The 2013 NBA draft is easily the worst NBA draft in history.
Just listen to these first 10 picks in order:
- Picked number one Anthony Bennett selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers
- picked number to Victor Oladipo by the Orlando Magic
- picked number three Otto Porter by the Washington wizards
- pick a number for Cody Zeller by the Charlotte hornets
- picked number five Alex Len by the Phoenix Suns
- pick six Nerlens Noel by the New Orleans Hornets
- picked number seven Ben McLemore by Sacramento Kings
- pick eight Kentavious Caldwell-Pope by the Detroit Pistons
- pick number nine reigning collegiate player of the year Trey Burke by the Minnesota Timberwolves
- pick 10 CJ McCollum by the Portland trail blazers.
Of those first 10 picks CJ McCollum of the Trailblazers is the only impact player.
Things get a little better when you get in to pics 11 to 20 but not much – Again, this is the WORST NBA Draft in history.
- Pick number 11 Michael Carter-Williams by the Philadelphia 76ers the one time NBA rookie of the year.
- Picked 12 is Steven Adams from OKC possibly the best player in this draft.
- Pick 13 Kelly Olynyk by the Dallas Mavericks still in the league is a valuable role player a seven footer that can really do at all.
- Pick 14 Shabazz Muhammad by the Utah Jazz.
- Pick 15 from the Milwaukee Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo. Yes I know the NBA loves him as he won the MVP award and the defensive player of the year award in 2020 but I still think he’s overrated.
- Pick 16 some guy name Lucas Noguera by the Celtics.
- Pick 17 Dennis Schroder drafted by Atlanta still an impact player in the league.
- Pick 18 undersized guard Shane Larkin as Atlanta takes back to back pics and point guards.
- Pick 19 from the Cleveland Cavs Sergey Karasev.
- And pick 20 Tony Snell from the Chicago Bulls.
The remaining 10 picks in the worst NBA draft ever in 2013 consist of a few players you’ve heard of, several you’ll have to Google.
- At pick 21 Gorjui Dieng for the Utah jazz defensive specialist
- 22 Mason Plumlee for the Brooklyn Nets paid
- 23 Solomon Hill for the Indianapolis Pacers
- pick 24 Tim Hardaway Junior goes to the Knicks
- Pick 25 Reggie Bullock goes to the clippers.
- Pick 26 defensive specialist Andre Roberson that’s what they say when a guy can’t shoot, goes to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
- 27 maybe the best player in the 2013 NBA draft the stifle tower Rudy Gobert taken by the Nuggets – do you remember that.
- Pick 28 never played in the league a typical Sacramento Kings pack Livio Jean-Charles. Never heard of them.
- 29 OKC takes Archie Goodwin.
- And the final pic of the first round in the worst NBA draft ever picked 30 goes to the Phoenix Suns Nemanja Nedović, plays a total of 142 NBA minutes.
Let’s go back to the number one overall pick. Typically any NBA draft is remembered by the number one pick. In this draft Anthony Bennett a Canadian player who went to the university Nevada Las Vegas was selected number one overall.
During his career he played just over 1900 minutes in the league, in 151 games just over 10 minutes a game and I’m not a big math guy. In terms of minutes played in this draft i think that’s a good way to assess how bad a draft is. The runaway leader by 1500 minutes is Giannis, followed by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope followed by CJ McCollum.
Of those top three Kala pub in McComb were selected in the top 10. Again using the first pic as a gauge Anthony Bennett played in 151 games, while some guy name Ray McCallum who was selected as a 36 overall pick play three more games than Anthony Bennett. Some guy named Joffrey Lauvergne picked #55 played 208 games. Even Mike Muscala picked #44 played 354 games.
Of the 60 picks in the first two rounds of the 2013 NBA draft, 16 players played one year or less in the NBA that’s almost 1/ third of the picks.
Another four players played a total of two years including Glen Rice Junior son of the original glen rice. So literally 20 of the 60 players taken played two seasons of NBA basketball or less.
Of the 60 players taken in the 2013 NBA draft only 10 players average double digit points throughout their career and Steven Adams is not one of them sadly.
Of all 60 players taking the 2013 NBA draft only one player averages double digit rebounds for his career and that’s the stifle tower rudy Gobert.
Sure the draft was just over seven seasons ago as I’m writing this in 2020 a couple days before the 2020 NBA draft. And while it may be premature to talk Hall of Fame who is going to be remembered from this draft and even have a prayer to be considered for the Hall of Fame?
For context, look at some of the great NBA drafts in history: 1984 NBA Draft, the 1985 NBA Draft, the 1996 NBA Draft. There will be no comparison to those drafts in this draft other than to talk about the extreme range of talent available from year to year in the NBA draft.
The only potential Hall of Fame player in this class is Giannis Antetokounmpo. My apologies to CJ McCollum and Rudy Gobert and Victor Oladipo.
Basically in the 2013 NBA draft if, it is those four players and then everybody else, the other 56 guys.
The only other thing about the 2013 NBA draft that is semi-interesting to me is that there are two former 90s NBA studs kids in this draft with Tim Hardaway Junior and Glen Rice. Somehow Tim Hardaway Junior is carved out a career in the league probably because he is about 8 inches taller than his dad.
So each year when the NBA draft looms on the horizon there’s questions about what is the best NBA draft in history and with so many great NBA draft of the past it’s hard to pick one.
But when the subject of the worst NBA draft in history comes up there’s literally only one that can be considered and that is this draft the 2013 NBA draft is the worst NBA draft in history.
