Big man busts and what we can learn from them.

[JCSunsfan]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/552459-the-biggest-big-man-busts-in-nba-history#slide19

You can read the article if you want, but here is their list.

1. Sam Bowie
2. Darko Milicic
3. Kedrick Brown
4. Michael Olowakandi
5. Kwami Brown
6. Frederic Weis
7. Benoit Benjamin
8. Robert Trayor
9. Chris Washburn
10. Larue Martin
11. Pervis Ellison
12. Nick Tskitisvili
13. Shawn Bradly
14. Joe Barry Carroll
15. Ed OBannon
16. Marcus Fizer
17. Stromile Swift
18. Kent Benson
19. Jonathan Bender
20. Greg Oden

So lets look at what made them busts

Injuries: 1, 11, 13, 15, 19, 20
Horrible work ethic: 2, 7, 14
Food problem: 8
Euro whose game could not translate: 2, 6, 12.
Overrated High Schooler: 5, 19
Drug problem: 9
Unknown unexpected pick: 3, 6
Never signed: 6.
Clipper curse: 4, 7.
Athlete but not enough NBA skills: 5, 17.
Overrated tournament run: 11, 15.
Drafted on the basis of one good game: 10
NBA team's coach was also his college coach: 16

So. Where is the danger with Ayton?

 

[AzStevenCal]

So. Where is the danger with Ayton?

I'd forgotten how bad that class of 2000 draft was. The top 14 picks were Kenyon Martin, Stromile Swift, Darius Miles, Marcus Fizer, Mike Miller, Demarr Johnson, Chris Mihm, Jamal Crawford, Joel Pryzbilla, Keyon Dooling, Jerome Moise, Etan Thomas, Courtney Alexander and Mateen Cleeves.

I'm surprised they consider Ed O'Bannon a big man.

And I wouldn't blame Olowakandi and Benoit Benjamin on a curse. It just goes to show that bad things happen when you overdraft someone because of his size.

In the end, I'd say big men and injuries all too often go hand in hand. And that's the risk with Ayton. I consider it a smaller than average risk as his game doesn't often involve the forceful landings that take such a toll on big men.

 

[Superbone]

Anybody remember our big man bust, William Bedford (#6 pick in 1986 draft)? Drug problem and work ethic were his two big weaknesses. I remember having a lot of hope for him at the time of the draft.

 

[Hoop Head]

I think Alex Len deserves mention with the rest. Some of those guys had better careers than Len. Shawn Bradley, Benoit Benjamin, Sam Bowie, Pervis Ellison. They weren't what they were billed as but they had long careers in the league. Len's career is probably comparable to Kwame Brown. Not as good as his draft position would leave you to believe but able to squeak by as a role player for a while because of his size.

I'm not worried about Ayton busting. If he does it will probably be out of our control and would happened regardless of who drafted him because he'd suffer injuries that derail his career like Oden. Thankfully there has been no mention of injury issues so all is good now. With Oden, he played his whole year at Ohio State with a broken arm or wrist, right? I remember some issue with him. It was his knees and back that gave him issues in the NBA but that was a sign that he could be trouble. He took forever to heal from that injury.

 

[Mainstreet]

The Suns had high hopes for Stefano Rusconi.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/r/ruscost01.html

 

[Ronin]

Bryant “Big Country” Reeves needs to be on that list.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Bryant “Big Country” Reeves needs to be on that list.

Absolutely.

 

[Chaplin]

Was Reeves really a bust, though? I know he was the 6th pick, but his career stats aren't that bad for a lumbering center.

 

[mojorizen7]

A list of Euro superstars at any position that have been disappointments after being highly drafted, stashed or whatever deserves its own thread.

 

[TJ]

Was Reeves really a bust, though? I know he was the 6th pick, but his career stats aren't that bad for a lumbering center.

He was a good player on a poopy Vancouver team.

As for Ayton, unless he has Greg Oden knees, there's very little chance of him being a bust.

 

[Phrazbit]

Thabeet is missing.

All that list tells me is that situations are unique. The main reason guys bust at any position is that they simply were not good.

 

[Kel Varnsen]

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