Fansided

NBA Draft: Every NBA team’s worst draft pick

By David Rouben

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 27: Anthony Bennett of UNLV poses for a photo with NBA Commissioner David Stern after Bennett was drafted
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 27: Anthony Bennett of UNLV poses for a photo with NBA Commissioner David Stern after Bennett was drafted /
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NEW YORK, NY – FEBRUARY 13: Clyde Drexler attends SiriusXM’s ‘Town Hall’ With Clyde Drexler, Isiah Thomas, Dominique Wilkins And Stephen A. Smith at SiriusXM Studio on February 13, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Robin Marchant/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
NEW YORK, NY – FEBRUARY 13: Clyde Drexler attends SiriusXM’s ‘Town Hall’ With Clyde Drexler, Isiah Thomas, Dominique Wilkins And Stephen A. Smith at SiriusXM Studio on February 13, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Robin Marchant/Getty Images for SiriusXM) /

7. Houston Rockets – Rodney McCray (1983)

While Hakeem the Dream was a year away from becoming a Rockets player, this pick was a nightmare. Selecting Rodney McCray at third overall ensured Houston would miss out on a lot of talented players, but none better than future Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler. Obviously, they still wound up getting him, and he won a championship with Hakeem, but that was during the tail end of his career and it coincided with the return of Michael Jordan. Had they played their cards right, Houston could’ve been a dynasty in the 80s.

Anyone with the name Rodney McCray has had a rough go at life. That name is often associated with the minor league baseball player who crashed through a fence to record an out. McCray was part of a championship winning team at Louisville, which is probably why the Rockets bet the house on him, but he hovered around 10-14 points per game over four seasons.

He got a spot on the All-Defensive First Team in 88, but his contributions were never enough to win a championship. The closest they got was 1986, when they lost to Larry Bird’s Celtics. Houston was the team he spent the most time with, as he bounced around with the Kings, Mavericks, and Bulls. He clearly had the most fun playing with the Bulls, since that’s where he won his only ring, but he played a very minimal role, averaging 3.5 points that season.

For as hard as the Rockets tried, McCray couldn’t contribute enough alongside Hakeem to deliver the Rockets a championship and needed the help of a stacked Bulls team to get a ring. McCray leaves Rockets fans wondering what could’ve been if Hakeem and Drexler had been teammates sooner.

Next: 6: Detroit Pistons

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