Re-Drafting the 2006 NBA Draft Using Advanced Analytics
5 Busts
This draft has been a pretty well-known disappointment in NBA circles.
| Player | Actual Pick | Re-Draft Pick | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oleksiy Pecherov | 18 | 48 | 30 |
| Quincy Douby | 19 | 49 | 30 |
| Shelden Williams | 5 | 46 | 41 |
| Andre Bargnani | 1 | 43 | 42 |
| Adam Morrison | 3 | 52 | 49 |
The two players most refer to as busts in this group are Bargnani and Morrison. Neither of them had a career worthy of a top-three pick. They are a representation of a theme throughout the class.
Not only was Bargnani the opposite of a splash prospect, but Oleksiy Pecherov, a top-20 pick in his own right, did next to nothing in his three seasons in the league. The Ukrainian prospect played two seasons with the Washington Wizards before spending his last season in the league with Minnesota.
Like Morrison, Quincy Douby and Shelden Williams were collegiate stars with their respective teams -- Rutgers and Duke. Also like Morrison, both fizzled out after a few NBA seasons and played below a replacement level in their short time.
Since then, the Pistons haven't been the only team to learn a lesson from the experience. Teams seem to have become more wary of top college players and international prospects turned busts.
