[ESPN.Insider]10 Most Likely Busts in the 2010 Draft

Here you go...

Players don't make it in the NBA for a variety of reasons. Some guys aren't athletic enough for the league, others don't have the work ethic. A few of the traits are easy to see, but most are difficult to determine until it is too late.

Here are 10 highly regarded players who could end up struggling to make a significant impact in the NBA.

DeMarcus Cousins
Cousins is the darling of the statistical evaluations. One concern I have with variations of PER is that it rewards players with high rebounding and high field goal percentage numbers that play limited minutes. On film, Cousins is an advanced offensive player. His post moves are more developed than a lot of current NBA centers. However, his attitude could counteract those positives. Too often, Cousins showed signs of immaturity that made him an unlikable player to watch at Kentucky. It is one thing to get into it with the opposition; it's another to challenge your coach. Cousins also disappointed a lot of NBA people by saying that concerns about his behavior were media-driven. His work ethic, conditioning and defensive commitment are all question marks at this point.

Hassan Whiteside
Whiteside has all the measurements you would want, just under 7-foot in shoes and a ridiculous 7-7 wingspan, but can he play? His shot selection is terrible. Whiteside settles for a lot of long 2-point attempts and plays as if he has no interest in passing to anyone once he has the ball. His block totals are impressive -- 5.4 per game -- but he floats on too many possessions. Whiteside will have to work much harder around screens to be an effective team defender in the NBA.

Lance Stephenson
One of the most hyped players coming out of New York City, Stephenson has a lot of name recognition, but his first season at Cincinnati was inconsistent. Stephenson is in love with his dribble. He will try to break down his defender one-on-one, constantly ignoring his teammates. He is not effective off the ball and shows little interest when he isn't involved. Stephenson has loose shot mechanics and made just 22 percent of his 3-point attempts. He has used his strength to get by at lower levels, but I'm not sure he is athletic enough to play SG or SF in the NBA.

Daniel Orton
It is always a challenge evaluating a potential lottery pick that only played 13 minutes per game, but Orton sure seems like a very inconsistent player. Granted, he is huge, moves well and is good around the basket, but when he gets caught in traffic with the ball, the possession doesn't end well. On film I find myself wondering what he was thinking with some passes, I rarely have an answer. Orton gets frustrated too easily and can take himself out of games. He is a good team defender, shows on screens, closes out on the perimeter and holds position well, but he goes for a lot of fakes and he needs to cut down on his fouls.

Gordon Hayward
This is difficult, because there are so many things that I like about Hayward's game. He is tough, finds the ball, has a good handle, makes the right decision and looks like a great teammate. But who is he going to guard? Hayward will be matched up against the best big athletes in the world and they will look to post him until he gets stronger. But perhaps the biggest question is his shooting. He converted only 29 percent of his 3s last year after hitting 45 percent his freshman season. If he doesn't improve his long-range jumper, it will be hard to find a role for a potential top-10 pick.

Terrico White
White can score, but if you are drafting him as a point guard, you aren't getting one. This is a weak draft at that position and teams will reach for players that they think can become PGs, which is usually a mistake. As a shooting guard, White will spot up for jumpers and attack the rim, but when he had to play the point two seasons ago, he still looked like a one-dimensional scorer. White reminds me of Tyreke Evans, but not in a good way. The likeness lies in endless drives to the basket that don't involve anyone else.

Paul George
George has been getting a lot of buzz, projecting as a 6-9 shooting guard. But against poor competition this season, George was invisible during stretches. He's also inconsistent with his decision making. In transition, he is impressive but in the half court he takes a lot of bad shots and gets into trouble with some questionable drives. If a team takes him in the lottery it will be passing on better players.

Ed Davis
Davis has great shooting and rebounding numbers, but when you watch him, you end up expecting more than he actually delivers. His lack of strength means that the rebounding numbers won't translate and getting post position is going to be a struggle. Davis is not the kind of athlete that is just going to "get buckets" by cleaning up. Davis is too raw to go in the top seven picks, in my opinion.

Stanley Robinson
Last year, one lottery team told me they were thinking of taking Robinson if he stayed in the draft, but this year his stock has fallen. Robinson is an athletic small forward and is great around the rim, but he can't dribble and his 3-point shot isn't nearly as good as advertised. In the right system he could be a role player, but he will never be a consistent scoring threat.

Willie Warren
Warren still has a chance to go in the first round based on his ability to get to the rim. This past season was a disaster; his shooting was terrible and the team fell apart with him as the leader. Ask any scout and he will tell you horror stories about Warren's immaturity and lack of commitment. If Warren doesn't grow up, he will be a waste of a pick.

 

The problem with this is, how is he categorizing these players as busts?

I mean, the only players that can really be called busts are high lottery picks, I'd say 1 to 10. From there its up in the air depending on the player selected and the team they end up with.

If it's merely based on skill set or lack there of you can pretty much find at least one thing with every player just to label them busts in the draft. You never know when you have a Danny Granger in the making or a Rashad McCants 2.0

 

I agree with you. How much longer was Jordan Hill going to sit on the Knicks bench until he became categorized a lotto-bust.

It has just as much to do with opportunity than anything else.

 

That list is probably true, but considering where some of those players will likely be drafted, you have to take that risk (more so for players like Orton, Warren, Stephenson, etc.).

 

The most we can hope for is that the players see what the experts are saying about them and be mature enough to try and improve.

 

As opposed to the players seeing what the experts say about them and being to immature to try and improve?

 

I doubt what people write about a player influences what they turn their work habits into.

If that were the case Eddy Curry and Micheal Sweetney wouldn't be what they turned into... total slobs

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So he is saying every big man in the draft is a bust..??

 

Should be interesting to see when/if Hayward's drafted and how he plays in the league, I personally don't think he's cut out for the NBA.

 

Well it would also help to have a good group of vets around you, right?

 

I don't see the rockets taking any of these guys other than Paul George.

Bust is a relative term, where the rockets are drafting, unless somebody is a complete scrub and washout , it's hard to consider anybody a bust.

 

Lately i interviews, it seems as if Cousins is coming around.

 

I agree on Whiteside, but not on Cousins.

Again all these questions about "maturity" are overblown.

The kid better get in shape though.