PARIS — Darius Pollock is hitting 3-pointers on a court behind the centuries-old Saint Paul church near Place de la Bastille and its famed column.
The 20-year-old Parisian is one of many players who can be found on courts around the French capital any day of the week. And at the center of basketball conversations in the country is Victor Wembanyama’s rise to NBA stardom.
“It has unlocked something in France,” Pollock said.
He's not wrong.
Basketball's popularity is rising — it could skyrocket during the Paris Olympics with the anticipation surrounding the French men's team. More kids are signing up for teams as the country churns out top NBA draft picks.
France has produced NBA players before, the most famous being point guard Tony Parker — a four-time NBA champion whose No. 9 jersey was retired by the San Antonio Spurs. Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert was this season's NBA Defensive Player of the Year.
People are also reading…
But now it's in overdrive.
Last year there was Wembanyama — a generational talent who as expected went No. 1 in the draft. Two more young Frenchmen — Zaccharie Risacher, Alexandre Sarr — are expected to be top picks Wednesday. They might even go Nos. 1 and 2. A third, Tidjane Salaün, is projected to be selected high in the first round.
![NBA Draft French Connection](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/cc/1cc94fd7-39ca-52d0-9e6d-d6021387f71a/6679da15dd9b1.image.jpg?resize=150%2C100 150w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/cc/1cc94fd7-39ca-52d0-9e6d-d6021387f71a/6679da15dd9b1.image.jpg?resize=200%2C133 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/cc/1cc94fd7-39ca-52d0-9e6d-d6021387f71a/6679da15dd9b1.image.jpg?resize=225%2C150 225w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/cc/1cc94fd7-39ca-52d0-9e6d-d6021387f71a/6679da15dd9b1.image.jpg?resize=300%2C200 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/cc/1cc94fd7-39ca-52d0-9e6d-d6021387f71a/6679da15dd9b1.image.jpg?resize=400%2C267 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/cc/1cc94fd7-39ca-52d0-9e6d-d6021387f71a/6679da15dd9b1.image.jpg?resize=540%2C360 540w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/cc/1cc94fd7-39ca-52d0-9e6d-d6021387f71a/6679da15dd9b1.image.jpg?resize=640%2C427 640w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/cc/1cc94fd7-39ca-52d0-9e6d-d6021387f71a/6679da15dd9b1.image.jpg?resize=750%2C500 750w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/cc/1cc94fd7-39ca-52d0-9e6d-d6021387f71a/6679da15dd9b1.image.jpg?resize=990%2C660 990w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/cc/1cc94fd7-39ca-52d0-9e6d-d6021387f71a/6679da15dd9b1.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C690 1035w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/cc/1cc94fd7-39ca-52d0-9e6d-d6021387f71a/6679da15dd9b1.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C800 1200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/cc/1cc94fd7-39ca-52d0-9e6d-d6021387f71a/6679da15dd9b1.image.jpg?resize=1333%2C888 1333w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/cc/1cc94fd7-39ca-52d0-9e6d-d6021387f71a/6679da15dd9b1.image.jpg?resize=1476%2C984 1476w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/cc/1cc94fd7-39ca-52d0-9e6d-d6021387f71a/6679da15dd9b1.image.jpg?resize=1763%2C1175 2008w)
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama grabs a rebound next to Portland Trail Blazers forward Jabari Walker during a Jan. 26 game in San Antonio.
“I’m very proud of them. It makes it seem like the NBA dream is possible,” Antonin Guezel, a local basketball player in Paris, told The Associated Press. “Some of these talents grew up here, Victor is from the Paris area.”
Female French players haven’t yet had the same impact on the WNBA, but they are trending up. In April’s draft, two French players were selected — Carla Leite (No. 9, Dallas) and Leila Lacan (No. 10, Connecticut).
The 21-year-old Guezel hones his skills at Glacière, a court crammed under an overhead subway station in the 13th arrondissement (district), and one of many outdoor courts scattered around Paris.
