This is not about busts. A bust is either a guy who management/scouts overrated, in which case the talent wasn't really there to waste, or a guy who never got the chance because of injury. I'm talking about guys who clearly showed they had the ability, some of them for extended periods of time, but then just let it waste away...The power forward spot seems to have a disproportionate amount of competition for this dubious honor. C) Roy Tarpley...As much as it is tempting to suggest Cato is worthy here, the guy I'll go with is Tarpley, who could be absolutely dominant for stretches, but ultimately sniffed it all away. PF) Derrick Coleman...This was a really tough one, but the reason Coleman gets the nod over such other notables as Shawn Kemp is because most people who talk about him say that he had it all, including an incredible basketball IQ. He wasn't just a perfect physical power forward, although he was that, but he also could out think most other players. Biggest waste of basketball talent I have ever seen. SF) Derrick McKey...I was tempted to go with a more traditional/obvious waste of talent, like Billy Owens, but decided to go with the reasonably solid McKey...Yeah, he was pretty good, but in my opinion, he could have been incredible, if only he hadn't been so complacent with just getting by. What couldn't he do? I actually considered Horry here. SG) Isiah Rider...Could have been on a level with the greats, and opponents will talk about him as being virtually 'unstoppable' when he wanted to be...Unfortunately he hardly ever really did. PG) Stephon Marbury...Kenny Anderson, Damon Stoudamire, and others were close, and Penny can chalk it up to injuries. And Stephon has arguably been a very good player. But it has always been my opinion that he could have been the Next Great Point Guard, taking over from Magic, Isiah, Payton, and Stockton, but has seen lesser physical talents like Kidd and Miller surpass him because, despite the numbers, talk of selfishness has followed him wherever he goes. He still is young enough to re-define his career, but watch the guy play sometime..He's got it all, and can do it all...but he too often seems to want to do it all alone. Guys who might get there...Keith Van Horn, Jayson Williams ( the white one), Courtney Alexander, Chris Mihm ( sorry Texas fans), Marcus Camby, Lamar Odom, and to a degree Antoine Walker.
There's no way you can put Antoine Walker on there. He essentially carried his team before Paul Pierce got there.
-the white jason williams doesn't have a "y" his name. -odom has always been know to have the problems he has in the NBA (drugs)...so nobody could have said that he'd be good in that way...otherwise, he has put up fair statistics IMO. -If you thought marbury had the potential of becoming a Magic Johson or close to...then i think that you are the guy that overrated him, not the scouts. -KVH was a solid pick from what was the knowledge of the players at the time. Tim Duncan was the man of that draft...Van Horn has done all that i expected him to do. c'mon...what did you expect from a skinny white boy who wears knee high socks? -Camby plays good when he's healthy, and that issue has always been a threat...so i don't see how the scouts could have considered him a possible superstar. He's played solid. Not as good as shareef who was picked behind him...but he's decent when healthy.
Tough to argue with Tarpley starting at center, but Joe Barry Carroll would be due some minutes off the bench.
Jimmy Jackson Harold Miner Kendel Gil Tyrone Hill Kenny Anderson Vin Baker Kerry Kittles Chauncy Billups Ron Mercer Rod Strickland and Nick Anderson. Are the ones that come to mind that didnt make your list
1) lol...I added the y as an afterthought...can never get them straight. 2) 'Fair' is not, IMO, an even close to optimum result of his abilites. 3) I said nothing about clone, I meant about status, and I still believe that he has the kind of ability to take the baton from the hands of those guys I mentioned, but i doubt he ever will. 4) KVH's coaches, teammates, and observers are mostly in agreement that he is wasting his abilities. 5) Camby won't play with any kind of pain...and scouts have little to do with the discussion here. It's about wasting your talent, not living up to scouts predictions, and Camby shows extreme talent for the game in between hangnails...
Where is Shawn Kemp? I guess he's been pretty much a waste of talent except for the few years with the Sonics.
I chose Coleman over Kemp for the reasons outlined, but I'll admit that Kemp is probably no. 2 on the whole list.
just as far as many great players have carried their teams in the recent past. i guess vince carter sucks eh? i guess t-mac sucks too? how about garnett?
The difference is that Carter and T-Mac have been able to get their teams to the postseason WITHOUT another superstar like Pierce. Walker has some good skills, but he led that team nowhere until Pierce showed up.
Aside from a few wasted years with the Jailblazers Kemp has had a remarkable career. Now he has made some poor off the court decisions but by no means did he waste his talent; look up his stats. my waste of talent team: Joe Smith Derrick Coleman Billy Owens Walt Williams Kenny Anderson
but not to the conference finals...hence not AS FAR! Last year carter had nothing to do with the raptor run to the playoffs...when he was healthy they seemed to have no hope, then he got injured and they made it...so obviously he has a pretty decent supporting cast around him. The Celtics have two good players, but not near as good as supporting cast as most other top notch teams.
Derrick Coleman at PF, Lamar Odom (so far) at SF, Rider at SG, and Jason Williams (so far) at PG are all outstanding choices, IMO. For my center, I'd have to go with Benoit Benjamin, who inspired the quote that really exemplifies what you mean in creating this team: "He's got the whole package... he just doesn't open it up very often." I remember Coleman in the playoffs early in his career, and he outclasses any other PF in wasting talent. He was more talented than Tarpley, and Kemp got more good years out his ability. If Coleman had Karl Malone's work ethic, he'd have been better than Malone... IMO, more like a smarter Chris Webber. Similarly, I said a year ago after watching both play on the same day in the L.A. summer league that if Lamar Odom had Magic Johnson's desire, he would be Magic. And if Jason Williams had John Stockton's discipline, he might be better than Stockton. I really can't see putting guys like McKey and Horry, who were key parts of an awful lot of winning, on this list even as a (dis)honorable mention. And players like Joe Smith and Keith Van Horn are simply tweeners, not athletic enough for SF and not strong enough for PF. That led them both to be vastly overrated, but I can't call it a waste of talent -- it's just that their talents didn't translate to stardom in the NBA.
Also, think about Magic Johnson. Yes, I know he just got into the HOF. But what if he didn't retire prematurely? Would MJ still be "the best ever"?
Uhhh...Antoine Walker did not carry that team, Paul Pierce did. Without Paul Pierce, Antoine Walker had not carried his team to the playoffs, where the guys you mentioned before (Mcgrady and Vince) have. Vince Carter carried his team to the 2nd round two years ago without a secondary superstar. If you are (I don't know if you are) one of those who think the Raptors are better off without Vince Carter, you are mistaken. Rasheed Wallace, even though he's a very good player, could be added to the honorable mentions, simply because of how good he can be if he were not such a headcase. The guy has it all, the size and length, the post moves, 3-point range, athleticism, defense. He has the ability to be maybe the best power forward in the league.
