Who is the most disappointing NBA player in history?

[moiso]

Jermaine O'neal is another that was supposed to be a superstar along with Antonio McDyess.

Antonio McDyess is a really big one, considering how much of a freak athlete he was.  When that disappeared he was still a good player but imagine if.

Jermaine had a few really good seasons for Indy, averaging 20/10, making All-Star teams and All NBA teams and earning Defensive Player of the year one year, so I wouldn't say he didn't live up to potential.  Maybe some expected more, but he was mostly on rebuilding teams or teams destined for failure (the Artest squad).

Maybe Jermaine reached his potential, but his stay on the top of his game was far too short.

[fairweatherfan]

Chris Washburn, Roy Tarpley, Benoit Benjamin (dude had talent but no heart), Michael Ray Richardson.  I give injured guys like McDyess and Sampson a pass cause it seems like a different kind of disappointment than a guy who just squandered his talent.

Before my time, but wasn't Ernie DiGregorio drafted #1 and supposed to do great things?

Derrick Coleman could've dominated but didn't have the will.  Oddly DC has done some of the greatest charity work of any retired player and is pouring millions into revitalizing his old neighborhood.  Glad he's making the important stuff count.

[nba is the worst]

Hard for me to believe it took 3 pages before Roy mentioned Vince Carter.

Certainly up there for "most overpaid"...

[35Lewis]

Jermaine O'neal is another that was supposed to be a superstar along with Antonio McDyess.

Antonio McDyess is a really big one, considering how much of a freak athlete he was.  When that disappeared he was still a good player but imagine if.

Jermaine had a few really good seasons for Indy, averaging 20/10, making All-Star teams and All NBA teams and earning Defensive Player of the year one year, so I wouldn't say he didn't live up to potential.  Maybe some expected more, but he was mostly on rebuilding teams or teams destined for failure (the Artest squad).

No I agree he lived up to his potential given his draft position and what he accomplished, but the fact that he didn't continue at that pace due to injuries puts him on the list.  The guy is only 31 and should still be putting up 20/10.  Imagine if PP flamed out around 29 how sad that would be.

McDyess....wow.  That is another that would have changed the game with his athleticism.  I suppose Amare was on track to start this change until he had Microfracture surgery and became obsessed with stats.  I suppose he still has a few years left and will get his numbers.

I also forgot to add Ron Harper to the list.  I thought he was going to be amazing before he got injured and then just went on to have a good but not great career.

[Snakehead]

Jermaine O'neal is another that was supposed to be a superstar along with Antonio McDyess.

Antonio McDyess is a really big one, considering how much of a freak athlete he was.  When that disappeared he was still a good player but imagine if.

Jermaine had a few really good seasons for Indy, averaging 20/10, making All-Star teams and All NBA teams and earning Defensive Player of the year one year, so I wouldn't say he didn't live up to potential.  Maybe some expected more, but he was mostly on rebuilding teams or teams destined for failure (the Artest squad).

Maybe Jermaine reached his potential, but his stay on the top of his game was far too short.

Jermaine O'neal is another that was supposed to be a superstar along with Antonio McDyess.

Antonio McDyess is a really big one, considering how much of a freak athlete he was.  When that disappeared he was still a good player but imagine if.

Jermaine had a few really good seasons for Indy, averaging 20/10, making All-Star teams and All NBA teams and earning Defensive Player of the year one year, so I wouldn't say he didn't live up to potential.  Maybe some expected more, but he was mostly on rebuilding teams or teams destined for failure (the Artest squad).

No I agree he lived up to his potential given his draft position and what he accomplished, but the fact that he didn't continue at that pace due to injuries puts him on the list.  The guy is only 31 and should still be putting up 20/10.  Imagine if PP flamed out around 29 how sad that would be.

McDyess....wow.  That is another that would have changed the game with his athleticism.  I suppose Amare was on track to start this change until he had Microfracture surgery and became obsessed with stats.  I suppose he still has a few years left and will get his numbers.

You're both right.  As I said in my edited post, he just didn't stay  up there long enough, but that was due to injuries. Still had some great years though.  We've seen a lot of bigs fall to injuries, at least we got to see him reach near his prime level.

Still a good player though and coming off the bench I think he'll be very good for us.  It is hard to believe he's still so young.


It think Amare lost some of his athleticism after surgery but all considered I think he recovered well and became a more complete offensive player.  The guy is still a freak athlete, best at his size in the NBA no doubt, and the best big man finisher in the NBA.  And though he is not a good defender and doesn't give the effort there he could, he is not as bad of a rebounder as people say, though he could be better there too.

There certainly is unreached potential there but maybe he will turn it on later in his career if the Knicks really build a good team.

[moiso]

Chris Washburn, Roy Tarpley, Benoit Benjamin (dude had talent but no heart), Michael Ray Richardson.  I give injured guys like McDyess and Sampson a pass cause it seems like a different kind of disappointment than a guy who just squandered his talent.

