2008 NBA draft: Which player was the biggest disappointment?
The 2008 NBA draft saw some of the biggest stars to ever play in the league. Ranging from athletic guards to quality forwards and centers, the 2008 draft class was an interesting one.
Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, Brook Lopez, Serge Ibaka and Danilo Gallinari, all came to the league with tremendous upside to their games.
However, there were also players who never made their mark or left their imprint upon arrival in the NBA.
Looking at the 2008 NBA draft class, there is one player who stood out the most in being the biggest disappointment. Enter Joe Alexander, the eight overall pick.
After the LA Clippers selected Eric Gordon with the seventh overall pick, the Milwaukee Bucks went with Joe Alexander from West Virginia.
Joe Alexander was listed as 6-foot-8 at the forward position. He played until his junior year for West Virginia, averaging 12.1 points per game (44.7% shooting) and 4.8 rebounds.
During his three year run at West Virginia, Alexander showed proper strides to his game each year. In his junior year, he averaged his best numbers at the collegiate level. He averaged 16.9 ppg (46.2% shooting) and 6.4 rpg. However, his 3-point shooting average went down to 26.8% after shooting 30.5% in his sophomore season.
Coming into the 2008 NBA Draft, Joe Alexander was viewed as a forward who could provide an offensive boost to any team. He had the size and the wingspan to back up his scoring as the Bucks saw potential in him.
During his rookie season, Alexander played 59 games for the Bucks, logging 12.1 minutes per game. He averaged 4.7 ppg (41.6% shooting, including 34.8% from 3-point range). They were decent numbers for a rookie but could have went better since he was a top-10 pick.
Before his sophomore season, Joe Alexander declined his rookie contract option, removing a third season from the contract. He only played nine games in his sophomore season due to a hamstring injury, averaging 0.5 ppg (16.7% shooting).
Joe Alexander signed a deal with the NBA D-League's Fort Wayne Mad Ants on Jan. 20, 2010, before going to the Chicago Bulls and later to the New Orleans Hornets.
Alexander signed a one year contract with the NBA's D-League team, the Texas Legends on Nov. 26, 2010. He averaged 20.2 ppg and 8.9 rpg but was not re-signed in the following season.
Alexander returned to the NBA after spending a few months (July to December 2011) playing in Russia after a stress fracture in his libia. Luckily, he was able to sign a deal with the Golden State Warriors on Sept. 27, 2013 but was later waived on Oct. 25, 2013, after it was discovered that his injured leg hadn't fully recovered.
After playing 13 games in the 2013-14 season for the Santa Cruz Warriors' D-League team (signed on November 2014), he started to move around and play for different teanms overseas. Joe Alexander is still playing for the Maccabi Haifa of the Israeli Liga Leumit.
Looking back on the Chicago Bulls landing the first overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft
After the Michael Jordan era, it was a rough stretch for the rebuilding Chicago Bulls as they constantly looked for their next franchise player.
It was in the 2008 NBA draft that Chicago found their next star to take the reigns after the great Jordan.
After miraculously landing high in the draft with the first overall pick, it was an easy decision for the Bulls general manager at the time. The Chicago Bulls drafted Derrick Rose from Memphis.
Right out of the jump, Rose was a marvel to witness in his rookie season as he showcased brilliant athleticism, finishing around the basket and elite dribble penetration. He improved each season and won the 2011 MVP award as the youngest player to have ever done it in the league at 22 years of age.
Unfortunately, after he suffered an ACL injury in the 2012 playoffs, he struggled in returning to his former elite self.
The Bulls moved on from Rose after the 2015-16 season as they went into another rebuild.