Page 1 of 6
"Busts" Who Bounced Back
Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2019 3:54 pm
by RoxSteady
Who are some of the most prevalent example of players who fans, media, and perhaps people in the league wrote off as busts that redeemed themselves?
I think some people pegged Embiid as a Greg Oden case.
There's Oladipo
Marcus Camby struggled in Toronto and was buried on the Knicks' bench for a while
Marvin Williams
D'Angelo Russell (whose season, forgive me, I think was generally wayyy overrated)
Chauncey Billups is a noted late bloomer
Who else?
Re: "Busts" Who Bounced Back
Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2019 3:56 pm
by levon
D'Angelo was never a bust. He was one of the better performers all-time for his age, who got hit with an awful FO and knee troubles. He's also overrated now.
Re: "Busts" Who Bounced Back
Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2019 3:58 pm
by Forte IV
Reggie Bullock definitely isnt a star, nor should he really be considered for this thread, but I thought he'd be out of the league after being terrified to shoot the ball with the Clippers. But he bounced back with Detroit.
Re: "Busts" Who Bounced Back
Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2019 3:58 pm
by Duffman100
RoxSteady wrote:Who are some of the most prevalent example of players who fans, media, and perhaps people in the league wrote off as busts that redeemed themselves?
I think some people pegged Embiid as a Greg Oden case.
There's Oladipo
Marcus Camby struggled in Toronto and was buried on the Knicks' bench for a while
Marvin Williams
D'Angelo Russell (whose season, forgive me, I think was generally wayyy overrated)
Chauncey Billups is a noted late bloomer
Who else?
I wouldn't consider Oladipo a bust early in his career.
And Camby didn't struggle in Toronto. 12 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.7 blocks (!), 1.8 assists and 1.1 steals in his second year.
Re: "Busts" Who Bounced Back
Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2019 4:02 pm
by iamworthy
Russell was never a bust.
Re: "Busts" Who Bounced Back
Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2019 4:03 pm
by RoxSteady
Duffman100 wrote:RoxSteady wrote:Who are some of the most prevalent example of players who fans, media, and perhaps people in the league wrote off as busts that redeemed themselves?
I think some people pegged Embiid as a Greg Oden case.
There's Oladipo
Marcus Camby struggled in Toronto and was buried on the Knicks' bench for a while
Marvin Williams
D'Angelo Russell (whose season, forgive me, I think was generally wayyy overrated)
Chauncey Billups is a noted late bloomer
Who else?
I wouldn't consider Oladipo a bust early in his career.
And Camby didn't struggle in Toronto. 12 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.7 blocks (!), 1.8 assists and 1.1 steals in his second year.
Oladipo was a #2 overall pick and his first season in Indiana (his fifth) was far better than anything he'd done prior... Camby's per game stats in Toronto were much better than I remembered. He was, however pretty inefficient in Toronto and had issues getting minutes in his first season in New York. He wasn't the dynamo he'd eventually became. But "bust" might be too strong.
Re: "Busts" Who Bounced Back
Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2019 4:08 pm
by jason bourne
Lonzo Ball. Pops and the Spurs didn't want him. Lakers traded his arse.
Malik Beasley. Now, he can shoot the 3-pt shot.
Markelle Fultz. LOL.
Re: "Busts" Who Bounced Back
Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2019 4:11 pm
by DBCJUN
RoxSteady wrote:Who are some of the most prevalent example of players who fans, media, and perhaps people in the league wrote off as busts that redeemed themselves?
I think some people pegged Embiid as a Greg Oden case.
There's Oladipo
Marcus Camby struggled in Toronto and was buried on the Knicks' bench for a while
Marvin Williams
D'Angelo Russell (whose season, forgive me, I think was generally wayyy overrated)
Chauncey Billups is a noted late bloomer
Who else?
I would not consider any of these players a bust, they all have had long stable careers or are doing really well right now. I was expecting more in the line of an Anthony Bennet coming back from obscurity.
