10 Worst No. 1 Draft Picks in NBA History

#4 Greg Oden 2007

Greg Oden

One of the biggest busts in recent time, Greg Oden was a lock to be an NBA superstar. A dominant big man, especially on the defensive end, Oden flourished in college and was supposed to be the next great big in the NBA.

His physical prowess made him a no-brainer for many when compared to his main rival for that top spot in Kevin Durant, who many people considered too skinny to succeed in the NBA. This led to the Blazers drafting Oden number 1 in the 2007 draft.

Unfortunately for the Blazers and Oden, he got injured before his rookie season and the injury nightmare never ended. Oden would miss his entire rookie season and play just 82 games over his next 2 seasons after which he wouldn't play an NBA game till 2013.

A brief stint with the Heat lasted just 26 games, after which Oden was out of the league. His NBA career averages stood at 8 Points and 6.2 Rebounds. As mentioned before, the Blazers passed on KD for Oden and they also missed out on Joakim Noah and Marc Gasol.

#3 Michael Olowokandi 1998

Michael Olowokandi

Michael OIowokandi was hailed as the next Hakeem Olajuwon coming into the NBA. Let that sink in for a moment. There were some similarities sure, they were both from Lagos in Nigeria and were quick on their feet for a big, but that's about it.

The Clippers were a dumpster fire during the late 90s and early 2000s and drafting the Kandi Man was another example. Drafted 1st overall in 1998, Olowokandi was a decent player for the Clippers for a couple of years and nothing more, after which injuries basically ended his career as a productive player.

Olowokandi's career averages were 8.3 Points and 6.3 Rebounds. What ranks Olowokandi over Oden in this ranking is based on who the Clippers missed out on, as Vince Carter, Paul Pierce, and Dirk Nowitzki, 3 sure shot future Hall of Famers would all go in the top 10 in 1998.