Fansided

2014 NBA Draft: Biggest draft mistakes of the lottery era

By Michael Dunlap

Feb 18, 2014; Dallas, TX, USA; Miami Heat center Greg Oden (20) warms up before the game against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 18, 2014; Dallas, TX, USA; Miami Heat center Greg Oden (20) warms up before the game against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
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2010 — Most NBA ready, you say?

Some teams make blunders like this and can recover. The Minnesota Timberwolves and David Kahn simply wanted to set the entire city on fire and watch it burn down, because that’s what fans felt like doing after they chose Wesley Johnson at No. 4 overall. Why would we want Kevin Love and DeMarcus Cousins (No. 5) on the same team? Why pick up Greg Monroe (No. 7) or Paul George (No. 10)? Let’s get a guy who plays a position we’re stuffed at and if possible, let’s make sure he’s old, so he’s already hit his peak! Yeah, NBA ready!

2011 — Kahn, part two

The good part about having a horrid team is that you usually get chances to make up for bad picks in the lottery. After taking Jonny Flynn in 2009 and Wesley Johnson in 2010, the Wolves had a chance to make some change and fill some holes on the roster. Certainly they didn’t need another wing. Need did not factor into this decision, as the Wolves chose Derrick Williams, instead of looking for productive players like Jonas Valanciunas (No. 5), Kemba Walker (No. 9), Klay Thompson (No. 11) or Kawhi Leonard (No. 15). I hated these post-Garnett days.

2012 — We release you from this suck

Take a team that’s trying to move and doesn’t really care about winning, sprinkle in a guy who didn’t seem to care and add in dumping him off during his rookie year for peanuts. What do you get? Thomas Robinson at No. 5 to the Sacramento Kings, of course. He’s since been traded to the Houston Rockets and then the Portland Trail Blazers, so maybe the Kings were on to something, but they could have had Damian Lillard, who went No. 6. Instead, they got Cole Aldrich, Toney Douglas, Patrick Patterson and cash. Not sure how many peanuts they got, but I hope it was measured in tons.

2013 — It’s early, but it looks bad

The No. 1 overall pick goes to…the Cleveland Cavaliers! What are you going to do with it, guys? Anthony Bennett? Huh? The overweight dude without a position who racked up big numbers against bad competition? Yep, that’s what the Cavs went with for their answer. In all fairness, the rest of the top five doesn’t look like it’s filled with Hall of Fame players and Victor Oladipo would have gotten limited time with Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters already there…but why waste the No. 1 pick? Teams are too afraid to miss on a superstar.

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