These days, sports themed lists are a staple of a good sports blog. Bleacher Report is one of the sites out there that uses them quite often. Their '50 Most Worthless Players in the NBA' is pretty interesting for a few reasons. Out of the 50 players on the list, there are exactly seven that I've never heard of, and are still in the league mainly to fill a roster spot.
I was surprised to see that one Blazer did make the list. Some quick thoughts I had while reading through the list:
1. DeSagana Diop. I don't think they ranked the players, I think they just listed them in no particular order, but DeSagana Diop is the first player you see. I can't help but think that Diop almost came to Portland along with Gerald Wallace in the trade with the Bobcats. Now that's a scary thought. The state of the Blazers could actually be worse than it presently is, if you can believe that...
2. Travis Outlaw. Former Blazer Travis Outlaw checked in on this list. Which I think is a bit unfair to call him worthless. He has never really been the type of player that should get the 5 year, 35 million dollar contract that the Nets gave him at the end of the 2010 season. But it's not his fault that New Jersey was willing to offer him that, is it?
You may forget, but for two seasons while in Portland, Outlaw had two pretty good seasons. In 07-08, he averaged 13.3 ppg and 4.6 rebounds while shooting nearly 40% from deep. Then in 08-09, he averaged 12.8 ppg and 4.1 rebounds, while still maintaining a 37% three-point percentage. If you're going to 'worthless', you can find much better candidates. (I'm looking directly at you, Luke Walton.)
Outlaw's a good kid, and he's one of the former Blazers that I still root for. Remember when Portland had Outlaw, Nic Batum and Martell Webster all vying for playing time at the SF spot? Looking back, it's hard to believe that there was actually a debate as to who should be the starter. But all 3 players did have their advantages.
3. Greg Oden. The only Blazer on the list is Greg Oden. And this isn't even fair at all. After the most recent round of surgeries, you can't really even call Oden a bust. If you ask me, an integral part of being labeled a bust requires a lack of effort/caring/motivation on the part of the athlete. Greg hasn't even been healthy long enough to get lazy. By all accounts, his work ethic is just fine. He's just never been healthy enough to gain any sort of momentum.
My view of Greg Oden has changed quite a bit with each round of injury troubles that he's had. I don't blame Greg Oden for anything anymore. A successful and dominant basketball career for him just doesn't seem to be in the cards. I hope the best for the kid though, in whatever he does from here on out.
4. Jerry Stackhouse. I pay pretty close attention to the NBA, and I had no idea that Jerry Stackhouse was still playing basketball and that there still was an NBA team willing to pay him actual money to do just that. I just blew my own mind. Quick, without looking, try to figure out what team Stackhouse is on. If you knew right away, you have no life.
5. Steve Novak. Bleacher Report's rundown on Novak starts like this, "I'm not sure exactly what Steve Novak's role on the New York Knicks is, but it is obviously not to score points and grab rebounds." Well yeah, he's a sharp shooter. Doesn't everyone know that?
Not to say that Novak is some sort of special player or anything. But he's a sharp shooter, and if you are a sharp shooter in the league, you will always be able to find a job.
6. Luke Walton. I'll say it again, a little clearer this time. I don't know how Walton is still in the league. And he's managed to con the Lakers into keeping him on the team for almost nine whole seasons. He doesn't do any one thing very good, does he? Must be his last name, which I can understand to a point.
[ 50 Most Worthless Players in the NBA ]