There are about 750,000 people registered with basketball clubs in France — nearly 70,000 more than two years ago and an increase of 170,000 since 2014. And that's just the official count. Like in the United States, plenty of hoopers just grab a ball and find a court to shootaround or play in a pickup game.
Basketball — "le Basket” — has never been more popular here, sports historian Lindsay Krasnoff points out.
“On all the courts I pass now, there is always someone playing," said Krasnoff, author of “Basketball Empire.”
Seeing teenagers around Paris wearing NBA jerseys and a basketball under their arm is now a common sight, she added.
One popular spot can be found behind Halle Carpentier — Jemmapes — where the nearby high-rise flats tower over the courts near the popular Saint-Martin canal. Players sit on the sidelines, waiting their turn, as 4-on-4 games take place — first to 21 points win, or first to 16 on more crowded days.
With the fences practically just arm's reach from the court, Jemmapes resembles the iconic West 4th Street courts in New York City. Trash talking is encouraged and fouls are rarely called.
“If you call a foul here, you are weak. So you shut your mouth,” said Lina Redjem, the only woman among more than 30 players waiting to get on the court.
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Youths play basketball on a court under an aerial metro bridge on Sunday in Paris.
Harnessing Talent
France has a proud history when it comes to basketball.
The country boasts of holding the first recorded basketball game in Europe during the 1890s at the Trévise court, near Paris’ famed Pigalle nightlife spots.
But the foundation of the country's talent pipeline can be traced back to 1975 when the Paris-based National Institute of Sport, Expertise, and Performance — known as INSEP — started training elite athletes across several sports.
Basketball was among them.
Parker went from being INSEP's rising star to NBA Finals MVP in 2007. Ten years earlier, Parker's ability left coaches awestruck.
“We all said ‘this guy is not from the same planet,’” Bernard Faure, a junior teams coach at INSEP, told The AP. “Leadership, athleticism, precision. He had everything.”
Detroit Pistons guard Evan Fournier and former NBA players Boris Diaw and Ronny Turiaf also came through INSEP — as did the 18-year-old Salaün, a 6-foot 9-forward.
“Our system has proved itself," said Gilles Thomas, INSEP's basketball director. “Exceptional players are discovered very early. Our system of grid detection makes it really rare for us to miss a talent.”
INSEP has its own team. Last month, the INSEP boys team lost the EuroLeague junior final by one point to Real Madrid.
Players graduate from INSEP and can start competing professionally for French teams when still in their teens.
“The ideal path to the NBA is (playing) in France. Our talents play against professionals at a very young age," Faure said.
INSEP scours the country and its overseas territories to bring in the top 36 boys and 36 girls for training camps. Around 20 teenagers are selected.
INSEP's model has also helped club academies better develop young players.
Wembanyama's formative club, Paris-based Nanterre, occasionally loaned him to INSEP's team. Wembanyama then went to ASVEL near Lyon — where Parker is club president — before joining Paris-based Metropolitans 92.
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A man puts back a basketball into a free self-service sports equipment station next to a basketball court along the canal Saint Martin on Sunday in Paris.
Style of Play
The 19-year-old Risacher won the French league’s best young player award last season while playing for JL Bourg.
The team's coach, Frédéric Fauthoux, says the French brand of basketball “is very athletic," which can ease the transition to the NBA or college basketball in the U.S.
“That’s what separates us from our European rivals and connects us to the style played in America,” he said. ”We know how to develop them into tall and versatile players that the NBA craves. ... Young French players experience the French championship, which is very rough and athletic, and play against European teams who are much more tactical."
David Kahn agrees. The 62-year-old American is the president at Paris Basketball club and was formerly president of the NBA's Timberwolves.
Risacher stands out, Kahn said, because he has “a more modern skillset with an NBA frame.”
Kahn believes basketball’s popularity in France may soon rival soccer — a tall task with the likes of superstar Kylian Mbappé leading Les Bleus.
