Ranking the 5 worst Draft classes of all time
The NBA Draft serves as the introduction of fresh talent to the NBA. It is an exciting annual event where teams get to choose members of the draft to join their franchise.
While this is an event in the NBA that franchises and fans alike look forward to, it can also be disappointing, in the sense that some of these players never live up to the hype or expectations.
However, the 2018 NBA draft class has produced several superstars, with a few of them in the 2021 conference finals. Some notable players in this class are Trae Young, Luka Doncic, DeAndre Ayton, Shai-Gilgeous Alexander, to name a few.
Exceptional talents like Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Shaquille O'Neal were all members of draft classes in different years. Although at least one superstar is expected from each class, there are occasions when even the No. 1 overall pick ends up being a mediocre talent.
On that note, here are the five worst draft classes in NBA history.
#5 1990 NBA Draft class
The 1990 NBA Draft class was headlined by Gary Payton of the Seattle Supersonics even though he was the second overall pick. Payton is still considered by many to be one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA's history.
We have seen first overall picks take the league by storm, which begs the question: what happened to the 1990 NBA Draft class' first overall pick? Derrick Coleman was the No. 1 pick but did not leave the NBA community with any memorable moments. His highest point was a first-round exit when he was 35.
Although there were players that had decent runs in their careers, this draft class did not provide special talents. Regardless, Toni Kukoc, Dennis Scott, and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf enjoyed nice spells in the NBA.
#4 2002 NBA Draft class
Although injuries are to blame for hampering the development of the first and second picks, the rest of this draft class were average at best. While the top five picks did not play up to their draft status, the bottom five rallied to save this class from being the worst in the league's history.
Yao Ming (1) was a sensation, making the NBA popular in his home country, China. His career was cut short to only eight seasons, which was plagued by injuries. Jay Williams was the second overall pick but had his career cut short after he suffered a motorcycle accident.
However, Amare Stoudemire (9), Nene Hilario (7), and Carlos Boozer, who was the 35th pick, are the names that tried to save this draft class. In its entirety, they managed 18 All-Star appearances despite none of them reaching 100 career wins.