his self-proclaimed middle initial stands for "Jump-shot") was more interested in partying than in buckling down and taking full advantage of his incredible talents. After 69 games with the Spurs, Celtics and Kings, Sanders became a CBA lifer.
Elmore Smith — On the basis of sheer talent, Smith was a Hall-of-Famer. Too bad he really didn't like playing basketball.
Mel Davis — Too stubborn for his own good, Davis was unwilling to work on his weaknesses (defense and running plays). Instead, he relied exclusively on his outstanding hops and streaky jumper to keep him in the league. He provides an early example of the too-young-too-much-too-soon syndrome that continues to diminish the full potential of some NBA hooplings.
Cal Ramsey — He measured only 6-4 and weighed only 200 pounds, but Ramsey was a ferocious rebounder and defender at the small forward position. Despite that fact, his entire NBA career consisted of 13 games with St. Louis, New York and Syracuse from 1959-61.
Ramsey is too nice to complain about any personal injustices done to him, but the primary reason why his NBA days were so limited was the color of his skin. Simply put, Ramsey was one of the several African-American players in those days (Cleo Hill and Barry White are others) who were led out of the league due to quotas.
Jack Molinas — He played a total of only 29 games for the 1953-54 Fort Wayne Pistons, averaging 7.2 rebounds and 12.1 points per game. Molinas was good enough to have merited a rare honor — being named to participate in the All-Star game as a rookie. Too bad he'd rather gamble on hoops than play hoops.
When the NBA tapped several of his incriminating telephone conversations with a bookie, Molinas was ousted from the league just days before the All-Star game. Molinas went on to become a fixer of numerous college games in cahoots with various mobsters, a producer of porno-films, a jail bird and ultimately a shot-in-the-head victim of mob justice.
Reggie Harding — A powerhouse 7-foot, 260-pound center, Harding had the stuff to be a legendary NBA big man. Actually, he did become a legend: For covering the walls of his hotel room with his own excrement while he was on the road with the Pistons; for wearing only a flimsy mask and trying to hold up a store where he'd shopped for years in his own neighborhood; for averaging a double-double in his first two years with Detroit (1963-65) and also with Indiana in the ABA (1967-68); and for being killed in su ious cir stances at age 30.
Joe Barry Carroll — Despite some impressive numbers — 24.1 ppg for Golden State in 1982-83, plus three more seasons averaging more than 20, Carroll sleep-walked through most of his career. Hence his nickname, Joe "Barely Cares."
Here are some others who failed to make the cut:
Carlos Arroyo — A point guard who's too reluctant to give up the ball.
Charles Barkley — A poisonous presence in the locker room, who was the source of much team-wide disharmony and who rarely played hard on defense.
Vince Carter — Despite his stupendous talents, he seems to have little understanding of how to play winning basketball.
Stephon Marbury — See Vince Carter
Tyson Chandler — Still too young and too sensitive to play at maximum effectiveness.
Baron Davis — Too self-involved to be a winner.
Zach Randolph — Overweight and lazy.
Kareem Rush — Still trying to live off the glory of several outstanding playoff games with the Lakers.
Chris Webber — Like the Cowardly Lion, he'd be a true monster if he only had a heart.
Bonzi Wells — Like the Scarecrow, he'd be an all-time high-flyer if he acted like he had a brain.
Charley Rosen is FOXSports.com's NBA analyst and author of 13 books about hoops, the current one being "The pivotal season, How the 1971-72 L.A. Lakers changed the NBA."
I don't usually care for Rosen, but that's a pretty dead on piece.
I don't think Sequ agrees with what's been said about Vagina Carter.
Where the is Laettner? Proved he could his first several years in Minnesota, but never wanted to consistantly. Definately the great white hope that never lived up to expectations. Easily could have, to boot.
Chris Washburn doped himself into supreme underachievement.
I remember reading that the GS front office was asking other ACC coaches about Washburn. Dean Smith said "Chris is one of the top talents I've ever seen. I wouldn't touch him with a 10 foot pole, though." GS ignored him and drafted the druggie anyway.
How about Stinka Dare? Helped Mike Jarvis' George Washington get to the NCAA tournament twice, including the Sweet 16, he signs a 6-year deal with the Nets and then _________________ (flat line).
I always thought J R Reid should have been a much better player than he turned out...
Rod Strickland was another Bonzi, a guy with great talent and no brain.
Frankie J. Sanders?
Beno is angling for a spot on this list if he doesn't pull his head out.
I'd put grant hill in there...
It was hardly Hill's fault that a half-dozen surgeries couldn't fix a simple break in his foot to the point where he could comfortably play, let alone play at the previous level.
Hill is a tragedy and shouldn't be lumped in with any underachievers.
To underachieve, one must be able to, but just not care. Hill cared, but was never able. BIG DIFFERENCE!
Where is Wilt
A couple of more:
Pervis Ellison
Bryant "Big Country" Reeves (not really his fault, but he was overvalued by the Grizzlies)
Alfrederick "The Ghost" Hughes (I don't think I have to say anything about him)
Harold "Don't Call me Baby Jordan" Minor
Shawn "My Baby's Daddy" Kemp (pissed his talent away)
Dennis "I Love Children" Scott (one the best outside shooters coming out of college)
Lionel "L Train" Simmons
Anfernee Hardaway
Isaiah "JR" Rider
Kenny Anderson (Some may disagree with this, but I thought he could've been one of the best PG to ever play the game)
Jim Jackson
and David Robinson (Just kidding)
no kandiman?
J. Mashburn comes in mind.
Alfredrick Hughes.
Hughes wasn't an underachiever. The guy couldn't play. To be an underachiever, you have to have talent, but not work hard at developing or utilizing it.
Ahh...very true.
[He hasn't heard his name yet]
underachievers are not supposed to win rings.. he won.. so he's achieving
Antoine Walker!!!!!
Makes me sick just thinking that this underachiever has a ring........
[He hasn't heard his name yet]
So Darko as of now isn't an underachiever because was a 2nd overall 12th man on a championship team?
Hate to say this since Sheed is included, but...I totally agree with this piece. That Carlos Arroyo one was dead-on; watching that guy try to run the pistons' offense last year was pure torture.
Are you kiding me? Dude could've been the next Magic. Instead he decided to be the archetypal chucker for generations to come.
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