8 years ago, everyone thought that Michael Beasley would be a superstar in the NBA.
By Onie Dator
Balling and Blogging
Where will Ben Simmons end up after riding the hype train?
Year in and year out, there will always be a few young players who will be called upon to ride the proverbial hype train. Unfortunately, only a few of them make it to the actual dream destination. In fact, some of them, end up in the most dreaded of all destinations- The Land of the Forsaken. Here are some recent players who, once upon a time, made us actually believe that they were the next superstars of the NBA.
10) Andrea Bargnani (2006, 1st overall pick)
Career Averages (basketball-reference.com): 14.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 1.2 apg
He was the first European player taken as the number 1 overall pick in the NBA draft. He was being mentioned as a player who would be way better and more skilled than Dirk Nowitzki. Obviously, that never happened at all.
9) Tyrus Thomas (2006, 4th overall pick)
Career Averages (basketball-reference.com): 7.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.3 bpg
The hype on Tyrus Thomas was so great that the Bulls traded a guy named LaMarcus Aldridge to snag him. One of the worst deals of all time. Yes, he was very athletic and all, but he never quite moved on with anything else. Injuries also killed Tyrus Thomas' career.
8) Adam Morrison (2006, 3rd overall pick)
Career Averages (basketball-reference.com): 7.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.4 apg
The so-called Second Coming of Larry Bird never panned out. In fact, the only way he could be compared to Larry Legend is through his two rings that he won while sitting on the bench and cheering for Kobe and Pau. He was a great college player and it would be best to leave it at that.
7) OJ Mayo (2008, 3rd overall pick)
Career Averages (basketball-reference.com): 14.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.9 apg
The hype on OJ Mayo was so darn great that some of his high school mixtapes were about comparing him to the one and only, Michael Jordan. Juice can score and he can play, but he is no Michael Jordan.
6) Austin Rivers (2012, 10th overall pick)
Career Averages (basketball-reference.com): 7.1 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 2.1 apg
I, personally, thought that Austin would be a star. He had the swagger, the pedigree and the game. Yet, I guess, it was true that he bit off more than what he could actually chew. At present, he is just an average player who is still finding his way. He was almost out of the league last year if not for his dad.
5) Jimmer Fredette (2011, 10th overall pick)
Career Averages (basketball-reference.com): 6.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 1.4 apg
Jimmer Fredette was once dubbed as the best scorer in the world by none other than Kevin Durant. Now, that is hype at its very best. Another great college player who never translated in the NBA. At least, he is playing well in the D-League.
4) Derrick Williams (2011, 2nd overall pick)
Career Averages (basketball-reference.com): 9.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 0.6 apg
The hype on him was that he was so good that he deserved to be the number one pick. Good thing Cleveland did not buy the hype and took injury- prone Kyrie Irving instead. Kyrie is now a superstar playing alongside King James and Kevin Love. Derrick Williams is a role player for the New York Knicks.
3) Evan Turner (2010, 2nd overall pick)
Career Averages (basketball-reference.com): 13.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 4.6 apg
The next Brandon Roy. A triple- double machine. National Player of the Year. He never translated into becoming a star as he is now a role player for the Boston Celtics.
2) Michael Beasley (2008, 2nd overall pick)
Career Averages (basketball-reference.com): 13.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.3 apg
This guy was so highly regarded in the 2007-2008 NCAA season as he dominated college basketball and won national player of the year as a freshman. Yet, his attitude and inconsistency drove B-Easy out of the NBA.
1) Greg Oden (2007, 1st overall pick)
Career Averages (basketball-reference.com): 8.0 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.2 bpg
He was dubbed as the next best big man. The second coming of Bill Russell. The guy who will dominate the NBA for the next 15 years. The Oden hype was so big that a skinny kid named Kevin Durant went number 2. Well, we all make mistakes. After all the major knee injuries and off the court issues, Greg Oden is now playing in China. By the way, Kevin Durant is one of the top 4 players in the world.
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