Top 5 NBA Draft disappointments that still haunt fans

Every team dreams of landing a star in the NBA Draft. But sometimes those dreams turn into nightmares.
2013 NBA Draft
2013 NBA Draft | Mike Stobe/GettyImages

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Throughout NBA history, there have been many cases where players that are drafted high in the draft come into the league with high expectations for the talent and accomplishments that they achieved in college or at a lower level.

Sometimes, however, the pressure of succeeding at the highest level can get to an NBA player, and they end up flaming out of the league. These five players were top selections in the NBA Draft but turned out to be busts at the professional level

1. Anthony Bennett

In 2013, the Cleveland Cavaliers drafted Anthony Bennett with the first pick in the NBA Draft. While many look back at the 2013 NBA Draft as being a poor class, it was the selection of Bennett that everyone looks back on.

While Bennett was a dominating force in his one year in college with UNLV, he did not pan out at the professional level. Bennett spent four seasons in the NBA with four different teams (Cavaliers, Timberwolves, Raptors, and Nets). In his four seasons in the league, Bennett averaged 4.4 points per game, 3.1 rebounds, and 0.5 assists. Many argue that Bennett is the biggest draft of all-time.

Bennett is still playing professional basketball overseas for Al-Najma SC in Baharin.

2. Darko Miličić

While the Detroit Pistons won the NBA Championship the year after selecting Darko Miličić with the second pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, many Pistons fans wonder what could've been if they selected Carmelo Anthony or Dwyane Wade instead.

Miličić played eleven seasons in the NBA with six teams. In his career, he averaged 6 points per game, 4.2 rebounds, and 0.9 assists. He shot 46 percent from the field, but never panned out like many expected him to. Unlike other draft busts, Miličić did win an NBA Championship with the Pistons in 2004.

3. Adam Morrison

Adam Morrison was one of the top players in college at Gonzaga. His talent and accomplishments were enough for the Charlotte Bobcats to select him with the third overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft. Morrison entered the NBA with concerns about how his game would translate to a professional level. Unfortunately for Morrison and Bobcats fans, those concerns came true, as he was never more than a role player for the team.

Morrison played three seasons in the NBA with the Bobcats and the Los Angeles Lakers, averaging 7.5 points per game, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists

4. Kwame Brown

Kwame Brown entered the NBA straight out of high school at Glynn Academy in Georgia. The Washington Wizards selected him with the first overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft. Brown never developed into the player that many were expecting him to over the course of his career.

Brown played for seven NBA teams throughout his 12 seasons in the league, where he averaged 6.6 points per game, 5.5 rebounds, and 0.9 assists.

5. Greg Oden

Greg Oden had an impressive college career with the Ohio State Buckeyes and entered the 2007 NBA Draft with the potential to be one of the league's next big stars. The Portland Trail Blazers passed up on Kevin Durant to draft Oden with the first pick in the 2007 NBA Draft.

Oden battled with injuries throughout his NBA career, as he played just 105 career games in the league. Oden averaged 8 points per game, 6.2 rebounds, and 0.5 assists in his NBA career. Oden's best season came in 2009-10 with the Portland Trail Blazers, where he showed potential, averaging 11.1 points per game, 8.5 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks in 21 games played.