Haberstroh: Worst players for each franchise, Sources: Suns finalizing 5-year deal with Vogel, Sources: Wojo to coach Jazz G League team, Jokic, Murray lead Nuggets to 'beautiful' G1 win, Thunder F Pokusevski fractures arm in workout, Butler urges Heat to attack after record-low 2 FTs, Silver: Morant ruling to come after NBA Finals, 'I never force it': How Nikola Jokic controlled Game 1, The top 25 NBA Finals performances of all time, Developer of NBA DRAFT Initiative database. Best undrafted NBA players of all-time: 10. 2. He fills up the stat line as well as anyone who has played his position in recent memory. His career peaked when he teamed with Gary Payton in 1996, and they led the Sonics to the NBA Finals. 2 overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft. WebJust overrated. DeSagana Diop, Kwame Brown, and Greg Foster are some of the most criticized players in the NBAs history. After losing to the Bulls in six games that year, things went downhill quickly. graduate leads an active lifestyle, veering to the mountains for off-trail Not every player who sticks in the NBA after their first training camp is on a path towards stardom. Drafted by the Bulls with the 32nd overall pick in the 1999 NBA draft, Ruffin's career highs in points per game and rebounds per game are 2.6 ppg and 5.8 rpg, which he achieved in his second season. The Georgian forward-center could never touch the 4-point average mark in any of the four seasons and proved to be a failed overall fifth pick. During his 19-year NBA career, he made over 4000 fouls. Over the years, weve seen many players who have been called the worst by critics. Sun Yue. He has slapped many guys, including Charles Barkley during a meeting. The National Basketball Association has seen its share of great players. 18) only played five professional seasons, going back to 1949, but hes on this list representing the genus of players he spawned in the 1960s, 70s and 80s: The He's been with the Chicago Bulls since 2021, where he's yet to win a playoff series. He would later play for Philadelphia and Milwaukee before signing on with Indiana as their newest recruit! Theres one surefire way to determine if a player is overrated how do they perform in the postseason? Despite not being able to score well, he still collected 5rpg during his time as an NBA player. Prior to this, he functioned as Managing Pippen carved out a career as one of the NBAs all-time greats while Polynice was a journeyman who did one thing really well, get offensive rebounds. Charles Oakley was one of the most aggressive and intimidating players in the league. Following a debut in which he collected four fouls and two turnovers in five minutes, Yue would go on to accumulate more fouls (10) than points (six) and as many turnovers (three) as assists and steals combined. WebRanking the best NBA players ever. Teams: Charlotte Hornets (1998-2000), Miami Heat (2000-01), Cleveland Cavaliers (2001-03), Boston Celtics (2003-06), Minnesota Timberwolves (2006-07), Miami Heat (2007-08), Los Angeles Clippers (2008-10), Stats: 736 G, 13.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 3.3 APG, 44.6 FG%. Therefore, Michael Ruffin has gone on to become a poster boy of sorts for the unsuccessful journeyman who hung around playoff first round fodder teams for 10 seasons. In 2001, Mavericks's owner Mark Cuban decided to experiment with the jerseys. He managed to average over 16 points per game when injuries got in his way. Like most sports leagues, the NBA is a league that has players coming and going all the time. The two things arent mutually exclusive. Names like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and LeBron James come to mind. Despite putting forth a rather impressive performance as a rookie, Chandler Parsons has struggled with injuries for many years. How talented was Latrell Sprewell? Teams: New Jersey Nets (1990-2005), Philadelphia 76ers (1995-99, 2001-04), Charlotte Hornets (1999-2001), Detroit Pistons (2004-05), Stats: 781 G, 16.5 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 2.5 APG, 44.7 FG%. In 2009, he would play in the Summer League for the Boston Celtics. We're targeting guys you actually might remember but wish you couldn't (Nikoloz Tskitishvili, anyone?). Despite his height, Bogues went on to become the Hornets' career leader in assists and steals. 1. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. 1. Jerry Stackhouse had a lengthy career that didnt include a lot of games. An accidental overall first pick, Kwame Brown completely shattered the confidence that Michael Jordan put in him. 13 13. From 2007 to 2009, Sweetney did not appear in the NBA. Consider that McGrady banked $162.4 million in NBA earnings over his career and he never made it past the second round of the playoffs. Rather than focusing on the short lifespan players, this list zeroes in on those who managed to continually detriment their own team while somehow finding continued employment (Michael Olowakandi averaged a double-double once, or nearly did, and therefore he isn't part of this list). That shot, however, only took him so far during a nine-year NBA career, where Chilcutt's lack of athleticism became a rather pesky problem. After a lot of struggles, the Timberwolves finally found a taker for him in his own countrys team, the Toronto Raptors. Biyombo has been traded multiple times, already playing for five different teams since entering the league eight seasons ago. Here are the 10 best undrafted players in NBA history. Other great NBA short players under 5 ft, 9 in. Players like Steve Francis and Vince Carter were injured by this move. Looking at each era until the modern age, here are the top 10 NBA players of all time. Austin Rivers parlayed a pretty mediocre career (by Duke standards, at least) into an NBA lottery pick selection in 2012. Still, is it safe to assume that the chosen ones are always the best and that they never fail? Just overrated. Best undrafted NBA players of all WebCharles Oakley. Your login session has expired. Who is that Playing at the centre position, Bill was known for his rough defensive game. Right around the time he joined the Knicks, which seems to be a common theme for a lot of grossly overrated players. Pervis Ellison (1989) 9. Unlike many NBA players, Bryant Reeves is among the few players who spent their entire NBA career in one franchise. The Denver Nuggets drafted Greg in the second round in 1993 but only played garbage minutes for two seasons before moving to Atlanta. 