“Some kids that might have grown up thinking about playing football now start thinking about basketball,” Kahn told The AP at his team’s offices. “This will continue year after year with French basketball producing this kind of talent.”
The upcoming Paris Games will provide a huge opportunity for French basketball enthusiasts to win over even more fans — and future players.
France narrowly lost the last Olympic men's final while the women took home the bronze at the Tokyo Games.
Neither team has won an Olympic gold medal in basketball but with Wembanyama on the men's roster, expectations are soaring.
“These Olympics will be yet another sort of jumping up, trampoline effect," Kahn said. "There will be an outsized attention placed on the French basketball team.”
The 5 biggest draft busts in NBA history
The 5 biggest draft busts in NBA history
![The 5 biggest draft busts in NBA history](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/1d/b1d7d31a-b020-5fd3-a763-c6a79aab6b3e/666b8accccd70.image.jpg?resize=150%2C107 150w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/1d/b1d7d31a-b020-5fd3-a763-c6a79aab6b3e/666b8accccd70.image.jpg?resize=200%2C143 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/1d/b1d7d31a-b020-5fd3-a763-c6a79aab6b3e/666b8accccd70.image.jpg?resize=225%2C160 225w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/1d/b1d7d31a-b020-5fd3-a763-c6a79aab6b3e/666b8accccd70.image.jpg?resize=300%2C214 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/1d/b1d7d31a-b020-5fd3-a763-c6a79aab6b3e/666b8accccd70.image.jpg?resize=400%2C285 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/1d/b1d7d31a-b020-5fd3-a763-c6a79aab6b3e/666b8accccd70.image.jpg?resize=540%2C385 540w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/1d/b1d7d31a-b020-5fd3-a763-c6a79aab6b3e/666b8accccd70.image.jpg?resize=640%2C456 640w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/1d/b1d7d31a-b020-5fd3-a763-c6a79aab6b3e/666b8accccd70.image.jpg?resize=750%2C535 750w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/1d/b1d7d31a-b020-5fd3-a763-c6a79aab6b3e/666b8accccd70.image.jpg?resize=990%2C706 990w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/1d/b1d7d31a-b020-5fd3-a763-c6a79aab6b3e/666b8accccd70.image.jpg?resize=1010%2C720 1035w)
The NBA draft is one of the most important processes in building a team. Championship contenders can find their missing piece or a diamond in the rough, while lesser teams may secure a cornerstone player for the future. Scouts and teams must attend the draft combine, interviews, and workouts, and they also study, film, and watch games to get a grasp on what attributes these prospects bring to the table.
While selecting the right player in the draft could speed up a team's championship timeline, picking the wrong player could set a franchise back significantly. For example, in the 1984 draft, Hakeem Olajuwon was chosen as the first overall pick by the Houston Rockets, Sam Bowie was the second pick by the Portland Trail Blazers, and the Chicago Bulls selected Michael Jordan with the third pick.
Olajuwon retired as a two-time champion and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008. Bowie's career was plagued by injuries, and his only accolade was an All-Rookie team nod. Jordan retired as a six-time champion and five-time Most Valuable Player and is widely recognized as the best player to ever enter the game. This predicament alone shows the importance of drafting the right player.
Sqore compiled a ranking of the five biggest draft busts in NBA history using Basketball Reference data. Players were ranked according to the sum of their career win shares and career value over replacement player, or VORP, two commonly used approximations of player value. For players who predated the start of VORP in 1973, career win shares were used. Only the top five picks who played at least one NBA game and are no longer active in the league were considered.