Re: "Busts" Who Bounced Back
Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2019 4:17 pm
by miamiheat319
Definitely too early to tell but Jahlil Okafor looked to be improving a little with the Pelicans last year
Re: "Busts" Who Bounced Back
Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2019 4:17 pm
by fullrespect
JJ Redick.
Re: "Busts" Who Bounced Back
Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2019 4:19 pm
by jazzfan1971
Jermaine O'Neal?
Re: "Busts" Who Bounced Back
Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2019 4:22 pm
by Ainosterhaspie
Hassan Whiteside
Re: "Busts" Who Bounced Back
Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2019 4:23 pm
by Wizenheimer
Steve Nash was a 15th pick who averaged 8 points, 5 assists, and 2 turnovers while shooting 36% on FG's in his 3rd season when he was 24. He wasn't much better in his 4th season. It wasn't till his 5th season, when he was 26, that hs started to put things together
Jermaine O'Neal was a 17th pick who only averaged 4 points and 3 rebounds in his 4th season. However, Mike Dunleavy kept him buried on the Portland bench so O'Neal didn't "bounce back" till he got traded to Indiana. Maybe his first 4 seasons don't fit the 'bust' category because of coaching decisions but he certainly didn't live up to his draft slot till his 5th season
Re: "Busts" Who Bounced Back
Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2019 4:26 pm
by MarcusBrody
Not ever a major bust, but J.J. Reddick was a lottery pick who averaged 6, 4.5, and 6 points his first three years in the league. His FG and 3P% were lower in this third year vs. his rookie year and he was 24 at the time. His fourth year was a big improvement though and he has developed into a solid, productive player into his mid 30s.
Re: "Busts" Who Bounced Back
Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2019 4:28 pm
by Scalabrine
RoxSteady wrote:Duffman100 wrote:RoxSteady wrote:Who are some of the most prevalent example of players who fans, media, and perhaps people in the league wrote off as busts that redeemed themselves?
I think some people pegged Embiid as a Greg Oden case.
There's Oladipo
Marcus Camby struggled in Toronto and was buried on the Knicks' bench for a while
Marvin Williams
D'Angelo Russell (whose season, forgive me, I think was generally wayyy overrated)
Chauncey Billups is a noted late bloomer
Who else?
I wouldn't consider Oladipo a bust early in his career.
And Camby didn't struggle in Toronto. 12 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.7 blocks (!), 1.8 assists and 1.1 steals in his second year.
Oladipo was a #2 overall pick and his first season in Indiana (his fifth) was far better than anything he'd done prior... Camby's per game stats in Toronto were much better than I remembered. He was, however pretty inefficient in Toronto and had issues getting minutes in his first season in New York. He wasn't the dynamo he'd eventually became. But "bust" might be too strong.
He had issues getting minutes in NY because he was playing behind Patrick Ewing...not much else to it.
Re: "Busts" Who Bounced Back
Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2019 4:34 pm
by Mogspan
Wiggins this upcoming season

Re: "Busts" Who Bounced Back
Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2019 4:36 pm
by dhsilv2
jazzfan1971 wrote:Jermaine O'Neal?
Everyone thought he was good, he just couldn't crack the rotation on a team overloaded with big men. He was also a high school to pros guy.
Re: "Busts" Who Bounced Back
Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2019 4:37 pm
by CS707
Iso Joe?
Re: "Busts" Who Bounced Back
Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2019 4:37 pm
by Forte IV
jason bourne wrote:Lonzo Ball. Pops and the Spurs didn't want him. Lakers traded his arse.
Malik Beasley. Now, he can shoot the 3-pt shot.
Markelle Fultz. LOL.
Do you understand what the phrase "bounced back" means or
Re: "Busts" Who Bounced Back
Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2019 4:39 pm
by Moahst
Kwame Brown.
PJ Tucker and Patrick Beverley were out of the NBA for years and had big comebacks. I don't think they were ever considered busts though.
I don't know if these guys are busts either, but I think they never lived up to initial expectations and yet they've had solid long careers:
Jeff Green
Tony Snell
Evan Turner
Tyreke Evans
Gerald Green
Anthony Bennett is attempting a bounce back right now for Houston. He had great numbers in the G-League last season.