Who is the worst #1 Pick of all time?

[puttincomputers]

This may have had a thread of its own before this but since Kwame is no longer the biggest bust, who is?

In my opinion the biggest bust is this guy -> Gene Melchiore http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Melchiorre

2nd is Clifton McNeely http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clifton_McNeely

3rd is Andy Tonkovich http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/t/tonkoan01.html

4th is LaRue Martin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LaRue_Martin

[Andrew]

Since when is Kwame no longer the biggest bust? I'm not saying that isn't open to debate, but at what point did he cease to be a frontrunner for that dubious honour? I don't think anything's changed for him in that regard.

We did this not too long ago. I still think it's between Kwame, Michael Olowokandi and LaRue Martin; I wouldn't count anyone from the pre-shot clock era, when the league was still in its infancy and the pro game nowhere near as established as it is today. I'd personally give the nod to Olowokandi due to the number of players picked after him that would've been far more suitable at number one (or if nothing else, should've definitely gone before him).

[Lamrock]

Probably Olowokandi since he was arguably the worst player in the NBA during his "prime"

[Murat]

Kandi and Kwame.

[rise]

Even though Kwame's slowly improving, there's no question it Kwame.

[NovU]

In my opinion the biggest bust is this guy -> Gene Melchiore [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Melchiorre

Well... Historically, I guess Kwame's pick is somewhat acceptable since this dude never played a single game after getting picked #1 overall.

[Andrew]

It was the early days of the league and his inability to play in the league was due to a game fixing scandal in college, so the circumstances are a little different. Again, I wouldn't really count anyone from the pre-shot clock era in the discussion because being picked first overall in the BAA/NBA back then wasn't as big a deal as it is today, with basketball being one of the four major professional sports in North America.

[Patr1ck]

Has to be LaRue Martin. Olowakandi had a better career. LaRue was done after 4 seasons. Kwame Brown is still going and is probably the most over hyped draft pick when teams were drafting high school players.

(Dis)honorable mention goes to Pervis Ellison and Joe Smith. I'll leave Greg Oden off the list for the possibility of a future thread on this same topic.

There are many #1 picks who just don't live up to the "criteria", if you will, of a top draft pick.

So, LaRue is the worst, followed close by Kwame, and then Olowakandi.

[puttincomputers]

Joe Smith - Are you kidding! this is the first year his points per 36 average has dropped below 10! http://www.basketball-reference.com/pla ... hjo02.html

Pervis Ellison. The poor dude was beset with crazy injuries. That must have been one nasty break in that toe.

[Lamrock]

Say what you want about Joe Smith, but he was a much better player than Andrea Bargnani is.

[Andrew]

Ellison also had some respectable albeit injury plagued seasons in the early 90s.

Olowokandi did have a more respectable career than Martin but I think his selection at number looks worse because of the players that followed him that would've been much better choices, then and now. Admittedly Julius Erving, Bob McAdoo and Paul Westphal were picked after Martin, though Dr J ended up staying in the ABA anyway.

[Sportsgamer]

i think one should consider the players that did get chosen because of that pick. Guys like Nowitzki, Pierce and Carter

[Jeffx]

Has to be LaRue Martin. Olowakandi had a better career. LaRue was done after 4 seasons. Kwame Brown is still going and is probably the most over hyped draft pick when teams were drafting high school players.

(Dis)honorable mention goes to Pervis Ellison and Joe Smith. I'll leave Greg Oden off the list for the possibility of a future thread on this same topic.

There are many #1 picks who just don't live up to the "criteria", if you will, of a top draft pick.

So, LaRue is the worst, followed close by Kwame, and then Olowakandi.

I'd go with LaRue Martin too. Funny thing is, Dr. J, Bob McAdoo, Paul Westphal, Brian Taylor and Chris Ford were in that 1972 draft.

[Mandich]

Steven A. Smith says it's Kwame . .

[shadowgrin]

It's STEPHEN A. SMITH!

Get that right.