#5. Chris Washburn
![#5. Chris Washburn](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/e6/5e62e403-d46f-503c-91c0-82fd5717fc93/66854a6715787.image.jpg?resize=150%2C107 150w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/e6/5e62e403-d46f-503c-91c0-82fd5717fc93/66854a6715787.image.jpg?resize=200%2C143 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/e6/5e62e403-d46f-503c-91c0-82fd5717fc93/66854a6715787.image.jpg?resize=225%2C160 225w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/e6/5e62e403-d46f-503c-91c0-82fd5717fc93/66854a6715787.image.jpg?resize=300%2C214 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/e6/5e62e403-d46f-503c-91c0-82fd5717fc93/66854a6715787.image.jpg?resize=400%2C285 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/e6/5e62e403-d46f-503c-91c0-82fd5717fc93/66854a6715787.image.jpg?resize=540%2C385 540w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/e6/5e62e403-d46f-503c-91c0-82fd5717fc93/66854a6715787.image.jpg?resize=640%2C456 640w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/e6/5e62e403-d46f-503c-91c0-82fd5717fc93/66854a6715787.image.jpg?resize=750%2C535 750w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/e6/5e62e403-d46f-503c-91c0-82fd5717fc93/66854a6715787.image.jpg?resize=990%2C706 990w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/e6/5e62e403-d46f-503c-91c0-82fd5717fc93/66854a6715787.image.jpg?resize=1010%2C720 1035w)
- Draft year: 1986 (3rd overall pick)
- Career averages (per game): 3.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, 0.3 assists
- Games played: 72
- Player value score: -1.5 (win shares: -0.6, VORP: -0.9)
Chris Washburn played center at North Carolina State University and was a dominant force, averaging 17.6 points per game as a sophomore. Washburn was drafted by the Golden State Warriors before he was traded to the Atlanta Hawks in his second season.
He appeared in just 72 games and was suspended for the 1988-89 season because of substance abuse, his second violation of the league's drug program. Not even a year later, Washburn received a lifetime ban from the NBA after a third infraction.
Players such as Ron Harper, who was picked eighth, and Dennis Rodman, the third selection in the second round, were in the same draft and went on to have illustrious careers.
#4. Nikoloz Tskitishvili
![#4. Nikoloz Tskitishvili](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/d7/ed7b4786-d5c5-5f1e-993e-fa03e7e9fe8f/666b8acf8bbe9.image.jpg?resize=150%2C107 150w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/d7/ed7b4786-d5c5-5f1e-993e-fa03e7e9fe8f/666b8acf8bbe9.image.jpg?resize=200%2C143 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/d7/ed7b4786-d5c5-5f1e-993e-fa03e7e9fe8f/666b8acf8bbe9.image.jpg?resize=225%2C160 225w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/d7/ed7b4786-d5c5-5f1e-993e-fa03e7e9fe8f/666b8acf8bbe9.image.jpg?resize=300%2C214 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/d7/ed7b4786-d5c5-5f1e-993e-fa03e7e9fe8f/666b8acf8bbe9.image.jpg?resize=400%2C285 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/d7/ed7b4786-d5c5-5f1e-993e-fa03e7e9fe8f/666b8acf8bbe9.image.jpg?resize=540%2C385 540w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/d7/ed7b4786-d5c5-5f1e-993e-fa03e7e9fe8f/666b8acf8bbe9.image.jpg?resize=640%2C456 640w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/d7/ed7b4786-d5c5-5f1e-993e-fa03e7e9fe8f/666b8acf8bbe9.image.jpg?resize=750%2C535 750w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/d7/ed7b4786-d5c5-5f1e-993e-fa03e7e9fe8f/666b8acf8bbe9.image.jpg?resize=990%2C706 990w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/d7/ed7b4786-d5c5-5f1e-993e-fa03e7e9fe8f/666b8acf8bbe9.image.jpg?resize=1010%2C720 1035w)
- Draft year: 2002 (5th overall pick)
- Career averages (per game): 2.9 points, 1.8 rebounds, 0.7 assists
- Games played: 172
- Player value score: -3.6 (win shares: -1.6, VORP: -2)
Nikoloz Tskitishvili caught the eyes of NBA teams by showcasing his ability to stretch the floor and shoot the ball as a 7-footer in the Italian league and for the Georgia national team. He was selected by the Denver Nuggets and played 16.3 minutes per game as a rookie, but he never reached half that mark again.