6) Tim Duncan. Note: All stats are through the 2022-23 NBA season. Dwight Howard took the NBA by storm after being selected straight out of high school by the Magic with the No. Teams will trade, waive, or easily release players after they cannot meet clearly defined expectations. But consider a different take. In all these games, he could start only 16 times, and that too in his over-hyped rookie year with the Denver Nuggets. Especially considering how poorly they started during their rookie campaign. It was a brave but correct decision by Ernie Grunfeld, for once, to separate the youngsters like John Wall on the team from the influence of these rather touched-in-the-head players. Thats not a very good return on investment. James wound up playing a total of 90 games for the Knicks. His poor statistics continued for next season, playing for four different coaches: Vinny Del Negro, Tom Thibodeau, Fred Hoiberg, and Jim Boylen. Entering the 2019-20 NBA season, he has made $109.1 million in career salary earnings and produced a grand total of zero All-Star appearances, zero NBA Finals appearances, six playoff appearances in 15 seasons and four first-round exits. Its surprising how long he stayed active despite being so low-production. After being traded from both Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks, he finally ended up playing his first minutes as an Indiana Pacers player during the 2016-2017 season. Although Ryan averaged over ten points per game for both squads, Ryan has had difficulty staying healthy throughout his career and hasnt been able to live up to expectations since leaving college after winning a National Championship at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). Bruce Bowen is a three-time NBA Champion and a great defender as he was selected to eight All-Defensive teams during his career. Josh Smith was in this kind of stasis his entire career always thought of as one of the leagues most talented players, but never as one of its best. Bill was the worst of them all. We have to give credit where credit is due: Mark "Mad Dog" Madsen translated whatever little natural #9 Anthony Bennett. ", Teams: Minnesota Timberwolves (1992-96), Atlanta Hawks (1996-99), Detroit Pistons (1999-2000), Dallas Mavericks (2000-01), Washington Wizards (2001-04), Miami Heat (2004-05), Stats: 868 G, 12.8 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 2.6 APG, 48.0 FG%. The Magic fell in seven games. But more than the failure on the court, he was popular for his notorious episodes off it. What makes him different is setting the NBA record, twice, for most turnovers in a season. Cardinal couldn't reach double digit scoring averages in any of his 12 NBA seasons, with his highest scoring average being 9.6 points in 2003-04 with the Golden State Warriors. After joining the NBA in 2008, he spent four seasons under different coaches with Chicago Bulls before playing for the G League. Cousys dink-and-dash style could have been replaced by any decent guard of that era, and if the Celtics had a guard who could hit better than 37.5 percent of his shots, they may have even won a few more titles. Sadly, this premonition never came to fruition. Here are 5 of the worst NBA players of all time: Miles Plumlee was an NBA player who had a somewhat disappointing career. By the end of his NBA career, Manute averaged just over 2bpg and about 3.5ppg. He loves to get under people's skin. Blake Griffin has been one of the NBAs dominant post players over the last decade, and his numbers back that up. But more than the failure on the court, he was popular for his notorious episodes off it. In 2003, former Chicago Bulls head coach Scott Skiles was asked what Eddy Curry needed to do in order to be a better rebounder. Sun Yue. His career rebounding and assist numbers are embarrassing, sure, but so is the fact that he seems to get worse in the playoffs. Overrated is a tough tag to put on DeMar DeRozan, but its a fact that came into sharp focus over the 2018-19 season. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'sportlister_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_11',106,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-sportlister_com-medrectangle-4-0'); One thing that fans dont always consider when talking about bad players is the fact that teams draft some of these players into poor situations, or their team employs an offensive system that doesnt require them to score much. Many readers may disagree, since he played in the NBA for 11 seasons and with seven different teams, but he was a case of tragedy. It wasnt to be, but not because NBA teams didnt try their damndest to be the team that fixed whatever was wrong with Smiths game. He was 7 feet tall and had incredible defensive prowess, but its his shot-blocking skills that make him worth remembering. He is one of those players who struggled to find success in the NBA. WebThe worst current NBA player. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Miles Plumlee had a meteoric rise through the NBA draft, being selected 26th overall by Golden State in 2013. However, Brown would only feature for a few games before a string of injuries ruled him out. He may have seven rings to his name, but Horrys tendency to exaggerate contact and easily fall to the floor lost him the respect of many in the game. Starting at number 10 is the late Kobe Bryant. by the end of his career, Greg would have had nearly 3000 points scored against him, which isnt good considering all those games played. Howard, who has made almost $200 million in career earnings, has played in Taiwan since 2022. He became one of the most-traded players in NBA history and played for 12 teams in 16 seasons. Any basketball player who manages to make it through to the world's top basketball league merits a pretty significant level of respect, but just as there are all-time great NBA players, there are all-time bad ones. Ultimately, Bryant retired after just six years due to back issues that plagued him throughout his short NBA career. After a rather disappointing NBA career, Miles Plumlee ultimately became a successful player for the Indiana Pacers. Raptors fans will understand the problems that this name brought to them. So, there you have it. Teams: Houston Rockets (1999-2004, 2007-08), Orlando Magic (2004-06), New York Knicks (2006-07), Stats: 576 G, 18.1 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 6.0 APG, 42.9 FG%. Like a lot of other overrated players, hes been a bust in the playoffs, where hes lost in the first round five times and advanced to the conference finals once, as a rookie in 2007. All that matters for him are to get his hands on the main prize by any means possible. He gave the Magic a "him-or-me" ultimatum with coach Stan Van Gundy, who was fired. This team won two consecutive NBA Championships in 1989 and 1990 and defeated some of the best teams of all time including the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, and even Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls. He averaged a maximum of 21 minutes per game with the Sacramento Kings in their 1993-94 campaign. Hill was out of the NBA after the 2021-22 season with a whopping career 38.8 field-goal percentage. Green is a tremendous leader, a great defender and won the Defensive Player Of The Year award in 2017. Carroll was defined by his indifference on the court earning the nickname "Joe Barely Cares" and he quietly retired after 11 seasons with four teams. There is no denying Kyrie Irvings talent theres little on a basketball court that the six-time All-Star cant do. He was Drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2002, DeSagana Diop made no sort of impact. Only a truly overrated player would get chances with four different teams over five years despite having a statline akin to a dying mans pulse. In other cases, they are very good at being large humans, which is a skill that can't be taught (Kwame was good at that, we have to admit). In the twilight of his career, hes an average player who cant win the big game and has made it to the NBA Finals just once, when he and the Phoenix Suns lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021. WebThere have been many NBA top picks that later proved to be hollow talents. Heres a look at the five worst NBA players of all time from the (non-exhaustive) pool of many players. 5 overall pick and a future pick. Green has been seen kicking stars from his opponent teams to intimidate them. The Brazilian lacked any and every athletic capacity required to stay in the league and eventually lost all his contracts. The player has the lowest plus-minus in the 2022 season despite averaging 17.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. Ten games was all it took for the Lakers to realize that Yue simply wasn't an NBA player. Your login session has expired. Griffin has settled into a backup role late in his career and was on his third team in three seasons in 2022-23 with the Boston Celtics. Since coming into the NBA, Wiggins has been anointed as one of the leagues next big stars but had done little to back it up until helping the Golden State Warriors win the 2022 NBA championship, followed by his bizarre, late-season disappearance (literally) as he left the team and only played in 27 regular-season games in 2022-23. Teams: New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans (2012-15), Los Angeles Clippers (2015-18), Washington Wizards (2018), Houston Rockets (2018-20), New York Knicks (2020-21), Never Nuggets (2021-22), Minnesota Timberwolves (2022-present), Stats: 707 G, 8.5 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 2.1 APG, 43.5 FG%. Web35 Worst NBA Players of All Time | NBA Worst Players Ranked 1. His career came to an end in 2017 with the Nets. Firstly, you need to have good physical conditioning and be able to run up and down the court quickly. Rodman wasnt afraid of getting physical and often tried to get into opponent's head. Bowen was always consistent in his cheap tricks and did whatever necessary to keep his opponents from scoring. Teams: Seattle Supersonics (1987-91, 1999), Los Angeles Clippers (1991-92), Detroit Pistons (1992-94), Sacramento Kings (1994-98), Utah Jazz (1999-2001), Los Angeles Clippers (2003), Stats: 1,058 G, 7.8 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 0.7 APG, 50.5 FG%. Basketball purists will tell you Paul Pierce was an elite NBA player for almost two decades. Kwame Brown, and they led the Sonics to the NBA aggressive and players. During his time as an NBA player the Bulls in six games that year, things went downhill quickly Bill! 1996, and his numbers back that up: Miles Plumlee was an elite NBA player be. Award in 2017 with the Denver Nuggets like Steve Francis and Vince Carter injured! To an end in 2017 made almost $ 200 million in career earnings, has played Taiwan. And LeBron James come to mind which seems to be a common for... 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