Before my time, but wasn't Ernie DiGregorio drafted #1 and supposed to do great things?

Derrick Coleman could've dominated but didn't have the will.  Oddly DC has done some of the greatest charity work of any retired player and is pouring millions into revitalizing his old neighborhood.  Glad he's making the important stuff count.

I think Benjamin was the first guy in the nba with a tattoo.  I used to think it showed what a head case he was.  Now look at all the tats.

[Redz]

Haven't read through it all to see if he was mentioned, but a lot of the guys mentioned came in with big expectations and never met them - but at least they had long careers.

Biggest disappointment in my mind was Lenny Bias.

[fairweatherfan]

Forgot about David Thompson too - he could've been MJ a decade before MJ showed up.  Cocaine is a helluva drug.

Also Connie Hawkins, but he got screwed by the league, not his own doing.

[moiso]

Marvin Barnes.

[Finkelskyhook]

Chris Washburn, Roy Tarpley, Benoit Benjamin (dude had talent but no heart), Michael Ray Richardson.  I give injured guys like McDyess and Sampson a pass cause it seems like a different kind of disappointment than a guy who just squandered his talent.

Before my time, but wasn't Ernie DiGregorio drafted #1 and supposed to do great things?

Derrick Coleman could've dominated but didn't have the will.  Oddly DC has done some of the greatest charity work of any retired player and is pouring millions into revitalizing his old neighborhood.  Glad he's making the important stuff count.

I think Benjamin was the first guy in the nba with a tattoo.  I used to think it showed what a head case he was.  Now look at all the tats.

........and look at all the headcases.

[Finkelskyhook]

If this list came out 10 years from now, I think, through no fault of his, that you'll see Greg Oden on it.

[ram]

lots of good mentions: Bias, Washburn, Bowie

But I have to agree with the fellow who said Ralph Sampson.
#1 pick overall, 7'4", could run, shoot, pass, jump, but never figured out the game. The game was just too fast for him.
9 years, 1 2nd team All-NBA and 2 All-Star games.

If he understood the game, he would have put up Bill Russell like accomplishments.

[RAcker]

How about this guy being picked ahead of Michael Jordan in the '84 draft?

[bdm860]

I guess I'm surprised with some names, like Webber and Iverson.  Maybe we all have different definitions of the "disappointment."  So I looked it up on dictionary.com.  Disappointment really just led me to disappointing, which was defined as "failing to fulfill one's hopes or expectations."  So what did you guys really expect from Iverson?  NBA MVP, 11x All-Star, , 2x All-Star MVP, 7x All-NBA, Top 5 in scoring 8x's (leading the league 4x's), Top 5 in steals 7x's (leading the league 3x's).  Finals Appearance.  All over a 14 year career.  And you guys are disappointed with this body of work?  Maybe a first ballot HOFer? (probably some debate on this, actually it would be interesting to see a poll).  I really think Iverson overachieved, the exact opposite of a disappointment.  I remember how many arguments there were that Iverson shouldn't even be selected #1, no 6' player has ever been drafted that high, he was too small, too out of control, etc.  I doubt even Iverson's strongest supporters would have predicted the resume he ended up with.  Are you guys really calling him a disappointment?

And same thing with Webber. 5x All-Star, 5x All-NBA, 20.1ppg, 9.5rpg, 4.1apg, 1.4spg, 1.4bpg over a 15 year career, and the centerpiece of one of the best teams in the NBA for a 4-5 year span (who conspiracy theorists believe should have had at least one NBA title).  Maybe expectations were a little higher with Webber, most probably thought he'd be a 10x All-Star, MVP, etc, but he did have a run as one of the best players in the NBA.  So he didn't end up as one of the best PF's ever, there can only be so many of those.  Maybe the title is thrown around a little too easily causing some disappointment when a player doesn't live up to those lofty expectations, but come on now.  McHale was supposed to be the best PF ever, then Barkley and Malone, then Derrick Coleman (who I agree is a legitimate disappointment), then Webber/Sheed, then Duncan/Garnett, etc.  It's like some people throw out "next best (fill in position here) ever" like movies get reviewed with "best movie of the year."  (When you have 20 "best movies of the year" it kind of loses it's credibility).

All in all, I would say Iverson overachieved and Webber probably slightly underachieved, but I can't see how either can be considered the biggest disappointment ever.


(and when I say All NBA I include 1st, 2nd, and 3rd team).

[ram]

gotta throw Bill Walton in the mix.
Injuries did him in.
In 1977, he wins it all without a great supporting cast-a bunch of scrubs other than Maurice Lucas (who I thought was overrated).
A lot of folks thought he'd win a lot more championships as he was such a great passer and defender a la Russell. He'd make any teammate look good if they just cut to the hoop.