Tskitishvili was traded to the Warriors during his third season before short stints with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns.
Tskitishvili's skill set never translated to the NBA, and he was out of the league by age 23. Over the next five years, he played for teams in Spain, Italy, and Greece and followed a 2015 flirtation with the NBA by heading back overseas.
Six-time All-Star Amar'e Stoudemire was chosen by the Suns just four picks after Tskitishvili's selection in 2002.
#3. Adam Morrison
![#3. Adam Morrison](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/3/9b/39be8880-5631-5178-85be-e6434875073a/666b8ad15ef4f.image.jpg?resize=150%2C107 150w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/3/9b/39be8880-5631-5178-85be-e6434875073a/666b8ad15ef4f.image.jpg?resize=200%2C143 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/3/9b/39be8880-5631-5178-85be-e6434875073a/666b8ad15ef4f.image.jpg?resize=225%2C160 225w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/3/9b/39be8880-5631-5178-85be-e6434875073a/666b8ad15ef4f.image.jpg?resize=300%2C214 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/3/9b/39be8880-5631-5178-85be-e6434875073a/666b8ad15ef4f.image.jpg?resize=400%2C285 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/3/9b/39be8880-5631-5178-85be-e6434875073a/666b8ad15ef4f.image.jpg?resize=540%2C385 540w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/3/9b/39be8880-5631-5178-85be-e6434875073a/666b8ad15ef4f.image.jpg?resize=640%2C456 640w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/3/9b/39be8880-5631-5178-85be-e6434875073a/666b8ad15ef4f.image.jpg?resize=750%2C535 750w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/3/9b/39be8880-5631-5178-85be-e6434875073a/666b8ad15ef4f.image.jpg?resize=990%2C706 990w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/3/9b/39be8880-5631-5178-85be-e6434875073a/666b8ad15ef4f.image.jpg?resize=1010%2C720 1035w)
- Draft year: 2006 (3rd overall pick)
- Career averages (per game): 7.5 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists
- Games played: 161
- Player value score: -3.8 (win shares: -1.4, VORP: -2.4)
Adam Morrison was one of the best players to ever come out of Gonzaga. He averaged a jaw-dropping 28.1 points per game as a junior and was drafted by the Charlotte Bobcats.
Morrison had a solid first season, finishing fourth in Rookie of the Year Award voting. But he tore his left ACL in the 2007-08 preseason and missed the campaign, and then the Bobcats traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009.
Morrison was never known for having elite athleticism, so the knee injury was a major setback. His last NBA season came in 2009-10, and then he played in Serbia and Turkey before a failed comeback attempt.
In the 2006 draft, both Rudy Gay and JJ Redick were selected in the eight picks after Morrison.
#2. Josh Jackson
![#2. Josh Jackson](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/d/07/d075b256-2743-51ca-89de-3e7bc5395232/666b8ad2afdc6.image.jpg?resize=150%2C107 150w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/d/07/d075b256-2743-51ca-89de-3e7bc5395232/666b8ad2afdc6.image.jpg?resize=200%2C143 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/d/07/d075b256-2743-51ca-89de-3e7bc5395232/666b8ad2afdc6.image.jpg?resize=225%2C160 225w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/d/07/d075b256-2743-51ca-89de-3e7bc5395232/666b8ad2afdc6.image.jpg?resize=300%2C214 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/d/07/d075b256-2743-51ca-89de-3e7bc5395232/666b8ad2afdc6.image.jpg?resize=400%2C285 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/d/07/d075b256-2743-51ca-89de-3e7bc5395232/666b8ad2afdc6.image.jpg?resize=540%2C385 540w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/d/07/d075b256-2743-51ca-89de-3e7bc5395232/666b8ad2afdc6.image.jpg?resize=640%2C456 640w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/d/07/d075b256-2743-51ca-89de-3e7bc5395232/666b8ad2afdc6.image.jpg?resize=750%2C535 750w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/d/07/d075b256-2743-51ca-89de-3e7bc5395232/666b8ad2afdc6.image.jpg?resize=990%2C706 990w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/d/07/d075b256-2743-51ca-89de-3e7bc5395232/666b8ad2afdc6.image.jpg?resize=1010%2C720 1035w)
- Draft year: 2017 (4th overall pick)
- Career averages (per game): 11.3 points, 4 rebounds, 1.8 assists
- Games played: 291
- Player value score: -4.8 (win shares: -1.7, VORP: -3.1)
After a stellar first season at the University of Kansas, Josh Jackson was selected in the draft by Phoenix. A solid scorer in college, he continued that trend during his first NBA season, making the All-Rookie second team and finishing with 13.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per game.
