Ranking the 10 biggest Kansas basketball NBA Draft busts of all-time
SF. New Orleans Pelicans. Julian Wright. 7. player. 69.
2007 NBA Draft, selected 13th overall
New Orleans Hornets, 2007-2010
Toronto Raptors, 2010-2011
Wright was one of the most fun college players to watch in his era. He did not possess an outside shot, but his ceiling was tremendously high.
One of the highest flyers of his generation, it seemed that all of his shot attempts were dunks. NBA scouts saw his ridiculous vertical and fell for the bait. Unfortunately, he did not have many skills other than his bounce.
When the New Orleans Hornets decided to draft him, it was based entirely on his upside. They knew he was a risky selection and a project player. Wright never tapped into his potential during his time in the NBA.
- 231 games played
- 3.9 points
- 2.3 rebounds
- 49.9% FG
- 58.4% FT
Any hopes of him developing a jump shot were shot down rather quickly after his rookie season. He sunk 16 threes throughout his brief NBA career and never expanded his offensive game.
In hindsight, the Hornets should not have made this pick. But players like Giannis Antetokounmpo have been drafted with high picks due to upside, so we cannot fault them entirely for thinking that Wright could have budded into something special.