Just as a fun diversion. Who blew it as the top pick more than any other? Candidates: Kwame Brown (averaging 6 and 6 this year, career 8 and 5) Michael Olowakandi (9 and 7 career, has missed an avg of 21 games a season) Joe Smith (career 13 and 7) Pervis Ellison (2 strong years in Washington sandwiched by a woeful career: 9 and 7) You could argue that Coleman should be a candidate, but his first several years were too good in my opinion (~ 20 and 10 guy his first 5 years). He just never worked hard or accepted coaching, and fell off accordingly as he let himself go. Only 3 top lottery picks in NBA history have seen their team's record get worse with their arrival (as opposed to Robinson and Duncan's turnarounds). Olowakandi and Ellison are two. The other? Patrick Ewing.
The thing with Kandi is, he CAN play better, but he just doesn't give a rats ass about the game. <--- frustrated Clipper fan.
I'm going to say Joe Smith just because he never really played all that well to deserve bongo $$$. Then, he went and completly screwed over Minnesota with that "under the table" contract thing (though that falls on McHale I suppose). Now he is a role player iwth the Bucks, just as he should be. Who else got taken in the top 10 that year that would have been a better choice?
There's your answer, but I would like to add that Ashlee Simpson has some tig-ass bitties. And, as far as I know, she's never done it with anyone with a first name like "Bam," or last name along the lines of "Knoxville."
I put Joe Smith. Kandi and Ellison at least showed flashes of play that lead you to see what others saw in them. Kandi would have been very good with more heart, Ellison with more health. Brown it is still too early to tell. But Joe Smith has never shown anything like 1st pick material, ever. You can understand people missing KG that year as he was right out of highschool (KG was 5th that year). But picking Smith (#1) instead of Sheed (#4 pick), Stack (#3) or McDyess (#2)--hard to fathum in hindsight.
joe smith still had an above average career. kandi and kwame just suck. i never saw a damn thing out of kandi offensively that deserved a draft pick alone much less a #1 overall pick. kwame has talent and lottery talent but doesn't have the mental capability and work ethic to put it together. larue martin however.....trumps them all.
1. Kwame (im happy he is in the fakers ) 2. Kandi 3. Pervis 4. Ashlee Simpson (only because I'd hit it) 5. Smith (He played nice the first years)
Rank all of the #1 picks currently active. Shaq Duncan James Iverson Yao Elton Brand Dwight Howard Martin Larry Johnson (retired) Glen Robinson Derrick Coleman Bogut Joe Smith Kwame Kandi
I'd cast my vote for "Big Country" Reeves. Remember all the hype coming out about him when he was at Oklahoma State, then, he did nothing in the NBA! Talk about a guy who just made it cuz he's a big body and can dish out some fouls, there he is. Reeves is the definition of a bust in my book, I don't remember if he was the 1st overall, but the 50th overall would of been too high for him. Oh, also, Sam Bowie! Remember the T-Blazers taking him over Jordan, surely you all do. Bowie and Reeves, the two biggest bust's in my mind.
Neither of these picks were #1's. Bowie was the 2nd pick after our "Dream" and I believe Reeves was the 7th pick but I am sure he was not the first.
don't be hating on Sam Bowie, I'm from his home town, and have met him a couple of times. Nice guy, had some injury issues. But he is Lebanon, PA's alltime leading scorer and rebounder.
I thought that Never Nervous Pervis would've had a pretty good career if he didn't get injured so much. Joe Smith was a good player and still is serviceable. I think he was 17/9 to start his career.