Jackson was unexpectedly traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in 2019 following a disappointing second season, and he was assigned to the G League. He showed signs of a resurgence upon his return to the NBA, but he played only two more seasons.
The 2017 draft was one of the best classes in recent history, featuring All-Stars such as De'Aaron Fox, Donovan Mitchell, and Bam Adebayo, plus a host of other productive players who were also selected after Jackson.
#1. Michael Olowokandi
![#1. Michael Olowokandi](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/de/ade1aafe-41c6-51cd-a8a8-2337f9502860/666b8ad43d688.image.jpg?resize=150%2C107 150w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/de/ade1aafe-41c6-51cd-a8a8-2337f9502860/666b8ad43d688.image.jpg?resize=200%2C143 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/de/ade1aafe-41c6-51cd-a8a8-2337f9502860/666b8ad43d688.image.jpg?resize=225%2C160 225w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/de/ade1aafe-41c6-51cd-a8a8-2337f9502860/666b8ad43d688.image.jpg?resize=300%2C214 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/de/ade1aafe-41c6-51cd-a8a8-2337f9502860/666b8ad43d688.image.jpg?resize=400%2C285 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/de/ade1aafe-41c6-51cd-a8a8-2337f9502860/666b8ad43d688.image.jpg?resize=540%2C385 540w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/de/ade1aafe-41c6-51cd-a8a8-2337f9502860/666b8ad43d688.image.jpg?resize=640%2C456 640w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/de/ade1aafe-41c6-51cd-a8a8-2337f9502860/666b8ad43d688.image.jpg?resize=750%2C535 750w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/de/ade1aafe-41c6-51cd-a8a8-2337f9502860/666b8ad43d688.image.jpg?resize=990%2C706 990w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/journalstar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/de/ade1aafe-41c6-51cd-a8a8-2337f9502860/666b8ad43d688.image.jpg?resize=1010%2C720 1035w)
- Draft year: 1998 (1st overall pick)
- Career averages (per game): 8.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.4 blocks
- Games played: 500
- Player value score: -6 (win shares: 2.5, VORP: -8.5)
Michael Olowokandi, who didn't play in an organized basketball game until he was 20, was more than a standout at the University of the Pacific, averaging 22.2 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game in his final season. He was drafted first overall by the Los Angeles Clippers and earned a spot on the All-Rookie second team in 1998-99.
In 2001-02, he received four votes for the league's Most Improved Player Award, but his career spiraled after injuries and a change of scenery via free agency. Over the next four seasons, he played for the Timberwolves and Boston Celtics but was a shell of himself.
His career averages aren't bad, but they are underwhelming for a #1 pick. His ability to stick around for nine seasons contributed by far the lowest VORP of the players considered for this list.
The 1998 draft is widely recognized as one of the best drafts of all time, as Hall of Famers Vince Carter, Dirk Nowitzki, and Paul Pierce were selected in the top 10.
Story editing by Mike Taylor. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Robert Wickwire. Photo selection by Clarese Moller.
This story originally appeared on Sqore and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.