8. Nikola Pekovic - 18.6
Yet another player with a short prime, Nikola Pekovic comes in at number eight on the list. The Montenegrin big man was selected with the 31st overall selection in the 2008 NBA Draft. He would've likely been drafted sooner, if not for his ongoing contract with the European club Panathinaikos.
Two years after being drafted, Pekovic joined the Wolves on a 3-year, $13 million pact. He was seldom used his first season, playing just 13.6 minutes per game and notching only 11 starts. That year, Pekovic averaged just 5.5 points.
Then, in the 2011-12 season, Pekovic took off. He came in at third place in the Most Improved Player race while averaging 13.9 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. However, a concerning trend began. A rash of injuries started in 2012 and became a hindrance to Pekovic.
In 2012-13, the 6-foot-11 center suited up in 62 games and averaged 16.3 points and 8.8 boards per game. After the conclusion of the season, he re-signed for five more seasons and $60 million. Pekovic played quite well immediately after the extension, but a foot injury cost him half his best season.
From 2014 on, the Timberwolves big man appeared in just 43 games. Injuries to his lower extremities doomed the physically imposing big man. In 2016, just three seasons after signing a massive extension, Pekovic called it quits. He acknowledged how much his injuries took a toll and even went as far as to say he could no longer run without pain.