Minnesota Timberwolves: History of the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft
The Worst No. 1 Overall Picks All-Time
Let’s be clear: we’re not going to simply call out No. 1 picks who weren’t the best players in their respective drafts.
For example, John Lucas was the first pick in 1976 and had a nice career, playing 14 seasons and generally being a starting-caliber player. Hall-of-Famers Adrian Dantley and Robert Parish were each selected a few picks later, but that doesn’t necessarily condemn Houston’s selection of Lucas, who was still a fine pick.
Looking at the entire shot clock era, there were quite a few questionable picks back in the 1950s and 1960s when scouting and drafting were far from a science. Elvin Hayes and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar were picked No. 1 overall in 1968 and 1969, respectively, and their teams each received the clear best player in the draft.
Let’s begin our study of busts and disappointing No. 1 picks with the relatively arbitrarily chosen year of 1970.
The 1970s through 1990s: Decent picks made worse by bad luck
There were several so-so selections that generally weren’t considered busts because the draft classes as a whole were poor. For instance, Austin Carr went first to Cleveland in 1971 and had a nice, if unspectacular career, but there weren’t any clear superstars in the draft.
The first major error in modern drafting was Portland’s selection of LaRue Martin at No. 1 in 1972, one pick ahead of Hall-of-Famer Bob McAdoo. Julius Erving lasted until No. 12. To be fair to Portland, however, there were some confusing and conflicting rumors surrounding both McAdoo and Erving related to commitments to the ABA, which was largely responsible for their respective draft positions.
In 1978, Mychal Thompson went No. 1 and had a strong 12-year career. Larry Bird went No. 6 to Boston.
Pervis Ellison was a disappointment in 1989, but it was generally a poor draft with only two future All-Stars selected in the top 10. The best players in the class were Tim Hardaway (No. 14), Vlade Divac (No. 26), and Clifford Robinson, who was picked in the second round.
In 1990, the Nets took Derrick Coleman at No. 1 while Gary Payton went to Seattle with the No. 2 pick. The selection of Glenn Robinson over Jason Kidd by Milwaukee in 1994 was also a massive oversight. Joe Smith in 1995 is another example of a decent role player going No. 1 in front of several multi-time All-Stars, including Jerry Stackhouse, Rasheed Wallace, and Garnett.
A Flood of Busts Since 1998: From Olowakandi to Bennett
The standard for the modern-day “bust” is the Clippers’ selection of Michael Olowakandi in 1998, Washington’s Kwame Brown in 2001, Andrea Bargnani in 2006, Greg Oden in 2008, and Anthony Bennett in 2013. Interestingly enough, the bookends on that list, Olowakandi and Bennett, were each acquired by the Timberwolves after playing for the teams that drafted them No. 1 overall.
Oden’s “bust” status is somewhat unfair as it’s attached to his injuries, combined with the bright star of Kevin Durant, who was drafted second that year.
The rest of the selections are far less defensible, and exactly what the Wolves need to avoid.