FanPost

Your ten biggest Blazer draft busts. In order or not.

Hey folks!

Pick your choice of the ten worst Blazer draft picks. It can be in order from worst to 10th worst, or whatever ones that were particularly bad that spring to mind. And ones that weren't involved in draft-day trades, that went on to suck for other teams. I suppose if you want to say they were a bust if they played a limited time for the Blazers and stunk, then played well for other team(s), you could do that. After the 20th pick or so it's not really right to call them a bust, possibly earlier even.

But at any rate, I will rank mine, 10 to 1:

10. Brandon Rush/Jerryd Bayless, 6'6 G/F Kansas #13 overall/6'3 G Arizona #11 overall. Traded Rush to Indiana for Bayless and Diogu. Bayless took the Summer League by storm and was named MVP, sending Blazers fans drooling. He did have good hops and a few memorable games for us, but the trade-off was unfortunately pretty even and he soon went packing to New Orleans, and then Toronto.

9. Barry Parkhill, 6'4 G/F Virginia, #15 overall. Maybe I shouldn't put him here because he never played for us, but he didn't play for ANYBODY. He played for the ABA for 3 years, and he wasn't knock-your-socks-off there, either.

8. Walter Berry,6'8 F St. Johns, #14 overall. Stunk for Portland and was traded the same year to San Antonio for Duckworth, which obviously worked out. He played MUCH better later in his career, especially for the Spurs. Had reportedly a habit of not getting along with his coaches.

7. Shawn Respert/Gary Trent, 6'1 PG Mich St #8/ 6'8 F Ohio #11 overall. Neither warranted their pick status, especially Respert. He never played for Portland and was traded for Trent and a future 1st rd pick, which was used with Bill Curley and James Robinson to eventually get the psychotic, low-IQ J.R. Rider.

6. Sebastian Telfair, 6'0 PG Abraham Lincoln High, #13 overall. One of the most overhyped HS stars ever, it didn't translate at all to the pro level. Wisely cut after 2 seasons, still floundering in the league, surprisingly.

5. Martell Webster, 6'7 Seattle Prep, #6 overall. A few good moments with us doesn't change the fact he was lauded as such a great shooter, and at #6 you should do better than 8-some a game in 5 seasons. Only Ike Diogu was worse than him in the top 10 picked that year.

4. Wally Walker, 6'7 F Virginia, #5 overall. Yeah, he won a ring with us. But he only averaged 7 or so a game when being the 5th pick? Well, it was a pretty weak draft.. I guess it didn't matter who we picked, did it?

3. Sam Bowie, 7'2 C Kentucky. #2 overall. Actually, he had a couple pretty decent seasons with Portland. He just couldn't escape the injury bug, try as he might. For all the flack he gets what with Portland not drafting Jordan the need for a big man was pretty important, even if Jordan was obviously going to be awesome. We'd get our long-term big guy, Duckworth, 2 years later.

2. Greg Oden, 7'0 C Ohio St. #1 overall. Some might put him after Bowie on this list but Oden makes Bowie look like Superman. With pogo sticks for legs. I do feel bad for Oden that he can't stay healthy but if you can't play and you were picked #1, you belong here.

1. Larue Martin, 6'11 C Loyola #1 overall.. 5.3 per game. All-time worst #1, quite possibly. Olowokandi can't quite reach this guy IMO.

Help yourself to your own list!