[marcusfizer21Participant]

Year after year, the NBA Draft will feature awesome and talented players from college and back then, high school prospects… Some would click right off the bat while some started slowly. It has been our tradition as fans that we predict who might just win the Rookie of the Year award. Some were a surefire 100% that a particular player would win that award, notable mention would be LeBron James with Melo coming in close at second, Emeka Okafor, Kevin Durant and so on. But not all are lucky to have those achievements, where most fans expected these guys to make an immediate impact in their rookie season, they have been somewhat disappointing. Here’s a look at some of the guys who many expect to dominate as a rookie but, sad to say, didn’t quite made the cut.

Andrew Bogut
While being drafted by the Bucks at 1st overall in 2005, many people expected Bogut to be a favorite to win the ROY award because of his “dominating” performance at University of Utah… As a first pick in a good draft class, many expected him to help Milwaukee and be a 15 and 10 guy… While Milwaukee did make the playoffs, he was nowhere near a franhcise center should be as he averaged 9.4 ppg and just 7 rpg, disappointing stats for whom many expect from a number 1 pick.

Greg Oden
The first overall pick in 2007 has received a lot of hype after being drafted by Portland only to have his fans saddened and frustrated when he has to undergo a microfracture surgery in 2007-08. He missed the whole season which allowed him to be a rookie in 2008-09. Fans were hyped up for his NBA debut and a number had him tied with Michael Beasley for the shot at ROY. But just looking at his debut against the LA Lakers, where he got injured and went scoreless for 13 minutes, it became clear that the road to the NBA will not be as easy as he thought. Injuries soon became a liability and fans began to wonder whether he’ll ever live up to the number 1 pick status or just be one of those Portland curse just like Sam Bowie. His rookie year ended averaging a disappointing 8.9 ppg and 7.0 rpg and not even a spot on an All-Rookie team… Ouch!

Michael Beasley
All website had him as a favorite to win the ROY with no competition at all. He has been widely regarded as the best freshman since Kevin Durant. All polls spoke highly on B-Easy’s road to the NBA as easy as cooking a fried fish. Plus what made it more sweet was that he is going to team up with D-Wade at Miami. However, Beasley found it difficult to be consistent night in and night out. There are games where he would contribute and there are times where he would be invisible. He find his status coming off the bench for Coach Spoe. His ratings went down and next thing you know he was out of contention for being the Rook of the Year. Heck, even OJ Mayo and Russell Westbrook was more dominant than this second pick despite averaging 13.9 ppg and 5 rpg. Those numbers were solid but if you were to contend for that award in a draft class that features Rose, Lopez, Mayo and Oden, you gotta do better than that.

Jay Williams
After recently leading his Duke Blue Devils to a National Title, Jay Williams was receiving all the hype he deserved at that time. With the Bulls having the 2nd pick in the 2002 draft, they didn’t hesitate to draft Williams, and after 2 seasons of frustrations, the Bulls thought they finally had an answer with the young point guard who could probably lead them over the hump. Many fan polls including at NBA.com voted Williams to be a runaway winner for the Rookie of the Year award. However, he played with a lot of inconsistency and was nowhere near the player many expected him to be. Though he did had some spectacular performances such as the triple double he had against the Nets, he ended up averaging 9.4 ppg and 5 apg and gotten only the NBA All-Rookie second team. A disappointing finish for someone many expected to lead the Bulls. He never had the chance to prove his worth as his career ended so soon due to a motorcycle accident…

[thunderforthewinParticipant]

Still wouldn’t call some of them busts though. Bogut and Beasly especially show flashes of fulfilling their potential

[jeff416Participant]

Beasly had a okay rookie year hes not a bust yet I still think he will be a very good NBA player the only player I would take ahead of him last year is OJ other than him I think he will still be better than the others taken after him.

[STEVEDOT2Participant]

beasly could score 20 plus any note but his problem was on the defensive end

[Bryant24Participant]

Greg Oden isnt going to be a bust he just cant stay healthy and when he came back to the league he was overweight and he had conditon problems i think he can be a good player someday he just need to be a serious gym rat and prove all his haters wrong.

Mike Beasley is a flat out beast he ws third in the league as a sixth man in points and coimng off the bench he average more than Kevin Love and Brook Lopez and they started alot more than beasley the problem with beasley is he is a tweener without a true positon. beasley potential is very high he just act like a little kid. If he start beasley would of won rookie of the year i think he average 13.9 off the bench picture him starting. He’s younger than every in the 2008 1st round lottery except for Anthony randolph so he need time to mature.

Bogut aint a bust either he just wont worth his pick he was drafted before Chris Paul, Deron Williams,and Danny Granger.

[Adi Joseph]

This is just ridiculous. Oden and Beasley are coming off their rookie years. Oden was slowed by injuries and still managed to put up a solid PER and other per-minute numbers. Beasley came on hard at the end of the season.

Bogut’s been just fine.

And Jay Williams got into a motorcycle accident. His being out of the league is hardly indicative of his abilities. 

[foxman2slyParticipant]

3 years ago Durant was the best college player and he comes into the league on a sorry team, plays big minutes,plays well, but gets labeled as a chucker. Then he gets his feet under him, matures physically and averages 25 ppg, and looks like the stud we thought he’d be.

2 years ago, Beasley looked even better than Durant and gets drafted to a a Heat team, that fell to the lottery due to Wade’s injuries. He played behind team captain Haslem, the heart and soul of the Heat, and for the first half of the season All Star Shawn Marion. Coach Spo made him earn his playing time by playing D, which will only make him better. Westbrook, Mayo, Lopez all played for lottery teams where they got huge minutes. If you look at his PER, pts and rbs per minute and his repertoire it’s obvious that he will be a star. Add, in the facts that everyone is discounting him, loving Blake Griffin, and that he got snubbed for the Team USA camp I expect for him to play with a huge chip on his shoulder. BTW, he’s 20!!!

This year he will flourish, take the starting PF position (or SF), and just like Durant will look like the stud we thought he’d be.

[FastAndFuriousParticipant]

If Jay Will Wouldnt Have Got Injured He Woulda Been OK

[marcusfizer21Participant]

Are you reading this forum or what???? Did i call these guys busts? I am pretty sure I didn’t say anything about busts… I am naming those who many people expect to be a ROY winners and yet underachieved… There’s a big difference. Try to see for yourself the first one on top… Jeeeezzzzzzzz… I never mentioned anything about busts…

[marcusfizer21Participant]

I’ve been defending Greg Oden from those naysayers who are saying he’s a bust and here you are implicating that I am calling him a bust… Come on, man… Michael Beasley is going to be a stud in years to come he just didn’t explode in his rookie year which was kinda frustrating… These are some of the guys that underachieved in their rookie year, I NEVER mentioned them being busts… That’s just not reading it straight…

[McWinningParticipant]

none of those are busts. Oden, and Bogut would be starting centers if they were healthy. Beasley already has shone himself as a future star. and Jay Williams would be good if it wasnt for the injury.

[marcusfizer21Participant]

I am just pissed because if you look at the article I have made, those were just lists of players who many expect to be the winners of Rookie of the Year award only to have a disappointing rookie season… I NEVER implied that they are a bust… Not one word in that article did I mention anything about them being busts… Are they kidding me?

[McWinningParticipant]

sorry i skimmed it because i was in a hurry and saw the names and the word disapointment and assumed you called the busts. my bad!

[marcusfizer21Participant]

No problemo…

[McWinningParticipant]

now that ive read it. i think Blake Griffin will be better than them hes more polished than those players, and hes a lot like Beasley expect he has a crazier work ethic. so i think hell make a difference right away.

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